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Freedom Fighters

Part 2

By XP Author

In the week after their attempt, it became quickly obvious that everyone in the fort had indeed heard it. They got no end of teasing from the rest of the White Fangs, with many commenting that Daz must be really good to get her screaming that loud. Beth was naturally the only one sour about it. "Let's just hope your fucking wasn't so loud some patrol heard it." It was dismissed quickly, since there were no patrols in the area, and it hadn't been that loud.

It also became quickly apparent that the attempt had actually worked. Fran had developed something of a belly bulge very quickly. It wasn't as large as a pregnant rat might have been, but it was still clearly noticeable, especially as she was no longer able to wear normal pants and shirts and had to resort to loose fitting robes. Daz was positively glowing with joy about it. Still, he was surprised by how quickly she was showing like this. He finally broke down and asked during breakfast one morning. "So... is it normal for dragons to... uh... present so quickly?" He motioned at Fran's belly.

She looked over at him, setting her coffee down. "What? Oh, yeah, it's perfectly normal. Why?"

He chuckled. "Well... I mean, it's... not for mammals. Usually takes 3 or four months to get a belly like that going..."

She laughed, gently rubbing her belly through the brown robes. "Well, I'm not a mammal. This... this isn't like how you do it. Reptiles don't give live birth. I mean... I think there's a few that do, but they're weird."

He tilted his head. "So, that's... what, and egg in there?" She nodded and his eyes went wide. "Gods, it's huge! How's that thing going to get out of you?"

She gave him a smirk and a wink. "Same way you put it in there."

He just stared. "I... figured that much, but like... jeez. I'm kinda sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. It... I mean it's definitely not the easiest process, but it's not like it'll split me in half or something."

He looked up at her, the words out of his mouth before he realized he said them. "You've done it before?" He winced at his own lack of tact.

She just laughed and nodded. "Yep!"

He was taken aback by her flippant response. "So, you've... got other kids... uh... hatchlings out there?"

She rested her elbows against the table and leaned in, resting her chin on her hands. "Well, what's this? Is the great and powerful Daz suddenly jealous?"

He shook his head. "No! I mean, I know neither of us were... I mean.. You know what I mean!? I just... don't want to end up suddenly... I dunno, fighting against our child's cousins or something..."

She had to admit, that did make sense for a concern. "Ah. Well, no, it's nothing like that. Dragon puberty is a strange thing, though. Sometimes eggs will form on their own, completely infertile and non-viable. It can happen as an adult, too, but it's way less common. This is my first viable egg..." He saw that slight blush again, and the wistful smile to match her tone.

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. "I'm happy I was able to give that to you."

She smiled back, returning the squeeze. "What about you?"

He blinked. "What?"

"You said when we first met that you were... how did you put it... 'around for a long time' or something like that." She tilted her head. "I'm sure you've bedded plenty of lovers in your time. You got any kids bounding about out there?"

He felt very awkward about how this conversation was going. "I... uh... I mean..." He cleared his throat, though her playful smile didn't escape his notice. "Being honest, you're the first person I'd call a lover in a very... very long time. But I can say that I don't have a brood running around, no." He motioned to her belly. "She'll be my first, too."

Fran tilted her head the other way. "She? You sound certain." She then sat up straight. "Wait, you didn't... do something when you were mixed, did you? Can you control that?"

It was his turn to laugh. "No, it isn't. At least as far as I know it isn't." He gave her a big smile. "Just... a feeling is all."

Brenda walked in then, having been listening to the pair from the doorway to the kitchen. "You got a name picked out yet?" Her sudden appearance startled the two lovers. The sparrow trilled a giggle at that as she walked passed to get herself some fresh coffee.

Fran shook her head. "No, not yet, we haven't-"

"Hope." Daz said without hesitation.

Fran looked at him. "What?"

He smiled. "Hope. I know, it's cliche as all get out, but... well, why not?"

Fran thought about it. "Yeah... but what if it's a boy?"

Daz shrugged. "Dunno. But it won't be."

Fran just shook her head. "Well, in that case, I'll pick the boy name since you already picked the girl." She thought for a moment. The answer came to her quickly enough. "Arlen."

Daz tilted his head. "Arlen?"

The dragon nodded. "Yeah. It was my father's name."

He nodded back. "Alright. Hope if it's a girl, Arlen if it's a boy."

Brenda clicked her beak approvingly. "I like them!" She took a sip from her coffee mug. "Do you know when you're due to lay?"

Fran nodded. "Yeah, probably later today or tomorrow."

"What!?" Daz nearly jumped up from his seat at that. "Today!?"

Both Fran and Brenda looked at the suddenly panicked rat with amusement. "Yeah. Or tomorrow."

Brenda trilled a laugh. "Egg-layers don't hold it in for months at a time like you fuzzies do."

