FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Thunderous lightning tore the sky in half above the great looming castle, a mountain that pierced the heavens and threatened to blaspheme against the gods with its gargantuan visage where crumbling turrets and towering spires grasped the bleak of darkness. Faces of gargoyles snarled silent against the rageful light as a lone shadow stood against a giant set of gates. A bolt struck against the doors as they suddenly opened with a deafening creak, the long looming halls of black opening beyond his reach as he stepped inside.

"[b]Welcome.[/b]"

The doors slammed shut with a furious wind that almost knocked him over as a deep voice boomed across the pale.

"[b]It has been many years since I have had fools in my court. And here I was starting to go mad from the boredom. I thank you for coming, if only to serve as entertainment for the short while.[/b]"

"I'm no fool," said the stranger, "The only entertainment here will be your death freeing the kingdom!"

"[b]Hmhmhmhmhm...bold of you to think you can kill what never lived.[b/]"

The end of the hall moved with a fluttering cape, lightning struck the windows and seemed to zigzag across the room to light torches in the form of electrical conduits, a soft hum radiating throughout the palace with their faces revealed. A raptor in leather armour with a bracelet round his neck shimmering a fierce crimson gold as he brandished a bastard sword towards his opponent.

"You never belonged in this world, so I shall send thee back to the fires of Hell!"

"[b]Oh?[/b]" The garbed shadow stepped down from a grand silver throne shaped like a dragon's head. "[b]You'd give me a new kingdom to rule beyond this one?[/b]"

"I'll give the world peace from you," said the knight, "nothing more."

"[b]Peace?[/b]" The cape swept open to reveal an elephant in dark steel. "[b]What peace does this world have without thunder and the rain? Do you tire of hiding your tears, do you shun the light of the heavens? Do you fear God myself?[/b]"

"I only tire of you, Brontus." The raptor swung his sword and braced his legs. "All that you have wrought, all your ills upon this land, your tyranny and the scars that you have laid bare upon our homes shall finally heal when your blood is spilt upon them!"

"[b]Then seek your fate beneath the skies THEMSELVES![/b]" The armoured king crackled his fists full of bolts. "[b]If you so choose to defy your king, nay, your GOD, then I cannot mourn for a future without THEE![/b]"

Jagged white struck through the hall in a violent flash as the raptor dodged swiftly into a starting run, pounding his clawed feet across the stone hall as Brontus swept his arms like a sorcerer with rippling sparks through his fingers as he raised one hand before sending it down towards the knight errant. Lightning rained down from the ceiling as wicked portals opened up from darkened clouds forcing the hero to dodge, swiftly hopping from one cobble to the next as he hurled his blade like a boomerang towards the villain. Brontus grabbed the sword with a sharp tingling burn through his palm before bursting an electric shock through the steel, magnetising it into a spear he tossed straight back towards the raptor. To his surprise the knight dodged as it streaked past him, grabbing it by the handle with a turning spin as his neckbrace gleamed with fire that spiralled down his arm and consumed the sword richly, bolts twisting into flaming tongues which turned into a shockwave of fire at the end of his spin.

"[i]RRRRRAAAAAAAAARGH![/i]"

"[b]GRAAAAAARGH![/b]" The mountain king staggered against his throne as burns seared through his body. "[b]Wh-what?! The...Flamberge of Heart!?[/b]"

"I learned my lesson," said the raptor with a smile, "after we met in Berhoven, did you think I'd make the same mistake?!"

"[b]Y-you...hmph. I remember you now, the boy who cried Bernhardt.[/b]"

"That was my brother. My name is Halvern, and I am here to bring his soul to peace!"

"[b]So, in the end you are but a selfish child, fighting to protect your family's honour for the few, not the many.[/b]"

"More people than YOU would fight for, you BASTARD!"

The raptor charged up the steps to the throne as the king suddenly leapt off his podium to hover in the air, charged with electromagnetic force through his being as he countered with a swift striking blast that sent Halvern falling off the steps. He tucked his body into a roll and felt the sparks course through his blade, simmering with fire as he shot out a beam of red towards the sorcerer who swerved quickly to his left in mid-air before shooting another bolt. Halvern blocked with his sword fuelling another attack, but the villain followed up with two more blasts that scarred the raptor's chest and seared through his leather-clad body as he stuttered screams of agony from his veins burning hotly. He stomped his foot forwards and came flying with sword out front, leaping high to strike against the sorcerer's clawed hands when he grabbed the sword and tried to wrest it away from his face, the raptor swinging his feet up onto the warlock's knees and backflipping hard to throw him back against a pillar with a crunch. Sliding down to the floor he was within range for Halvern's blade to come tearing with a horizontal sweep, spinning on one foot in mid-run to build momentum as he carved deep through the pachyderm's stomach. The lord Brontus roared with fury as he slammed his fist hard into Halvern's shoulder, following with a lightning-bolt kick to the gut that sent him straight to the ceiling that the raptor turned mid-air and sprang off the roof with his sword bracing against the stone, vaulting towards Brontus like a spear from above to pierce his shining sword through the sorcerer's leg.

"[b][i]AAAAAAAARGH! YOU, INFIDEEEEL![/i][/b]"

The warbringer charged both his hands before clapping them together in a violent struck of lightning that shuddered through the raptor's body, causing him to stagger back in a rippling scream before Brontus summoned two orbs around his fists, a brilliant blue sheen of ball lightning as he levitated himself with wounded bleeding leg dragging underneath. Powerful swings came towards the hero as he ducked beneath the first swipe, stepping back from an uppercut before a sudden thrust jab crunched against his chest and burst with a miniature explosion as he cried falling onto his knees with a heaving gasp of burning lungs. The monarch raised both his fists to come down upon the raptor's head but he dodgerolled fast and countered with a roaring uppercut that slashed across Brontus' arm when he snarled with a haymaker straight to the raptor's jaw. Halvern stood up in a stumble and swung his sword down upon Brontus' face, the pachyderm clapping his hands against the blade to stop it dead inches from his eyes as a silent war engaged between them, the warrior burning his gaze into the cold silver gleam of the sorcerer's-"

"Wait WAIT 'ang on toime out!"

Ashwin stopped briefly as James backed off to give him space, the pachyderm rubbing his eyes furiously with a twitch developing as dust picked up across the barren playground.

"Bloody dust in me eyes."

"Heeheeheh, okayyy," James grinned absently swinging his stick, "how much time we got 'til the next movie?"

"Uhhhh 'bout," the elephant checked his plastic watch, "twenty minutes so let's finish this off."

"Right!"

Grabbing the raptor's weapon, Ashwin clashed once again with snarls and gasps before he threw the stick aside and booted James "viciously" in the chest, the raptor falling back with exaggerated cry as he went rolling once again along the dirt.

"Stupid boy," the elephant lifted himself up on the tips of his toes with floaty fingers, "all you shall leave behind is but a grave beside your brother."

"NN-NNNNRGH! NOT...YET!" The raptor stroking his "scarred" cheek. "Not while there's breath in my body!"

"[b]Then you breathe your last TONIGHT![/b]"

The sorcerer swung his cape forwards in front of the knight as he backed off beneath the amperic torches, suddenly seeing Brontus stand inches from his face when the cloak fell to earth. He barely had time to react from the shocking fist that drove into his skull and sent him flying into a pillar which crumbled almost fully on top of him, crackling stone and mortar threatening to crush his body as he scrabbled and dove between the falling rocks, the warlock sweeping back his cape onto his shoulders like a falcon to its roost as the knight leapt upon the rocky pile and immediately came flying with a brazen screech of vengeance. Clashing hard the elephant blocked him with his hands once, then twice when Halvern stepped back for an uphand swing of before he slammed the butt of his hilt into Brontus' helm, leaving him open for a huge diagonal cut that raked through his armour forcing him back.

Staggering hard the elephant came furious with a brutal gutpunch that just missed the raptor, knocking him against the waist to send him to the floor as he tightened his gut and sucked in his breath to make a lunging tackle, slamming against the warlord's stomach before he swung his blade once more. Once, twice, thrice and more did Brontus block him with punching strikes, pounding against the sword as it glanced off his knuckles with each crack that shone through the castle's throne room, lightning screeching across the windows from outside as the raptor finally broke through with a cracking elbow slam of his hilt against the pachyderm's cheek. He flew back with a sudden gust and tightened his arms with crackling thunder wrapping around his sleeves to become dual phantoms reaching out beyond his fists.

"[b]BEAR WITNESS TO YOUR GOD AND [i]DESPAAAAAIIIIIR![/i][/b]"

Blasting towards Halvern were two serpentine forms of lightning itself, forming the heads of dragons as scales crackled with howling force at the raptor who stood in waiting. He dived between the ruthless beasts as their bodies twisted into a double helix to try and crush him, the knight avenger quickly turning fast to carve through one of their bodies and absorb its lightning into his blade, rancorous screams echoing as the creature was severed from its partner with a burning blade that became supercharged as he ran towards Brontus. The warlock sent out a volley of thunderbolts that formed a barrier that shot towards Halvern, the raptor jumping over one hurdle to slide-roll beneath the next without losing momentum as his sword thrust true.

"[i]RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH![/i]"

"[b][i]GA-AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH![/i][/b]"

Ashwin stood in shock, staggering back with a stick buried beneath his armpit as James struggled to hold his pose in mid-thrust without falling until the elephant pulled out of his reach.

"Y-you...c-curse you...my world...my...kingdom."

He fell with a gasping breath, softly as he could with a thud onto the blacktop as the dust settled amongst the soft winds of Wimbledon Common. The sound of foot traffic and cars could be heard faintly amidst the rustling of trees as the raptor put his foot upon Ashwin's chest.

"It's over. Brother." He slapped a hand to his heart. "The storm...is over."

"Pffffthahahaha-"

"S-s-stopiiiiit!" James started wobbling as his foot shook from Ashwin's laugh.

"Youhuhuhuhulook such a twat."

"NO I DON'T!"

"BAH!" He thrust the stick up at James' belly to knock him back. "That wuz pretty fun tho, that movie wuz great!"

"YEAH I really liked it!" James grabbed the elephant's hand to pull him up. "Soooo you wanna go back now?"

"Yeah why not see wot else is 'appening."

