This story takes place one month after the events of Hermes's Struggle.

…

Quinn's POV

My first job of the day: a newspaper delivery.

I go around on a small bicycle and push newspapers through people's letterboxes. Oh, just for the record, it's only in Bodicote, the village that the animals live in. I was going to say "the village that the OWCA agents live in" but that's not quite right. Lots of non-OWCA animals live here, including me.

Shocking, right? My whole family is in OWCA: Perry and Priya, my parents (whom I don't call Mom and Dad anymore. For some reason, I just don't call them that anymore); my siblings, Teddy, Hazel, and Hermes; their partners, Piper, Parker, and Anke respectively; and even my nieces and nephews (Paige, Lokie, Athena, Cody, Austin, Felise, and Hughie) are in training to become OWCA agents.

But I don't want to join OWCA. I'm eight years old and I have four jobs. And that's the way I like it. I have great friends and a great life. I don't want to fight evil, despite my parents' hints and protests.

My first job is the newspaper delivery, officially 7am-9am every day except Sunday, but I almost always finish at about 8:30am.

Then there's a shift at the village shop every weekday, 12-4.

Finally, waitressing at Casa Blanca, which, oddly enough, does not have anything to do with Morocco. That shift is also every weekday, 7-11.

Oh, I have an extra job as well. I paint things. Not houses, but anything else. Small sheds, fences, that kind of things. If they ask for a pattern, I will do my best to deliver. I'm very artistic, and this is arguably my favourite job. I get to chat to people while I work, and I get to do something I love.

As I finish my newspaper delivery, I look at my watch and see that I have about three hours before my shift at Bodicote's village shop begins. I head over to Casa Blanca for an early lunch. I never eat breakfast because my shift at the village shop is literally right over lunchtime so I always have an early lunch.

I sit down at a table for six and order fries. While I wait, I text my friends. Luckily, they all reply within a few minutes.

Five minutes later, my friends are all sitting at my table. The six of us are the outcasts: the only ones of this new generation who didn't want to join OWCA: Emmy the Echidna, Clive the Dalmatian, Knox the Cat, Ford the Cat, and Sarah the Black Panther.

Emmy is the daughter of Madeline the Echidna and Danny the Dog's son, Max. I don't really know Max but it's obvious if you've met Madeline that Emmy is 100% the same as Madeline, though she isn't quite as careless or mean. She's practically a mini-Madeline, personality-wise. Looks-wise, she's a light brown echidna.

Clive is a light pink Dalmatian with black spots, which you may think would look funny, but he looks quite normal. He's the son of Pinky the Chihuahua and Victoria the Dalmatian, who are no longer together. He's spent his whole life being shunted from one parent to the other. Personality-wise, I'd say he's more like Pinky than Victoria, though he does have a diva side that comes out occasionally.

Knox and Ford are two of Cassie the Cat and Ravi the Rabbit's kids. Cassie gave birth to a litter of five, and the other three (I can't remember their names) joined OWCA, but Knox and Ford didn't want to. Knox is a white cat with black stripes and Ford is a black cat with white stripes. Knox is more like his father, whereas Ford is more like his mother. Knox also happens to be my boyfriend.

Finally, Sarah is Eden the Black Panther's sister. Her triplet brothers, Cole and Owen, joined OWCA last year, but Sarah didn't. She has completely black fur, and is dramatic and sassy. However, she is also very fierce if anybody teases or makes fun of her or someone she cares about.

"So did you guys want to talk about anything?" asks Sarah.

"I wanted to ask if your parents are pestering you to join OWCA," I say.

"Mom doesn't care about me very much anymore," grins Clive. "Dad raised the subject once but I told him I just didn't want to join OWCA and he hasn't raised it since."

"My parents are focusing on Eden, Zara, Cole, and Owen at the moment," Sarah contributes. "So I've been mainly left alone."

"Same, really," says Knox with a glance at Ford. "Our parents are focusing on our siblings' training, so we've also been left alone."

"What about you, Quinn?" asks Sarah.

"My parents won't shut up on the subject," I sigh. "Every time I come home, they talk about the mission Hazel went on or the training that Paige is doing. I just wish they'd leave me to my life. I like it like this. I have three jobs, I have you guys. I can focus on my hobbies more. It's quiet and simple, with no complicated missions or training. That's all I want."

"Hear hear," says Ford, raising his drink.

Sarah nudges him so hard that he falls off his chair with a yelp. Knox and Clive begin giggling loudly. I stare into my drink, wishing I could join in. But I know that when I get home tonight, my parents are going to try everything they can to get me to join OWCA.

But I won't, I vow to myself. I will never join any organisation that fights for a living. I don't want that life.

…

Just so you guys know, Quinn is 8 years old.