Daz settled back into his seat. "Oh... yeah, that... that makes sense..." He cleared his throat, embarrassed by his little outburst. "When... will it hatch then?"

Fran shrugged. "When it's good and ready." This got a confused look. "Usually it's about a month or so, but it can be much, MUCH longer."

It was Brenda's turn to be confused. "Longer? That a dragon thing? It's a month for avians..."

Fran nodded again. "Yeah. Dragon eggs can remain viable for years, even decades if need be. As long as they were laid fertilized and don't get damaged."

Brenda just kind of nodded. "Huh..."

Fran smiled. "Dragons are a... we kind of get around the galaxy a lot, so having eggs that can be moved without worry is very handy."

Brenda nodded again. "That makes sense. I guess you are the only dragon I've ever actually seen on Besarta..." She took another sip of her coffee. "Not that I blame anyone wanting to avoid this crap planet right now."

The pair just nodded. Daz grunted. "We'll fix that some day." The trio nodded this time.

Brenda finished her coffee and set the mug down. "Well, I should leave you two be. I've got to get prepped for my mission, anyway."

Fran looked back at the sparrow. "Mission?"

Daz spoke up. "Oh, yeah. Chuck got confirmation about that drop I mentioned. It seems legit. They're going out to see about setting it up as an intel source."

Fran looked at the rat. "You're not going?"

He shook his head. "No. I didn't want to leave you with... well..." He motioned to her belly. "Especially now that I know you might be deliv- eh, laying in a day."

She gave him a dubious look. "What? Just because of this you don't think-"

"No!" He held his hand up. "You're the toughest woman I've ever met, but you are NOT running around in a combat zone if something happens. At least until that kid is out of you." His tone was final.

Brenda chirped. "He's not wrong, Fran. Besides, we're just doing a message drop off, not a full raid. We'll be fine."

Daz spoke up. "Take Beth with you. Just in case." Brenda looked unhappy with having to go on a mission with the smart mouthed young woman. "I know, but it'll do her some good to get out of the base. Just... make sure she doesn't start a war while your out there."

Brenda nodded. "You got it, boss." She pat Fran's shoulder gently as she passed, and walked off to get ready.

* * *

The time came that night. Daz sat next to Fran in their room, looking more nervous than ever. The dragon was on the floor, kneeling on a pillow... or as close to a pillow as they could fashion, at least. She sat completely bare, grunting and panting. Daz held her hand, worriedly asking. "Is... there anything I can do to help?"

Fran grit her teeth. "Nope..." She let out a loud groan as her muscles contracted to keep pushing the thing in her belly lower and out of her.

He winced as she squeezed his hand so hard if felt like she was trying to crush the bones. "Are you sure? I could-"

She hissed at him through her teeth. "You can shut up and... ahhh... just stay there!" As the muscles relaxed for a moment, she did think of something. "Just... make sure it doesn't roll away..."

He nodded. "Yeah. I can do that." He yelped as she crushed his hand again. She let out a loud cry as the egg started finally pushing down. Daz had never seen an egg laying before, and despite himself, couldn't help but watch with curiosity. His lover's lower lips started to spread wider as the egg moved lower. He could see the thing shifting in side of her, and he wondered about how her hip bones didn't get in the way. Questions for later.

Another cry from Fran and he could actually see the base of the egg. He blinked in surprise. It looked purple. He had expected it to be off-white or brown, maybe green like her. She let out another cry as it finally started to slide down. He watched with fascination as the egg slowly bur surely slipped free. Her tail thumped on the ground again and again, smacking hard enough that he worried she might break the floorboards with her strength.

She let out another trembling cry as she pushed, and the egg came free out of her entirely, thumping gently onto the pillow. He reached out to grab hold of it with his free hand. It was very warm under his touch, and covered in a thin layer of something viscous and slick. It was almost a foot long, half as wide at the middle, a perfect ovoid. A deep, rich purple in color, mottled with speckles of yellow and green all over. He laid it gently onto its side.

He looked at Fran, who was still trembling and twitching a little. Her breath came in soft gasps. Her face was flushed, scales a much darker green than normal. He saw her legs quivering still, and her pussy drooled the same stuff that coated the egg. She was quickly returning to normal, though, and he saw her lips quivering almost as much as her legs. He looked up at her face, saw her smiling blissfully. "Did... did you just cum from that?"

She laughed breathlessly, her grip on his hand finally relaxing. "You bet your fuzzy ass I did..."

He let out a breath. "Is... that normal?"

She nodded. "Yeah... actually it is..." She let him pull her up right again, putting an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady. She leaned against him gratefully, and finally turned her gaze down at the egg. Her blissful smile grew even wider. "Huh... look at that..."

He got the same smile, his gaze turning to the egg laying placidly before them. Whatever the coating was had already started to dry off. "Yeah... look at that."