Grabbing his backpack from the side Ashwin marched with James across the park where a few kids were busy climbing across a labryinthine network of plastic columns and arches that resembled a Soviet maze, brutalist architecture with soft curves and filed-down points where boys and girls swung from monkey bars and made daring leaps that felt bigger than they were whilst their mothers half-watched from the sideline benches, a sign nearby warning only children from outside the housing estates were allowed to play in the "communal" park, with a face scanner checking everyone through the automatic gate. A komodo dragon chatted with human friends whilst two young adult dogs fiddled on handheld consoles frantically trying to beat the other at their game. A lion and a bull sat on the grass encouraging their daughter to start walking with one leaning down in front of her, beckoning her towards him with clapping joy as she started to stumble her first steps into his arms.

"Wotcha think abou' two dads?" asked Ashwin looking on at the family.

"Huh?" James looked to him then to the dads.

"Loik say you get adopted, would you rather 'ave two dads, two mums or one of each?"

"I don' care," James shrugged, "why?"

"Oi dunno," he shrugged back, "just curious."

"I don' even know my mum an' dad, so I dunno whut it's like."

"...sorry." He patted the raptor's head. "Oi'm sure they were good pare-"

"I don' care!" he shouted slapping his hand away. "Let's just, go to the movies okay?!"

"Alrigh', alrigh'."

Heading out onto the street, they passed through the rather affluent neighbourhoods of Wimbledon where houses had been built into a mock-Tudor style, white faces of faux-wood with black-barred supports staring out towards them as hover cars drifted over their heads with rigid observation to the roads like Scalectrix tracks. Further from the residential district they walked into the commercial area where shops offered much more lucrative goods than they did back in their home region, ranging from tourist traps and miniatures of London to rather specific tastes in food both ethnic and diet-sensitive. There were also signboards standing out on the street with aggressive displays of marketing ranging from hashtags of the people's favourite toothpaste, to sexualising vehicles with some lustrous curve that was either cherry red metal or a crimson dress. None of them appealed to Ashwin, though James was rather taken by some shiny model buses in one window until the elephant pulled him away. Other shops however offered a wide culture of tastes. Media stores with small vinyl discs and a metallic wedge for inserting into players; home-made cosmetics stores encouraging fair trade practices with organic soaps and gels; toy shops with off-brand dolls and board games and plush figures that looked more at home in a charity shop than anywhere else; and lastly sporting goods stores where gloves and shoes had been designed to to fit feet and hands that numbered less than five digits causing James to look at his own bare feet.

"Wish I had shoes," he muttered.

"Why?" asked Ashwin. "Yer feet are tough enough roigh'?"

"Just be nice to, yanno, look normal."

"Pfft, fuck that, you think oi give a shit about normal?" The elephant swept his hands down to his own circular tree-stump feet. "Yanno wot they call a shoe fer elephants, a fuckin' bedpan more loik."

"Yeah but, I never worn shoes EVER, you got to wear them when you had a family!"

"Well oi don' miss me shoes."

"Least you had them once." The raptor kicked a stone into the road. "I dunno, it's stupid, everyone else got shoes around here."

"Yeah cuz they're not poor as shit, didn't you used to live 'ere in Wimbledon?"

"I dunno, who cares."

"Just wondered mate, sorry."

"Why you askin' so many things?!" James tightened his fists. "I don' remember anythin' anyway!"

"Cuz oi care about you Jim." Ashwin bent over slightly to meet his gaze. "Just cuz we lost our fam don' mean we 'ave to forget them."

"I didn't KNOW theeeem so jus', jus', sh-shuddup!"

"Ugh, foine."

Kicking cans down the street as buses rumbled past and citizens never looked up from their phones, they reached a theatre known as the Lumiere, a bright and bold cinema with an Art Deco style, smooth monochrome lines covering the face of the building like a neon waterfall on either side of its entrance where movie posters scrolled past within laminated billboards on a reel. Above the entrance was white unicorn's head loomed proudly with clingfilm spilling from its neck in place of a mane as they stepped underneath to find an open foyer with smooth red carpet, one area consumed in the smell of sweets and salt with a variety of high-priced confectionery, whilst another area led to the darkening portals of imagination, films showing times upon digital readouts just outside their doors.

"Whut about Burn Cycle?" James pointed to a man screaming with fire in his brain.

"Naaah," muttered Ashwin suckling his trunk, "don' really do with that hacker crap. Maybe Darkseed?"

"Ewww nooo," James shook his head at a woman's face wrapped in metallic veins, "looks creepy an' artsy an' blegh."

"Alrigh' alrigh' let's 'ave this one then." He pointed to a crocodile armed with sword and gun upon a broken ship's mast.

"YEAH, yeah, pirates are awesome!"

"Alrigh' let's do it!"

They went to the ticket booth at the front desk as Ashwin paid, the clerk dalmatian looking at the elephant's backpack with suspicion before he decided he was not being paid enough to care as the boys passed through towards the movie doors, waiting for the previous movie to finish as they sat down together in a plush corridor where deep surround-sound vibrations quaked through the building. A large TV could be seen stuck on an entertainment channel that dealt specifically with upcoming movies and the latest goss in the industry, currently showing a boar discussing an old movie where a fat oafish security guard rode around a mall in a segway.

[i]"We don't actually know what the director intended,"[/i] said the boar, [i]"since unfortunately most of the production notes have indeed been lost. But one surely cannot overlook that its anti-comedic approach was intentional by the actor."[/i]

[i]"Would you say then,"[/i] said an offscreen voice, [i]"that Paul Blart: Mall Cop is actually a critique disguised as a comedy?"[/i]

[i]"Absolutely, it's a masterclass of the deconstruction of humour within the facade of a family-rated movie. The main character Blart and his role as a low-level guard speaks to the heavily-militarised fetishization of 21st-century police, whom despite their own duties remaining beneath that of the military, continued to exacerbate their responsibilities beyond what was allowed within their services."[/i]

"Why would anyone care about movies from like a BILLION years ago?" scoffed James melting into his seat.

"Cuz people're always lookin' fer sutff," said Ashwin scratching his chin with the trunk, "they go rootin' around in vaults an' all the homes that got built over when we came round."

"But whyyyy? We got new movies there's too MANY of 'em we don' need the old movies!!"

"Oi dunno Jim, people're weird. Sum o' them films from loik a thousand years ago just don' sit roigh' with me."

"Like that Dumbo film?" muttered James looking up at him.

"Y-yeah so let's not talk about it roigh'?"

"But like, do we HAVE to watch all them movies could they not like put them away somewhere fer only fancy people to watch?"

The elephant shrugged nonplussed as they huffed in silence, watching critics banter and debate across 21st-century movies that became a blur to their minds until people started filing out of the room with the ticker above the door changing its time of screening. The boys decided to go to the bathroom first before finding the best seats, traipsing into the darkness and settling themselves. Two hours of swashbuckling later, they emerged swinging their sticks with raucous cries in their hearts.

"HAHAAAAR ME LAD!"

"YOU BEST WATCH YERSELF OR OI'LL GUT YA!"

"GUT YA LIKE A FISH, MATEY!"

"Excuse me please keep it down," said the dalmatian at the ticket booth.

"PIRATES NEVER KEEP IT DOWN YA LANDLUBBER!" James shouted with glee.

"Then either lower your voice and put those things down, or I'll have to ask you to leave."

"We were leavin' anyways chill out mate!" Ashwin slapped his friend's back as they strolled into the sunlight. "ONWARDS JIMBOY!"

"YAAAAAAAH!"

Marching down the main street of Wimbledon they brought out their sticks that they had stashed through shoddy belts, swinging and thwacking against lamp posts in passing whilst dodging around responsible adults that sneered passive-aggressive at their shenanigans. They crossed over roads and jabbed at enemies in their mind's eye with the sounds of the high seas rippling in their ears before they headed to the bus stop where a small queue was forming.

"Easy there," said Ashwin putting a hand out, "we're in the enemy's dock, sheathe yer blade."

"Right," James put his "sword" in his belt as they waited for the bus to approach, "think they'll let us on?"

"They'll take any gold me lad," the elephant winked with rogueish smile, "cause no trouble, they won't suspect a thing 'til we're at their stronghold."

"Right," the raptor snickered fiendishly, "wh-whut if one of them picks a fight?"

"They won't Jim, not while oi'm 'ere."

Five minutes later the bus came with a hissing gasp, the passengers filing off and the rest getting on with Ashwin paying up for both to the panda conductor as they sat on the back seat.

"Phew, we made it!" gasped James. "We'll get to the stronghold in no time!"

"Aye," muttered Ashwin keeping lookout at the window, "should be safe passage through the dawn, then our plan shall begin."

"Yes yes the plan!" whispered the raptor trying not to leap out of his seat. "We get our own ship there too?!"

"So long as the stars remain in the sky," the elephant swept his trunk around James' shoulders with a hand to the port window, "we shall rule the seven seas again."

The carriage drove its way through Wimbledon, passing from the gentrified houses and craft shops into the slum districts of Croydon, a familiar sight to them both as they said nothing between stops along the eastern route, gently snaking northeast over the course of 40 minutes towards the River Thames where it bent downwards into a barren hilly area with few buildings to discern it. One building however stood above the rest, up high on a plain protected by a fence all around its border with a hard red light blinking on top. A sign out front said it was the Former Royal Observatory, warning that the ground was not suitable for plant life.

"The fortress!" cried James with a whisper. "Any guards?!"

"Not as far as oi see," said Ashwin, "cummon, we'll 'ead over to a safer soide just act casual."

"Right."

Keeping watch for any guards they took a leisurely stroll to try not to attract attention. The building before them was a giant rotunda, a large dome-shaped manor closer to a castle with a rectangular western side and a great spire of compass points above its tower. The red-bricked facade had seen terrible things, scarred and melted stone from heat flashes that were evident from the dead wastes it sat upon, miles around where not even trees grew through the soil. Sometimes a guard came passing by as they crossed the street to the more populated side in order to avoid them before finding the right spot. A set of plastic trees had been lined along one street in particular, firm and leathery in their texture without any imperfections which offered no purchase to climb.

"Alrigh' gimme yer belt, keep an eye out fer guards alrigh'?"

"Roger cap'n!"

