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The bills were piling up, there was no denying it. With the weight shift, Marcus had had to dig deep to buy the majority of a new wardrobe. And that meant he needed to keep working.

Marcus, most of the time, filled his wallet with lost things. One of the first things Ganesh had taught him was how to meditate, and to gather knowledge about things. Marcus had figured people would pay for that information, and he had been right. At the moment, he was looking for a retriever pup. The family lived in the Scene, and had put up lost ads with almost three hundred as a reward.

The dog was on the edge of the Scene and Downers. Marcus had meditated that afternoon on it and saw the dog in his mind, in an alley, sleeping. The divinations were much strong than before; for years usually he could pick up a location, but not a vision like this time. It had taken a much shorter time, as well.

In his pack he had a cloth and a leash, depending whether the dog wanted to be carried or walked back. With the amount of animals Marcus rescued these days, having his own pet supplies came in handy.

His coat still felt weird to wear. Only his real arms were in his sleeves. Marcus' 'other' arms holding the jacket closed around them. It still had some getting used to, he feared.

Marcus, Ganesh chimed in suddenly. Another godling is about. I can sense them.

Marcus' eyes snapped up, looking around. Three years, and it all began now.

Marcus began to sense what he believed his god felt, but had his doubts, too. Shouldn't they be sensing me, too? Marcus had assumed that any godlings he found would be as cautiously curious as he was about a meet up. He crept along to where Ganesh was mentally tugging him.

They are stationary, Ganesh pointed out, And have not moved since my initial warning, If they were trying to hide, this is a very poor attempt.

As Marcus passed one building, he noted that the feeling had changed direction: the feeling was coming from down the alley to his left. But there wasn't anyone there...

The other godling was on the move. It was a slow pace, though, and Marcus was far faster at his normal pace. He followed, trying to appear as nervous as he was. Around the next corner the godling stopped, and Marcus caught up. Ready to see another misshapen semi-human, Marcus found himself looking around, and then down.

Marcus' divination-aided eidetic memory brought up the words written on the documents in his desk just as Ganesh did: Shapeshifter.

"The 'dangerous' Mr. Campbell, I presume?"

At least the growl was something. It confirmed it was the man he saw in the photograph, if not in his usual body, and he didn't like the sound of his own name at that moment. Marcus could use that, or at least he hoped he could.

Fact check: Can the rest of the godlings do what I do to mask my appearance? Marcus was using his god like an encyclopedia, but it didn't matter.

No. Ganesh was quick; Marcus knew that the God was reading his thoughts. It is like individual human skills. While there is some overlap, most gods and devas can do different things, or similar things in unique ways.

That meant that the cub before him was the best equivalent Campbell had to Marcus' human illusion. And Marcus knew from the chatter in the streets that Campbell was quickly approaching rock star status. He was starting to think maybe this guy was just dog tired.

It was time for Marcus to use some trump to see what was in this guy's hand. Let's see how he likes information.

Marcus crouched a little. "Y'know, for the first person involved in the Game that I've met, you sure don't seem interested in it."

Marcus shrugged as the coyote pup put on his display. By the mutt's earlier reaction, Marcus knew the b*****d was understanding every little word he he said. Leaning against the wall to brace himself as he slid into a sitting position, he pulled out a dog leash. Of course he made no move towards the other player; it was for show for anyone who would give the scene a second glance. Just a guy with his dog.

"I suppose I figured you would be curious as to why I wasn't some pre-teen runaway like most." Let him gnaw on that bone for a while.

Marcus spun at the sound, trying to crane over from his sitting position. He quickly realized, though, that he didn't sense anything from the alley that it was a godling. It was a strange sense, to be sure, that kinship with the pup in front of him. A feeling barely ten minutes old, and suddenly Marcus was discounting things he could not see.

But the whatever-it-was in the alley was really out of place. This early in the morning, there were so few people about that Marcus had maybe seen three besides the godling next to him since he had woken.

One of his false arms clutched a steak knife under his coat. He didn't want Campbell to see one of his abilities 'for free' as it were, and didn't want to startle his only new resource into thinking he meant the mutt harm.

This was getting Marcus nowhere. Getting up clumsily, he put the leash away. Ganesh said I have to prove my use to these people, and they're damn well going to see it. Looking around, he saw a cardboard box on the side of the street, about the size of his backpack - or Campbell. Meet the obstacle maker.

With that, Marcus merely glanced at the box, and it was open and on its side right in front of the retreating canine's path, only a quarter inch in front of the dog's nose. He likely even wouldn't have time to slow down.

Marcus crossed both of his arm sets in return. The second set just felt right, there was no point in it for show. "I catch dogs for a living. If I let them lie, I'd be the one in the cardboard box." Marcus looked the man in the eye. The b*****d does look older than me. He remembered the photograph. "Besides, I've stayed on the sidelines far too long now." Marcus considered probing his mind, but he thought the better of it for now. If this guy could sense it, things could go horribly wrong. Besides, allies were better.

Marcus stuck out a real hand. "Marcus."