FSE

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Peace doesn’t last forever.

You can erect the strongest walls; build the most elaborate defense weapons; but eventually, a stronger force will show you just how fragile you really are.

That was a painful lesson delivered onto us the moment our walls were blown to pieces.

It only took minutes for our peaceful little town to become a loud, bloody, laser-covered battle waged by the furred oppressors that have long wanted to take us down.

They executed our women mercilessly; with prejudice, even. At times, I could only stand idly by as one of my sisters was giddily stomped to death by an over-sized anthropomorphic Hyena.

The kicker? She had a pistol. She could have humanely brought an end to the human she was viciously stomping into paste.

My grandfather had always told me that the furred oppressors loathed our women, but I didn’t know it was that severe.

My sister in spirit. Now nothing more than a play-thing for the foot pads of a very angry female with the most ridiculous proportions I’d ever seen. She was easily much taller than me, and I was six feet tall; yet I was like a midget compared to the nine foot behemoth. But, height aside, even with the black polymer armor on her chest, I could tell that each of her large boobs could easily eclipse my head.

The rest of her was covered by baggy, navy colored clothing, so I couldn’t tell you what was underneath with fine detail. But, even so, her ridiculous curvature had nowhere to hide.

Every invader on the battlefield matched her in all but species and fur pattern. It was like some kind of sick joke played onto us by a very horny god.

And just when the anthropomorphic she-devil was done with my sister, her brown predatory marbles locked onto me.

Never in my life had I felt an emotional ‘oh shit’ until just now; a wave of overwhelming anxiety from my stomach that triggered my desire to run.

But however fast I was, she was faster.

Much faster.

It didn’t take long for her to corner me in what used to be the general store; now nothing more than broken windows, and the corpses of my brothers and sisters scattered like grotesque party favors that she so casually stepped over

“There’s nowhere for you to run, male.” She was so sure of herself; even leaving herself defenseless with her arms raised to her side like she was an empress. “Just surrender. You’re only delaying the inevitable.”

But even in my dire circumstances, my body urged me to resist with every beat from my freedom-seeking heart. Gripping a loose piece of splintered wood, I let her know exactly what I was feeling. “Go fuck yourself!”

I chucked my makeshift weapon at the beast, but it was no good. Not only did she catch it, but she’d even crushed it with one of her massive hands.

All without taking her eyes off me as the splintered remains slowly gave to gravity.

All without halting her slow and confident advance.

She now towered my front; the wall at my back preventing further retreat. And sliding past her side was no good when her large arms could hook me in with ease. “Well, I can’t say that wasn’t adorable, but my patience runs thin.” She runs one of her sharp claws under my chin, but I wasn’t having any of it. Unfortunately, the slap meant to force her hand away was pinned to the wall as well. “You have the most beautiful brown eyes I’d ever seen in a human. So shiny; so sharp; so angry.” A disgusting cackle escaped her black-lipped maw. “I wonder what’ll shatter first. Your pelvis, or the defiance in your eyes.”

A short-lived dream.

In an instant, the fur between my captor’s head was given a new bloody stamp by a loud zooming sound behind her.

Seeing the corpse drop was akin to seeing the curtains open.

Who was behind curtain number bitch?

It was…

...another anthro?

A tiger. Just as proportionate as the Hyena that was now dead at my feet. The only difference was that, unlike the Hyena’s sick masochistic tendencies, this tiger reeked of lament.

Her firearm clicked against the ground; and not soon after, her now defenseless hands drooped down in disbelief. “...what have I done?”

Her voice was surprisingly light for such a beast. If he were on the phone with her, he wouldn’t even be able to tell she was an anthro.

A sharp contrast from the deep gravelly yells of the now dead Hyena.

“Uh…” Slowly, I step away from my dead oppressor. “...thank you, but...why did you do that?”

“I-I don’t know…” She stared at the pink hand pads on her palms. “This- this- this wasn’t what I signed up for! I was told that we were breaking you free from your females! Horrible females! But I could see now that it was a lie! Your females aren’t abusive monsters! We’re the monsters!”

“Hey-”

“Oh god!” She dropped to her knees, and covered her nauseated maw with her large orange hands. “When they find out about this, they’re gonna kill me! I don’t wanna die!”

All my life, I’d been told that the furred oppressors were not to be trusted.

That they were cold-hearted monsters with no sense of empathy.

But, as I slowly approached the large creature, the wounded look in her gentle amber eyes just made the aforementioned rumors seem implausible.

“Well, maybe you don’t have to.”

Her tear-covered eyes, once hooked to the ground, snapped up at me. She remained silent as I continued.

“It’s a long-shot, but if we can sneak our way out of here, we can seek refuge in a sister base not too far away.”

She shook her large furred head. “Your people would never accept someone like me! I may as well go back to the state with my limbs tied up!”

“They won’t.” I placed a confident hand on her large shoulder. She was strong; I could feel her muscle through the clothing. “Not if you’re with me.” I could see by the confused look in her eyes that I needed to elaborate further. “My name is James Carter, but you can call me Jimmy. I am the son of this fort’s leader.”

“Jimmy Carter…” She wiped one of her eyes. “...like one of your leaders from the olden times…”

“Yes. Like one of the leaders from the olden times.” With a pat to her strong shoulder, my hand slides off of her, and extends itself out towards one of her massive claws. “Now get up. We have freedom to reach.”

The tigress had accepted my hand, but she stood with the force of her own two digitigrade legs. Not like I blame her. The giantess would have effortlessly yanked my arm off otherwise.

“Are you sure that your people will accept me?” She asked shakily.

“You killed a soldier of the State, and saved the son of a leader. If anything, they’ll throw you a god damn parade. Though, mainly because of the former.”

“Well…” She clicked the tips of her black index claws together nervously. “...I guess I don’t have a choice, now do I?”

I had to admit, this was kind of cute. Even if her people were raping and murdering mine in the background.

Though, as hesitant as she was, I bet the ground shaking explosion nearby made her feel a bit more sure of herself.

“...we should probably get going. Like, now,” I say rapidly.

“Yeah. Agreed.”

“Though, we should probably cook up some kind some kind of plan before we go. How organized are the State forces outside?”

“It’s tight, unfortunately,” she said. “No blind spots. The State really strives for no survivors. Even if you manage to somehow slip by the soldiers surrounding the wall, there’s snipers positioned in high points in every direction.”

“Yeah, I thought so...” I groan, and cross my arms. “If sneaking out is impossible, then we’re gonna have to hide in plain sight.”

Her eyebrows burrow, her head tilting in confusion. “You’d better have a hell of a disguise, Jimmy. I’m not exactly easy to hide.”

Seeing as this was the general store, rope was—of course—on sale. It would come in handy for our perfect disguise.

The large tigress chuffed as I comfortably rest on her shoulder, my limbs wrapped like a present by the rope that chaffed my olive brown-ish colored skin.

“Are you sure about this?” Asked the tigress.

“Well, if you have a better idea, I’m all ears.” You bet your ass she didn’t. “Thought so. Now let’s go, uh…”

“My name is Becca.”

“...wow. How fitting.”

“Why? What does my name me-” The ground quaked as another explosion, this one much closer, roared with fury. “...you know what? I’ll ask later.”

I didn’t have time to mourn the dead all around me. As much as I wanted to just kneel and pray for the souls of my fallen people, I knew that every second mattered from here to safety.

Forgive me, my sisters. I will not forget you.

And please look away while I’m carried out by my only ironic hope through these creaky wooden doors.

Though, what I saw next made me long for the ignorance of the store’s walls. It was near immediate that I got a front row seat at a woman’s death by blue laser decapitation.

I don’t know what was worse. The slushing crunch of her head separating from her spine, or the spine-chilling thud from her headless blood fountain of a body giving in to gravity. Either way, it felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach.

It was a sight that repeated itself far as I could see. The women. The decapitation. The thud.

And the sea of blood around me.

Some of them even pleaded for their lives, but the furred oppressors cared for them about as much as I cared for a roach in the kitchen.

The men were also pleading, but for a different reason. Rather, like me, they were being tied, and carried off by a random anthro.

“Let me go!” Screamed one of my brothers on a Wolf anthro.

“Ooh! You’re a feisty one!” She had a malicious grin on her canine maw. “Lucky me! You males are the most fun to break...”

That was the only one I could make out among the roars of other screams; and that was on top of the explosions and whistles of flying blue lasers.

“Jimmy!” Loudly whispered Becca, shaking me a bit. “Hold it together. We’re almost there.”

I was certain that she could feel my heart racing from the paw she had to my back.

“What’s the matter, private?” To my right, the disgusting eyes of another Tigress eyed me carnally. “Is your male a dud? He’s awfully quiet for a wild Human.”

Could she hear my nervous heart? I hope not.

“Negative, Captain!” Becca salutes her superior properly. “He just hasn’t realized that he’s being liberated from those horrid human females!”

“I see.” There was something about the captain’s more serious tone shift that rubbed me the wrong way. And her thin-pupilled amber eyes; they were watching me. Closely.

But not as close as her cold and wet ass nose . I stiffened, gritting my teeth as the tingling air of her sniffing ruffled my hair and violated my neck .

It only took an eternity, but she eventually lets out a satisfied sigh, and gains some distance. “If only I’d found you first, James Carter. The things I would do to you...” The captain tapped at Becca’s large back. “On your way, then. Enjoy your bounty.”

I have to give Becca an Oscar for her laugh later. The sexually saturated tone that escaped her maw sounded genuine. “I’m gonna do more than enjoy him, Captain.”

“You’re a lucky male, James. Tigresses are the most popular mate for a reason.” With a wink, she was on her way.

Thank god.

For a second, I thought she’d seen through the ruse.

It wasn’t until she was a few meters out that I allowed a sigh of relief to escape from my ever-tightening chest. “So, are we in the clear?” I whispered.

“Not quite. The border’s still a quarter mile out.”

“Fuck,” I said. “So I got violated for nothing?”

“Not for nothing, Jimmy. Not if we get out of-”

“Jimmy!”

I knew that desperate scream.

“Jimmy! It’s me!”

I look, and sure enough: It’s Carl. Like me, and every other human left, his tan skin was lighter than the dark curly hair on his head.

“Carl!” I shout. “They got you too!?”

“Jimmy,” whispered Becca. “Shut up. You’ll attract eyes.”

Advice that Carl would not have heeded; even if he could hear it. The thin man struggled; even as he’s forcefully plopped onto the shoulder of a massive Cougar female. “Don’t give up, Jimmy! Fight to our last breath, remember!?”

“Shut up, male!” The massive Cougar slowly dragged her sharp claws through his back; drawing blood, and ripping his shirt. “You’ll speak when you’re told to!”

It just about took the wind out of Carl.

Sure enough, not another word was uttered.

I could shoot her. Becca’s strange white service pistol was well within my reach. But, if I did that now, I’d blow my cover. As much as it pained me to do so, all I could do was watch with angry silence as Carl’s silenced body followed mine to the checkpoint.

Oh how I prayed that a certain contingency plan would be triggered by her; even if it risked blowing cover in front of all these checkpoint soldiers.

They were idle; watching carefully; ready with machine guns in their bloodthirsty hands.

One of the guards, another Hyena, screeched at Becca with her deep, rough voice. “Name?”

“Private Becca Smith.”

“Becca Smith…” whispered the Hyena. “...one male…” After some writing, the Hyena looked up at her, and nodded towards a vehicle behind her. “Go ahead.”

As we advanced, we passed an anthro I’d laid eyes on just a short while ago. Then another. And another.

Each of them had a man on their shoulders before, but now they were free to grab more.

This told me one thing: we were headed to a depositing station of some sort.

And, as I’d soon find out, it was a vehicle.

“There’s keys in the ignition,” whispered Becca. “One of the careless benefits of being on the winning side, I suppose.”

“Works for us,” I whispered. “Is it armored?”

“Duh.”

“Even better,” I said. “But now comes the tricky part. Getting inside before becoming Swiss Cheese.”

“And you’re sure that you’re fine with my idea?”

“If what you say is true, it’ll be fine. It’s now, or never.”

She sets me in the rear of the largest black armored van I’d ever seen. The front was built for giant anthros to ride in, so of course it had to be big.

But not as spacious as the rear. It just screamed “store humans in me.”

And store humans it did. My brothers were crammed in the van’s rear like sardines.

“Jimmy…” one of them whispered. “...they got you, too?”

“Not quite.”

He looked at me with skepticism, understandably. “My brother in Christ, you’re in the slave car with the rest of us. What do you mean-”

“Jimmy,” interrupts Becca. “We don’t have time for this. Who do I cut loose first?” Words that triggered a hoard of pleas from human men begging to be freed.

“What’s the hold up, Smith!?” Yelled the Cougar from before. “And what the fuck is going on back there!?”

“Hang on! Some fucking idiot didn’t tie their-” Yelled Becca, jumping back. “Oh!”

T hree of my brothers sprinted out towards the wooded wilderness in different directions.

“Aw, shit!” Yelled Becca. “Thanks a lot, Williams! Code Blue! Code Blue!”

Soldiers around us growled with discontent. “God dammit!” Yelled one, sprinting after him.

Another pursuer also let her frustrations be known. “Who didn’t tie their male right!?”

I groaned, irritated at the impatience of my brothers as they ran for freedom. “I told them to wait...”

But, they did give us our chance for escape .

Becca lifted me back on her shoulder like I was a lightweight backpack strap. And, following the rushed closing of the van’s rear doors, she sprints towards the driver's side door.

Just as she grips at the driver’s door handle, I see the Cougar aim her white service pistol at Becca.

“Where do you think you’re going, Smith?”