James saluted and slipped off his belt as Ashwin did the same, putting both leather cords together as he grabbed his stick-weapon in his trunk. Wrapping the belt round the tree then himself, the pachyderm climbed upwards with a lumberjack lift as the tree trunk shook slightly under his weight. Huffing with exertion he took a furious two minutes of heaving himself up to the branch above as he sat down and uncircled the beltstrap to make a rope for James.

"All clear?"

"Y-yeah, all good!"

"Alrigh' get up 'ere then."

Clambering on he pulled himself up with a frantic scrabble, clawing his feet at the tree whilst Ashwin rolled back the belt carefully round his fist before the raptor hoisted himself onto his perch. Gently James balanced towards the end of the branch until the fence was below him, hopping over to land on the ground in a pouncing roll as Ashwin followed less successfully with a rumbling leap and balled himself up to protect his skull like a boulder, crashing with a heavy crunch into the bare dirt.

"You alright?!" cried James.

"Y-yeah...f-fuck," he stumbled up shaking his head, "gotta foind an easier way of doin' this."

"Heheheh, come on let's go, the fortress is up ahead!"

"Alrigh' alrigh', oi'm not young keep yer voice down!"

Hoofing it over the hill they made their way to the observatory, finding a gap in its stone masonry to squirm through and reach the hollowed-out inside that had been robbed for all its worth in the ensuing years. Walls that had once been covered in luscious paintings and exhibits now laid bare with white empty space, now coated in graffiti where foul words and rabid faces plastered themselves across the interior. Ladders and tools had been left behind by the thieves and vandals as the youths walked from room to room gazing upon its former glory. The only thing that remained of its former history was the telescope in the rotunda, a staircase spiralling around its colossal length, piercing towards the stars with the lens now missing from years ago. Fingerprints covered it from all species, words had been carved and sprayed across the room from poems to love testaments to who sucked the other's dick.

"Ya hafta wonder why they never fixed this place up," said the elephant peering through the viewer.

"Maybe it's like super expensive?" James mused tapping the steel. "It's kinda huge."

"Yeah but they got loike tons'a money up in Westminster, ya think they'd wanna spiff up a shoiny ol' telescope to look fancy."

"I'unno."

They headed down another set of steps into the basement of the observatory, the air turning moist and heavy with dampness as they uncovered a large maintenance room where a generator had been left to rust, a great metal coffin cold as the stone tomb that surrounded it. Amongst the network of pipes that contorted and twisted around the ceiling like veins, there were small broken valves that seemed to point towards a manhole cover at the end of the room. Ashwin laid down his backpack and brought out an odd-looking metal bar shaped like a T, heading over to the sewer grate to wedge it into place. Then he lifted with a twist of his body.

"HnnnNNNNNRRRRRRGH!"

"Wow," James grinned at his friend heaving the metal disc, "how'd you get so strong?!"

"S'wot elephants do," the pachyderm kissed his biceps curled, "me ancestors used to rip out whole TREES with just their trunks!"

"Coooool...what'd my ancestors do?"

"Huntin' oi reckon, lotsa vicious rip-and-tearin' an' the loik, anyways let's get on in."

Taking out the crossbar tool to put back in his pack, he brought out the breathing masks that Vanderlik had offered them before which James sneered at.

"Awww whut, not these things again!"

"Trust me they work, yer gonna need 'em walkin' through shit tunnels."

"Nnnnnngh but, I don' wanna wear it, it smells funny!"

"It's clean don' worry about it!"

"Nnnngh!"

Eventually he took the leather mask as Ashwin put on his trunksock, before they headed downwards into the depths of London's sewers. Darkness opened up before them as they stepped down the ladder, stepping into puddles much to the disgust of both as Ashwin pulled out a flashlight and grasped it tightly in his trunk to keep it at eye-level. Semi-circular walls glistened with dew as the elephant reached his hand behind him to grab at James.

"Stick close to me alrigh'?"

"Okayyy-ugh, my feet are stickyyy!"

"Shhh! You dunno wot's down 'ere, remember we're in the enemy stronghold."

"That wuz made up Ashwin we're not pirates!"

"Oh fer fuck's sake just humour me alrigh'?!"

"Fiiiine."

Keeping a tight hold on Ashwin's fingers, the raptor was led into the dark subterrane as their footsteps echoed through the cavernous tunnel, droplets shattering like glass that popped their ears amidst the gentle sloshing of vile fluids underfoot. Stone arches gleamed with fright from the elephant's torch, his trunk gently swaying back and forth to check each wall in passing as they reached the first corner where the passage widened. The central path became deeper to form a narrow river with embankments on each side they were forced to walk onto, the sludge thickening the further they went in as the stench became more great, almost to the point it became a living entity that clouded their eyes and smouldered fogs of methane.

"HHhrrnnnghkh!" James choked back a stinging cough. "Uuurgh why do we even come here?!"

"S'the only way to get to Ema's island," said Ashwin breathing through his mouth, "hhhhunless you wanna risk bein' a stowaway on a REAL ship."

"It's like ONE river, why can't we?!"

"Cuz real sailors don' fuck around, they'll toss us in jail if they ever caught us, you wanna go through that again?"

"N-NO, NO I DON'!"

"Then start breathin' through yer mouth an' don' let go, alrigh'?"

"O-okay."

With tighter grip James clenched his snout and kept his mouth open despite the acrid taste that dripped faintly through the air as a cold breathy slime that crept down the back of his throat. Soon the passage became a junction that split four ways as Ashwin cast his light over each tunnel with a flicker in his memory leading him down towards the western route, slowly circling around to the north as an old rusted gate failed to stop them in its now-dilapidated state. The next junction they headed east, then at the third they found signs painted in yellow along the northern route.

"Whut's that?" asked James.

"Aww shit." The elephant bit his lip. "Fuckin' cops are in the area."

"Huh?"

"S'a hobo sign, yanno, homeless people, they leave messages to each other so's they can warn which ways not to go in case of loik, death or police."

"Soooo where do we go?"

"That way," Ashwin swept his flashlight to the east, "we'll foind another route there's plenty of 'em."

"How do you know all this, you got like a whole map in yer head?!"

"Uhh yeah, yanno, elephants?" He tapped his head. "Remember lotsa things, maybe a li'l too much."

"Like whut?" asked James plodding along behind.

"Loik when you gouged Brian Delgado's eyes out."

"Uh, EVERYONE remembers that Ash."

"Yeah but they don't remember you were wearin' a blue shirt an' red shorts whilst Brian wuz all in black."

"Uhhhh...okayyy-A-AIIIH!"

"Wot 'appen?!" Ashwin pulled him close.

"S-sumthin' grabbed my leg!"

He turned and cast his light towards a small furry beast that raced to the end of the passage.

"Just a soddin' rat Jim calm down."

"I-it felt yyuurkh!"

"Well it didn' boite you did it?"

"N-nooo?"

"Then yer foine, let's go."

James looked down at his soggy foot then back towards the rat as its tail slipped into darkness.

"How come they didn't evolve?"

"Huh?" Ashwin looked up to see pipes running above.

"The rats, how come they didn't turn into anthros?"

"Oi dunno."

"I thought you remembered stuff."

"Yeah bu' oi don' KNOW it Jim, that's different, if oi never knew it then oi can't remember it."

"Oh. O-okay."

"Alrigh' we made it." He stopped beneath a ladder. "Li'l bit further than oi woulda loiked but well, better than nuthin'."

The top of the ladder brought them to an industrial wasteland, a cemetery of steel struts and broken cranes that glinted sadly with pale lights upon the tallest structures. Iron and wrought metals coated the landscape, the silver scars that covered London between black strips of tarmac and old dry docks that had become deepened wounds of the city. Craterous pockmarks dotted the district as they made their way downwards to the north, the Thames bending southwards behind them.

"Yanno, s'not much really an island," muttered James.

"Yeah it's more loik a peninsula," said Ashwin scratching his scalp, "anyways, that over there's where we're headin', Ema's place."

"Who's Ema again?"

"Oi dunno, some old lady from loik a thousand years back."

"OOOH," James clapped his hands, "maybe it wuz a queen!"

"Yanno, maybe," Ashwin nodded tapping his head, "we used to 'ave royals roigh'?"

"Yeah, they used to have a uh...a uhhh, a place right?"

"Yeah just a mausoleum now."

"Whut's a marzoleein?"

"Just a fancy buildin' they put dead people in, loik one o' them pyramids."

"Ohhhh."

Their descent into the island peninsula brought them the scents of bitter oils and steel dust, a heavy oxidised scent that made James cough from the metallic sting in the back of his throat, but not enough to put the mask back on as ancient monoliths stood high above them, crumbling edifices where sharp glinting shards could be seen in the pale sun that glinted behind the clouds. There were faces within the buildings, huddled masses and moving blankets that stared occasionally at them, the dregs of society trying to eke out their existence with paltry foods and numbing narcotics around open flames. Ashwin motioned James to keep close, giving a courteous nod and nothing more as they passed them by at a respectable distance. The roads had become cracked and withered like old skin, twisted and uneven with the remnants of pipes now burst through the tarmac.

There were some commercial districts, though they were few and far between with shattered glass windows half of which had been covered in tarp and a long semi-circular street that bent around a river showing a sea of closed shutters and old burns with graffiti mixed in. The spraypaint was much older and less artistic, crude and violent cries against the world that abandoned this dark peninsula from which only the destitute and the criminal now lived. James spotted a few warehouses and businesses still open, but none of them legit from the way their dark-clothed deliverers huddled with boxes under their arms through the rat maze of the isle where not a single siren or blue light existed. Ashwin kept him well away from some streets, seeing shadows take a brief look before returning to their deeds whilst heading towards the northwest region.

"Roigh', there it is," the elephant pointed to a large rectangle, "Ema's place, just gotta get in."

"How we gonna do that?" asked James scratching his head.

"With that."

His finger moved over towards a rooftop nearby where a radio tower had fallen across as a gap, hitting through the side of the building block with a great scar on its front as the raptor gulped.

"W-woah...that...really?"

"Uh yeah," said Ash tapping him, "it's how we always got there."

"Oh, r-right."

"Cummon this way."

They started at the base of the smaller building, a radio station judging from the old gutted panels and recording booths when they climbed in through a window. Taking the stairs whilst clearing away shards with their sticks, they scaled upwards to the rooftop ten floors later as a cold wind streaked through their bodies, gasping banshees between stone edifices as Ashwin took his first steps onto the creaking iron struts as they groaned slightly under his weight. The tower kept steady as James followed on, gently balancing as the howling gales shrieked against their ears, the boys grabbing onto the steel wrought frame to keep steady as they crossed over to the old office block.

