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Code Oblivion Chapter 3: The Fall

Aidan was in total shock as he heard the numerous explosions ring around him. Reality slapped him in the face with an obvious truth; his hometown was attacked. With mouth slightly agape, his eyes swept over the destruction before his ears perked up at the sound of metal clanking. Remembering what he was doing, he focused his attention on the robot in front of him, the thing constantly jittering. Being cautious, he watched its movements carefully. As he did this, he noticed a symbol emblazoned on its body, something he almost didn't recognize until suddenly, recognition showed in his face. This was the very thing he was taught during his time in the academy, one he was taught to fear and fight against. 'Unsealed! How did they get into the city? The ward was supposed to keep them out!' He thought to himself, eyes not entirely focused on the robot until he heard the sounds of a laser being charged. "Fuck!" He cried out as he grabbed the kid and moved out of the way just in time, completely missing the both of them. The building behind them however, was not so fortunate as the beam came into contact and with it, an explosion. The kid let out a startled scream as Aidan did his best to cover him completely from the debris that came raining down above.

"What's going on?" The wolf (Noah wasn't it?) asked, clearly terrified at what was happening around them. "How did the Unsealed get in? I thought Eldra had an Anti-Unsealed Ward?"

"It does!" Aidan shouted as he helped the younger wolf up and placed him behind himself and out of sight of the Unsealed robot. "Listen, kid! Get out of there, find your dad and go somewhere safe!" He ordered and took out an earpiece with a pair of glasses, then waited.

Ping!

'Species Identified: Strifer. Larva Level Unsealed.

Elemental Alignment: Metal.

Notes: Very weak physically but is very dangerous at long range. Often attacks in groups, very seldom found alone. Anti-projectile armor is recommended when fighting.'

With that info, Aidan unsheathed his gunblade and switched it on, automatically forming into a sword. "I'll just take this guy out, find the kid and try to find shelter! Shouldn't be too hard." He chuckled, then charged, easily dodging the laser blasts with astounding grace. As he got close enough, he smirked and sliced his way through several weak spots, rendering it useless as it shut itself down. "Okay now, with that done I gotta find that kid. I hope he's okay." He said and rushed towards the direction the boy had ran off to. As he did, he saw battles going on all around the city. Fire was everywhere and countless MODD soldiers were being rushed into buildings in an attempt to rescue anyone trapped inside.

He took out several more Strifers along the way and after nearly thirty minutes of searching, he was beginning to get worried. That is, until he heard a familiar shout coming from one of the alleys. With that, he swiftly rushed to the source and found the blond wolf who looked terrified, along with a cougar, his hair being that of a vivid pink. Aidan recognized him, he was one of his sisters classmates, Jerome. He was shielding the other boy from three large floating robots, their legs and arms both tapering out into extremely sharp blades.

Ping!

'Species Identified: Floater. Pupae Level Unsealed.

Elemental Alignment: Metal.

Notes: Attacks by spinning. Very fast but extremely fragile. Long-range weaponry highly recommended.'

"Hey, kid! Duck!" Aidan shouted, changing his gunblade into gun form. The wolf boy caught on, quickly grabbing Jerome to squeeze into a narrow passage just as he released a high-energized shot, obliterating both Floaters. "Okay, you two can come out now!" He called out as he looked around, checking his surroundings in case of a surprise attack. Thankfully there was nothing, only the flames of ruined buildings and the rushing soldiers trying to regain order in the chaos. Seeing that the area was clear enough, he turned around and saw the two boys step out from behind the scorched walls. "You guys okay?"

The two nodded, Noah looking shaken up but otherwise amazingly calm while Jerome was all over, being the first to speak. "Lt. Hart! What's going on? What happened to the shield generator? Where's dad? Is he okay?" He asked without taking a single breath.

His father was Lt. Commander Jeremiah Higgs. He was Aidan's dad's right-paw man and his second (Meaning if his father died, Jeremiah would inherit the Elemental Seal of Metal. Every EL had a second, someone they could pass the seal onto. This had been the way of things ever since the Great Seal War and the first generation of Elemental Lords). He was a good man and had been his father's partner ever since their own days in the academy, like how Aidan and Todd were really, to the point they took the same paths they did when they were at that age.

"I'm sure he's fine. Your dad is a strong man, if anyone can handle this, it's him." Aidan said in an attempt to reassure the frightened cougar as he pressed his ear-piece. "This is Lt. Aidan Hart, Code 19221. I'm calling into HQ. I have two civilians with me and I want to know where I can take them." He waited for several moments until heard a calm female voice speak, the same one that had been feeding him information. It was the Resident MODD AI called 'Ava' that had been installed into every MODD base about ten years ago. She was pretty handy but the fact she was speaking like an actual person was disconcerting.

'Code checks out. Hello Lt. Hart, there has been a safe area made in the central plaza. All Soldiers are to send civilians to that area and return to fight the Unsealed invasion.' Ava said, Aidan thanking her before shutting her down and turning towards the two.

"Alright, central plaza is our stop. I'll take you both there alright? With all luck, your father should be there." He nodded in the cougar's direction who in turn did the same, albeit nervously. It was obvious to know he was still shaken up. He couldn't blame him. He'd be in the same state if it weren't for his training. "Stay behind me the entire time and if we're attacked, hide and let me handle the fighting alright? I'm the professional here and I don't want either of you hurt." Both of the boys nodded and they went on their way, Aidan continuing to look around the city, his heart breaking at seeing his home in ruins from the Unsealed attack.

