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The sound of heavy boots filled the dark silent night. Shouting, screaming, orders being relayed to soldiers and the sound of metal being kicked down were mixed together as the contingent stormed the compound breaking down every exit and entrance and sealing them up leaving a man on the perimeter. Working towards the inner sanctum the doors flew off their frames as the shaped charges exploded sending the metal flying, once the innermost chamber was clear the soldiers poured in guns raised and lights focused on the corners doing a wide sweep. It was empty, another dead trail, filled with frustration the captain kicked the floor and stumbled forward feeling a handle beneath his foot. Motioning to the men he pointed down and his men nodded, kneeling to the ground they placed charges on the outer lining filling it with plastic explosive. Stepping a safe distance back they blew the charge making the room erupt in fire and smoke a hole in the center of the floor, when the smoke cleared a stairway visible below it.The captain smirked in confidence and motioned for his men to descend. Each boot hit the next step below it in sequence, methodically, rhythmically, organized like a symphony.

Coming to the bottom the lights on the end of their rifles paled in comparison to the suffocating darkness, no natural light in this subterranean basement. Once all the soldiers filed down and formed a wall blocking off the exit the entire room went silent, radios off, chatter ceased. Slowly each man advanced forward sweeping what meager vision they had with the beams. The captain raised his finger to his ear pressing against a small device resting in side. "Day break protocol authorized, let there be light." The captain gave the order and within seconds a pillar of light swallowed the compound illuminating every square inch down to the basement where the room revealed itself to be some kind of holding cell,shackles along the wall, buckets full of waste and fluids, implements and a table with stirrups on the end. The captain frowned, nothing, even using their strongest weapon could they find a single target. Leaning their head back captain sighed but a faint almost whisper like noise drew his attention. Cautioning his men with a hand signal the captain motioned to advance and they surrounded a pile of rags on the floor. gently crouching down expecting the worst rifles steadied as the captain threw off the top rag his eyes going wide.

Laying motionless in the bundle of rags was a blood soaked infant their skeleton visible through their body, emaciated to the point that they shouldn't logically be alive. The umbilical cord was still attached as well as the placenta, whenever this child was born it was abandoned left to die. The captain looked his eyes focusing on this small pathetic life born in the shadows, likely to die in the shadows, one of the soldiers motioned their riffle towards the child prepared to fire but the Captain raised his hand ordering him to stand down. Unwilling to lose an innocent life the Captain reached down and picked up the child carrying them in his arms. The soldiers exchanged glances knowing that this was against protocol, everything in one these strongholds was to be treated as an enemy combatant, animate or not. Taking anything from one of their dens was grounds for court martial and execution by the high counsel but the Captain had two weaknesses, children and civilians. The infant was left out of the report that was filed on the raid on compound forty six, given to an orphanage that the Captain would visit during the holidays to play Santa for the children.

The orphanage took the infant in but noticed that his frail and sickly form quickly recovered when they began to feed him. At first he was ravenous almost constantly guzzling down milk, nothing solid, only liquids. His body seemed to heal entirely by itself so long as he had food like he was converting it. Within five days the near dead infant was a plump full bodied baby. When he was brought in nobody knew what species he was due to his condition but as he recovered his mane grew out revealing him to be a lion cub. The staff was baffled by the infant they had abused children before but it took a month at least to recover from a mild case of neglect this child seemed to have been abandoned at birth and yet he was fine within a week, it made no medical sense, doctors that were called in claimed that besides lower than average mental activity he was completely normal, his body had developed as if he was raised properly but it was likely that his mind suffered never shown warm or affection, never knowing the touch of another until just a week ago he had not developed his brain as a normal child did, this was seen in extreme cases of neglect where the child would become despondent and detached. Nobody knew how to deal with such a child so the staff did what they could and gave the abandoned cub a home.

The captain never returned to check on the child, probably to conceal his existence, the staff unsure of what to call him went with a name that they often heard when referring to the cub, Lucky Boy. Lucky Boy became a fixture at the orphanage where children would come in and only stay a few weeks he remained, there were two ways out of the orphanage either become adopted or grow old enough that you could leave, the way that the prospective parents looked at Lucky Boy, the way he remained lifeless when they spoke to him or motionless when they tried to hold him, it looked as if he would be the later. A full year passed and Lucky Boy remained at the orphanage his 'birthday' celebrated by the staff. Lions were difficult to convince people to take beside being somewhat endangered they were known to grow big and without proper upbringing could be problematic or even dangerous. People preferred a nice small cat or a dog but larger species often struggled to find homes, as was the case with Lucky Boy. It wasn't until the visit of two equines that Lucky Boy found a home.

