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Episode 2:Breath from the Past

"Never run away from your problems. The world is round so eventually, you're going to run out of places to run and ram head first into your problems."

Jeffrey Matthews Arnold

From a Speech given at Atlas

It had to be a miracle.

Jacob knew he was a sleep... but it wasn't one of the normal slumbers where he was in a fitful dream, thrashing about and constantly trying to escape the nightmares. He was actually quite happy! Hell, he was dreaming that he was lying in a bed of flowers - flowers everywhere - and Taylor was lying down right next to him, their paws intertwined.

Everything felt so warm... so right...

From what he remembered, he just had sex.

At least... He thought it was sex.

From what he had learned in his meagre education, sex was normally between a male and a female.

Well... really, it wasn't the first time he had sex.

He and Taylor did it once before but that was more a confusing blur of barely contained hormones and instincts. This time... this time it meant something.

Unfortunately, that usually meant trouble.

Not for him. No he was used to trouble. It was possibly the weirdest thing about him apart from his ability to teleport via doorways, supernatural strength, speed, agility and endurance and the fact that he could not only break Seals temporarily but also summon huge winged wolf.

Trouble always seemed to find him.

He was more than capable of fending it off, however.

And thus, the people who got too close to him usually got caught in the crossfire.

One of the many reasons he preferred not to get close or involved with people.

Funny thing was... sometimes it was him who ended up hurting those people.

"I'm not a bad person..." he told Taylor. "It's just... I don't know..." His eyes wandered over Taylor's body.

In his eyes it was gorgeous. Trim, powerful and amazingly flexible. He wasn't sure if it was in his dreams or not but he did remember that he found it difficult to sleep after their first round and they were at it again after a short rest. That was really fun.

"The people I've run into are always such jerks..." he muttered, rolling onto his side and regarding Taylor. The cougar was staring absently into the sky, a smile on his soft face. "They use me. They see what I can do and they either want to use me to further their goals, send me to MODD or as a sex toy..." He smirked darkly and turned his gaze away from Taylor. "... I hope the irony hits them the instant I stuck my 'sword' in them..."

Taylor didn't respond.

Jacob really didn't expect him to.

This was a dream, he knew it.

One hell of a dream though...

Sitting in a plane of flowers, lying next to a hot naked guy...

Jacob was mulling over the idea of being gay. His experience with women wasn't pleasant and he pondered if that actually switched him to 'bat for the other team'. Nevertheless, his time with Taylor - no matter how short - was something special. At the very least, he would have something in his past to smile about.

"Been a long time since I've smiled..." he admitted. "Thanks for making my smile, Taylor."

It was at that moment that Taylor seemed to wake from his daze and he turned to Jacob, that smile on his face and his topaz eyes glimmering like an amber-coloured, starry night sky. Jacob could detect his spicy, slightly metallic scent. When it wafted down his nasal passages it left a burning sensation like hot, flaming chilli powder that left him craving more.

Jacob reeled himself in, however.

It wasn't often that he dreamed - or at least dreamed without thing turning into a nightmare - so he was going to make the most of this.

"Look... I'm not used to... opening up to people," he admitted, slowly intertwining his other paw with Taylor's. "There's a reason for that... I'm bad news Taylor... Wherever I go... People get hurt. I don't want people to get hurt... Not like my dad... Not like my mom... I don't want you to get hurt. Not after-"

He was silenced quite firmly as Taylor pressed their lips together. Jacob instantly melted into that kiss and he completely forgot what he was saying. Taylor broke their kiss but he was left gasping for more, even lunging a little forward to catch the cougar's lips before they fell out of reach.

"You don't have to worry Jake..." Taylor whispered softly.

The sky darkened...

Jacob's heart started beating rapidly.

Oh no...

"I'll be right here beside you..."

Please no...

Every flower around them blackened and dissolved into a gust of black dust... ash. Every flower was gone... and they were left on the Ashlands with massive storm clouds roiling high above their heads and the sky turning an evil, blood-red.

"We'll be together forever..."

Jacob's eyes widened as blood began seeping out from the corner of Taylors eyes... bleeding down his cheeks and pouring down his face. Despite the obvious wounds, the cougar was smiling, his fangs coated with blood as more of his life poured from his lips. Jacob tried pulling away but he found himself bound down to Taylor's paws. When he glanced down he felt a scream rising in his throat as thick, thorny vines were shooting out of Taylor's flesh and curling around his wrists, flowers bursting from their green masses and curling up his forearm.

"I'll always be here for you."

As Taylor's mouth moved, more of those vines burst from his mouth, reaching out like thick, thorny tentacles that were reaching hungrily for him. Flowers began bursting from them, lunging at him to catch him in its embrace.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!"

Jacob's eyes flung open. The dull grey light of dawn streaming through the window temporarily blinding him.

"Gah! Aaaah..."

"Jake...? Is something wrong...?"

Taylor was lying next to him, smiling softly and with eyes regarding him sleepily.

There was a flash of memory... of his dream - no, nightmare.

"AAAAARGH!"

He shoved Taylor away and scrambled back... There was suddenly no more bed for him to lay on and he slipped off the edge, falling to the floor and -

WHAM!

...Slamming the back of his head against the bedside table.

"Jake!"

Jacob reached over the back of his head and felt a wetness there. When he held is paw in front of his face, his suspicions were confirmed. Blood.

What a way to start the morning...

"Oh my god!" Taylor cried. "We have to get you to the doctor!"

Then he remembered...

Nightmare.

Taylor.

Flowers.

"I need a shower," he announced, leaping to his feet.

"What!? Are you nuts!?"

...

Just a little.

Jacob marched towards the en suite, shutting the door behind him. As usual, he ignored the mirror and made to remove his clothing. Then he remembered he was still completely nude. Memories of the previous night came flooding in and he realised he actually did sleep with Taylor... not just sleep with him, had sex with him. They shared an intimate moment together.

It made his heart race... and his cock hard.

The nightmare came back...

... and he whimpered, practically diving into the shower and putting the cold water on full blast.

"Jake!"

He flinched at the nickname as Taylor came charging into the en suite.

"Come on! You'll make it worse! We gotta get you to the hospital!"

Jacob poked his head out from the shower cubicle. It was one of those large, rectangular cubicles that had was made of glass walls save of the one tiled wall that had the shower head. Despite having slept with Taylor and fully knowing - not to mention dreaming - of the cougar in the nude, Jacob still hid behind the glass door like he was a teenager talking to his dad whilst in the shower. He also tried not to look at Taylors... thing.

"No, no," he insisted, his voice a little high-pitched. "I'm good. I have supernatural regeneration. Anything short of a nuclear blast won't kill me."

Of course he was exaggerating but he was barely thinking.

He was scared as hell that Taylor might burst into vines and flowers and attack him.

And he was barely ever scared.

Unsealed, tanks, terrible MODD death machines, countdowns and evil, domineering women who had leather fetishes were all cake compared to this.

Hell, not even cake.

Cupcakes.

Macaroons!

Cookies!

Crumbs!

"So I'm good, 'kay!" he cried and dove back into the shower, shutting the glass door.

Unfortunately, Taylor was fast and he caught the door pulling it wide open. Jacob instinctively pressed himself up against the farthest wall, trying to fight the whimpers but he just couldn't help it. Taylor had that murderous look in his eyes. Suddenly, Jacob knew exactly what it felt like to be one of his victims.

Ironic...

Spectre...

"What...?"_Spectre yawned. The winged wolf was sitting on top of the shower head, curled up sleepily. _"Oh... Shower sex scene. Great. Wake me up when you cum. I'll take pictures." With that, his Animus covered his face with his tail and went back to sleep.

SPECTRE!

"Okay mister," Taylor said evenly. "What's -" He took a step into the shower. "Yeow!"

And jumped back.

Jacob blinked in surprise.

Taylor's fur was on edge and cougar looked like he had just touched the acid... or seen the devil. He was curled up in a ball, one leg supporting him and his tail all frizzed up and straight almost as if he had been electrocuted.

"Huh?" Jacob asked, his fear ebbing. "What's the matter?"

"Cold water," Taylor muttered, hopping backwards. "I hate cold water."

You're kidding me...

"But you're a cougar. I thought big cats don't mind cold water."

The cougar just blushed.

Evil started seeping into Jacob again and he grabbed the showerhead, giving it a quick flick in Taylor's direction. The cougar let out a very feline screech and jumped back. Spectre was also jostled away.

"Don't do that!" Taylor cried.

Sweet...

Jacob made a mental note to buy a few water balloons, a pump-action water gun and to put ice in the ice cube tray.

On an even better note, he now had a good barrier between himself and Taylor. He was still trapped but it was way better than having no defences.

"Why are you suddenly like this!?" Taylor snapped. "Don't tell me you're not gay."

The other dilemma...

Was he gay...?

Bisexual...?

Or just horny?

"I've been with women before," Jacob replied.

Taylor seemed to lose his agitation... only to have it replaced with mild disappointment. "Oh... So you're bi then?"

Jacob collected his thoughts... assessed himself... considered all possibilities. The fear was subsiding and he was making plans... as he always did when he was afraid. Well... Most of the time.

He had been with women before... but...

"No, I'm not bi."

That brought a sigh from Taylor and the cougar deflated even more, that disappointment dominating his entire stance. "Oh... straight... And you just needed your rocks off... I get it..."

Jacob reached over to the hot water tap and flicked it on, turning down the cold water. Pretty soon, there was a good mix going on, steam rising around him and the warm water soaking his thick fur. Slowly, he reached out, and offered his paw to Taylor.

"Nope."

The moment where Taylor's heart skipped a beat was almost visible. Those moments when the cogs were ticking away in his head was not so evident but still funny. The cougar grasped Jacob's palm tentatively.

Jacob closed his fingers around the smaller paw and pulled the cougar into the shower. For the briefest of instants, Taylor froze, most likely at the fear of cold water... but when the warm-to-hot water washed over his fur, he relaxed and fully entered the shower, closing the door behind him.

"You're... You're gay...?"

"Yep," Jacob answered assuredly.

"But you've been with women..."

"Which means..." Jacob bent over and cupped Taylor's chin lightly. "I know exactly what I want."

"Psst,"_Spectre whispered. _"Say 'I want cock' next."

"And I want cock."

...

Then it hit Jacob just how stupid that sounded.

Spectre erupted into riotous laughter, rolling on the wet floor wildly.

Taylor laughed too and pressed his paws against Jacob's chest, the contact making Jacob shudder. "Hey... You sure do..." Then the cougar's eyes snapped up to Jacob. "How's your head?"

Right...

"Probably fully healed. See?" Jacob turned is head to show Taylor and he heard the young feline's gasp of surprise. "I heal really fast. When I fell off the train two days ago, I had a dislocated shoulder, my shin was snapped in half that the bone cut through my flesh and my finger looked like pretzels."

Taylor winced and shook his head. "Okay... Eew..." The cougar regarded him curiously. "Is that why you woke up screaming this morning? You were afraid I'd hurt you?"

The irony hit him hard...

... and it made him laugh.