She hummed happily, then realized he wouldn't know what she had meant. "Oh, I mean... see those yellow flecks?" He nodded. "It means you were right."

He looked at her. "I was... right?"

She nodded, reaching out to gently brush her hand against the hard shell. "Our daughter. Hope."

* * *

"You sure you should be leaving your hybrid monster behind?" Beth's annoyed voice was as welcoming as always. Daz didn't know why he expected her turning 18 to change anything. In the month since his mate had laid her egg, the group had not only confirmed the contact with the local police, but had been getting some interesting intel. It seemed that President Bennet, leader of the Besarta United Confederation, was to be visiting the city soon. It wasn't unusual for the snowy owl to make the rounds about the planet. Seems he was coming to appoint some new official to office since the old had stepped down the previous week.

"It's fine. Winston and Brenda will be here to take care of Hope." Daz was decked out in all black tactical gear, though he traveled light. He didn't bother with the bulky armor that the others were wearing, since his nano-augments would provide him better defense than any armor could.

Beth scoffed. "Sure, leave another freak couple to watch your spawn."

Fran smacked the girl, more of a tap against her cheek with the back of her hand, but Beth still recoiled from it, more surprised than in pain. "Don't talk about my daughter like that, child." Fran was similarly dressed in black tactical gear, sans armor for the same reasons as Daz.

Beth sighed. "Yeah... fine, whatever." She clicked the magazine into her rifle. "Just tell me when I can start shooting people."

Most of the White Fangs were loaded onto the train car, for the first time since they had arrived at Fort Greenfoot. Only this time, they were all fully decked out in armor and gear, armed with rifles, pistols, combat knives, and grenades. The only thing that stood out on any of the uniforms was the emblem of bone-white fangs on their shoulders. Daz waved everyone to get close. "Alright, let's go over this one more time." Beth sighed but mercifully kept her mouth shut.

Daz pulled a small display pad from his pocket and set it on the floor. A projection of the city sprung into the air. It zoomed in on a large building near the north side of the city square. "According to the intel Chuck managed to get us, President Bennet will be staying at the mayoral manor while he's in town. He'll spend most of the day in the government building, then be escorted back in the evening." A line highlighted on the map, connecting two larger buildings along a road. "We'll wait until he's gone in for the evening, and-"

Beth interrupted. "I still don't know why we can't just get him while he's out in the open."

Fran spoke up. "Because trying to attack his motorcade would be suicide. It'll be flanked by heavy APCs with auto-turrets, not to mention all the soldiers in those APCs with guns. Those are military guns, not local police."

Daz nodded. "Right. Which is why it'll be easier to get him in the manor. They think it's secure from entry, but we were able to find there's a servant entrance in the back that's poorly guarded and has no cameras or motion detectors, just a keypad entry lock." He nodded. "Chuck, you and Tim are on power duty." The map swung out and over to a nearby squat building. "This is the power station. Get in and knock out the power to the manor."

Chuck, a canine, nodded, but Tim spoke up. "Won't that trip an alarm or something?" Tim was another of the original White Fang rats, and had seen his fare share of combat.

Daz nodded. "It would if it was off for longer than two minutes. So turn the power back on before that happens. While the power is off, the keypad lock will be disabled and we can slip in. Try to make the outage as short as you can, make it look more like a flicker. No longer than ten seconds. The servant door won't be locked form the inside, no need for the power trick again. So Chuck, Tim, once you're done, get to the evac point and make sure it's clear. Let us know if anything suspicious is waiting."

Both Chuck and Tim nodded. "Can do." The two gave a fist-bump, having become fast friend in the last month and a half.

"For security reasons, there are no floor plans to the building, so we'll be going in blind, but our guy on the inside told us that the special guest suite is on the top floor of the east wing of the building. Fran and I will handle this. With our enhancements, we'll be able to get in and around much faster and stay more hidden than a squad of armed troops swarming the place. Beth, you and Ron will be on guard duty in the back. If anyone starts lingering too long, put them down as quietly as possible. No gunfire if you can avoid it. Silent takedowns. Knife to the throat, snap their neck. Make it quick and hide them. " Ron, a feline, didn't look happy that he'd have to sit along side the vitriolic Beth for the mission, but he didn't argue. Beth just nodded, more annoyed that she wasn't going to be able to shoot someone right away. Daz looked to Fran. "Once we find the big bird, we'll take him out and evac the way we came in." She nodded.

The map pulled back to an aerial view again. Several small dots appeared on the tops of several buildings around the main square. "Everyone else, get to overwatch position son the roofs overlooking the square and manor with your usual partners. Keep chatter to a minimum, only report an issue. If there's a problem from Fran or myself, we'll use radio clicks. Two clicks for a situation, three for the all clear. If you don't hear the all clear from us after a minute, and don't see us fleeing for our lives, assume the worst and evac back to the fort." No one liked the idea of leaving anyone behind. Most were pretty sure that the two super powered individuals couldn't even be taken down anyway.