"Is this it?" asked James sneering at the inside.

"Well yeah," said Ashwin shrugging, "but the real stronghold is upstairs."

"Whut kinda place was this?"

"Think it wuz a hospital, anyways let's go up."

On their current floor were several cubicles now flattened and crumpled by their walls, old computers and tattered papers scattered across the floor as they stepped through towards the halls and found collapsed rooms that formed slopes next to rampways instead of stairs. An old elevator shaft could be found too, the cold metal box now slanted halfway down to remain trapped within. Room after room they passed contained more offices, but on higher floors they found laboratories where medical equipment laid upon broken desks, microscopes and shattered petri dishes amongst the wreckage as James briefly looked over difficult papers with a passing interest as Ashwin led him onwards and upwards. Various sections of the building were given complex names the higher they went before reaching the rooftop. Or rather the top of the building that had been torn off to leave a room completely exposed to the elements.

"Uhhh, Ash?" James pointed to a yellow sign painted on the staircase. "Whussat mean?"

"Means no shelter," said the elephant, "oi put that on meself so's nobody come up here but us."

"Oh! Sooooo is this the stronghold?"

"Yep, it's our place," said Ashwin spreading his arms and walking forwards through the wind, "way up 'ere we're kings Jim, kings an' masters an' nobody can tell us wot to do."

"Awww COOL!"

The top floor of the building had been refurbished somewhat with a few extras; mattresses placed within sheltered corners protected from the wind; a dartboard put up against a wall; a small crate half-filled with cans; two small wheelcarts that had been given shoddy paintjobs and lastly an old wireless television sitting on a desk. The boys sat themselves down into the carts after Ashwin pulled up two cans of cheap cider and turned on the TV. Commercials were running on a terrestrial channel advertising a new shower gel guaranteed to work on fur, skin and scale equally well with patronising grins from all three types of potential customers.

"Now this," Ashwin cracked open a cold one with his trunk, "this is the loife, roigh' here."

"Mmmhmm!" James clinked his can with Ashwin's before drinking up. "Mmmm ish lemony!"

"Yeaaah it's the cheap stuff woddaya want?"

"No no it's good, it tastes funny!"

"Not bad funny roigh'?"

"Nope, it's like lemonade!"

"Heheheh, yeaaaah."

They took sips as best they could, letting commercials reel on as Ashwin pulled up a box of old syringes beside him.

"Soooo," asked James with a gentle slurp, "zere anything like, big going on?"

"Get money at the festival," Ashwin picked up a syringe and airmed at the dartboard, "should be round August oi think."

"Wut like, selling things?" James took one up in turn.

"Nah nah just see who's up fer jobs," he let fly and thudded deep into 12, "yanno the usual shit. We go down to Piccadilly, scout round all the vendors an' tourists."

"We're not like scamming anyone are we?" James hurled his and thunked into the 7.

"No course not! People just wanna pay fer convenience."

"Like, whut?"

"Well," the elephant picked up another syringe and aimed with his trunk, "you wanna walk all thuh way up town fer free, or get a cab an' pay fer it?"

"Uhhhh-"

"Cuz if you pay, you get it easy an' just coast on down the street, but if ya don't, you gotta hoof it yerself an' go allll that way an' get exhausted."

"Ohhh yeah," James took another drink as Ashwin hit a bullseye.

"So we dress up in sumthin' noice, talk to sum folks, ask if they need any 'elp, s'loik bein' a waiter in one o' them fancy places."

"Uhhh," the raptor picked up another dart, "I don't hafta wear a suit do I?"

"Naaah just don't wear anythin' rude or scruffy. Course oi'm gonna 'ave to uhh get them sum other ways."

"Whut, like stealing?!" James hit a double 1 as Ashwin drank.

"Maybe, orrrrr oi could just bribe the prefect, yanno, change things up in the queue so we gets first pickings."

"You can do that?!"

"Well, no you shouldn't but loik oi said you pay fer the convenience."

"Right. Sooo, whut about-"

"OI, OI JIM IT'S US!"

"WHUH?!"

"THE TELLY, LOOK!"

They looked towards the screen where a familiar scene was unveiling before them, with the narration of a white rabbit in a smart red suit.

[i]"Good afternoon. A store was firebombed in Brixton yesterday by a teenaged saurian. The suspect, aged sixteen, was arrested by the police after throwing a molotov at a music store, before he was chased down by two unidentified youths whom he attacked in turn with a bladed weapon."[/i]

"AWWW WOT?!" cried Ashwin. "Unidentified me arse!"

"Whuzzat mean?" asked James. "Like, a dentist?"

"No it means they never saw our faces so we won't get famous!"

"WHUT?! THASS BULLSHIT!" James threw his empty can at the screen.

[i]"The suspect claimed to be a member of the Sons of Janus, a Pangaeist orthodox group. He is currently being charged with terrorism and attempted murder, whilst local Pangaeist groups have condemned the attack. Joining me now is Adrian Rodersten, a local Pangaeist leader."[/i]

[i]"Good evening,"[/i] a tyrannosaur in black robes appeared on the screen, [i]"thank you for having me madame."[/i]

[i]"Mr. Rodersten, your thoughts on this?"[/i]

[i]"Well it's a cowardly attack, what is there to say? A gross misunderstanding of the very basic tenets of our faith, Pangaeism itself would never wish harm unto any creature, it is merely a means to help untangle the primal memories within each and every saurian."[/i]

[i]"What of the Sons of Janus,"[/i] asked the newsreader drumming her fingers, [i]"the criminal claimed to be part of them and they are a Pangaeist group, what can you tell us about them?"[/i]

[i]"We have never accepted them,"[/i] Adrian swept his hands dismissively, [i]"the Sons of Janus are an extremist organisation whose methods are far too severe to be allowed in society, who actively harm their own people with abusive brainwashing and fire-based rituals."[/i]

[i]"And what does Pangaeism do that is different from them?"[/i]

[i]"When a saurian has come of age we bring them to a room specially designed to invoke the ancient memories, certain scents and a heated atmosphere without any need of fire whatsoever and we have medically-trained staff at all times during the regression."[/i]

[i]"But accidents can happen yes?"[/i] the rabbit clasped her hands against her whiskered snout. [i]"There have been occasional times where rituals have failed and at least four people were reported this spring to have needed psychiatric counselling."[/i]

[i]"Which is why we have medically-trained staff,"[/i] rebuffed the cleric squeezing his claws, [i]"there are rare incidents where a regression can become traumatic, but it is also entirely the choice of the recipient on whether they wish to initiate it. I can speak for all in my paklah that we would never consider the Sons of Janus to be part of us, and we would never, EVER, force anyone to regress without their consent. I only hope that the two youths who chased the would-be terrorist are safe."[/i]

[i]"Obviously we cannot state the names of those underaged in reports, but I have confirmed that the youths that chased him down are alive and well."[/i]

"Yeah," scoffed Ashwin slurping his drink, "no thanks to the soddin' police that took their sweet toime gettin' there."

[i]"Then to the brave heroes I blesseth thee,"[/i] said Rodersten with humble bow, [i]"may the light of Pangaea warm your heart, the waters stay rich and the spirit of Cxulubcah watch over thee. Whatever may come, our paklah shall always be friends to the world in past, present and in future."[/i]

[i]"Thank you, Mr. Rodersten,"[/i] the rabbit swivelled back towards the viewer, [i]"coming up we have the summary of Prime Minister's Questions as well as further reports in the Tokyo March. Stay tuned for the weather report, and we shall see you again at eight o'clock pm."[/i]

Weather maps came on as Ashwin crunched his can with his trunk before tossing it away, grabbing another for him and James as they kept on drinking. With each passing minute their heads started to loll and a grin crept on their faces with random sniggering.

"Ere, ere," Ashwin tapped James' shoulder too hard, "you know anythin' 'bout, Pangaea?"

"Nuh," muttered James slapping him away, "ah dunno nuthin'."

"Juzt wondered cuz we got that muzeum trip in autumn."

"Wh-whuuuuh? Awww but musheumsh are sho booooriiiin'!"

"Naw they not!" Ashwin waved his trunk in a circle. "They got loik, cool zhit loik zkele'onz and weaponz an' all that zhit!"

"Wh-whuh, why dey got that?"

"Cuz it'z hiztorical ya twat, z'all important!"

"Oooooh," James kicked his feet softly with another sip, "but, it'sh a lotta talkiiiin' an' pointiiiiin' at shtuff-"

"Yeah but, mate mate, mate...mate," the elephant leaned forwards with a crooked gaze to him, "z'important to know yer hiztory, could learn zum ztuff an' we could loik, think up new gamez an' military tacticz fer ztompin' on bazterdz, loik that f-fuckin'...Adam bazterd loik 'IM!"

He pointed at the dartboard where a crudely-drawn face of a human had been taped to it. James pondered back and forth as he rocked in his cart with a smack of his lips.

"I d'nooo Ashwiiiin-"

"Lizzen oi'll be bored out me titzh," he tried to flatten the cider can to his skull and missed throwing it behind him, "oi meant to uh, th-throw that away, it wuz zhit, don' need it, who gonna, wh-who gonna tell me not to litter it'zh MOI FUCKIN' HOUZE, OUR PLAZE!"

"Y-YEAH, YEAH NOBODY TELL USH WHUT TO DO!"

"Zo oi really want you to loik, come with, an' if ya do, oi zit with you, an' we watch Jerry the Hero!"

"But ah thought ya liked it!" cried James smacking his knees.

"Ehhhh..." the pachyderm waved his hand half-heartedly, "you ztill watchin' it?"

"UH, yeaaaah!?"

"Courze you are-awwwwww zhit."

"Whuh, whush happeni-OHHH SHHHIT YEAH, YEAH IT'S ON YEYEAH-ohhh issha repeat."

The weather report ended as the title card for Jerry appeared with episode name as Ashwin tried to lift out his seat.

"Well ya don' hafta watcha it then-"

"NOOOO I WANNA WATCH IIIIT!"

"Fffiiiiiiiine...BUT!"

