{"sf1_id":1275413,"sf2_id":"pnGkpA2n","title":"Alcatraz Ch. XXI-Kallisti Pt. II","author":"Djynnerate","words":5542,"posted_at":"2017-12-14T21:18:00.000Z","tags":["Canine","Cat","Feline","Gray Wolf","Hyena","Jackal","Red Panda","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1275413-alcatraz-ch-xxi-kallisti-pt-ii","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnGkpA2n","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/83/8a/838a0d49-5117-48e6-b9d7-c97fb722e76f","description":"#29 of Alcatraz\n\nI didn't plan on making a part 2 but sofurry cant handle the whole upload at once. ty for your patience","content":"///\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai\u0026nbsp;\n\nGuard Post, Settlement Defense Wall\u0026nbsp;\n\nNovember 10th, 1000 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt had been a few days, more or less a week.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThailand was miserable for me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'd shot two people.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlbeit one was going to kill me and the other was going to kill another civilian but...\u0026nbsp;\n\nDamn...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI felt alone again, as I had in Gibraltar.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSometimes I would just wander around and forget here, I had obligations to the GRA.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat this wasn't\u0026nbsp;my\u0026nbsp;hellhole.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDeaths of about 8 now chained to my heart, everything I saw was oddly shocking.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNothing I hadn't seen before, but now, having seen and lived on the other side...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWas this really who I\u0026nbsp;once\u0026nbsp;was?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd who was I?\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai, from Gibraltar?\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai, the afflicted?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya\u0026nbsp;hadn't bothered me with any more visions, and my sleep problem was letting up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe knew I needed space, but maybe she got that message down.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI knew Reyna was never going to apologize to me, she was too proud.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere were other places I could go.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut then, I reminded myself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWho the hell could blame her?\u0026nbsp;\n\nHaving done what she did, suffered so much, who would want to be friends with anyone for fear you'd lose them?\u0026nbsp;\n\nEspecially someone who you were\u0026nbsp;guaranteed\u0026nbsp;to lose?\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut with that logic, why be friends with anyone?\u0026nbsp;\n\nWasn't death the only certainty in life?\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stared over the guard tower into the jungle, the short band of buildings that was the Jinn line, and the Jinn territory on the other side.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOver there, a new world.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'd been thinking about what that kid said to me in the alley.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat I was a traitor to...\u0026nbsp;\n\nSlum-kind or whatever.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave thought to it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHere, in Thailand, things were always poor.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut they worked.\u0026nbsp;Under Jinn\u0026nbsp;maybe even getting better...\u0026nbsp;\n\nNowadays? Brutality, crime, a police state, oppression....\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was right. Jinn would've worked wonders for Gibraltar.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd the GRA?\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey gave up on us. Didn't even try.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd\u0026nbsp;all\u0026nbsp;I\u0026nbsp;got\u0026nbsp;from it\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;reputation that didn't last when you met me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut honestly, who gave a\u0026nbsp;damn\u0026nbsp;where you were from?\u0026nbsp;\n\nKill a Moroccan just as easy as an Alaskan.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLost in my thoughts, someone hissed next to me and I looked down to see...\u0026nbsp;\n\nA horde of black clothed people moving through the\u0026nbsp;treeline, into the main road.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Everyone\u0026nbsp;hold\u0026nbsp;your fire or we're going to get fucking\u0026nbsp;disintegrated...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI watched in awe... I hadn't seen such a big group of people in my entire life.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA practical flood, I could see why they'd called in so many GRA\u0026nbsp;personnel\u0026nbsp;to ramp up security.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll regulars, a few flags. I walked over to the other side of the wall to watch the BMFs tensely and emotionlessly usher the mass in, our soldiers lining the streets.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo\u0026nbsp;civs\u0026nbsp;in sight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI picked out a few vehicles for the higher ups.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt seemed everyone was... Different.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe structure of Jinn was a bunch of loose political parties that formed some sort of democracy (apart from their respective countries).\u0026nbsp;\n\nSome were in hoods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSome were in rags.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSome were in armor not unlike ours.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut they all were black, and by clothing they all grouped, the one thing they shared.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA few were in red, but those were spread wide.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'd never had fear strike such a low chord in my heart before.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nHotel Room\u0026nbsp;\n\nNovember 17th, 2200 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai, can you tell me what he did wrong there?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy eyes fluttered open and I looked back at the projector, Isaac standing beside it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone was looking at me now, I looked to Jake sitting beside me for the answer.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't notice me looking, instead staring solemnly at the fox's feet.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe were in\u0026nbsp;Jake and Isaac's room, a retrograde projector showing someone's headcam on the wall.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll the lights were out, my teammates faces were illuminated by the screen.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Um...