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Renegade Huntsmen

By: Goliath Wildcat

The unmarked Blackhawk helicopter roared through the night. Its flight path following the earth and keeping below the treetops to avoid detection and help obscure the thrum of its rotors.

The pilot's grip is white knuckled on her stick and cyclic as she maneuvers her craft with an ease born of not only training, but a true feeling for her craft as if it was an extension of itself. "Huntsmen Actual, we are two minutes from the target."

A gray furred armored rabbit with dark stripes in the passenger space keys his mic, "Copy that Banshee." He switches to the squad's channel, "Huntsmen, lock and load." The passenger space is filled with the quick cycling of bolts as the various weapons in the hands of the soldier are loaded and rounds chambered.

He feels the helicopter surge as it slows in less than two lengths of the craft, "GO!"

As the Blackhawk hovers the soldiers leap from the doors and throw themselves into the abundant cover. The last one out is the gray furred rabbit as he looks up to the pilot and snaps a salute. The snow leopard fem at the controls nods and the dark chopper roars off to tear down the pathway of the jungle river they had been dropped at.

As the roar of the helicopter becomes a distant echo the still standing commander makes silent hand gestures and the soldiers form up to move towards their objective. Two black felines slip off to the sides to act as flankers while a white furred fox takes point followed by a hulking lion who carries the team's LMG. The rabbit follows the two soldiers while the last member of the team, a slim cougar watches their six.

'Another mission,' the rabbit thinks. 'Another paycheck and another day alive.' Uncovering his watch for a moment he nods as he subvocalizes into his throat mic, "We're making good time, Data's intel says we are three miles from the objective."

Quiet clicks respond and he nods, his men were professionals and they already knew what they were here for. They were here for the money.

***

The small squad crouches in the foliage outside the clearing where their target was located. "Boss," says the lion as he spits a glob of chewing tobacco into the brush, "This looks like a lot more than we were told by the client."

The rabbit curses under his breath, "Eyes and Ears, I want a count of tangos."

The black feline twins radio back, "We have eyes on only two tangos on the perimeter, no idea how many more are inside. We have eyes on the a central bunker where the package's tracker is moving inside of, she's alive."

The rabbit sighs as nods, "Thank any gods you pray to that she is. Setup in overwatch."

There is a pregnant hesitation from the two felines before one answers him, "Sir, are you sure? Something smells fishy here."

The rabbit keeps his voice calm but a hardness the others have all heard is present within, "We don't have time to get more support. If we miss this opportunity, they're likely to that the ransom isn't going to be paid and either off the package or move them someplace we won't find them in time. In that event, we get nothing, and this was all a waste of time." He checks his watch, "Eyes and Ears, on overwatch. Brute, setup that LMG of yours so that you have a good field of fire of the front gates, Kid go with him as support and ammo feeder. You have ten minutes to get in position before Ghost and I storm the walls."

The lion and cougar nod in understanding as they slip through the forest towards the side of the clearing that faces the main entrance to the compound. "Copy," Eyes responds over the radio.

The white furred vulpine frowns, "Boss, I've been with you for years, and this is a bad deal. We were lied to; this isn't a couple pirates." He hands his binoculars to the rabbit, "Check the flag hanging from the pole."

The rabbit takes the binoculars and stares at the flag hanging limp, "The Blood Paws," he growls. "What are they doing here? Why would a mercenary company be holding a girl for ransom? Even one as crooked as them."

The lupines shakes his head as he takes back his binoculars before tucking them into a pouch, "I dunno boss, but this stinks of a trap." He can tell the rabbit isn't going to change his mind, "Fast and dirty, or slow and clean?"

"We start clean, we'll go hot if we need to," the rabbit says as he pulls the combat gloves off his hands and tucks them into a pouch.

The vulpine wrinkles his nose as he returns his gaze to the compound, "It's almost time."

The rabbit nods and hefts his assault rifle, "Let's go." Triggering his mic he subvocalizes, "Huntmen Actual, moving out."

***

The guard sighs as he steps to the midpoint of his patrol and nods to his counterpart waiting for him leaning against the wall with a cigarette burning in his lips, "Dom, boss catches you smoking on duty again he's going to have your head."

