{"sf1_id":1324151,"sf2_id":"ve35AANn","title":"Alcatraz Ch. XXVI-Aiakos","author":"Djynnerate","words":6169,"posted_at":"2018-04-16T22:55:00.000Z","tags":["Alternate Society","Cat","Dystopia","Fox","Gay Relationships","Golden Retriever","Gray Wolf","Hyena","Jackal","Jaguar","Lioness","Mild Erotica","Military","Post-Apocalyptic","Red Fox","Sci-Fi","Teenagers","Timber Wolf","War","Young Romance"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1324151-alcatraz-ch-xxvi-aiakos","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/ve35AANn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/da/22/da228bde-16a4-4e2a-aaad-9ab018bfb98d","description":"#34 of Alcatraz\n\nWoopwoopwoopwoopwoopwoop\nAlright so we're back with 26, this one's an all Riddick chapter. As much as I wanted to expand on the introduction of Damien (he's going to be just as pivotal as Tai and Lynx in the grand scheme just not 1st person) I figured I should maybe just focus this one on the yeen\nI said chapter 25 is when things actually get interesting a while back and idk I keep saying things like that haha but SOON.\nNot really much more to say, there's a very mild sex scene in the very beginning but unless you're like a mormon or something it's not graphic really at all. But it's not just a throwaway erotic scene it has some relevance I guess\nOn the topic of sex scenes while this one wasn't the others way down the line will be graphic so don't expect this bs the whole time haha\nI don't write sex scenes graphically 24/7, a lot of the time it's just more poetic and natural if you go kinda chill with it.\nAight onto the story","content":"///\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerth, ANZU\u0026nbsp;\n\nOctober 28th\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne year ago\u0026nbsp;\n\nBedsprings.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShifting sheets.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShaky, irregular breathing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps that was all there was to hear but his heartbeat wouldn't have had to be much louder.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe opened his eyes again, gray and orange fur tickling his cheek. His muzzle was buried in the fur under the coyote's neck.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother newer, better sensation racked through him and a gasp escaped his muzzle, arms tightening around the torso of his partner.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I-Is it okay if I\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck yeah...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter the brief moment the coyote began to work harder, each contact bringing out a whimper in the other.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stopped propping himself up with his elbows, collapsing onto the pillows and letting it happen, muzzles now touching near the ends.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn the moments before he felt the bedsheets tighten as the coyote dug his hands into them...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey both gave a genuine moan as Harrison finished, then a gasp of pain as the one underneath him dug his nails into the coyote's back.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...Can you maybe not do that?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Thought it turned you on.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It fuckin' hurts.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So does getting fucked in the ass, Harrison.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You seem to enjoy it.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey looked down at each other for a moment, eyes holding contact.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick leaned up and kissed his love, holding it for a good while.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoments like this were incredibly rare, and you had to take what you could get...\u0026nbsp;\n\nPulling away he almost felt alone again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We're probably going to be in this position for a while...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't mind.\" With a tired grin Harrison laid on top of the hyena, Riddick wrapping his arms around him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You staying here tonight?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Gotta text my folks, they won't mind.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...Have you told them yet?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If they don't know by now it would be a... either a miracle or a tragedy.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven worse was the moment the coyote's grin faded, bright orange eyes dulled.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They still think you're going out with Felicia though, right?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, she's still covering... I mean, if anything they probably think I'm bi at this point.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Because we hang out so much? We've been friends since before kindergarten.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I started coming over here more after you came out... I dunno, maybe they think I'm tapping you to get off or something.\" Riddick gave a quiet chuckle, no response from Harrison.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe felt the coyote adjust, nuzzling up his neck and under his muzzle.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"The sooner you get it out of the way, the better. Not like your folks are religious anyways.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just worried about my dad... And Roger.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're almost 18 anyways, they can't keep you for long.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Then I'll wait until after I'm 18.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sigh from Harrison.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick stared at the ceiling now with dead eyes. What sounds had once filled the room had been replaced by the click of Harrison's room's fan, driving him up the wall.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe hyena always made him tape the cord to the light whenever he came over, but Harrison liked the noise.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't have a life to live anymore. Unless he somehow made it out of the ANZU in one piece, and no one made it out alive.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven if he got rid of his card they still had him in the database and officers would come for him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFucking GRA, throwing people at the coast like they'd be anything but cannon fodder.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA meat shield in the Sea of Blood so DeSanta could keep Thailand and nibble at the Middle East.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe population was mostly middle aged people at this point because the young were all sent to war.