FSE

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CHAPTER 2

It was still dark in the district when Paul boarded the Route 3 sky rail, the air filter of the compartment kicking in immediately once the door clicked shut. Between how far he went with Colin and his upcoming practical exam, his nerves were frayed and buzzing like the plasma wiring in the aging cabin that he buckled himself into. He hadn't expected to actually have sex that night, let alone a second time right before heading to formation. He'd known the husky since before graduating the academy, and had no clue that Colin felt any kind of attraction to him. In fact, Colin had only told him his feelings the week prior. Taking off his training helmet he'd changed into in preparation for Squad inspection, he leaned back against the dusty seat and let his memory wander back.

**************************************************************

Paul had been in the practice zone, completing the last few courses of Delta Platoon's infantry exam work-ups. Acting as section leader, he had spent the last thirty minutes navigating and fighting his way through a maze, intent on getting to the rival team's base. Finally he and his pack had found a nearly abandoned path at the rear of the facility, away from the bulk of the other squad's troops. Having studied with Kojak since Junior year, Paul knew exactly how the brute operated. He'd keep one or two lackeys behind in the flag room, and try forcing the rest ahead of him to absorb attacks like a damn coward.

After sending one of his wolves to distract the two main guards near the entrance to a small room in the passage, Paul ducked into the small enclosure and reached for the narrow strip of tattered red cloth. The next second, the wind was knocked out of him as he was thrown forcefully against the opposite wall. The impact caused him to buckle on the ground. Above him, he saw a large timber wolf wickedly grinning down, his bulky frame stretching the glowing leather training suit to make him look like a red, feral giant. The beast thundered a deep laugh, an ugly baritone devoid of humor.

"Really, now. I knew you were dumb, but did ya really think I'd let you win today?" Kojak growled as he began kicking Paul in the chest, "You--" Phwump. "Are so--" Thunk. "Predictable!" Leaning back into the third strike, Kojak thrust him across the room as a crack resounded in Paul's suit. As he struggled to get up, Kojak let out a final bray of laughter, and lightly tapped him with his training plasma-cutter.

The moment he did so, a loud buzzer sounded throughout the facility and a glowing slogan blazed across Paul's visor shield: 'RED TEAM WINS. BLUE LEADER KILLED.'

A soft whir began to echo through the training area as the Labyrinth walls descended into the dark floor, and harsh artificial light flooded the expanse of the room. Swaying as he picked himself up, Paul started to growl. However, a sharp agony radiating from his ribs cut his threat short, and he collapsed to one knee.

"You bastard." he muttered, panting shallow through the pain. "I'm going to k-"

"Corporal Lyall! Corporal Adolphus! What in the HELL is going on here?"

From the far side of the room, two towering wolves in dark grey dress uniform strode toward them; the wider of the two bellowing as he marched. As they approached, Paul could hear the harsh jangle of their glittering medals clanging against each other, a rainbow of color stretching from their chests nearly to the top of their left shoulders. Despite the pain in his side, he hitched in his breath as the Assistant Battalion Commander and his aide came to a halt just feet from their position.

"Is someone going to tell me what just happened? Lyall, Status report now! Why are you injured?"

"He tripped and fell into me after the buzzer," Kojak said before Paul could speak. "I tried to catch him but he fell too fast and I think he hit himself on my knee."

"Really. That's what happened, eh?" The commander turned toward Paul eyeing him closely. "Is that how it occurred Corporal Lyall?"

Paul straightened, seething with rage behind a blank face as he stood at attention before speaking. He was no bitch, and certainly not a mewling pup anymore.

"Yes, sir. I fell on my own. It was my fault, sir." He said, tightening his fists as he spoke.

The Commander narrowed his eyes and waited a beat before sighing, "Very well then." Swinging his head toward Kojak, he spoke quickly before turning away. "Adolfus, good work today; I hope you can perform as well in front of the facility chief this month." As he began walking away, his silent advisor in-step beside him, he called, "And Corporal Lyall, get your blasted tail to the infirmary. We don't need soldiers like you failing their quals due to clumsy stupidity like today."

