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The Prologue

This story will begin as many do...

On any given day, one could be the happiest man in the world. One could have the perfect job, sharing one's life with a faithful love, such a bright future. Alas, life can never be so simple or even forgiving. Even those who do no wrong can have everything go wrong. None would fit this more than one black rat by the name of Jacob Marshall.

Jacob, the stories that could be told of him; The hardships he went through, the pains he endured. The sensible thing would be to start at the beginning.

Jacob had little to no memory of his past before he came to live in the sleepy southern beach community of Corpus Christi, TX. Aged 26 and living for the past few months in a cozy apartment with his childhood friend and the love his life, Hannah, he had it made. He was strong and at 5'8, 200 lbs, not to be toyed with.

Jacob worked as a bouncer at a popular nightclub called Studio 23. His godfather, a kindly old hippo named Frank, was a bartender here and had helped the rat get the job as a way to help pay the rent. He was good at his job. He was particularly good at just being able to stare down most troublemakers. Even if someone did try to fight him they usually ended up either tossed out back by Jacob or spending the night in the drunk tank downtown.

Tonight was to be to be different, however. Jacob arrived looking more chipper than usual. A few of the regular patrons recognized him and greeted him as such. He acknowledged them with a wordless gesture or two. He personally made little attempt to familiarize himself with anyone. Two years he had been working there and his only true friend was Frank.

The old man saw his godson and shouted, "Jacob, you young son-of-a-gun you!"

The friends shared a quick friendly embrace.

"Heh, good seeing you too, old man." Jacob smiled to see his godfather.

Frank pulled away after feeling the lump in the young rat's left jacket pocket. "So, tonight's the night, eh?" the bartender asked.

Jacob shrugged and smiled as he showed his old friend the small box in which was a silver diamond ring.

The bartender raised an eyebrow before he said "Well, good luck with that then. You'll find her upstairs." He gestured to a picture behind him of Jacob with Hannah. "You two are perfect together. In all my years, I have never seen devotion quite like it; let alone that I expected it to be my own godson... your old man would be proud." He put a friendly hand on Jake's shoulder as he finished his statement.

Jacob smiled, "Thanks, Frank. Well, till then."

...

Somewhere else in the club, Lucas Sharp, a medium-sized weasel in his mid-40s, was just hanging around, drinking his beers, and watching the strippers when one of the other patrons, a German shepherd, had gotten a little too close for comfort with one of the waitresses.

She slapped him leaving a red mark on his cheek.

He responded by grabbing her tail and pinning her to a nearby table. That was when a big rat grabbed him by the collar of his shirt then pulled him off the girl.

"Now, there won't be any need for that, sir." Jacob spoke calmly, his strong violet eyes stared down the dog.

The shepherd growled and pulled out a pocketknife only to have Jacob snap his wrist and backhand him across the muzzle. This made the dog drop his knife on a nearby table. When he reached for it with his free hand the weasel, Lucas, grabbed the knife from him and jammed it through his hand, nailed him to a nearby table.

The shepherd let out a cry of anguish.

Jacob quickly thanked the stranger then grabbed the shepherd's head and turned him to face the girl. He whispered into the dog's ear "Now, say 'sorry' to the nice girl, so we can leave here with a clean conscience."

The dog slurred in his attempts, "S-s-sorry..."

"What's that? I didn't hear you!" He grabbed the dog's groin and dug his claws in on his last word.

"AAHH!! Fuck, I'm sorry all right!?"

This generated a cheer from the crowd.

Jake pulled out the knife, wiped it off on the dog's jacket, borrowed a kerchief from another patron and wrapped it around the dog's wounded hand. He patted the dog calmly as he spoke "There now! No hard feelings, right? You just gotta understand, you don't treat girls that way. You can come in whenever you want, drink whatever you want because that's your right, but it's a right for a reason."

He picked up the dog and stared him in the eyes.

"If I catch you mistreating any other girls, whether it is here or on the outside, I won't be so forgiving." His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "Something about that just pisses me off to no end."

He pushed the shepherd into the surrounding crowd.

"Now, will someone please escort him to the front door? I'd do it if not for having a very lovely and much appreciated girl waiting for me upstairs." He over-enunciated on the two adverbs to get his point through.

As he left though, he noticed that the weasel who helped him in the fight had disappeared.

...

In fact, Lucas had snuck backstage during the confusion. He crept quietly down the hall until he came to a door with the name Delores on it. He gave his waning hair a quick spit shine before he knocked.

"Delores!"

From the other side of the door he heard "Just a minute!"

Seconds later, the door opened and a middle-aged squirrel stuck her head out. She smiled warmly for her visitor, "Lucas, baby, you sure know how to come late."

The brown weasel smirked nervously, "I love you too, Lori. Listen, I haven't got much time, so let's just make this quick."

She blinked at his persistence, "Hmm, pushy."

Lori opened the door all the way, so he could come in. She directed him kindly to sit on her couch. Then, she picked up a magazine, rolled it up and smacked him over the head with it.

Lucas yelped, not from pain, but really surprise, "Ah! Delores! What the hell?!"

Her smile quickly vanished as she kept hitting him, "What're you freaking crazy? Do you know what'd happen if Jerry caught you in his club? You're already marked for death and now you're fixing to bring me down with you?"

He held her wrists to stop her as he explained "I know I'm marked, Lori. That's why I'm leaving here. I got us two one-way tickets to Europe. We can have our happy ever after."

Delores was hearing him , but she wasn't very eager to just drop everything and go, "I don't know, Luke... I love you, I really do, but I can't just leave. My ma is still here and..."