Laugh hard. It took a whole minute before he stopped laughing. Going on for longer was entirely possible but Taylor looked insulted so he stopped.

"What?" he sniggered. "No. I was afraid of hurting you."

"So you screamed, pushing me away and ended up hitting your head hard enough to cause bleeding," Taylor pointed out.

Embarrassment started kicking in and Jacob rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... One thing you should know about me... Trouble finds me pretty easily. I mean, it's like I'm an Unsealed magnet or something and for some odd reason, I always stumble into the corrupt towns, twisted MODD branches and royal bastards in this world. Usually there's also some innocent bystander involved and they get hurt..."

Putting his paws on his hips, Taylor said, "And you think I'm an innocent bystander? Me? After I practically seduced you last night."

"Not the point," Jacob replied, holding up a finger. "Besides, like you said, it takes two to 'horizontal tango'."

"True..."

"Thing is..." Eyes locked with Taylor, he said, "I'm afraid of getting you hurt. And last night..." He winced a little. "I sort of dreamed we were in the field of Bloomcrest, alone, naked, paws intertwined."

"Wow..."

"Yeah... then the sky darkens, all the flowers turn to ash, you turn to me and tell me we'll be together forever and then you start bleeding from your eyes" - Jacob stuck out his tongue and made running gestures with his paws over his eyes - "from your muzzle and all parts of your body. Vines started coming out of your paws, holding me in position and then flowers start blooming. Then you lean in to kiss me -"

Taylor pulled away, shaking his head and paws wildly. "TMI! TMI!"

Jacob got that acronym a lot. He was a very visual person... especially with his sadistic torture methods... A pity he never put any of them to use...

"Sorry," he muttered. "Point is, I get this horrible feeling that for some reason I just can't fathom, you're gonna get the Pollenburn Plague..."

The cougar rolled his eyes and pushed Jacob lightly. "That's stupid. The Pollenburn Plague is gone."

"You know how Darren McLeod got shot?"

"Yeah?"

"The day I arrived, I predicted that Boswin would do something to hurt Darren so that Shana would be forced to sell the farm or fall into deeper financial issues."

...

"Maybe I should get checked out..."

"Yeah, maybe."

Taylor sighed and gave him a wry smile. Gently, he reached out and ran his paws over Jacob's chiselled chest. That touch was electric that short-circuited all higher-brain functions. Jacob's entire body relaxed and he slouched a little, tongue drooping out from the corner of his muzzle and his foot tapping rapidly. His tail was wagging feverishly from side to side, flicking water in all directions.

"Huh?" Taylor asked.

Before Jacob could answer, the cougar placed both hands on his chest and gently ran them down from his pecs down to his abs. Jacob let out a shaky moan caught halfway between pleasure and childish glee.

"Oh my god... You're kidding me..."

"You are so_dead,"_ Spectre sniggered.

Oh no... Oh please no...

"Belly rub!"

NO!

Taylor practically tackled him, pressing him against the tiled wall as he ran his paws all over Jacob's chest, sending wave after wave of that same sensation of childish glee and pleasure that he got when people scratched him behind the ear. Part of him hated it especially when people discovered just how he practically melted against a full-blown assault. It would take all of his mental will to break free of the puppy-like state of mind where all he would do was pant, thrust, wag his tail and paw at his assailant.

Funny thing was... there was another part that just didn't want too...

He loved it.

Taylor was laughing as he mercilessly assaulted Jacob's chest, squeezing every abdominal, covering every inch of fur with his paws and raking his fingers through the thick, black and golden fur.

Jacob seized the cougar around the waist and began thrusting wildly against the feline, tongue flapping against his muzzle and a goofy grin on his face. His mind was migrating down from his brain to his chest, relishing the sensations there... Then it began moving further south towards his raging erection. All he wanted to do was to 'thank' the guy who was giving him such an amazing belly rub!

He wrapped a paw around the base of Taylor's neck, burying his muzzle into that thick, head of luscious, brown hair and taking in the feline's scent. The water was washing out everything but he could still detect that spicy aroma that were like tiny firecrackers in his nasal passages. His tongue slapped against Taylor's giggling lips and he drew a long, loving lick up from that lovely mouth, over that pink, flat nose across the bridge of his muzzle, right between his eyes...

Ding!

An invisible alarm clock just went off in Jacob's head and all cognitive functions suddenly kicked back into gear. He twisted away from Taylor, threw open the shower door and stepped out. Seizing a towel, he began vigorously drying himself off.

"Huh? Whu...?" Taylor stammered. "Jacob...? What happened?"

"I'm done," he answered simply.

"Done? As in... Done with me?"

Taylor sounded so heartbroken that Jacob's heart couldn't help but break a little as well. He flung around to face the cougar. "No! I meant I'm done with the shower. It's been thirteen minutes."

That only confused the feline more.

"What?" Taylor asked, shutting off the running water. "What do you mean it's been thirteen minutes?"

Jacob wrapped a towel around his waist, barely hiding his erection. He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "I... I can only take thirteen minute showers. I... I sort of have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."

He didn't need to look to know that Taylor's eye went wide in shock. The cougar stepped out of the cubicle and grabbed a towel as well. The feline stepped in front of the mirror and Jacob averted his gaze.

"Really? So you can only take thirteen minute showers. Exactly?"

"Um... Yeah..."

"Anything else."

Suddenly, Jacob felt like he was back in the mental asylum trying to admit his problems to the psychiatrist while being strapped down nude to a medical examination table...

"Yeah... For me... Everything needs to be in order of height... Um... Smallest to tallest, left to right... And when I go to sleep, I need to have three pillows. One for my head and one on either side of me." He tried to glance back at Taylor but the thought of the mirror prevented him from doing so. "But it's not serious. I can control it most of the time... Well... sort of... If I lose it, I sort of can't help it... I mean... When we had sex I didn't organise our pillows..."

"Actually..."

Jacob straightened in shock...

"Wait... I did?" he asked, still unable to look at Taylor.

"Yeah... You did..."

Damnit! I thought I was getting a hold of things!

"What's worse?"_Spectre asked mildly. _"The fact that you think_you're controlling it but can't or the fact that you're doing it subconsciously?"_

"Jake... Are you alright?"

He winced at the nickname. "Erm... yeah... Just... Don't call me 'Jake', okay? I don't like being called that... And can you take three steps to your left, please?"

Taylor pursed his lips and did so.

Great... probably thinks he just had sex with an escaped mental patient.

"But you are -"

Shut up!

"Was I not in height order or something...?"

"No..." Jacob answered softly. "I uh..." He pointed at the en suite door. "Can we take this to the other room where there aren't so many reflective surfaces?"

"Oh... O-kay..."

"I promise I'm not going to go on a psycho rampage and murder you."

"You're going to go on a psycho rampage, rape him then_murder him_,"Spectre snickered.

You're really not helping.

Jacob led the way out of the en suite and he silently wished there would be a bathroom somewhere without a mirror. He let out a long, relieved sigh and sat down on Taylor's bed. Then, he realised that would probably appear a bit imposing and switched to his own bed... and he realised that he probably just looked a lot crazier to Taylor.

Great... Well, at the very least he's not going to want to know me now

No one wants to know a crazy guy...

"So... What's up with you and bathrooms?" Taylor asked worriedly, sitting on his bed opposite to Jacob.

Probably the safest place to be all things considered.

"I... I can't look at me own reflection," Jacob answered softly and shakily.

"Why not...?"

"Because..." Physical pain actually started drilling into the sides of his head and he grimaced a little. "I... I killed me dad..."

There was a pause...

... followed by a sharp intake of breath.

"Every time I look in the mirror..." Jacob whispered softly. "I keep seeing myself... his blood on my paws... all over me... I... I can't look at myself... Not like that."

Taylor didn't reply.

In all honesty, Jacob wouldn't be surprised if the cougar called the authorities. Happened more often than not. Jacob always found a way out, however. Teleporting via doorways was a great way to get around. His survival skills also rivalled SWORD's.

Maybe I'll go visit Albert...

... I need to pay him a visit anyway to compile the data on that massive Unsealed I encountered before...

"What... happened...?"

About 50% of people ran off after Jacob admitted he killed his father... the remaining would run after the next part...

"My dad was a leading research in Seal Technology... Doctor Isaac Reaper. He was always busy with his work... and he was really a great dad... Played soccer with me every day when he got home... But... I was crazy from the beginning... Nuts... I had loving parents, a great mom who baked me apple pies every weekend and a dad who took me up to the roof every night to stare at the stars...

"But... didn't help that I'm a psychopath... One day, when I was visiting his work... I saw something sharp... I think it was a pen... I turned to him and stabbed his leg with it... Practically went right through. He cried out in pain but I was laughing... I grabbed something else... I think it was something blunt... I bashed his head in with it... His blood was all over me by the end... and I was laughing through it all..."

The other reason he seldom laughed...

Because when he laughed during his father's gruesome murder, it was genuine... He enjoyed killing his dad... and it scared him to all hell.

Taylor was silent.

Jacob decided he might as well tell the rest of the story even if Taylor wasn't listening anymore. No doubt the cougar was already considering how to escape, get to Jo and the others and call the authorities. Probably get Shana out as well.

"MODD tossed me in Loredown Mental Institute. I originally came from Freedom's Edge but they carted me halfway across Rillotia because I was that nuts. Spent six years in that place... Took that long to get me to _semi-_sanity. Then... I escaped. MODD secured my mom to make sure I didn't go after her next. Been on the run for the past three years just trying to survive."

He looked at his paws, finding them shaking again. There was a brief flash of memory and he saw his father's blood on them again. Tears were welling in his eyes but as he always did, he pushed them back. "I don't even know why I'm running anymore..."

That was it...

That was his young life in a nutshell...

Grew up to the tender age of twelve a quiet psychopathic time bomb before he exploded and killed his father... spent six years in the nut house, ran off and then send the last three years just trying to get by.

Completely bonkers.

But with enough sense to avoid MODD and survive.

And this is the part where Taylor tells me that I need help and runs off...

_"Want me to help you escape?"_Spectre asked suddenly solemn.

Nah... I need to go see Albert anyway. I'll just use a door.

"Why did you run away?"

His heart skipped a beat... Whether that was because Taylor was actually staying - even if it was just for one question - or that he held on to a very scant hope that someone might want to hear his end of the story, he wasn't sure... but...

"Um..." He began softly.

Reaching for his left shoulder, the symbol there began to glow, making Taylor flinch. For the first time since their conversation began, Jacob regarded the cougar and saw a strange combination of emotions in the feline's eyes. Normally he saw fear, calculation and maybe even a bit of hatred. Instead... he saw sympathy, curiosity and even a little... compassion?

"See this thing?" he asked. Taylor nodded. "It's called a 'Brand'. According to my dad's research, it's like a Seal but a bit different. It has the ability to counter Seals. Where Seals draw their power from the natural world, Brands are meant to draw their power from another source. My dad theorised that my Brand - the only one known in the world - draws power from something or some_place_ beyond our universe. He doesn't know what.