The two officers' footsteps fading into the distance, Paul turned back to Kojak. "You and me. We gonna fight this out later. Mark my words ya scummy mutt." Glaring at the wolf before him, Paul stormed toward the exit of the training hall; the sharp jabs dulling into a heated throb as he walked into the expanse of the northern tunnel.

Lorian Military Base contained a sprawling underground complex, serving both the main infantry regiments and the research facilities of Arceusian Western fleet. It took over fifteen minutes for Paul to climb out of the subterranean training center and into the bio-medical research tower which housed the facility's medical clinic on the 24th floor. By the time he had reached the 19th platform of the structure, Paul felt dizzy and disoriented from his injured chest. Breathing heavily, he fell back against a wall opposite the developments lab, and slid to the floor coughing.

"Paul?" Colin had just entered the hallway from the workshop door and ran to the fallen wolf, his white laboratory coat fluttering around his dark blue engineering uniform. "Are you ok, dude? What's wrong?" he said, ears laid back against his scalp in concern. Without waiting for a response, he attempted to lift Paul and earned a sharp howl as he pressed his right side. Colin immediately released him, backing away slightly in confused panic. "Seriously, what happened to you?"

"Bad side bro. Just... help me get ta the infirmary." Paul said between coughs, attempting to balance himself against the large water pipes lining the side of the hallway from floor to ceiling. Colin gingerly tossed Paul's left arm around his own shoulder, using one hand to secure his wrist to his bicep, and the other to gently lift the wolf by the rump until he was standing with the wounded soldier.

"Oh no we don't," Colin said impatiently. "The elevation pod on this level's been deactivated for maintenance to prepare for inspection this month, and I don't think I can carry you up the stairs. Come on, I got supplies in my office, I'll take care of you." As the husky spoke he led Paul to the door, moving his hand across the scanner which read his pad-print. Ducking a bit (and making Paul wince inwardly from the slight motion), Colin placed his muzzle into an indentation on the wall as an iris scanner checked for secondary confirmation of ID before opening the thick metal panel.

"I don't have access in here..." Paul started, his voice low and weak as he limped down the passage.

"Shut up and close your eyes then. We gotta hurry, my cubicle is just around this next corner..." Kicking open his office door (ROOM 1903-B4. BIO MECHANICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT), Colin dragged Paul to one of the vacated desks nearest the entrance and set him down on the cold steel table.

"We can't do this, you'll get reprimanded, bro. And why are we even in here? I need a Medi-bed."

"Just relax and calm down, everyone's left for the day already."

Out of sight, Paul heard his friend opening and slamming closed several filing cabinet drawers. He felt very tired, and the ache had swollen into a pulsing feeling that ran across his chest in time with every gulp of air. Colin rushed back into view carrying a dusty black case and told Paul to stay still.

"What's that?" Paul panted, eyeing the box suspiciously.

"It's called a first-aid kit, I made it myself for emergencies. I obviously can't afford nano-serum, so I make do. Now let me take off your clothes and take a look."

"Wait, do you got any medical training?" Paul asked, his quiet voice becoming high pitched.

"No, but have a little trust." Colin quickly unsnapped the upper training armor, tossing it to the side in a glowing blue pile of leather. Gently feeling the fur along Paul's torso, he found the source of the injury punctuated by a howl of pain. "Does that hurt there?"

"What th' fuck you think, buddy? HELL YES it hurts!"

"I think you've broken a rib, dude. We gotta get you into an infirmary chamber, but first we gotta make sure you make it upstairs..." Colin began to shift around the contents of the case until he pulled out a grey plastic bag, a bottle of water, and a roll of cloth which he began to unravel.

"Arceus be damned! It's getting worse now! What in the blazing fires are you doing?" Paul stammered, the pain causing dots of colored light to begin dancing in his vision. Paul watched as Colin ran back to the rear of the room and started searching through packages on a shelf (EXPLOSIVES COMPONENTS: A-L), coming back a moment later with a jar of white powder marked 'DANGER'. Colin took the lid off the chemical and poured a bit into the grey bag, replacing the jar on the wall and adding half the bottle of water before sealing and shaking the container.

"Here, stick this on it," Colin said, holding out the bag.

"I dunno what that crap is!"