"We've only got one shot at this. We won't get another opportunity like this again. If we take out President Bennet, it will strike a massive blow." Daz looked around. "Any more questions?" No one had any. "Good. We arrive in twenty. Do final check on your gear."

* * *

The four waited at the back entrance, hiding in the shadows as best they could behind the manor. There was a nice darkened area against the inner wall that surrounded the building, but it was a little cramped for four individuals to stay hidden in. Thankfully, no patrols had come by while they waited on the power team to do their job, Daz' eyes never leaving the light atop the keypad. It still glowed red, showing it was powered and locked.

"This is taking too long." Beth whispered through grit teeth.

Daz shook his head. "They're fine." He shared her concern, though. It had been almost ten minutes since the overwatch on their location reported their successful entry, but nothing else had happened so far. There had been no reports of gunfire and no teams had spotted any issue. For all intents and purposes, it seemed their presence was still unknown. He hoped it was just a matter of the pair taking their time to stay hidden and not something much worse. He'd give them another five minutes before calling for status.

Two minutes later, the light went out on the keypad and he smiled. "This is it." He looked to Beth and Ron. "Stay hidden." An instant later, he and Fran were gone from their side and at the door. Daz gently tested the door, and it opened for him, the lock disengaged. He smiled, he and Fran gone into the darkened interior a moment later. The door clicked shut behind them. Fifteen seconds later, the lock light turned back on again as power returned.

The pair crept their way into the well furnished manor, finding themselves in a hallway near the kitchen. All the staff had gone home for the night, the kitchens dark and unused for now. A low voice came over the comms from one of the overwatch. "Movement towards the power station. Four soldiers at a jog, coming up the south road to the main entry." Probably going to check on the reason for the power 'flicker' that happened. Standard procedure, but he was glad to hear they weren't rushing the issue.

Daz motioned silently for Fran to move ahead. The dragon dashed up and pressed her back against the wall, peering around the corner. She motioned back at Daz with the signal for spotted. Two around the corner, not moving. Of course there were guards back here. He motioned to take them out in unison on his count. 3. 2. 1.

The pair of guards were totally unprepared, neither taking their assignment as seriously as they should have. What soldier would enjoy being tasked with guard duty on the kitchens. They'd even joked earlier about making sure that no one would be stealing the bacon in the fridge on their watch. Their necks were snapped in an instant, Fran twisting her target's head so hard it was nearly backwards. The two dragged the bodies back towards the doorway to keep them out of view from a cursory glance, but they had no way to really hide them. Hopefully they'd be in and out before that would be a problem.

Getting further into the building was a little more tricky. They had to wait for a patrol in the main entry hallway to pass by before they could even take a peak to see inside. The room was massive, a lush carpet covering the floor, large paintings hanging on the walls, and a sweeping stairway running on the wall to the left, the railing made of an expensive wood and ornately carved. Taxpayer money at work. Two more guards stood at the base of the stairway to the next level. Fran motioned and Daz nodded.

With their speed, they were able to dash out and leap up over the railing and be gone again before either of the guards reacted. They slowly turned to look as they heard the pair of soft thumps from the intruder's landing. "You hear something?" one of the guards asked.

"It's probably just the building. You know how these old, wood places do that sometimes." was the other's response. They both shrugged and turned back to face forward, none the wiser at having so massively failed at their one job.

The two continued through he manor like this, managing to avoid needing to engage with any other guards as they made their way up to the third floor. The whole manor was decorated so opulently, Daz wondered if they should try and steal something on their way out to sell it on the black market for some funds. He'd run the idea by Fran after they were done killing their target. He'd worried that finding which room the president was in would be a difficult task, but the guards actually made their job easier. Only one door had a pair of armed men standing guard in front of it. He looked at Fran with a grin, and she just shrugged in response. Neither would complain about the lucky break. Worst case scenario was it was the mayor and not the president, but it would be a handy room to hide the bodies in.

Fran did the count, and on her mark, the pair dashed forward. She caught her guard, an avian, by the beak, clamping her hand around it and wrenching to the side. She twisted hard enough that she nearly took his head off entirely. Daz' was a feline, and he slammed his hand around her mouth, pushing her head up. He clamped his mouth onto her throat and dug his teeth in deep, crushing her larynx before they could make any sound more than a terrified whimper. Her body tensed and trembled in his grip, her eyes rolling back as her blood gushed into his mouth.

He drained her nearly completely dry, her body limp in his arms by the time he finally removed his teeth. Barely any blood was left in her to trickle out the deep wounds. He gently lowered her down to the ground, only to feel Fran smack his shoulder. "Really?" she whispered.