The canine doesn't move, just leans against the wall with the smoke trailing from the lit tabaco. Frowning the dalmatian reaches up to shake his shoulder, "Hey, you awake?"

The shepherd collapses at the shaking and the other guard sees the tiny trickle of blood from an injection site on his neck. He reaches up for the radio and hears a rustle. Turning he finds a white vulpine in black armor jamming a needle into his neck and he joins his fellow guard on the ground.

The rabbit steps from behind the vulpine and looks at the two sleeping guards, "Twenty minutes?"

The vulpine nods, "If no one finds them sooner."

The rabbit puts his back against the compound's wall and cups his hand. With a short run up the white fox plants his foot and is vaulted to the top of the eight-foot wall. Reaching down they lock wrists and the rabbit scales after him.

***

On the edge of the clearing in a tall tree Eyes squints through his spotting scope, "They're in."

Ears nods, "And without an alarm being raised. You owe me twenty bucks again."

His brother grunts, "We're not out of here yet with the package."

Ears shifts his scope towards the road leading to the compound, "We got movement on the road."

His spotter frowns and shifts his view, "Fuck!" Keying his mic he whispers, "Brute, you have a convoy coming in from the woods. Looks like three duce-and-a-halves and an APC."

There is a click over their ear buds.

***

The lion frowns at the rumbling of the heavy engines and the young cougar with him pulls back further into their cover, "What the fuck?!"

The lion frowns and keys his mike, "Huntsmen Actual, I could thirty, three zero, tangos arriving with heavy support." He thumbs the safety off on his LMG. "Kid, get ready," he states as he takes aim at the trucks as they pull up before the gate.

The younger male pulls the thumper from his back and thumbs a 40mm grenade into its breach. "Hold on old man, I got something here that'll help if we need to open up on them."

The lion notices the round as the kid loads it, "You know those cost more than the rest of your entire kit right?"

The cougar smirks as he snaps the breach closed, "It's why I only have one, and I need to save it for the right time." He sets the M79 down and readies his assault rifle.

The lion shakes his head, "I forgot, you grew up in that insane Megalopolis didn't you." He shakes his head, "I never saw a town that believed in the concept of overkill like the residents there."

The younger male chuckles, "Yeah, where do you think I met the old man? When you can watch a meta take a RPG to the face and continue advancing, you bring only the best."

The cougar frowns, "Hey, why hasn't the commander radioed us? He must have heard the report on the radio."

Brute snaps his head towards the kid, "FUCK!" He sights down his LMG and screams into his radio as he opens fire, "It's a TRAP!!!"

***

The rabbit frowns at the scene inside the compound, "Where is everyone?"

The fox shakes his head and moves along the wall of the command bunker. "Inside," he asks as he indicates the open doorway.

The rabbit nods and sweeps their back trail for any sign of a roaming guard, but there is no one visible. His eyes sweep the shadows and frowns, "Why do I feel like I'm being tracked?"

Entering the building he looks to the white furred canine, "Do you feel that?"

The vulpine nods, "We're being observed."

Suddenly their ear-pieces squeal and the two soldiers rip them from their ears with grunts. The vulpine looks at his commander, "Jammers!"

Turning back to the door the once open portal is slammed shut by a thick blast door of solid steel. The vulpine looks to his commander briefly before they hear another blast door opening further in the building. The rabbit steps forward and kneels against the wall while his companion does the same on the other side.

From the far and dark end of the hallway there comes the echoes of quiet and slowly paced footsteps as a female figure steps into the light of the hallway's far end. "Well, well, well, the great Huntsmen and their commander," her voice purrs of sexuality and lust. As her face comes into the light a Siamese feline pelt, tight black silk bodice, flowing loincloth, and several now glowing bands on her left side. She runs a hand through her hair to remove a thin strand from her face as it joins the rest hanging past her shapely rear.

The rabbit frowns, "Who are you?"

