Minor Update and Teaser - June 2018
Hi folks,
I admit that I've been relatively quite for a while and I apologise for anyone that's waiting for anything from me. There's no RL drama going on just that I've been a little lazy and the next few weeks will be fairly busy. Firstly, I will be taking my first real holiday in a long while here in the US. Because of that, I've had to do as much work as I can while I was still at work to avoid building a backlog so that left very little in terms of creativity. I haven't really gotten a chance to write until my holiday officially started on Monday as I was still on-call during the weekend.
Secondly, my birthday will be on the 18th during said holiday! Yay! One more year!
To make up for it and to show you what I've been working on in the background, here is a little teaser of the project I've been chipping away at between my other writing projects:
It was a Saturday in the Thirty-First Century. West California Island was still in its winter phase with the enormous meteorological rings casting an overcast across the vast island bringing with it a little flurry of snow even though just a hundred or so miles to the east, the Californian mainland was experiencing rather mild beach weather. A seven foot tall wolf was bundled up in a thick, red parka, black insulated pants and thick boots. A bright orange scarf was wrapped around his neck and placed over his muzzle to keep the tip of his black nose from freezing. A red beanie to match his parka with holes cut for his large, triangular ears was placed over his brow so that only his bright, green eyes could be seen beneath all the clothing. The towering lupine with a body trained for football cut a rather intimidating figure even with the added bulk of his clothing. At over three hundred pounds of muscle and just at eighteen years of age, many would say the star wide receiver of the West California High Football Team was on the fast track to being the next great football start to come out of the island.
That is, of course, if he wasn't already the renowned Outsider and spokesperson for the superhero team, Arsenal.
But today, Caleb Hale was not playing as Weapons Master. Today, he had to get away from it all because as usual, there was drama.
Life just could not be simple.
Ironic then, that he was leaving his family to meet perhaps the most complex person he could possibly know.
Perched against the window of a local Starbucks, a tablet in paw was well-built wolf with fur as black as night and an orderly mess of golden-blonde hair sticking out between his ears. Caleb entered the warmth of the coffee shop and shuffled over to the mostly empty counter. When it was his turn, he ordered just some hot chocolate and two of the ham sandwiches. He had fled his home so fast he had forgotten to eat breakfast. His name was taken and he headed over to where Jacob Samuel Reaper was sitting.
"How the hell could you be wearing that in this weather?" Caleb asked, gesturing at Jacob's blue, short-sleeved shirt that showed off his toned chest and had a rather deep neckline, enough to show off the tufts of golden chest fur that crested his pectorals. His fellow wolf was also wearing a simple pair of light brown three-quarter cargo shorts and some sneakers. "Aren't you cold?"
His friend and confidant offered him a cheery smile. "Of course I'm cold. How else could I justify having some of this?" He gestured at the large mug filled with a brown drink and what appeared to be half-eaten, half-melted marshmallows. "I mean, if I drank hot chocolate while I was boiling, then I'd look crazy."
Caleb rolled his eyes and sat down opposite to Jacob. "Yeah. Like being dressed half-naked isn't crazy."
"Trust me. I've been crazy. Gets kind of exhausting after a while." The black-furred wolf handed Caleb the tablet. "Looks like your dad is making the rounds again."
He need not be reminded. David Hale, the renowned superhero known as Feral Steel and now the sponsor and official manager of Arsenal, was riling up the rest of the team in an attempt to secure funding. Since Arsenal became a fully-fledged, independent hero team, the FBI had pulled funding for liability reasons. That meant that they had to find some way to pay for the immense base that they had and keep their skills sharp. Not to mention insurance. Catastrophic fights against superpowered villains came with a lot of collateral damage. Insurance companies covered the costs but only if the premiums were paid. Since Arsenal was fairly well-known in West California Island but not the rest of the world, their premiums were very high. This meant David had to drag the team to make public appearances, do events and he had even hired a ghost writer to chronicle Michael Sanchez's - AKA Madman, the former Gene Stealer lackey turned Arsenal member - journey to becoming one the more popular members of the team.
Caleb hated the appearances as it always reminded him how low he was on the popularity polls. People saw him as too vanilla and too much of a boy scout. Everyone was fascinated about how Lars McLeod had been infected by the Gene Stealers and somehow made it back with Caleb's help or how he had stood defiant against the Elemental Alliance and broke off from the mainstream superheroes to join a band of Outsiders. Mary Brightwood was exceptionally popular as the only female of the group and with her sass and 'star presence', she was a hit. Then there was Ben who was part of the villainous Alpha Pack but was allied with Arsenal for his own reasons. To everyone else, Caleb was just... well... he was the Outsider who could turn anything he touched into a random weapon. With his vast arsenal and his history of shrugging off the Gene Stealer infections, people saw him as... boring.
Pride: hurt.