With her arms raised, Becca quickly turned to face the aggressor. “Williams. Put the gun down.”

“Turn around, traitor! I didn’t tell you to move!”

“Okay, okay...turning around…”

I could feel my heart in my palms as Becca changed my field of view with every degree she turned . Patiently, I laid; watching carefully as more and more of the Cougar revealed itself to me. Her service pistol was aimed up at Becca’s head. Meanwhile, Becca’s large pistol— within my reach the entire time— rests uncomfortably in my relatively smaller hands, and it was aimed up at the Cougar’s repulsive , fuzzy head. By the time she’d registered the contents of my hands, it was too late.

Pew!

Right between the eyes.

Enjoy hell, you fucking bitch.

The splatter noise and laser fire had performed a duet throughout the checkpoint. And, along with the thud, we found ourselves in the middle of so many gun barrels.

“Kill them!”

Despite her size, Becca was surprisingly quick on her feet. She managed to slam the van’s driver-side door just before the rain of laser fire began to ping violently against the armored vehicle.

She was saying something to me, but it was hard to make it out due to the sound of gunfire violently pinging against the vehicle from all sides.

I hadn’t even noticed the engine turn on; that’s how deafening this all was.

And again, she yelled something that I’d failed to hear.

She ended up shaking her head, and stepping on the gas.

“Oh!” I couldn’t even hear myself. “The forest!” I point towards one of the roads leading into a nearby forest. “Go to the forest!"

I wish I could say that it was smooth sailing from here on out, but this is the State we’re talking about.

The roaring of engines echo throughout the land; and from the source of the noise, three armored vehicles were in pursuit of us.

“Buckle up, Jimmy!” Screamed Becca as she moved some of her long brown hair from her face. “It’s gonna get rough!”

In front of us was an intersection that was soon blocked off by more armored vehicles. Luckily, where we were going, we didn’t need roads.

“Turn here!” I dictate.

Becca took a sharp right towards the forest full of trees that made even the anthros look like ants. The ground was clear of most debris and bushes, making it more ideal for driving.

Just one of the things we did in preparation for an evacuation.

I’m never complaining about cleanup duty again. Not after today.

“Just so you know!” I yelled, bouncing as the car tried its hardest to remain stable on the unpaved terrain. “There’s a spike trap not too far from here!”

“How do I avoid it?” She yelled back.

“There’s several grace spots we can drive through safely! I’ll tell you more when we get closer!”

“So, you booby trap your forests!” She blinked in surprise, her amber eyes still focused ahead. “Good to know! In case we crash, or something!”

A fate that may come sooner than we realized as a loud explosion made us spin out.

“Shit!” I screamed, holding onto the door for dear life.

“I don’t fucking think so!” The car did end up turning around, but it kept going, and going. “Stabilize, you whore!”

In her efforts to take back control with a kung-fu grip on the steering wheel, she couldn’t help but unleash a deep, primitive, fang-gritting growl.

And, by the second spin, we were back on track. Stable. Onward.

For now.

“What was that!?” I yelled.

“Probably a rocket launcher!”

I look at the rear-view mirror; and, sure enough, several Anthros had stuck their upper bodies out the window while holding what looked to be more sophisticated RPGs.

“I can’t believe this truck took on something like that!”

“Yeah, the State has some pretty good shit!” She shook her head. “Which is terrible for us!”

I groaned. “So how many more of those can we take?”

“About nine! Five if the armor is faulty!”

“Then we’ll work under the presumption that we only have five-” BOOM! The car nearly spins out again, but Becca’s quick thinking saved our route. “...four more explosions we can tank!” BOOM! Make that three. I groan as the car struggles to stabilize itself once more. “We’ll never make it at this rate!” That’s when my eyes once more fall on the holstered service pistol that clings to her hips for dear life. “Keep driving!” I yell, swiping her weapon.

“Wh-” She flicks her eyes to me for a moment. Due to the variable terrain, however, she’s forced to keep looking forward. “Jimmy! What are you doing!?”

“Saving our asses!”

I’d never worked this kind of car before, but I know window controls when I see them. Slowly, the window hums as it lowers itself; and exposes us to our enemies.

“More like killing our asses! Roll it back up right now!” She roars.

“Shut up and keep driving!”

I exploit as much of the rear-view mirrors as I could. Three trucks, three RPGs, no other firearms.

Another rocket was fired at us, but we were saved by a tree that soon collapsed like the hero it was.

Out popped an anthro from the right-most truck, ready to fire yet another rocket.

I don’t fucking think so.

I popped out myself; and, facing backwards, I unloaded laser after laser in her direction.

No luck. She was too far to get a good shot in. But, I did force her back into her vehicle.

In response, she came out with something that looked like an LMG.

“Oh shit!” I immediately cowered back into the truck.

Just in time, too. My previous position was showered with many blue lasers that whistled with death as they flew past us.

“What now, genius!?” Becca yelled.

“Shut up! I’m thinking!”

The lasers had pulverized the mirror on my side. Not good.

BOOM!

Not-er good-er.

With a worst-case of two more explosions we could tank, the situation was more dire than ever.

Presumably, the other two cars were still firing their RPGs at us, and car number three was waiting for me to pop out once more so she could tear me to shreds.

We needed something to distract the gunwoman, but what? Her focus was likely tight, and I was practically a sitting duck when out of that window. I needed some way to be mobile, and harder to hit. But how?

The whisper of a passing RPG, colliding against yet another tree, gave me an idea.

But first, a quick middle finger out of my window.

Near immediately, more lasers zipped past my window.

And now, staring down the rear-view mirror in the vehicle, I wait.

Another rocket was inevitable. I could see it from one of the two vehicles that was ready to fire.

But, I couldn’t leave the window too early.

Not when she fired the rocket.

Not as it travels towards us.

But, just before another explosion forces the car to spin, that’s when I made my move; popping out right when my window was spun out of the gunwoman’s view.

“ARE YOU CRAZY!?” Yelled Becca, gripping at one of my legs with half-focus. “JIMMY!”

Now upside down, my back was forced against the large vehicle’s door with a metallic slam.

Have you ever tried to hang onto your car for dear life using only your calf—and the grip of a large she-beast—as it tried its hardest to spin you off?

Well, I can say that I finally have. Upside down, large pistol in my hands, and aimed at the LMG as soon as the vehicle spun her into my line of sight.

All I could do now, as I was being showered with the vibrations of lasers ramming against the armored car’s door, was grit my teeth and pray that I didn’t miss.

So, I sprayed; and I prayed.

Bingo. Right between the eyes.

Man, I have better aim than I thought.

The LMG is lost to the forest floor, and the corpse that hangs from the window is pulled inside. Still, the three vans continued their pursuit.

“JIMMY!” Yelled Becca once more.

I look ahead, and we were approaching the extended thorns of a black locust tree. “OH SHIT!” Never had I done a sit-up so fast in my life.

I was a bit late, however. It managed to graze my back just a smidge.

Nothing serious; only a flesh wound.

But for now, I hissed as I rest against my seat once more.

“I got one,” I sighed in pain.

“Next time, warn me before you do something stupid!”

“Sorry,” I replied. “I would’ve given you ample warning, but we’re kinda being pursued by murderous slave masters right now!”

“So that gives you an excuse to risk the life I risked mine to save?”

“Well, seeing as we risked getting blown up anyway, what was a little gamble?”

Becca groaned. “You could’ve at least told me to spin the car a certain way. If it had spun even a little slower, you’d be Swiss cheese right now!”

“Well, unless we both wanna be charcoal, I’d better get back out there!” Her large service pistol was still in my hands, after all; and I could feel its thirst for anthro blood coursing through my veins.

Besides, she knew I was right. I could hear it in her sigh. “Just give me some sort of heads up before you act!”

“You see those two trees ahead of us? Those without thorns?”

“Uh...yeah?”

“Drive in-between them!”

“That’s a snug fit! Are you sure?”

“Trust me,” I say, popping out of the window with her large pistol in my hands. “Just warn me when we’re close!”

One of those furred bastards was ready to fire another rocket, but I had some persuasive words of my own. Something along the lines of pew, pew, pew.

They zipped back into their vehicles as quick as they could. But, with RPGs in hand, they were a bit slow. It wasn’t until I could see the tips of their machine guns hanging from their windows that I made a retreat of my own.

More lasers flew past my window. But, only one of the machine guns held its aim. The other car featured the slow return of the RPG.

Too late.

“Jimmy! Now!” Becca roared.

This time, I was more than quick enough to avoid another shave from the trees we just passed.

We lost the mirror on Becca’s side to the thin passage of the trees with a loud snap. The cars behind us, however, soon found themselves mysteriously spinning out of control as they tried to drive around the only safe path.

Not like they even knew that they were driving into a trap.

Dust kicked up into the air as the cars struggled to slide to a stop. But, eventually, they remained immobile; and the loud revving of their engines ceased.

Though I knew it wasn’t over, I had one more thing to do before they lost sight of me.

With my torso out the window once more, I swore I’d never raised my fists higher than I did now. “WOOOHOOOHOOO!” And, just to really rub it in, I blessed them with the sight of my middle fingers aimed right at them. “SUCK MY DICK YOU FURRY CUNTS!”

“Hey!” Growled Becca, making me stiffen and re-enter the vehicle.

“Uh...not like you’re a cunt, or anything. You’re a very lovely tiger woman.”

“Just…” she shook her head.. “...roll up the god-damn window before we get sniped!”

I could feel my blood chill; my mind had completely forgotten about the snipers. “...yes ma’am.” With a slow hum, the window eventually protected us once more.

The loud humming of the engine has soothed into gentle noise that carries us off towards our destination.

No explosions, no lasers, no vehicles in pursuit. It was just me, and Becca. Alone. Out for a gentle drive in the woods before we’re forced to wade through easily snipeable plains.

Is that even a word? Snipeable? Well, it is now.

Come half an hour, that will be the risk we take to reach freedom.

“So, tell me,” she says. “Where do we go from here?”

“The open field we’re driving towards right now,” I reply. “We’ll have to ditch the car before leaving the cover of the trees. It’ll give us away too easily.”

“So then how the hell are we supposed to cross without getting our heads blown off by snipers?”

“We don’t have to cross it. We just have to get to a specific location within the tall grass.”

“Why? Is that where the sister base is?”

“No, but it’s where we’ll find a tunnel to the sister fort. As soon as we get in that tunnel, we’re home free.”

“I’ve never heard of any tunnel in that field?”

“That’s because it’s hidden. Only upper-ranked members of Fort Imani know where it is, and I’m one of them.”

“Interesting,” Becca says. “I didn’t know you wild Humans had a rank system.”

“Wild humans?” I asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s up with that?”

“Oh, it’s just what the State calls humans that haven’t been liberated. Kind of like how a dog with no owner is considered a stray.”

Not gonna lie, that classification made me feel tilted. “What a disgusting way of looking at my people.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” she says, shaking her head. “You humans are pretty much just companion animals with benefits as far as the State is concerned. Not like the humans back home mind.”

That made me raise an eyebrow. “They love being treated like cattle?”

“That’s not how they see it. To them, being coddled and commanded by a big, strong female is akin to paradise.”

“Paradise?” I repeated. “I fail to see how a life with limited rights is akin to paradise.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You wild humans sure are crazy about your autonomy, huh?”

“Wouldn’t you? If a bigger, stronger male suddenly came in; and demanded that you open yourself up for his pleasure, or go to a labor camp?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s not what assignment is like, at all.”

“Assignment? What is assignment?”

“You don’t kn-” She froze. “Wait. How could you know? I’m stupid.”

“So is that what they call their human trafficking ring? Assignment?”

“It’s not a trafficking ring. The way it works is that once you turn 18, the system takes all of the info it knows about you, and algorithmically determines your ideal mate. Someone that you’re sure to love.”

“What a cold way to find companionship.”

“Not at all.” She shook her head. “If you find someone on your own, you have around three years to tie the knot. In that time, you’re taken out of your respective assignment pool.”

She sure was passionate about this. But, I felt myself more focused on the topic at hand. “Assignment pool?”

She blinked rapidly. “How long do we have until we reach the field? ‘Cause I really need to bring you up to speed, and it could take a while.”

“About half an hour. Though, if we can, we should stop the truck and check on my people. Maybe un-tie them, too.”

“No can do.” She shook her head once more. “The state probably has more vehicles on our ass. We can cut them loose when we get there.”

I tap the metallic back of our vehicle’s interior. “Sorry, guys. Just hold on a little longer.”

“But in the meantime…” trails Becca. “...assignment is split up into three pools: premium, normal, and special. Highly sought-out candidates, like children of politicians, are in the premium assignment pool.”

“People like me.”

“Yep! You’re at the top, buddy!”

“...hooray? I’m an upper-tier slave?”

“No you’re not, thanks to me!” She probably meant for her sharp grin to be endearing, but it just made my spine chill in all the wrong ways. “But as for the special assignment pool, that’s where all of the...uh...more troublesome candidates go.”

I can raise my eyebrow no higher. “Define troublesome.”

“Well, maybe you’d be in there if you were a criminal, or if your previous assignment didn’t quite end so well.”

“So, like, divorce?”

“...that’s one way, yeah.”

“Well, at least the poor men on the inside have some autonomy.” I shook my head. “So I assume the normal assignment pool is where everyone else goes?”

“Pretty much.”

“Wow. Now I’m knowledgeable on the ins and outs of furry slavery.”

“Not slavery,” she said. “Just calculated love.”

“Yeah, I bet that’s what they call it to cope with their horrid actions.”