She smiles, "I am your employer. I wanted to test you and make sure you were good enough." She holds up her hands and claps three times that echo in the hard and spartan hallway. "You and your allies have done magnificently. Unfortunately, the government forces have found us both and are attacking outside." She tilts her head to the side as if listening, "Yes, it sounds like your men are engaging them now believing this is a trap."

The rabbit frowns, "It is a trap. We didn't sign up for some test of your security, which sucks. As for my men outside, I feel sorry for the soldiers facing them."

She throws her head back and laughs, "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That wasn't the reason."

The gray furred rabbit frowns, "Then why are we here?"

The feline holds out her hand, palm up and conjures an image of a silver phase vixen with blood red hair, "To help you save her."

The rabbit's weapon lowers as his voice tightens, "How do you know?"

The feline shrugs, "I have my ways. There is a procedure that can save her. Not just restore her to your side, but to allow her to return to her normal duties."

The vulpine scowls as he pulls his rifle tighter into his shoulder, "Don't trust her, sir. If such a thing existed, we would have found it without one such as her. I don't trust her."

The feline snarls and clutches a hand at the fox, "SILENCE MORTAL!!!" the fox's mouth opens and drops his weapon as he grips his throat fighting for breath. There is a tendril of white vapor expelled from his gaping mouth and pulled toward the female.

The rabbit snaps his weapon up again to aim at the female, "Release him or I kill you where you stand."

She grins with a wicked demeanor, "Such loyalty to a minion." She opens her hand and waves a dismissing flick with her hand, "He is nothing but another pawn." She locks eyes with the striped rabbit, "You are the king on this chessboard." Holding up the image of his mate again she smirks, "And you should save your queen."

The commander grits his teeth as Ghost coughs and vomits the remains of his last meal as he tries to catch his breath. "How do I know you speak the truth?"

She produces a thumbdrive from her ample cleavage and holds it out to him. "This has the location and contact information as well as a Swiss bank account number."

He frowns, "I have..."

"Not enough," she interrupts. "This account has twenty billion in funds to save your queen."

He steps cautiously forward to take the drive, "What is your price?"

She smirks, "You still have to survive the government forces outside. They want me, and now you." She tisks as she wiggles a finger, "You have consorted with a dark sorceress now, one who is wanted in more countries than you have fought in your career. Besides, if anything happens to me, the information on the drive will be destroyed and your love will die." She smiles, "I can feel her soul even now, so weakly holding onto the bonds of flesh."

His eyes flash as he suddenly snaps a hand forward and covers her nose with his bare palm. Her response is to gasp in surprise at his action and this dooms her to the effects of his powerful pheromones, "Now witch. I want to know why I don't just kill you and turn you over to the government authorities."

The felines eyes are slightly glazed over as she responds to his influencing scent, "They have been informed that you are a renegade PMC who has allied with a secret global cabal of villains." She purrs happily as she nuzzles into his hand, his pheromones influencing her further, "There is a hunter who is after us, and he has something we cannot face alone. We need a hunter to fight a hunter, we need you."

The rabbit growls, his tiger grandmother coming out, "I serve no one, especially some unknown cabal."

She smiles as she kneels before him, legs spread, and hands held palms up on her thighs in submission. "Those who decide such things have already sunk their hooks in you. You will be the Poacher to the other side's Hunter."

He growls and strokes her temple with the stock of his assault rifle. Without hardly a sound she crumples unconscious to the ground. He spits on her with a scowl, "I serve no one, bitch!"

He checks on Ghost and nods to his soldier, "Come on, we gotta find out what's going on outside. These walls are too thick to hear what's going on."

The vulpine accepts his commander's aid and is assisted to the main entrance.

***

Outside the gates of hell have opened. Brute's LGM fire was the signal the sniper and spotter were waiting for. Ears' first shot took out what appeared to be the senior NCO of the foot troops, the second found an ammo can on the rear of the APC while a follow-up by a special incendiary round ignited the splashed liquid, coating the entire aft of the armored fighting vehicle in flames.

Several of the troopers in the open were gunned down by the hail of 7.62 mm rounds that flew from the concealed LMG position before they even knew they were under attack.