He frowned. "It's been almost a month since I had anything, and that was you!" He took a breath and let it out slowly, already feeling the effects from draining the woman. "I was getting a little sluggish." She shook her head. He stood back up and put a hand on the door handle. "You ready?" Fran nodded. He did a count. On his mark, they burst into the room.

The room was well furnished, all in shades of dark red and warm wood, a desk to one side with a large chair, a cushioned seat against the opposite side sat near a pair of bookshelves filled with texts. To one side was a large window that would give a wonderful view out at the town square. The perfect view to watch where executions happened. The dark red curtains were drawn shut, of course. In the middle of the room was a large bed. Sitting up with a book in his hand was a snowy owl in his late 50's, his white feathers well groomed, his crest swooped back in a look of casual regality.

President Jeremiah Bennet lowered the book in his hands calmly, his black eyes falling upon the two intruders standing before him. "Ah. I wondered when someone you be coming by."

Daz flashed a grin, showing his sharp, bloody teeth. "Hello, President Bennet. You seem surprisingly calm for someone about to die."

The owl hooted a chortle at the rat. "Am I? Well, go right ahead, then. Kill me and give the people more reason to hate you rats" He spat the last word like the taste of it offended on his tongue.

Daz clenched his fists, but Fran held out a hand to stop him from moving. "You set this up, didn't you? Fed the information out so you could be some kind of martyr?"

Bennet shrugged. "Perhaps. At least, I figured if the initial plan failed, that would be a worthy end to my legacy."

Daz clenched his fists tighter. "Legacy!?" He had to keep himself from shouting. He was growing very close to shoving Fran out of the way and ramming his fist through the owl's chest and ripping out his heart.

Fran still pressed for more. "What original plan?"

The owl clicked his beak and folded his arms in his lap. "To capture two of the most dangerous terrorists on Besarta, of course."

Daz scoffed. "Capture us? And how do you plan to do that?" Daz heard the sound of a silenced pistol behind him, and Fran grunted beside him. He whipped around as his mate staggered beside him. A sharp pain hit him in the chest before he could register what his eyes saw. Beth stood in the entryway, lowering her pistol. He suddenly felt weak, his legs threatening to give out. He heard Fran fall to her knees beside him. "Wh-..."

"Suppressor darts. Your nano tricks won't work for the next hour." Beth's voice was cold. He looked down to see a dart sticking out of his chest. He pulled it out, the thing clattering to the ground. He joined it on the floor a moment later, falling to his knees as the room spun around him. "Laced with a heavy tranquilizer, of course."

Daz grit his teeth. "Wh... what have you done, you... idiot child!?"

Beth shook her head. "I made a deal. I turn you two in, they give me the big reward on your head and I get the hell off of this hell hole of a planet for good."

Daz' vision blurred as he struggled to stay conscious. "But... you're a rat!"

Beth grit her teeth, her anger showing. "And you two are a pair of FREAKS! You're both monsters! The things you two have done? So much worse than anything done to us." She calmed a moment later. "I just want to get as far away from this world as possible. Getting rid of a pair of sadistic monsters is just a nice bonus."

Bennet chuckled softly. "Well said, my dear." Several soldiers entered the room behind Beth. "Ah yes. Arrest them."

Beth smiled coldly down at Daz and Fran as suppressor shackles were clicked onto their wrists. She cried out a moment later as she was shoved to her knees, her hands yanked behind her back and cuffed as well. "What the hell!? We had a deal!"

Bennet shook his head. "Oh no, my dear child. I can't just let some rat go free. You served your purpose, and I thank you for that, but I no longer have any use for you." The only response Beth gave to that was a feral scream of rage, followed by a grunt as the butt of a gun slammed into the back of her head, sending her crashing into unconsciousness, and the floor.

Daz realized his face was on the carpeted floor. His body felt so weak. He couldn't move his arms or legs, even his tail lay limp. He heard Fran groan one last time before she finally succumbed to the tranquilizer. Daz' eyelids were so heavy, it was a struggle to keep them open. "Idiot... child..." he managed to spit out, though his words were so slurred and silent, he wasn't sure they could be heard, let alone understood.

He heard Bennet speak. "Signal the troops outside to begin..." He didn't hear the rest as darkness finally took him.

* * *

Tim panted heavily, groaning in pain. His back was pressed against the side of the concrete slab of the train platform, blood soaking his uniform from the bullet wound in his left shoulder. He couldn't move his arm, his rifle laying in the dirt beside him. There was no way he was going to be able to fire the thing. Beside him, Chuck ducked as a stream of bullets ricocheted off of the stone above them, peppering the pair with debris.