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Riddick?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You alright?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...Fuck off.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother sigh. Anyone else would be hurt but it was just the thorny personality of the hyena showing through. His friends were used to it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick\u0026nbsp;\n\nG201 House, Scandinavian Union, Norway\u0026nbsp;\n\nDecember 8th, 1200 hours\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Riddick? You good in there?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe snapped awake, rage filling him in an instant.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wanted to scream at the door, beat the shit out of something, maybe whoever was unfortunate enough to be behind it...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I-I don't mean to wake you up again, but it's 12 and Isaac wanted me to come get you.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a mumble, Riddick stood up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor the first night in almost three months he hadn't gone to bed high, or drunk, or medicated in some way. He felt healthy mentally for once.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut it hurt like the devil, like it did every morning. Maybe better or worse.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"One sec.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe heard footsteps away and his heart jumped.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tai! Wait up, will you?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nA response, the footsteps returned to just outside the door.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We running sims?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, everyone's waiting on you.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Christ...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nPulling on a hoodie to finish, his phone buzzed from inside the pocket.\u0026nbsp;\n\nProbably Evan or some other random guy he'd met at a bar and ended up sleeping with. If Isaac didn't commandeer them the whole day... Then again it had been a few days since Thailand, almost a week or two. He'd snap them back-\u0026nbsp;\n\nOh. Dad.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomewhat hesitant, he hadn't called him in a month like he was supposed to.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCall every week, that was.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick let the ring stop and then sent a quick text. He'd get back to him later. Busy.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't want to keep Isaac long, he's in a bad mood\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just a sec, Tai.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe room was a fucking mess. Now that he'd come to his senses he could see it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUgh, he didn't even want to see the bathroom.\u0026nbsp;\n\nActually, he had to piss-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Riddick?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a groan, he opened the door and they began walking at a brisk pace towards the stairs.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...You alright?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt took the hyena a moment to process it didn't come from him for once.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You sure?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick shoved his hands in his pockets.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't know what to say. He never fucking did. What the hell was he supposed to say? Homesick? He hated that place. Harrison? He wished that son of a bitch was dead. He'd kill him if he saw him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd he didn't want to talk about anything in the first place.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm sure.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai said nothing else the whole way there, and neither did he.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe could talk about how weird the cat had been acting, skirting around Lio and Mari and Kyle... And Reyna... And...\u0026nbsp;\n\nMost of the time Tai had been doing stuff in his room. Hadn't even left one day.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs they walked down the concrete tunnel to the end and the simulation room, Isaac was waiting outside the door.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOf course he was.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You keep this shit up, you're out of G201.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"For being late to sims?\" Everyone turned up late, there was always someone holding it up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIn fact, Riddick could count on one hand how many times he'd been delayed at most ten minutes to the now around 100 simulations they'd run.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFucking five hands for Rochelle but she got no reprimand at all.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck you say to me, Private White?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wha-? I didn't say anything.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If you have something you need to fucking tell me, you can say it loud to my face where everyone else can hear.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Nothing came out of my muzzle. Swear.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd he hadn't. If anything he could control his mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo the degree where he kept it shut.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nMostly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tell you what; Alcatraz, you might as well put the syringes back, we're going to wait here until Roland tells us what he muttered under his breath.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac leaned on the doorframe, and everyone looked at Riddick, back between the two.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sir, I don't think\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shut up, Alvin.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nDead silence.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai shuffled beside Riddick.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf the cat had said anything he would have heard it. Isaac wouldn't have though; his voice didn't carry that far.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Isaac... Nobody said anything.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick looked around for who had enough authority to have their voice go unchallenged before he even designated the voice or accent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe cat. Again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...Hearing ghosts again. Back to it, squad.