Kid lifts his thumper and lobs the special munition towards the troops. There is a buzz and click as the round reaches its apex and explodes sending thousands of pellets of molten copper to cover an area the size of a baseball diamond. Many more soldiers fall, some screaming in pain, others in silent death.

With the special bee-stinger round exhausted he shoulders his rifle and starts careful and aimed shots at anyone trying to take out the hidden LMG and the lion Brute behind its trigger.

With all the chaos of the LMG and explosive ordinance, none of the soldiers have noticed them dying by sniper fire from behind. It is only when a sergeant trying to coordinate a counterattack is killed while hiding behind the engine block of a truck that a private screams, "SNIPER!!!"

The panicked soldiers start to break and run for the perceived safety of the woods beyond the clearing, many leaving their weapons behind in their urge to escape the ambush. As the last man disappears into the thick woods with a few buzzing LMG rounds to chase them and keep them going the field finally falls quiet of battle. Leaving only the moaning of the wounded and the silence of the dead behind.

Brute scratches his muzzle, "I'll be damn Kid, we did it." Getting no response from the soldier behind him he turns and pales, "Ah Kid, nooooo..." One of the few rounds fired in their direction obviously had the young cougar's name on it. He is slumped against the tree with blood dribbling from the chest would that punched right through his trauma plate.

The lion grabs his aid kit and checks for a pulse. He finds a weak one and starts to administer to the young soldier's wound. "You're not dying on your first op Kid!" He keys his mic with a blood covered hand, "Huntsmen-5, I need a dustoff ASAP!"

The young soldier coughs and a trickle of blood drips from the corner of his mouth as Banshee responds, "The is Banshee-1, screaming into your position. Pop smoke!"

"We copy," says Eyes as he steps from the treeline and throws a smoke canister into the clearing that starts to emit a yellow cloud of smoke. "Brute, is it Kid?"

"Yes, chest wound. I suspect a punctured lung," he responds as he continues to work on trying to stabilize the young soldier. "Come on lad, you've got many more battles to fight, bottles to drain, and bimbos to bang before you're allowed to leave us."

The lion sees the cougar's eyes open for a moment before they close again. With a blood soaked hand he feels at the cougar's throat. "NO!" he screams as he starts to pound on the bandaged chest. "You are not allowed to die soldier!"

He takes an ampule from his armor and clicks a button to extend a long needle, "You are not allowed to die without orders!" With a powerful thrust he stabs the needle through the lad's chest and depresses the button to dispense the medical cocktail.

With a gasp the young soldier's eyes fly open before he goes limp and coughs weakly. "That's it Kid, stay with me."

He can hear the thrum of the incoming Blackhawk and nods. "Ok, let's get ready to move you."

***

Finally, the rabbit overrides the blast door with his wrist-terminal. As the door opens, he hears the groaning of many wounded as well as the increasing thrum of an incoming chopper's rotors. Grabbing his radio from his vest he shouts into it, "Status?!"

"Sir, where were you?" asks Brute. "We had to ambush a small convoy of reinforcements."

The rabbit pales as he remembers the feline's words, "Brute, were they government soldiers? Please tell me we didn't open fire on authorized government forces?"

The lion responds, "No markings on their uniforms, or the vehicles. If they were, they were operating in the gray areas of the law. We were sure they were part of Blood Paws here to ambush you."

The rabbit groans, "Casualties?"

There is a pause before the lion responds, "Commander, Kid was hit."

"How bad?"

"It's bad, sir. I've already had to resuscitate him once, but he appears to be stable for now. He's still critical and we need to get him to base. Banshee is inbound for dustoff, two minutes."

The rabbit frowns as he notices the yellow smoke, "Tangos?"

"Not effective in the area. There's about a dozen wounded, not sure if they'll make it 'till their buddies come back, but that's not my problem. Survivors ran off, we did not pursue."

He grunts and helps the vulpine leaning on him towards the point where their evac will be coming in. "Eyes and Ears, help Brute with Kid. Ghost is injured too, but I got him."

Brute asks, "What happened to Ghost?"

The rabbit grunts, "Some damned witch did something to him in the bunker. There was no package, this was a setup... They claim they wanted to test us, but I still think it was a trap." He looks at the thumb-drive in his hand, "But at least we still got paid."