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked at the image in brief.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA hallway. Or rather, going through a doorway into one.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo the immediate left was another room, and a shape standing in it with a sort of plus shaped yellow light-\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh, he'd fired his gun at our POV.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked to the other side of the screen where a bit of blood had already spattered the hallway, exposed pipe getting wet.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...His teammates positions show he'd gone far ahead of them. And this isn't\u0026nbsp;pointman\u0026nbsp;either. And in\u0026nbsp;addition,\u0026nbsp;he, uh, went in a lot too quick.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Right. Try not to doze off next time.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, at least I'd salvaged it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Now, this is the problem with Brasilia\u0026nbsp;Esquadrao. They're overrated, dumbed down, expendable. They just rush in guns blazing, no\u0026nbsp;tactics.\u0026nbsp;So\u0026nbsp;I don't want any of you throwing\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;meatbags, aye?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone gave varying degrees of that same 'yes' you'd hear in the classroom during a lecture.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe'd done similar things with Jake but he preferred a more hands-on simulation approach to tactics training.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac's was watching replays.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI felt like maybe I did learn a bit more application in the\u0026nbsp;second\u0026nbsp;one, but I'd discovered my abilities in the first.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave some thought to it- when was the last time\u0026nbsp;I'd...\u0026nbsp;Well, gone back in time?\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat sounded crazy...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI mean, it was. The whole thing was turned on its head.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWould've been convenient to fix mistakes at will, whenever I wanted to.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI cast a look at the jackal, caught her eyes, and sheepishly looked away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWas I going to apologize later?\u0026nbsp;\n\nWould we be back at square one if I did?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd where the hell were we now?\u0026nbsp;\n\nWho would go off next time, me or her?\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nSometimes friendships need a push.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd sometimes they need a shove.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright, before you all go\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac flipped the\u0026nbsp;lightswitch\u0026nbsp;and amidst the hissing and protest he flicked it back.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Before you all go to bed- and I\u0026nbsp;want\u0026nbsp;everyone in bed.\u0026nbsp;DeSanta's\u0026nbsp;going to be here tomorrow, we're tasked with guarding. We need to pick a designate for G201.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone started buzzing about names, and as per usual I had no clue what they were on about.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can I get suggestions?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone gave them at once.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I meant\u0026nbsp;separately.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone gave them at once.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was in danger of falling asleep again, so I didn't get anywhere near to Jake's shoulder.\u0026nbsp;Nevermind\u0026nbsp;the fact I was sitting on a bed already.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA few were standing or leaning against the wall.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sharks!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's a squadron designate, not a football team.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shut up, Alvin.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tombstone.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm\u0026nbsp;sure\u0026nbsp;that's taken. And I know where you stole that from\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alcatraz.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone went silent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd they were looking at me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt registered\u0026nbsp;my\u0026nbsp;muzzle had just opened and closed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlcatraz? Where did that come from?\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe next time I blinked strange lights appeared\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;my head, and quickly closing my eyes again I'd just missed them.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That...\u0026nbsp;Actually\u0026nbsp;sounds pretty badass.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"All in favor?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother uproar.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac picked up a clipboard that had been lying around.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Everyone pass this around, designates are on here. Remember them.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe passed it to Jake first, and I eyed his designate.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had a number 2 beside his name, meaning he was Alcatraz-2, if I was correct.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI saw the look of\u0026nbsp;disappointment\u0026nbsp;on his face.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nJake had a rocky start but he was a damn good soldier.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd he had morals.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd he actually cared about his squad...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe wolf passed the clipboard to me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nScanning for a little while, I was at the bottom, of course-\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlcatraz-J?\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was the only one without a number beside my name.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt took me a moment to realize what the 'J' might have meant and as the clipboard went to Reyna, her eyes burned into me.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nAjax\u0026nbsp;\n\nGRA Heavy Security Zone\u0026nbsp;\n\nNovember 20th, 1900 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's my bedroom, Caine, I don't need an escort in\u0026nbsp;there.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I was simply hoping to talk with you about my reassignment\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It can wait.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nCaine's voice was like a translator program's now, assisted by a computer until Trojan fixed his damage.