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CHAPTER TWELVE

FAMILY OF STREAK

18 December 2015

Eighteen days since Raptor's capture

I couldn't help being pleased with myself. I took the armed perpetrator down without hurting him or damaging the store. The clerk sang his praises for me, so glad that Beacon City's white fox in a blue leotard had intervened. Then my handler in the BCPD showed up to take the robber to the nearest precinct.

"Good job today, Streak," said Sergeant Blake as he shoved the criminal in the back of his cruiser. "You did this one perfectly. I don't think you even scratched the floor!"

"Thanks, Sergeant," I said, pleased with myself as I looked out at the setting sun between the buildings. Then I remembered a question I had been meaning to ask. "By the way, has Raptor said anything yet? It's been a while."

According to Blake, the police had been interrogating Raptor incessantly. After betraying Manasa's trust, we were all expecting him to tell us everything he knew about her, for his own sake. He had since been moved to a more secure facility outside of town.

Blake shook his head, disappointed. "Not a peep. We don't know why. Our best guys say they can't get him to talk. Then again, that isn't my department, so I don't know what to tell you."

That was weird. I had no idea why Raptor would keep his mouth shut when he had more to lose with Manasa still on the loose.

"Thanks anyway, Sergeant. I'll head back out on patrol."

"Have a good evening, Streak."

Turning away, I leapt up to the roof of a nearby building with unnatural acrobatic skill. However, instead of pursuing my regular patrol route, I first took a little detour. I headed towards the main plaza here in Gem district, where a good friend of mine, Lenny, sold hot dogs as a freelance side job. Ever since I saved him from some thug trying to steal his earnings, he gave me a free hotdog every week I visited. He only worked on Fridays, but that just made each treat more savoury. He was awesome!

Half an hour later, after retrieving my warm snack, I continued on my patrol near Greengrass park for a little while before coming to rest on a horizontal flagpole on the side of a building, eager to chow down. Filling my stomach with a juicy hotdog pretty much fixed any bad day. I didn't need to eat, and I was totally penniless, so I rarely had the luxury. So when I did finally get a juicy snack, it was the most incredible feeling and hotdogs always hit the spot.

Munching on the heavenly hotdog with ketchup as I looked out at my city, I enjoyed the calm, pleasant evening. It felt good to relax beneath the stars. There were a lot of quiet nights like this, even to the point of being boring, but having something to eat made it worth it. I didn't mind having nothing to do while I ate. I could simply sit back and indulge.

"You have definitely improved a great deal since you started getting police training, my friend," Falcon was saying. "You have definitely earned something pleasant. Enjoy your meal, my young superhero."

My tail wagged a little in response to Falcon's praises. Overall, things could really start getting better around here, provided we could get Raptor to open up. But just as I was half-way done with the treat, I heard a scream from nearby. Female. It came from the park.

I didn't even think about the remainder of the hotdog. I dropped it without a second of hesitation as adrenaline filled me. Then I jumped off the roof, fell four storeys to the street below, and landed fine. I ran across the street, leapt over the metal fence, and dashed into the park in the direction of the scream.

Seconds later, I arrived above a small rocky area in the park, popular among climbers and dumb kids with seriously lacking parental supervision. It was a good place to get ambushed, especially at night, since the rocky cliffs surrounding made it a very discreet area. Looking down at the place from a perch atop one of the low cliffs, I immediately became aware of what looked like a woman being shoved against a boulder by a cloaked and hooded figure in black.

I leapt down from the cliff edge, right behind the evildoer. Standing straight, I pointed and yelled: "Get away from her yo--"

Just before I could finish my cheesy warning, I felt a dart jab itself into the back of my thigh, stopping me in my tracks. It didn't hurt much but it went deep.

"A sedative, Streak!" said Falcon, urgently. "Let the adrenaline build. We can fight it off!"

As I had many times, I cursed myself for once again walking into a trap.

Then the hooded figure turned away from his victim, now holding a lasso, and I could see that the 'victim' was actually a simple mannequin. The figure tossed the lasso which tightly wrapped itself around my wrist, preventing me from grabbing at the dart as it unleashed its malicious chemical into my blood. I began feeling the effects: a slight numbness consuming my nerves, slowing me down and making me feel sleepy. The adrenaline was flowing through me, so I wasn't passing out anytime soon, but I had to act fast.

"Now, Sarah!" yelled my assailant, and another lasso wrapped around my other wrist. A second hooded figure had joined the party, restraining me from behind.

"Let me go!" I yelled with a growl, pulling at the two restraining ropes. However, the dart was rapidly draining my strength, and now I couldn't pull it out with these restraints. The two figures were pulling my arms away from my body, far out of reach, and pulling back on the ropes was proving difficult with my weakening muscles.

Then my legs gave out from under me and I fell to my knees, a gentle impact in the soft grass, but little comfort.