Becca shrugged. “Meh. In my opinion, that’s one thing the State does right. You don’t have to go through the tough hurdles of dating to figure out if you’re compatible with someone. Or worse, suffer under the crushing torture of loneliness.”

I shook my head. “But it’s not…” My hands weaved the air in front of me as I struggled to find the right words. “Life.”

That certainly got a raise from her eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Suffering is part of the road to happiness. It’s what makes finally achieving it all the more special. If things were good, like, all the time; the good would eventually fade into nothing. And that, to me, is much worse than loneliness. Because at least with loneliness, you feel something.”

She blinked rapidly, and slowly turned her head to face me with a look of bewilderment.

I just had to respond. “...what?”

“Nothing.” She focused back on the forest in-front of her. “It’s just...I’d never thought of it like that.”

“Yeah, well…” I shrug. “I guess I’m just speaking from experience.”

“Your life has been good?”

“Just about perfect. Happy family, plenty of food, and a great community.” I sighed. “But even so, there’s always been a void inside of me that could never be filled. Though I guess, maybe the perfection had something to do with that.” I shrug.

“Fascinating,” she replies. “Humans back home are usually medicated at the first signs of mental instability, but I imagine you don’t have that option.”

“Nope,” I reply. “It’s just me, and my natural chemicals.”

“Would you take some medications to help you fill the void?”

“Hell no.” I shook my head. “Besides, it may sound kind of fucked up, but the void has been silent ever since the invasion began.”

She grinned, and elbowed me. Though, she didn’t account for my smaller body when she struck me. “Maybe it’s your body telling you that you wanna be assigned.”

My torso was pushed towards the door, but I managed to catch myself. “I’d rather kill myself than be assigned.”

“Yeah, that seems to be the common sentiment with wild Humans that are liberated. Even with an algorithmically perfect mate, y’all still prefer the way of the coffin.”

“If not for our pride as Humans, what do we have?”

“Uh...security, big fuzzy titties to the face, and companionship?”

“All things I value less than my freedom.”

“So you’d rather be unfulfilled and free than happy and just slightly indentured?”

A rather straw-man-y way of putting it, but...for the sake of this argument... “Easily.”

“...wild Humans confuse me.”

“You wouldn’t know this from the pathetic bitch boys you call ‘liberated men’, but we humans have a rich history of making nature our bitch. We’d conquered diseases that our body couldn’t fight off naturally; we’d had such a profound effect on the planet that we had to help the very beasts that tried to eat and/or kill us; and we’d become so successful, that our biggest threat was each other. We’re naturally wired to seek the top of the world.” I shook my head. “That’s why it sickens me to know that our world has been usurped by the very nature we thought we’d conquered; that it has become our turn to wag our tails to a stronger species.” I clenched my fists. “But I refuse. We refuse. That is why, despite being out-matched, we fight to the very end. Because it physically burns being second-fiddle to someone else.” For some reason, she was smiling at me now. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just...I’ve never heard a male talk like this. It’s fascinating.” Her thick tail...well, it wasn’t wagging, but I somehow knew that the wriggling tip meant happiness. “Wild humans are fascinating.”

“Why? How do ‘liberated men’ talk?”

“Definitely more submissively. Like, there’s a subconscious understanding that they know we’re on top. And not just in bed, if you know what I mean?”

Even more navy-cloth-colored elbows were sent my way; more gentle this time, so as to not threaten to knock me over. “No, and I hope I never do.”

“Aw, not even with me?”

My eyebrows scrunched up together. “Watchu talkin ‘bout, Becca?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. I guess I’m just thinking about my life after this is all over. I mean, I do wanna get married, you know. Find the gentlest, most submissive male I can find. Maybe turn his tiny pelvis into dust under the weight of my massive, fuzzy thighs.”

Not gonna lie, I felt my cheeks tingle at the thought of what that looked like from my point of view; and I could feel little Jimmy downstairs starting to stir.

But, for now, I just shot her a look that questioned her.

“What?” She asked. “I’m wired a certain way, too. Don’t worry, I’ll find him the old fashioned way. No assignment.” She shrugged and shook her head. “Not like I have a choice.”

“Well, if you’re looking for the most submissive men, definitely look in the more wealthy areas. They tend to thrive there in abundance.”

“But...aren’t you from a wealthy area, Mr. Mayor’s son?”

“Not the mayor’s son, but I grew up differently. I was being trained to become the next leader, but then…” I shrug. “...you know.”

“Speaking of, you sure are taking the invasion surprisingly well.”

“Oh, this is just the adrenaline. And we’re built to suppress our traumas until it’s safe to let ‘em out. Just another benefit of my leadership training.”

“Suppressing trauma? ...I’m surprised you’re not killing yourselves in droves.”

“Get in line,” I chuckled.

“Don’t worry!” She took it upon herself to hug me closer with one arm. “I’ll pull you out of that line when you need me to!”

“Hey!” Dear lord, she’s warm. I don’t know why I’m surprised; she is covered in fur, after all. “Get your massive titty off of my face!”

“Why? Afraid of how good it feels??” She grinned.

“God dam- focus on the road before you kill all of us!” I’m trying as hard as I can to break free, but god damn this bitch is strong! I can feel it in her large arm. Her flexed muscles surround me, and they were not looking to let me go.

“Do you want me to let you go, or focus on the road?”

“Both!”

“Alright, alright! Calm down.” She finally let me go. “I was just teasing you.”

Thank god. She smelled like...weird living being. I can’t quite point out what that is, but she smelled a bit earthy, and like someone had just finished working out.

She was a far cry from the large beast I’d first met. Sensitive, shy, delicate; all features that seemed to have vanished.

Maybe she’d just acted that way because she hadn’t warmed up to me yet.

Then again, I can’t talk. I’ve never been this personal with anyone before. Not even my own mother.

Becca said that we ‘wild humans’ were interesting, but I couldn’t lie. I wanted to know more about this strange new creature myself.

But, before that, we had to survive the sniper’s paradise that we were currently barreling towards.

It was harder to tell from under the cover of the forest, but the sun was due to set soon. The only hint I had was that all too familiar color of sunset: the blend of orange and red that usually marked the warm and beautiful end of yet another monotonous day.

But not this time.

Today was easily the worst day of my life, and it was about to get worse as the engine slowly but surely grew more silent.

“Uh…” I uttered. “...why are we stopping?”

Becca’s deep feline groan followed the rapid stomping of the gas pedal. “I don’t know! The stupid thing is slowing down on its-” She sighed when her eyes fell on the tachometer.

“What?”

“The car ain’t going nowhere. That’s what.”

I followed her outside. Specifically, towards the back of the vehicle.

Even though she was now crouching, her massive thighs straining the poor navy pants that tried to contain them, she was still bigger than me.

At least, until she turned around and laid on her back to get a good look at the truck’s underside.

“God dammit!” She yelled. “Those assholes damaged the oil reservoir thingy!”

“Can you fix it?”

“I don’t know dick about cars, so no.” She sat upright once more. “But even if I did, we don’t have any oil. This car’s nothing but a paperweight now.”

I sighed, hands to my hips. “Perfect. Well, might as well release my brothers before anything else happens.”

“Huh? Oh! Right! I forgot about them.”

The car’s double doors creek open, and I’m soon greeted to the sight of my brothers in sporadic and uncomfortable positions.

“Oh lord!” Yelled one of them. “They’ve found us!”

“No! Wait! This is Jimmy’s Tiger!” Yelled another.

A phrase that did not sight right with Becca. “Uh...excuse me??”

I clapped my hands together. “Less talky, more cutty. Who knows how much time we have before we encounter more soldiers.”

They couldn’t quite move, being bound by their hands and feet, so I had to climb up onto the tall truck myself to move them.

And when I say climb, I mean it literally. The bed was as high up as my neck.

It wasn’t a difficult process; cutting them free. But, it was time consuming. Becca had to be careful not to mark them on accident with her large, powerful claws.

But, even if she was the one cutting them loose, each and every one of them kept some kind of cautious look on her. Distrust, fear, anger, or maybe even all three.

Not like I blame them.

Their words were different than their eyes, however.

“Thank you,” one of them said, rubbing their wrists. “But I have to ask. Why are you helping us?”

A thought shared by the murmuring crowd.

As if he’d flicked a switch, Becca’s round black ears flatten on her head. And, her eyes just couldn’t help but look down in shame. “I didn’t like what I saw back there.” More evidence of her discomfort came when she rubbed one of her arms. “I’m a new recruit, you see. 21 years old.”

“21?” One of the older men repeated. “That’s so young.”

She nodded. “I was sold the same lines as everyone else growing up. That you wild humans were suffering from disease, poverty, and abusive mates. So, I signed up. To help you.” She shook her head. “But what I saw back there was not help. It was hell.”

I noticed that her pupils had thinned substantially. She was uncomfortable.

I just couldn’t help but raise one of my hands, and gently rest them on one of her forearms.

Muscular. Large; even through the sleeve of her uniform. I wasn’t surprised.

I didn’t know what chuffing meant, but I could only hope that it was a good sound. I mean, her pupils did venture towards normal size after I made contact with her.

“That’s when I decided to put at least one demon down,” she continued. “The one that was about to tie up Jimmy here.”

“Wait,” uttered the older man. “You killed a State soldier?”

“Uh...yeah? That’s what I just said.”

The friendliest smile formed on his face. “Well why didn’t you say so?”

As did on all the other men.

“You’re alright!”

“Way to go!”

“Bear my children!”

All except one.

“I don’t buy it.”

I turned towards the skeptic. The tallest of us all.

“I don’t blame your skepticism, Tom,” I say, “but she shot and killed a soldier right in front of me.”

“So?” Tom crossed his arms. “How is that evidence against future treachery?”

“...because she’ll be killed if she goes back to the State?”

“Did any other State soldier see her fire at this other bitch?”

“It doesn’t matter. Even if we ignore that, she was caught stealing this truck. And not just by one soldier, but by tens.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “You sure are awfully defensive of her, Jimmy. Have you caught feelings for her already?”

“What?” I looked at him in disbelief. “I’ve only known her for like an hour! How would that even happen?”

“I don’t know. You’ve always been kind of a weirdo.”

“You know what?” I raise my hands out. “We don’t have time for this! Believe me, don’t believe me, whatever! We have ass loads of State forces heading towards us as we speak. And, if we don’t start moving, then we’re ALL fucked!” For some reason, they were all shooting me skeptical looks now. “What?”

One of my other brothers spoke up. “You sure got antsy after Tom asked you about catching feelings.”

“Of course I’m antsy, Bill! Not too long ago, I was hanging upside down from the window of this big ass truck while taking laser fire! For y’all! And now y’all wanna turn around and accuse me of some stupid bullshit that doesn’t matter right now?”

At least their murmurs had somewhat changed in favor of me.

But still, Tom’s face didn’t budge. “Well, I’m sorry, but I just can’t trust one of them. I’m finding my own way to safety.”

“Yes!” I yell as he marched off. “Go and do the very thing I’ve risked my life for! You’re sure showing me!”

A large hand eclipsed my shoulder, startling me.

I look up, and see that it’s Becca. “Relax, Jimmy. He’s not worth it.”

“I know, but…” I groan. “It really irks me that we did all of that just for him to be so ungrateful.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t blame his skepticism. I wouldn’t trust someone like me either if they destroyed everything I knew and loved.” She looked at the others. “That goes for the rest of you. If you harbor any skepticism towards me, feel free to follow your fellow human. I won’t be offended.”

Slowly, one by one, they ventured towards Tom. Until eventually, there was no one left.

I shot the taller she-beast a look of consolation.

But, she shook her head down at me. “It’s okay. I know I have to earn their trust.”

Her ears were flat once more. She said it was okay, but I knew that was a lie.

“Well, you have mine. You did prove it when we first met, after all. All over the back of that Hyena cunt’s head.”

She gave me a gentle smile. “Thank you, Jimmy. That means a lot.” It didn’t last, however. “Now let’s get the hell out of here before more soldiers show up.”

“Good idea.” I immediately point toward a direction that seemed random to the skeptical Becca. “Onward, then.”

She follows me as I begin the march. “How the hell can you tell? Everything looks the same.”

“Maybe to you, but I’ve been in this forest all my life.” In the distance, I can see a flock of birds haphazardly fly upward. “Uh oh.”

“What?” She’d looked in my direction, but the birds had already left.

“They’re closer than I thought they’d be. Maybe five miles out.”

“Then we need to hide. They’ll clear that distance in no time.”

We only had a few minutes to act, so all we could do was pick a random tree, and pray to Jesus.

If she were any thicker, though, hiding would be impossible. In this section of forest, she just barely had enough tree to cover the width of her hips.

But, a thought occurred to me. “You guys don’t track by scent, do you?”

“Do we look like cavemen to you?” She snapped.

“I was just wondering. No need to get so defensive.”

She sighed rather heavily. “Sorry, but the suspense is just killing me.”

“Tell me about it. Just pass us already, right?”

“Ssh,” she whispered, pulling me close to her. “Here they come.”

From where I stood now, her massive tits were resting on my head.

And let me just say…

...they’re fucking heavy!

You’d think this would be every man’s dream, but this is looking more like my resting place if the incoming enemy doesn’t leave quickly.

Also…

She needs to watch those crossed claws. The way they’re hugging me, keeping my back tightly pressed against what I assume is her groin, it’s almost predatory; like they’re meant to cut me if I move.

Maybe it’s her body’s instinctual reaction to holding a smaller creature close?

Eh...fuck it. We have bigger things to worry about right now.

It took me about fifteen seconds to finally pick up on the familiar sound of the State’s engines roaring towards us. And then, ten more seconds to see the tires of one vehicle scrape against the dirt that their huge tires were violating.