Chuck looked to the wounded rat. "You're gonna be okay. It's a bad hit, but you won't die." He was applying a first aid patch on the entry wound. There was no exit, the bullet still in Tim's shoulder. At least that meant only one wound was bleeding and not two.

Tim chuckled tiredly. "Thanks... for the peptalk, doc. But we're not getting out of this one..."

Chuck grunted "None of that, soldier. You're not dying here." He stuck a quick-injection needle in Tim's good arm.

The rat let out a loud yell, clenching his fist. "Ahhh, gods above! You sure you're not trying to kill me instead!?"

Chuck laughed softly, patting the man's non-wounded shoulder. "Stimulant. Gotta keep you away if you're going to be running away."

Tim had to admit, he did suddenly feel a lot more perked up. "Running away? But what about the others?" Chuck didn't respond. They both knew most were probably already captured or dead. The sounds of gunfire was still heard within the city, so at least a few were still fighting, but it was only a matter of time. Comms had gone down, jammed the moment the soldiers appeared, pouring out of hiding from within buildings all over the city.

The canine shook his head. "Don't worry about them. Anyone who can get out of town will do just that." He flinched as another torrent of debris rained down upon them. "Obviously the evac point is compromised. They'll find a way."

Tim nodded, grunting as he reached down to pick up his gun. "Then we should make sure-" He grunted as the pain in his shoulder flared up for a moment, his gun dropped to the ground again.

Chuck shook his head. "You're out of this fight, man." He reached down and took the rat's gun and setting it beside himself. "You need to get the hell out of here. Get your ass back to Greenfoot and get everyone out of there. If it's not already compromised, it will be once they're done here. Might have a chance to at least get a few of us to safety..."

Tim realized Chuck wasn't saying anything about him coming with him. "What about you?"

The canine shook his head. "I'll hold them off here while you get into the trees. You can lose them in the darkness."

Tim sat up, now fully aware. "No! You'll be killed for sure! You're coming with m-" He was cut off as a set of lips was pressed to his. His eyes went wide as the canine gave him a kiss that lingered for several seconds. He just stared at his friend. "W-wha?"

Chuck smirked. "Figured it's my last chance to do that." He knew that the rodent didn't swing the same way he did, but he had to steal at least one kiss from the man. "Now get your cute ass into those trees. And keep your head down. You're too handsome for it to be blow away."

Tim nodded slowly, in a bit of shock. He didn't know his friend was into him like that. He sighed and got to his feet slowly. The stimulants were certainly doing their job. Though his fast heart rate was probably also from that kiss. "Alright." He thumped his fist against his friend's shoulder. "You come find me after this, dog. Maybe I'll let you do that to me again." He gave a playful smile, then dashed off toward the trees.

Chuck laughed to himself. "Now that's something worth fighting for." He watched the rat's form vanish into the treeline. The last he saw of his friend was the furless tail slipping into the shadows. "Man I wish I'd done that sooner." He hefted his own rifle, grabbing the second from the ground and locked them both against his armpits. He took a deep breath and popped up from cover, pulling the triggers. He rested the barrels against the concrete for stability and sprayed wildly in the direction of the approaching soldiers.

Chuck watched the soldiers diving for cover, many of them being caught in his wild spray. He counted eight kills already, but there were so many more coming. He let out a scream, full of rage, and full of sadness for what would never be. Another two bodies flew back under his barrage. He saw a flash in front of his eyes and his body jerked. The rifles clattered to the dirt at his sides as he wavered on his knees for a prolonged moment. It finally fell to the side, the back of his skull blown out from the sniper's round that caught him in the forehead.

* * *

Daz opened his eyes as he heard footsteps. He sat against the corner of his cell, back against the stone wall. He'd been stripped naked, left only in the suppressor shackles. Fran was sat in a cell on the other side of the room in the same state he was. She also had lifted her head up as she heard the footsteps. They had been in prison for days now, given rations and dirty water, but otherwise left alone. At least that was the truth for Daz and Fran. Beth hadn't been so lucky.

The footsteps were the guards dragging the poor rat's battered body back to her cell. They dropped her limp form into the middle of the floor, shutting the cage door behind them and walking off laughing. Daz winced as he saw the state the young rodent was in. Badly beaten, one eye swollen shut. She was covered in scrapes and cuts all over her body, from her arms and legs, belly, back, and face. She was also leaking from between her legs, both holes having been abused from the guards repeated rape of the teen. She may have been a bitch and betrayed them, but she didn't deserve this sort of treatment.

Daz blinked at himself, wondering when he started thinking like that. Only a few months ago, he would have been the one doing these sorts of things to someone, gleefully tormenting and abusing whatever victim was unlucky enough to be in his clutches. He had been a monster for so long, he found it odd that he didn't think like one anymore. Fine time to grow a conscience, at the end of everything.