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWait, what the fuck?\u0026nbsp;\n\nShocked, Riddick turned to see Tai already walking back towards a chair, hands in the hoodie that got mixed up in the wash again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"White. Hurry the fuck up.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick did as he was asked, hurrying to a chair beside Tai's.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe cat calmly injected himself with the knockout serum, Riddick still couldn't formulate the words. And everyone else was dead silent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe fact that Tai actually spoke up about anything was enough; but that he was able to get away with it so seamlessly was...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We're going to try something new this time. You'll be split into two teams. Don't know if you ever played capture the flag in gym or anything but that's basically what we're going to do. You'll come back but don't get reckless; this is to help your aim and strategy. No one's expendable.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe slightest breath escaped Tai's mouth, as if he knew something.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac injected himself and sat down.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe knockout serum was really fuckin' strong compared to last time...\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe woke up lying on the ground, the slight elevation of a bulletproof vest and a headset keeping his head off the concrete.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick stood and staggered for a moment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShipping containers, a few small buildings, two big ones along either side.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA maze in the middle with different levels and chokepoints with two different levels. Maybe more.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHard to defend, easy to get in...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe realized it was 5 to either side to be even.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac wasn't on his team... GG already.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the rest of the team stood he observed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nReyna. That would only somewhat make up for Isaac but if Kyle wasn't here too...\u0026nbsp;\n\nMari. He reckoned a medic didn't have any place here but she was kick-ass enough.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin. Guaranteed defender but the whole place looked close-quarters for a sniper...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd Tai... Could go any way.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"This is balanced?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nReyna looked around with almost disgust.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Don't get your panties in a knot, Trojan. It's winnable.\" Mari's shotgun resounded as she pumped it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick almost expected Reyna to cap her or something but the jackal ignored it, moving towards the left building.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin was already getting set up on a stack of containers behind them, the flag beside Tai-\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo, the cat was gone.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBiting his lip, he took off towards the right building.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUncoordinated. If things weren't looking bad enough...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Riddick! Set up the tripwires on the right!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Trip- there's nothing to rig it to... I don't even have\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hurry up, I can hear him already!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMari's voice was strained, lifting herself into an overwatch position inside an open crate hanging from a crane. He had no clue how she scaled it so fast...\u0026nbsp;\n\nScratching his head, Riddick ran to the right building and pulled a coil from his belt he just noticed on the way over.\u0026nbsp;\n\nApparently he did...? It hardly surprised him, so much weird shit was going on...\u0026nbsp;\n\nRigging it to the entrance, it was a stretch and he snipped and planted the other end quickly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA metal clanking sound was coming from somewhere, accompanied by a low hum.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had no idea what it was but he'd heard it- or at least the hum outside a few times.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stepped over the wire. Stairs and a ladder onto a catwalk and scaffolding respectively, and he could go around the stairs where there were more crates and cover on the first level.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr maybe Alvin needed some help back there. He had Mari but she was really only defensive in the sense that if someone grabbed the flag and ran she could-\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe felt something slam into him like a truck and it went black for a moment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStaggering backwards as soon as he came back, he hit a shipping crate.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What... What the fuck?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nGunfire, the first close rounds fired.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe rushed around and back to the flag area to see Mari pinned and Lio firing at her from the side he'd set the tripwire on.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe jaguar was using an LMG, maybe that was what hit him so hard, but damn, it felt like an AT or something...\u0026nbsp;\n\nTaking the side angle, Riddick gunned him down easily and called out the kill. Mari reemerged from the container.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJust as he did Reyna shoved past him and aimed for the left.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe could be stuck up sometimes but...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he looked at Reyna something strange clicked in his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt stopped when she fired and he watched Jake stagger from the left building and fall.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAiming at the left building from the crate's entrance, he fanned out to a position under Mari's crate.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA loud bout of gunfire and a growl just above... He looked up and aimed back, trusting Reyna to watch his left flank.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut her gunfire ceased.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat was coming from Mari's crate was a heavy AR's shot that he could match with one person...