He looks to the lightening sky of dawn and the black speck growing as their ride closes. 'But what is the cost ultimately?'

***

The rabbit frowns at the rain as his driver holds an umbrella over him to provide some shielding from the downpour today in Tokyo. He looks up at the massive building of steel and glass rising into the gloomy sky of the city before he takes the umbrella and walks into the building.

Inside he is greeted by a short female fennec who bows to him, "Good morning Mister Poacher, we have been expecting you. She motions with a delicate hand, "Please, come this way."

The rabbit frowns at the name he was given by this shadow organization that directed him to this place and time with a chance, only a chance to save her. Without a word, he follows the fennec vixen to the elevators where she waves him into one of the elevator cars.

He enters and watches as she enters and places her hand on a scanner which turns green as she presses a button without a marking on it. He is surprised to feel the car not moving up, but down.

"Where are we going?"

"To the meeting, sir."

The rabbit grimaces at the stupid half answers as he reaches to remove one of his gloves and is stopped by a raise hand from the fennec, "Sir, I would ask you to keep your gloves on while in this building. We know of your pheromones, and while I'm sure I would enjoy being under your influence within the bedroom." She turns to cast him a sideways glance and seductive smile, "And I might even enjoy it if what I hear is true, but there and rules in conducting business. And trying to use your powers within the building is forbidden."

He pulls the glove on tighter and scowls, "I don't like not knowing what to expect."

She gives him a charming smile, "Why, just a simple business meeting. Entirely above board and perfectly legal."

"Then why are we going underground?"

"To protect the secrets that will be shared with you of course. We trust in your discretion, Mister Poacher."

A feline growl comes from his lapin muzzle, "That isn't my name."

She turns back to the door, "In the days, weeks, years to come, you will come to like it. And besides, taking on a new name will protect the members of your family from retaliation in their civilian lives. They will not know what happened to you."

"What do you mean happened to me?"

She shrugs her small shoulders, "Part of the deal your organization setup with us when they said you would be visiting. your past has been erased by our cyber and logistical security operations. Your birth, your name, none of it is listed in any government database." She stops him with a raised hand as he tries to interrupt, "Oh, your family will know you existed, but not what has happened to you. And I wouldn't recommend trying to contact them." She turns to give him another sideways glance as the elevator stops and the doors open with a soft ding, "It would be a shame to lead anyone to your little sister and her family after all, wouldn't it?"

The rabbit snarls in an un-lapin manner, "Don't threaten my family."

She turns on the charm as she smiles and leads him from the elevator, "Now now Mister Poacher, I would never do such a thing. We are trying to protect them from the "good guys" who might use them to get to you after all."

The leather of his glove creaks as he clenches his fist in an effort to not snap her neck, but he follows her in silence as his eyes take note of the sterile corridor with no signs, labels, or emblems. The doors they pass appear to be secured by biometric locks and the intersecting corridors all look the same.

After a brief walk, she stops at a door and presses her palm to the pad next to the door. When the room opens with a nearly silent click, she waves him inside, "Your meeting will be in here. Please make yourself comfortable. The Drs will be in shortly to discuss what needs to be done."

The rabbit casts a warry look at her before he enters the room and notices it looks like he's in some Victorian estate's library rather than the impersonal room he was expecting. He turns to ask a question, but he sees the door shutting with the fennec on the other side and his brows crease again. "God damn secret organizations," he mutters not caring if he's being recorded.

He ignores the cart with crystal decanters of various alcoholic beverages and studies the books on the wall. He is surprised to find any technical manuals and references into molecular biology. His finger reaches out to pull one tome from the shelf and he studies the title, "The Transmorphic Condition... Who am I coming to here?"

A voice surprises him from behind, "The only group that can save your mate."