He snapped his fingers towards the dartboard, then he turned to the raptor and snapped them again with a pointing finger that pointed somewhere over James' head.

"If oi let you watch Jerry, you come with me to the muzeum."

"YEAH, DEAL!"

They shook hand with trunk, failing the first four times with clumsy swings before they clutched as the raptor settled in to watch the intro open on a tremendous chase. A young gecko was hopping through the valley of a mountain with walljumps zigzagging between crags as he chased after a silver stream that whistled above his ears. The faint trace of a cheetah's body could be seen within the gusts as Jerry shot off bursting fireballs towards him.

[i]"GET BACK HERE!"[/i]

[i]"WHAT'S WRONG BUDDY?!"[/i] cried the windbeast. [i]"GETTIN' OUT OF BREATH ALREADY?!"[/i]

[i]"YOU WON'T GET AWAY TYFIEND!"[/i]

[i]"SAYS THE YUTZ WHO CAN'T EVEN CATCH A COLD!"[/i]

The feline shimmered and blasted farther away with a screeching burst, a sonic boom that briefly sent Jerry back hard to almost fall into the ravine before he grabbed hard with molten fingers against the side of the cliff. Leaping upwards he made a skirting run that took him higher and higher out of the crevasse, jumping onto a point and shooting himself forwards with a fiery burst like a red-and-yellow bullet. He almost managed to catch up to the Tyfiend before he shot off even further ahead, chasing on the ground leaving a burning streak behind him as the fire in his heels burned brighter. Eventually Jerry fell short with a sudden fall as the cheetah cackled.

[i]"HAH, looks like you're just full of hot air!"[/i]

[i]"Shut up."[/i]

[i]"WHA-AAAAAAGH!"[/i]

A violent cold wind blasted him dead-on in the chest, freezing his body to a crackling silence as he resembled a prehistoric beast from the ice age. He fell to the ground as the ice shattered around him, crackling as he pushed himself free and stood up towards the Ice Queen, the cool-faced gecko in flowing dress sweeping her arm as she walked down stairs forming beneath her feet.

[i]"You have two options. Surrender and survive, or fight and disappear."[/i]

[i]"Heh, disappear it IS!"[/i]

He kickslammed the ice towards her with such shocking speed that she felt a cracking burn against her leg as she fell down hard with a gasping shock, groaning before the Tyfiend was grabbed from behind by Jerry who blasted his body with flames before piledriving him backwards into the rocky dirt. The young gecko pummelled with flaming fists but the cheetah gained speed with frantic dodging as his body became a blurring phantom, ducking three directions before gutpunching the hero hard with a double fist to his stomach that sent him flying.

[i]"PAH, nothin' but a blowhard!"[/i]

[i]"Says the worthless windbag."[/i]

[i]"Huh-GHHHFFF!"[/i]

A bursting flame exploded into his waist, sending him rolling through the air and into the ground as a third gecko in flaming armours burned towards him with a spiral surge that sent a deafening shockwave through the earth. Trees flattened in an instant as the firebeast had his hand squeezing the cheetah's skull with a tightening creak that paralysed his face.

[i]"All I need...is one reason, and your skull will become ashes."[/i]

[i]"N-nnnnngh, NNNNNGH!"[/i]

[i]"You are finished, Tyfiend. Be glad I only ask you for your leader's location."[/i]

[i]"I-i won't...tell you anything!"[/i]

[i]"We'll talk further, after you pay for my wife's hospital bill."[/i]

[i]"Especially after that damned deposition,"[/i] she snarled staggering onto her feet, [i]"the audacity they have to sue OUR family, the heroes of the city because we trapped a monster in a parking lot?!"[/i]

[i]"Yeah I hate lawyers too-"[/i]

[i]"Shut up,"[/i] she snapped her fingers at Tyfiend to clamp his mouth shut with frost, [i]"this world has gone mad, back in our day the government would pay for ANY damage, but monsters have feelings too apparently."[/i]

[i]"Any invader that comes to my city,"[/i] said Hellfire cracking his neck, [i]"is getting a fistful of flames whether they're a mother or an infant. Speaking of infants, how is ours?"[/i]

[i]"I'm fine by the way!"[/i] Jerry cried pulling out a boulder with his shape in it. [i]"Don't worry I just went through like three layers of crust."[/i]

[i]"In that case you are cooking tonight, since your mother is wounded."[/i]

[i]"Yeah?!"[/i] the son hopped forwards with a twitching tail. [i]"Aw sweet-I-i mean, sorry about the leg just yanno, great to get a chance to cook!"[/i]

[i]"Well then I will be sure to cripple myself more in future. Or you could just ask, whichever you prefer."[/i]

[i]"Heh, noted."[/i]

Scenes passed as the villain was apprehended and sent to the authorities back in the metropolis, slammed behind bars as they returned to their superhero lair which was situated in the mountains overlooking the city.

The scene cut away to Jerry in the kitchen, carved stone walls with a right-angled counter with a fridge, an oven, a sink and several cupboards. The gecko in green wore a crisp pair of jeans with an apron that said "Kiss Me, My Dad's Hot" whilst stirring a meaty stew, his other hand texting on his phone.

[i]JerJer98 - How's the mom doing?[/i]

[i]Termonator - gud, bby safe[/i]

[i]JerJer98 - They get back home to their planet?[/i]

[i]Termonator - y[/i]

[i]JerJer98 - Thanks again for covering for me in court, can't believe my parents didn't recognise me.[/i]

[i]Termonator - u make a gud croc w 5 eggboxes[/i]

[i]JerJer98 - Could you not use textspeak?[/i]

[i]Termonator - lol chil granpa im workin[/i]

[i]JerJer98 - I'm making dinner with one hand, you have no excuse sir.[/i]

[i]Termonator - im 2 cool 2 b slow jerome[/i]

[i]JerJer98 - You're 45, stop it![/i]

[i]Termonator - lol ur cute whn u try 2 b old <3[/i]

[i]"UGH!"[/i]

Jerry cringed at the emoji throb on his screen that made his phone vibrate in turn with a start as it fell into the stew.

[i]"G-GAH, OHH!"[/i]

[i]"Ahhh perfect."[/i] Hellfire stepped through in a flameproof polo shirt and jeans. [i]"I'll just take that through-"[/i]

[i]"UHM, d-dad it's not ready ye-"[/i]

[i]"I know when stew is ready, it's not an art piece."[/i]

The father turned off the stove and lifted up the pot before carrying it through. Ice Queen sat at the table with a frozen crutch beside her and a pair of mittens on her hands whilst in a soft blouse. Jerry tried to sidle in and grab the bowls Hellfire started pouring

[i]"I-i-i'll bowl them out for ya-"[/i]

[i]"You already did enough,"[/i] said Queen pulling him aside, [i]"what did we say about too much good?"[/i]

[i]"You can't be a boy scout at every crossing, I know but I jus-"[/i]

[i]"Sit, down."[/i]

She half-threw him into the chair at one end of the table, his father at the other side as he doled out their stew and they ate in a conservative silence, slicing bread rolls to dip into the meaty broth.

[i]"Where were you?"[/i]

[i]"H-huh?"[/i] Jerry looked up with mouth agog to receive bread.

[i]"The trial,"[/i] said Hellfire, [i]"over that 'baby' monster the size of a condo."[/i]

[i]"O-oh, that, I was uh guarding the house!"[/i]

[i]"We have a security system,"[/i] said Queen sipping with frosty breaths, [i]"there's no need to guard it."[/i]

[i]"Y-yeah but I um...I heard, on the internet there might be defects in that last update we got, yanno I just wanted to check!"[/i]

[i]"I didn't hear anything,"[/i] said the red father spreading butter with a knife, [i]"you didn't miss much anyway, some imbecile had the audacity to accuse US of child endangerment."[/i]

[i]"It's uh y-y-yeah, that croc sounded like a real jerk."[/i]

[i]"...I never said what species he was."[/i]

The bowl thunked down as Jerry's eyes tightened deathly still. He saw the phone briefly bob out of his father's stew.

[i]"How did you know that?"[/i]

[i]"I-i-i watched the news,"[/i] he coughed clearing his throat, [i]"obviously from when I was here guarding the house!"[/i]

[i]"They didn't even release the news yet,"[/i] said Ice Queen turning her head slowly, [i]"and I'm certain we never told you about the other lawyer."[/i]

[i]"Y-yeah they do, on the IRC!"[/i]

[i]"Do you know something?"[/i]

Hellfire stood up with knife in hand as he leaned over the table towards his son.

[i]"This was a closed courtroom. Only me and your mother, and those bottom-feeding scum were there."[/i]

[i]"I-i-i told you, I found out on the net, s-someone musta like, bleated it from their office!"[/i]

[i]"Like you?"[/i]

[i]"Wh-WHAT?!"[/i] Jerry tried to laugh with a nervous squeak. [i]"C-come on dad d-don't be crazy!"[/i]

[i]"Like I said, the only ones there were me, your mother...and those lawyers."[/i] He walked around the table with a burning trail in his eyes. [i]"Pencil-pushing cowards who hide behind their numbers and affidavits instead of fighting where it matters, on the streets, through the skies, instead they turn the public against us, turning heroes into CRIMINALS!"[/i]

[i]"Y-YEAH, yeah I agree totally s-so why you getting upset at ME?!"[/i]

[i]"Because sometimes you're too smart for your own good. Things you've said about the trial when you were away from it, going out to 'do young adult stuff' from nine-to-five, which no unrespecting young adult would ever commit to!"[/i]

[i]"M-my friends are just, different!"[/i] whimpered Jerry leaning back further.

[i]"Coming home at reasonable times, like someone with a JOB would do, even saw you wearing a tie once."[/i]

[i]"I-i was, just-"[/i]

[i]"Let me be clear on this. If I find out you're some filthy scum-sucking moron in a suit..."[/i]

The lights went out.

[b]"I would rather watch you die than ever call you my son."[/b]

The lights returned to the set. Hellfire was suddenly back in his seat slurping the bowl before something black and plastic bumped his teeth.

[i]"Nnnmmh! What the..."[/i] he pulled out the phone dripping from his stew. [i]"See this is why we don't have a phone in the kitchen son."[/i]

He put down the black slate on the table whilst Ice Queen shook her head sipping from her spoon. Jerry took up his phone finding it would not turn back on much to his quiet relief.