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;allowed him that luxury.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAjax sat in wait, out of his armor.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe could have his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut at the cost of her life. And he needed an excuse at this point, the\u0026nbsp;shitshow\u0026nbsp;he'd seen thus far and all that time spent with Jinn...\u0026nbsp;\n\nReally that was the only thing keeping him from doing it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't just some mercenary, he actually cared about the war.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't in in to make money off it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't in it for the rush of killing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was in it because of\u0026nbsp;those\u0026nbsp;Jinn\u0026nbsp;bastards.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd because of them, he could never escape it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe reptilian walked in her room with a bathrobe on, making her way to the bathroom.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the lights came on upon her motion sensors, the door closed behind her.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe reached for the knob-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Opera.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was near instant and for a moment Ajax was caught off guard as blue energy arced the wall where he'd been standing less than a second before.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSnapping the gun from her hand, a pulse emitted from his belt and the energy pistol practically\u0026nbsp;disintegrated.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne snowy-furred hand over her mouth, there was nothing she could do.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you make any cry for help, I'm going to have to kill you.\u0026nbsp;Comprende?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe gave a nod against his hand.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he withdrew: \"And it's Ajax, since you were going to scream anyways.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...What?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's me. No armor this time. I\u0026nbsp;gotta\u0026nbsp;talk with you.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I-I...\" She eyed her bathrobe and tightened the sash, the snow tiger watching red blotches appear on her scales.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe leader of the 'free' world in a bathrobe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat a fucking joke...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Make it brief.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Did you in any way alert your security?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Y-Yes, I have a chip embedded in my hand that\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How much time?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"One minute at the least, Caine was the only one on this floor and he doesn't get signaled anymore\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Your Janus?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...I don't have\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Avital?! Her status?!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She wants me dead as much as anyone, she likely won't show!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAjax stared into her cowering eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd done his research, if anything could be said.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You fought to free Jinn-controlled Spain in your youth.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe gave a nod, unsure of where he was going.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHell, he didn't know either.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Look at the mess you've become.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera opened and closed her mouth, no biting remark to save her.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr at the least, put herself on a pedestal.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I want you to either quadruple my pay or give me a strike team of 10.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wha- why? It's already 5\u0026nbsp;bil\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Lynx has a sister.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's two of\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes. And Katia's overprotective as all hell... I think... It's complicated, I\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe cut himself off.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"She's not even going to be in your records and she's the most\u0026nbsp;high profile\u0026nbsp;assassin in the freaking\u0026nbsp;world, alright? I want\u0026nbsp;something\u0026nbsp;at the very\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce more he was cut off, this time by the sound of footsteps.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGiving a glance back to the queen of the world he had backed into the corner, he contemplated.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRight\u0026nbsp;now... In this instant...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was the most powerful man in the world.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt this instant he could do any number of things.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut would\u0026nbsp;DeSanta's\u0026nbsp;death bring down the GRA?\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr would it be a benefit to them?\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a growl not dissimilar to his feral counterparts, Ajax darted back through the missing section of ceiling he'd came.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai\u0026nbsp;\n\nRuined Hotel\u0026nbsp;\n\nNovember 22nd, 1200 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\nToday.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was happening today.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat morning was a bunch of good lucks and stay safes and\u0026nbsp;Alcatrazes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin made a point to call everyone by\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;designates, always a strange look crossed his face whenever he said 'Alcatraz-J'.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen I died, would they find out?\u0026nbsp;\n\nMore than likely just sick I'd picked up, poor health from my time in Gibraltar.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey'd buy it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt might not even take Janus to kill me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI could just as easily get shot, plain as that.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot dwelling on my thoughts, I trudged through breakfast, idly eating a portion of my tray.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe morning wasn't eventful. What came later...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'll just get to that.