"I SAID LET GO!"

Then I pulled again with the last of my strength, and I managed to pull one of my assailants to the ground. With one of my arms freed, I then reached back as fast as I could and pulled the dart out of my thigh, tossing it away. Then I fell to my side on the grass, the last of my energy gone as I began to leave the waking world behind.

"Ow!" said the figure I pulled down, a male voice, as he stood back up. He was breathing hard, but his voice was kindly, somewhat aged. "That was close, but all that practice was worth it..."

Both of them were approaching me.

"It's a good dose," said the other, a female. Her voice was soft and gentle like she had just given her baby some medicine. "He won't be resisting anymore."

A few seconds later and they were both standing over me. I couldn't move, paralysed by the sedative as the evening grew darker around me.

"Come on, pal..." said the male to me as they both knelt down beside me, lifting my limp body onto their arms as I drifted off to sleep.

•••

I awoke slowly. Grunting and groggy, the first thing I noticed was my arms were tied behind my back and my ankles were tied together. I was lying on my right side. My mind was so foggy and I could only barely open my eyes. My numb senses barely managed to tell me that I was in a moving van.

"Wh... Where... are we goi--" I muttered, mind hazy, thoughts difficult to piece together.

"Shhhhhhh..." came the gentle, soft female voice as she cut me off. It was such a motherly, soothing voice. "Calm down. We won't hurt you."

Then she was stroking the bare fur on my hip, right below the upper edge of my leotard's left leg hole, sending tingles of contentment through my scalp. A sense of intense nostalgia fell over me. It was exactly what my mother used to do, ever since I was a baby. It always made me feel better, calmer, and happier. But how did she know?

"Now it's time to go back to sleep..."

"Wha...? N-No... Let me..." I responded with weak urgency, trying to muster the energy to resist, but whatever was used to subdue me was clearly still in my system, and her professional touch was so relaxing.

Then I smelled the sudden, painfully familiar odour of chloroform, which then bombarded my senses as she brought a little piece of moist cotton down to my muzzle. I continued trying to resist as my dwindling strength fell away.

"Go back to sleep, sweetie. It's not time yet."

•••

"There you go," came a male voice as consciousness returned to me. "It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you."

As my eyes slowly creaked open, the gentle, kindly face of a male tiger filled my vision.

"Where...? Who...?" I stammered as I shook off my drowsy state.

"You're safe," he was saying. He sat on a small chair opposite me. "I promise. Just relax."

As my other senses began to charge up like a slowly rebooting computer, I disturbingly realised that I couldn't move anything except for my head. My arms, legs and torso were firmly tied to an admittedly very comfortable chair. I immediately began to struggle, grunting as I tried to wake myself up fully. I had been in situations like this before, but at least this time my captors had the decency to leave my costume on. Looking around further, it looked like I was in a garage. Tools were hung up on the wall above a workbench, and a few boxes were scattered around.

"Please don't struggle. We're not gonna hurt you," he continued, putting his paws on my exposed forearms and softly caressing up and down my fur, making my fur stand on end. "You can't get out. We've given you something that'll numb your strength, and we've destroyed that police pager since I know you're wondering. We'll release you eventually though. I promise. But when that time comes, you'll want to be with us more than anything."

The next thing I heard was a door opening. A female coyote entered the room.

"I'm Joel," said the tiger. Then he gestured to the coyote. "This is my wife, Sarah."

"Welcome home," said Sarah, taking a seat beside mine. She looked so kind, like Joel.

"You saved my life once," began Joel. "A thug was after me with a knife, but you swept in and knocked him out. You probably don't recognise me, but when I saw you, about five months ago now, I sensed the turmoil inside you. I can do that. You're... You're so sad."

Remembering that these people had kidnapped me, I decided to give him the silent treatment, looking ahead sternly.

"My wife and I, we... lost our child. We haven't been able to move on. But when I met you, I realised how we could help each other."

I continued to ignore him, holding that expression of defiance, assuming he was trying to manipulate me.

"When I used my powers to look into your mind and see how troubled you were, I saw that you want a family. You want people who love you and care for you. You want someone who'll give you a home. You lost that when you were a child, and you ran away because you didn't think anyone could replace them."

"Doesn't matter," I finally said, ignoring everything he told me. "There are people out there who need me!"

"There always are. That'll never change, even when you eventually get yourself killed or screw-up so badly you'll never be able to forgive yourself. We both know you're not cut out for this kind of thing."

"Unbind me and find out," I said through barred teeth.

He sighed. "It's okay, you'll come around eventually. You can't keep anything from me, and I know you better than you know yourself. But I promise I only want us to help each other. We want a son. You want a family."

Day two

The night was long and boring, but knowing that I neither needed nor wanted sleep, Sarah and Joel left a radio nearby before they went to bed. I didn't remember the last time I listened to music, but I had to admit, it was pretty good. It was all pretty nostalgic though. Every track took my mind back to my childhood, and the kind of tunes Dad listened to on the old car radio.