They were everywhere, forcing him to take out several. On the way, he saw several soldiers trying to rescue and evacuate trapped civilians, all the while noticing numerous bodies covered in white cloth, making his spirits dampen even further. It hadn't occurred to him that people would be dying in this fight. As he looked over his shoulder to check on the two teens, they were shocked just as much. This went on for several moments, Aidan's heart heavy with each step he took. It would take forever to rebuild but he knew they could manage. They were strong like iron; dented but not broken.

"This is awful..." He heard the wolf boy say in a sad tone. "This place was so beautiful and now it's in terrible shape. I hope there weren't too many people hurt."

"We probably won't know until this situation is resolved but yeah, I agree." Jerome said with a slow nod of his head.

Aidan didn't say anything, still focused on the path ahead. They were nearing the plaza and he figured that at their pace they would make it there in about ten minutes.

"Hey, Lt. Hart? So what are you going to do when we get to the plaza?" The cougar asked in a curious tone. "Are you going to stay there as well? Or are you going to go out and fight with the others?"

"I'm going to fight while you two stay here where it's safe." He responded, a permanent frown settled on his face. "I'll be heading to HQ and see if I can get the Anti-Unsealed Ward fixed. Hopefully it will kill all of the Unsealed in the city." He paused, his mind racing. "It's...strange, but these Unsealed are too coordinated. Normally they aren't near as coherent, plus they would never attack cities like Eldra so they must have someone or something leading them."

"Are you saying that there could be a Puritan here?" Jerome squeaked out in terror. Aidan noticed that the wolf boy also looked pale underneath his dark fur. Everyone knew what a Puritan was, the highest and most feared of the Unsealed. They were highly intelligent and often led groups of the lesser Unsealed. Thankfully they were extremely rare.

"It's possible...I can't say for sure but let's hope not." Aidan said in an emotionless manner, still focused on getting the two kids to the plaza. Meanwhile his thoughts were in utter turmoil, desperately hoping his father and sister were okay.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Noah began, his ears perked up. Then suddenly, he rushed towards another direction before the wolf could stop him.

"Hey! Get back here!" Aidan shouted as he tried to grab the kid, but the young wolf was too damn fast.

"Noah, wait! What did you hear?" Jerome cried out as he started to run after, then immediately stopped and bent over, his paws on his knees as he panted heavily. He was so caught up on catching his breath that he failed to notice the other wolf coming up to sweep him off his feet and placed across a shoulder. "What the hell?! Let me down!"

"What, and have you drag your feet and possibly be attacked?" He retorted, getting no further protests. "Thought so. I'll let you down after we find him." He heard the feline give a mumbled 'fine', then focused on finding Noah. It took a few moments but soon enough, he saw him in the distance, standing next to a fallen statue. As he came near, he sighed in relief and put Jerome down before his expression changed, giving the young wolf a hard glare. "What the fuck? What were you thinking?! Why did you run off? You could have been killed!"

Noah jumped up, startled by the sudden voice and turned to the two, a serious expression on his face. "Someone's here. I heard yelling. I think someone's trapped."

Aidan surveyed the area before him, now noticing a statue that had fallen and collided into a nearby building. With his ears perked, he scanned around, looking for any survivors. It wasn't long until he found what he was looking for; two people nestled in between the statue and building. After telling the teens to stay where they were, he rushed over, hoping that what's above will stay up long enough. As he closed the distance, he noticed it was the tiger and vixen from earlier. The feline was staring at nothing, cradling the husky he had seen him with earlier and Aidan could tell he had been crying. "Are you two okay?" He asked, hoping to get a response out of either of them.

"We're fine. Physically at least." The vixen answered and motioned towards the husky in the arms of the tiger. Aidan was briefly confused before he noticed the blood. "It happened out of nowhere..." she continued in an almost inaudible whisper before rising an octave. "What happened? How did Unsealed get into the city?"

Aidan shook his head, still unsure himself. He outstretched an offered paw, a small smile on his lips. "You want me to help you guys get out?" He asked in a kind manner and the vixen took his paw, helping her out from the spot they were hiding in. When he reached out for the other to take his paw, his ears sunk down to his skull. The tiger didn't budge an inch, refusing to let him go. "Are...you alright?"

Hearing his voice, the tiger snapped himself into reality and regarded the wolf with a forlorn gaze. "I'm not..." He sighed as he held the husky close to him.

"I'm sorry for your loss, and forgive me but I need for you to get out of there. This could fall apart at any moment." Aidan said, the urgency in his voice all too apparent to ignore. There was hesitation in the tiger's eyes, but only for a small moment as he reached out with an outstretched paw. Taking hold of it, he pulled with help from the tiger, successfully getting both of them out.

"Thank you." The tiger smiled a sad smile, his eyes red from crying. His gaze traveled from Aidan to the husky and all too soon did his face became somber again. "I'm so sorry..." He whispered and held onto the other boy tighter than before, as if afraid he'll disappear at any given moment.