"I'd rather not be reminded of how my dad is trying to make me more popular and yet getting bastards like GG Guinness mouthing off against every little thing I do." Caleb miserably pushed the tablet away from him. "I wish I were more like you. Guinness is scared shitless about you."
"And do you know why?" Jacob asked.
"Because you can't feel pain and have the ability to summon interdimensional weapons that are capable of cleaving this entire universe in two? Because you've embarrassed him time and time again?"
"No." The black-furred wolf gave him a knowing smile. "Because I'm willing to admit I'm wrong. Guinness thrives on making people feel inferior and getting them to lash out. It's how he maintains his business. But the one thing he can't handle is someone who accepts his criticisms with an open mind and takes them into consideration."
Caleb shook his head. "Right. Because it's _so_easy to turn the other cheek."
"Never said it was easy. Even now, countless eternities since I destroyed the Empty Throne, people can still get under my skin." Jacob took a sip from his mug. "It's why I always find popping into these stories fascinating. Someone will always surprise me."
"Right." With the heater in the store already at full blast, Caleb was starting to sweat in his parka. He unzipped the thick, red garment and pulled off his gloves, revealing the grey and white fur beneath. "Let's change the subject. There's actually something that's been bugging me."
"Shoot."
"What is the most powerful weapon in the world?"
Jacob gave him a curious look, lifting one golden eyebrow. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. Never in a million years would I have expected you to ask that of all things at this moment. Honestly I was expecting you to ask me why I chose this particular Starbucks to meet." The slightly smaller wolf set down his mug. "Why the sudden interest?"
"Just something me and Ben were talking about earlier," Caleb said with a shrug. "He wondered aloud what would happen if I touched a nuclear missile and turned it into a weapon and we kind of got to thinking what'd happen if I used my powers on the most powerful weapon in the world."
A worried look crossed Jacob's muzzle. "Should I be worried?"
"It's purely theoretical!" Caleb laughed, holding up his big paws. "I'm just curious what the most powerful weapon is."
"I guess you'd have to think about it on a variety of factors," Jacob said with a shrug. "Its ability to kill, it's efficiency, cost and all that. A deadly virus may kill more people than a supervolcano but it'd do it slower. I really don't have an answer."
"Yeah I didn't think you would." He sighed softly and leaned back. "Ben said it'd be the Ark of the Covenant."
He got a soft 'huh' and a brief nod of agreement out of that.
"I suppose that's plausible if the distribution method is good enough. Though it'd just kill living things with the capacity to understand it's contents. It won't destroy the planet or unravel the universe or something."
Caleb leaned forward, his paws on the coffee table. "Wait... the Ark of the Covenant actually exists?"
"Yes. I thought you knew. That's why you were asking."
"No!" he exclaimed, suddenly excited. This was why he enjoyed his talks with Jacob. There was always something new he'd learn whether it was about the world or himself. "What's in it? Come on man. You've _got_to tell me. Wait..." He plugged his ears with both his paws. "My brain isn't going to melt out of my ears is it?"
"No," Jacob laughed. "And besides, the Christian God won't care. I honestly think he/she has forgotten about it since they've been on vacation for so long."
"God's on vacation? But Wolf Jesus...?"
"Hmmm? Oh right. The Second Coming." Jacob shrugged. "Eh, Christ just came back for the sake of keeping the religion alive after the Apocalypse hit and furs came in. A way of bridging the gap between humans and furs under one religion and what not. Plus he wants to make sure that when his dad does come back from vacation, the house is just as they left it." Jacob took a sip from his mug again. "Well... relatively speaking anyway."
A shout came from the counter.
"A grande hot chocolate for Kah-leb! I've got a grande hot chocolate for a Kah-leb."
If ever there was a cliche, it had to be the coffee guy getting his name wrong. With a sigh, Caleb headed over to the counter, picked up his drink and meal and brought it back to the table. The hot chocolate was more milk than chocolate and was scalding hot but he was too cold to care. The sandwiches were filled with a bland ham that was more like a rubbery filling to give texture to the cheese but again, he wasn't of a mind to nitpick. As a 31st Century Wolf, he could devour an entire cow and still be up to run a marathon.
"So what's in the Ark?"
"God's porn."
Caleb gagged into his cup and nearly did a spike take. "Excuse me!?"
Jacob gave him a deadpan stare. "I'm serious. The Ark of the Covenant is God's porn stash. Why do you think it melts people's faces of? If people understood the kind of kinky shit the Almighty is into, then their brains would implode. After all, 'God is love', right? And there are all different kinds of love in the world." Jacob shook his head and regarded his mug. "I never understood that part of their philosophy. Love everyone and everything. And they mean everyone and everything." He shuddered and shook his head. "Makes me glad I have other guys that can love the things I don't."
Caleb could actually feel some parts of his brain melting and starting to leak out of his ears. "I... I... I don't know how to respond to that."
"Just promise me you won't seek out the Ark of the Covenant and use your powers on it."
"I'm not sure I want to touch it knowing what is in it... or what it's used for..."