"MODD wasn't just trying to 'cure' my but they were experimenting on me as well. They wanted to know more about my Brand, to harness its power for their own. I went through hell in that place. My Brand only grew stronger though. It gave me regenerative abilities, supernatural strength, speed, agility and endurance that bearers of Seals would have to go years of wielding their Seals or risk becoming Unsealed.

"MODD didn't want to help me. They just wanted to either make me one of their stupid, ultra-loyal soldiers or 'harvest' my Brand even if I died in the process."

"How do you know this?"

Jacob snorted bitterly. "This totally screwed up bastard, Krosse was his name, Doctor Krosse, told me as much. He was the one that experimented on me. Told me I was nothing more than 'meat'. I was a nothing made into a something because of my Brand. Without it, I was useless to MODD. So I either obeyed them or I died."

He glanced out the window. "I chose to die instead."

"What...?"

"Jacob Reaper is basically dead... My mom disappeared into MODD, my dad is dead... and hell, I'm nuts. I drift, I adopt personalities, I steal identities and I make do with what I can. I kill if I have to but I save people too. I don't have a goal, I don't have a finish line to run to. Frankly, I don't care. I'm taking it one day at a time because really... I've got no future."

"So... After this...?"

There was no 'after this'. Jacob never planned that far. Hell, he wasn't used to someone sticking around after his explanation. It became sort of his 'kick out' method. If he wanted to move on and leave the person that grew attached to him, he'd just spill out his little story - fight back the headache - and they usually turned the other way, screaming for the police or MODD.

"After this I go to the next town," he answered. "I'll steal, lie, cheat and whatever else to survive."

"You don't have a home?"

"Last time I checked, it was owned by a nice chipmunk couple. Had a feral dog. Alsatian if I recall correctly."

"Did you...?"

For a second, Jacob was surprised and a little hurt that Taylor would infer he would kill someone just for living in his former home. Then again, all things considered that was probably the least he could have done.

"No. They didn't deserve it. I just headed off as fast as I can because I think they recognised me."

"Oh... So... what about us?"

Jacob turned his gaze to the cougar who looked just as lost as he felt. "What about us?" he rumbled softly. "You and I both know this won't last beyond the duration of this trip. You have your job I have my... profession. Besides, these weird 'holiday romances' never work out in the movies anyway."

Taylor's bushy eyebrows rose. It was probably the only part of his body that wasn't perfectly maintained. Jacob liked them. "Despite all your running around, you watch movies?"

He sniggered and shrugged. "Had my stints as a theatre assistant. Sneaking into theatres is pretty easy when you can teleport to through doorways."

"You must've seen a lot of the world then, right?"

"Not as much as I would've liked. Only been around Rillotia, really. Tried getting out but MODD has a tight grip on international transport."

Jacob saw where this was going... Taylor was trying to ease the tension. When he was left unguarded, the cougar would probably knock him out or run off to the authorities. Probably would let him too. He owed Taylor that much. The guy might even get a little promotion for aiding in the capture - no matter how brief - of a notorious MODD felon.

"Can't get to Central?" he asked innocently.

"Nope."

"Where are you heading after this?"

It was probably prudent not to tell him where Albert lived. Hell, even Jacob didn't really know where Albert lived. He usually got to Albert's place using doors. The magic words: 'Destination: Albert's Place' was all he used and he'd step through into the same place Albert was occupying. It always changed. Albert was like him, a runaway from MODD but trapped within its borders.

"Probably the next town over," Jacob answered mildly. "Graesham, I think."

"How long do you plan to stay?"

Shrugging and gazing back out the window, he said, "My stay is probably limited as it is. Just a day or two longer to make sure Boswin doesn't do anything crazy. Then I'm off."

"Well..."

Jacob heard a bit of shuffling and hid a sigh. Taylor was probably heading for the phone... Probably going to try to distract him with a kiss or a maybe a belly rub to get him nice and buttery before knocking him out. He would play along. Unconsciousness did not last long with him because of his regeneration.

He felt the cougar next to him and as he turned, the expected kiss came and there was a sharp pain in his chest for the briefest of moments knowing what was to come next. However, he was used to it. There had been a lot of instances when someone tried to seduce him and knock him out to escape his 'psychotic clutches'.

Kinda wish it Taylor wouldn't...

... but he was the psychotic, escaped mental patient and Taylor was the average Rillotian who just happened to encounter said psychotic, escaped mental patient. Hell, the cougar was taking it pretty well. He was quite convincing too.

Taylor's kiss was very passionate... very convincing...

Whoa... wait a second...

Jacob pushed the cougar away. "What are you doing!?"

"Making your last few days here something to remember," Taylor answered, pressing himself against Jacob. The heat began building in Jacob's cheeks and groin. "I figure that if you don't have a future and your past is so horrible, I might as well make your present awesome."

"Uh..."

Taylor kissed him again, removing the pesky towel between them and pushing him down onto the sheets where the cougar loving ran his paws over Jacob's shoulders.

"Don't you - urf - Wanna - ugh - I mean..." Jacob barely got a word in as Taylor played with his lips, biting at them and thrusting his tongue between them. Jacob was quickly losing his self control as his cock was riding up alongside Taylor's, sandwiched between their weights.

For a moment, Taylor pulled away and pressed his cheek against Jacob's rubbing them together like a cat would. "Jacob... I don't judge people on what their past is... I judge them on what they're going to do. What you did back there... they way you helped Shana... I'll admit it was... unorthodox but it was noble... You've had it rough... You deserve this holiday just as much as anyone..."

"But..."

There were no 'buts' involved as Taylor dove back in and lathered Jacob's lips with kisses.

Jacob tried not to moan but he couldn't help it. His brain was losing functionality quickly but those parts that were function were in complete stasis over the realisation that Taylor wasn't going to betray him! His heart was working perfectly however. As it pulsed rapidly in his chest and pumped more and more blood into his cock, it filled with joy that he had somehow managed to find probably the only person on Mortaelis who wouldn't judge him for being a psychopathic, escaped mental patient with a kill count more than there were stars in the night sky, a criminal record that would make demons weep in jealousy and probably most of the world up against him.

Huh...

He prised their lips apart and stared at him.

"You're crazy too, aren't you?"

Taylor shrugged and pecked his neck. "Just a little. But you wanna know what I'm really crazy about?"

Jacob's heart was pumping a grin into his lips. "What?"

Then his heart sank upon seeing Taylor's evil grin.

"Belly rubs!"

"NO!"

The cougar cackled madly - maybe a little exaggerated - but he assaulted Jacob's chest and abdomen with long, carefully rubs that instantly melted all of Jacob's resistances. Jacob was suddenly in the typical puppy position; arms curved and legs bent as he panted excitedly - cock fully erect - and pawing playfully at his source of arousal.

"Who's a good boy!" Taylor snickered. "Who's a good boy! That's right! That's right! You are! Jake!"

All arousal instantly died and Jacob flopped back down against a bed with a sour look on his face despite Taylor's constant attempt to arouse him. No denying that the waves of pleasure and puppy-like joy was there but the name 'Jake' was echoing so loudly in his head and heart that it just killed everything else.

"Uh... Something I say...?" Taylor asked, still trying to rub his belly so he would submit.

Jacob gently grabbed his paws and pulled them away from his chest. "Just... Don't call me 'Jake'... My dad used to call me that..."

Taylor looked like he had been hit by a brick wall. "Oh... Uh... Sorry... I umm... Didn't know..."

"S'okay... Lots of things you don't know about me."

Snickering, Taylor crawled up to eye-level with Jacob and nuzzled him affectionately. "We got two days..."

"I hardly think two days will be enough to cover six years of therapy mixed with brutal experimentation and then three years or barely surviving."

"Okay... Then why don't I tell you about my boring life."

For some reason... That sounded quite appealing.

"Sure."

Taylor twisted his neck to the right, exposing his shoulder. "Well, you got your ears and belly... And I got a sweet-spot right here..." He pointed at his left shoulder.

That puzzled Jacob and he poked the supposed 'sweet-spot'. "What? Right here?"

"Yeah..." Taylor purred, leaning in and kissing him lightly. Their noses remained pressed together as he said, "I like wolves. Like them a lot. Love big, muscled wolves like you. Love it when they tie with me and give me their mating bite."

Jacob had no idea what a mating bite was.

Am I supposed to go over and bite him now...?

"Idiot!"_Spectre cried, smacking him with an imaginary newspaper. _"A mating bite is what happens when a wolf mates with his significant other! It's instinctive! The dominant partner bites down on the shoulder of the other! It's like a claim! You 'claim' Taylor as your own!"

What!? But it's not like I'm his mate or anything!

"Details! You think those bastards that 'mated' with Taylor before are his mates!?"

Um... Don't cougars live in harems or something...?

SMACK!

Another hit with the imaginary newspaper. "That's lions you fool and they're called 'prides'! Now stop being picky, mount his cute, kitty ass and bite his goddamn shoulder!"

But -

Spectre threatened him again with the newspaper which looked kind of weird since he was holding it in his mouth and still managed to talk clearly...

I'm insane...

Jacob moaned softly as Taylor nuzzled him tenderly. There was a lot of affection in that simple gesture, more so than he was used to. That was... puzzling to say the least.

"Hold - urf - Hold on," he groaned, pushing Taylor away slightly, making the cougar whimper softly. "What exactly do you get out of this?"

"Apart from the best sex of my life?" Taylor replied with one eyebrow raised. He sighed and rolled off Jacob, lying down beside him with one arm behind his head and his raging hard on dripping precum onto the soft, creamy fur of his belly. "Something you should know about me Jak" - Jacob braced himself - "Jacob. I have to lives I live."

For some reason, Jacob ha this horrible vision of Taylor being some sort of astral entity that could transfer his soul from one body to the other. While one Taylor was awake, the other Taylor - probably a guy called Steve - was asleep. So when Taylor went to sleep, Steve woke up. Steve was probably a direct opposite of Taylor... Horribly straight, anti-gay activist, religious nut and probably happily married with two kids and a white-picket fence house.

Yikes...

"I'm a suburban kid," Taylor explained. "Lived in the suburbs for most of my young life. My parents yanked me out of the closet when I was just hitting puberty."

Jacob frowned slightly.

There's a closet involved?

Is that how parents treat their kids these days? By stuffing them in a closet?

"You are totally_clueless,"_ Spectre sighed heavily. "It's a 'proverbial closet'. It signifies how a gay person lives in the closet to hide themselves from the world. When they 'come out', it's them announcing proudly or rather admitting to everyone that they are gay."

Oh... So I just came out of the closet too... Right?

"Yes. Yes you did."

Huh... Would've thought it'd be more significant...

"For you, the psychopathic escaped mental patient, it was nothing. Being 'gay' compared to everything else isn't even worth mentioning."

I suppose...

"I know what you're thinking," Taylor snickered. "My parents suspected but they were really very supportive of me. Very loving. Didn't care I liked men. They loved me either way."

That was nowhere near what I was thinking...

"I lived my life until I graduated from high school as an openly gay guy," Taylor sighed. A smile crossed his features that made him looked so adorable. Jacob couldn't help but think how those lips were so... kissable. He was resisting the urge to dive straight in there and go spelunking for the cougar's tonsils. "I was the only openly gay guy in school..."