The door opened and Melissa Hale, a chestnut brown maned mare with brown and white spotted skin, walked through the door her mind set on adopting. Beside her was a fully brown stallion, Mike Hale, her brother and somewhat recognized athlete of professional boxing also known as Hailstorm. Mike's younger sister Melissa had recently lost her husband a fine upstanding stud by the name of Lewis who was killed in active duty, defending his country against foreign and domestic threats. Melissa and Lewis wanted to be parents but Melissa refused to even entertain the idea of loving another man after Lewis so to fulfill that wish she came to the orphanage closest to her home.

Melissa didn't care what species child she adopted but Mike was adamant about finding a colt, someone who would be strong and sturdy, someone he would be proud to let them call him uncle. Mike scanned the orphanage looking for and hint of a horse, colt's weren't terrible hard to find since a lot of mares bred out of obligation. Melissa strolled through watching all the young children play in different rooms, some were reading books, others were running around, some were playing with donated toys, and some were quietly making art at a table. The ages ranged from six to nine and the species variety was a mixture of felines, canines, vulpines, lapines, lupines, and at the very back sitting quietly watching the window was a small equine girl with red brown hair and tan skin. Mike picked her out immediately and pointed to Melissa almost dragging her over. The little colt noticed the attention and blushed nickering and hiding her face, a shy young girl, Melissa was in awe at how adorable the colt was. Slowly she approached the colt but something caught her attention making her turn her head to look at a bed along the wall, in it a very little lion cub with golden brown fur.

Mike looked at Melissa as she turned and walked towards the single bed not even seeing its occupant because he was so small. Instead Mike knelt down and introduced himself to the colt, asking her if she'd like to be adopted by a nice equine lady and come live with her. The cold nodded and showed Mike to the front office, he'd surprise Melissa with all the paperwork filled out. Little did he know that same day adoption was rare and almost unheard of there were forms, background checks, and wait periods, finding a child wasn't like going to the market for some soup.

Melissa walked over slowly noticing the ball of cream colored fur sitting in the bed his eyes dark and vacant. "Hello." She said very quietly sitting down in a chair beside the bed. "I'm Melissa, what's your name?" She asked and waited for a response but none came, Lucky Boy couldn't speak. "Strong silent type I see." Melissa giggled and reached over slowly. "I'm going to pick you up, if that's okay?" When she received no response her fingers slid beneath the lion cub lifting him and bringing him towards her. Melissa tilted her head to look at the little boy. His tail swinging as he lay in her arms rested against her chest. "What beautiful eyes you have sweetie, they're just like mine, bright blue." Melissa nickered and bounced her arms making the cub bounce very lightly. "Are you a happy boy, or a sad boy, maybe a naughty boy?" Melissa giggled and she saw a reaction, a spark, very faint like an ember but Lucky Boy began to smile, purring, leaning forward and pressing his head against the warmth that he sensed, he could hear it... a heart beat. Thumping slowly Lucky Boy held onto Melissa's chest holding his ear to her heart. "Is it warm over there, do you like that?" Melissa asked not expecting an answer. "I like you, I want to take you home with me, I want to hold you like this everyday and every night but I can't do that if you don't give me some kind of response." Melissa looked down seeing Lucky Boy nuzzle her purring loudly. "Do you want to come with me?" Melissa asked and Lucky Boy looked up a wide smile spreading across his face as he let out a very confident roar, tiny and docile but so full of energy. "There he is, my little boy." Melissa melted the ferocious lion cub so proudly declaring his intent to stay with her.

Mike stormed out of the office the colt following behind him. "Get lost you runt, four weeks, fuck this racket I can go to the hospital and pay some loose filly a hundred for a perfectly good colt!" Mike grumbled making the colt girl frown and clop off. "Missy we're going this place is a... what is that?" Mike walked in on Melissa coddling a lion cub his tail swinging merrily as he nuzzled Melissa's neck.