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs Mari's body fell onto a crate below with a loud sound he turned to see Reyna on the ground as well, and turning back he took a shot straight to the skull, a fox staring down at him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nReyna was right. This was bullshit.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLUE TEAM HAS THE FLAG!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt echoed out through the entire place even in the void Riddick was in.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he came out, it seemed longer for a moment...\u0026nbsp;\n\nFour casualties he knew of... Two were him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin probably dropped considering he was nowhere to be found.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai had to be embedded somewhere near their flag.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick moved back out only to hear gunfire ring for a moment and not even feel the pain this time.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFuck...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"RED TEAM HAS THE ENEMY FLAG!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat?\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he rematerialized he almost forgot Isaac must have been watching their base...\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai had weaseled his way in past the assault. They couldn't cap as long as their flag was held...\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick sprang to fire Isaac but found he'd already just dropped, Alvin already shoving his body out of the hanging crate.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Tripwire! We have a few seconds!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill with little idea about why they needed them, Riddick took the cord from his belt but stopped realizing just jogging over had taken time.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat clanking noise and the hum. The same from last time...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat could possibly-\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomeone barreled into him with enough force to send him flying into a crate, and they skidded next to him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLio rolled to his feet but momentum made him hit the crate standing, and over Riddick.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe jaguar hefted his LMG like last time and Alvin dropped from the crate, having been setting up position and unprepared.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick fished his sidearm out before immense and shocking pain ripped through his right arm, bones crunching audibly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe cried out as Lio scuffed his foot to Riddick's wrist, blood spurting out onto his face...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat the hell?! How was he so strong in the lower-\u0026nbsp;\n\nA gunshot to the head ended Riddick for the fourth time.\u0026nbsp;\n\nComing back took almost 30 seconds and the downtime was killing him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo one had dropped the flags yet. Blue team was probably at their base waiting for someone to root out Tai, and Tai was probably hiding somewhere waiting for a push to Blue team.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich was not going to fucking happen.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMore LMG fire. Lio- and Kyle's own slow and heavy fire. The timber wolf must have been on defense but now that Blue team realized they might as well just get it over with...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was giving nothing to the team and it was time to return.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick didn't go the usual route from base but instead climbed up the same crate he'd been thrown into just a moment ago, giving him a view of the left building and the two firing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe ended Lio first out of more grudge than anything and Kyle's reflexes allowed a short turn before Reyna finished him too.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a tacit nod, Reyna gunned down someone coming out of the right building and began setting a tripwire.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLUE TEAM HAS DROPPED OUR FLAG!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMari's shotgun resounded in the maze of crates and Riddick watched her run back with the red flag; and the cat holding the blue.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey planted in the same order, and somehow they'd tipped the odds and scored first...\u0026nbsp;\n\nMore gunfire and Reyna backed out of the shipping container maze, one hand on a sidearm and the other on a stomach wound.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"M-Mari?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What? I didn't bring any meds this time.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWatching Reyna wince with every step Riddick was more shocked than pitying, that she would show any sign of weakness.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfter all most of the time the blood mixed with her dark fur and you wouldn't even know unless she told you.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSuddenly it was as if he had two minds and they were thinking drastically different things especially of people, the intrusion screaming for him to look at things the right way and his own muffling it...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe ducked back into base for a moment to breathe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat the fuck...?\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt had been happening a lot for the past while, especially when he'd been drunk...\u0026nbsp;\n\nMigraines, even in simulations?\u0026nbsp;\n\nGunshots close again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLUE TEAM HAS THE FLAG!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nGotta be fucking kidding...\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick popped out and got a lucky shot dead between Rochelle's eyes, her head snapping back as she dropped.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin took Jake just as he moved back out, getting put back down again by Kyle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSeizing the moment, Riddick sprayed the timber wolf down and watched as Lio moved around the corner, just a streak of yellow.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNaturally it had to be the fucking jaguar carrying the flag...\u0026nbsp;\n\nSprinting for the left building, Lio had somehow traversed the entire length of it just like that and the streak of yellow was left.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLUE TEAM HAS SCORED!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat the...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat was impossible, there was no way he could have gotten that far so quick...