The vixen opened her mouth, ready to say something. But before she could, a paw gently rested upon her shoulder, making her look up to see Aidan slowly shaking his head.

"He died protecting me..." The tiger said in a strained tone. "We were just hanging out. Planned on going to the central plaza to watch the fireworks, then the Unsealed popped out of nowhere and started blowing everything up. One of them was about to blast me but Bryon shoved me out of the way and took the hit. He died in my arms..."

Aidan sighed. He knew how the boy felt, for he lost his mother in a similar manner during the Inquisition Raid all those years ago. That day made him resolve to do his best to prevent such a thing from happening again. "Like I said, I'm sorry for your loss." He looked over to where Noah and Jerome were, beckoning them with a motion of his head. "Come on, I need your help."

Heeding the request, Noah strode over first, followed by Jerome. "Sure, what do you need?" The wolf asked, taking a glance over to the tiger and wincing from the sight. "Oh..."

"Oh, no...I'm so sorry." The cougar went over to give a consoling hug, but was stopped short by an outstretched arm, looking up in surprise to see that it was Aidan.

He slowly shook his head. "That's not what I called you over here for. I want for you two to help this woman here and make it to central plaza."

Jerome's eyes widened like saucers at that, panic and fear showing in his eyes. "No! No way! You're sending three civilians with zero combat experience to their graves! And besides, how far are we from our destination?"

Aidan frowned, mentally cursing himself for even suggesting them to do such a thing. Of course it was a high risk for them! 'But I can't leave him like this...' He took a sideways glance at the tiger behind him, wondering what to do until he heard an unfamiliar voice in the distance. Looking around, he saw an otter and grizzly bear in standard MODD uniforms running towards them. If he remembered correctly, they were one of the recent recruits who arrived a month ago.

"Lt. Hart! Are you alright?" The otter inquired, panting slightly from the exertion. After catching his breath did he look around, an expression of panic evident on his face, something Aidan couldn't blame him for. Suddenly he stiffened and gave a salute. "Ah, I almost forgot. Jennings and Miles reporting in, sir!"

The bear followed suit. "Is there anything you would have us do?" He asked, the two of them anxious for orders.

Aidan blinked for a few moments, focusing on the two recruits in front of him. If memory serves, they were from Sinra and were assigned to Eldra after being matched with a metal glyph. From the way they looked, he guessed the two were nineteen years of age. He stayed like this until finally realizing what he was doing and shook his head, saluting them. "I'm fine, what about you two?"

Jennings didn't respond right away, seemingly caught in a trance as he stared at the wreckage. His long, marsupial of a tail was slightly curved around his form, eyes were wide in fear and looked to be on the verge of breaking down. Seeing this, the large wolf laid a paw upon his shoulder, jolting him back into reality. "Oh! I-I'm fine Lt." The man said, his voice sounding somewhat hollow.

Aiden made a mental note to get the otter some therapy after all of this was done with. If they all survived that is. Shaking his head, he focused on the task at hand. "Jennings, Miles! I want you to take these three to the central plaza. Do I make myself clear?" He motioned a paw towards the two boys and vixen. "I will stay with this citizen here for a while, then join you once we're ready."

Miles raised a curious brow but said nothing otherwise, his gaze traveling over to where the tiger was. A confused expression showed on his face until his eyes shot up a few seconds later and looked to his superior who subtly nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Yes, sir. Take all the time you need. We'll escort these three to safety."

With that said, Noah, Jerome and the vixen strode over to the recruits and left with no protest. Once they were all out of sight, the tiger stared at Aidan in both shock and confusion. "Why did you send them off? What do you want?" He demanded in a rough tone, though from his demeanor and situation, it wasn't intentional.

Aidan kept himself silent, searching around the area for decent wood. It didn't take long to find some, thanks to the destruction. As he walked over to a generous pile and picked up a few pieces, his ears perked up to the sound of the tiger calling him. "You'll see in a moment."

Not wanting to disturb him, the tiger raised no further questions or concerns, only watching in both interest and curiosity. He raised a brow, wondering what on earth the wolf was doing until he noticed in one of his paws a jug filled with brown liquid. Confused, he looked over to the pile of lumber sitting near where he sat, then back to Aidan. Quickly did recognition show in his eyes and fresh tears began to stream down his face. "You're making a funeral pyre..."

"That's right. I couldn't go on and leave you here to grieve and possibly get killed." Aidan said as he came up to the tiger and placed the item down before getting to work on the pile.

"I...I..." the tiger stammered, looking to be on the verge of sobbing before taking a few deep breaths and wiping away the tears that stained his cheeks. "Thank you for doing this."

Aidan nodded, looking over his shoulder to give a small smile to the disheartened male. "It's no problem at all. So tell me, you two were lovers?"

There was silence, the tiger having averted his gaze and instead stare at the husky. "Yeah, we were. He was my fiance...heh, planned on getting married after we graduated. I was in my last year of university before I started medical school. He was going to be an electrical engineer. We planned this to be our last vacation before we finished college." A heavy sigh came, his free paw stroking a cheek ever so softly before continuing on. "He wanted to go to Pollenburn. He comes from a family of farmers so the place interested him but I insisted we come here because I heard the Armistice Day Festival was one of the best in the world and I won out. We brought Elena along as well."