"It is manipulation," said Falcon, never failing to keep me company as we tried to think of a way to escape during the long night. "Joel chose these songs because he knew they would affect you."

"I know, Falcon," I responded, hanging my head. "I know."

Hours later, I then heard footsteps creaking the floorboards outside the door. Then it opened. Warm sunlight streamed into the garage as Joel and Sarah entered.

"Good morning, Matthew," said Joel, happily. He moved to sit down on the chair in front of me. "I hope the night was okay. I got you all the songs you loved. I knew you wouldn't sleep"

"It's not gonna work," I responded sternly. "I know what you're trying to do, and you're not gonna brainwash me."

He sighed, but it wasn't a sigh of frustration. "I admit it. I'm trying to get to you. But only because I want you to feel welcome."

"After some breakfast, you'll feel so much better," said Sarah, handing a bowl to Joel as she stood beside him. Her smile was so big.

"By the way," said Joel, taking the bowl. "Happy birthday, Matthew."

He scooped up a small mound of steamy baked beans in the spoon. Letting that mouth-watering tomato sauce drip a bit, he then extended the spoon over to my mouth.

"Please," he said, pleadingly as I recoiled. "I know you don't need to eat, but you don't even remember the last time you ate baked beans. Your mother used to make them, remember? You didn't even get to finish your hotdog last night. You deserve it."

I wanted to turn away or knock it out of his paw, but it smelled so good. That spoon of baked beans made my mouth water. I assumed that easily could've poisoned me by now if he wanted. I started to become sad as the memories of my mother's cooking flooded back, and my throat began to tighten, so to maintain my composure I let out a fake grunt of acceptance and ate from the spoon.

A soft smile fell across Joel's face then, so happy to see me cooperating. It wasn't a malicious smile though, but a smile of relief. He really cared about me.

"There ya go!" he said, his voice still as warm as his smile. "As I was saying, we just want to help you. I promise we'll take good care of you. We want you to be our boy."

Swallowing down the mouthful, I shook my head. "The only thing you're gonna get is a jail sentence!" I retorted, angrily. "You kidnapped me!"

"We're sorry you feel that way, but we'd never hurt you. We just did what we needed to."

"You'll see," said Sarah. "Soon you'll realise this is for the best. You'll love us as we love you."

I scoffed.

"Remember, everything is just manipulation," said Falcon, giving some appreciated reassurance. "The music and the food will eat away at you over time, and more is certain to come. Remember your responsibility."

"Yeah, Falcon. I know," I thought, oddly frustrated. I knew this was just their brainwashing, but I felt that I should enjoy it while it lasted before my inevitable escape. They couldn't keep me here forever.

They kept up the feeding throughout the day. After the baked beans, it was a pasta bake for lunch with pancakes for dessert. My Dad made pancakes like this. They threw in a strawberry milkshake too.

That evening, we shared a cake, spongy and moist with a layer of jelly on top. I didn't remember having eaten something so good or having eaten so well in general. I loved all of it, everything made exactly as my parents did. It was still humiliating that Joel and Sarah had to feed me, but I stopped caring eventually. It was all just so good. I enjoyed it. I couldn't deny that it was the best birthday I had since that fateful day.

Before the evening ended, Sarah wanted the night with me. While Joel was apparently taking it easy watching television, Sarah was reading me a novel. I remembered it. My mother read it to me every night, but she died before we could finish. I fell asleep listening, the sound of Sarah's silky voice in my ears as I drifted off.

Day three

"It was a lab accident that gave me this power," said Joel that morning, right after breakfast. They gave me some crunchy cereal. I forgot what it was called, but like everything else, I knew I had eaten it before. By now, I wasn't even wasting time, gulping it all down greedily. "This company I worked for, we were experimenting with technologies that could allow us to share dreams. I was testing it out and... Well, the rest is history."

I stayed quiet. I had felt the hostility falling away, so I knew I had to keep focused. I refused to participate in chat.

"Actually, I'm technically still employed. I just don't really show up for work anymore."

Still more silence from me.

Then he took a deep breath. "It's okay. I understand," he said with a slow nod. "I won't bore you. But... actions speak louder than words, right?"

"Please, let us help you," said Sarah, sliding her arms under my shoulders from behind, her paws stroking down the sides of my leotard.

"We know," said Joel, and he suddenly moved a paw towards me, placing it on my chest, and slowly running his gentle touch downward. "We know what you like..." Then his paw got as low as it could, and softly cupped the crotch of my costume, eliciting a soft sigh from me as my heart began to beat harder.

"Enjoy it," said Sarah, behind me, caressing my chest and abdomen. "Let us warm you... please you... care for you..."