[i]"I'm not paying for that,"[/i] said his mother, [i]"you cook, you screw up...this stew is wonderful dear, is that black pepper I taste?"[/i]

[i]"Yeah,"[/i] said Jerry with a sigh, [i]"I'm glad you like it."[/i]

[i]"It's very nice, adds a lovely bite to it."[/i]

[i]"And I thought you'd think I was phoning it in, haha!"[/i]

He waved his dead phone at them with a smirk as a fiendish glower came from his mother, his father shaking his head to suppress his own smirk as the credits suddenly dropped with a blasting instrumental of the title theme.

"That wuz weird," muttered Ashwin, "thought there'd be more action."

"U-uhhh," James rubbed his arms, "d-did that seem kinda weird at the ending?"

"Yeah, loik his mum's wearin' gloves to not freeze her soup, but the dad's not wearin' anythin' so why didn't he melt his knoif when he 'eld it!?"

"N-NOOO the thing when the lights went out!"

"Wot?!"

"The lights, they went out before the dad took his phone outta the soup!"

The elephant sucked through his teeth and reached over for James' can of cider.

"Oiiii think you've 'ad enough."

"Wh-whuh, NOOoooo I'm not drunk!"

"Yeaaaah well maybe just take it easy fer a bit eh? S'been a rough year for ya so let's just chill fer a bit."

"Mmmm...okayyyy."

So the months rolled on, as they discussed their plans over the course of new and increasingly dangerous activities when the streets opened up over the awakening summer. Pavements filled with people in shorter and looser clothing; out-of-place tourists wandered with backpacks and low-vis shirts to try and blend in without too much attention; school children became more excited by the passing week in the big buildup to July for the ultimate vacation; birds had flown the nest stretching their newborn wings and following parents to favourite places to feed. The trees had managed to bloom fully to a stretching peak of celadon beauty to give their best shade to Londoners, teenagers sitting underneath with skateboards in hand and paw watching their fellow riders flip and kick over rails.

James and Ashwin had their own share of fun in the following months, keeping away from tourists whilst busying themselves with box-cart races along quiet streets later in the afternoon when shops closed up earlier. A few bruises wouldn't stop them, not even when James almost broke his leg after a hard turn that threw him round a corner and slammed his feet straight into the side of a dumpster. The streets turned hotter, threatening to burn their feet as the air became thickly rancid from the smog trapping the heat even further in until some days were insufferable, like the surface of Venus causing them to hide in their rooms and read comics before August would roll around at last with a surprise group of visitors.

"Aaaand sign here," said the grey badger.

"There," the red vixen smiled dotting the line, "is that everything?"

"Absolutely, you're all set to go." He leaned over his desk towards the young zebra girl. "I hope you enjoy your new family Zafira."

"Th-tha-...thank-...a-a-a-eeeehh!"

"Awwww sweetie come here," a white vixen hugged her close, "it's okayyy, shhhhh it's fine."

"Thank you so much Mr. Kaplowitz," the red female shook his hand, "is there anything else we should know about her?"

"No no," he smiled bowing and wrapping the papers up, "she's just a rather sensitive thing, but I know you'll do good looking after her. Course if you don't mind I would like to come to your home in the following weeks to make certain she is settling in."

"Of course, you have our address. Ready to go dear?"

"Mmhmm!"

James and Ashwin watched from around the corner as the young equine took both vixens' hands and stepped out from the head office, leaving the orphanage through the central road entrance.

"Huh," muttered Ashwin, "always thought she'd be too much a whiner fer anyone to adopt."

"Yeah, she got lucky," said James scowling with arms crossed, "why'd she get adopted an' not us?!"

"Cuz we're dirty rude boys, plus oi'm old as shit."

"Yer like, thirteen!"

"Still old enough, nobody wants to adopt teenagers...roigh', let's head off-"

"Hellooooo boys."

The voice of Ms. Okowengo came from behind as they waved at the cheetah. Both the boys were in rather smart-looking T-shirts and non-descript shorts without any dangling pieces.

"[i]Hiiii miss.[/i]"

"So, a little birdie told me that you're off to Piccadilly Circus."

"Yep," shrugged James swinging his arms. "Gooonna do sum work."

"Wonderful, how is your leg?"

"Is fine," he wiggled his left leg about aimlessly, "whut you up to?"

"Well," she pulled out a checklist from her bag, "I just need to grab some supplies so why not enjoy the festival while I have a chance, you mind if I come with?"

"Oh, s-sure miss!" Ashwin grinned rocking on his feet. "Won't be much chance of chattin' since we got our jobs."

"Ohhh what are you doing today?"

"We'll soon foind out, cummon Jim!"

Heading out together they caught a bus straight to Piccadilly, rumbling north into the central city as posters started to appear along billboards and walls showing concerts and music festivals, with scan-codes and times a-dozen printed as clothes became looser and lesser amongst the London people. Hoodies were replaced by shirts and shorts swapped out jeans with skateboarders racing alongside the bus, sometimes grabbing the back of it just to gather some extra speed. Forty minutes later they arrived in a beautiful plaza, roads crisscrossing into a curved X around a large memorial fountain where an angel sculpted in ebony stood above a small crowd of visitors sitting around its steps. Giant signs of blistering neon loomed above the streets advertising household names that everyone already knew, glistening in red, yellow and white whilst all around the square were fields of tents selling flowers and other knick-knacks of a wholesome quality.

Cries of excitement and joy rang throughout the city as cars gently hovered above the tents, orders being delivered in bundles wrapped of rhododendrons and daffodils as stall-owners greeted everyone that came. School outfits hung upon racks pristine whilst sports clothes and semi-designer brands were advertised gleefully by the most excitable vendors. The smell of foods permeated the air from burgers and hot dogs to nachos and ice cream, an entire army of carts ready to face the mass hungering hordes of tourists and locals who scoffed and drank upon the steps of the fountain and the benches surrounding. A clear perfect day blessed the city of London, with various buildings around the plaza ranging from dull austere accountancies to lurid silky banners of adult clubs that teased with promise.

"God it's lovely today," gasped Ms. Okowengo, "mmmmm so where are you boys off to?"

"Dunno really," Ashwin shrugged, "see who needs a fresh pair o' hands yanno?"

"Well just be safe, don't go approaching any strangers unless they have a verified business."

"Yeah we know, wot about you wot you need?"

"Oh just stuff for the school, pens and whatnot, very boring but someone has to."

"Why can't we like get computers?" asked James hopskipping on the cobbles. "Then we'd never hafta write anythin'!"

"God I wish," she rolled her eyes, "but everything has to be set to a system, we'd have to buy a PC for each desk and then there's the wifi cost."

"Cantcha just, get a keyboard and a screen?"

"Noooo it all has to come in a package especially in a school system-OH, excuse me!" She approached a hippo with a stack of stationery. "Do you have any marker pens?"

"We sure do," he said with Canadian twang, "got a colour in mind?"

"Just anything dark, we use whiteboards see, oh and um, I'll need also some pens, pencils, you know I just have a list if you can look at it."

"Roigh' we're off then," Ashwin waved at her taking James in hand, "see ya back 'ome miss!"

"Alright dears, take care!"

She waved them off as the two headed into the crowds looking for potential customers, starting with the stalls and tugging at the sleeves of the vendors with Ashwin giving his usual patter to try and convince them for cash in exchange for basic jobs. Some waved them off, but others were willing to give the two a chance by the look of their clean cut and so sent them off on small missions ranging from gathering a few extra provisions to simply buying them a lunch or a product from another vendor across the way. They were not the only children doing this of course, as they noted others doing the same to which they gave a nod and a wave in passing of mutual respect. Money came trickling in by the penny, pieces getting palmed off to them more as a means to offload change then by actual charity.

"Wow this is shit," James stared down at a few twenty-pences.

"Don' worry 'bout it," Ashwin took them into his wallet, "dad used to say 'a mountain can be built from a pile of stones' so we just need to get enough of these."

"Still we got like NO people giving us a queen, like ever."

"Everyone's tryna save money Jim, don' take it out on 'em. Cummon, let's grab sum food."

"Mmmm kayyyy OH LOOK, LOOK IT'S SY!"

Standing at his stall was the orca in his apron, tailored with his shop's emblem as he was serving a red triceratops hitting around his late-50s, a muscular gut hidden beneath his heavy clothes as the smell of rich greasy crusts lured them over.

"SY, SY!"

"OH hey there boys!" the Irish orca patted them both on the head. "Didn' expect to see you lads 'ere."

"Well yanno money's money," shrugged Ashwin, "speakin' of got our usuals 'ere?"

"Aye sure do!"

"This the famous Ashwin uh?" said the trike as Sy handed them two pies.

"Sure is, boys this is my ol' cap'n Mackintosh, back when I wuz in the army."

"How you daein' lads?" he shook both their hands whilst they ate. "Sy here telt me that you were thuh lads that took doon that terrorist basturt over in Brixton."

"YEAH, yeah that wuz us!" cried James bouncing on his feet. "We beat 'im real good!"

"Hmhahahaha, ohhh yer a feisty one, whit's yer full name lad?"

"James Campbell!"

"Ahhh, fine name, very Scottish," the trike nodded proudly.

"Whuh, it is?" James scratched his head. "I wuz born in London tho."

"Nae worries lad, yer name's whit matters, how aboot you lad?"

"Ashwin Venkatanarasimha sir," the elephant saluted with trunk and hand.

"Hah!" The Scottish saurian rubbed his chin. "Need tae make special forms fer your name uh?"

"Nah they just wroite it smaller."

"Hahahaha, so whit you lads up tae today, ahm just banterin' with this arsewipe wastin' mah time."

"Didn' waste time in yer bunk bed did I cap'n?" Sy pinched at his neck.

"OCH christ Sy, dinnae brin' that up roond bairns!"

"S'alright sir," Ashwin waved dismissive, "we know 'ow it all works, we seen the mags."

"Ohhh aye?" Mackintosh crossed his arms. "An' are you boys eighteen?"

"Far as you know, aye."

"Hah...cheeky bugger."

He petted Ashwin's head as they ate up their foods, the triceratops muttering to the orca about vague army days that occasionally Sy would hop in to explain the brief terminology of old things whilst they listened with rapt attention.