The rabbit spins still holding the book and finds an older fox standing at the tray of drinks. His fur is a mix of black and gray while his hair is so short it blends into his fur. He continues as he selects a decanter and pours two glasses, "My name is Dr. Ishii. I have already seen her file; in six months she'll be on full life support and unable to move any of her limbs. She will begin to suffer what we call 'locked-in syndrome'. Her brilliant mind will be conscious and unable to interact in a body that is dying by inches." He picks up both glasses and takes a sip from one before he holds it out the mercenary, "I can stop that. Scotch, right?"

The merc takes the glass and studies the fox's calm demeanor, "How?"

The doctor motions to the comfortable seating before a majestic fireplace, "Please, sit and I will explain."

Returning the book to the shelf, he takes the glass but doesn't drink. They both sit in a pair of overstuffed armchairs, the fox looking at his glass of scotch, "What do you know of cyborg enhancement?"

"I know it exists and is fairly routine for a limb, even for a few organs and I heard of a merc who had a bionic eye. But she doesn't need a limb, she needs everything. She's dying..." his voice trails off as he looks at his still untouched scotch.

"Yes," says Dr. Ishii. "But that is where we want to help. We can give her a new body."

The rabbit snaps his head up to lock eyes with the older male's, "That's impossible."

The doctor pulls a remote out of his coat pocket and turns on the television on the. The screen comes to life with many technical details and a schematic of a female vulpine body. "These have been in development for many years. We recently started selling the PL-69 model with a full AI and it has been doing very well. We of course were not the only corporation involved in the research as we adapted many other's ideas into the model." He presses another button and the screen changes to an animation with a brain and spinal cord outlined inside the body he suspected was entirely inorganic. "Our current research is the transplantation of the consciousness. We remove the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord. The brain is implanted into an armored shell and the spine is laced through the cybernetic spine of the construct body using nano-tech to fuse the nerves with sensors that will give the individual reflexes faster than any mortal."

The rabbit sits there with his jaw hanging open for a moment before he snaps, "You want to kill her?!" His eyes flash with a danger sign that the doctors does not fail to notice, and he shakes his head.

"Hardly my dear boy," he says as he takes another sip of scotch. "As I said, we have been studying this and there will be other parts of her integrated, these include her bowels, lungs, and heart. We don't know why, but the brain does not allow itself to be supported indefinitely without these organs to support it. We suspect it is a psychological link to the individual, feeling like a person still despite their nearly full mechanical body if their brain can interface with these parts. It may very well be the fact that the brain requires the input and feedback from such organs." He shrugs, "We are unsure."

"What of cubs?" asks the rabbit. "We had always talked of having cubs one day..."

The lab coated todd nods in understanding. "I believe we can accommodate that. Both in freezing some of her eggs for future need and to transplant those important parts to the body. The support system needs of those organs will not impact anything as there is already several other organs being supported by the system which can easily support all requirements nearly ten-fold." He swirls the last of the scotch in his glass, "I will have my team adjust the model as needed."

Looking at the screen again and the biomechanical body still on it he frowns, "Odds of success?"

"Better than ninety-five percent according to our models. There is no certainty in our line of work, or I would guarantee you her life." He finishes the scotch in his glass and gets up to refill the glass, "But ninety-five percent is far better than her current prognosis." He shakes his head, "Such a young lady too, to die so young." He looks at his guest, "This gives her a chance, son. A chance at a full and productive life."

The rabbit frowned, "I need to talk to..." He looked down as his cell phone rang and he pulled it out. Activating the screen at the number he answered in a flat voice, "Yes?"

There was the murmur of a voice and the rabbit dropped his head to his hand, "I understand. Someone will be there to transport her soon to a special facility that will take over her care."

The voice on the other side of the phone is talking as he ends the call and downs his untouched glass of scotch with one gulp, "We have a deal, save her."

The Dr asks, "She advanced to stage three?"

The rabbit nods as a silent tear trails down his face, "She is no longer responding and is on total life support." He looks up at the vulpine, "Save her, I'll have my men bring her where you say. They will have her here within two hours."

The fox nods, "We'll prep the room and be ready to operate as soon as she arrives. We had the body in stock already and the modifications for reproductive organs can be made on the spot."

The rabbit nods and stands to walk over to the drink cart. Placing the glass on its polished surface he picks up the crystal decanter and takes a deep swig from the bottle and sighs, "Ahhh... I need to take care of things." He flicks a credit chit to the Dr, "That should cover the fees."