Out came two anthros: one of them was an over-sized cunt of a Doberman, and the other was the Tigress captain once more.

“Well, this makes things easier,” uttered the captain.

“At least those good-for-nothings got something,” replied the companion.

“Those good-for-nothings are your fellow soldiers, Diaz. You will show them respect.”

“Yes, Captain. Sorry, Captain,” nods Diaz. “So, how long do we have to-”

The smack delivered onto the back of Diaz’ small-furred head could probably be heard from miles away. It was LOUD.

So loud, I could feel Becca twitch just before the sound was heard. Maybe she was anticipating just how loud it would be?

Must’ve been one hell of a smack to trigger that response from her before we’d even heard it.

“Watch your words! You don’t know who’s listening!”

But, surprisingly, Diaz took that in stride. Not even a whimper.

“Sorry again, Captain.”

“Just shut up, and help me search the area for clues!”

“Yes, Captain.”

We must have stood there for god knows how long as the two slave masters scanned the vehicle.

They’d taken notice of my scent. Specifically the captain. I mean, she REALLY took her time in the area where I was sitting.

It was creepy as hell.

“I don’t know what it is about the scent of wild human that just drives me crazy.” I could see her thick tail squirming in a similar manner to Becca’s earlier movements. She was happy, too. “It’s so fresh. So wild. So…” She chuffed. “...breakable.”

If we didn’t have to hide, I would’ve shot her on the spot with Becca’s service pistol just for saying that.

But, I can’t. Both because we’d be spotted, and Becca just covered her holster with her hand. I guess she could sense my desire to shoot that bitch.

“Count me out,” responded Diaz. “Too strong for my tastes. I mean, not like I can’t break ‘em, but I’d rather not put in the work when we have so many proper males back home.”

“You’ve just never felt the high of breaking one yourself.” For a moment, she paused with her eyes on a portion of the floor that trailed towards us.

I couldn’t help but clench my hands against the rough bark of the tree.

‘Please don’t notice us,’ I thought over and over.

I could see Diaz’ head tilt out of curiosity. “What’s up, Captain?”

But, the captain continued as if nothing had happened. “Nothing. False alarm.”

It couldn’t have been nothing if she paused. Maybe she did notice, but didn’t say anything?

No, that doesn’t make any sense. I didn’t know anything about these beasts, but I knew that their senses were sharper than ours.

She definitely saw something, but what?

Does she know we’re nearby?

Is she trying to lull us into a false sense of security?

“Well,” continued Diaz, orange fur in-between her fingers. “Apart from some of Private Smith’s fur, I don’t really see anything of use here.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time here.” The captain marched towards her functional vehicle’s driver side, and snapped her fingers. “Let’s move.”

And Diaz marched right behind her, though marching towards the driver’s side. “Yes, ma’am!”

It didn’t take long for the roar of the engine to disappear into the sunset. And now, Becca and I were alone once more.

“She knows we’re around here,” Becca said.

“You got that vibe, too?”

“Definitely. We have to move as far as we can before the sun sets. Silently.”

“Agr-” I said, but shut up when Becca covered my lips with one of her large index fingers. So, I nodded in agreement.

At the rate we’re traveling, we’ll reach the field by the time it gets dark.

Hopefully we can reach the tunnel before it starts to get cold. And, before we’re spotted, of course.

How long have we been walking? I can’t tell you, but it feels like an eternity. Especially since the last time we spoke, we were still by the truck.

Not gonna lie, I’m glad she’s by my side; because if I had to walk through this silent ass forest all by myself, my pants would no longer be dry.

On occasion, I’d hear a noise, and reflexively twitch towards Becca. I guess my panicked state considered her powerful, towering mass to be safety?

Oh fuck. Now I’m starting to sound like one of those cucks in the State.

But, I can’t help it. I’m on the run from a nation that doesn’t even see me as a person. A nation that severely out-arms even our most advanced fort.

And now, here I walk. Dependent on one of their creatures to keep me safe from whatever lies in this blinding darkness.

…

No, I shouldn’t think like that. I’m just scared, and angry, and I’m taking it out on Becca. She’s the reason I’m even here in the first place.

She doesn’t deserve to be put in the same category as those bit-

“Shit…!” I whisper, tripping on something I can’t even see.

The speed at which her barely visible form crouched to catch me could easily be described as a twitch. I mean, she was FAST; much faster than she looked.

“I gotcha,” she whispered.

“Thanks.” I was quick to stand on my own two feet once more. “I can’t see shit in this darkness.”

“Then maybe we should find somewhere to sleep,” she suggested. “Because if you can’t see, then how are we supposed to get to that secret location?”

“But if we go during the day, we’ll be more easily spotted.”

“...you do realize we have better night vision than y’all, right? I can see you clearly right now.”

“Really? Because if it weren’t for the white parts of your fur, I wouldn’t even know you were there.”

“Then…” she says, surrounding my hand with one of her large claws. “I’ll guide us somewhere safe. Just follow me.”

“Yes, mom,” I say sarcastically.

“Watch your tone,” she utters seriously, “or mommy will have to punish you.”

I hope she could see my questionable look if she was looking right at me right now. Not like I’d know. The towering trees were blocking almost all light from entering the forest.

And it was getting darker by the second.

“Just...keep an eye out for any tree hollows,” I whisper. “They’ll be our best bet at shelter tonight.”

“Are there any that are me-sized?”

“Several, but I can’t exactly point them out right n-” I’d have tripped again if her tightened grip hadn’t caught me. “Fuck!”

“Oh for...!” I could feel her massive palm on my chest, so I stopped. Then, what felt like her large back tapped at my torso. “Here. Climb on.” But I was stubborn. “...well? What’s the hold-up?”

“I’m not a child. I refuse to be carried like one.”

“Well, either you swallow your pride, or you become some anthro’s thigh warmer. Your choice.”

I sigh. “Very well,” I say, my hands resting on her strong shoulders. “My feet were getting tired, anyway.”

With no eyes to go off of, the sensation of her soft, fluffy neck fur dancing against my fingertips became the only thing I could focus on.

When I finally hugged on, I could feel my arms drown in the thickness of her fur. She was warm; an enjoyable reprieve from the chilling winds that continually slapped the life out from me.

“You all set?” Becca asked.

Another wind cursed me with an icy kiss. “R-ready…”

“Jeez, you’re dying, huh? I can feel you shivering.”

“Well, I’m not…!” And another one. “...exactly born with a coat, like you are….fuck…”

Even I could hear the sound of my teeth chattering.

“Would you rather ride in front?”

“What? L-Like a princess? I’d rather f-f-freeze to death…”

An annoyed growl escaped her throat. “You know, this whole machismo shtick of yours is starting to get old.”

“I’ll b-be fine. Let’s just k-k-keep going...”

I couldn’t see it, but I’m sure she was rolling her eyes. “If you say so.”

Without my sight, my other senses began to take over.

There was, of course, the need to keep an ear out for any strange noises. We were lucky to only encounter crickets, birds, and the occasional owl for now.

And, with every step she took, I could feel the powerful vibrations of her digitigrade feet shake her body as they plow against the uneven ground below.

Fuck, this wind is unbearable…

But not as horrid as her scent. I was not a fan of her strange anthropomorphic earthiness.

Yet, I refused to let go. She was the only relief I had from these killer wind chills.

There’s no need to worry about constricting her, either. Her neck is deceptively tough under the fluff that I so desperately cling to.

But it can’t protect me from the powerful gust that’s currently hitting me with cold backshots right now. Fuck...

I cling harder, desperate to preserve the heat these winds are so hungry to consume. And, I can feel my shiver go from light vibrations to full on quaking.

Please, find a tree hollow soon. I’m dying here.

As the minutes begin to seem like hours, I’m even starting to re-think her proposition to ride in front.

Anything to escape this god damn cold.

“Hang on, Jimmy,” Becca says, eventually. “I think I see a me-sized hollow.”

“T-th-th-”

I can’t even get a word out anymore. Because of that, I can feel the powerful vibrations of her walking pick up the pace.

Now I’m really glad I came across her. She’s saving my life yet again.

I need to find some way to thank her when this is all over.

But, for now, I just had to get away from these killer winds.

It was like I was on auto-pilot the instant she set me down. Straight for the hollow I rushed; shivering, still, but much better. “Thank god…”

For some reason, that got a rise out of her. “Aw, is my little humie feeling a bit cold?”

“F-f-fuck you...just...get in here…!”

“Alright, alright, calm down. Momma’s coming.”

If I didn’t get some warmth soon, I may develop hypothermia. Now was no time to be joking around with a maternal fetish.

She got on her knees, and began making her way in, but there was a problem. She had stopped moving the instant I felt her large knee tap mine.

“Uh…” Becca uttered. “...I think this hollow is too small for us.”

“What!?” I yelled. “F-fuuuck!”

“Hey, hey, relax. We don’t have to move. Just...reorganize.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wh-what do y-you m-m-m-ean?”

“How comfortable are you with the idea of sleeping between my tits?”

Once more, I hope she got a good look at my face of skeptical disapproval. But, I also couldn’t find it within myself to refuse. She was offering to cover me with her fur, and that would give me what I needed to stay alive.

But, that meant humiliating myself by sleeping in-between her over-sized milk glands.

Stay alive, or keep my dignity?

Stay alive?

Keep my dignity?

Hmmmm….

I honestly don’t know.

But, I want to try something. Just before I have to make a decision.

I tap at the edges of the hollow to find the exit. “H-how about…” I say, crawling out. “...you g-go first, and I f-find a spot…!” Fuck, these winds just won’t stop! I have to cross my arms again.

“I’m the only one of us that can see, but…” She says, the sound of scraping ground telling me that she was crawling in. “...be my guest. Just watch where you put those hands. I may not be able to control myself if they wander somewhere...tempting.”

I don’t give a fuck right now. All I want to do is get away from this cold without humiliating myself.

“N-noted…”

“Alright, well, I’m all set up here. Come on in, Jimmy.”

Once more, my hands feel out the hollow for the entrance. And, feeling my way in, all I’m getting right now is more of the rough walls of the tree hollow.

And that’s where my hands are staying.

I follow the right wall all the way to something that blocks my path. Fabric? I guess that’s Becca’s uniform. My fingers test out the region between the fabric, and the wall; but it’s not gonna be possible. I don’t think even my head could fit in here.

And, lowering my hand, the situation did not get any better. I could feel the tightness of Becca’s clothes and the wall neighboring each other tightly. Not even a piece of paper could fit in-between this space.

“Yeah, my hips are wide, aren’t they?”

Hips? “Gah!” I retract my hand, much to her chuckling.

Well, the right side is a bust. There is zero room there.

So, my left hand swipes at the left hand side until I feel the left wall of the hollow. Maintaining constant contact with the wall proved difficult with my body shaking like crazy. But, like with the right hand side, the only gap I could find was above yet another tight border down bel-

That’s her other hip. God dammit.

A choppy sigh escapes my tattering teeth. There really was no more room in there.

Which meant…

“So?” Asked Becca rather happily. “Did you find a spot?”

“N-no…” I was getting the feeling that she was starting to enjoy this power imbalance.

“Are you gonna stop being a stubborn ass?”

The next gust of bone-chilling wind that smacked even more heat from me forced a shaking grunt to escape from my throat. “...I’ll stop!” I groan

She chuckled once more. I could hear the ruffling of polymer for what seemed like an eternity, the wind making me desire the sanctity of her fuzzy chest with every additional gust.

The polymers thud at my feet, a bit to the right, and what I hear next is the sound of a zipper lowering itself.

I don’t even care that she’s un-dressing anymore! Just let me in!

“Alright, Jimmy,” Becca calls. “Come to momma.”

I’ll let that degrading speech slide just this once because this cold is literally killing me.

I kneel forward, hands in front, feeling my way in towards the source of Becca’s voice. And, even though I was on the brink of hypothermia, I was still careful to watch my shaking hands; both their position, and their grip.

I maintained my advance until I could feel my hands sink into thick, yet soft, fur. I felt around a bit, trying to feel for the bounds of her zippers, but there was no such thing.

As if impatient, she pulled me in by force. “I’m naked, Jimmy,” She chuffed as her warm, powerful arms surround me, and I feel her warm breath bless my head. “What was that expression you wild humans use? Just as god made me?”

Even the vibrations of her voice and chuffs were powerful enough to be felt all the way down where I was.

Then, over me, I can feel fabric cover me from the direction of the hollow’s exit. Her uniform, no doubt.

Another choppy sigh escapes my cold lips. This one, of relief. No longer were the winds molesting me blow by blow. No, her warmth surrounded me from all sides, and I just couldn’t help but sink my head deeper into the fur between two large masses I assumed to be her boobs.

“T-thanks…” I shakily spit out.

She shakes a bit, her giggling forcing more air to tickle my head. “You’re welcome, my shivering little man.”

Now, with nothing to do but lay here, the lack of sight once more encouraged my touch to kick into overdrive.

For starters, I’d assumed her core to be rigid, and defined; like a six-pack. But no. To my surprise, her belly was soft, and a bit on the pudgy side. A misleading contrast from the musculature I’d seen and felt before: large, and firm.

Much like the two fuzzy masses that embraced me from my head to my upper torso.

“Here,” she chuffs. “Just to warm you up some more.”

My god, she smelled like ass.

But, she was a warm ass.

A warm, soft, kind ass that I would’ve shivered to death without.

“How do the tits of a real female feel, Jimmy?”

“Y-you’re enjoying this a l-l-l-little too much…!”