"This Mike, is your nephew, say hello to your uncle mike sweetie." Melissa smiled and Mike's heart felt like it was shot, he hadn't seen her smile like that since Lewis proposed to her. "Isn't he adorable mike, he's got a golden mane just like Lewis had and he's got my big blue eyes, I'm certain if we had a child together he'd look just like this darling little angel." Melissa gave a purr prompting Lucky Boy to purr back.

"Missy, that's a lion, you're not serious are you?" Mike didn't like this one bit, lions were trouble, he never knew a lion that wasn't a punk or a degenerate or a criminal, they were a violent species with anger problems and god complex built in, King of Cats. "Besides they won't let you take him home today, there's a ton of paperwork and waiting periods and a whole bunch of mess." Mike adamantly tried to persuade Melissa to chose another avenue.

"That's okay I'll come back every day I have to so I can be with my little lion until they see that I'm serious and I want to give him a home." A staff worker came after the colt tattled on Mike prepared to ask him to leave but when she saw Lucky Boy in the arms of a stranger holding her so tightly her jaw nearly dropped. Melissa saw the stunned staffer and approached. "I would very much like to take this little boy home with me today, but I understand that you have rules and processes you need to follow, is it okay If I come back every day to visit him?" Melissa offered Lucky Boy to the staffer but Lucky Boy didn't budge, he gripped Melissa tightly mewling in protest not wanting to leave the warmth. "He seems to have grown attached to me." Melissa laughed and the staffer just stared, they had been here for months and Lucky Boy never spoke or hugged anyone, they were somewhat convinced he was retarded.

"You.. Lucky Boy is, you're.... you want him?" The staffer stumbled through words and Melissa turned her head.

"Lucky Boy, what a peculiar name, I think you look like... a Jack." Melissa looked down at Lucky Boy and smiled he roared back in response. "Yes Jack's a nice strong name for a tough lion and yes I want Jack very much if it's not going to be an issue I'm willing to pay double the adoption fee for the ability to take him home." The staffer nodded running to get the head of the orphanage. The head of the orphanage, an old Kodiak bear female, was disbelief no one had gotten Lucky Boy to respond after a year of trying. She mulled it over and considering his special circumstances, being an abandoned child with no records paperwork would be impossible, they agreed to release Lucky Boy to Melissa that day. Melissa filled out the paperwork while Lucky Boy received a bath and a change. Melissa emerged from the office and scooped her new son into her arms giving him tender kisses on the forehead. "We're going to be so happy together." She held him close and he grabbed her neck giving her a gentle lick before yawning and falling asleep, the most activity the young cub had during the day since he was born.

"I'm against it!" Mike said as Melissa got in the car holding her baby lion son. "In a few years he's gonna grow up and he won't be cute and small he'll be a giant punk like the rest of them!" Mike protested but Melissa shook her head.

"No Jack is a good boy, he'll grow up and be a strong and kind man like his daddy was and he'll make some lucky woman very happy like his daddy did and he'll have lots of little babies of his own and I'll love them just the same I love him, the heart doesn't know species Mike, it can only see you for what you are." Melissa explained and Mike sighed. Mike drove them to Melissa's house, a nice split level with a big front and back yard. Waiting inside were Melissa's good friends, Clarissa and Frank Johnson, a pair of felines who she had grown up knowing, when they heard that she was going to become a mother they had to visit from the next city over. "Rissy!" Melissa exclaimed hurrying into a hug with her good friend, her head coming up to Melissa's midsection.

"Oh my god Missy I heard you adopted a child, is that him, can I hold him, AH you look so motherly!" Clarissa was an excitable ball of fur, a calico tortoise domestic feline female and Melissa or Missy's best friend and 'little' sister when growing up. "What's his name?" Clarissa or Rissy asked, her belly swollen with a child of her own.

"You're one to tell anyone else they look like a mother Rissy though you look more like a blowfish." Melissa laughed and tried to hand Jack over but he refused to let go. "He's a bit attached, his name is Jack Lucky Hale." Melissa continued to hold him, basking in the warm feeling of his

sunlight yellow fur.

"Hey, I may be pregnant but I can still take you!" Rissy hissed and Melissa laughed before Rissy joined in the two males looking at their female counterparts and shaking their head.

"Good to see you Frank, I heard you got a desk position." Mike shook Frank, a Russian Short Hair domestic male's paw, his hard hoof fingers twice its size. "Good for you, honest work, hard work." Mike nodded and Frank smiled.