Aidan didn't say anything, only absorbing what was being told. Many of his friends and family told him he was a good listener. "I see, so what's Elena to you? A friend? Were you all going to college? Where are you from? Given your accent I'd guess you are from Cresenta?"

"You...certainly ask a lot of questions all at once, but yeah, we're both from Crescenta. The University we went to is in Shellington, which is how we know Elena. She was our upperclassmen and we stayed close even after she graduated last year." He said as he watched the wolf put the finishing touches. "Thank you Lt. Hart."

"Call me Aidan. Your name is Flint, correct?" He asked, turning his attention towards the tiger who nodded. "Place him on there." He instructed as he picked up the jug and poured the contents all over the pile.

Flint let out a heavy and forlorn sigh. Leaning down, he gave one last kiss on Bryon's forehead before removing the engagement that had been on his finger and placed him on the pyre. "I will always remember you...no matter what." He whispered, then stepped back.

As Aidan coated a stray piece of lumber he found nearby and lit it aflame with a lighter, he passed the torch over to the tiger, surprising him in the process. "You should be the one to do it. He was your fiance after all."

Flint hesitated for a moment, a shaky smile on his lips. As he took the torch and gently placed it onto the pyre, he watched in silence as it was set alight. Quickly he turned around and closed his eyes tightly shut as the husky's body went up in flames. He never noticed Aidan coming up to console him. It was at that moment, the dam finally broke through and he cried his heart out.

"It's okay...grieve." The wolf said in a gentle tone as he held him. As he did this, his mind was racing. Would he have to do this too? Would he be able to bare the overwhelming emotions if his family or loved one died? Even though this wasn't his own funeral, it was enough to make him sad as well. Almost enough for him to shed a few tears.

After a few minutes, Flint eventually stepped away and turned towards the pyre. "Thank you Aidan, I'll never forget this. It's funny, you look so tough and scary yet you are actually really nice." He said as he looked back over his shoulder. "I will always love Bryon, but as he lay there dying he told me that I'd find love again. I've been with him since high school...I've never been with anyone else." He sighed and looked towards the pyre once again. "I don't know if I'll find someone else quite as special as him, but I guess I'll try." He gave the pyre one last glance before taking a thin cord out of his pocket, pushing one end into the ring. Satisfied with his results, he fastened the makeshift necklace around his neck, then tucked it under his shirt.

"Ready to go?" Aidan inquired, getting a nod from the tiger. With that said, the two walked away from the site and Flint spent the time talking about the husky that he had only known for a few minutes. He was left greatly regretful that he hadn't known him for longer as he did seem like a very kind person and could understand why he was so sad to lose him.

"So I'm curious. Do you have anyone? Surely someone as handsome as you have someone special!" The tiger said with a cheeky smile.

Aidan shook his head in response. While he did have numerous one-night-stands and flings back in the academy and with a few of his fellow soldiers, he had never really been serious with anyone. "No, I've been too busy with work. I've always wanted to follow my dad's footsteps."

"Ah, I understand. You did say your dad was the Iron Soldier right? Do you have a Metal Glyph?" Flint asked in a curious tone.

"Nope. During my last year at the academy I was tested to see if I was compatible with a Glyph and sadly it was found that I had a dismal synch rate with all the elemental Glyphs." The wolf answered as he grabbed his arm, looking down into the ground. "My brother Alec was matched to a Lightning Glyph so he was sent to Oxis after graduation. He's currently a major over there, serving under Commander Custer." He still remembered the imposing giant of a wolf, the man was a Tribal through and through and it was honestly a bit odd seeing him in his full uniform as he typically wore the tribal wear. Like all the other EL's he had an epitaph, called 'The Electric Savage', which is the Prime Elemental Seal of Lightning which has been in his tribe for centuries. His tribal village was the Elemental City of Oxis, making it easily the smallest of the EC's, and from what Alec said, most, if not all of the soldiers wore the tribal garb as they wandered about in the city.

"I heard of Commander Custer. I hear he's absolutely huge... is it true he wears nothing but a loincloth? Bryon and I used to debate who the hottest EL was, I always went with Commander Custer but Bryon always had a soft spot for Commander Reaper." As Flint said this, a nostalgic smile splayed across his face. "I mean, Commander Reaper is pretty hot but have you ever met any of the Elemental Lords? I'm curious given who your dad is."