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nGRA Heavy\u0026nbsp;Security Zone\u0026nbsp;\n\n1300 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright, show me your badges.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle and I held up\u0026nbsp;our\u0026nbsp;chromes again, the blue light running up and down them.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBadges got you pretty much anywhere in Settlement 14.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey could get you killed too if you flashed them in the wrong place.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI never realized why I was hated so much until I saw my own do horrible things to the people.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA common thief, just as the one I'd chased down to that alleyway... Shot on sight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps with a family to provide for...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI wasn't on patrol or anything, if I was I'd have been torn apart by protestors.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was about a week in so by then I realized\u0026nbsp;civilian\u0026nbsp;clothes were better armor than bulletproof vests here.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey'd just dragged the body off and if it wasn't just another scene from Gibraltar, replaying in my head until I finally desensitized it and locked it away...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhere was I?\u0026nbsp;\n\nRight...\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;chainlink\u0026nbsp;gate opened for not a moment longer than we needed to get in and almost snagged my vest closing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh, I didn't get to why we were here...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI... Sorry, I'm in Antartica right now, I had a... Dream, I guess but with Janus it's all sorts of strange things and a... Thing spoke to me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt's not real but I think I'm as insane as Garcia.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKaige... If you're getting this...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI-I'm sorry. About everything.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut one day you'll realize I was right.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd I'm not saying you have to do as I did.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut just... Don't be surprised when they start sending you on suicide missions.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd the new guys, whoever they are, just start dropping like mad.\u0026nbsp;\n\nYou're going to do the same as me, and as everyone else did.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr you're...\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'm sorry.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe should really just... Focus on that later.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnyway, I...\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nA moment.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai\u0026nbsp;\n\nAntartica, Alcatraz Compound\u0026nbsp;\n\nFebruary 19th, 2263\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe sets down the device, then thinks better of it and stows it in his pocket.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHowever\u0026nbsp;much Garcia seems to know he isn't letting on.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe just wants the truth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe's still not sure why\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;wants him dead so badly, what harm someone like him could cause.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter all, even after all that's happened...\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven after he lost count of all those he'd killed...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe's still just Tai from Gibraltar.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlright, I'm back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI want you to take this in progression, you'll understand better that way.\u0026nbsp;Like I said, you\u0026nbsp;gotta\u0026nbsp;hear the whole thing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd then I'll be less of the villain in your eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI-I mean, I'm not doing this just for looks or anything, I...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnyways...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhy we were there. Right.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle and I were asked to guard\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;a little closer than anyone else.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was abrupt- we'd already made arrangements and received orders to escort as a full squadron.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomething had made her paranoid the night before, I guessed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI mean, I couldn't blame her. I was feeling pretty bad myself based on just the sight of all those Jinn soldiers walking in...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd just how many more of them were waiting just beyond that\u0026nbsp;treeline?\u0026nbsp;\n\nCountries worth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI took note of just who she'd called.\u0026nbsp;Not Reyna, but Kyle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt said a bit about Opera's allies.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn what time I'd had recently I spent most of it with Kyle, doing menial training or just talking.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't abrasive at all. He was just incredibly distant.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUnlike Reyna I couldn't tell what made him so.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaybe looking at that stopwatch, I had a glimpse now.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai, Frost? Over here, please.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA man in full armor, even with his tail, motioned us through another gateway\u0026nbsp;behind which an armored van and escort lay dormant.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shot a look up at Kyle; we were going to see\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;here.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't look back, calmly staring ahead.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a moment the reptilian walked into view, a black fur coat down to her knees.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBMF's...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd as my eyes met\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;once more the shock almost made me fall into Kyle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI stumbled and he looked down at me, but I shrugged it off.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs we were ushered in,\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;made a slight hand motion I barely caught and one of the soldiers walked up to Kyle, speaking Russian.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhatever he said was lost through the barrier, but Kyle gave me a nod and followed him to the front of the escort.