"We can't all be sports stars and superman Mike, I wield a pencil better than a gun or a fist." Frank shook his head. "So, a lion, that's different." Frank stroked his chin and Mike sighed.

"You know Missy, once she gets it in her head..." Mike looked at Melissa while she talked to Clarissa feeling her belly.

"Do you have a name picked out?" Clarissa asked a strand of her mane falling into Jack's range, he reached out and nabbed it with his paws putting it in his mouth sucking on it. "Ah!" Melissa gasped seeing Jack's predator reflexes pulling her hair out of his mouth. "Don't eat mommy's hair Jackie that's nasty." She softly corrected him and Jack looked at her growling playfully, Melissa gave a growl back and Jack giggled.

"Missy you're a natural mommy, I can't believe it you, a mother!" Clarissa tilted her head and thought about it. "Alice, if its a girl and Thomas if its a boy." Clarissa rubbed her stomach. "I think it's going to be a girl, she's been so peaceful and calm." Melissa just looked at the cat and shook her head.

"How can you not know Rissy, it's the most important thing in your life and you're leaving it as a surprise." Melissa sighed knowing Clarissa was a bit air headed but she was a good woman she'd made a fine mother.

"That's why I want it to be a surprise Missy, because the best things in life are." Clarissa shared her philosophy and Melissa nodded in agreement. "You didn't know if you were going to be getting a boy or girl when you went, I don't see how that was any different." Melissa shook her head.

"No I knew I wanted a little boy, I would have settled for a girl but I wanted to give Lewis a son." The room became quiet, all four of the adults present turned their heads away from one another.

"I think, Lewis would be proud Missy, he's a fine boy, I hope my little kitten can get along with them oh and if its a girl they're going to get married and then we'll really be sisters!" Clarissa laughed and Melissa nodded shaking her hand in agreement.

When Clarissa and Frank departed Mike hung around, while the two girls talked he and Frank set up the nursery that Melissa had prepared a week before today, painted a pastel white for neutrality and furnished with all the necessities from a toy box to a changing table Melissa was prepared for any age and type of child. "I didn't think we'd actually be using this." Mike said as he turned the screwdriver on the rails to the crib. "Most people adopt when they're kids, they want to avoid the whole poopy diaper phase." Mike gave a final turn and nodded satisfied with his work.

"I wanted a baby, both the good and the bad aspects, I want the first steps and the scraped knees and yes even the poopy diapers, I want to be a real mother." Melissa held jack up rubbing her nose into his belly, his paws reaching out to catch her. "No claws." Melissa said and Jack purred licking his mommy's nose.

"Whatever, I ain't touching one, clean or otherwise." Mike groaned cracking his back and looked at Melissa. "Hey Missy, are you going to be okay alone?" Mike frowned fraught with concern, since Lewis died Melissa had nightmares she would keep trying to save him but every night ended the same. "Are the nightmares going to come?" Mike reached out to put his hoof on Melissa's shoulder but she turned to face him before he could.

"I think I'm going to sleep in Jack's nursery tonight keep him company, you know they say that a new environment can cause a child to become scare." Melissa lied, she wanted the comfort of knowing someone was beside her, Mike could see it.

"Okay Missy, I'm gonna go back to my trailer then, call me if you need anything understand me?" Mike was concerned he wanted to spend the night but he knew Melissa would refute him.

"I will be fine Mike, you can come see Jackie tomorrow, we'll just be mommy and me tonight." Melissa gently put her hand on Mike and he snorted.

"I don't want to see the fuzzball, even if he is kind of cute." Melissa laughed and Mike exited the nursery going down the stairs with loud clomping foot steps.

"Uncle Mike is such a silly old horsey he loves you but he doesn't know how to say it." Melissa nickered and put Jack down in the crib rubbing his stomach. "Jack, promise me you won't ever leave me, that you'll stay here until I'm an old woman and you're an adult then you'll come back with your children and see me every now and then, promise me." Melissa whispered and Jack yawned in response. "I'll hold you to that." Melissa took a seat in a chair and spent the night beside Jack ready if he needed anything.

Jack woke up, laying on his back in the cot he had gone to sleep in. Rolling over he looked at the blurry clock, seven thirty. Groaning sleepily the seventeen year old lion sat up and stretched turning to a picture of his mother sitting on the cabinet. "Good morning mom." He said walking blindly into the shower wearing nothing at all. He turned the water on and hissed, it was ice cold again. "Uncle Mike the heater, it's died again!" Jack called out and a voice responded.