Aidan nodded. He had indeed met most of them at least once. He was even at the ceremony where Commander Reaper was officially given his rank two years ago. The wolf was rather young at the time, only eighteen but he had proven himself quite capable in the two years since his promotion and he had swiftly became not only the most popular of the Elemental Lord's but had become more or less the official face of MODD itself. "Yeah, I met just about all of them. The only ones I haven't met are the Elemental Lords of Light and Dark who are rarely seen in public anymore. From what I hear, both of them are about ready to retire and pass on their seal to someone else." He paused, thinking before shaking his head and focused on the path ahead of them. The quadrant they were in seemed to have been mostly back in MODD control but there was always the possibility of Unsealed running around and he wanted to make sure he was ready in case one attacked them out of nowhere. 'I wonder how the kid is doing? I hope he's alright...'

~~~

Noah let out a sad sigh as he and Jerome were led away from the Lt. and the distraught looking tiger. It must have been hard losing someone that special. It just made him even more determined to find his dad so they could get out of here. He looked over to the pink haired feline, wondering what the older boy was thinking. This was his home, he couldn't even begin to think about how he would have felt if it was Crosstown that was in flames. It was the only home he has ever known after all. Though he had only just met the feline yesterday, he had grown fond of him. "You doing okay Jerome?" The wolf asked, trying to break the silence. Neither the bear or otter seemed interested in talking. They were probably too busy being on the lookout for Unsealed so he could hardly be mad at them. This seemed to jolt the boy back into focus as he had been staring off into space since they had separated from the Lt. Jerome didn't say anything at first but he did flash a small smile. Noah got a glimpse of the tongue piercing and soon felt a shiver go down his spine as he remembered how that felt on his dick. The first thing he wanted to do after this mess was cleared up and he found his dad was to drag the feline off so they could have some 'we're still alive' sex.

"I'm okay...it's just that this is my home, you know? I've never known anything else." Jerome said as he stared off into space once again. "When I was little, the Inquisition raided the city and the previous Elemental Lord was killed. Lt. Hart's mother was also killed in the attack. My family was spared thankfully but a lot of people weren't so lucky."

Noah actually remembered learning that in school, it had taken the entire world by surprise. Not only did Inquisition almost never operate outside of Weleshna, but the fact they attacked a MODD controlled city was also a shock. Thankfully the entire raid party was wiped out and there had never been another attack since. "I didn't know Lt. Hart lost his mom..." was all he could say in reply, for he had never had a maternal figure in his life. At least one that he remembered. He had to have a mother but for all he knew she could have been dead.

"Yeah, she was a nice lady." Jerome said as he looked back towards Noah, a sad smile on his lips. "When the previous EL of Metal died, Commander Hart inherited the seal and took over operations and my dad was selected as his second." He puffed his chest out in pride.

Noah chuckled. The boy must have been really proud of his dad, which he, himself understood. His own dad was a doctor and he had saved countless lives in his career. With that thought in mind, he focused on the vixen who had come with them. She was really pretty and a few inches shorter than he was, her hair a honey brown, kept in a simple plait down her back. She was tearing a slightly torn blouse and skirt with a pair of tights underneath them and some snow boots. "What about you ma'am, how are you doing? You aren't hurt are you?"

This caused the vixen to look up at him with a smile, her grey eyes bright. She looked like she was on the verge of tears and Noah's mind went back to the husky. "I'm doing alright, what about you? Are you okay? What's your name? Mine is Elana." She said, and by her voice it was clear she was asking the question to both of the boys.

Noah was the first to answer her question in an eager tone. "My name is Noah Littlesea, it's nice to meet you Ms. Elena."

Jerome followed up with giving his own answer. "And I'm Jerome Higgs, my dad is the Lt. Commander here. I hope he's alright..." The boy said, sounding very worried about his father, a feeling Noah himself shared but did his best to hide. Once he found his dad he knew everything would be alright. He should have made it to the central plaza by now right?

Elena nodded, taking all of this in and patted the boy's shoulder gently. "I'm sure your father is alright Jerome, someone as high a rank of him won't go down that easily." She said with a small chuckle. "What about you Noah? Is your dad part of the MODD forces?"

"No, I'm not from here. I live in Crosstown. My dad and I were just here to enjoy the festival." Noah replied, an expression of sadness showing. "I was originally going to go on a trip to Atlas with a friend of mine to see her family but my dad sprang this up on me last minute."

Elena just nodded, giving the boy a sympathetic pat on the back. "Do you have a mother Noah? Or is it just you and your dad?" She then asked, curious to know about the boy's life.

Noah shook his head. It was the truth, his father had never seemed that interested in dating, just working and raising him to the best of his ability which he admired greatly. "I never had a mother, not one that I can remember honestly. I'm actually adopted. My dad took me in when I was about eight and I don't remember anything past waking up in his house." He didn't really like bringing up the fact he had amnesia, it just made him feel awkward. All the other kids had memories of when they were little to go on but when he had first started school he could barely function. He didn't have the memories everyone else had so he had to basically learn all of that from scratch. Thankfully his father had informed his teachers of the issue so they showed a good amount of patience for him but he was still teased by a few of his classmates. Dawson being the most stand out. Noah still had no idea why the Alsatian was so hellbent on making his life miserable but he just figured that bullies didn't really operate on any logic anyway.

"We should be there in about a minute or two." The bear man said as he looked over his shoulder towards the others.