Lucas kissed her suddenly to calm her protesting, "And she can come with us! I'll get another ticket; I've got the cash!"

The squirrel's expression changed from worry to anger, "You mean all your killing money? All your money from murdering those people?"

Lucas groaned, "I told you! I'm puttin' all that behind me, that's not me anymore! I'm out of jail and I'm changing everything, but I can't do it without you!"

Delores saw a shadow darken the light under her door while she thought about what Lucas had just told her. She looked her lover in the eyes, "This is... a lot for you to just drop on me like this, Luke... I have to think about it." Then she sat up, "It's almost time for my show anyway so... I should go get ready."

Lucas hadn't noticed her look, "Then go... Give yourself time to think and... I'll be right here."

Delores nodded, "I know you will." She kissed the weasel on his cheek, then she got up to leave, opening her dressing room door, "I'll be right back, promise." She blew a kiss to him before closing the door.

...

Meanwhile, Jacob had entered the VIP jacuzzi room to find his sweet lover eagerly awaiting him.

He smiled like he'd just won the lottery. There was Hannah, grown to be so beautiful since when they used to play as kids. She saw him, "Hi there, I've been waiting for my boyfriend, do you know where he might be?" She stuck her tongue out at him as she sat naked in the warm water of the jacuzzi.

Jacob laughed as he sat down by the edge of the Jacuzzi and began rubbing her face gently with his right hand before descending lower under the water.

As she sighed, he whispered into her ear "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said tonight was going to be special, but I guess it's the thought that counts." He quipped as he playfully pinched her beneath the water. Jacob reached into his left pocket and said "Close your eyes please."

She did so.

Jacob quickly stripped down to his boxers, then joined Hannah in the water. He took her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

Her eyes shot open when she felt it.

He kissed Hannah and held her head to show the honesty of his eyes. "Hannah, I've known you all my life. I would love the honor of spending the rest of my life with you as much as I love you right now."

She wept slightly before hugging him. A flash of naughtiness spread across her face when she looked in his dark violet eyes. Her newly engaged left hand crept down his front side. She frowned when she felt his boxers, "You're a little over-dressed, Jacob."

He laughed "And what were you planning, Hannah?"

She kissed him before adopting her best New York accent "Givin' us a good early start on our future, Jakey-baby."

...

Back downstairs, Lucas sat waiting for his girlfriend to get back.

He had about dozed off when he heard the door open, "Delores?" He looked up then he felt his blood run cold once he saw the intruder.

It was a large Doberman Pinscher dressed in a cheesy pimp suit with the muscles on him to rival Heracles.

All Lucas could say was "J-j-j-Jerome..."

The canine said nothing as he grabbed the weasel by his throat then lifted him so his prey had to stare him directly in the eye. The Doberman growled "Long time no see, old friend. You didn't even think to call old Jerry Marks when they let you out? You know I would've wanted to see you as soon as possible, Sharpie."

Lucas sobbed, fearful for what was about to happen.

The black dog growled, "I hear you got out on good behavior, definitely don't sound like the Lucas I used to know."

The weasel stammered, "I'm turnin' over a new leaf, startin' fresh."

Jerome pressed his nose against the weasel's, "Then start fresh somewhere else. You're not welcome," he scoffed "that you even stepped foot in my club implies you think I'm stupid. Ol' Jerry, that pup don't know nothing, right?"

He dropped the mustelid on the couch then cracked the joints in his fingers loud enough to make his prey cringe. He said in a faint growl, "If I see you again, I will kill you, now get out." He sniffed the weasel, "And control your bowels next time, you freak."

...

Jacob and Hannah were walking down the stairs together hand in hand. She kissed him on the cheek.

"I have to get going soon. I'll be meeting you back at home. We can continue planning our future then."

She left his side flicking her tail at him as she walked away. He sighed and shook his head as he turned his attention back to his job.

Lucas walked through the crowd as fast as he could. He was quite shaken by Jerome's sudden appearance. He did not even bother to get his girlfriend. Girlfriend? She set him up; forget her then.

At the same time, Hannah was walking toward the front door.

Lucas got to his car. He opened the door and climbed in. He put his key in the ignition then turned it. It did not start. He pushed harder on it. That was when he smelled the weed smoke. He never smoked it, but he knew someone that did... he gulped. He had an option; he could run. No, he would be looking over his shoulder every day for the rest of his life. This was quicker. He took a breath, exhaled then turned one final time. The car started and he heard the click. In his final moments, Lucas looked up and saw a rat girl walking by his car. His last emotion was regret, "No..."

The car exploded, throwing Hannah across the street. Jacob heard the explosion and ran out pushing spectators out of his way. He saw Hannah lying in the middle of the street.

"Hannah!"

He slipped and fell hard on the asphalt as he ran, ripping a light gash into his calf. Ignoring the pain, he rushed to her side and cradled her close to his chest.

Her fur was singed, her blouse torn by the large shrapnel lodged in her torso. She fought to keep awake as she felt cold spreading through her body. She looked up at Jacob, into his violet eyes. Her mouth quivered as she tried to speak, but she passed without a word.

He cried as he held her body to his own. Someone from the crowd put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He jumped on him and began to strangle him, until he was tasered by two officers on the scene. They threw him in a cell to cool off for the night.

Jacob huddled in a corner by the window that night, clutching Hannah's rosary, the only thing of hers he could take as they pulled him away from her. The last thing he remembered of that night (which he would tell others.) was crying for her and then, envisioning the scum that put that bomb there and what he would do, if he ever found them.

Four months later...