“I can’t help it,” she chuffs. “You’re just so weak, defenseless, and in my arms. I just wanna…” I can feel her lips mimic a bite atop my head as a light roar escapes her throat.

“I c-change my mind...let me freeze…”

But her embrace tightened instead. And, her tone has lowered a bit. “Oh no,” she giggles eagerly. All I could see of her were hungry amber eyes that reflected the moon’s glow. “You’re mine ‘till the sun comes up.”

The air had changed again. In a few hours, she’s gone from shy, to confident, and now to...oh no.

This was one thing I’d never really seen from many of the women in what is now the ruins of my home. Not unless they were part of the army.

I’m talking about Becca’s carnivorous confidence. She knew what she wanted, and she didn’t care to ask kindly.

Now that I was a bit warmer, I had to admit. It was kind of arousing. Or maybe, this was just the reaction to having my body smothered by two large tits much bigger than my head.

I have always liked a woman that knows what she wants. All of the wishy-washy shy and submissive bullshit was never my cup of tea.

“Oh!” A deep, carnivorous chuckle escapes her maw. “You like the thought of that, Jimmy?”

“...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I can feel you poking my belly button.”

I shift to lay on her from my back rather than my stomach. “No you can’t.”

“Okay, then…” I can feel one of her large, powerful hands eclipse my groin. “...I can feel you poking my hand.”

I shift my hands above my groin, but under her rough palm pads. “No you can’t.”

“Jimmy, it’s okay,” she chuffed. “I’m curious about you, too.”

“I’ve only known you for-”

“Sssh…” One of her fingers blocks my lips once more. “If that’s what you’re so worried about, then maybe we should get to know each other a little...” She leaned back a bit more. Now, with me still seated on the floor, I could feel the region between her legs hungrily press against my back while the bottoms of her heavy boobs assaulted me from above. “...deeper.”

She was even massaging my thighs with her tail.

And, with every exhale, she released another chuff of arousal.

I wish I could say that this was doing nothing for me, but that would be a lie. With every throb from my human heart, I could feel my foggy brain leak wave after wave of tingling desire throughout my entire thumping body.

And that only seemed to make the situation worse. “I can already feel what you’re thinking,” Becca continues. “Just turn around, Jimmy. Follow your instincts; just like you did back at the chase.” And now, she was grinding against me. “I know you want to.”

The smell in the air was changing as well. It was a smell that had no real-life counterpart to compare it to. I’d never come across it once in my life, until now; but my body was immediately aware of what it was.

It made my salivary glands kick into overdrive.

The sound of my throat swallowing nervously was the only cue she needed to turn me around without asking.

Not like I mind.

I couldn’t see the source of her aroused scent, but my nose gave me a hint on its general direction.

Was it here?

No, this is just more of her thigh. Her soft, powerful thigh. It feels like warm silk in my hand.

And this was her other thigh. Just as soft, and warm. And both features only intensified the further in I went.

Man, I wish I could see them.

“Go ahead, Jimmy,” Becca calls. “Surrender.”

Now, with a more accurate location, my head just can’t help but move towards her goodness.

My first peck lands just to its right. Nothing but fur.

On the second peck, a bull’s eye. And the trigger for her fuzzy thighs to prevent the escape of my head.

And a part of my torso.

Dear lord, her thighs are massive.

I don’t even care that they’re depriving me of air.

As far as I’m concerned right now, the need for oxygen is an opinion.

What’s that smell? And what am I laying on? It’s vibrating, it’s roaring, it’s fuzzy, and it’s oddly cozy.

And it tightened its muscled embrace with a muffled roar when I shifted.

My eyes just about swung open.

Oh. Right. Becca.

Her massive body was holding me like I was a teddy bear. Though, given last night, I don’t blame her.

She was...uh…

...definitely in charge…

From what I could feel, anyway. If I’d have seen what happened last night, I probably wouldn’t be able to function today.

And I needed every bit of brain power I could muster.

Last night was good and all, but we still had the threat of slavery and execution looming over our heads.

Well, actually, her rough tongue was over my head just now. And again. And again.

“Becca,” I whispered. “Wake up. Becca.”

I shook, hoping she’d get the message, but all that did was tighten her hug.

Okay me, don’t move.

Don’t speak.

Don’t even sneeze.

So...uh...all I could pretty much do was just lay here and think.

Preferrably about our battle plan, but the thick smell of sex filled the tree hollow to the brim. I could thank her uniform for that; it was blocking most of the tree hollow’s entrance, and by extension the air flow.

Not gonna lie, the smell was starting to wake up my dick up as well.

It’s a bit funny, really. Even with a big threat surrounding me, all it took for the pleasurable mating instinct to wash over my body was a tiny—seemingly insignificant—trigger.

I guess it’s true what my aunt used to say. Men really will fuck anything, anywhere, anyhow.

She shifted. This time, one of her massive hands slithered from my shoulder down to my junk.

I just about stiffened at her touch; both in body, and genitalia.

“Hm?” Becca groggily uttered. “Hello…? What do we have here…?”

One of her amber eyes pried themselves open to stare at the sensitivity between her claws.

She was still waking up. How could she be aroused before she’d even opened her eyes?

What a frightening sex drive.

“Morning, Becca,” I casually said, looking up as I rest between her large boobs.

“Morning, baby…” She shot back smiling, her now open eyes looking down at me.

“Baby? Isn’t it way too soon for that? We’ve only just met.”

“It’s like I said last night. You’re mine.”

“...’till the sun came up.”

“Did I say that?”

“You did,” I state bluntly.

She picked me up like I was a doll, and turned me around. One of her claws eagerly rests on my head. “Oh, what do you know? You’re the male with a mouth full of pussy.”

“What-” The meaning of her words clicked when she pushed me down towards the strong scent of her sex once more.

“See? All I hear is mrrph mrrph mrrrrrrrr-”

It was cute hearing her muffle voice impression transform into a primitive growl that I could feel from the vibrations on her thighs.

A compliment, really. It felt like a superpower; being able to do this to such a large beast.

This was okay, right? Delaying our departure by…

...an hour-ish. At least that’s how long it felt.

I have to catch my breath first, though. Believe it or not, pleasuring a behemoth is exhausting.

“Fuck…” I sighed between her two fuzzy breasts. “How...how do you do that…?”

In-between deep, heavy panting, she spoke. “Do what…?”

“...arouse me...so easily…”

She chuckled. “Ancient...anthro...secret…”

Her slow, deep panting was so strong; her entire body shook with every gasp.

Talking was impossible right now. So, we laid there for what seemed like an eternity.

As we did, I began to find it strange that I felt sexually exhausted rather than distraught. I mean, I did lose my home yesterday. The people I know.

Everything.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked down at me with concern.

But, I shook my head. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

“About what? Was I not good?”

“No, no,” I shook my head once more. “Nothing like that. Just...I feel like I should feel different right now. Upset. I mean, I did just lose my home. My familiars. Everything. Yet, here I am. Laying in sexual exhaustion. Again.”

“Well, maybe this is how you grieve.”

“Ah, yes. My mother is dead. Time to fuck the Anthro Soldier.”

“You’re joking, but that may very well be the case, dude,” She said. “That might also be why you tried to kill yourself with yesterday’s window stunt.”

“You are just not gonna let that go, are you?”

“Not until the day I die.”

“Well, if we don’t get up now, you’ll be letting it go by sundown.”

She groaned, her arms securing me more snugly; yet not dangerously so. She was careful. “Five more minutes…”

“You talk like we didn’t just have sex for...who knows how long.”

“Why does that matter?” Her pupils grew ever so slightly. “You wanna go again?”

I looked up at her skeptically. “...let me go. Right now.”

She grumbled, but did not follow my orders. “Fine. But I want a kiss first.”

“...what?”

“Kiss me. Then I’ll let you go.”

I sigh, pecking her fuzzy maw with the roll of my eyes. “There. Now please let me go.”

“Try again.” She parts the white sea down below, so to say.

“Ugh…”

I hate that this is all it took to get me going.

We had better things to do.

Like…

...uh…

...um…

We had to….

...something…

...whatever. Just one more round, and then we’ll...something.

I did manage to get Becca to leave the hollow. Eventually.

And just in time, too. Scores of anthro soldiers were swarming the hollow not long after we’d left. All we could do was watch, wait, and pray that they leave before catching another hint of us.

The captain was there; because of course she was. To call her wrinkled snout disgusted was an understatement. No, she looked like the worst synonym for displeased.

“That whore broke the seal of my rightful mate,” the captain angrily spouts.

Diaz spoke between her canine-like sniffs. “You know what they say. You can take the anthro out of the state, but you can’t take the state out of the anthro.” She shrugged. “Not like I blame her. I know how hard it can be to fight our urges.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” deeply hissed the captain. “They were just here. Follow their scent, and howl if you see them.” She drew her pistol with extreme prejudice.

Diaz salutes her superior. “I aye, captain.”

That couldn’t be good.

“Uh oh,” I whispered. “I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure-”

“Yeah yeah then you know the drill.” Becca scooped me up like a princess, and began to carefully step away. “Let’s go.”

“Wh- you know I can walk, right?”

“Human shoes make all sorts of noise. Just bear with it for now, okay?”

I sigh. “Fine. Just avoid rubbing against any trees. And you’re gonna wanna go towards the east because that’s where the field is.”

“The wha- oh. Right.”

Good thing I reminded her. She’d completely forgotten about the field. You know, our only hope for safety? Pretty hard to forget about that, in my opinion.

“So uh...you know where the snipers are, right?”

“No.” But that was the least of her concerns when she looked down at me. “Wh-” She nearly yelled, but caught herself. “When did you swipe my service pistol?”

“Your hands are busy carrying me,” I said. “Only makes sense I hold it.”

“You did not answer my question.”

“Now is not the time for questions. Now is the time for action.”

“Don’t you try to make it sound cool!” She whispered. “Put it back!”

A howl interrupted our little argument; one loud enough to probably be heard back at the remnants of my old fort.

Becca’s ears flatten. “On second thought,” she yells, sprinting, “you make a fine point!”

“Just shut up and run!”

The pistol in my hands aimed right at the howling Diaz. And, with my aim as true as my confidence, I splattered the tree behind her with the matter between her eyes.

“Man, I am on fire!” I yell.

“Don’t celebrate yet,” she groans. “Our friends from the tree hollow are gonna be joining us soon.”

“Don’t worry,” I say. “My people have planned for this, too. Just keep running.”

Before long, we almost came across a mile-long stretch of tall green grass. To the left, many more miles of grass; and to the right, more of the same.

The only other trees we could see were across the mile-long stretch. Two halves of a forest separated by a mile-thick line of grass that stretched out towards even bigger, wider fields.

But our safety lied within the mile-long stretch. Not the two bigger fields, fortunately.

It was entirely possible that there were snipers set up at the edges of the forest, but we had no choice but to run now. The element of surprise was out the window as soon as we cross the last of the trees.

Thanks to Becca.

“Oh,” I yell. “You just had to shove your pussy in my face, didn’t you?”

“You’re bringing that up now?” She yells back.

“Yes, I’m bring it up now! And I will continue to bring it up beyond when it becomes a funny story!”

“Look! I’m sorry, okay? My body just couldn’t help itself!”

“Well…!” I opened fire at our pursuers; grazing more tree than beast. “...congratulations! These are the consequences of not having any restraint!”

“Oh, you went down on me, too! I don’t wanna hear it!”

“You try saying no to a large creature that could split you like a kit kat bar!”

“Hah! Like you even thought of saying no!”

“…” She had a point. Not like I’d admit that. “...that’s not the point!”

“Look! You’re smart, aren’t you? Think of something, and get us out of this!”

That was when she’d finally crossed into the field.

She had no trouble running through it. Then again, if you could see just how thin and small each flower, weed, and strand of grass looked compared to her large thighs; it wouldn’t be very hard to believe.

“I’m trying!”

But, what could we do?

I’ve managed to dome a few more of them, fortunately, but there were still five of them in pursuit.

And I didn’t exactly remember the locations of the hidey-holes we created. For all I know, Becca could accidentally run into one right now.

However, when I fired and saw a soldier duck for seven bluebonnets organized into the shape of an H, a nostalgic light bulb went off in my head.

“Becca. Put me down.”

“Are you nuts?” She yelled. “They’ll catch you!”

“I have a plan, but you have to trust me.”

“Is this another one of your suicid-”

“Dammit Becca! Put me down right now!”

“Not until you tell me what to do!”

I whispered. “Dive to your right when I tell you to.”

True to her word, she slowed down so she could rush to put me on my feet. Then she began to book it again.

I looked back at her, waiting for her to cross the second group of bluebonnets grown in the shape of an H. That’s when I unloaded as fast as I could towards the soldiers.

They effortlessly ducked to avoid my fire. Just as predicted. And now that they couldn’t see what Becca was about to do...

“Now!” I yelled.

I couldn’t see, but judging from the lack of a groan, I could tell she was where she needed to be. Good.

But I was too distracted to avoid the fire of lasers aimed at me.

“Shit!” I yelled.

I tried to duck, hands raised, but was pierced in my left arm three times before a shot to the left leg knocked me down.

No vitals. They want me alive.

What a funny way of showing it. I can feel my wounds cry in pain with every pulse from my rapid heart.

A deep female voice echoes loudly. “Target hit!” Something about it was oddly familiar.

“Rosa, recover the target,” said another. “Penn, 11 o’clock. Birch, 1 o’clock. I’ll take 12. If you see Smith, shoot to kill.”

“Ma’am!” Yelled two other female voices.

The rustling of the grass in their direction was slow and gentle. Not like their focus, I assume.

I don’t know. All I can see from here is the long stretch of blue sky with no clouds to block the view.