He walks toward the hall down and pounds on it with a clenched fist. The door opens to the short fennec fem looking up at him with a smile, "There is a car waiting to take you to our lab where the procedure will be done..." she trails off at the rabbit's glare, seeing not the apparent herbivore, but a predator, a killer.

"Later." He flicks a card at her, "I need to go here."

She looks down at the card and finds the address of an internet café, "But..."

He stares daggers into her soul that could have killed an extra-dimensional beast and shuts her mouth with an audible click. "Yes, sir. Our driver will take you wherever you need to go."

***

The rabbit enters the non-descript internet café and walks to the counter where he slips a small identity card to the older hound dog behind the counter. The old male glances at it before he reaches down and toggles a switch under his counter. With a buzz the door behind him opens and he nods towards it.

The rabbit steps through the door that seals behind him with a hiss. He looks around the empty room and steps up to sit at one of the secure terminals. Tapping in an identification code he sighs as he sees the red words, "Renegade!" embossed across the shield emblem for the Horsemen. "The bitch did it..."

Scrolling down he gritted his teeth as he read the official Mercenary Registry and Licensing report. His men had attacked a government task force sent to capture that renegade meta, Solcata. She had set it up so they looked like one of the renegade merc companies and they hadn't taken a second thought of mowing them down. Forty-eight of a hundred soldiers dead and all the vehicles totaled. She had played them like a fiddle, "She ruined us! I'll get that bitch bad if it takes a lifetime."

He heard the door behind him open with the soft buzz and he stays sitting at the terminal, his nose telling him there were three felines, probably tigers now standing behind him. "You don't want to do this boys, this has been a really bad day for me and I could use the relief."

"You are a member of the Horsemen?" one of them growls. "They have been designated renegade; you are not welcome here anymore."

The rabbit frowns as he hears the double click of a hammer being pulled back. "In fact, I think I'll take the bounty on your head. There's quite a bounty on the head of any Horsemen members for the treachery you committed, live or dead, doesn't matter to us though live is worth twice as much." The leader chuckles that deep purring laugh of a feline, "I think they want to kill you all themselves."

The rabbit sighs, "I'm not who you think I am."

The largest of the three tigers laughs as he raises the pistol, "And who are you?"

"They call me, Poacher!" there is the muffled whump of his silenced colt firing through his jacket and into the armed tiger covering him. Ducking, the bullets aimed at his head miss their target and destroy the computer he was sitting at.

Spinning to face his opponents his expression is blank as he downs the second target busy trying to draw his own gun with a bullet through his right eye.

His colt is kicked out of his grip by the third tiger who swings a haymaker which the quick footed rabbit ducks and the tiger's claws miss scalping him by an inch. "RAH!!!" he shouts and flexes his hands to express his own feline claws, another legacy of his grandmother.

His hand swipes, contacting his opponent who only saw a rabbit, not the killing machine he was trained to be. The tiger's growl turns into a shriek as the rabbit's claws rake across his guts and he splashes the area with blood.

The tiger backs away as he holds his bleeding gut, "Who the fuck are you?"

The rabbit retrieves his gun with his left hand and brings the bore to focus on the tiger, "I am become death, destroyer of worlds."

"What..." the cough of the silenced pistol stops the tiger's confusion and pain with a single bullet leaving a red third eye on his forehead.

Leaving the room with the three cooling bodies he sees the attendant lying unconscious behind the desk where the tigers had cuffed him. Checking only to make sure the old dog was still alive he holsters his sidearm and returns to the car waiting down the road for him.

Climbing in he gives only one quiet command, "Take me."

***

The fennec who has been his tour-guide meets him at the new building he is driven to. Stepping out of the car she looks at his blood splashed and holed jacket. "Do you need some new clothes, sir," she asks with a hint of uncertainty.

He shakes his head, "My men are bringing me some. They said they got her here already?"

She bows and waves towards the door, "This way please?"