"It's Ammonium Nitrate, just do it now!"

Grumbling, Paul grabbed the offering and nearly dropped it out of shock. It was over eighty degrees in the building, but the small package was freezing to the touch. Placing it on his torso, the ice pack stung momentarily before causing the throbbing to begin to slow. Colin began wrapping the thin bandage around his chest and shoulders, fixing it firmly around the cold sac.

"Wow, that's amazing. How the hell did ya do that?"

"It's just chemistry," Colin said with a small shrug. "Our ancestors used things like this all the time to treat wounds."

"Who told you that?"

"Just some things I learned over the years. As for the rest of your pain..." Colin trailed off and went into a nearby room behind the desk Paul was sitting on. He came back a moment after with a large glass bottle and a cup. As he finished filling the glass, Paul apprehensively turned away.

"What's that, another weird concoction of yours?"

Colin looked puzzled for a moment, then laughed. "Nope. This is Whisky." He downed the cup in a couple of seconds and handed the bottle back to Paul. "Drink up buddy, we've got five flights of stairs to climb."

After downing part of the liquor and honestly feeling a lot better than he had when he collapsed, Paul let Colin lead him to the clinic, where he was immediately rushed by a pair of busty timber wolf nurses into the recovery wing. The operation room was brightly lit, with a row of wide tubes jutting from the pristine white walls. In each tube there was a rolling platform with a mattress on top and limb restraints, with enough space to lie upon. They stripped Paul out of his clothes, removing ice pack which was still cold. The doctor that stopped by to supervise was completely baffled by the make-shift treatment, and as the nurses strapped him into the medi-bed he asked where Paul got the notion for it.

"Well," Paul said, the numbness of the alcohol slightly slurring his drawl, "it was my friend here, he-" But as Paul turned to look for Colin, he was gone.

"Oh you mean the mixer brat?" one of the nurses said with a sneer. "We sent him back downstairs. I don't know how he got in this building in the first place." Appalled by her words, Paul's face twisted in disgust; however, the nurse must not have noticed because she went on talking as she grabbed a full syringe from the white counter top. "I still think he must have cheated on his exam papers. At any rate, we're going to give you two units of Nano, followed by a day or two of rest in the compartment."

"Fine, let's get it over with," said Paul as Nurse Number Two jabbed his ribcage with the long thick needle. He watched as the plunger sank a viscous blue fluid into his body. The effects were immediate, and as a gentle tingling started to overcome the pain, the sedative properties of the drug began to overwhelm him. Nurse Number One took a sheet and draped it over him, folding it at his waist. Clicking a small lever on the exterior of the tube, there was a clicking sound as the contraption unlocked the fixed position of the mattress.

"Night sweetie" said the nurses in unison as they slid his bed all the way into the infirmary chamber and shut the heavy glass lid.

Two days later, the grey wolf opened his eyes groggily as the stasis afterglow faded away, his strength returning after the short hibernation. Flexing his arms and feeling his chest (his restraints had been removed as he slept he supposed), he found he could move freely without pain. The nano-serum had reset and mended his broken rib, likely in the first six hours of the hospital stay. The rest of the recovery time in the medi-bed was likely meant to burn through the worst of the side effects for such a large dose. Still, a queasy sense of nausea slowly sickened him, and his eyes remained sensitive to the blazing overhead lamps of the operation room he'd been wheeled back into. Staring at the blank wall and the curtain surrounding his bed, he felt frightened by the claustrophobia of the small space. Grabbing the sheet, Paul pulled the spread over his head and turned, letting out a small confidential whine into the pillow.

"Wow, dude. You're really not a morning person are you?"

Paul shot up on the mattress, startled. Colin was sitting in a chair on his left, and the wolf had completely missed his presence. Colin was smiling; the sides of his muzzle turned up in a lopsided grin.

"Colin?"

"The medical staff said you were out of stasis, so I've been waiting for you to wake up," he said, rubbing his hands lightly on his knees. Then he frowned a bit and continued, "of course, they weren't exactly inviting, so I told them I had important data to relay to you before you went back to work."

Paul cringed, remembering how flippant the nurse was before knocking him out. At a loss of words, and slightly embarrassed, Paul lay back down and smiled in an effort to lighten the mood.