That, and the grass that currently keeps me out of the anthros’ sharp sight.

Is this what it was like for you, Edward Carter?

If your story even happened.

I can still remember my grandpa’s shaky old voice as he narrated Carter’s tale. In front of me, a picture of the World War II soldier himself.

Well, more of a pencil drawing. Any photos of him had been scrubbed from existence by the State long ago. Now, all that remained were print-outs of a sketch that my grandfather had crafted years before I was born.

Atop the African American’s stoic face was a military visor cap. On his lips, a mustache divided in two atop his pursed lips. Some details were missing, like logos of insignia on his army coat.

“They’re medals, James,” echoed his grandfather in his head.

I was about eleven at the time. “Why do they look like that?”

“That knowledge has been lost to time, unfortunately.” His grandfather’s head shook. “One of many travesties from the State’s goal of human domestication.”

“Why are they trying to dom...domde…”

“Domesticate. And they see us as nothing but a resource. Kind of like with you, and soda.”

“I like soda. What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong, James, is that we are not soda. We live. We breathe. We think. If you want to do something, you do it, right?”

“Uh huh?”

“Well, they feel differently. You can only do what they want you to do. Even if you don’t want to do it.”

“Why don’t they just leave us alone?”

“A question we’ve been asking for hundreds of years, but it doesn’t seem like they’ll stop until each and every one of us has been stripped of our natural desire to fight.”

“Is that what this guy did?” I say, my little hands pointing at Sgt. Carter’s image. “Fight?”

“Like a champion!” My grandpa’s fervor shot up. “He was fighting in what was known as World War II. Bullets rained down on his squad like rain from a thunderstorm. With their only lifeline being a tank that was constantly bombarded with explosives, he knew that he had two choices: act, or die.”

“So, what did he do?”

“I was getting to that!” Grandpa said, swatting at the air in front of him. “Their knowledge of the enemy’s positioning and firepower was lacking, so he volunteered to wade through the wide, open field that sat between their safety, and enemy machine guns.”

“Why would he volunteer for something like that?” I asked in disbelief. “Was he trying to die?”

“Sometimes, your only option to escape death is to rush towards it. And rush, he did. Near immediately, one of the other volunteers was mowed down. So, Carter told the others to retreat; only for one more to fall on the way back to safety. But the lack of information was desperately needed for victory, so he continued on by himself.”

“What?” I said. “No way! Any normal guy would’ve shit his pants and hid in the grass!”

“Edward Carter was no mere mortal, James! He was shot not once, not twice, but four times before he was taken down! Three in the left arm, and once in the leg.”

Just like me. Right now.

Still, my grandfather’s words continued to echo in my mind; somehow eclipsing the sound of rustling grass that grew ever-louder. “As far as anyone else knew, even if he’d somehow survived, he was done for."

“Long after the firing had seized,” continued my grandfather, “the Nazis moved out to recover Carter’s fallen body.”

No doubt those large she-beasts could hear my heavy breathing. They knew I was alive, and they were definitely not gonna take any chances.

“But when they found him lying on the ground, they also found themselves face-to-face with…”

The barrel of my very shaky gun.

PEW!

The head of another anthropomorphized bitch is given a new hole between the eyes.

That certainly made the others pick up the pace; even those in pursuit of Becca.

To hell with my left arm’s pain. If I couldn’t raise it to grab hold of the soldier’s machine gun, then I’d hold it upright with the armpit of my only functional arm.

Fuck, this thing is even heavier than the pistol.

Given the general direction of their grass rustling, I should be able to shoot them them if I aim…

...this way.

All I have to go off of, as the machine gun’s rapid lasers blindly fly through the grass, is the sound of groaning and heavy thuds indicative of collapsing anthros.

Was that it? Did I get them all?

Well, I can’t exactly stand to check. I want to scream every time I put pressure on my injured leg.

Come on, Jimmy! No pussy shit! Just stand, and…

“Graaah!” I scream, shakily standing on my own two feet.

No. Two of them just looked at me as I aimed my gun at them. Then, at each other; dumbfounded.

After a shrug from one of them, the shrugger sighs and raises her arms. “We surrender,” she says, much to the wide-eyed disapproval of her friend who reluctantly follows along.

Well, that was surprisingly easy. Laser shots to my body aside.

“Good call,” I groan. “Hey Becca! You can come out now!”

With some rustling from a bundle of sunflowers, Becca’s pollinated fur reveals itself from the grass. Unhappily, I might add. “You could’ve told me that you guys have hidden holes in this field!” She roared. “I could’ve died!”

“I’ll apologize after we’re safe,” I shot back, my eyes not removing themselves from my prisoners. “Take the machine gun, and keep it aimed at them.”

“Why?”

“They’re coming with us.”

Becca looked at me as if I’d just uttered the dumbest idea she’d ever heard. “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard! Why would we reveal the secret tunnel to them?” She roared, her amber eyes glued to them.

“They could have valuable information. You’ve no idea how valuable anthro soldier prisoners are, Becca.”

With a groan, and a disapproving hum, Becca swipes the gun from my hands, as well as…

...me from the floor.

“Fine. But I’m carrying you like this.” She had me like a baby in her left arm, squeezing my body against her massive left tit, as her right hand held the machine gun with support from her armpit.

I sigh, relaxing back into her. “Fine. But only because I don’t wanna bleed out before we get there.”

I don’t know what kind of medical attention Sgt. Carter had after his act of heroism, but it was probably infinitely better than the nothing I was gonna receive for at least a little while.

“So...” one of the prisoners chimes. “...where to?”

“Walk forward until I tell you to stop,” I say. They were facing just about the right direction, anyway.

For a while, the sound of rustling plants was the only source of audible stimulation in this eerily quiet field.

That, and the sound of my heavy breathing.

“How are you holding up, Jimmy?” chuffed Becca.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? You’re not looking so hot.”

“When we get to the tunnel, the fort really isn’t that far off. I’ll be fine.”

“You better. I don’t want to be left alone when we get there.”

“Don’t worry. Even if I die, bringing those two will help you a lot.” My brown eyes flick to the backs of their fuzzy heads. “Speaking of, who the hell are you two?”

One of them speaks up first. “Ana Penn.”

And the other. “Sophia Birch.”

“Alright then, Ana, Sophia, I want you to answer a few questions for me.”

Ana spoke up first once more. “And if we don’t?”

“You’ll be promoted to the rank of fertilizer.”

Sophia scoffed. “I thought you wanted our precious info?”

“Becca here has a lot of info she could give us. You’re nothing more than supplemental knowledge at best.” That certainly shut them up. “The questions I have in mind are more for my own personal satisfaction. Nothing more.”

And that certainly raised one ear from both of them. “You wanna know what being with a real woman is like?”

Too late. “No,” I say. “It’s about my people.”

“Well, your mate is the one with the gun, so shoot.” Ana stiffened. “A question. Shoot a question.”

“Why do you do what you do?”

“You’re gonna have to be more specific, male.” I wasn’t a fan of the disrespect radiated from that last word.

“Why do you imprison our men, and murder our women?”

“What? You mean you don’t know?” Chimed in Sophia.

“Don’t know what?”

“Our gender ratio is roughly 70/30. There’s, like, wayyyy more of us than anthro males.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That I did not know.”

“Yeah. Before the invasion, a lot of our females died of lonelines. Literally. Without a mate, our hearts stop by the time we’re 30.”

The rumble of Becca’s powerful voice are felt vibrating throughout her body. “They’re not lying,” she said. “Our urge to mate is just that powerful. If denied, it eventually kills us.”

A bit hard to believe. But, if Becca backed it up, I guess it had some validity to it. “Even so, our people also had a loneliness epidemic pre-invasion; even with a 50/50 gender ratio; and we never turned to government mandated love slavery.”

“Slavery?” Chuckled Ana. “Men back in the State live like kings! How do you think we treat a species that can produce so many males? Spoiler alert: hugs; kisses; and leg-quakey, toe-curly sex.”

“That’s not what I saw when your kind destroyed my home.” My eyes narrowed. “You treated my brothers like they were a piece of meat. They were tied; they were tossed onto a delivery truck; and they had to watch my sisters, their loved ones, die in horrible ways before their very eyes.”

“What other choice do we have when you keep resisting such a good deal?” Ana said. “You males are too stupid to realize when a good thing is right in front of you.”

I couldn’t hold back a yell any more. “We already had good things...!” Though, I couldn’t quite yell at the top of my lungs. Getting angry clenched my limb muscles as well, and that forced my wounds to tell me to shut up. “Who the hell are you to tell me what we should and shouldn’t like?”

“That’s our job as females. To guide you males in the right direction.” She shook her head. “I mean, seriously, you cling to these horrid, abusive females of yours; you choose to do labor that could be taken care of by a machine; you choose to turn away real females that want to give you a good life; like...how can we trust your male judgment?”

I shook my head. “You’re nothing big, horny beasts with an unbalanced gender ratio. What makes you think we can trust your judgment?”

“Ours is the side that’s winning, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

A silence fell over the field once more. The forest was now nothing more than scenery before I raised my hand.

“Stop,” I say. After all anthros follow my directions, I point to the floor. “Put me down.”

Becca nods, crouching slowly; but keeping her eyes and barrel focused on the enemy.

With a groan, and a shaky stand, I wobble my way over to an inconspicuous patch of field. I could feel the anthros watch me carefully as I did so.

Clearly, they still couldn’t see the entrance, but I could.

Ipomopsis rubra. Aka, the Texas Plume. A thin, six-foot plant with bundles of red flowers growing on the top half of its stem. A beautiful sight, and also the marker to the entrance; it was the only one in the entire field for miles.

“Well, this is it,” I say with heavy breathing.

“Uh…” Becca did not sound too sure. “...I don’t see anything.”

“That’s the point.” I collapse on my exhausted knees with a relieved sigh. Fuck, I’m tiring fast. But, this was no time for pussyfooting.

There was a Becca-sized bush next to the flower. I feel under it, the sensation of a wooden board poking back at my fingers. Not what I want. I feel, and feel, until the smoothness of metal greets me. Bingo.

With a click, a latch is undone; and…

…

Try as I might, I can’t lift it. Not with one exhausted hand.

So, I look back at Ana. “You,” I groan, motioning for her to approach with a finger. Not like she had a choice. “Lift the bush up and away from me.”

I could hear the sounds of her digitigrade legs thump at the ground with every step she took. Clearly, not a beast of stealth; but I needed her strength right now, anyway.

She effortlessly peels back the hatch underneath the bush, the concrete stairwell quickly revealing itself to the harsh sun above.

Sophia and Becca approach as well; all three anthros had looks of shock and disbelief in their faces.

“Are you kidding me!?” Roars Becca.

“THAT’S what we couldn’t find??” Added Ana.

“Un-fucking believable!” Even Sophia felt the need to vent her frustrations.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You got beat out by such a low-tech invention; but we don’t have time to waste.” With my only good arm, I wave all three of them forward. “Come on. Before someone sees this.”

Only, none of them moved. And all three anthros locked irate eyes.

“Well?” I added. “What are you waiting for? Chop chop! Or pew pew!”

“Okay…” Added Becca, aiming her gun at me, twisting a knob on the gun, and…

...wait, what?

“...pew pew.”

A muffled sound echoes in all directions.

I love visiting my uncle’s farm.

When the sun gets low enough, the purple sky makes the view of the cows grazing all the calmer.

Though, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something I should be doing right-

Mooooo!

...nah. I’d be out doing it if that were the case.

“What’s the matter, Bella?” My hands gently soothe the right cheek of my favorite cow. “Is the grass not that tasty today?”

What a beautiful creature.

It kinda makes me wonder if the bi-pedal counterparts in the State are similar. Calm, kind, gnawing on grass.

“Absolutely not,” uttered my hick Uncle Jarvis with the shake of his olive-colored head. “It don’t matter what kinda animal they look like. Dog, cow, lizard; they’re all lookin’ to brand us like we did to dear ol’ Bella here. Ain’t that right, girl?” He gently pats Bella’s side.

“That seems hard to believe. I mean, if they look so drastically different, it would make sense that their behaviors would also vary.”

His rugged overalls were a bit loose, so he had to re-adjust the straps. “If that were the case, we’d have one of ‘em kinder fellas ‘round ‘ere.” He ruffles my head. “You’re a good kid, willin’ to give somethin’ so different the benefit of the doubt. But trust me when I say this: they’re wolves that ain’t even tryin’a dress like sheep.”

“...huh?”

I did find out what he said, eventually, but his words really hit hard right about now.

Though, that may just be the throbbing pain in my neck. What is that?

...and where am I?

I’m laying down on some kind of plush fabric. A blue bed; thin, at that. And...am I in a tent? White fabric on all sides, medical supplies…

...yep. Looks like it.

I’m the only one in here, too; except for a sight that lights my body with the heat of fury damn near immediately.

“Becca…! Gah!”

Fuck! Trying to sit up was a mistake! I forgot about the laser shot wounds...

“Take it easy, Jimmy-”

“Don’t!” I groan with gritted teeth, still wincing from the pain. “Call me that…!”

I can’t even smack her thick arm away. Not only is she stronger than me, but I have no energy right now. All I can do is take the petting of my head, whether I like it or not.

“I’ll call you whatever I want.” She brings her disgusting face closer; and flashes a horrid, sharp-toothed grin. “You’re mine now.”

The rough scratch of her sand-paper-ish tongue on my cheek was like a ‘punch her in the face’ button. Though, in an attempt to not move the injured parts of my body, the delivery of my attack was pathetic. She didn’t even bother to dodge it; let alone flinch.