As a shiver ran up my spine, I felt myself begin to swell and harden in the confines of my costume, pushing out against the blue fabric between my legs as Joel coaxed me onward, rubbing softly and gently.

"S-Stop... please..." I stammered as I softly gyrated my hips.

"No, you don't want me to stop," he responded, softly. "Not really. I know you enjoy this. You've denied yourself for a long time, but I know you love it. Remember, you can't keep anything from me. You don't need to."

As he rubbed further, I was soon lewdly tenting my costume as I reached a state of full arousal. He wore a soft and pleased expression as he heard my rapid breathing turn into pleasured moans. I could tell it made him happy to see me enjoying myself, and I had to admit, I honestly was, despite it being humiliating. A small spot of moisture soon darkened the straining crotch of my costume, and Joel made sure to rub slightly harder.

"There you go," he said. "Just like that. Don't deny it. Embrace it."

"Let us help you," said Sarah, one paw rubbing down my bare right arm while the other drew circles around my abdomen. "Just relax. You can't deny you love it when this happens. But you don't need to run from it any longer. Now you're among friends. No one will harm you."

Two minutes later, I was in bliss. As the two caressed and massaged me all over, my moans of delight echoed throughout the garage. My costume was slick with my juices as my eager member begged for a release that was now seconds away, the epitome of this pleasurable ordeal rapidly approaching. A caldera of pleasure churned inside me, eager to erupt as I tried to extend my legs in my restraints.

"You're... You're gonna make me..." I stammered between panting.

"It's okay," said Sarah, right in my ear. "You can cum, sweetie. Let it all out."

I did. I let out a long, pleasured whimper as I drenched my costume in my fluids, gyrating my hips in Joel's paw. My every nerve burned as my captors massaged me all over, enveloping me in a wave of physical bliss that went on and on.

"That's right," said Joel, goading me on. "Just enjoy it."

As my orgasm came to an end, leotard soaked between my legs, I let out a long sigh of contentment. I could sense them all smiling, happy to see me finally relax. But Joel kept rubbing anyway, pushing my juices around inside the fabric. I continued to sigh softly.

"You liked that, didn't you?" he was saying. "You don't need to deny yourself this. Submit to your desires. We'll make you so happy for it, and we're happy if you are."

Then he removed his sticky paw and headed over to the nearby sink, turning the tap and washing his paws briefly before smothering a sponge in the running water. Then he filled a small bowl with the hot liquid, steaming slightly, and walked over to me with the bowl and the sponge.

"There you go. Take it easy."

He moved the sponge down, rubbing it against the sticky spandex poorly maintaining my modesty. I groaned in bliss as he washed me, while Sarah continued to caress my front from behind.

"And your belly..." he said, moving up to drain some more water over the abdomen of my costume. I felt so strange being bathed in warm water like this, but it still felt so satisfying. My worries just seemed to fade away as they pampered me.

"There now," said Sarah, whispering in my ear. "Isn't that better?"

"Streak, do not give in," said Falcon, a voice I felt I really didn't need to hear.

"I got it, Falcon," I thought back, getting really annoyed with Falcon's reminders. "I'll make it through this. They'll give up eventually."

That night, Sarah sang me to sleep while rubbing the sides of my head.

Day seven

Christmas morning

After a week of bedtime stories, delicious food, hours of pleasuring me through my costume, and impeccable kindness, the time had finally come.

"I know you'll make the right decision," said Joel, unlocking the restraints on my ankles, followed by my waist. Sarah stood beside him, eagerly awaiting my imminent freedom. "We've really gotten to know each other, and I guarantee you won't regret this."

The last of the restraints, binding my wrists, were gently removed. Finally, my bare wrists were free again. Now was my chance. My two captors stepped back, and I leapt up at them...

I embraced them in my arms, and they held me warmly in theirs.

"Thank you," I said, so relieved after a long week of restraint. Finally, I would love them back.

As they both enveloped me in their loving arms, I felt so happy. Content. Was I home at last?

Like Joel, Falcon knew the decision I was going to make. He was disappointed, of course, but still believed that I would surprise him in the future. He was still confident in me, and it hurt that I was basically giving up my life as a superhero right here. He still believed I could turn away from them, even though I didn't want to.

•••

The following weeks were beautiful. Every worry and concern was gone. My new family and I enjoyed every day to the fullest, including working together to fix up the house and grounds, which had fallen into disrepair since the death of their son. I always kept my costume on though. I think they loved having a superhero around the house, and it made me happy to see them happy. I also discovered where we were, on the outskirts of the city in a cosy little house near a river, surrounded by tall trees.

During the days, Joel and I would work on clearing away the snow, piles of dirt, fallen branches, and dead leaves surrounding the house. After a few hours, Sarah would beckon us inside for some snacks and warm cocoa. We were already drawing up plans for digging a hole to build a swimming pool when the summer came along, completely by ourselves. My strength would make it a lot easier than it would otherwise. By the end of the first week, we had a whole complex plan to turn the house into our own little private resort.