Noah was somewhat intimidated by the bear due to his sheer mass but he looked nice enough underneath his stern looking face. The otter however still stayed silent, his eyes glued to the carnage all around them. The Unsealed seemed to have been ran out of this particular sector so many of the soldiers were now busy doing search and rescue. However, much to his horror he saw soldiers gathering up bodies who had been crushed underneath the rubble and placing them on a cart. Some of the bodies were burned to the point they were barely recognizable as furs. He felt his stomach lurch as he smelled the stench of burned fur and flesh. If he had eaten anything today he would have most assuredly vomited by now. He continued to look at the carnage before he felt a gentle hand come onto his shoulder.

"No one should have to see this, least of all you two." Elena said, shaking her head as she looked at the horror around them. Most of the buildings in the area were still standing thankfully, though many were still badly damaged by the explosions or fires that resulted from them. Most of them had been put out, but naturally, there was the matter of search and rescue. Finally after several moments of silence they reached a familiar looking plaza. There was a dragon and a bull guarding the entrance, immediately tensing up at them approaching. With paws on their holsters, ready to draw their weapons, recognition showed in their eyes. In an instant, they calmed down and took their default positions.

"Jennings! Miles! Good to see you two are alive!" The dragon said with a relieved smile.

Jennings, the bear gave the dragon a smile and a thumbs up. "Yeah, we found some stragglers! So can you let us in Kasim?"

Kasim nodded and the two stepped aside. As they entered, they saw that the entire plaza had been covered by a massive tent with a massive statue still standing proud in the middle. Dented but still standing proud. It honestly gave Noah some form of hope. If this statue stood battered but no worse for wear, maybe the people here could rebuild and get stronger. Traveling further in, he was surprised when he saw a pretty and tall wolf girl run up and embrace Jerome, nearly knocking him over.

"Jerome!" The girl cried out as she held him close. "You're alive! I was so worried, I heard the hotel was destroyed. I saw your mother and siblings but I was getting worried when I didn't see you when they arrived. Your dad is with the rest of the command. HQ was attacked and my dad managed to get the rest of them away. He fought whatever attacked them off. But I am so glad you are okay!" She let go of him afterwards, then paused, cupping her chin in thought. "Have you heard from my brother? Dad rushed off an hour or so ago. Is Aidan okay?"

"He's fine Aria, we were actually with him before he sent us off with those two." Jerome replied as he pointed towards the bear and otter who were standing with the two guards.

Aria gave a sigh of relief as she turned her focus towards Noah and gave him a quizzical look. "I don't recognize you, you must be one of the tourists? Were you staying at Jerome's hotel?"

Noah nodded. "Yeah, I'm from a town called Crosstown in Rillotia. I came here with my dad to see the festival but I got separated from my dad a bit before the attack. That's how I ran into Aidan actually, someone stole my watch." He took out his pocket watch, showing it to the girl. "I was running after the thief and I ran into him. When I was telling him what happened, my watch suddenly showed up in his pocket and that was when the attack started." He looked around, worry showing in his eyes. "By the way, have you seen an older wolf? Dark grey fur, brown hair and brown eyes? His name is Bryan Littlesea. Please, if you've seen him can you tell me where he is?"

Aria shook her head, an expression of sympathy showing on her face. "I haven't heard or seen anyone meeting that description. I've been running around trying to help where I could. We can ask around." She gently grabbed his paw and led him into the tent, with Jerome following close by. Inside was what looked like a makeshift medical area and it was filled with thousands of people all crammed together. Doctors were running all around, doing their best to make sure everyone was taken care of.

He noticed a few people had nasty burns. Some with numerous cuts and bruises. Some even had lost limbs. One poor soul even lost the entire bottom half of his body from the waist down. Noah shivered as he looked at all those who were injured. Investigating further, he noticed that the tent was split into different areas. One had a sign saying morgue which made his stomach churn, wondering just how many people had died. The other area was marked as 'Administration' and as they stepped in, he saw it was full of high ranking MODD officers all surrounding a table. A tall, strong looking cougar sat at the head.

Without warning, Jerome let out a noise as he ran up to the man and embraced him. "Dad!" The boy cried out, catching the man off-guard to the point he was nearly knocked off his chair. Noah blushed as he heard the other officers give light snickers but he honestly doubted the young cougar cared. After a few stunned moments, the man seemed to register who was hugging him and smiled brightly as he returned the embrace.

"You're safe! I was worried when I didn't see you arrive with your mother and siblings! Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you? How did you get here?" The cougar man asked as he gripped the boy, looking him up and down to make sure he saw no injuries. "How did you get separated from the others?" He inquired further, then shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now, I'm just glad you are alive and unarmed." A sigh of relief came as he let go of Jerome, then looked over to the young wolf with a brow raised.

Knowing what was going to be asked, the young cougar spoke. "I'm fine, dad. I was trying to reach HQ to find you but I was attacked by some Unsealed. At some point I ran into Noah here." He pointed towards the blond wolf who gave a shy wave as the man gave him a once over. "He tried to protect me but Lt. Hart showed up and fought them off."

"I see...you're lucky you found your friend here." He said before getting up from his chair and walking up to the boy to offer a paw. "I don't think I've ever seen you boy, how old are you? Are you a tourist?"

Noah gently took his paw and winced as he felt the tight grip the man gave. He was every bit as strong as he looked. He found it a bit hard to believe that the cute, yet somewhat scrawny cougar boy he had befriended was related to this hulking feline. He was so focused on the man that when he heard him give a gentle cough, it snapped him back into focus. "No, I'm not from here sir, my name is Noah Littlesea. I'm from a place called Crosstown in Vernati, Rillotia. My father and I came here to see the festival. As for my age, I'm fifteen, sir."