That last sentence was added with a bit of remorse... but also a hint of mockery.

"Funny thing is, I went to a sporting high school. There were a lot of hormones going around. Testosterone mostly."

They're using testosterone as drugs now...?

"Fool!"_Spectre cried, whacking Jacob with another newspaper. _"He means that a lot of the guys were hormonally charged. Very macho. Wanted sex all the time."

For some reason, Jacob just envisioned a high school grounds where everyone was nude, with dicks erect and running around humping each other at the first opportunity. As odd as it seemed, there were no girls around. Just guys.

"Wow... You are_gay."_

I thought I just established that.

"Yeah but never thought you were that_gay."_

"So you can imagine," Taylor continued, "that when some guy just got dumped by his girlfriend, he grabs me to get their rocks off. Hell, guys grabbed me in the locker rooms and screwed me just for fun. They kept saying they weren't gay because apparently our balls didn't touch."

Jacob thought back...

Did our balls touch...?

He wasn't sure... at the time, he was been reduced to a raving sexual beast that was only concerned about pumping his seed deep into Taylor. Everything was really all a blur. All he could remember was their muzzles twisting and curling around each other, their tongues shifting in the waves of hot breath they shared and his cock buried deep into Taylor's ass...

"I mean, this one time, I had a queue," Taylor snickered. "I had a boyfriend then, you know. Well... I use the term loosely. He and I were 'casual fucks'. We did a lot of stuff together. We to movies together, slept over at each other's houses, played games together and we even had a few dinners together. He played football and I watched him then if he won, we'd 'celebrate' in the change rooms. If he lost, we'd have a 'consolatory fuck' back at my place.

"None of this was public though. If people asked if we were together, he and I would deny it. We were just good friends. Oh and yeah, he was a wolf. Smaller than you though. About my height. Had grey and white fur and the most beautiful brown eyes..."

Taylor sighed, falling in love with his high school fling all over again.

Jacob chuckled but that chuckling soon died when he realised there was something terribly wrong with this picture... If Taylor cared about his high school boyfriend so much... then where was said boyfriend now?

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"I moved away," the cougar murmured softly. "Went off to live in the city after college. Never saw him again. And then started my second life... The life of the closeted gay..." Turning to Jacob, Taylor said, "To everyone outside my home town, I'm basically as straight as they get. I'd even go to the point where I 'hate gays'."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I get it. It's one of those, situations where the greatest extreme is, in fact, the opposite extreme, correct?"

"Yeah..." Taylor chuckled. "The bully who accuses people of being gay hiding his own latent homosexuality..." The cougar lay back, gazing at the ceiling. "I just noticed how much harder it is for gays to get things done... to earn respect. It's like everyone just hates them because they're gay. I know a lot of people who try hard but it's still in there. They try to be fair but in the back of their minds, there's still that 'gay or straight' label."

That was amusing being there was a similar brand of labels in MODD. SWORD was at the top so they looked down on everyone even ExIT. ANVIL was at the very bottom. Regardless of whether or not a person was transferred to one branch or the other, they would always be branded as 'that ANVIL guy' or 'the guy from SWORD'. It was hilarious using that against his opponents. Rivalries were an amazing way to cause unrest within close-knit teams.

He tried to hide his smirk, however because he guessed the whole 'gay-straight' label wasn't a laughing matter for Taylor.

"I had to dive back into the closet to get where I am," Taylor murmured. "Didn't even get me that far... but I know that if I was out of the closet, I wouldn't even be through the door."

"You should say -"

"How do you even know that?" Jacob asked, shaking his head slightly. "I mean, it's pretty clear you're happier when you're out of the proverbial closet. Why should it matter what other people think of you? I certainly don't care."

Taylor gave him a questioning look, halfway between disbelief and utter curiosity. "You don't care if people think you're a lunatic?"

He shrugged. "I used to when I was just starting but after a while, it just dulls down. It's not a surprise anymore and frankly, most of them really aren't worth my dime. Forget that I saved them or I just managed help them beat their archnemesis or something. I'm an escaped mental patient so that doesn't matter."

And...

"... and thanks for not being one of those people..."

Taylor smiled and leaned in, kissing his cheek lightly. "Well... You're not the only one with secrets." The cougar straightened. "Which reminds me, only Christy and Jo knows. Please don't tell Kerry or Max."

"Somehow, I doubt Max will care but alright."

"Thanks." Another kiss. "And to answer your original question, what I get out of this is a few days just to be myself. Away from prying eyes."

Jacob could appreciate that. More often than not, he was 'someone else' to try and hide his identity. Acting like someone became second nature to him but he guessed that he had a lot more time to be himself than Taylor did. It was one of those things that he just took for granted when, obviously, some people were chained down by different weights.

I'm chained down by my past...

... Taylor is chained down by his present and future...

Kinda sucks.

He gently wrapped his arms around Taylor's fit body, running his paw over the nice curves those trim muscles made and over the cougar's nice, plump thighs. The cougar looked to be built for running or swimming. Too bad the feline was so scared of cold water. Would explain why he was a little frantic during the little river-fight though the river water was pleasantly warm instead of biting cold.

"We don't get a lot of freedom these days," Jacob admitted, sliding across to bed and pressing himself up against Taylor.

Taylor gently pecked his lips before reaching out and seizing his left wrist. Jacob hadn't even noticed he had a pillow in his paw and was positioning it to make that little 'pillow fortress' of his. "Just means we gotta take advantage of what little freedom we do have."

Their lips met again and a strange, shuddering wave of pleasure rushed through Jacob. It was unlike the wave he got when someone scratched his ears or gave him a belly rub. It still drove his hormones wild and his cock raging for release but there was an odd, twisting sensation in his stomach and heart. Something along the lines of a mysterious entity seizing his innards and twisting them like a balloon animal with every curl and jerk sending a fresh surge of the odd feeling through him.

As he turned his muzzle to the side to allow Taylor greater entrance into it, that feeling surged outwards and filled him with anticipation. He wanted to mount this cougar. His hips were already starting to buck a little, rubbing against Taylor's pulsing member and those firm abs. The feeling of Taylor's sandpapery tongue against his own was strange at first but the instant he pulled away, he knew he wanted more and he kept probing for it.

His right paw drifted to the back of Taylor's neck, cupping it lightly as he tilted Taylor's head back and slowly rolled on top of the smaller cougar. He barely registered his own moans since he was more focused on Taylor. The cougar's soft, sex-cries were like music to his ears. They were big ears too so he heard it all and cherished their frequent notes as they escaped the cougar's throat, funnelled down their combined muzzles and reverberated in his chest.

At the same time, they broke the kiss and Jacob began running his lips down the side of Taylor's neck, peppering it with his kisses and following one particular muscle as its corded mass ran down the side of the cougar's neck and merged with another muscle to those broad shoulders. He felt Taylor reach over behind him, rubbing his back and spreading an almost volcanic warmth all over his body. Like those paws were seeping hot lava and his pores were greedily absorbing it into his body.

With their chests pressed against one another, Jacob found Taylor's heartbeat pulsing against his pecs. Combined with his own heartbeat, it was like having twin drums beating against his chest.

"Jacob... Yeah... Mmmm..."

The hottest part about their contact was definitely their two, pulsing cocks that were pressed against one another, hot precum pouring out from both and quickly moistening their bodies. Jacob found more feral, primal instincts fighting to take over but he pushed them back a little, finding the perfect balance between them. He emitted a few, lustful growls as he managed to turn Taylor on his side and roll up behind the athletic feline.

Those instincts drove him to rub his cock up against the crack of the cougar's ass, sliding it up and down with his precum spewing up against Taylor's back. As with the previous night, his wrapped one of his paws around Taylor's cock, amazed at its slick, pulsing structure. His own canine cock was like a tampering, black rocket. Taylor's cock was so odd and new to him. It was thick, pulsing with life and veins and had a mushroom-like head that he found utterly fascinating especially as that tiny pearl of precum dripped out from cumslit and ran down the thick head.

Jacob was utterly mesmerised, his eyes fixated on that small, drop of the feline's arousal. As his hips bucked and his cock slid in between Taylor's ass cheeks, more of that clear, white fluid dripped out and coated that beautiful, pink rod. Growling lustfully, Jacob prodded the feline's ass, searching for a way not only into the feline but also to coax more and more of that fluid out of the cat's cock.

"Oh yeah... That's its Jay... Stuff it all in..."

The pet name just killed all cognitive thought.

Jacob curled his other arm firmly around Taylor's chest, holding the cougar tightly against him as he pushed his cock back into that familiar ass. He shuddered as Taylor's muscles clenched around his member, thrusting slowly into the cougar and relishing every moment of raw contact with the feline. Growls continued to rise in his chest, feral instinct taking over as he buried his muzzle against Taylor's neck, licking, nibbling and sniffing to take in more and more of the cougar's scent and taste. The sweat that rolled off Taylor's body was like seasoning against the fresh, spicy, lean meat that quivered against him, crying out a name that totally brought out the beast in him.

He wanted to sink his teeth into Taylor, to claim the cougar as his own. Some powerful, base part of his brain urged him to do it, to dominate the cougar and cry to the world that this feline - this man - was his, a person that was part of his heart and no one could take it away.

Jacob ran his tongue against the sweet-spot that Taylor had pointed out, making the young feline shudder and moan in ecstasy.

"Oh Jay..."

Taylor's tail wrapped around him and he pushed himself as far as he could go into the cougar. He grunted in dismay as he noted the cougar couldn't take all of him and he let out a soft whimper as the beast in him couldn't experience the full pleasure of sex. However, that beast shook off the disappointment and drove him to more feverish thrusts. If it couldn't be satisfied with a knot, it could be satisfied with wild, hot sex.

His mind became hazed with lust as more and more pressure built in his loins. His pace was rising to a thrust per half second with Taylor's cries rising by a tone with each one. Part of him was surprised that Taylor could reach such high pitches, that same part being amazing what a beautiful singer's voice the cougar possessed.

Then that part was swept aside by the heat of lust as his deep, rumbling growls formed a perfect melody with Taylor's howls.

"Oh... my... god...!" Taylor bellowed between thrusts. Jacob could feel the cougar's cock twisting in his paw, feel the cum pumping through that member. "Oh shit...! Oh shit!"

Taylor abruptly arched his back. "AAAAAAH! Jacob! YES!"

Molten semen poured out of Taylor's beautiful cock, splattering all over the cougar's creamy chest and soaking Jacob's paw. Jacob only paused for a second to marvel at the beautiful spray of seed before he was back to his feverish thrusting, his own orgasm rapidly approaching.

Despite having orgasmed, Taylor was still whining and grinding himself against Jacob's groin. He turned his head, catching Jacob in a hot, passionate kiss that threw the wolf right off the edge. The flood gates burst open and Jacob thrust himself as far as he would go into Taylor's ass, letting loose a loud howl that was barely muffled by Taylor's muzzle.