Every night we would have a delicious dinner that we would prepare together, where Sarah gradually taught me how to cook her recipes. Afterwards, we sat on the couch in front of the television and watched a movie together, especially enjoying the bad ones, which always made us laugh!

It wasn't perfect though. During those two weeks, Falcon never said a word. He even refused to reciprocate when I tried to speak to him. Even though I had a new family, a sense of loneliness came over me. It disappointed me to know that he chose me for what I was capable of, and yet here I was throwing all that away for a peaceful life. I also knew he was afraid I was putting them in danger. I guess the reason he didn't leave to find a new Streak was because he still had faith in me, but I couldn't just tell him to leave. He was always there for me, and I honestly wanted him to stay. I hoped he would.

But it was still great. Finally, I had a family and a home, after a decade of avoiding them. I really hoped Falcon would understand what that meant to me.

Nearly a month later, Joel and I were finishing clearing up the yard. It was a sunny afternoon, but freezing cold, so we needed to put the extra work in if we wanted to keep the house warm. Joel was covered in thick winter clothes, whereas I just wore my costume. I felt naked, but I didn't mind, especially since the cold couldn't hurt me. I also felt free, and I just loved my costume for all manner of reasons. I was dragging away the large branches that lay scattered around, while Joel sliced up logs into firewood. We planned on having a warm fire to spend the remainder of the winter evenings around.

"I'm pooped," said Joel, wiping his brow as he threw the two halves of a cleaved log into the pile, even though I could see his breath in the cold. "I'm gonna grab something warm to eat. You want anything?"

I had just thrown a large branch into the pile where we planned to burn them that night. "Heh. You don't know?" I asked playfully.

"I'm not gonna read your mind every time, Matt!" he responded with a laugh. "I've got principles!"

I shook my head. "I'm okay, thanks!"

"No problem!" Then he headed indoors. "Oh, can ya drag that log over to the stack? We won't need any more."

"Sure."

As Joel left my sight, I went over to the log. It was longer than I was tall, but I effortlessly lifted it into the air, walking it over to the stack of similar logs beside the house. I then gently laid it down with its brothers.

Still, not a sweat broke. It felt good really being able to put my strength to good use without punching someone.

Then the blue sky became cloudy. I didn't remember anything on the forecast for rain or overcast, so this was pretty weird, but I thought nothing of it. Although we'd likely be cutting our work short. Then it started to rain, an instant being all it took before my entire environment was darkened by the downpour, and my costume was quickly soaked in the falling water. Now things were definitely getting weird. I couldn't remember the last time the weather changed so quickly.

"Sweetie?" I heard Sarah ask.

"Sarah?" I responded, turning around to face her. "What's with this weath--"

I realised it wasn't Sarah who had spoken. Before me, upside-down in the rain-soaked mud was the old family car. The snow was long gone, and even the house had disappeared. Lying beside the wrecked vehicle were Mum and Dad, both foxes, bleeding all over. It was Mum who had spoken.

"M-Mum...? Dad...?" I asked, not only in shock at what I was seeing but in inconceivable grief.

"Streak, no. It's not what it looks like," said Falcon for the first time in ages, but I ignored him.

I ran over to Mum and knelt beside her immediately, taking her paw. "Mum?! What... I... How..."

"Shhhh..." she responded, struggling to keep her eyes open, her tears mixing with the blood streaming down her face. "Don't cry, sweetie..."

I was crying. My eyes were already overflowing, and my throat felt like it was strangling itself.

"No, Mum! It broke my heart when you died! Not again!" I managed through the tears, holding her paw firmly.

"We love you, sport," said Dad, choking as he briefly opened his eyes. "Be a good boy for us, okay? Be our little superhero."

"Dad... Mum... Please don't..."

"Make us proud... okay, sweetie?" stammered Mum as she closed her eyes, and so did Dad, reaching their paws for me before they fell in the mud.

I closed my eyes tightly, gritting my teeth as I told myself this couldn't be real. This already happened years ago, but the sadness was still there, and the tears streaming down my face did nothing to hide it.

"Awwww, that's so sad," said a mocking, smug, British voice. "Little Streak lost mummy and daddy."

"You..." I said, turning around as I realised who the voice came from. "You made me see this again..."

It was Deception, the jackal in a classic black tailcoat. Standing calmly amid the dark rain, he was smiling, filled with sadistic glee.

"Daddy was probably drunk driving like an idiot, hmm?"

I tried to ignore that. "How... How'd you know I was here?" I asked, panting as I tried to stop the tears. This wasn't the time. An intense rage became to swell up inside me instead.

"You don't know your new friends as well as you might think, boy," he responded, slowly approaching, shoes splashing in the puddles of muddy rainwater.