\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomeone ran past him- Alvin- and stopped to aim.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUnless Isaac was coming there was no way anyone was going to come back so fast-\u0026nbsp;\n\nA sudden burst from Alvin made him jump and a louder bang resounded as Lio's body careened at high speeds into a shipping container as he rounded the corner.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck, what did you hit him with?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin gave him a strange look. \"Bullets.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey advanced before the relapse and already heard gunfire ahead, a suppressed sound he couldn't tell from Reyna or Tai.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"One minute on the clock...\" Alvin went on.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Should we double back and hold out for a tie?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think it's best we kind of midfield... Mari can hold it down.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...I don't hear Tai anymore.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlmost immediately after a burst of suppressed fire caught Isaac and he stumbled in around the same trajectory of Lio, but not nearly as fast.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin panicked and fired a single shot into the fox's head, a gruesome wet crack splitting the air.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Fuck...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Let's move up, Tai's probably pinned if he's still up there and hasn't got the flag.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMore gunfire erupted as they moved up, and Riddick winced as he heard a shotgun resound back at base.\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle had to be the only one down there, it all depended on who could get the drop on who...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlvin suddenly dropped beside him and Riddick dove for cover, identifying the almost Jinn sounding SMG fire as Rochelle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA laugh afterwards confirmed it. Fucking psychopath...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Trying to hide? I brought some goodies this time around!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nBloody hell, what was she going to do...?\u0026nbsp;\n\nA metal clanging sound as a tin can with nails pointing out of it rolled in front of him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a cry of fear and rage he rapidly grabbed two sheets of plywood and threw them on it, the firecracker-like explosion sending only a few nails through the board.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOne drilled right beside his ear.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm pretty sure that's a fucking war crime!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They didn't let me use a baseball bat, I gotta have something!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nFootsteps running towards him. Rochelle wasn't playing patient, he didn't expect her to...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis gun was lying near Alvin with nails in it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBoth of them, to be exact...\u0026nbsp;\n\nRipping his sidearm from the holster and pivoting around to face Rochelle, she kicked it out of his hand and then kicked his muzzle up with her other leg.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRolling back, at least she didn't mod her boots with spikes or anything...\u0026nbsp;\n\nBlood flowed freely from his mouth, the pain was numb and cold.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThrobbing.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Riddick's in here! Let me 'ave him!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle had just rounded the corner, but with the faintest hint of a smile he turned around.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJudging from the gunfire back at Red base no help was coming.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I don't think we ever had a real 1 on 1, kukri and knives?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe said nothing, his jaw was probably beyond fucked so there was no point in responding.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle drew two wicked looking blades he'd never seen on her before, almost shortswords and double edged.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't like his chances but she'd given him one of the dirtiest possible advantages.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf it came down to it he wouldn't hesitate...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey began a slow circle and he was surprised she hadn't just rushed him off the bat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nInstead he was the first to strike with a backanded spin, counter to the direction they were circling to catch her off guard.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt did as intended and she almost lost a knife, but in her stagger her leg shot out and caught his closest shin, catching him off balance.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle dashed at him and the trade went in her favor, and now he was on the defensive...\u0026nbsp;\n\nTrying to block was death against people with two weapons, trying to interrupt the dance was key.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd never fought her, and there was only one dual wielder he knew at one point, the same that trained him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe expected the jab and spun around to his back, forcing him to dash forward and then turn to block the onslaught.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHoly shit, she was a lot better than he even thought...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe switched to his left hand to keep a more closed stance to her dominant hand.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle's sudden discomfort as she matched it was noted, maybe this was how he won...\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce again the deadly foxtrot ensued, and he formulated a plan.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGet her into the motions, working up the chain, and do something to punish her habits.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he jabbed and she spun he roared, blood and spittle flying as he shouldered her with more force than he thought he had in him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe slammed into a crate, swiping at the air but he'd given her space.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he moved in she gave a weak grin and threw a knife at him, lodging in his left ear.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHowling with pain and fury, it was almost a scream as he felt the tissue leave him in a bloody heap with her blade on the ground.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe hadn't felt this much pain since the incendiaries...