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTurning back to\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Ariya, the President gave me a smile and beckoned with her hand.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSheepishly walking over, my eyes tracked the dust on the concrete the whole time.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai. Good to see you again, a pleasure. You've been informed of why you're here?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave a nod, unsure of what to\u0026nbsp;address\u0026nbsp;her as or how to act.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Excellent.\u0026nbsp;Ariya, make sure this is Tai we're speaking to?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a brisk jerk of the head like a bird more than a nod,\u0026nbsp;Ariya's\u0026nbsp;eyes narrowed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI tensed up but immediately faltered, that feeling of water running in my head overtaking me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI felt weighted, and almost collapsed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSo... Icy...\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt seemed forever before I was released, about to cry out in pain if I wasn't.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera raised her eyebrows, that smile still on her face.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was confident.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen other people watched her, she felt confident.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...This is Tai.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya\u0026nbsp;said it resentfully, and I realized her accent had been brought out to the extreme.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGiving a quick glance at her, I again realized just how much was different.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was used to\u0026nbsp;my\u0026nbsp;version of\u0026nbsp;Ariya, the one we'd collectively created in my head.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut I could see where all those tough bits came from, the girl who could pass as a young boy for her vulpine height, muscular build, lack of extra hair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd those eyes that would put the fear of god in you...\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo see her angry...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter a brief talk we got into the armored van, and looking around it might as well have been a\u0026nbsp;limousine\u0026nbsp;but smaller.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd\u0026nbsp;actually\u0026nbsp;more luxurious...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe driver was completely cut out, what could be said could be said in secrecy.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI sat on the far end, having gotten in last,\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;across from me and Opera facing the back of the vehicle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWindows were so tinted it was hard to see...\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut we were moving.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai. You need to listen. Now.\u0026nbsp;\n\nW-Who...\u0026nbsp;Ariya?\u0026nbsp;\n\nYes, it's me.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe gray fox stared almost viciously at me across the seat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera has initiated what she calls the\u0026nbsp;Berzerker\u0026nbsp;p... Highly\u0026nbsp;dange...\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was only getting chops of her\u0026nbsp;sentences\u0026nbsp;through and it took her a moment to realize it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLook it... Coming for you... Squad's going to get\u0026nbsp;kil...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Ariya, whatever you two are saying, I'm sure it can be said in front of me... Right?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nSnapping out of the trancelike state, we looked back to Opera.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Apologies. I was simply establishing a mental link should things go wrong... We were running into some trouble.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA raised eyebrow, lax.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe it's the humidity,\" Opera said with a grin.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are Tomas or Cecelia here as well?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;spined\u0026nbsp;lizard shook her head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They're investigating something in Antartica. But, of course, we can't account for Jinn.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother brisk nod.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sigh from the lizard.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You know, Tai, when I was a child, I was picked on viciously by my peers... My father was a crocodile, my mother a lizard. And hybrids, in those days were unacceptable. Sure, be with another species\u0026nbsp;and we'll keep our sentiments in our homes\u0026nbsp;but\u0026nbsp;children?\u0026nbsp;Scandalous...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya\u0026nbsp;rolled her eyes as if she'd heard\u0026nbsp;this many times\u0026nbsp;before.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I could pass for a smaller alligator with a snout defect maybe... But they'd always find out. Even my teachers were\u0026nbsp;cruel to me. Back in that day, my country and yours were controlled by Jinn, as all of Africa was as well.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'd heard very briefly about that time period, they didn't like to talk about it much.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was a shame, my teacher said, living under Jinn rule.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt wasn't bad at all, it was just normal but with fewer things in some places and more in others.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut what was a shame\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;the people had to liberate themselves.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe had no help. And the GRA was all\u0026nbsp;too\u0026nbsp;quick to sweep us back under their control.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven before\u0026nbsp;DeSanta\u0026nbsp;they were snakes...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I fought in the Spanish revolution when I was about your age.\u0026nbsp;At first, I was indifferent to the cause, I just kept my head down... But my father was killed when he was ambushed.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWe met eyes, and I once more stared into that unbridled, unnatural\u0026nbsp;force\u0026nbsp;of electric blue, arcing all around the slit pupils of a reptilian, capable and terrifying, and-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"My father, Tai, was a Jinn soldier.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt got my attention, to say the least.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt wasn't discrediting or anything but...