It felt like half his bodily fluids were being pumped into Taylor as a wave of exhaustion quickly overcame him. The haze deepened and Jacob found it hard to keep his vision from blurring. He was vaguely aware that his semen was pouring out of Taylor's ass and against his own groin. Their kiss broke on mutual grounds and he collapsed backwards, his arms loosening around the cougar. However, Taylor reached out and held them tightly together, sighing contently.

Jacob tried fighting off the sleepy afterglow but found it extremely difficult. Every bit of his body just wanted to drift off into peaceful slumber next to this amazing cougar. There was a short pang of pain upon realising that it wouldn't last beyond the next few days but he shrugged it off. It would just make those few days so much sweeter.

Their eyes met and the kissed lightly.

"Sorry... I didn't... bite you..." Jacob murmured sleepily, his eyes closing shut.

He wasn't sure but he thought Taylor lightly brushed his hair. "It's okay, puppy. There's plenty of time."

****

Jacob managed to fight off any nightmares by waking up from a dreamless slumber. His eyes peeled open but was only slightly seared by the afternoon light that came from his window. There was something blocking most of the light but he wasn't sure what it was... He just wished that it could block_all_ of it because his eyes were having difficulty adjusting.

"Aww... I wish I could take a picture."

He recognised that voice.

It was the voice that made him question his own sexuality.

"Joanna!?" he cried, still a little dazed. Taylor murmured beneath him and he was aware he still had one arm around the cougar and his cock partially out of the feline's ass. Not to mention they were naked, covered in each other's cum and sleeping in the same bed.

"Again, wish I could take a picture," the vixen chuckled. "But I'm already recording this all..."

Jacob became aware she was holding a camera in her paws.

And his heart sunk.

"Please tell me that isn't Christy's camera..."

The swan jumped out from behind Joanna and grinned broadly. "Sure is!"

Jacob would've slapped himself if his right arm wasn't caught beneath Taylor. He wasn't embarrassed... just didn't like the idea of being caught off guard. There was some analytical part of him that thought that sex might just be a terrible weakness for him. Someone could seriously do some serious harm if he was suffering from afterglow.

Taylor shuffled and slowly woke. "Huh... Wazzat?" The cougar's topaz eyes went wide in shock when he saw the two women. "Jo! Christy!"

A degree of comfort filled him as Jacob saw Taylor's shock. At least he wasn't alone in this. He winked at the two girls.

"Photo op!" he cried.

"Wha -?" Taylor began but was quickly cut off as Jacob planted his lips against Taylor's catching the young cougar in a passionate, steaming, toe-curling, cock-hardening smooch. For a second Taylor was just caught off guard then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he simply melted.

There was the faint click-click of the camera taking a photograph.

Jacob pulled away and drew a lick from Taylor's nose to his forehead, giving his feline partner a little cowlick.

"That is going straight on my Webook Page!" Joanna laughed. Webook - pronounced as 'web book' - was an online contacts service that allowed people to remain in contact with one another and keep their friends updated on their activities regardless of distance.

"No! You promised!" Taylor cried in a panic.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll blur out your faces."

"Some guys might remember that little mole you have there though," Christy pointed.

Jacob curiously glanced at Taylor's abdomen and noticed the little, black circle that was sitting right beneath his navel. Curious, he poked it but had his paw slapped away by Taylor.

"What are you guys doing here?" Taylor growled.

"Watching," Joanna replied, leaning forward and smirking.

Growling, Taylor grabbed a pillow and hid his privates.

"Spoiled sport," Christy muttered mockingly. She stuck her tongue out at him. "It's like 12 at noon. We were having trouble making sure Max or Kerry didn't check up on you so we had to do it ourselves. They're helping around the farm while Shana is off at the hospital again. We were just wondering if you two would rather spend the rest of the day in bed or were going to come up and help us."

Joanna grinned evilly. "If you're opting for the stay in bed option, we get to watch."

_"I like her,"_Spectre sniggered.

For some reason, Jacob did too. She was deliciously evil and he had to admit that she was pretty funny. Besides, seeing Taylor squirm was a little bit of a turn on.

"We'll come help," Jacob said, slipping out of bed.

Taylor glanced at him in surprise. "We will?"

"Shana needs our help right now, Taylor. As awesome as spending the rest of our time together in bed, we can't be that selfish."

"Right... And call me Tayl..."

Joanna snickered. "Hey! Tayl got tail!"

"Got tailed!" Christy corrected.

The two girls high-fived each other.

Despite Christy's obvious promiscuity, she was growing on Jacob too. She and Joanna made quite a team.

"Just tell me what needs done," Jacob replied over his shoulder, swiping his pants off the ground. "I'll get right to it after a brief shower."

"It'll tell you what needs to be done!" Christy exclaimed. Jacob braced himself. "Me! Do me next!"

*****

Most of the farm work was quite easy. With really no need to hide his abilities, Jacob was zooming through the work with ease. He got some training in as well especially when it came to rounding up the animals. Using the pigs as weights was fun except when he was in the slush they lived in and his shoes sank into the mud. That was disgusting.

They were all done by about five in the evening and Jacob still wanted to go visit the Bloomcrest Ruins. Taylor opted to stay and help with dinner as he was apparently an adequate amateur cook. Even applied for a reality TV show concerning cooks but didn't get in. The others were finishing up work in the farm.

They all did fairly well despite having next to no real knowledge of how farms worked. It wasn't harvest season so all they had to do was make sure the crops were watered, animals fed and animal housings cleaned. Surprisingly, even the grouch Max helped.

Jacob set off on his own towards the Bloomcrest Ruins, summoning Spectre and soaring through the skies until he reached a large patch of blackened buildings. It came as a surprise that Bloomcrest was far larger than Pollenburn. Where Pollenburn was a rural town Bloomcrest had been a city. Three skyscrapers actually punctured the skyline but it was so far from Pollenburn that it was hard to make out from the farm. Everything was either blackened from the Purge or the surrounding ash.

'Grim surroundings' was pitting it lightly.

As he and Spectre landed, he dismissed his Animus, Spectre turning to his invisible, smaller form and wrapping around Jacob's neck.

Bloomcrest light like something taken right out of an apocalyptic movie. There were still glass shards and blackened newspapers everywhere. Whatever had hit Bloomcrest was something really big and really fiery because the scorch marks were clearly evident. He winced at the few shapes that were burned into the sides of buildings. Apparently, not all of the people in the city were dead from the Plague...

At the very centre of the city stood a large clearing of sorts. The epicentre of the blast had melted everything around it in a broad, five-hundred metre radius. MODD had repaved the ground to make it safe for visitors but there was an evident, spherical shape in the debris around him. Buildings were curved oddly with their sides melted shut while the asphalt had actually curled up around the centre of the blast to form a sort of low-ring around the Flower Memorial.

The Flower Memorial itself was quite stunning.

A large, crystal-shaped statue about twelve-feet in height shaped like three different flowers curling around one another to form a grim, glistening obelisk to commemorate what had occurred at Bloomcrest. The Memorial stood on a solemn, black-marble base with a golden plaque on it.

"'In Remembrance of Bloomcrest and those that died due to the Pollenburn Plague'," he read, leaning over to the plaque. "'May we never forget that the most beautiful of flowers possesses the sharpest thorns.'"

"You're not a local, are you?"

Jacob fought down the urge to spin around, draw his blades and fire off a laser at whoever spoke. Easing himself to relax, he straightened and turned.

The chimpanzee that stood a few feet away from him with a bouquet of flowers was one he recognised easily. Gale Winthrop was one of the seven Elemental Lords and one of the most powerful people on Mortaelis. Naturally, he worked for MODD because his power came from a Seal, the Seal of Fate's Wind, one of the seven Primary Elemental Seals.

Jacob had no qualms with the golden-eyed chimp who was dressed in the grim, black and gold of his rank and division. Hell, he really didn't bear any hatred against MODD. Sure, they tried to experiment and use him but he completely understood that they were a ruthless corporation trying to seize control of the world and wasn't going to let one pup get in their way. He would've done pretty much the same if he was in their position.

Would've been as careless though...

"No, I'm not."

Gale chuckled, his gentle features bright with mirth as he stepped past Jacob and placed the flowers on the base of the statue. "Most of the locals avoid this place. They stopped bringing people here on official tours. If anyone wants to come here, they do so on their own time and out of their own pockets. MODD and even the Pollenburn Council won't touch the place. Says it's haunted."

Remembering Shana's earlier mention of ghosts of the past constantly blanketing Pollenburn and the Ashlands in ash, he said, "Is it?"

Gale looked up, a brown eyebrow raised. "Is it what?"

"Haunted. I heard from someone that Pollenburn and this whole place is pretty much haunted. It's why there's still ash here despite the many years that's passed."

The chimpanzee - who looked about in his mid to late thirties, let out a chuckle, the sound echoing across the empty graveyard of Bloomcrest. "Could be. Certainly would explain a lot. Despite how much we try to restore this place, the ash just keeps suffocating everything we try. We've try moving the ash and planting stuff underneath, we've tried building hydroponics labs and independent ecosystems but nothing seems to work."

Winthrop cast his gaze around the ruins, sighing slightly. "I still remember when this place used to be full of flowers. Even the harsh, metallic jungle that was Bloomcrest City was littered with flowers. It was impossible to escape the constant storm of flower petals." The chimp's face broke into a brilliant, innocent smile. "I still remember during the winter when the rains would come and they'd blow all the loose petals around and it's rush towards the city like this massive wave of colour. People from all over the world would come over here just to get 'hit' by the wave."

Jacob pictured the even in his mind. There was strange mix of terror and glee in his mind as the wave of petals flung towards him. He was standing next to some people, arms spread wide as if ready to embrace the wave as it hit him. To think that it was an annual thing was quite spectacular.

"Such a loss," he murmured.

"It is," Gale replied softly. "I want to bring that beauty back into the world."

His golden eyes flicked back towards Jacob, his athletic build showing through the rather tight-fitting ninja-outfit he wore beneath the gold and black trench coat he wore that was customary for MODD officials. Jacob noticed he wasn't wearing boots either but rather a pair of sandals over his feet which were covered by the black pants he wore.

"The world is harsh enough," Winthrop said. "Everyone needs a sanctuary to keep them safe."

Huh... Maybe not all MODD goons are terrible people...

"How's that going for you?" Jacob said a little too bitterly than he had intended.

Thankfully, the Ninja of the Seven Winds just chuckled and said, "Not too well as you can plainly see. But I'm working on it." Gale placed his hands on his hips. "So what brings you here, stranger? You come alone?"

"Alone, yeah. I was curious about Bloomcrest after I heard some interesting stuff from Shana McLeod. A farmer who -"

"Is probably the only person that hasn't been bought out by the Boswins," Gale finished. "I know. I was raised by them."

That piqued his interests.

"Wow... I never thought a cow could raise a chimp..."

Jacob swatted absently at Spectre, pretending it was some ash on his shoulder.

"That needs some explaining."

Gale Winthrop nodded and chortled softly. "My entire family, including my big brother, were killed during the Pollenburn Plague. I alone survived from my family. I was taken in by the McLeods and raised as one of their own. I think Shana needed someone else beside her after her husband died despite my being older than her current child, Darren, was it?