"It isn't dead I didn't turn it on, no need to waste the gas!" Jack grumbled and decided to brave the icy shower shaking himself off after a few minutes his fur fluffing out before he patted it back down, Jack was a very soft cream color of yellow while his mane was a dusty red. Finding his only pair of clothing Jack stuffed himself inside of his old jeans that once belonged to Mike and a black T shirt that clung to his body. As an adolescent lion he was larger than most other teens sized like an adult or even taller than some adults in other species. Living among horses Jack never really noticed his size difference, but when he started attending school he often go the question if he was held back or if was in the right class. His sized proved to be a curse and a blessing as it drew questions but people were very hesitant to mess with Jack. The imposing lion wasn't all that ferocious though, Jack liked poetry and art over arguing and brawls, a gentle giant with the soul of a creator. Jack's uncle however had other plans, he agreed to put Jack up so long as he trained to one day takeover the name Hailstorm in the boxing ring.

Mike was so attached to his last name that he made Melissa's husband agree to take their last name or he wouldn't give his blessing, he knew someday he'd have a nephew who would take the mantle. The old horse was disgraced in the ring after it was discovered her was taking bribes to extend or shorten the duration of the fights to please betting pools, he was cast out of the league and the name Hale was now a subject of mockery and disgust in the boxing community. Mike knew Jack would have a hard time but he was determined to see the name Hale back up on box office lights, maybe even in Madison square garden or Vegas. There was just one tiny problem as far as Mike understood it, Jack was absolute crap at throwing a punch, the boy was impossible to hit some kind of supernatural level of reflexes made him hard for even the professionally trained horse to land a solid hit, glancing was the best he'd ever managed. Jack was good at avoiding damage but when the tables turned her didn't attack, he never attacked. Mike spent countless frustrating hours trying to provoke him to attack but he wouldn't budge, he would just look at Mike sadly and say

"Mom said that real men don't fight when they're struck, the fight to protect others, like Dad did." Mike knew he wasn't going to win that argument so he gave up for now. Once Jack turned eighteen his responsibility as a guardian was over so it was either learn to fight or go live somewhere else. Not that living with Mike was exactly a trip in paradise. Mike never stayed stationary, he always moved, he converted an old tour bus from a defunct band into a two bedroom mobile home for Jack and him, every month they'd move to a new city, find a campground and park there. Jack mostly attended supplementary classes through an online education but he was required to have at least one week of on campus education to promote his, social, development. Jack had lost count of the number of schools he'd been too in twelve years worth of education. He knew exactly how many friends he made which was an astounding zero. Constantly moving and changing Jack had become adept at keeping his calm when things went wrong, as they often did, his Uncle was a hard drinker and a heavy flirt often leading to uncomfortable nights of women screaming and the bus rocking.

It was almost over though, a few more months, that was the mantra that kept Jack sane. A few more years, a few more months, a few more weeks, a few more days, a few more hours, minutes, seconds and then he'd be eighteen and free to leave. Stepping out of the trailer door Jack looked at the sun hanging high in the sky, it was a bright and cool day, spring had come and school was just resuming session after the Easter break. Jack looked at the address of the school on his phone, three miles away, he grimaced and then entered the bus stop location, one mile away. Hanging his head he began to jog to his destination swinging his arms as he ran. This far out there was nothing but road, well road and a single bridge leading into the city. Underneath the bridge a river ran from the tributary a little further east. The countryside was beautiful but Jack had a time to beat, his bus was coming in five minutes, he was a mile away without completely tearing down the road and obeying traffic laws it would take him ten to walk there four to run and three to sprint at his top speed. Jack made the decision to run picking up the pace raising his knees as he broke into a swift run. Jack had good speed for someone his size his feline agility translating even with his larger body. Barreling like a train he shot past the bridge paying no attention to the concealed eyes watching him.

"He will do, strong, tall, and very fast." A voice hissed from the shadows beneath the bridge and waited, normally what went across the bridge one way was bound to come back sooner or later and with the cover of the bridge, she had all the time in the world.