\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nOn the verge of throwing up, disgustedly he kicked his severed ear and the blade out of her reach. He'd die of blood loss before she claimed him...\u0026nbsp;\n\nGunfire still back at Red base. No help.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs she got back up with one blade it was more evenly matched, but he had a busted jaw and his fucking ear was ten feet away now...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs she rushed in he decided he'd had enough.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSpitting blood in her face, the torrent came like a feral reptile's venom and she cried out in shock as her white fur was painted his red.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo his own surprise he smashed his decimated skull against hers with a cry of hatred, her own blood adding to the mix as it coated the top of his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick got one look at her mismatched, frenzied eyes as a blind stab erupted dead center of his chest, scraping his sternum and slipping into the ribs beside it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a final motion he slashed out and connected with the side of her head, the mutt spinning and falling onto her face.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe decimation of the critical strike was unseen but she looked fucked up enough covered from the brow down in his spat blood.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe said something along the lines of 'fuck' but it came out as a bubbly sound and tasted like god knows...\u0026nbsp;\n\nA clap from the other end of the building, the fox.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick sank to his knees, arms open to his sides and head lolling.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe felt like a pile of... something.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac finished his clap and finished him off with a quick shot to the skull.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"BLUE TEAM, VICTORY!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat a fucking surprise...\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Roland, you twat!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe rubbed his eyes, a burn behind them.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You spat blood on me!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You threw a damn nail bomb...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"W- Rochelle, what did I tell you about those?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"There's not a referee in open combat, sir!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"They'll bust your ass for it when you get back home...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nIsaac seemed exhausted not only mentally but physically.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEveryone else had visible sweat around their collars but seemed energized.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good work, everyone. Red team, you did excellent but this operation didn't play to your strengths. Get used to that happening, especially you, Alvin. Someone had to take the L. Private White, you were easily the most lacking member of that entire game. I expected more. You're free to use the rest of the day at leisure, we'll meet back here at... 1 A.M.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick scowled, everyone else groaned at the strange time but Isaac was trying to get them on an almost nocturnal sleep schedule.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;The fox left the room just like that, he'd expected a lengthy rant at himself actually. Isaac had a sharp dislike for him and today didn't help.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You're not pissed at me, are you?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle's brown and denim eyes were vibrant in the darkness of the server room, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest as if she'd been doing physical work.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No. It's just a simulation.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good, I wanted you to take me to that coffee place later. They won't let me drive anymore.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey'd gotten a new van after the last one went missing, he guessed that was her doing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe muttered something incoherent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle did have a streak of pissing him off, he wasn't sure why he hung out with her so much.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBack home those were the kind of people Roger never wanted him hanging out with even though he surrounded himself with them.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaybe Riddick was just starting to wrap his head around it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis older brother was genuinely trapped in his life of crime and all he wanted to do was join him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCould tell himself he just wanted to be hard but it was really that he just missed Roger to shit.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStanding there, as Rochelle carried on, he realized just who he could have become if he never got drafted. He could have made money. Moved out of the ANZU. Tech people were in demand and he was one of the finest- the odd jobs he'd gotten over the summer brought in more money than dad's entire mechanics shop.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You can scream pretty loud, Rid. I'm actually impressed.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Screw off. And don't go so overboard next time.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You headbutted me, you twat.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he was about to leave a bit of white not on Rochelle's side caught his eye and he realized Tai was still sitting in his chair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTurning around, Rochelle cut off as she saw the cat there too.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't moving, breathing or otherwise.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA slow trickle of red fluid came from the corner of his mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis eyes were blank, staring at the ceiling.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNeither of them said nothing, surely they weren't looking at a corpse...\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Rochelle, do you have a gun on you?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Is Tai\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Do you have a fucking gun or not?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Ye\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Give. It.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Wha\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"IF YOU DON'T....