"When I was old enough, I was discovered to be compatible with a certain Seal."

Not everyone could use a Seal. There were some generic Seals like the Lock Seals or the Travel Seals - which created a hovering platform that could be used for travel - that were easily usable by anyone. However, more powerful Seals that encompassed powerful aspects of life had to have a certain 'synchronisation rate'. It was apparently based on the recipient's soul or very existence being on the same level as the Seal. What that level was or what determined the Seal's base was never released by MODD. Trade secret apparently.

People who possessed a 25% synch rate or below were forbidden from using a Seal because there was a high likelihood they would end up being transformed into an Unsealed. Those with synch rates between 40% and 70% were allowed to use Seals but had to use them sparingly. Overuse could lead to transformation into an Unsealed. 100% matches were hard and rare to come by but people like Gale possessed such matches.

It meant they could use the full extent of their Seals.

Usually, the more powerful the Seal, the harder it is to synch with them.

And Gale's was very powerful.

"The Seal of Fate's Wind," Jacob stated.

Gale nodded and glanced to the west - in the direction of his headquarters. "I didn't want to leave Pollenburn but I swore to myself that when I get strong enough and enough influence in MODD, I'd come back here and rebuild."

"A noble goal... Little progress but it's not like you can expect miracles in a day... It took nature billions of years to create a paradise of flowers..."

And it took mortals just one second to reduce it to ash.

"Okay...Not exactly what I was going for..."

"One of these days Bloomcrest will be rebuilt," Gale said firmly with a confident smile. His eyes turned back to Jacob. "And you say you've met Shana, correct? How is she anyway?"

I'm going to enjoy this...

"Dude, let it out nice and easy."

Jacob mentally rolled his eyes. Fine.

"She's in the hospital."

"Jake!"

Gale froze. "What? What for?"

"You don't have to worry," Jacob said with a shrug. "She's not injured."

The chimp sighed in relief, clutching his chest. "Oh thank god..."

"Darren is."

Spectre growled angrily. "For crying out loud!"

"Wha -?"

"The Boswins decided to send someone to raid the farm," Jacob replied. "A bunch of drunkards came through the gates and shot Darren six times. He's currently in a coma."

"That son-of-a -!"

Gale leapt into the air, casting a huge blast of wind that nearly knocked Jacob off his feet. The black and gold form zoomed into the air and shot straight towards Pollenburn at high speeds, sending off a small sonic shockwave that was a dull boom to Jacob back on ground level.

"It isn't smart to piss off an Elemental Lord."

"But it is smart to turn him against the Boswins," Jacob replied with a faint snicker. "I wanna see the fireworks." He headed over to one of the intact doors of a nearby building and quickly ran his finger across its frame. "Destination: Pollenburn Hospital, Level 3, Long-Term, Ward 6."

He flung open the door and was instantly back inside the same ward that Shana and Darren occupied.

"Jacob!" Shana exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. She had moved a chair to flank Darren's bed and had held her son's hand tightly. Even as she got to her feet, she didn't let go. "What are you doing here? Did something happen at the farm?"

"Oh no," he answered with a dismissive wave. "Everything at the farm is great. Peachy. No problems. Just thought I ought to tell you that Gale Winthrop is coming to visit."

"Gale?"

Jacob sensed the door was about to burst open behind him and he too step away from it -

WHAM!

... only for it to swing open and hit his muzzle straight on, making stars flash before his eyes.

Ow!

Spectre was laughing again.

Gale completely ignored him and rushed over to Shana.

"Darren! Shana! Are you two alright!?"

Despite the grim atmosphere around the private ward, Shana's face lit up with a smile. Whether it was because Jacob just got his muzzle driven into his head or because she was seeing a long-lost friend, Jacob wasn't sure. He was sure, however, that it didn't matter.

"Gale, it's nice to see you again," she said.

The ExIT commander hurried over to Shana and caught her in a tight embrace. He was a little shorter than her so the scene gave the appearance of a prodigal son returning to his desolate family.

Gale pulled away and regarded Darren with a look of remorse. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. I was caught up on a mission in Minteroca. How is he...?"

Shana shook her head sadly as she repeated exactly what the doctors told her. The chances of revival were pretty high. The therapy was pretty light and the repair procedures pretty standard. The only thing that would need to be watched was the spinal reconstruction. However, thanks to the money Jacob provided, everything would be fine.

"Jacob?" Gale asked. He turned and - for the first time - realised Jacob was standing by the door, rubbing his own muzzle. "You mean him?" he asked, pointing at Jacob.

"Yes," Shana answered with a nod and smile. "Gale, meet Jacob Reaper. I believe he's from MODD as well. A member of SWORD, I think."

Gale started. "You're the guy I saw at Bloomcrest... How did you beat me here? Apart from Illuminator, I'm the fastest of ExIT."

Jacob decided to play the 'but SWORD is way better than ExIT' card. "Your speed might be legendary in ExIT, Wildwind," he said, using Gale's official codename. "But in SWORD, it doesn't matter how fast you go but how fast to get to your destination."

A smile of relief crossed Gale's features. "I see... Thank you... Thank you for covering Shana's medical bills... If there's any way I can repay you...?"

Hmmm...

"Just make sure you keep your promise, monkey-boy."

Gale raised his eyebrows. "Promise?"

"To fill this place with flowers again."

The chimp looked shocked for a moment... then he began chuckling. "Right... of course. Thank you."

Spectre suddenly sat up and regarded him suspiciously. "Wait a second... You didn't come here to see Gale blow a gasket at the fact that Darren was hit by the Boswins, did you?"

_Whatever do you mean?_Jacob thought innocently as he watched Gale discuss some matters with Shana. From the sounds of it, it was plans to move Darren to a more specialised facility in his headquarters and to find the true culprit.

"I mean that you told Gale about Darren so that he will take care of the McLeods! If they're under Gale's protection, the Boswins wouldn't dare_attack them!"_

You're trippin', Spectre.

_"Awww, you big softie!"_Spectre snickered, licking his cheek.

Hey, I just came here to brag. I just saved someone important to Gale. He owes me.

"Right. So why aren't you bragging?"

What? In front of the kid's comatose body? Are you nuts? How insensitive do you think I am?

"Not very, apparently."

Before anything else could be said - thought - Jacob felt a distinct itching on his left shoulder and he went rigid. Both Shana and Gale noticed.

"Something wrong, Jacob?" Shana asked. "Is your arm alright?"

Jacob was cupping his left arm. "Unsealed," he growled. "Stay here!"

He spun and charged out of the ward, bolting towards the stairwell. He completely ignored the stairs themselves and just hurled himself down the central gap the spiralling steps made. The air whizzed past him - as well as a few shocked expressions - as he landed on the ground floor and charged right out into the atrium of the small hospital.

The dusk light met him as he surged out into the exterior of the hospital. The itch on his arm was getting very annoying and Spectre's fur was right on edge, growling softly. Civilians were walking across the streets of the small town, unaware of the Unsealed...

THWACK! THWACK!

Jacob flinched and spun around, a large, owl-like creature erupting into a shower of yellow winds mere inches from his face.

Gale somersaulted over to him, landing on his feet with a long, curved bow in his right hand, the weapon possessed a bright, silver and gold edged that looked like it could cut through metal if needed. Strangely, the boy didn't possess a string but Gale still had an arrow made of curling winds ready against it sights.

"Damnit," the ExIT command swore. "Breezes! I hate these bastards! Everyone! Get down!"

_Now_the civilians screamed and panicked as Drafts came sweeping in from all around them and encircling the two.

"Are you armed?" Gale asked.

Jacob reached into his pants and pulled out his two specialised gloves, slipping them on and cracking his knuckles. He slipped on his headphones, flicked on the white noise generator and pulled his sunglasses over his eyes, the interface immediately flickering on.

"Yep."

The interface instantly displayed data on several owl-like creatures that were hovering just above the crowd of Drafts. The Unsealed were more realistic than the cartoony Drafts, appearing to be white and gold owls with the same golden eyes but with their bodies smooth and unfeathered with a Seal on their chests similar to the ones the Drafts possessed on their heads.

'Species found: Breeze. Pupae Level Unsealed. Elemental Alignment: Wind. Seal Alignment: Seal of Silent Breeze. Notes: Attacks with flybys and is very fast. Primarily observation creatures. Hard to hit but otherwise easy to defeat. Average Incubation time: 3 Days.'

Jacob flung out his hands, summoning Radiance and Requiem and spinning them in his hands deftly.

"Nice," Gale chuckled. "Hey, last one to fifty owes the other a beer."

"I don't drink," Jacob answered, grinning broadly and pointing Radiance towards one of the Drafts. He pulled the trigger, instantly destroying the Draft with the laser that burst from his blade. "But I'll be happy for the opportunity to kick your ExIT ass."

"Ha! You're on, pup!"

Jacob was instantly moving, bolting forward with all his speed and lashing out at each of the Unsealed in his way. He knew that the Breezes would be the biggest problem since they were airborne. He cut down as many Drafts as he could and lunged at the closest Breeze. The owl-like creature swept to the left, dodging his swipe easily before banking in the air and charging straight at him. Jacob threw Radiance backwards, letting it slice through more Drafts before he spun around and grabbed the Breeze's face. He flung it at the ground and -

WHAM!

Slammed Requiem right into it. He pressed the trigger of his sonic sword and the weapon began emitting its high-pitched sonic blast. Pressed up against the Breeze, the sound shattered the Unsealed with ease. He didn't have time to celebrate as he spun around and caught Radiance on its return trip, the Unsealed around him backing off.

"Ten!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Heh, problem with being a ranged fighter," Gale replied, pressing his back up against Jacob. He drew another wind-arrow from his bow and unleashed it, the arrow cutting through a single Breeze. "You gotta take aim! But I'm not an ExIT commander for my looks!"

"I pity your underlings and their mirrors."

"Ha! I like you."

"And you're not so bad monkey-boy. Still gonna kick your ass though."

"Not after you see what I got up my sleeve," Gale answered with a grin. The edge of his blade-bow began glowing. "Wind Blade Barrage!"

He swung the bow through the air and a storm of crescent-shaped, golden bows of energy shot out from his weapon's edge, homing in wildly at numerous targets and easily slicing through them all. Several Breezes tried to dive at them but both ducked at the same time, pressing their backs against one another and shooting their individual projectiles at the creatures as they flew above.

"That's eighteen!"

"Yeah?" Jacob snickered. "Watch this!" He leapt into the air, spinning Radiance in his right hand to gather more energy. He reached ten metres into the air before he spun around in a full circle, a beam of light cutting a circular swathe of destruction around him.

"Gale! Jump!" he cried and dove straight downwards with Requiem primed.

BOOOOM!

A devastating blast of sonic waves erupted around him, hugging the ground and knocking Drafts against Breezes and causing all of them to vanish in a burst of swirling, golden winds.

Gale landed behind him.

"That's got to be at least thirty," Jacob said.

"Alright I -"

BOOOM!

The ground shook as a titanic Unsealed crashed into the ground behind them... or was is two titanic Unsealed.

Jacob's glasses indicated that the species was unknown as it was starting to record.