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sheer irony.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What would your father say of your position now?\" The soft Israeli accent turned into a growling one through\u0026nbsp;Ariya's\u0026nbsp;muzzle.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He would be proud... And\u0026nbsp;disappointed. I am glad of his passing, his gift to me... Otherwise I would surely not be where I am now.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So why\u0026nbsp;join\u0026nbsp;the revolution?\" I asked, cautious.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe went back to smiling once more.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They began to kidnap my people, the infants, and take them to Asia. And train them to be assassins.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nLynx.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat girl in the alleyway, perhaps...\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera was looking dead into my eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"These assassins are tortured until they begin to laugh at pain. They fear no death. If they fail to perfectly execute their exercises, they will be tortured again. If they cannot under any circumstances complete the\u0026nbsp;exercises... They will be sent to carry out attacks on the\u0026nbsp;civilians.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera's smile faded again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They tried to take my little sister, and my mother refused.\u0026nbsp;So\u0026nbsp;they killed my mother, and took my sister. I came home to a torched house, save my mother's smoldering corpse... And in my\u0026nbsp;height\u0026nbsp;I had over 100 confirmed kills to my name.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe air chilled and I couldn't tear myself away from her.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So\u0026nbsp;I'm going to ask you, Tai...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMid-sentence\u0026nbsp;I felt my head fill with\u0026nbsp;Ariya's\u0026nbsp;probe, my teeth bared as I tried to resist but it was like trying to close a sponge to fluid...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Did you, by any means, encounter the Jinn operative hovering around Norway?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave a choking noise.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He's resisting.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya\u0026nbsp;wouldn't be on my side here, she didn't trust me and even if I did keep my secret it would just go to make me more suspicious...\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh god, I was actually betraying the GRA, wasn't I...?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll I did was take Jinn's pills, I didn't\u0026nbsp;mean\u0026nbsp;to-\u0026nbsp;\n\nSuddenly the water clenched in my head and I wrenched my head back, hands balling into fists.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai, stop it!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo, I couldn't... I couldn't be branded a traitor...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWould she see the rebellious thoughts in my head too?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya\u0026nbsp;lanced through me and I cried out, I could\u0026nbsp;feel\u0026nbsp;her sharply withdrawing, like poking your hand into a fire...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"F-fuck...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What did you see?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nTheir voices were muffled, my ears suddenly clogged.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI lay unmoving, chest rising and falling at a slow rate, slumped in my seat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAriya's\u0026nbsp;teeth bared.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"A kabuki mask, a smiling cat...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The one from Norway!\" Opera exclaimed.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I-I saw her at the airport, nowhere else!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI managed to sit back up in my seat, chest still rising and falling slowly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera brought her wrist close to her mouth, some bracer I hadn't seen glowing under her sleeve.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Intelligence. I want the identity of the Tier-1 Jinn operative present at the September 13th\u0026nbsp;airport attack.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA click.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"One moment ma'am... That would be... 'Lynx'. Anything else?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thank you, I'm fine for now.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nPutting down her bracer, Opera looked into my eyes again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhatever\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;had done felt like a gentle breeze compared to the look I just received...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Everyone around you could end your life right now, Tai. I'm trusting you with mine.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave no response, the sudden attack taking its toll on me.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...I won't let you down.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I should hope not.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nSilence passed until we finally got to our destination, a large building near the back of the settlement.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you expect from this meeting?\"\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;asked.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We'll surely use Settlement 14 and a few others as bargaining chips. Perhaps all of Thailand. I'm going to see what they propose first, however.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI thought I saw a glimpse of Kyle nearby, and I saw Rochelle walking just out of sight behind a tall fox I assumed was Isaac.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera stopped abruptly a few feet away from the car.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe said nothing, just stared ahead.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI looked to\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;for guidance, she didn't notice me.\u0026nbsp;Apparently\u0026nbsp;this was expected...\u0026nbsp;\n\nNone nearby took note either.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai, rejoin your squadron.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n...She didn't trust me after all.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Mrs.\u0026nbsp;DeSanta, I\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Get over there before I blow your head off\u0026nbsp;myself.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith no moment more of hesitation, I gave an enthusiastic 'roger' and walked towards Rochelle briskly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPassing by Kyle, a bit of Russian passed and then what was clearly a protest, but he was shut down as I was. With a confused look he rejoined me.