Jack managed to reach the stop just shy of four minutes but as he bent over to catch his breath he heard the honk of a horn and looked up, the bus was speeding past him. Breaking into a dead sprint he tried to make it to the stop but the driver either didn't notice or didn't care and zipped past the lion, students pointing and laughing at him. "Fuck.. my.. name." Jack gasped cursing the Lucky middle name he had. Wearily he continued to stumble towards where the bus was heading, as far as he knew this was the first stop. For two miles Jack trailed the bus arriving shortly after it ragged and tired. He was dripping with sweat and gasping for air but when he saw the gates of the school he perked up straightening himself out, to be a normal high school student, or at least he thought he would. Walking into the school Jack was immediately pegged by a senior who saw he wasn't familiar with him with a smirk he cut Jack off and pulled him aside.

"Hey newbie, I see you're late." The senior was a beefy bull with a thick nose ring and a mullet, a red thick hide and two long horns atop his skull. "We have a tradition here at the school, when you're late, you pay into the lunch fund for students without free lunches." The bull held his hoof out and Jack looked at him.

"Well I get free lunches so I don't have any money." Jack tried to move past the bull but he grabbed Jack's shoulder heightening the tension.

"I'm so sorry to hear that kitty cat, because people who can't pay, have to work." The bull snorted lowering his head imposingly. "You can start by carrying my things to my class, don't worry you won't be late if you hurry." The bull guffawed and pushed his books into Jacks hands, where Jack dropped them on the floor looking at this bull dead in the eyes.

"I'm not being your servant, carry your own stuff." A hot rage was building inside of Jack he didn't know why this guy picked him but he didn't want trouble he just wanted to sit in class and zone out, pass through doing his week, and be unnoticed.

"Did you just tell me no?" The bull snorted and stomped pushing Jack. Jack curled his fist but then a voice came into his head.

"A real man knows when to stand and fight and when to walk away." Melissa's voice echoed in Jacks thoughts and his tension slacked he turned his back to the bull and began to walk down the hall towards the corner, he had to find his homeroom before he was tardy. Seeing Jack's back put the bull into a rage crouching down on all fours and giving a loud bellow he charged Jack with the intention to gore him.

"YOU'RE DEAD KITTEN!" the bull roared and Jack paused, waiting, feeling it, he could sense that the bull was coming not with his eyes but with his body it just knew. As the bull got closer Jack bent his knees and as the bull nearly made contact he sprang up flying through the air gracefully landing behind the bull and kicking him in the butt sending him forward slamming head first into a set of lockers bending them, his horns piercing the thin metal doors. Jack smiled bowing to the bull.

"Ole,meathead." He walked off leaving the bull to struggle and stomp impotently trying to free himself. Jack managed to slip into class stealthily and once roll was conducted the teacher noticed his presence calling him to the front for introductions. "Hi my name is Jack Lucky Hale I'm seventeen and I haven't been in town long so I don't really know a lot of places, um, I hope to get to know you all well." Jack tried his best for a standard introduction receiving the normal lackluster clapping. Moving back to his seat he heard the whispers, the females were all commenting on how big he was and wondering about his endowment, while the males were measuring up their individual capacity to beat him up if the situation arose, typical high school.

Half way through the day a knock came at the door it was the principle, a big, brown, bull. Jack groaned, of course, that was his luck. Standing beside him was the senior his horns pointless due to the altercation with Jack. Jack was called into the office and when he explained what happened it was his word against the bulls who claimed Jack attacked him abruptly when he was trying to give him directions. Between a bull and a lion it was a tough call to see who had less credible word but a father stuck by his son, right or wrong. Jack sighed as he saw the princi-bull take his son's side and issue jack a suspension, one week for fighting in school, and his uncle would have to convince the principal to let him back in before his suspension ended meaning Jack was never coming back again.

Thrown out Jack decided instead of returning to the trailer that he would bum around town maybe find some odd jobs he could do to fill up his day.

Mike jogged along the road his jacket swaying in the spring breeze, it was nine and he had just woken up greeting the day like he did every day, with a nice five mile run. Mike despite being retired was in peak physical condition for a nearly fifty year old stallion. He didn't let Jack interrupt his daily routine once even as a child. He'd carry Jack on his back using an old backpack with the top cut off turned into a holder until Jack was old enough to walk then he made Jack walk with him the entire distance every, single, day. Now that Jack was in school he was free to continue his training not being pestered by a mewling child whose legs were 'tired' weak was what he was, weak because he had no ability to follow through. Mike didn't think much of Jack regretting not taking that young colt instead.