I didn't know or care what that was supposed to mean. I only knew that he hit way too close to home, and that opened up an inferno inside that I was all too eager to let loose. I launched off the soaked mud in his direction, flying through the air with a kick aimed to his shoulder. I expected him to try moving out the way, or at least hear the sound of cracking bone, but instead, I came sliding into the mud, burying myself in dirty rainwater. I was completely soaked and muddied.

"I'd think you'd know better by now," Deception was saying with an amused chuckle. He was standing nearby, now far from where he was standing a second ago.

Then I became aware of another Deception to my left. Then another to my right, and another. Soon, there were about ten copies of the villainous jackal surrounding me. The victim of his illusionary abilities once again, I knew I was going to have to rethink my strategy, but I'd also have to avoid his legion of false clones.

Responding instinctively, I threw a punch to the jaw of the closest Deception, but my paw flew right through his head and he grabbed me by the neck hole of my leotard and threw me to the ground. The biggest strength of Deception's powers was their ability to make my mind accept them as real in more ways than one. To the casual observer, I would've been flailing around like a crazy person, but I legitimately felt the powerful tug on my costume and the force of being shoved into the ground.

My face hit the dirt, followed by my belly as my knees slipped down into the mud. Spitting rainwater, I was about to push myself off the ground until a sharp stab of pain exploded in my ribs. A Deception had kicked me, and I let out a yell of pain.

I rolled away before getting into a kneeling position, but two more Deceptions came up behind me and held me down by the shoulders before I could stand. Despite my strength, Deception's manipulation of my mind made the false clones much stronger than me.

Two Deceptions ran at me, one throwing a kick to my stomach while the other aimed a punch for my head. I was too focused on trying to stand to avoid getting hit, and the air was knocked from my lungs as my head snapped to the side. I tasted blood.

They weren't done. The two in front knelt to begin punching me in the stomach, one after another, over and over, while the others simply stood and watched or kept me restrained. Now all I could taste was blood, along with the painful sensation of oxygen being forced from my lungs with each cruel hit. The strength drained from my limbs.

"Streak!" yelled Falcon in my mind. "Joel and Sarah are still here. You must protect them!"

That gave me the strength I needed. With a shriek of agonised exertion, body beginning to glow with swirling patterns of blue energy, I pushed against the illusions of Deception with all my strength. Overcoming the hallucinations with pure will, I threw them off me, sending them flying into the mud before they vanished. But as I tried to stand, something kept me from standing straight. Something was pulling me down, tugging at the seat of my leotard from below.

Looking down, a long tentacle made of mud was ascending from the ground, having slipped into my costume to keep me on my knees. A moment later, and two more mud tentacles emerged from below to wrap around my wrists, while the tentacle beneath me returned the fabric to neatly cover my privates before rubbing itself against the bulge in my costume. I let out a forced sigh of pleasure as the muddy creature pushed against my sensitive areas, draining what remained of my will.

"Ah, yes, everyone knows that Streak is a glutton for physical pleasure," said the jackal villain, arms crossed as he observed my humiliation, slowly approaching. "Everyone knows how your own libido is your biggest weakness. Orgasm shall be your undoing."

More tentacles emerged to slide over my vulnerable, kneeling form. My legs were submerged in the dirt, totally helpless amid the molesting mud that caressed every inch of my body. The tentacle massaging my manhood through the crotch of my leotard was quickly drawing me to full hardness, and I cursed my uncontrollable sense of physical arousal.

I did my best to resist, always pulling at the muddy tendrils, but it was no use. The molestation of the many tentacles was eating away at my will. Then I noticed I was sinking, my knees fully submerged in the mud beneath me. When I was waist-deep, the pleasure reached new heights as the mug smothered my arousal. After a minute, unable to hold back, I began to moan as the mud had its way with me.

It didn't take long before I was up to my neck, yelling in forced pleasure. I leaked pre-cum into my muddy prison as I rapidly approached the edge of an intense climax, furthered along by the intense caressing of the molesting ooze. Then, finally, my head was submerged. I held my breath, eyes closed as the mud consumed me from head to toe. I could move again, but I couldn't go up, continuing to sink as I flailed desperately, ever more hopeless.

Another minute later, I screamed in primal ecstasy into the darkness as I blew my load in my leotard. My body shook with pleasure as I stretched out in what I felt was my final resting place, deep beneath the Earth as this living mud ate me alive.

As the orgasm began to end, I suddenly found myself back on the surface, on my knees and restrained by the mud tentacles once again. The fabric of my costume was stained and dripping from my unwitting release as one of the tentacles continued to massage me there.

Deception was suddenly standing above me. Reaching a paw down, he lifted my open, panting muzzle to face him in the eyes as I finished emptying into my leotard. "Manasa will be happy to have you back," he said, arrogant as ever. I wanted to punch him so much. "But most of all, I imagine she'll reward me well for presenting you to her. I might just tie a little ribbon around your head."