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Strange people, these ones. They didn't even speak back when I spoke to them.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nI gave no response, but my teeth were close to chattering.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs we walked up behind Rochelle, I saw the officials go in with their escorts. We were stationed outside and to the west of the facility, itself a giant circular area.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle and I sunk in barely noticed, sticking close together.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI realized everyone else had on jackets. It had been overcast every day past the first day for hurricanes and whatnot.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI shivered, and I felt the wolf next to me nonchalantly grab me and pull me into his coat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't say anything either, my feline fur winning me nothing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBetween picking me up and doing this, I felt I was practically a child...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe strangest thing was I'd heard from Jake that Kyle had a history of being remorseless.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'd seen it for myself in the simulations, he'd bash skulls against the wall and wasn't afraid of anything, not even death.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, those were simulations I supposed...\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut I'd heard he killed surrendered people, and last time he sparred with Alvin he put him out cold.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he was... At the end of the day, my\u0026nbsp;bratja.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne day I'd be as cold as him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce you sink to the depths under the ice, no one can bring you back.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera\u0026nbsp;\n\nCeasefire\u0026nbsp;Meeting\u0026nbsp;\n\n1800 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was viciously clicking her pen, a personal one with a silenced click simply because she got so many complaints.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix hours.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd nothing. Absolutely nothing but bickering.\u0026nbsp;\n\n16 people, 8 of each faction.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOn her side Harper,\u0026nbsp;Ariya\u0026nbsp;(posing as an official) and about one person she could trust.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOn theirs?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAn absolute mockery.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey couldn't get along with each\u0026nbsp;other,\u0026nbsp;so much for their faction...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe problem with their government.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, one of many.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe whole meeting however, there was one particularly young panther amongst the table who hadn't spoken.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOpera was sure she had seen him before but he was highly unnerving.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo, she'd seen someone like him in her early days as a politician. This one must be...\u0026nbsp;Choi's\u0026nbsp;son. Yes, Choi was his name.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he just sat there, grinning as his party fought.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sir, I would like to hear from\u0026nbsp;you.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne of the GRA officials spoke amidst the Jinn arguments, directly to Choi.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA smirk.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What is your name, might I ask?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo nameplate for Choi, if it was him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I go by\u0026nbsp;Gynezis. Call me\u0026nbsp;Gyn\u0026nbsp;if you want.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nGenisis? Choi turned around his nametag.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh, he was just trying to be special, wasn't he?\u0026nbsp;\n\nThose type didn't last long.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You have proposals?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA wider smirk. Opera saw that his face was... Metallic.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomething clicked and she narrowed her eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe saw this and winked at her.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm just here to watch the fun... I'm sorry about my peers, they can never get anything finished.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis fellow representatives said nothing, staring at him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGRA watched in shock as he leaned back in his chair and put his shoes up on the table.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"But I tell you what, we'll call off the whole war if you publicly admit Glasglow and Anchorage were GRA's doing.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That is a blatant lie and we would never\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"This room isn't bugged unless you bugged it, there's full transparency here.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...We aren't that stupid... Choi,\" she tried.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA flinch in his face, only for a split second.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he just started grinning.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I remember you,\u0026nbsp;DeSanta. Feisty little one, I could tell you were going to be good for something. But now?\" He tilted his head, going back to a slight smirk.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm\u0026nbsp;disappointed. I\u0026nbsp;wanted\u0026nbsp;your competition. I\u0026nbsp;wanted\u0026nbsp;someone new to shatter. But you?\"\u0026nbsp;Gynezis\u0026nbsp;gave a shrug. \"It's been a landslide for us in the middle east. And you've accomplished nothing here, either.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Are we not in GRA territory as we speak?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt took him a moment, but in that moment the world began to fragment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe cracks spread to all corners of the earth, Thailand in the center of it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not anymore.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was an explosion.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai\u0026nbsp;\n\nI saw a little red dot on her back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCurious.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't know what that entailed. Yet.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA loud bang.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEverything began to slow down, until nothing moved at all.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was like moving through water but on land, if the water was 10 times thicker.