"I like the intrigue bud. Very secret spy of you," Paul joked, clapping the husky on his shoulder. Colin brightened a little and locked his arm against Paul's in a traditional sign of friendship. As Paul shifted up on the bed, the sheet fell to his mid-thigh. Eyes wide, Colin looked away immediately and broke the connection. Confused, Paul looked down and saw the sheet had dropped below his sheath.

"What's up? It's not like ya ain't seen one before bro," Paul said, an amused expression crossing his face. But Colin was still turned the other way, is ears cocked ashamedly.

"Sorry," he said, reaching down blindly for the sheet and pulling it up two feet to the wolf's chest. "It's just awkward."

"Why? We're both males, it's not like anythin's weird right?" Paul said, still smiling, although he felt very confused. He walked around naked in his barracks all the time, and none of his squad mates acted like this before. "Is there something wrong with it?" Paul gasped, taking inventory of his appendage and checking for damage, suddenly worried there was a complication during stasis or that it had shrunk because of the drug (a common barracks rumor).

"No! Not at all," Paul stammered quickly. "There's nothing wrong with it! I mean, Your cock is fi--, I mean, its gre--, I mean..., ah damn it." Colin buried his face in his hands, leaving Paul baffled as to what his friend was trying to say.

"Bro, calm down; Why are you actin' so strange all've a sudden?" There was genuine alarm in his voice now, and he reached out to lift the husky's chin. "come on bro, you can tell me. What's goin' on?"

"Really?" Colin said slowly, a careful expression coming over his face. His paws shuffled beneath him as he took a deep breath. "Paul... I've never told this to anyone. I'm not sure how you'll react, so..." His voice trailed as he looked down at the floor while his claws dug into his pants.

"And? Just say it!" Paul said, placing his hand on Colin's arm and shaking it gently.

"I'm, I'm gay."

Paul froze for a moment, unsure what he'd been told. "What do you mean you're gay? What's that?"

Colin looked up now, into his eyes, and explained under his breath, "It means I'm homosexual. I'm attracted to other males."

Paul inhaled deeply and held it. Homosexuality was forbidden under Arceusian law, strictly enforced under the code. Violating this tenet was a sure way to be delivered to the Ministry Board of Corrections, the very thought of which sent chills through his body. At the sight of his shock, Colin's tail bristled defensively and he backed away from Paul's hand. His fingers suspended as if by invisible wires, the wolf remained motionless as the impact of what he was hearing set in.

"Are... Are you sure, bro?" Paul said, his voice rising slightly as he regained his bearing.

"Yes I'm sure! Keep it down! There is staff in the next room!" Colin said with a finger to the tip of his muzzle.

"But, isn't that forbidden? They could take you to the Board!" Paul said hoarsely. "If my father found out..." Paul's dad was Cobalt Lyall, chairman of the Judicial Support Clan, the managing directors of the Corrections Ministry. He was renown throughout the district for his strict and ruthless passions, but his son had years of experience with just how sinister his dark side could be. His blood ran cold as he thought about what his father would do to Colin, not just a Husky, but a half-blood wolf.

"Well, I've never been one to abide by rules I don't like; you should know that by now. And besides, it's the way I am dude. I can't just switch it off." Colin's ears and tail dropped dejectedly. "I thought you'd understand..."

Paul gaped for a moment, then shook his head as he cleared his mind. Resolve rising within him, he reached out again and firmly gripped his friend by the shoulder once more.

"No, you're right. You've been my friend for years, bro, and I'll be damned if I turned my back on you now. Hell, you just saved my life. Besides, nothing's changed anyway."

Colin stared at him, a hopeful uncertainty in his gaze. He returned the shoulder-lock, and smiled, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Come on now, bud," Paul said awkwardly as he released Colin's arm and scratched the back of his own ear, "You know I ain't into that bitch stuff."

"Thank you Paul."