No, she chuckled. “I will have to do something about that little rebellious fire within you, Jimmy.”

I spit on her face. “Fuck you.”

She simply wiped my spit with one of her fingers, and licked it. And, as if to degrade me further, she moaned like she’d just had a taste of cake. “I can still taste me.”

“You’re sick,” I say. “You, and every one of your kind.”

“No, Jimmy, you’re just upset because you’ve yet to accept that we’re just superior to you in every way.” She took a seat on a nearby chair. It, of course, creaked in response to the unfortunate fate it had of supporting her gargantuan ass. “You and your kind waste so much time worrying about ‘morality’ and ‘freedom.’ But us; we know how to get things done. We know how to get what we want without remorse.”

“Is that why you’re willing to throw away the lives of your people? Just to traffic more of my brothers?”

“Well, you’ve done me the simultaneous honor of boosting my career AND giving me companionship, so I figure you deserve to see the curtain call.”

“Curtain call…?”

With the clap of her claws, several anthros enter the tent. Most of them are unfamiliar, but two stand out.

I just about tried to sit up again. “What the fuck…? That’s impossible...” The Hyena from the general store! And the Cougar that had my brother at the checkpoint!

That elicits deep giggling from all of them.

Especially the Hyena. “It’s adorable seeing primitive males fail to understand modern technology.” She tossed…

...nothing?

No, something landed on me. Something invisible. And...round? Kind of like a vanilla wafer. I gave it a few squeezes before I heard a laser fire; the all-too familiar view of red splatter scattered in all directions from the source of the invisible cookie.

I was at a loss for words with this sickening pit that had dropped in my stomach.

“That’s right,” cackled the Hyena with a service pistol aimed at me. “Invisible blood packs! Remote activated by this pistol’s training mode.” She tinkered with a knob on the gun similar to the one Becca had toyed with before. Then, another laser shot was fired at my chest, but nothing happened.

“But…” I utter. “But…” That’s so specific. What if I would’ve fired anywhere else? Though, thinking back to every shot I’d ever fired, every blood pack splattered from the same exact spot on all my victims. It was entirely possible that the blood pack had a generous range in which it still activated; even if it didn’t receive a direct shot from a laser. “Argh!” I clutch my hair with my only good arm. “I’m such an idiot!”

“Aw, don’t be upset,” Becca said, patting my head after my failure to smack it away once more. “You’re only male.” That’s when she pointed a thumb to herself. “But don’t worry! You’ll have me to look after you!”

“I don’t need you to look after me. I need you and all of your kind to kill yourselves.”

She paused, raising an eyebrow. “Ooh, there’s that look in your eyes again. That look of you hatching a plan.” I say nothing. “I know how to make it disappear. Road trip!”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You’re mine now.” She picks me up by my only good, non-casted arm; much to my wriggling defiance. “You will do as I say, when I say it, honey.”

Sure enough, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I tried kicking, punching, and even biting, but they seemed to have no effect on the large beast.

The difference in power was, quite frankly, frustrating. If only I had some way to even the playing field…

No. Something bigger. Way bigger. So big, they’d have no way to stop me.

But how?

All I had before me was a large anthro-sized Hummer-like vehicle. I felt like a child just looking up at the gargantuan thing.

“Okay,” Began Becca, opening one of the rear doors. “Ready for uppies, honey?”

“Fuck you. Don’t touch me.”

“And...yoop!” I was picked up from my hips. A kick was delivered to her chest, but it didn’t seem to make a dent. “And...boom!”

Boom. Now there was an idea.

If only I had something more specific that didn’t involve sitting me in a car with two human-sized seats between two anthro-sized ones.

She buckled me in; likely because of my injuries. Though, even if I had use of both my arms, I’d sooner try to choke her rather than buckle in.

Now, when she hopped up and plopped her big anthro butt on the window seat next to me, the car felt like it was trying to survive an earthquake.

Slam!

“Alright!” Yells Becca. “Let’s get this show on the road! I have a male to break!”

“Where are you taking me?”

The engine of the car violently rumbles to life; at least from my perspective.

Looking out the window, maybe even refusing to look at me, Becca parts her maw once more. “To see the fruits of our labor.”

“What the hell does that-”

It felt like the void expanded outwards from my gut when I remembered what exactly I’d done.

The tunnel. Becca knew about it; my “prisoners” knew about it; and now, the State definitely knew about it.

Just what would I find when we got to that fort? Would the battle be ongoing? Or would it, too, be another in the State’s list of victories?

All of the laser fire.

The burning, crumbling infrastructure.

The brutal execution of my sisters by the hands of giddy, sexually frustrated soldiers.

It all came back to me as the smoke of our dying liberties was spotted in the distance. A sight I alone am responsible for.

“Jimmy!” Becca’s shaking of my relatively smaller body finally seized when I snapped back to reality. “We’re here.”

I didn’t want to look. But, I knew I had to. It was my fault this happened, after all.

Had we followed the tunnel from the secret hatch in the field, it would’ve led into a network of interconnected tunnels that had a common exit in the other half of the forest. This is where we found ourselves driving towards; the fort’s end of the tunnel.

It was a large ground hatch that was manually opened by hydraulics controlled back at the fort’s watch tower. The fact that it was open, with State forces inside, meant that the watch tower had become compromised as well.

But the soldiers weren’t the only ones in there. Wooden crates were scattered haphazardly on either side of the tunnel. They were supposed to act as cover, in case of invasion, but it didn’t matter. The bodies of my brothers in arms lied in pools of their own blood; no survivors.

If only this was the worst of it.

The light at the end of the tunnel marked not salvation, but defeat. An underground city with buildings and roads carefully carved out of the ground’s natural stone.

But now most of it was nothing more than rubble.

There they were again. The pleading cries of my sisters. At least the vehicle could suppress the crunchy sounds of their bodies being mutilated after they’d already been killed by laser fire.

Not even the children were safe of such brutality. Just like last time.

Little brothers could only watch from the tight, predatory embrace of our oppressors as the heads of their loved ones—mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends—become ground beef under heavy, spiteful digitigrade feet.

And it was all my fault.

Loving husbands and boyfriends reached out and cried for the mangled corpses of their other halves while our oppressors straddled them, intimately, and bound their limbs.

And it was all my fault.

An entire group of people, guilty of merely being born female, were brutally deprived of their right to live. To feel. To love.

And it was all my fault.

I did this.

Me and my stupid empathy did this.

“Don’t look so distraught, baby,” Becca said, pulling me in for a one-armed hug. “You’ve done a good thing. Every single male we liberate today will go on to live happy, cozy, love-filled lives with a female that will know how to treat them right.” One of her claws poke at my chin, pulling me up to look at her horrid visage. “And you are no exception. From this day forward, you will never know the meaning of misery ever again.”

She didn’t even give me time to respond before her hug filled my face with her large, fabric-covered boobs. A feeling I’d previously admired under a cloud of lust, but now they’d only served to deepen my lament.

Never know the meaning of misery ever again? Yeah fucking right.

This is gonna eat away at me until the day I die.

Though, speaking of the future, what happens now?

Is this it? Is my autonomy over?

Do I have to go and get assigned to her now? Or whatever it’s called?

Will I have to dress according to her desires? Does my manner of speaking have to change so as to not encur any legal consequences?

That kind of life is not life at all. I’d be nothing more than a romanticized pet at that point.

“Now, what do you say we go and make us official?” Becca chuffed.

The car began to move once more.

We returned to the tunnel; but before we arrived, an all-too-familiar sight filled my eyes.

One of my brothers. Tied and resting on the shoulder of a large Wolf woman. And on his hand? A service pistol that he hid from the sight of a checkpoint guard just ahead of his captor.

Son of a bitch!

“Hey!” I screamed.

He’s right there! A few meters away!

“It’s a trick! Hey-!”

My screams were no more than muffled pleas when Becca’s filthy hands blocked my mouth.

“Hey, now. Let’s not spoil the surprise.”

To hell with my injuries! Pay attention to me, dumbass!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I stomped my injured front leg against the car door as hard as I could. It stung like a thousand wasps, but it’s a pain worth receiving if it meant the cycle didn’t repeat itself.

But, it was no use. He couldn’t hear me.

It was going to happen again.

And it was all my fault.

The sky looks different now. Not blue, not bright, not beautiful. It just...looks like sky.

And the ever-increasingly scarce vegetation around us seems less lively, as well. Was it because the city ahead was sucking the joy and color out of the area?

Probably.

The hummer-like vehicle drives towards a gated checkpoint, but it’s not slowing down. No, when we got close to the arm of the gate, it seemed to go up by itself.

Talk about the future.

Near-immediately, the horrid pollution they call air began to enter my lungs.

Dear god, this smells awful. How do they live like this?

And the structures. How did they make them so big? It looks like the only thing they’re made of is lustrous black glass.

There was a whole flock of them; a sea of tall rectangular buildings far as the eye could see; which wasn’t very far. The roads were frequently cut off by intersections.

Go, stop, wait.

Go, stop, wait.

Go, stop, wait.

Go...

I swear I could walk faster than this.

The way these roads and buildings were organized, I couldn’t even see the planet’s horizon anymore. I could thank the ugly rectangles for that; they blocked everything in all directions.

And to the sides of every road, paved walkways featured just what I’d expect from a place like this. Female anthros imprison men with their large claws as they walk.

Not like the men seem to mind. No, they’re rather calm and/or happy to be in the clutches of those heartless monsters.

Disgusting.

But not more than seeing little human boys in their predatory arms. They were calm as well; asleep even. Clearly, those monsters were capable of giving birth to male humans.

But could I even call that parental love? After seeing what they do to us when we’re free?

I could still hear the screams of orphans that screamed out for corpses that were never going to save them.

Mothers that were mutilated by the same claws that held this little boy with utmost care.

And now, here they are. Pretending like they could be loving, gentle creatures.

Well, most of them, anyway.

Their true colors seem to come out when a man dares to try and walk the streets alone.

I could only plead mentally when I saw a man walking towards a group of female Hyenas. ‘Please turn around’, I thought over and over.

But when he got within range, they swarmed him like moths to a lamp. They sniffed, licked, hugged, and pressed against him without so much as a care about how uncomfortable he looks.

Or...maybe not?

He’s blushing, and looks nervous. And his posture; he’s slouching. Just like all the other men I can see.

How is he not recoiling with rage at this disgusting display of emasculation?

And why is no one reacting to this?

Is this normal?

Will I have to watch my ass for legal gang rape?

“Oop,” I hear Becca chuff. “There’s that look again.” She towered over me as she sat, looking down at me with those creepy amber eyes of hers. “What are you thinking about, honey?”

“Don’t call me honey, you walking corpse.”

But that only seemed to make her giggle. “Oh, you shouldn’t worry about that kind of stuff yet. We still have a lifetime of hot, passionate, pelvis-crushing sex to plow through.” Her disgusting tongue violates my scalp once more.

Just for that, fuck talking to her. My mouth remained shut as we slowly drove around the same scenery over and over again.

How did people even find their way around? It was just intersection after intersection of the same street lights; sidewalks; and big, bland rectangular buildings over and over again.

And what made this one so special? One that we just stopped right in front of; it looked no different from any of the other buildings, yet Becca opened her door like she was sure this was the destination.

“Well, here we are,” she roars over the hustle and bustle of honking cars and roaring anthros. “City hall!”

I wanted to say ‘are you sure?’ but did not want her to think I was succumbing to her slavery fantasy.

Honk honk!

“Get out of the way, asshole!” I could hear someone else scream behind us.

We climbed a few steps that led up to an automatic door.

Fancy.

On the other side of the door, we were immediately bombarded with a round of applause from hoards of anthros and…

...humans?

“Way to go, Smith!” Yelled one of my fellow-

...no. That slave was not one of us.

Becca was, of course, relishing in all of the attention. “Thank you! Thank you! I know, I’m the best!”

She’d raised her arms in all the praise, but she kept me close with a tight hug from her powerful tail.

Another familiar face made its way over to us: the horrid fuzz of the captain that had sniffed me like I was a flower just a day before.

Or...days?

Just how long was I out?

“Great job, private!” Roared the captain, a slapping hand to Becca’s shoulder. “You executed your mission flawlessly. You should be proud.”

“Oh, I’m more than proud, captain!” Becca grinned with those sharp and unsettling teeth of hers as she pulled me in close with one of her filthy claws. “I’m fucking ecstatic!”

“I bet. A successful mission executed, a flowering reputation in your future, and a high-tier mate in your arms.” The more mature feline’s razor thin irises met my scowl. “You’ve got it made, private!”

Becca chuffed with pleasure. “Don’t I know it!”

“Well, I know you’re just dying to get James assigned to you, so I’ll leave you to it.” With another pat to the shoulder, the captain makes her way elsewhere.

But, even if that’s what Becca wanted, she still had many hands to shake; and, by extension, a large queue of compliments that would feed her growing ego.

“Hey,” a male voice called out to my right.

But, I continued to burn my retinas with Becca’s ugly form.

“Hey,” he tried again.

“Don’t talk to me,” I stated firmly.

“Aw come on. Don’t be like th-” All it took was one glance from me to shut this pasty weakling up.

His eyes were wide, too. Not surprising.

...and now he was backing up.

Ugh...

“...I was just gonna tell you to ease it with the eyes. The State looks down on improper men.”

I scoff. “Improper?”

“You look like you’re going to kill somebody.”

He wasn’t too far off. My hands itched for the sensation of Becca’s service pistol once more.

“Don’t tell me what to do, twig boy.” I crossed my arms, and looked away.

“I’m trying to help you, you stubborn asshole,” he groaned. “If you want to survive in the State, it’s best to just go with the flow. You’d be surprised at how well we’re treated when we do.”