Oh boy...

_"Give me a shout if you need help,"_Spectre said.

Nah, I think you've just been replaced.

"By the chimp!? Dude! What does he have that I don't have!?"

Opposable thumbs.

...

"Shut up, you."

The Unsealed in front of them was shaped like an enormous knight that had to be at least twenty feet tall... Well, perhaps about eight feet but twenty feet plus the horse it was riding. The Knight's entire body was created of a grey and gold material with a Seal branded on its chest and the large, circular shield it carried. A long, piercing lance with a wing-motif was gripped in its left hand while its helm was decorated by two, large wings curling upwards like horns. A billowing cape with that same Seal flowed from its back. The horse itself was armoured just as thickly as the knight, dressed in the same grey and gold armour but it possessed a pair of white wings springing from its back reminiscent of a Pegasus. The same Seal as the knight's was drawn on its forehead just beneath a long, crooked horn.

Jacob exchanged glances with Gale.

"First one to take the big guy wins?" Gale suggested.

He grinned in return. "You're on."

There was an ominous 'click-click' as the knight lowered his lance towards them.

"Oh -"

"...shit!"

Both of them dove in opposite directions as the knight surged forward at high speeds, a massive gale of wind surging out from around it and whipping out at Jacob even as the Unsealed missed him by a wide range. He was knocked hard against a mailbox, stars flashing before his eyes but also the brief reminder that he would have to mail Albert soon.

"Jake..."

I'm good. I can take this guy.

Jacob leapt to his feet at the same time Gale did.

The knight turned around and lowered his lance again.

"Jacob!"

The knight charged.

Gale shot an arrow towards Jacob who deftly caught it, a thin wire connecting the wire and the bow. The knight rammed into the wire and its horse abruptly tripped, sending both crashing to the ground. Jacob discarded the arrow, picked up his swords and bolted straight for the knight. He leapt into the air and brought his blades crashing down against the knight which brought its shield up in a block.

Radiance_bit right through the thick metal but _Requiem only send a rattling shock throughout the knight's armour. Wind-arrows slammed into the knight's shield accompanied by a barrage of those crescent energy blades. None of them seemed to break through the knight's shield Jacob saw the Unsealed start to get up. He quickly levelled Radiance at the shield and pulled the trigger.

BAM!

The ferocity of the light explosion sent him somersaulting back over the rapidly rising horse and beside Gale. The knight - Clear Wind, his glasses dubbed - jumped back onto its steed and got ready for another charge.

"We've got to think of another strategy," Gale muttered. "Don't think he's gonna fall for the same trick again."

Jacob glanced to his left.

There was a door.

"Distract him," he instructed and ran for the door.

"What!?"

Jacob bolted for the door. He quickly thought up the closest destination he had memorised and flung open the door.

Shana jumped and spun around from where she was pressing her face up against the window. There were a group of nurses and doctors there too.

"Jacob!?"

"Hi there," he said casually as he charged past them and rammed his shoulder right into the window. He exploded back out into the open, somersaulted and came crashing down - feet first - right at the knight that had finished its charging run.

WHAM!

The knight never saw him coming.

He had descended the three storeys, slamming his right foot into the knight's head and knocking the massive Unsealed to the ground completely off guard. Before they hit the ground, he drove both his sword deep into the knight's skull, pulling the triggers of both his blades and encasing the knight's helm in a burst of light and sound.

BOOOM!

The Unsealed's head exploded in a shower of light and metal.

Jacob tucked into a ball and rolled onto the ground to catch his fall, rising up in a crouch right beside Gale.

"How the hell did you do that!?" Gale exclaimed.

"Trade secret."

Unfortunately, it was far from over.

Even without a head, the knight was getting up.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Gale shouted.

Jacob just grinned. "What? Wimping out?"

That caused Gale's fur to bristle out slightly. "No!"

"Then give me a wire and follow my lead."

Gale complied, pulling a string of thick, garrotte wire and handing it to him as he threw Radiance far into the air, high above them all. Lightning fast, Jacob bolted forward, extending the wire as he quickly reached the knight as it was getting up. Jacob jumped at the knight, driving Requiem through the thick armour and using the grip as leverage to leap up and scramble all over the knight's body. Gale caught on fast and they were twisting and bolting all over the knight's body wrapping it in a cocoon of wire.

Once they were both satisfied the knight was bound down, on some unspoken command, they both leapt off the Unsealed and tackled the Pegasus-like Unsealed at the same time, driving it back to the ground. Just as they did with the knight, they jumped all over its body, dodging its weak attempts to swipe at them with its wings and hooves as they bound it securely against its master.

They high-fived each other in midair before landing on opposite ends of the two bound Unsealed. Jacob crouched and launched into the air, sensing Gale right behind him. He released the garrotte wire and caught Radiance just as it was falling, pressing his back against Gale as the both turned back to the ground.

"You ready for this!?" he cried.

"Bring it on!"

Gale levelled his blade-bow at the two pinned Unsealed beneath them. A brilliant, golden glow erupted from his bow, encasing the weapon in scintillating light that expanded its mass to ten times its length, making a titanic, glowing, golden bow about as long as a train.

Jacob swung his two blades and pressed a hidden button on the grip of Requiem. A small slot opened at the base of the weapon and he inserted Radiance into it, combining his two blades so that he gripped Radiance but Requiem was an extended edge. He held the combined sword outwards, pressing it against Gale's massive bow. The power of winds, light and sound encased the weapon, forming a brilliant, glowing arrow that lashed out with gales strong enough to rip entire buildings to shreds.

_"Bright Storm Arrow!"_Gale shouted.

"Sure, whatever."

They both released the arrow-sword at the same time.

BOOOOOOOM!

Like a divine blast from heaven, the arrow cut deep into the Unsealed beneath them, exploding outwards and sending a beam of pure light high into the sky that pushed all clouds aside and illuminated the dusk sky. A powerful shockwave rocked all of Pollenburn, even temporarily clearing the small town of all ash as the winds from the Seal of Fate's Winds and the Light and Sound from Jacob's Brand blasted the Unsealed into oblivion.

...

Jacob and Gale landed simultaneously in a small crater created from their attack. A shower of pure, white feathers and twinkling, white stars descended around them, carried by wisps of golden wind.

Jacob picked up his two swords from the ground, spinning them expertly in his hands and grinning.

"That was fun," he chuckled, as he turned to Gale. All mirth faded instantly as he saw Gale's odd, curious look.

The chimpanzee's next words filled him with dread.

...

"I know you."

Interlude: Take a Deep Breath

"The truth is harsh. When you've lived so long knowing one thing only to realise that it is false, it is much like experiencing a death. A part of you just died. All you can really do is to take a deep breath."

Julia Delacroix

Lies and Non-Truths: Living with Falsehood

Jacob Reaper...

How could I not have recognised him from before!?

I had seen the files. I had participated in the hunt! I was told he was a notorious criminal. Someone who had incredible power and was imprisoned in a mental asylum for reformation but had escaped. He had apparently murdered countless people in the asylum on his rampage to escape!

I remembered learning of him, of his history.

At the time, I never believed that anyone was inherently evil but when I read what he had done... what he did to his own father... I just hated him. There was no explaining it. His file photo - the innocent twelve year old with sapphire-blue eyes that shone like jewels - was like a mockery of all that was good in the world. A creature that appeared good but was evil to the core.

Every string of murders, robberies and cases of wanton destruction were blamed on him in the months after his escape. Everyone sighted him and went after him. There was a huge reward for his capture which really didn't make that much sense.

To me, he was a criminal with a Seal and had to be killed. Either he kill more people or he transform people into more Unsealed. That was the worst kind of criminal out there. I could understand why the higher-ups would want whatever Seal he possessed but seriously, was taking his Seal more important than killing him and preventing him from harming more people?

At the time, I thought not.

I had vehemently sought him out... I wanted to be the one to kill him.

But now...

Something was off.

This could not be the same Jacob Reaper that had killed his father, raped and murdered his mother at the age of twelve and went off on a bloody rampage around his father's laboratory.

This guy was helping people.

Hell, he helped Shana and Darren, two very important people to me.

He even helped me defeat two enormous Unsealed right now.

That was not a psychopathic murderer I was told about.

But as I stared at his eyes... I could see that he was calculating something. However he got from outside the hospital to inside the hospital to dropkick the Unsealed was way faster than I could move. Hell, if my guess was right, he could probably teleport to any place on the world if he wanted to. It was probably how we lost him so many times.

"You know me?" Jacob asked coolly. "Somehow, I doubt that."

I steeled myself. Clearly, this guy was no laughing matter. Whatever Seal he possessed, it was goddamn strong. Probably as strong or even strong_er_ than my own. That whole battle back there had been practically all him. If his Seal wasn't enough, he was damn good in a fight.

"You're Jacob Reaper," I said, trying to shake the nerves from my voice. I was scared for the people of Pollenburn. I had heard that Jacob Reaper had managed to level an entire town by dropping a T-Bomb in it. The last thing I wanted was for this place - my home - to go up in smoke like that. "You're the son of Isaac and Rebecca Reaper. You killed your father at the age of twelve... murdered your mother... and was incarcerated and placed into a high security mental facility for six years until you escaped, killing everyone in the facility. The last three years, a string of murders, robberies and all other criminal activities have been pointed to you."

Jacob snorted, chuckling softly and turning away. "Wow... They're really blaming me for killing my own mom, huh? So I somehow got from my dad's work all the way to my house and then back to my dad's work where they found me soaked in my father's blood."

That... That did strike me as odd now that I thought about it.

Rebecca Reaper's body was found in her home... Well, we assumed it was her body. It was so badly mutilated that it was impossible to make out. Burnt to a crisp too. All the teeth had been pulled out brutally as well. It was horrific.

Jacob raised his swords into the air and I quickly was on edge, getting ready to counter with any attack he may have unleashed. I didn't know his repertoire. It was clear he was holding back against the Unsealed. However, I wasn't going all out either. I was just scared that someone might get caught in the crossfire.

Then... Jacob released his blades, letting them drop to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Huh...?"

"It's a nice day," Jacob said. "We just kicked Unsealed ass. Saved a town. Why don't we add 'capturing notorious villain' to that?"

Was he seriously letting me just catch him?

There had to be a catch.

"What's the catch?" I snarled.

Jacob stared at me squarely in the eye, his laser-like intensity causing me to retreat a step. "Keep your promise."

For some reason... that hurt me a lot more if he had just said, 'you die' or 'Pollenburn burns' and pulled out a secret control he was holding, pulled the trigger and blew up my whole past.

****

To say that I was scared was putting it lightly.

Alright, I was an ExIT commander but seriously, Jacob Reaper was legendary in MODD. The one guy we couldn't catch. His escapades grew more and more extravagant with each day. I even heard one of my co-workers back at Minteroca saying that he saw Jacob Reaper raze a whole town dressed as the Grim Reaper. Seriously, everyone made Jacob out to be like some sort of demon.

But what I saw... It made me put a few things into question.

I had him arrested anyway, thrown into the holding cell under Skystorm Tower, the personal headquarters in the middle of Eye Lake. Maximum security, of course. I was shaken but not stupid.