\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe shoved the pistol into his hands, the more paranoid of the two.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe aimed it at Tai, unsure of exactly why he was doing it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe migraine was back and worse than ever. It was throbbing in his head and he'd felt better with his jaw unhinged and his ear separated.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDo it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut why-\u0026nbsp;\n\nFucking do it or he's going to kill you. Again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat do you mean? Why would I... I need to help him, he's having a seizure or some-\u0026nbsp;\n\nFUCKING DO\u0026nbsp;\n\nRochelle slapped the gun out of his hand, looking at him shocked.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe stared back, fear in his eyes and the anger dried up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai stood up from the chair and wiped at the red coming from his mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe cat looked around quizzically.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No one woke me up? You know I go under a little late...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe noticed the other two standing in the room.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"My lip busted or something, do either of you have, like, a tissue or anything?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nNeither of them said a word, the gun on the floor was on safety the whole time. Otherwise surely Tai would have been-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I thought you were fucking dead!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...What?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You weren't breathing, you were just laying there- I'm calling Marshall.\" Rochelle made a fuss over Tai and Riddick would have laughed any other day, any other time as she took his hand and led him down the passage back up the stairs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe hyena stared at the chair Tai was sitting in as if he was still there.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe realized his breathing had accelerated to wheezes, and he began to hack.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDoubling over, he grabbed a chair for support and staggered over to the bin in the corner.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRetching, nothing but spit and phlegm came up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA cry and another gag as something threw him back, the feeling of shards of glass breaking into his back and crack of wood as those red eyes stared down...\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he woke from the waking dream, he gasped and scrambled up, moving to the door.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBreathing became wheezes again, and he leaned on the doorframe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe felt like he was going to die. His lungs were burning up and so was his throat, pounding with each breath fire...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was giving up smoking if he made it through this, he decided then and there.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSinking a little, as it passed for the moment he nearly fell out on the way back up to his room.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhirr of the laptop's fan as it turned on, muffled by the sheets of the forever unmade bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a sniff, he propped himself up on a pillow to save his wrists.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMarshall had come earlier and he'd actually yelled at Tai, Riddick couldn't make out the words but he was pretty sure everyone could hear it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt went on a while and when Riddick gave in and went downstairs to get something to wash the taste of vomit and cold winter from his mouth he saw Marshall storming out.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCould have sworn the wolf was crying for a moment, no sniffing or noises but just wet eyes. Maybe he'd yelled that hard.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPeering down the kitchen hallway he heard another angry voice, and saw the cat storm after him shouting at the top of his lungs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd never seen Tai lose his shit before but everyone else said he had a few times in front of everyone, even at Riddick.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he didn't remember that at all. Just the times Tai called him a 'peasant' of all things.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf anything this was what he'd expected all along.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA terrifying, enigmatic native of Gibraltar's hell who could shrink you with his voice and had a temper worse than his. He was used to killing you for minor disagreements.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTai hadn't killed anyone here yet but Riddick's heart said he somehow had.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe hyena could have never seen the Tai from three months ago turning into this, he knew like 2 swear words for crying out loud.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlmost wondered if it was his product.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSo opening up the proxies and the database, he almost wasn't surprised to find Tai's file just as restricted as Isaac.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMoroccan or maybe Spanish, assumed 19.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat was it. That was the entire entry.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNormally Riddick would try and hijack a new account that had access but it was always a gamble, and he'd come to find out the economy was filled with a 23% access on average.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe'd have to ditch this 80 something percent account at some point before they noticed him but he would take what he could get for now.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDisappointed, he went through the painstaking process of removing all the layers of defense.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlmost 30 minutes afterwards his text editor opened.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA misclick, likely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe moved the touchpad to exit it but a sudden circular motion took his cursor, swinging wide around his screen.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick moved it to find he had no control.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMouth open, he watched it move to his settings and adjust the sensitivity before the circular motion went back again, sped up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt moved to the text document again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't hit the keys at all but they spelled out on the screen.