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Daylight had not yet broken when Paul attempted latching his air filter tight around his muzzle, starting the eighty yard trek from the sky rail station to the base entrance. The fit was becoming loose, he noticed, and he'd have to buy a new one soon. It was expensive, but what else could he do. In the last several years it was obvious that the atmospheric toxicity levels had risen, despite numerous news stories to the contrary. The pollution from the multiple war factories in the district had only increased since the Shahirizan forces had begun periodic raids in the outer sectors, and it was already a guaranteed week in stasis if one inhaled too much of the outside air.

The only sound around him as he walked was the rushing wind, a foreboding shadow of future storms. Crossing into the gaping maw of the base's decontamination chamber, he shuddered against the cold fingers of the outside brushing against his fur. He hit a worn and chipped button on a nearby counter and the door closed firmly behind him, cutting the gusts like a puppet from its strings, and leaving the air still and silent in the dimly lit room. As a vacuum began to whir somewhere above him, he waited until the source of light above faded from red to green before opening the facility door.

Walking down the corridors, he made his way to the locker room to rinse off the smell of the outside. The room was quite large, with dozens of uniform rows of metallic cabinets to store the battalion's uniforms and clothing. Turning down the farthest aisle, Paul stopped midway through and placed his hand on a pad-scanner. Clicking open the locker, Paul grabbed a large stick of soap and began to strip out of his training gear. With practiced skill, he folded it crisply before storing it safely in the top compartment along with his helmet. Reaching above the top of the cabinet, he pulled down a warm towel and stepped toward the empty bay of showers.

Pressing the metallic button on the wall, a powerful jet of hot water gushed down on his head. Steady streams of the warm liquid flowed over his body; tiny rivulets cascaded through his sweaty, matted fur. The pelt around his sheath was still slightly sticky from that morning's surprise, and as he vigorously scrubbed the area with the soap bar his mind began racing over the previous night's events and the morning after.

It wasn't unusual for Paul to have an after work drink with Colin; he typically popped in on his friend once a week or so. It started the same way as any other visit, a quick hello and a bullshit session about their respective shops on base. As they settled down for a finger of scotch and a game of cards, however, Paul brought up Colin's confession.

"So," Paul said as he lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before continuing. "about the other day. Were ya serious about the whole-wha'dija call it-'gay' thing?"

Colin swirled his glass, staring thoughtfully into the liquor as he spoke, "Yes. I like males. I have ever since I was young," he said simply. "I've just kept it to myself. And now you dude, I guess." Colin shrugged then knocked back the tumbler in a single gulp. Paul cocked his eyebrow slightly; Colin was typically a slow drinker. "As for the word 'gay', I read it in a book once, and decided it described my feelings perfectly."

"What book had THAT written in it?" Paul said, downing his own glass and refilling both cups. He had never read anything outside of his curriculum at the academy, but he was fairly certain he'd remember hearing about a story discussing a forbidden act. The Arceusian government had a very stringent literary policy, and all written documents had to be pre-approved by the Committee of Literary Integrity before publication. And guys having sex with other males would be a pretty massive oversight.

"I have my sources," Colin said, the corner of his muzzle curving upward in a grin. "Why so interested dude? You're not curious are you?" He teased.

"Curious? About that stuff? Hell nah, bro! It's just different is all." Paul slammed another drink and toasted a third at Colin. "Whelp, I'm weird too, buddy. Here's to bein' strange!"

As Paul remembered what he had Colin had done when the bottle had been emptied, his stomach began to do small flips; a parade of winged beats flooded his chest, a new feeling, but not unpleasant. Still, he had left while Colin was still in the shower less than an hour ago, a wave of guilt sweeping over him after the rush of his orgasm had ended. It was illegal. He had always been told such thoughts were wrong; in need of swift correction. But yet, this fluttering feeling seemed so... So...

"No," he said silently to himself, shaking his head beneath the geyser of water. "I'm just confused is all." Unbidden by his distracted conscious, Paul's sheath parted as his cock began to swell. The patter of the heated shower massaging his pink flesh, his mind returned to the warm moisture of Colin's mouth when Paul had relented to giving him a try, 'just to prove he wasn't kidding', and that it was possible for two males to make love. "No, damn it. It was sex," he told himself." He's my friend, I don't love him. Well, I do but that's different..."