"Matthew!" I heard someone call. "Matthew!"

The world began to warp like seeping paint. My vision became distorted, difficult to focus, and I went dizzy as the illusion began to break down. Deception vanished into nothingness and the late afternoon sun was once again illuminating my surroundings. The mud, puddles, and rain were all gone, and I remembered that Deception's illusions were not sustainable when faced with more than one victim.

Joel appeared, standing in the centre of my vision with his back turned to me. "Get away from our boy, Monogan!" he yelled, holding a crowbar. "We told you not to come back here!"

The real Deception was standing about ten metres away from me, like the coward he was. He scoffed. "I had a feeling you'd keep him for yourselves. Be reasonable, Joel. Just hand the young cape over to me and Manasa will surely be merciful. She may even forgive your betrayal."

"We don't work for you anymore!" Joel yelled further. There was a shiver in his voice, but he puffed his chest up with courage. He wasn't going to let Deception take me. "You've done us more harm than good, and we're done giving you our loyalty for it."

"Hmph. And where is dear Sarah?" responded the jackal, removing a shiny revolver from his coat. "If you won't comply, I'd at least like to give you both the dignity of dying side-by-side. But it seems..."

Then the villain spun on his heels, raised the pistol, and fired into Sarah's heart.

Her body fell to the ground. She was trying to sneak up on the villain, a saucepan at the ready, but clearly, Deception caught on to Joel's ruse. My heart stopped just as hers did. My brain couldn't comprehend the tragedy I had just witnessed or the injustice that was still unfolding.

"SARAH!" shrieked Joel, running at the jackal with the crowbar.

Then he slumped to his knees too, head hitting the ground a few moments after. Blood streamed from the wound in his chest as the barrel of Deception's pistol steamed with the second shot.

"Idiots," said the villain.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!" I screamed as I launched off my knees in the direction of Deception, adrenaline replacing exhaustion and supercharging my legs with an explosion of burning power, a vivid trail of blue energy left in my wake.

Now Deception was afraid. Unthinking, he aimed his pistol at me and fired a shot, but I was way ahead of him and ducked down to limbo beneath his aim as the bullet zipped overheard by mere inches.

Then I was right before him. He fired another shot at my crouched position before I leapt into the air, flipping over him. As I landed behind him, I swung my legs around and tripped him over. As he fell, I kicked the revolver from his grip, and I savoured his yell of pain as the bones in his paw shattered from the collision with my boot.

Then I threw myself onto his body, pushing him down hard on his back. I brought a punch to the side of his head, instantly knocking him out with an audible crunching sound. Blood flew from his face.

"Streak, stop!" Falcon yelled in my head, but I wasn't listening. "He's had enough! One more punch and you may regret this forever!"

I brought down another punch to the jackal's bloodied head, but this time my fist didn't connect. It was frozen in the air a mere inch from contact, and I couldn't move it. I couldn't move at all, totally frozen.

"Don't stop me, Falcon!" I shrieked, my voice filled with anger.

"Did you not hear what Joel said? Deception is Eric Monogan! He is our only lead!"

I was breathing hard, adrenaline surging through me like a hundred thousand volts of electricity. "You're not my Dad, Falcon!" I yelled.

There was a long pause as I struggled against Falcon's power. In the silence, I could hear the wind begin to rustle the trees.

Then Falcon let go of my extremities, and I could move again. "Please, Matthew," he said, and this time I felt the fear in him. Fear for me. "Please. Don't. Don't ruin yourself."

Still breathing heavily, I looked down at the unconscious villain, bruised and bloody from only a single powerful punch. I wanted to hit him so much, to force the life out of him with a final strike.

Streak kills Deception... (Non-Canon Ending)

I have to. Deception took the last ray of hope and happiness from me. The last spark of joy in my life was snatched away by this heartless monster! He took them from me, just like Raptor took Bernie! I can't help myself! I can't let these monsters do this any longer!

With another mighty blow from my bloodied fist, I strike the life from Deception, breaking the jackal's neck with one final punch. His breathing ceases and his open eyes are cold and empty as they stare off into nothingness, his tongue hanging limply.

Almost thirty seconds of silence pass, on fire with rage and hate before I finally calm down. As the adrenaline dissipates, I begin to shake uncontrollably. Then I stand up, off Deception, and back away. My breathing gradually slows and the adrenaline stops flowing. Then I turn to my two foster parents. I don't even bother to fight back tears as I run to Sarah, the closest of my deceased new family. Former family.

"No..." I mumble to myself as I fall to my knees and embrace her in my arms. "This is my fault. I had a responsibility. I should've listened to you, Falcon. If I weren't here, then they'd probably still be alive."

"Do not blame yourself," says Falcon. "They kidnapped you."