Skystorm Tower had multiple levels, about fifty-seven excluding the five basement levels. Most of them were administrative levels for people who kept track of my troops all over Mortaelis. The last two levels were my personal quarters and the Sky Deck that allowed me to gaze upon Pollenburn and the surrounding Ashlands unobstructed. However, beneath my personal quarters was a formality for all MODD commanders and a little stroke to my ego.

It was a throne room.

When you possess one of the Primal Elemental Seals, you get your own throne.

I really didn't like it. It was tacky and I hated wearing the stupid formal attire when guests from all over the world came over and knelt at my feet. I wasn't some king or god. I was just a soldier trying to make the world a better place.

But I guess, since I had full control over the Element of Wind, I was pretty powerful. My synch rate with my seal was 100% so I was strong but I was never overconfident with my abilities like some of the other Elemental Lords.

I styled myself as a ninja.

I studied my enemies, I found their weaknesses and struck.

I wasn't used to getting caught off guard like I was with Jacob Reaper... though in retrospect, I should've known considering me practically gave me his name...

But I was still not convinced that was the Jacob Reaper in the reports.

He was too... too good.

"Gale?"

There was a broad-shouldered kangaroo and a voluptuous falcon that greeted me from the base of my little raised dais where my throne sat. The over exaggerated stool was good for one thing; it was a place where I liked to think.

"Sherry, Marcus," I replied softly.

Sherry Stormrock was my mentor and my lieutenant. She possessed the Seal of Silent Breeze and was my top intelligence officer. If I was the ninja, she was the assassin. Her powers over Wind and Darkness gave her stealthier abilities than mine. While her 5'11'' figure may seem unassuming, there was just something about how she held herself with infinite poise, composure and stillness that screamed danger. Her silver-grey hair was long and reached down her back with a single strand dropping down over her piercing green eyes.

Back when I was just training, she took me under her wing and trained me. It was her that discovered I was a match for the Seal of Fate's Winds and it was her that trained me to become the ExIT Commander I was now. I owed her a lot. She also kept me informed and out of trouble.

"Gale," Sherry said, stepping up to my throne and offering me a folder. "These are the reports you requested."

I took the folder from her.

It was big.

And heavy.

The fabled 'Reaper File'.

Funny thing was, half of the file was just references to other files. Most of them were hoaxes however. Just some numbskull using Jacob Reaper's name to instil fear into people. All they had to do was dye their fur and hair gold and black and run around threatening people. No one knew was Reaper was capable of. A few movies were made of him and most of them involved someone wearing a 'Reaper mask' with a knife and stabbing beautiful, screaming women.

If only they knew the truth...

"Thanks, Sherry..."

"What did you want us to do with him, Gale?" Marcus rumbled.

Marcus was a fellow survivor of the Pollenburn Plague. Two years my seniors, we had become friends and rivals especially when he was adopted by the Boswins and I stayed with the McLeods. We fought a lot as youngsters but when we both got accepted into MODD, we became fast friends. We needed it. Being country kids in huge, city environments was pretty daunting. I loved Marcus like a brother and he had always been with me through thick and thin. Apart from Sherry, he knew the most about me.

Despite his species, Marcus was big and muscular. He was twice my size in muscle and was the muscle and strength to my speed and guile. In a battle with Sherry by our side, we were unstoppable. He was given the Seal of Sorrowful Songs that gave him power over Wind and Light. He was scary when he unleashed his powers and most of the time, Sherry and I just stood back and let him do the damage. Despite that, he was a gentle giant.

He suffered a bit of premature greying with his brown hair and fur. His brown eyes, however, were always bright and full of energy. He towered over my own 6'1 by nine inches, making him 6'10'' and a giant amongst my division. I normally poked fun at the red bandana he wore around his neck every day especially since it was dirty and a little scorched, a little memento he kept from the Purge.

But today... I wasn't feeling much up to smiling or laughing.

"Keep him in stasis," I answered softly. "I don't want him escaping."

"He won't," Sherry assured me. "We've put him in the most powerful stasis field we can muster. He won't be able to escape."

For some reason, I just doubted that.

If Jacob Reaper lived up to his reputation, he would be out of here before I even finished reading the report.

"Thanks, Sherry. You can both go."

"Is something the matter, Gale?" Marcus asked gently.

"No," I answered, shaking my head. "I just need time to think."

"Alright... If you're sure..."

The two left my throne room and the instant the doors shut, I admitted to myself that the thing that disturbed me the most about Jacob Reaper was the fact that he surrendered on one condition: that I keep my promise.

Why would he be concerned about that?

It really scared me.

There were also a few disturbing reports I got...

I returned to Pollenburn because of a high security risk that arose when an inbound train was attacked by Unsealed. This was my home and I wanted to protect it. I was off in Minteroca curbing some Rebels but when I heard about that incident, I rushed home with Sherry and Marcus on my tail. I was late, of course, but thankfully no one was gravely injured and those that were infected were taken in for treatment.

No one died.

And it wasn't because ANVIL's guards had been great.

They were hardly even good.

It was because of a gold and black wolf who fended off the Unsealed with crazy skills.

Was that Jacob...?

If he was really the evil, sadistic madman everyone made him out to be, he should've derailed the train himself... Unless the Unsealed came from him... But then why would he attack his own Unsealed?

I was confused... but perhaps the results of the report would speak for themselves.

I flicked open the report and skimmed through the contents page - it was about twenty pages of contents alone in the one file - and looked for anything that might give me a clue to the real identity of Jacob Reaper. There was the usual stuff. Murdered father and mother, destroyed asylum and so forth. Pretty much everything I had been told.

It frustrated me that my personal experiences were totally different from the guy I met...

I was starting to think that this Jacob was not the Jacob I had been told to hate.

There was only one way to find out.

I took the report with me as I headed to the elevator behind my throne room. The elevator went only upwards and only then to my two personal floors. I headed immediately to my personal quarters which was really quite small and homey considering my position. Again, I'm a country boy and while I was lavished with riches at MODD, I like staying to my roots to keep myself humble.

There was just a simple bed, a desk and an en suite.

No painting, no Holographic Projectors, no high-tech games console and not even a dynamic wall redecorating device. The most high-tech thing in the room was my personal console which was actually just a standard issue MODD console.

I took a seat in front of my console and flicked it on, inserting my password: Danny, the name of my long dead brother.

I was instantly given access to the MODD database.

One thing I learned about MODD however... never trust MODD.

I was part of the Experimental Intelligence Troop. I dealt with espionage, back stabbing and corporate warfare all the time. No one could be trusted. Hell, I kept tabs on Sherry and Marcus all the time. Only some people I trusted completely and those people were dead.

That said, I had a little program I had created and installed into the MODD database a long time ago. MODD did constant sweeps of its database and I knew first hand that they modified personal details at least a thousand times per second. My little program allowed me to keep a copy of that data. To save space, if the data was the same, it was simply overwritten but if it was different, a new file was created. It needed a lot of space, of course, and that was why I had several quantum-zetabyte hard drives on my person at all times that were the size of toothpicks.

I accessed my data program and scanned for Jacob Reaper.

I wasn't surprised that the file had been changed so many times that the numbers basically took up my entire screen. Going through them all would be insane so I just went to the very start.

What I saw shocked and horrified me.

I already knew Jacob was Isaac Reaper's son... but what I wasn't prepared for was that Isaac Reaper worked alongside another man... Balthazar Palmers... the current Director of ExIT and my superior.

Now I had to read on.

Isaac Reaper was researching something called the 'Brands'. Apparently, it was some sort of alternate to the Seal. Where Seals were powerful symbols that bound a mortal's Mind, Body and Soul together to help manipulate the forces of nature, the Brands were like the direct opposite. They didn't need to bind Mind, Body and Soul and manipulated nature in unnatural, weird ways.

Apparently, his own son - Jacob - possessed the only known Brand in the world. The Brand was not unnatural either. It just appeared on Jacob and the young wolf manifested powers to manipulate Light and Sound fairly easily. Also, Isaac documented that at one point, Jacob fell out of a tree and a massive, winged wolf erupted from space and caught him.

Isaac dubbed this creature an 'Animus' which - he theorised - was a physical manifestation of the Brand's powers. He claimed that where the Seals drew their power from Mortaelis and this reality, the Brands drew their power from some higher plane of existence. He tried cloning the Brands but always failed. The Brands were complex.

Then things really got weird.

Research was done on the Brands and a prophecy was revealed that somehow tied the Brands to the 'Seal of Seals' or the 'Seal of All Existence'. The Ultimate Seal. With Balthazar's help, the prophecy was revealed. A prophecy that was identified during the Seal War.

The prophecy was stricken from the records and I couldn't gain access to it. It was locked away beyond even my program and level of access. However, Isaac surmised that 'One Key and Five Locks will find and bind the Eternal to seek out and reforge the Ultimate.' He theorised that his son's 'Brand' was like a different kind of Seal, that it was 'the Key'. There were five other Seals that would be the special 'Locks'. The 'Eternal' was clearly the Eternal Seal and naturally, the 'Ultimate' was the Ultimate Seal.

When this came about, however, tragedy struck.

Isaac began suspected that Balthazar would try to steal his research and - more specifically - Jacob.

And he was right.

There was a movie file inserted into one of the documents...

I played it...

And I saw it all...

"Balthazar! What are you doing!?"

"Sorry, Isaac. But all this research of yours is nice and dandy when put to the benefit of all Mortaelians but... MODD is a corporation. Something this big can't be let out into the public."

"What? I don't work for MODD! I'm an independent Seal Researcher! I work for the University of -"

"Shoot him."

"Jacob! Run!"

I flinched when the gunfire erupted and my eyes widened as Isaac Reaper went down in a heap. I heard Jacob's desperate cries of 'Dad' as the young wolf scrambled to his dead father, soaking himself in his father's blood as Balthazar and his MODD cronies took away the child.

The following reports made me sick.

Balthazar knew that he had to pin the blame on someone. Isaac Reaper was well-known. His sudden death as well as his own rise to power in MODD would be seen as suspicious. So he blamed Jacob. It gave him the perfect reason to keep Jacob in captivity and study his Brand. He forced Jacob to undergo 'mental reconditioning' so that the young wolf thoroughly believed he had killed his own father leading to semi-insanity.

It took six years to implant that memory into Jacob's mind but by then, his Brand and his powers grew stronger than anyone could have imagined and he broke free. Interestingly, he didn't kill anyone in his escape. Balthazar just made sure everyone involved in the project was killed so that there wouldn't be any 'loose lips' to testify for Jacob's innocence.

I felt sick... really sick.

I never really believed in MODD but I believed even a heartless, greedy corporation wasn't so evil to do that to a helpless child no matter how special he was!

And Balthazar!

"Jacob needs to know," I told myself, rising from my chair.

Suddenly, alarms started blaring around me.

My heart froze...

I knew it... Not even the most powerful stasis field could keep down Jacob Reaper.

I headed back down the elevator to my throne room where Marcus and Sherry met me.

Marcus confirmed my worst fears.

"Reaper has escaped!"