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd I was strangely calm.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe bullet was moving incredibly slow as well, I turned to look at the shooter.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't a Jinn regular but I was sure he'd picked his targets with bias.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEither that or he was just looking for us all\u0026nbsp;to rip\u0026nbsp;our\u0026nbsp;guns and start killing each other.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDressed in rags, a light brown, hooded with only his canine muzzle coming from the shadow of his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was surprised, for a moment the bullet almost bridged the gap halfway.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTime was speeding up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMy calm went away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI had to act, and now.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sudden blip of speed again, I began moving... I didn't know where I was going.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the bullet came within a yard of contact I was able to see every bit of it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBlack, and blunt tipped for\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;low-power\u0026nbsp;rifle\u0026nbsp;that shot it. Jinn's making.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe red ring on it meaning it was...\u0026nbsp;\n\nIncendiary.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI didn't know how I came by this knowledge.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI just knew I couldn't let this bullet come by Reyna.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the strange calm entered me again, I\u0026nbsp;nonchalantly\u0026nbsp;stepped in between the two deadly weapons.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTime slowly ramped up again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe calm wore off almost instantly and I realized...\u0026nbsp;\n\nI was going to die.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle\u0026nbsp;\n\nDesignated Meeting Zone\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the bullet pierced Tai's body Reyna whipped around, everything seemed to happen so slowly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle's\u0026nbsp;sidearm was out of his holster and he fired the first bullet.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt hit the sniper square between the legs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot a second later at least 50 guns all discharged at once and he got low to the ground, gritting his teeth and looking over at Tai.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMiraculously, the cat was still standing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd staggered backwards to a wall and was leaning against it, convulsing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle watched in horror as the cat's eyes met his and he jerked violently.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA\u0026nbsp;short\u0026nbsp;gout of flame\u0026nbsp;emitted from Tai's mouth, the wolf watching in confusion and shock.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt made the firefight stop for a moment, sudden illumination and burst making everyone jump.\u0026nbsp;\n\nInstincts over judgement, Kyle sprinted across the mass of soldiers dropping and getting dropped, weaving through their ranks until he got halfway to Tai.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA fennec caught the cat as he fell and ripped off his\u0026nbsp;jacket, pressing it to Tai's wound.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"MEDIC! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe began to drag the cat to safety but Kyle saw another red dot square between his ears.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sickening crack and a wet snap.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore Kyle could cry out a bullet capped\u0026nbsp;him on the top of the head, traveling\u0026nbsp;through his body.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;Kyle didn't look at the fennec as he grabbed Tai and began to exfil.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking back, all hell had broken loose.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGRA on Jinn.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRebels on GRA.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJinn on Jinn.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking down at the limp form in his hands, Tai's eyes and mouth were wide open in shock, his head hanging off Kyle's powerful arms.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDead or not, Kyle had to get him out...\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nHeheheheheheh\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis is Tai's actual death.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn the Alcatraz 'pilot'\u0026nbsp;\n\nYou guys know I wouldn't actually do it\u0026nbsp;here\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd when I say here I mean no promises\u0026nbsp;\n\nStrange to see how much has differed from what I had originally, where death was commonplace as I said it was and my characters dropped left and right.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOriginally Tai was just one in a plethora of main characters as well, so killing him off surprise right here wasn't worth much.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt sounds so good when you make characters a big threat and actually capitalize on it by having them kill other characters rather than\u0026nbsp;saying they will\u0026nbsp;but in the end...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;I decided to present a pantheon of characters and make them actually worth something instead going\u0026nbsp;omaha\u0026nbsp;beach\u0026nbsp;\n\nNyways\u0026nbsp;sorry for the wait. Big chapter, big stuff, and it's been a long week.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was actually very hard for me to write this chapter. Going into it I had only Tai meeting the\u0026nbsp;girl in the alley and the ending of it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI had to shift a few events on the timeline to this chapter as well.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA little hard for me to write but this stands as Alcatraz's longest chapter thus far\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich of course made it doubly as hard\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn addition to all of this life dealt me a shit hand.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor the past 3 weeks, actually. Probably the worst so far.\u0026nbsp;\n\nI'm not going to make a journal on it bitching on the internet is just a cry for attention and I think in the end talking helps but that's just too human and I need to pull myself away from that\u0026nbsp;\n\nStay frosty\u0026nbsp;\n\ndjynn\u0026nbsp;\n\n","series":{"name":"Alcatraz","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1275412-alcatraz-ch-xxi-kallisti-pt-i.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1282613-alcatraz-ch-xxii-torva.json"}}