Fran shook her head as she looked away from Beth's unconscious form. "And they call us monsters."

Daz scoffed. "We are monsters. It took monsters to fight monsters." Fran didn't respond. He hadn't found it very funny either.

Fran closed her eyes. "Do you think... they found..."

Daz shook his head. "No." He knew what she meant. "If they had, they would have been taunting us about it." He shifted a little to sit up more fully. "Probably... probably would have smashed her egg on the floor in front of us just to prove a point..." Fran flinched at the mental image, but nodded. They would do that.

Fran opened her eyes and just stared at the floor. "How many do you think made it out?"

Daz took a breath and held it for a moment. "Dunno... They obviously didn't capture anyone else, so hopefully at least some of them got away." He was finding it hard to keep his positivity in the situation. "Who knows. Maybe they're already planning a daring rescue."

Fran managed a humorless chuckle. "The execution rescue. Round two. This time without the aid of a vampire."

He shrugged. "They don't need my help..."

They grew quiet again, sitting in silence. They both had accepted their fate, but they refused to show sorrow to their captors. They both knew their lives would likely end violently, even before they had met. Such was the fate of monsters and killers like them. Hours passed like this, the both of them sitting in silence. Finally, they heard footsteps again. Lots of them.

Daz sighed. "I think it's show time..."

Fran nodded. "Yeah..." They both sat up and waited, eyes locked with each other. Daz couldn't help but smile as he at least got to stare into those lovely yellow eyes of hers. He'd gotten lost in them before, so he was happy he got to do it again, even if she wasn't in his arms at the moment.

Six soldiers entered the room, each decked in armor and helmets, visors covering their faces. They all carried high powered rifles, loaded with the safeties off. They weren't taking their chances with these two. Another man pushed through the soldiers to stand before them, staring at the prisoners with so much disgust it looked like he wanted to vomit. Another puffed up official in a fancy robe, this one a falcon. He motioned to Beth's door. "Retrieve that one."

One of the soldiers saluted and opened the door. He knelt down and touched Beth, then pulled his arm back. "Sir, this one's already dead." Daz and Fran both cast their eyes down, crestfallen. Had she already been dead when they dragged her in here, or did she die beside them? Neither knew. She hadn't deserved that.

The falcon clicked his beak in annoyance as he rounded on the troops. "Idiots! How many times do we have to tell you not to KILL the prisoners before their execution!" The troops shifted nervously. The falcon shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know why you enjoy sticking your dicks in these filthy creatures anyway. Be glad that's not an act of treason in and of itself." He waved at the soldier beside Beth's body. "Leave her. You can dump her corpse in the pit after the execution." The soldier nodded and returned to the rest of the troops. The official motioned to the two living prisoners. "Retrieve them. Do be cautious, they are very dangerous creatures."

Two soldiers moved forward to the cages, opening the doors and cautiously stepping inside. Two sets of guns were pointed at each of them as the soldiers inside unhooked the shackles from the walls and pulled the pair to their feet. Fran smirked. "Yeah. Really dangerous animals. Might gnaw through your arm if you're not careful!" She snapped her jaws at the air for affect. The soldiers watching her aimed their rifles at her as the one inside flinched away.

The avian waved his hand. "Ignore her. Bring them to the execution platform." He paused a moment before looking at Fran. "If you act up again, I can always have them muzzle you first."

Daz chuckled, flashing his own sharp teeth. "Don't worry, sir. We've been tamed." His voice dripped with so much sarcasm it might pool at his feet. The avian just snorted and pivoted to walk away, the soldiers pushing the pair forward to follow.

They were led out of the police compound and onto the main streets. The sound of the crowd was already easy to hear, even before they were paraded up onto the platform to stand before their audience. The two stood, naked and unashamed, gazing out at the civilians of the city. There were far more military as security this time, three soldiers for every one of the local police. Daz chuckled. "I think they're scared of us."

Fran smirked, then nodded forward. "We've got a special audience member." He looked where she had motioned, his eyes moving up to the mayoral manor ahead of them. Standing at the balcony was the clear white feathers of President Bennet.

Daz chuckled. "Well, well. I guess we made an impression."

Fran nodded. "We'll make another one soon." Daz quirked an eyebrow. "If his death would make him a martyr to people ruled by propaganda, what do you think ours will do to those fighting just to survive?"

Daz laughed. "Yeah. They're about to get a lot more monsters knocking at their doors."

The official hand finally finished his loud pronouncement of their crimes, their sentence of death. Like that was at all in question. The headsman stepped forward and dragged Daz forward first. Despite her show of resolve, Fran desperately hoped that was another ally in disguise under the all-consceling black robes. She called out to him. "I love you!"

Daz glanced over his shoulder as he stepped forward. "I love you, too. I'll see you on the other side."