He came to the side of the bridge on his way back after running the length of the city from end to end following the main street. Covered in sweat Mike took a detour trotting down to the river beneath the bridge, figuring he could save on the water storage if he just bathed in the shade of the bridge, nobody would see him and there was nothing like a refreshing dip in some cold clean water. Mike removed his pants and jacket letting them lay on the grass as he stepped into the river shivering a bit at the sudden cold. Mike began to wash bending down to scoop up water pouring it over himself when he noticed a pair of eyes on him, Dashing for his clothes he felt a small hand wrap around his neck grabbing him by the mane.

"No, don't go, I was enjoying the show it isn't often that my food rinses itself." A small female human whispered into Mike's ear her legs around his back and her hand on his neck. "Keep, cleaning, yourself." She smirked and Mike bucked trying to throw her, the harder he bucked falling on all fours and kicking up hard the tighter she held threatening to tear his mane off. "AMUSING!" The girl laughed haughtily holding form as Mike kicked and thrashed until he couldn't buck anymore, after the five mile run he was fairly tired. "You smell like sweat but i can feel it, your pumping blood, your toned muscles, you may look like ground chuck but you feel like Filet Mignon." She continued laughing as Mike fell to his stomach his legs quivering. "You put up a valiant effort, know that not a single morsel of you will be wasted, be honored trash you shall become fodder for my glorious body, a most honorable fate." The girl pushed Mike into the dirt, her strength insane for her size Mike clutched and scrambled trying to escape as the girl sat on his back side saddle. "Bon Appetit." The girl opened her jaws producing two sharp long fangs from her incisors and lunged forward latching onto Mike's neck the sudden puncture causing him to freeze shock running through his system as her lips wrapped around the wound and slowly she began to drink from him her tongue licking the bite marks sucking him dry.

"Why do you need to be twenty one to work." Jack groaned he found no odd jobs, every city was different, this one apparently needed you to be twenty one so you couldn't use your family as an excuse when he tried to explain to prospective employers that his only family would never interrupt him working he was met with dismissal. Figuring that Uncle Mike had finished his morning run Jack began to pad back home. Crossing the bridge he heard a strange sort of music, coming from the underpass. Blinking he tried walking on but suddenly found himself turned around walking towards the tunnel. Jack's mind was fogged he felt, sleepy, he heard singing it was beautiful. Coming to stand at the foot of the bridge Jack saw the enchanting siren a young girl with pale white skin and bright yellow eyes wearing a flowing black gown her mouth open with a beautiful aria escaping her lips. Jack moved from the foot to the overhang completely entering the shadow of the bridge the girl looked to him and smiled stopping her song. "Beautiful." Jack responded mesmerized.

"Yes I know, not often are they strong enough to compliment my singing, I will honor you with a name then, I am Zuria." Zuria introduced herself and Jack offered his paw his eyes fogged by the hypnotic spell.

"Jack Lucky Hale." Jack introduced himself and Zuria began to cackle loudly.

"I see well you were named appropriately, you are indeed quite lucky to have spoken with me Jack Hale but I fear that our time together has come to its end." Zuria curtsied for Jack and then shot at him like an arrow her hands out stretched her eyes trained on his as he stood stupefied by her hypnotic call. The hairs on Jack's mane stood straight as he sensed the danger his body responding when his mind could not reaching out and grabbing Zuria much to her surprise. A quickly as she could she caught herself latching onto Jack's wrist and opening her mouth she bit down piercing his arm using her teeth to anchor herself. Jack looked at her a sharp pain running through his arm a trickle of blood running over his wrist. He moved his hand up holding Zuria like a caught fish and drawing his other hand back to his hip let out a fierce blow that hit Zuria right in the gut the sound of bones and teeth cracking as she bit down and took a small piece of Jack's flesh with her into the water.

Zuria landed screaming, the sun rays turned her milky white skin to ash, her bones to dust, and her tears to vapors. "CURSE YOU JACK HALE CURSE YOU

WITH THE GIFT OF THE SHADOWS YOU SHALL NEVER KNOW THE SUN'S LIGHT YOU WILL PERISH AS I HAVE IN AGONY SCREAMING AND CRYING!" Zuria reached out of the water but her hand cracked as if it were made of plaster, a light breeze blowing away the dust. With Zuria dead her spell on Jack broke coming too and reaching for his arm seeing a chunk of his flesh missing almost making bone visible.