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why are you on that file\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHeart beating faster, someone must have hijacked his laptop...\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt minimized the text file and in ten seconds tops removed all the rest of the proxies.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick read the text over a few times.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHesitantly his fingers came to the keys.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Who is this\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Unimportant. I need an answer\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe reply was near instant, line switched immediately after the last s was typed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJust as he was going to reach the keys again, another line started.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Roland White. G201 Private First Class. Family in Perth, 2614 Marburry St.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis heart stopped.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you want\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why are you interested in Tai\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor the countless time that day his breathing became unsteady, heart pounded in his chest.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He's\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't sure what to put afterwards. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just cold shut down his laptop.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"He's an afflict and too unstable to serve. You won't get anywhere but killed poking around like that\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis eyes narrowed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAfflict. Tai had some sort of disease, probably a mental illness. He'd already gathered that. No surprise.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's so important that they'll kill me\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't know who they were but he suspected whoever was on the other end might be.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Who are you\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis time he typed after the long silence. He still couldn't move his touchpad so they were still there.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Reyna and Isaac aren't who you think they are\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What the fuck...\" He said it audibly, fear coursing through him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Stay safe. If I need you I'll contact you\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe repeated the previous statement and the touchpad was his again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe room was dead silent, only the fan clicking.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe fan had never clicked before.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wanted to punch it but he'd regret it later.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCalmly, he taped it to the light.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhatever was going on Tai was in the middle of it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nG201 was caught up in it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd whatever it was about Reyna and Isaac...\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was something fucking wrong with them. And Tai. He remembered the spraypaint on the side of the house-\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomeone opened the door without knocking and he had his sights on them in an instant.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Can you... Level your weapon?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle slowly raised his hands up, not looking scared at all.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Lower? Is that the word?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"W-what...\" He found he was wheezing again, and began to cough.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he lowered the pistol Kyle's hands stayed up, his neck turning away slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If now is not a good time...\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Just... No, I can.. W-what do you need?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I was thinking we'd look into Isaac.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nKyle slowly brought his hands down and closed the door behind him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Isaac. We haven't cracked at his file in some time. Looking it over we might find something of note.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"...What?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not you too... Everyone's been forgetting things lately.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick said nothing, instead laying back on his pillow and staring at the ceiling.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think they're experimenting on us. The GRA. I read about a squad in Lisbon that\"-\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Kyle, I'm going to bed.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a moment, nothing.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well... Bednight.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith caution Kyle reopened and closed the door behind him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs it slid shut, Riddick watched a red light flash locked.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe didn't... Remember that. Just regular doors.\u0026nbsp;\n\n...\u0026nbsp;\n\nFuck.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Who the hell says bednight...?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiddick cut his light off and tried to fall asleep.\u0026nbsp;\n\n///\u0026nbsp;\n\nAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa\u0026nbsp;\n\nIf I put too much emphasis on 'bednight' it's an inside joke between me and a reader\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt this point I'm actually trying to kind of antagonize Tai\u0026nbsp;\n\nIdk exactly when but you'll see why soon haha\u0026nbsp;\n\nGonna try and get more Rochelle into these chapters. I think I might have mentioned this before but she was actually meant to take the role of Riddick and Riddick was just a background character but somehow it flip flopped\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe's too interesting to waste idk\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlright enough increasing my wordcount\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Alcatraz","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1319990-alcatraz-ch-xxv-ajisai.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1336778-alcatraz-ch-xxvii-solus.json"}}