Despite his protests his member throbbed beneath him, his knot straining against the tight pocket of flesh which held its base. Scanning the tiled compartment and finding it empty, Paul allowed his hand to wrap gently around his thick shaft. Rings of pleasure traveled from the angry red tip in widening circles through his body, forcing his chin up and his toes to curl. Instead of pin-up bitches and his female comrades, his mind pictured Colin's eyes, like pools of blue plasma sucking him in. In place of supple breasts, he saw only the husky's smile and the curve of his back and tail.

Pumping his fist faster, he could feel the heat of Colin's body overpowering the water which had begun to cool. Beyond the smell of chalky government issued soap, Paul's nose bathed instead in the scent of his buddy's fur as they held each other in bed. The very air was thick with steam, but also the taste of Colin's muzzle as they kissed, drops of scotch still hanging to the fine hairs. Overwhelmed by his imagination, Paul gasped as he fired shot after shot of thin cum, draining his body of anything not already spent in that small apartment in Resident Block Charlie. Slowly recuperating from the exertion, Paul rested his muzzle against the cool tile as his cock sank back within him.

His head more muddled than ever, Paul finished rinsing off in the now icy water. Shaking his body vigorously, he sent the majority of the liquid flying in all directions, using the towel to absorb the excess trapped within his dark fur. Returning to his locker, Paul slowly slipped back on his gear, attempting to focus on the long day of training ahead.

He exited the locker room quickly, starting a light jog as he headed down the stairs toward the practice hall to begin formation. Just as Paul's hand gripped the handle to the stairwell, a klaxon alarm began howling throughout the facility. Tail and ears erect, he looked up at the flashing hazard lights along the walls.

"Damn it, where the hell are they at now," Paul thought, pulling open the door. Breaking into a run and taking the steps two at a time, he passed the practice hall platform and descended three additional floors to the mission briefing room.

Dozens of wolves of every size had already packed themselves into the small amphitheater as the klaxon continued to blare. The hollow screech ricocheting off the walls and the babble of a hundred conversations assaulted Paul's ears. He watched as the Barracks commander, flanked as always by his stoic aide, strode on stage and lifted a hand. Instantly the conversations stopped, and even the siren was silenced, as if even the facility itself did not dare to interrupt the commander.

"Comrades," he said briskly, his voice carrying throughout the room without the need of a vocalizer pin. "As of 0515, there has been a breach of the security boundary. A Shahirizan patrol has been located in the Eastern side of the district. The Halatitian District is sending seasoned veterans to control the situation, but they are an hour out; in the interim we must protect our own. Sections Charlie and Delta, as the two senior squads you will be tasked with subduing the threat until reinforcements arrive. These orders are to be carried out effective immediately.

Despite his solid expression, Paul felt his heart stop in disbelief. His section would be one of the squads sent on the mission. Having never seen actual combat, and to have this responsibility thrust upon him so suddenly, he was floored by the announcement. The shock must have been readily apparent on his face, because the commander continued, looking straight in his direction:

"As you are all still in training, I'm sure that some of you may be apprehensive. However, you need not defeat the patrol, merely hold out until the Halatitian District can dispose of the enemy. Remember, this is what you have been training for, Soldiers. That is all." The commander stepped back, but did not leave the stage. Moving with enough grace that his paws failed to make a sound in their heavy boots, the Commander's assistant stepped up into the center spotlight.

"Squads Charlie and Delta," He said, his voice as loud as his superior's but much more smooth; like a silk scarf. "You will now board a carrier drone and depart in five minutes for the breach zone. You will receive your combat gear upon take-off."

Before he could step back into his position, a single hand shot up, the wolf's actual body outside of Paul's line of view.

"Yes, Soldier?"

"Sir, where is the location, Sir?" The young sounding voice was low, almost broken as he addressed the dark officer on stage. The officer touched the perfectly round glasses on his face, pushing them up to rest higher on the bridge of his muzzle. Looking in the direction of the speaker, he said:

"On the outskirts of Resident Block Charlie and the Lorian Academy, near the Sky Rail line 2." The officer faced the crowd again and began speaking some more, but Paul couldn't hear. He couldn't breathe. Sky Rail line 2.

"Colin."

END CHAPTER 2