"What the hell?" Jack hissed and covered his arm looking around for some explanation he found Uncle Mike's jacket and pants. "Oh no I hope he isn't really." Jack expected the worst, seeing Uncle Mike banging some loose teen behind the bridge but what he found was far worse than he could imagine. Laying in the grass a few feet away from where he was standing Uncle Mike's emaciated corpse sat withered and dry. Jack was shocked when he found him, he had no words, not sad or angry or happy just silence. His eyes focused down and he hung his head moving to his knees he closed his eyes and felt it build, build until it released. Jack let out a mighty roar that alerted some nearby pedestrians, shaking their car windows, pulling over to see the commotion they saw Jack holding the decrepit corpse of a stallion his head hung low. The pedestrians called the cops and Jack was interrogated he was a prime suspect being the only prints on the body, having a defensive wound, and lions were known carnivores.

Jack couldn't answer he wasn't mentally sound, his life had just crumbled to dust, one more year that was all it would have taken. Jack sat in the back of a police car while a social worker from the state argued away Jack's guilt, the state of the body was too far decomposed and his prints were around the side and neck, also there were other prints but they matched no records, there was a mysterious murderer on the loose and the police were better served chasing them than harassing Jack.

"Hey, you okay?" The social worker was a very nice border collie woman named Jackie, like him. "I'm sorry about what happened to your uncle, we'll catch the killer Jack but you can't go back to that trailer." Jackie was assigned to Jack's case a few years ago, she was warned however that Jack Lucky Boy Hale was a curious case who seemed to cause misery and woe wherever he went. Jack was cursed first his birth parents, then his adopted parents, and now his uncle, everyone who ever took care of Jack or sheltered him met the same fate, a gruesome mysterious unsolved death. Jack looked at his feet swearing that he could feel the reaper beneath him, waiting, hiding, eager to claim more.

"Just drop me off, I'll stay in a box on the road." Jack replied and Jackie shook her head.

"Nonsense, I know its traumatic Jack and you've had, your fair share of these incidents but don't give up hope there are people who were more than eager to take you in when we contacted them, strangely they were never listed but your Uncle gave us their number in the event anything happened to him." Jackie pulled out her phone and dialed the number handing it to Jack. "Tell them you're on your way, there wasn't really much to pack." In Jack's lap was his Uncle's jacket, Hailstorm, the memento of a disgraced boxer who wanted to return to stardom.

"Hello?" A female voice answered the phone and Jack looked at it, she sounded older. "Hello, is someone there?" The female voice asked again and Jack swallowed his intimidation.

"Hi, I'm Jack Hale, I was told to inform you that I was coming, I'm sorry for imposing." Jack spoke softly but was forced to move the phone away from his ears when he heard the reprise.

"OH MY GOD JACK!?" The woman on the other end of the phone screamed making him nearly drop it. "Oh Jack, of course you can stay with us, I didn't even know, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." The woman continued to repeat the same sentence over and over.

"Thank you, oh the case worker wants the phone back." Jack looked at Jackie who was holding her paw out.

"Hello Miss Johnson, yes, yes, yes, no, yes, yes, yes, no, no, alright." Jackie answered a series of questions and hung up the phone. "I knew from speaking to them the first time that they'd be happy to take you in, they have a daughter your age so I'm sure I don't need to tell you there are things even I can't protect you from Jack, no funny business." Jackie warned and Jack nodded clutching the jacket tight. Jackie's car pulled up to a suburban home, bushes in the front, fences in the back, a nice open porch, split level with a yard in the front and back a sidewalk running along it and a driveway leading into it, nice and normal. Jack felt out of place, having lived in a converted tour bus he never saw a house this big from the inside. "Jack I'm a phone call away so call me if you need anything okay?" Jackie had other appointments to keep so she dropped Jack off figuring he was old enough to do introductions.

As she drove away Jack sighed, from house to house to house these would probably be the next ones, but all he had to do was make it one, more, year. Determined to reach his eighteenth birthday with no unfortunate deaths he stepped forward a bandage across his arm where the flesh had been missing. Walking up the porch steps Jack brought his paw to the door and knocked slowly, not sure what to expect when the door swung open.