"So this one-eyed wally came up tae me," the trike sat next to them on the step, "says 'e had sum information fer me an' I knew he wuz fulla shite, but ah went along anyways cuz mebbe ah can bust up his wee operation. Turns oot he wuz traffickin', had a roomful o' wee lassies an' it wuznae part o' mah mission but...couldnae turn a blind eye tae that."

"So wot you do?" asked Ashwin sitting beside him.

"Ah convinced him tae let me test the merchandise, as it were...then when his guard was doon, ah take his knife an' slashed him right through his throat, then threw it WHUP straight tae his bodyguard across thuh room bang in the foreheid! But the last bugger had his sights oan me so ah threw his friend's body an' rushed him, crunched his face against the wall an' split his face like an egg. Saved twenty lassies from christ knows whit."

"Woooow," James grinned chomping the last of his pie. "That sounds AWESOME, wuz there lotsa blood?!"

"That's nae a question you should ask at yer age."

"I'm seven!"

"Again, nae a question you should ask lad."

"Dontcha carry yer own knoif?" asked Ashwin.

"Ah dae, but ah had tae make sure their wounds couldnae be traced back tae me, or there'd be trouble. See knives have different patterns oan them that forensics can tell."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Aye," Mackintosh nodded, "now, again ah didnae have the authority to dae such a thing. But, sumtimes whit is right, is mair important than whut is legal, ken whit ah mean?"

"Not really," James scratched his head, "so why'd you join the army?"

"Cuz ah had nae one else. Ah wuz oan the streets, mah family kicked me oot cuz ah fooled aroond with a human an' they didnae take tae that."

"Whuh, but why'd they do that?"

"They were old-school like that, anyways, ah wuz a pretty fit lad an' ah wuz desperate, so ah joined the army. They took me in, ah passed the test, an' next thing ya ken ah had food, family, sumplace tae sleep that wuznae cald with a pillow made o' concrete."

"You get food an' a house in the army?!" scoffed Ashwin rolling his eyes. "Wot are ya recruitin' now or wot?"

"Naw ahm retired lad, goat mah pension after too many battles. But ah've nae regrets, they kept me warm an' ah met Sy here who ah meet up with time tae time. No' gonna lie, if it wuznae fer the army, ah dinnae think ah'd have made it past thirty."

"Good thing we don' live together," said the orca slipping fingers up the trike's horns, "can't stand bein' round you fer more than a night."

"A night's all you need ya plamf."

"Hm hm hm."

"Well we best get back to our work," said the elephant smacking his hands free of crumbs, "noice chattin' with ya sir."

"Take care lads, dinnae git up tae nuthin' noo."

"Wot, us heroes of Brixton?! Psshhaaww see ya."

"See ya round boys!"

The grown-ups waved them off as they went back into the crowd continuing with their jobs, slowly circling outwards to the buildings to see if they could find any other potential customers, workers needing food but unable to leave their desks or club workers requiring extra refreshments between acts. Soon the boys found themselves in the back alley of the Snake's Apple Club, handing four six-packs of bottled water to a hyena in black leather gear.

"Thaaaank you sweeties," she sighed wagging her tail, "can't get away like at ALL today, so many tourists come in at this time of year I can't catch a break!"

"No worries miss," Ashwin smiled handing over the packs, "always glad to help."

"And here you are," she fished a £20 note from a pocket in her high-heeled boot, "don't worry it's clean."

"Need anythin' else?"

"Nah we're good, thanks kids."

They headed off as Ashwin admired the tenner in his hands, a crisp dark-blue paper bill with a suited badger staring sternly at them.

"Noiiiice, lookit that Jim we'll be out 'ere in no toime!"

"Wow that's so much MONEY!" squealed the raptor clapping his hands. "You could buy like a BILLION pies with that!"

"Yeah or watch every film at the movies in one day!" He folded it up into his wallet. "Told ya the clubs always pay ya best."

"Whysat?"

"Cuz they get so much money that the workers just spread it round, yanno makin' it rain an' all that?"

"Whut do they DO at those clubs anyway."

"They just dance an' stuff."

"Really? I thought they'd pay fer like...yanno..." James made a circle with one hand and bashfully fingered through the hole.

"Oh they 'ave other clubs fer that," said Ashwin turning a corner, "they're just not round 'ere is all-"

"[i]S-STOP, STOP IT![/i]"

"Whu-wot the-"

"[i]LEAVE ME ALONE, PLEA-AAAGH![/i]"

The sound of blunt iron came down upon flesh as they saw three human teens surrounding a crawling figure, a baseball bat being held in one of their hands as it whalloped into the victim with a cry of anguish. Ashwin gave a silent signal to James as they crept closer, the elephant grabbing an old pipe from a dumpster as the beating continued amongst the sound of rumbling air conditioners, windows taped up blind to the abuse as the dull clung of the bat rang throughout the alley amidst breathless snickers and sobbing moans.

"[i]Wh-why are you-AAGH![/i]"

"Stop you from fuckin' stealing that's why," said one human in a purple tracksuit.

"[i]I-i didn't, I took nothing![/i]"

"No but the way you look you will. Get his fingers out I'm gonna break 'em."

"[i]N-no, no p-pleaase![/i]"

The other two humans in dark green hoodies grabbed at the hobo's arms and pulled them tightly, almost twisting them out as the bat-wielder readied himself.

"This is your fault anyway, you're only the street cuz you fucked up so badly doing a basic job of not being poor, that you can't do anything BUT steal!"

"[i]I've, n-never stolen anything I-i swear to you-[/i]"

"What, you're taking an oath?! Like that means anything from a fucking shitscale-GAAH!"

"[i]FUCK OFF![/i]"

Ashwin swung his steel pipe straight into Adam's back, knocking him forwards as he immediately swiped at the other two punks to make them let go of the hooded figure. The homeless beast clutched himself with frail claws and scrabbled out of the way into hiding behind a dumpster, the purple-clothed teen sneering towards the pachyderm.

"The fuck are YOU doing here?"

"Could ask you the same," Ashwin hoisted his weapon over the back of his shoulders, "wot's yer fuckin' problem beatin' up hobos?"

"Oh I'm sorry, is that your friend's dad?"

"Nuh-uh!" snorted James. "My dad would kill you if ya touched him!"

"Wrong dipshit, your dad's fuckin' dead, that's why both of you are orphans...then again, maybe he just didn't want you. You oughta be thankful then I'm just teaching him a lesson."

"Piss off Adam," Ashwin pointed with his trunk, "yer just a fuckin' nonce who's too afraid to foight someone that can hit back."

"Oh what, you offering?" the human brandished his weapon between them. "Yanno, your fuck-ugly nose is the right length to make a sleeve for my bat."

"Makes a good noose round yer skinny li'l neck as well!"

"Well COME ON THEN!" Adam tapped the bat against the dirt. "You had this fuckin' coming Dumbo!"

"BRONTUS!"

"[i]A-AAAOOW![/i]"

The raptor hurled a small brick towards Ridley's face, cracking on his forehead with a hard welt as Ashwin immediately made a double-sweep towards the blonde and ginger-haired cohorts, knocking them both almost down to the dirt with surprise before Adam recovered and charged with a mighty cleaving strike that the elephant dodged. James grabbed for the brick that had fallen and went straight for Blondie, punch-slamming into his chest with a wild karate kick towards Ginger that missed completely, the human grabbing his shirt to yank him back and drive his fist into the boy's snout. James screeched with bursting tears before suddenly biting the human's arm to make him yelp, snarling with rabid little teeth that raked along his flesh with sharp red lines as Ginger frantically beat at his head to try and make him let go.

Ashwin faced off against Adam, steel upon steel as Ridley cracked down upon his head to which the elephant blocked with a sideways pipe, forcing back against the human with a hard boot to the stomach before swinging at his face. Adam barely dodged the rusted tip of the pipe before he came with another vertical strike, Ashwin dodging right with a diagonal half-swing to the back of Ridley's head, smacking him hard enough to go falling forwards as he stumbled to gather his footing. Adam picked up a stone and threw it towards Ashwin, the elephant catching it in his trunk before a second stone conked him on the skull and he yelped stumbling back slightly. The human saw his chance and came running hard with a home run swing straight for the elephant's head, but Ashwin met his bat with the crack of his pipe to deflect some of its power, forcing it to slam against his waist at half its power as he roared from the bruising. Adam followed up with a second blow to his head, knocking Ashwin to the floor before the pachyderm turned and fired the stone in his trunk like a bullet into Ridley's eye, blinding him briefly as he shrieked and clutched at his face.

"[i]A-AAAAAGH! F-FUCK, YOU FUCKIN' IVORY PRICK, BLONDIE GET 'IM![/i]"

Blondie came running with a football kick ready for Ashwin's head, but the elephant threw his pipe at the cohort's leg and tripped him up, sending him nosediving into the gravel with a hard crunch as the elephant quickly got up to reclaim his weapon. James was still being wailed on by Ginger but clenching on hard before Ashwin made a false swing at his head to make him stop fighting, then immediately struck him regardless once James let go.

"F-FUCKIN' COCKSOCK YER DEAD!"

"ASHWIN!"

The elephant turned fast with a striking clash against Adam's bat, recoiling hard from each other as James suddenly lunged at Ridley's chest, knocking him down to start beating across his face with savage little claws that raked and punched at both the human's cheeks before grabbing at his arm and trying to wrest the bat from his grip. Adam snarled trying to throw his other fist at the raptor who managed to evade his hits twice before the third one knocked hard into his chin and stunned him with a squeal that stopped him. Throwing James off, the human kicked him across the alley and came marching towards him with weapon raised high to come down on his head, the raptor quickly rolling fast and back on his feet to grab a trashcan lid for a shield. It struggled to stand up to the brutal bat, crunching twice against the inside and knocking James down once more before he threw it desperately like a frisbee that smacked against Ridley's head.

"Stop, RUNNING you fuckin' shitscale!"

"[i]FUCK OFF![/i]" screeched the raptor. "YOU COME ANY CLOSER, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Bitch like you can't even kill a rat, speaking of tell your parents I said HI!"

The tracksuit-clad human made a ferocious sweep low towards James' legs as the raptor quickly backed off, trying to grab stones and bricks to throw at Ridley who smacked them away with growing fury in his eyes. Behind him Ashwin was facing down Ridley's minions, the blonde and ginger teens goading him to try and take them both.