She watched as he was forced to kneel down at the block, his neck against the groove. The official raised his hand and shouted. "May the gods punish you for your wickedness!"

As the headsman's axe raised up over his head, Daz grinned wide and replied with a shout of his own. "HOPE LIVES!" The axe fell with a solid thump and his body jerked, his head falling away into the basket. Fran flinched, her heart sinking as she watched the man she loved, her mate, the father of her child die in front of her. His body slumped to the side, blood spraying from his neck, and splattering onto the platform. It was kicked off the edge and to the ground a moment later. When his head was lifted from the basket, that tooth-filled grin was frozen upon it. His last act of defiance, refusing to look afraid or in any pain. Even as the head was jammed onto a spike, that grin remained.

Fran couldn't stop a tear rolling down her cheek. "Hope lives." she repeated. It was hurt turn next. She was brought forward and forced to her knees. She rest her head against the block, nose filled with the scent of his blood. She closed her eyes and took a breath. As the words that would signal her death were shouted, she had a reply of her own. "THE MONSTERS ARE COMING!" The axe fell swiftly, striking true. Her body gave a jerk as her head tumbled into the basket. Her blood joined her lover's on the platform, spraying from her severed neck. Her body twitched and trembled, slumping over to the side, her thick tail quivering. Her corpse was shoved off the platform. Like so many females before, her body was lost into the crowd, to be used as a fuck hole for horny bastards who didn't care if the hole they fucked was alive or not.

Her head was lifted by her golden locks. Like Daz, she had a grin on her face, but one that looked almost joyfully sadistic. Her head was rammed onto a spike beside Daz', the tip penetrating up her severed throat and out the front of her forehead. The two lovers grinned at the crowd in death, daring anyone to call them cowards.

Fran's body was found days later, covered in the semen of countless men that had used and abused every hole, and even made new ones. Daz' corpse had also been stolen, but was never recovered. The rumors about the immortality of vampires made many wonder if he truly was dead.

* * *

Winston sat beside his lover, Brenda, his arm around her shoulder. It had been weeks since they fled Fort Greenfoot. Tim had staggered his way to them, telling them of the disaster that had been the assassination mission. He died of his injuries less than an hour later, having forced himself to live long enough to deliver his message to abandon the fort. They buried him later that day. The two had waited for as long as they could, hoping any of the other White Fangs would return. By the end of the second day, it was obvious they had all either been captured or killed. No one was coming back.

They packed everything they could and fled that night. They had been moving ever since, heading to the west. Along the way, they learned the fate of Daz and Fran, images of their impaled heads displayed on news boards in all the towns, with the header 'Terrorist leaders executed.' It was supposed to be a demoralizing blow to the rebellion, but it soon became clear it had the opposite effect as more and more citizens sided with the rats, more police abandoning their jobs, and even soldiers defecting to the rodent's side. A new civil war was just around the corner.

The two finally caught wind of a den, making their way there. Brenda was unsure if they'd be accepting of a non-rodent, but Winston assured the sparrow that he'd make them accept her. The journey was rough, but they finally arrived, tired and hungry, nearly collapsing where they stood as the leader of the den met them. It was clear the sparrow was no spy, and they were allowed in and given a place to sleep and food to eat. They learned the den was a mixed one, not just rodents, but many of the other citizens and ex-soldiers who were fed up with the state of things.

That had been three days ago. Brenda sat on the bunk provided to them, leaning her head against Winston's shoulder. She cradled a large, purple egg in her arms. The one thing they couldn't leave behind. "What's that?" The sparrow looked over her knees to see a young rat girl, no more than four, pointing up at the egg in her hands.

Brenda clicked her beak happily. "It's an egg."

The child gasped, looking at it wide-eyed. "It's so big! Did you lay it?"

Winston chuckled beside his mate. "No. It's a dragon egg. We're... we're watching it in place of her mother."

The girl giggled and bounced on her toes. "Wow! A dragon!?" Brenda nodded. "Does she have a name?"

Brenda trilled a giggle. "Yes. Hope Greenfoot."

The young girl giggled in response. "That's a pretty name!"

"Alice, don't bother the young lady." An older rat came up. She smiled at the couple. "I'm sorry if she's bothering you." The woman was one of the the caregivers for orphaned children in the den.

Winston shook his head. "It's no bother."

The woman nodded, then reached down to take Alice' hand. "Come along now. It's nearly time for dinner. Say goodbye to the nice people."

Alice grinned up and waved. "Goo-bye!" She happily bounded off with the older woman.

Winston chuckled softly. Brenda just laid her head back down against him. At least for now, they were safe. Brenda then flinched against her mate. He looked at her, and saw she was looking down and turned to look.

The egg in the arms of the avian started to wiggle about. A moment later, the shell started to crack open.

Brenda cooed softly. "Hope lives."

* *END* *