"They weren't bad people. Just broken and misguided. They lost their child, and they wanted to fill that void in their lives and were prepared to give me all of their love in exchange. The fact that they died for me proves it. They didn't deserve this."

"I'm so sorry, my friend."

"I should've listened to you, Falcon. If I weren't here, then they'd probably still be alive." Then I gently lower Sarah's body to the ground before standing up. "I failed," I say, not crying anymore. "You chose me to be a superhero, and I screwed up. Again. Worse than ever."

"Don't say that, Matthew," responds Falcon. "You can still be a superhero. It will just take time before everything gets better. You can still improve."

Then a new idea enters my head. "Falcon, your connection to me means you know all my skills, right?"

"No," Falcon begins, aware of what I'm thinking. "You are merely my avatar, not my tool."

"You'd be a better Streak than me, Falcon!" I snap back. "Admit it. I'm not superhero material. I don't even know how you thought I had any kind of special potential."

"You are Streak. Not me," says Falcon, sternly now. "Though you may have little faith in your abilities, you will always be a better superhero than I would."

"And what makes you think that, huh?" I respond out loud, not even trying to hide the anger in my voice. "What makes me so great?!"

"Matthew, please. I..."

"Do it!"

I feel a wave of regret coming from him. There's a long pause before he finally speaks again. "I'm sorry, Matthew. I truly am. But if that's what you want, then... then who am I to disagree?"

Then I feel a twinge of guilt. From myself. Falcon, on the other hand, is full of sorrow. More than ever before.

"Just... get it over with," I ask with a sigh. "I'm tired."

I open my mind to him, and Falcon reluctantly takes control, his power wrapping around my consciousness. In a few moments, my thoughts fall silent and my mind goes blank, replaced only by Falcon's will. My mind becomes his cockpit and my body his vehicle. I'm still aware and conscious, but my mind no longer belongs to me. I can still hear Falcon, but I have no thoughts of my own. Glowing blue lines appear across my body, swirling across my muscles like a tapestry of sand blowing through a blue desert.

"I know I'm not your father, Matthew," Falcon says with my mouth, even though he knows I can't comprehend his words anymore. "But I still love you."

With my body, Falcon heads indoors. It's time to call the police and let them know what happened here.

"I'm so sorry for everything you've endured. I never meant to hurt you. But I promise I will not let you down again, and we will become great together. I just hope that you'll be proud of me."

Inside the house, we find the phone and begin dialling 911.

"Sleep forever, Matthew. Rest your tired, troubled mind. I will keep you safe and warm."

A quick call later and the police are on their way.

"I just hope I can be a hero like you were, Streak."

But the tears don't stop.

Streak spares Deception! (Canon Ending)

I lowered my arms.

Almost thirty seconds of silence passed, on fire with rage and hate before I finally calmed down. As the adrenaline dissipated, I stood up, off Deception, and backed away. My breathing gradually slowed and the adrenaline stopped flowing. Then I turned to my two foster parents. They were both shot in the heart. I didn't even bother to fight back tears as I ran to Sarah, the closest of my deceased new family.

"No..." I mumbled to myself as I fell to my knees and embraced her in my arms. "This is my fault. I had a responsibility. I should've listened to you, Falcon. If I weren't here, then they'd probably still be alive"

"Do not blame yourself," said Falcon. "They kidnapped you."

"They weren't bad people. Just broken and misguided. They lost their child, and they wanted to fill that void in their lives and were prepared to give me all of their love in exchange. The fact that they died for me proves it. They didn't deserve this."

"I'm so sorry, my friend."

Then I gently lowered Sarah's body to the ground before standing up. "Falcon... I want you to take over for me. At least for a day. I can't take this right now. I'm tired."

"You are your own person. I am simply not meant to be Streak."

"Please, Falcon!" I pleaded, tears welling up further as I nearly yelled. "Just a day! For me!"

I felt a wave of regret coming from him. There was a long pause before he finally spoke again. "Alright, my friend," he responded. "One day, but no longer."

I opened my mind to him, and Falcon reluctantly took control, his power wrapping around my consciousness. In a few moments, my thoughts fell silent and my mind went blank, replaced only by Falcon's will. My mind became his cockpit and my body his vehicle. I was still aware and conscious, but my mind no longer belonged to me. I could still hear Falcon, but I had no thoughts of my own. Glowing blue lines appeared across my body, swirling across my muscles like a tapestry of sand blowing through a blue desert.

"I know I'm not your father, Matthew," Falcon said with my mouth, even though he knew I couldn't comprehend his words anymore. "But I still love you."

With my body, Falcon headed indoors. It was time to call the police and let them know what happened here. Inside, we found the phone and began dialling 911.

"I'm so sorry for everything you've endured recently. Rest your tired, troubled mind. I will keep you safe and warm."

A quick call later and the police were on their way.

But the tears didn't stop.