"Come on you flap-eared bitch!"

"YEAH try us, see how far you get!"

Ashwin took a swing at the closer one as Blondie backed off quickly to give Ginger the chance to tackle him, the elephant thumping the end of his pipe against the back of his head and pushing back against the human's attempts to overpower him. Wrestling with him briefly he struggled to throw him aside as Blondie grabbed his pipe in a moment of distraction, wrenching it free and immediately swinging for Ashwin's head. The pachyderm ducked and grabbed Ginger with both arms to lift him up and swing him towards his friend, knocking both feet against his waist to send him down but Blondie stood firm with a grunting wince as Ginger gained his momentum to throw the elephant against the wall and pile onto him on the ground.

He cracked one fist across Ashwin's face before the second was caught by the trunk, twisting viciously round the wrist like a serpent to yank him down close for the elephant to punch hard into his face and roll him off, before Blondie came forwards with pipe ready to come down as he kicked hard at both the human's shins to send him falling to his knees and followed with a doublekick to the face, hard tree-stump feet crunching at his jaw to throw him backwards as he scrabbled up and reclaimed his pipe. He turned and kicked Ginger in the head when he tried to get up, racing over towards James who was still busy facing down Ridley.

"RRRAAAAAARGH!"

Adam swung with the fullest strength as the raptor kept dodging and throwing rocks before he was backed against the wall as the human's shadow crept over him. Ridley made a cleaving strike that went straight-diagonal across James' body, cracking against his rib as he screamed clutching himself with agonising bruise in his tender belly.

"Fuckin' pathetic, on your knees just like your dad went too."

"Sh-SHUT UP, [i]SHUT UP![/i]"

"Hey least when I bash your shitscale head in you won't have to hear me anymore-FU-AAARGH!"

Ashwin plowed into him with a shouldercharge as he almost stumbled, the human turning fast with a slashing cut upwards that cracked against the elephant's tusk and knocked him hard with a howling pain that came second to the horrid blow across his skull from Ridley's home run. Ashwin fell onto his belly, groaning with dizzying head as Adam stood over him with bat raised high aiming to bury it deep into the pachyderm's skull.

"[i]NOOOOOOOAAAAAIIIIGH![/i]"

The raptor leapt high with all his strength as he shut out his wounding pain with vile rage, grabbing Ridley's throat and forcefully strangling him whilst screaming at his face. The human choked and stuttered trying to push him off, swinging his bat awkwardly whilst trying to breathe as James kept tightening his claws round his neck, forcing all his strength to push his thumbs under his chin.

"[i]DIE! DIIIIIIE F-FUCKIN' SKINHEAD![/i]"

"GH-GHHHRKH, [i]GH-GHHAAAAARKH![/i]"

"[i]I HATE YOU, I HATE YOUUUUU![/i]"

Adam started to struggle less, his fingers turning loose as James' sneer of hatred grew with eyes pinpricked to feral slits. The human's eyes flickered with tongue gasping from his lips, trying to slap James away as the breath in his throat petered.

"JIM, JIM NO! [i]NO JIM LET 'IM GO![/i]"

"[i]AAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIGH![/i]"

"[i]JAMES FUCKIN' STOP![/i]"

He felt Ashwin grab him roughly and pull him off the human, Ridley sputtering hard coughs to almost vomit as he clutched himself with shuddering fingers round his bruised throat. James was struggling to pull out of the elephant's arms shouting back at him.

"LEMME GO, L-LET ME GOOO!"

"FUCK'S SAKE JIM STOP IT YOU WANNA GO BACK INSOIDE LOIK LAST YEAR?!"

"HE WUZ GONNA KILL YOU!"

"YEAH AN' IF YOU KILL 'IM YOU'LL BE IN THE SAME SHIT HE WOULD BE!" Ashwin yanked him harder back to the ground before pinning him with his weight. "You got a record now Jim, remember Brian Delgado?!"

"FUCK HIM, HE DESERVED IT AND HE DOES TOO!" he shrieked pointing at the human.

"YOU KNOW WOT'LL HAPPEN IF YOU KILL 'IM?! YOU'LL BE SENT AWAY, YOU'LL NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN AN' WE'LL NEVER GET OUTTA THIS FUCKIN' CITY!"

James stared up at his friend with gasping breaths, spittling froth down his shirt as he gulped back his fury and tried to kick at him, but Ashwin forced himself harder on top until his chest almost hurt beneath the elephant's girth.

"Listen...James, listen to me." His trunk reached out to caress his cheek. "Yer my only friend 'ere. Oi don't want you rottin' away in juvie, not loik before mate."

"I-i don'...care!"

"You remember wot you were loik the start o' the year, you wanna go through that again?! ...don't do this, please. Oi'm beggin' you Jim."

"......fine." He relented and dropped his arms. "I don't care anyway."

"Thanks."

Ashwin stood up seeing Blondie and Ginger had backed off before turning towards Ridley. The gasping human kept wheezing with a hand to his throat as the elephant picked up his bat, tapping the end against his palm before pressing it against Adam's chin to lift him up with a wretched cough.

"[i]EGHHKHRHHH![/i]"

"You 'eard that roigh'?" Ashwin asked with a softened tone. "Oi don' want anymore trouble outta ya."

"S-so whut?" wheezed Adam. "Whut m-makes you think I'm gonna listen to you?"

"Cuz roight now oi'm the only one that's stoppin' him from killing you." He pointed towards the raptor now sitting up with scowling face. "You 'eard about Brian Delgado yeah?"

"F-fuck...fuck off, that never happened."

"You want me to test that? You were THIS close to gettin' choked the fuck out if it weren't for me," he emphasised with the tip of his trunk curved like two fingertips, "all oi gotta do is take back wot oi said an' your face is the last thing anyone's gonna foind of you left. Don't test me Adam."

Ashwin's words stung deep into Ridley's heart as the human suppressed a gulp, painfully clenching his throat with a quiet cough before he nodded slightly.

"Nobody won this," Ashwin continued. "You just leave with your pals, we'll leave too, an' let's never talk about this alrigh'?"

"F-fine...yeah, whateve-"

"BUT," the elephant pushed the bat's tip into Adam's head knocking him on his back, "if you start beatin' on homeless peeps ever again, oi'll kill you myself."

"Wh-wh-what?!"

"Yanno wot we do as orphans Adam? We run on the streets, we know everybody that's out there cuz we stick together. So any word that comes about a bunch of snot-nosed pricks runnin' around beatin' up hobos oi'm gonna know it's you. And oi will find you. James...will find you too."

"...man fuck this." Adam stood up with a lurch and swung his arms dismissive. "Can't take a fucking joke Dumbo, we just playin' around."

"Roigh'," Ashwin nodded, "that's all we were, jus' playin' around."

"Yeah. Come on boys, let's leave the li'l orphans to cry by themselves. Later flap-ears."

With a mutual nod he turned and walked with his cronies following him, leaving the bat behind in Ashwin's grip as he walked back to James pulling him up.

"You alrigh' Jim?"

"Y-yeah," he muttered rubbing his arm.

"Wanna grab sumthin' 'fore we head back?"

"Okay."

They walked back the alley that they came from, opposite the direction of Ridley as James contemplated taking the pipe with him that had been left on the ground. Ashwin's feet splashed through the puddles further away as the raptor heard a voice.

"[i]Th-tha...thank you.[/i]"

He turned to see a black-cloaked person hiding behind the dumpster.

"[i]Th-tha, thank you s-so much.[/i]"

"U-um, it's okay," James tightened his arms, "n-no prob-"

"[i]You s-saved my life...they, they were going to hurt me.[/i]"

"Y-yeah, I know, a-are you alright?"

"[i]No...but, I'll manage. What's your name?[/i]"

"James. What's yours?"

"[i]C-come...a-agh, it...h-hurts to talk, come closer.[/i]"

"A-a-are you sure?" James looked back to Ashwin's body walking away.

"[i]Yes, p-please.[/i]"

Gently creeping closer, he clutched his chest from the throbbing dull ache in his ribs as the homeless beast stretched out his claws with shaking breath. James leaned back ready to run but the hooded figure grasped his arm softly with a warm touch that made him stay. His hood lifted towards his face. A raptor of ashen grey.

"[i]Pangaea's calling me.[/i]"

"Wh-whut?!"

"[i]There's fire all down below us, the streets are in flames.[/i]"

"Whut are you doing?!"

"[i]The blood of ancient times screams for the fire above. The fire. The great fire that wiped us all has come to us again.[/i]"

"OH-KAYYYY I'm leaving now!" James tried to pull free but the adult tightened his grip.

"[i]It's coming, it's coming...the fire's burning me.[/i]"

"S-STOP IT!" James snarled into his silver eyes staring straight through him. "LEMME GO YOU FREAK!"

"[i]I have no life beyond this. Cxulubcah. Cxulubcah-[/i]"

"LET, GOOOO!"

"[b][i]Cxulubcah.[/i][/b]"

"JAMES!"

"GA-AAAGH!"

He fell backwards in a hard roll hitting his head in a puddle, staring up towards Ashwin who looked down at him confused.

"Wot the bloody 'ell you doing?"

"Th-the guy, the guy that got beat up!"

"Wot the homeless bloke?"

"YEAH, right there!" James sat up pointing. "H-he grabbed me, started talkin' funny he wuz creeping me out!"

"Uhhhhh James."

"Whut, WHUT?! ...wait, wh-where'd he...huh?!"

There was no one there. Nothing behind the dumpster except for an odd stain and some crude graffiti.

"B-but...but, h-h-he wuz right there!"

"S'not there Jim," Ashwin shook his head, "he buggered off out the alley soon as we ambushed them."

"N-NOOO he went behind the dumpster, right here!"

"Jim can we just go oi'm real tired an' hurtin' here."

"NO!" James screamed stomping his foot. "I SAW HIM, I-I SAW HIM HE GRABBED ME AN' SAID WEIRD THINGS!"

"Alright alrigh' foine, just foine oi believe ya, now can we go already my ribs are fuckin' going."

"...fine."

They walked out of the alley together, the raptor looking back towards the dumpster with a cold shiver through his body. Ashwin took his hand carefully before James pulled away and hugged himself tightly, rocking gently with each step they took back to Piccadilly Circus. They felt summer's end on the horizon.