He nods and indicates her to lead him. In silence they enter the building and proceed through more sterile corridors. Coming to a door like many others she palms it open, "You can wait here, I'll bring your men to you when they arrive. They're just starting, you'll get updates on the screen on the wall. Please help yourself to anything in the bar."

Seeing a well-appointed and decorated sitting room he sits in one of the overstuffed chairs and putting his head in his hands he starts to pray and his tears flow. Every few minutes he would look up to the screen that showed the status of the surgery, "To damn slow."

After some unknown time, Brute is escorted into the sitting room with a duffle bag clutched in one massive paw, "Boss?"

The rabbit looks up at the lion, "Hey bud, those my clothes?"

"Yeah Boss, pulled you a standard troop issue as you requested instead of getting anything from your quarters," he says as he hands over the bag. "What happened?" he asks seeing the blood on his shirt, coat, and pants.

The rabbit takes it before stripping off his blood covered clothing and wiping down his fur with some bathing wipes. "We've been declared renegade; I wasn't even allowed to plead our case. Apparently, there is a bounty on our heads, probably from that pittance of a country we were operating in. I'll submit an appeal, but you know how often that works."

The lion frowns, "The Huntsmen are done, aren't they?"

The commander shakes his head, "We have a new contract negotiator. They want to call us renegade, I say we go renegade. None of us will ever work again for any other organization after being flagged and I doubt they'll pull the bounty from any of us just because we retire. Not even the lowest of grunts."

Brute nods, "I'm with ya, Boss. We've gotten through worse than this over the years."

The rabbit nods, "Tell the Huntsmen, anyone who wants to leave is free to go. We're going rouge and I won't take anyone unwilling to with us." Pulling on the clean fatigues he asks, "How's Kid?"

The lion scratches the back of his mane, "Docs say he'll survive, but he's going to need some recovery time and therapy. He took two rounds through his lung. Those bastards were using some new ammo that pierces trauma plates like they were paper." Looking to the screen he frowns, "How is she?"

The rabbit closes his eyes, "It's early still. They told me it would be at least 12 hours."

The lion goes over to a drinks cart and holds up a crystal decanter and reads the handwritten label before he pours two glasses. He hands one to the once again dressed rabbit, "Want some company?"

He takes the glass and clicks it against the lion's, "To a successful healing of the best intel specialist we've ever had."

***

Machines the rabbit has never seen before surround three walls of the room where a visage as close to his mate's lies. Her blanket covered chest rises and falls with a steady rhythm of rest. The few monitors he can read showing vital statistics and they all look normal.

"Ugh..." the vixen's voice comes as she starts to stir.

He leaps to his feet and stands by her bed to hold her hand. "Hey my lil foxy."

She slowly opens her eyes and blinks at the bright lights. "Where am I love?" her voice asks with a whisper. "This isn't the medbay on the Artemis."

He shakes his head, "What was the last thing you remember?"

She tries to sit up, but her body feels heavier that she remembers, "I could hear and see, but not move. Gods... I felt them putting a tube down my throat so I could breath." Her eyes growing wider by the moment, "I should be dead!"

He falls to his knee and buries his face in her chest as he cries the tears he has held back for too long. "I'm sorry, it was all I could do to save you. I'm sorry my love."

Confused, she wraps her arms around him and holds him as she has been unable to for the last six months, "How can I move? Something is... different."

He looks up into her face, "I had to let them save you, you're a..."

She looks at one hand and notices small things that highlight in her vision, as if she was wearing a HUD visor, "I'm a cyborg, aren't I?"

He nods as the tears continue to fall to land on her now bare bosom.

"HEHEHEHE!!!" she giggles as she clutches his head between her furred tits that feel as natural as her organic pair. "This is so cool!!!" she cries out. Smiling down at him she smirks, "I think I can finally beat you in arm wrestling now."

His expression turns to shock before he sniffs up his tears and joins her in giggles.

She brushes the tears from his cheek, "There will be adjustments, but as long as I'm with you, I don't care." She kisses him as tenderly as she ever did, "Now, care to tell me what all you have done and where we are?"

Characters and story Copyright Christopher Gilman 2020 all rights reserved Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this little tale >^_^<