The man nodded and patted the boy on the back. "Ah, you got separated from your dad? Did your mother not come?"

Noah shook his head at that. "I don't have a mom. I'm adopted. It's been my dad and I as far as I can remember."

The cougar man smiled, then grew serious. "Can you tell me your dad's name boy? If he's here I can take you to him."

This brightened Noah's mood. He was worried he would never see his dad again. "His name is Bryan Littlesea, sir! He's a wolf like me, about 6'3, has dark grey fur and brown hair." He took his phone out and showed the soldier a picture of what his father looked like. "Please, tell me you've seen him? I need to find him!" Tears began welling up in his eyes. He missed his dad and he was scared. All he wanted was for his dad to hold him and tell him everything would be okay. He used to love that when he was little but he had gotten a bit embarrassed about him doing that over the years. But now, he would never even refuse so much as a snuggle. The cougar man took the phone and examined the picture, his face going blank for a bit before turning into a troubled frown. What did that mean? Did he not recognize him? Did that mean his dad was still out in the open? Was he looking for him? "Sir...?"

"I...I know the person in this photo..." The man replied, his voice as troubled as his frown. "Please follow me Noah, I'll take you to him. Just be warned...he isn't in the best of shape." He gently grabbed his shoulder and led him on his way.

The wording of the soldier's words made Noah's stomach drop. What did he mean? Was his dad okay? He noticed Jerome and Aria's expressions, their eyes showing a mixture of both worry and support. They went through several beds, striding up in front of a wing of the tent structure that he hadn't seen on his previous trip. The sign read 'ICU and Hospice', making him shudder. Why was he being taken here? His dad couldn't be here, could he?

The soldier seemed to sense his terror as he laid a paw on his shoulder and gently squeezed. "Are you okay, kid? You don't have to do this you know...your father was badly hurt and I'm not sure he's going to make it. It might be better that you remember him as the way you saw him last instead of seeing him in the state he is now. I know this is just my opinion, but I would rather not have my own children see me if I was on death's door but it's ultimately up to you."

Noah understood what he meant, and on some level he was right. He would rather just remember his father alive but he also know he would never forgive himself if he didn't get the chance to say goodbye. If his father had to die, he refused to let it be alone. With unshaken resolve, he looked directly at the Lt. "I need to do this, I need to see him." The man looked troubled, and for a moment, he hesitated. After some time, he lets out a sigh and with a shake of his head he stepped aside, allowing him to enter. As he stepped in, immediate regret slapped him across the face. Just the smell nearly made him throw up but he stayed strong. Looking around, he saw numerous beds covered in white sheets. The beds not covered had people with horrific injuries. Again, there were doctors running around, doing their best to provide any care needed in their last moments. It was clear that these people weren't going to make it. As they walked through the room, his stomach kept doing flips and his mind kept racing. A few had family surrounding them but a few were alone and the groaning and screaming that rang throughout the room was sure to give him nightmares for ages to come but he kept to it.

He felt himself fall into a daze, his mind trying to block all the horror he was seeing but was jerked out of it as he felt the Jerome's father gently shake him, a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright son? I can walk you out if you don't think you can handle this. Nobody will think any less of you. This is a lot for a child your age to see, it's why I didn't let Jerome or Aria come in." He said, his voice gentle as he said this.

Noah shook his head and stared straight ahead. "I know, but I have to this sir. I would never forgive myself I didn't see him." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his mouth to settle himself. Once he felt calm enough, he continued to walk forward. After several moments they found themselves standing in front of a bed. Laying on it was a wolf who was almost completely covered in bandages. What parts weren't covered were horribly burned and scarred. Despite this, recognition showed in his eyes. "Dad..." He whispered and felt himself collapse next to the bed. This seemed to stir something in the man as he saw his eyes open. Those bright brown eyes, now dull and almost lifeless held a familiar twinkle.

"Noah...you're alive..." Bryan croaked out, his voice scratchy and broken as he lifted a paw to brush against the boy's face. "I...was so...worried about you..." he continued. It was obvious that talking was hurting him.

"I'm so sorry dad..." Noah croaked out, his eyes burning as fresh tears started to roll down his cheeks. "I shouldn't have ran off. You wouldn't have been hurt, this is all my fault." He heard the man sigh before getting wrapped in a one armed hug.

"Please don't blame yourself son. If you had stayed with me, you would have probably been hurt as well. You're safe, that's all that matters to me." Bryan smiled, somehow looking older than what his age allowed. "I'm so sorry that I have to leave you so young. I love you so much...the day I found you was the best day of my life and I would gladly die a million times over if it meant you would grow up to be the amazing man you are shaping up to be."

"No, don't say things like that...you're not dying! You're not!" Noah cried out, gripping the man hard enough to where his knuckles were turning colors. "Please...I don't have anyone else. I need you..." He shut his eyes, hoping that this was all just a messed up dream and that he would wake up to find it all a simple nightmare.

His father just gave a sad chuckle as he held the boy close, his strength leaving him fast. "If I had a choice, I would never leave you. But I don't have much time left. I need to give you something." He weakly reached out to grab his destroyed jacket, slipping a free paw into a pocket, then handed the young wolf a note and a small silver disk. "This disk has everything... everything I wanted so bad to tell you myself. I made this just in case something happens to me." He watched him hesitantly take the offered items and his jacket. " Good...can you give me a kiss? One last kiss for your old man?" He asked, the sound of his voice suggesting his time was coming closer to an end.