"Probably a wise choice." Jacob used a finger to swipe across his tablet while using his other paw to pull the drink to his lips. "Things back at home still going to hell?"
He shrugged absently and began munching on his sandwiches. "Same old, same old. Lance is a daddy's boy now. Leon is still getting on dad's nerves. Abby won't stop bitching about how mom's bid to be mayor will interfere with her wedding. I can't even have Lars over anymore because either Dad will try to get us into training that he's way too eager to do, Lance wants to bring us on a double date with his boyfriend, Leon will try to poach him to take his side or Mom will try to stuff him full of food. Abby is the only saving grace in that scenario because she would say something about not letting us in my room alone for too long and all that'll do is make Lars leave in embarrassment!" Caleb shook his head. "So why did you choose this cafe of all the cafes in the city anyway."
That knowing stare came again and Caleb braced himself for a withering observation.
"Trying to avoid the topic of your chaotic home life in favour of something else, huh?"
"Just answer the question," he snarled.
Jacob switched off his tablet with a flick and finished off his drink. "Well, first of all," he said, setting down the mug, "I always wanted to do that cliche where superheroes meet in some nondescript restaurant but I couldn't find a decent shawarma place where you could make it on time using public transport. You really need to get snow tires for Ballistic." The wolf straightened. "Secondly, this place just happens to be close to where Arty told me that a supervillain was going to strike."
"A supervillain?" Caleb asked, his heart starting to pound hard in his chest. At the mention of the Hound of Death Arcturus, he knew it would have to be fairly serious. Ever since Rhiannon, the Hound of Destruction, had temporarily passed her responsibilities to her counterpart, Arcturus had been incredibly busy and had been one of the sources of information for Arsenal around hostile takeovers, supervillain attacks or general crime. Recently, Arcturus had come out to do some work himself alongside Jacob and another of Jacob's colleagues, Gwen, but their appearances tended to be rarer. Arcturus wasn't omnipresent. "Which one?"
There, the wolf in front of him grimaced. "Well.. He _calls_himself a supervillain. Wouldn't even be a B-list villain. Maybe G... F... D at most. Definitely below passing grade. But I figured after being stressed over your family, your inability to couple with Lars due to your fears of breaking the foundation of friendship your relationship is based upon, your underlying need to be accepted and praised because of your superstar football player background-slash-jock mentality, finding some way to secure funding for your team _and_working on your image so that you don't appear like such a boring saint, you might want to hit something."
Caleb's fists were already tightened into fists and it was all he could do to keep himself from hitting Jacob there and then. "You better have a point," he growled.
Ignoring his obvious hostilities, Jacob turned away from him and pointed across the street towards what appeared to be a corner store. He held up a watch he had, counting down the seconds. "Three... two... one..."
An alarm suddenly erupted from the convenience store. Some of the patrons came charging out of the sliding door, looking behind them in a panic. One or two of them had their phones up and snapping pictures. A man dressed in a bone-white, skin-tight uniform with what appeared to be a reversed '7' on his muscled chest came bursting through one of the glass windows carrying a machine on his shoulders that had to at least be as big as he was. From the logo on the side of the machine and the flickering screen, it was an ATM.
"Did... Did that guy just steal an ATM on his shoulders?" Caleb asked.
Jacob rested his elbow on the table and idly propped his head up on his paw. "Supers have baseline superpowers. Some people have varying degrees of them from being disproportionately strong compared to their slim forms, herculean to just downright ridiculous. Salazar Shin over there has quite a bit of physical strength to him. Sadly, he lacks on the intelligence department even with his enhanced abilities."
"I wasn't questioning how he's able to do that. I'm questioning who would be stupid enough to steal a _whole goddamn ATM_in broad daylight!"
"Like I said. Shin isn't exactly too bright. He came up with his supervillain name after having to look up what the scientific name for 'shinbone' is on Google."
Caleb gave his friend a puzzled look. "Tibia?"
"Exactly."
"So hang on... His name is Salazar Shin and his supervillain name is Tibia? His powers are...?"
"You know that feeling when you hit your funny bone or get kicked in the shins. That."
Caleb ran a paw down his face in exasperation. "You know... sometimes I wonder who comes up with this kind of shit."
The black-furred wolf rose from his seat. "Everyone has their own story. Sometimes, it's just downright ridiculous to some people especially those looking in from the outside. But it's their story. Mortal fate shall and always will be in mortal hands."
"And what about those heroes that get their powers from gods."
"There are no gods. Just mortals." Jacob hiked a thumb in the direction of the fleeing supervillain. "So, what do you say? Shall we make waves?"
Caleb grinned and plucked his drink from the table. "This is why I like hanging out with you. You always know what to say." He glanced around the cafe and took notice of how people were only mildly interested in what was happening across the street. "This is a special cafe, isn't it?"
"Now you're getting it."
See you all when I get back!
Nex