Noah nodded and did what was requested, kissing him on the forehead. "I love you dad." He whispered, trying to keep himself composed, but it was growing more and more tough as time went on.

"I love you too son...never forget that. You are my pride and joy and I'll always love you no matter what afterlife I find myself in. Please be strong Noah, you will find your purpose and you will make me so proud." Bryan smiled again, looking completely at peace. As he closed his eyes, the sound of him heaving a sigh was heard and then, all was still. There was no heartbeat. He was gone.

"Dad...I... I'll never forget you..." Noah said and buried himself in his dad's chest, letting all of his emotions go. He lost the only family he had left, what was he going to do now? He stayed where he was, grieving for who knows how long. He felt alone, scared, completely isolated. No one dared to move him, save for one person who stumbled upon the scene. Someone picked him up, startling him enough that he flailed around, accidentally striking someone in the face. He heard a quiet 'ow' in a voice he recognized. "Ai-Aidan!" He cried out as he turned to see the older wolf holding him, a small frown on his face. He looked unharmed thankfully but his brows were furrowed lightly. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hit you, you just caught me off guard." He stammered before looking down towards the still body in the bed where he had been laying.

Aidan followed his glance and his brows furrowed even more. "Is that your father?" He asked in a soft tone. After getting a nod in response, he let out a sad sigh before hugging him tighter, letting his chin fall on one of his broad shoulders. "I'm sorry, kid." He whispered as he let go and began walking out, prompting the young wolf to follow.

As he did, he took one last glance at his father, the one who raised and loved him unconditionally. When he saw a white sheet being put over Bryan's face, it felt like someone hit him straight in the gut. Tears once again fell and stained his cheeks. He felt his world falling apart and he hugged himself, shaking like a leaf. His father was gone, not able to come back ever again.

Having kept watch on him, Aidan immediately came to his rescue and embraced him once again, making sure to block him from seeing the sight. He didn't say anything, letting the young wolf get it all out of his system. After a few minutes, the sobbing stopped and he let go, a sympathetic look on his face. "All better?"

Noah sighed and shook his head. "No, not really. Losing your one and only family hurts a lot. But even so, I know he wouldn't want me grieving forever and move on with my life." He looked up at the older wolf, flashing a small smile. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Not a problem. Now the biggest tackle is going to be--" He began, but stopped as they heard the Lt. Commander's voice, who was just now walking out of Hospice.

"Do you have any family, Noah?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Noah shook his head. He really didn't have any family he knew of. He never even knew his dad's true family, for they all thought he had died a long time ago so that wasn't an option, and while he had Emily he didn't want to be a burden on her. She and her family was good enough to him already, he would never ask them if he could stay. So where did that leave him? Should he drop out of school to get a job that paid enough to let him live and go from there? But where would he go? Back to Crosstown? He didn't think he would ever be able to do that. It wouldn't be the same without his dad. Maybe he could attempt to join the World Riders? That had been his dream since he had been a pup after all but would they accept a fifteen year old high school dropout?

"What do you think we should do with him Lt. General? I don't think we can just send him to an orphanage." Aidan said, casting a worried look over to the young wolf who simply stared at nothing, more than likely not paying attention to the topic.

"What other choice do we have? None of us are related to him and he has no family to take him in." The cougar replied with a helpless shrug of his shoulders. It was obvious he was at a loss on what to do.

Aidan let out a frustrated sigh, one of his paws reaching up to push through his mop of hair "Dammit, I won't feel right if he's dumped there..." he mumbled, wondering how to proceed until the familiar voice of Aria was heard.

"He could stay with us! We have an empty room anyway now that Alec is in Oxis and he could go to school. And if he wants, he can join the academy once he turns sixteen." She said, a beaming smile on her lips while her eyes clearly told a different story, daring one of them to try and defy her reasoning.

The Lt. Commander cupped his thin in thought, muttering to himself before heaving a sigh. "That could work, but you would have to ask your father if he is willing to take an orphan in. Plus, we would have to get his school records from his home and have them sent here so he could be properly fitted into a new class. Things won't be near as simple as you think it would be Aria. You're basically uprooting the boy from everything he has ever known and I'm not so sure he would be willing to stay here, given all the likely traumatic memories he could have."

Noah didn't say anything, simply being too tired to do so. He was just content on listening to the adults discuss his fate. He knew he didn't want to go to an orphanage, kids his age were rarely adopted after all and there wasn't an orphanage in Crosstown so he would be sent to one somewhere else or even be put into an orphanage here in Senetria, a country he had no connection to.

Aria narrowed her eyes, an almost venomous glare being sent in the cougar's direction. "I know it won't be simple, but it's better than putting him in an orphanage right? He's well past the usual age for adoption and I can't bear the thought of the poor guy being there, watching everyone else get adopted. And I highly doubt he would enjoy that."

Aidan was next to speak up, his voice soft. "We can talk to dad about this when this is all over. It also depends on what Noah wants. We can't force him to stay if he doesn't want to and I would be surprised if he did, given how much horror he's seen here."

The conversation kept on going but Noah was just too tired to try and listen in, the events of today day had drained him mentally and physically. With a yawn, he snuggled up to Aidan and felt himself drift off to sleep in the arms of the man that saved his life. Maybe this was just a nightmare and he would wake up soon? He'll figure all of this out later.