“That’s slavery 101. Take everything away, and give it back with desired behavior.”

“You know what? Never mind. Keep being miserable.”

“Jacob!” Yelled a distant female horse. “Where are you, baby?”

“Coming, mommy!”

Mommy?

Argh...I may very well use that service pistol on myself. The secondhand embarrassment from that phrase is more painful than my wounded arm.

Even if I was considering going with the flow, which I wasn’t, that statement—and the scene before me—solidified my refusal.

The scrawny little man was picked up by his hips, spun, and dragged into a hug that he accepted with a warm, smiling face.

And the other men. They were being hugged in by their masters with a claw to their hip. Just like I’d seen men do to women back home.

And the men here were fine with it. Smiling, even, as they conversed with other groups of human and anthro partners.

“Jesus,” Becca roars, pulling me in by my hip possessively. “I really have to do something about those eyes of yours. They’ll get you in all sorts of trouble here.” I turned away. “Still giving me the cold shoulder, huh? That’s fine.” She began to walk, pulling me with her. “All good things come with time. I mean, just look at your buddy Tom over there.”

...what?

There’s no way.

Tom, who was even more skeptical than I was back when we cut everyone loose, should be trying to stab them with a makeshift blade made out of…I don’t know...a toothbrush?

But, Becca was right. There he was, the black and white arm of a bovine anthro lovingly holding him up as if he was a needy child.

And to make matters worse, he was shamelessly pressing the side of his head against her massive bovine glands.

“...Tom?” I call out. “What the hell are you doing?”

His excited head snaps over to me. “Jimmy? Oh thank god you’re okay! Have you been assigned, yet?”

His partner moos curiously. “Who’s this, Tommy?”

“Oh, it’s just a friend of mine!”

I looked at him skeptically “What-”

He hopped down, and firmly smacked my chest. Maybe a little too hard; that kind of hurt. “We go way back.”

“Oh, well you talk with your friend then. Momma has to make.”

“Don’t leave me alone too long, mommy!” His right hand waves at her like a woman seeing her husband go off to war.

Also…

Argh...that word again!

When he looked back to me, he got a face full of confusion, nausea, and a little bit of wincing. “What the hell is this?” I ask.

“What?”

“Wh-” My good arm waves sporadically in this direction. “This! You were against following Becca not too long ago, and now you’re the bitch boy to an oversized milk factory?”

“Dude, they’re all oversized milk factories, if you know what I’m saying.” He elbowed me.

Becca chuckled, raising a palm to him. “Yeah we are!” Their hands clap in a high-five. “Where was this guy before? You’re fun as hell now!”

“Well, I was pissed when they initially found me, I’ll admit; but one night with Daisy, and…and…” He seemed to have lost his balance. “...man, I still can’t believe the human body can feel something like that.”

Becca looked mighty proud of herself just now. “Yeah, we’re great. I know.”

“Well, I’m gonna go wait for her by the bathroom. I’m starting to miss her already.”

Still, my look of skeptical disgust had not vanished. “What happened to you?”

“I saw the light, brother. I suggest you do the same. You won’t know the true meaning of happiness until you do.”

And with that, he made his way over to the bathrooms with a sprint. But not before accidentally bumping into me in his haste.

“Hey!” I yell.

“Sorry!” He turned around. “Let’s catch up later! After you get that stick out of your ass!”

“You heard him, honey,” Becca said, pulling me in once more; but this time, with a more hungry pull. “Let’s go start the stick removal process.”

Woo hoo. I can’t wait to sign my freedoms away.

Looking ahead, the design of the building’s deep interior matched the confusing uniformity of the streets.

We took lefts, rights, an elevator, and even more halls; but it felt like we’d gone nowhere. Like if I looked back, the lobby would be right there.

But, even with the endless sea of halls, doors, and empty white walls, I knew we were heading towards the room that would seal my fate.

And, when we finally got there...

...this has to have been the most depressing room I’ve ever seen. Small, white walls with no windows, fluorescent lighting that flickered, and a huge wooden table in the middle with four chairs. The seats weren’t so large that I couldn’t normally hop over them, but having only one hand made that difficult.

“Oh?” Becca cooed. “Does my baby need more uppies?” Please god, no. I can only take so much humiliation... “And...woop!” Up I go, followed by the planting of my butt on the gray polymer seat. “And...boom!”

There was a security camera in here, too. Just like all the other halls and rooms and streets we’d navigated.

Where weren’t there cameras? Jesus Christ…

“Ooh I’m so excited!” Becca was swaying in her seat like a child. “To think, you’ll be all mine in 2-3 business days!”

God, even love was that bureaucratic? How lifeless. Then again, so was this whole assignment process.

“Now,” she continued, “where the hell is that guy?”

Some kind of officiator, I assume.

Well, speak of the devil. The door creeks open to reveal the horrid face of a male tiger. Only, he’s the most depressing being I’d ever laid eyes on. Even with his fur there to hide away wrinkles, the bags under his tired red eyes were still apparent.

“Good afternoon,” mundanely roared the male as he drifts into the room. “My name is Melvin.”

Melvin? What a geeky name for such a chunky beast; even if it did fit his lack of a will to live.

“Hi Melvin!” Roars Becca with enthusiasm.

“Oh. Hello, Becca.” His sad amber eyes flick down to me. “Yours, I presume?”

“Yep!” She takes great care to pull me into her side with one arm. “Say hello to your future brother in law!”

He rolled his eyes. “Whoop-dee-doo,” he said, taking a seat and resting his briefcase on the table. “Let’s get this over with.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth!” She’d even brought her own pen, gaining some distance from me to better focus. “Just tell me where to sign!”

Out of his briefcase, he pulls out two pieces of paper that brought a shine to Becca’s horrid peepers. Though that may very well just be the tears that she’s trying to fan out.

Melvin raised an eyebrow. “Is everything alright, Becca?”

“Sorry! It’s just…” Sniffle. “...I’m so happy right now! You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this day!”

“Please keep your composure. If you get tears on the form, you’ll have to start over.”

“Sorry, sorry…” With another sniffle, and the wiping of her tears, she grips at the massive documents that was as long as one of my arms stacked twice over, and as firm as watercolor paper. “I’m okay…”

It was almost mesmerizing watching Becca sign those forms with tears of joy clouding her vision.

I mean, she’s acting like she wasn’t just a key reason so many innocents were torn from their families and/or executed.

My people did nothing wrong and died gruesome deaths. Meanwhile, horrid monsters like her selfishly spread misery for their own benefit.

How is it fair that they get rewarded with a peaceful and love-filled life while we are doomed to live out our days in miserable slavery? Or, at the risk of repeating myself, executed for having a vagina?

“Is everything okay, sir?”

The lifeless roar from Melvin snaps me back to reality. “Huh?”

“You appear to be in distress. Are you in need of medication?”

“What?” I shook my head. “No. No, I’m fine.”

He hummed, jotting something down in a big notebook. “After this is all over, Becca, I recommend taking your male to habilitation classes. Just to get him used to our way of life before he causes any problems.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Mel. One night with me, and-”

He blocks her view with his hand. “Don’t. I get the picture.”

She was all giggly as the last of her portion of the document was signed by her. “Okay, okay. I’m done anyway.” She slides the papers over to me, and holds the pen up to me. “Your turn!” She chuffs, grinning.

She sure was acting like a giddy little girl right now.

Not enough to rid me of the urge to shove the pen through her throat. But, she’s to my left, and I know she’d just block it anyway.

Well, I might as well take a look at this fucking thing. There were the obvious fields: name, age, sex, address, etc. I did not have certain things like a phone number, but Melvin made mention of omitting it when Becca was filling out her form.

Now came some true or false questions.

I have not been divorced within- yep. Definitely yep.

The applicant is not currently married. Yep. Not like the State would even recognize that, if I were.

I am not related to the applicant as- yep. Doesn’t matter what’s on this list. Definite yep.

Is one or both parties underage? If so- Jesus Christ. I can’t believe that’s even an option.

Is there any legal reason why this marriage should occur? I wish.

And, that was that. All I had to do now was read this last line.

I solemnly swear (or affirm) that the information I have given in this application is correct.

If I sign this document and follow along, I’ll be a slave.

I’ll have no autonomy.

I will live with Becca, around Becca, and for Becca.

In time, all of my rebellious thoughts will fade, and I’ll be just another smiling drone in the cog of The State; high on the euphoric sensory overload that Becca was sure to provide.

A sweet deal; all because I was born with a penis.

A bit of an issue with that, however.

I’ll never be able to live down the humiliation of being manipulated into betraying my own people.

Click!

A sound that caught the attention of both Becca and her brother. But, Becca had more pressing concerns.

“Well?” Impatiently meowed Becca. “What’s the hold up, honey?”

“I’m not your honey, you stupid bitch.”

“Jimmy-”

“And I told you not to call me that.” I shook my head. “You don’t have the right.”

That certainly brought out a hearty, amused giggle from her. “Jimmy. Look around you.” At the bare walls? “You’re in my territory now. I have the right to do whatever I want with you.”

“Well-”

“Shut up, Melvin,” she roared. “My point is: you lost, Jimmy.”

“My nam-”

She slammed at the table with her predatory claws. “Your NAME is whatever I WANT IT to be! If I want to call you my slave, then that’s what I’ll FUCKING call you!” It was right about now that the exhausted look on Melvin’s face was beginning to make sense. “Now, you’re gonna sign that paper, you’re gonna come home with me, and we are gonna spend THE REST OF OUR LIVES TOGETHER! Do you understand me?”

“And if I don’t sign it?”

“Then I’ll make sure you end up in special assignment.” She giggled even though I gave no reaction. “You’ll be in the same pool as all of the crazies, criminals, and abusers. Chances are, you’ll be assigned to a crazy bitch that’ll tear you apart for giving her one of your signature looks of defiance.” She shifted the document closer to me. “Or, you can stop being stubborn, sign these papers, and marry someone that’ll fill every second of your life with euphoria.”

My eyes briefly glance at the paper. Then, at Becca.

“You forgot option three.”

“Oh yeah?” She grinned. “What’s th-” A grin that evaporated into panic at the sight of her heavy service pistol in my shaky hand. Still in disbelief, she felt at her holster, but failed to grip at anything meaningful. “Son of a-”

“Ah ah!” A warning to both Becca and her standing brother. Both who froze. “Raise your arms. No sudden movements.” I back away slowly.

The panic in Becca’s eyes had evaporated, instead replaced by irritation that was accompanied with a sigh. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Jim-”

“James!” I yell, the echo in the room clearly enough to hurt their flat ears. “Not Jimmy! James! I don’t want my nickname to come out of your filthy maw!”

“Jim-”

“Say Jimmy one more time, and I swear to god I’ll paint the wall with your brains right fucking now...”

Still, her stoic face did not falter. “What are you hoping to accomplish with this little act of defiance, James,” she emphasizes.

I was fuming. My breathing was rough through my gritting teeth. “If you have any last words, now’s the time to say them...”

“If you want to kill me, then why not just get it over with?”

“Because I’m not a monster like you and your kind,” I shoot back. “Consider this a mercy. The kind you didn’t show my sisters before you violated their corpses.”

Really? Nothing? No wide eyes? Tears? Trembling? Anything?

No, she really just stood there, and looked at me like I was an idiot. It really pissed me off.

“You can’t kill me, James.” I scoffed, but she interrupted. “I’m not done. What do you think is gonna happen when you shoot me? Because if you want to march on home, you can forget it. It’s gone. You lost!” She yelled. “Your species lost! We own you!” And she began to walk towards me with slow confidence. “You kill me, and this room will be filled to the brim with State soldiers that’ll be happy to ship your ass off to a place that’ll make Alcatraz look like Disney World!” She now stood towering over me, my aim remaining true to her temple. “You’ll suffer horrors that’ll make you wish you’d said yes to me! You like being ass raped by a guy the size of my brother? Then you’d better get used to being his little bitch because that’s all you’ll be for the rest of your life!” Her face immediately transitions from angry to peaceful and loving. “Or, you can swallow your pride, sign the papers, and be a good little boy for mommy. I can give you a life that’ll make you forget that sadness and misery even exist, James. I mean, just look at your friend Tom. That has to be the happiest he’s ever been.” And now she’s crouching, even placing her disgusting claws on my shoulders. “You, too, can be that happy. You mentioned having a void that can’t be filled, right? Well, I can make it disappear. Just like I did in the tree hollow. But…” One of her claws reached out towards me, clearly in demand of the weapon in my shaking, tired hand. “...you have to give me the gun, James.”

Well, that was certainly a choice of words.

There was no doubt that being assigned to me is something she so clearly wants. The desire is so strong, she isn’t even showing any signs of fear in the face of death.

Slam!

“FREEZE!” Before I knew it, female soldiers swarmed the room, surrounding me with barrels aimed at my head. “PUT THE GUN DOWN!”

I did no such thing.

“You see, James?” Becca continued. “There’s only one clear option. Now, be a good boy, and give mommy the gun.”

She looked at me expectantly, as if sure that it was the only path forward.

But my narrowing eyes did not surrender.

“DROP THE WEAPON!” The soldiers scream once again.

Maybe this was just me overthinking it, but I found it interesting that they chose to use the word “the” instead of “your.”

Drop THE weapon; not my weapon.

Put THE gun down; not my gun down.

It spoke volumes about just how lowly they thought of us men.

We can’t own weapons.

We must tolerate rape from female anthros.

We must not frown.

We hold equal worth to accessories.

We are nothing.

...no, not nothing.

We are a race that surpasses our fears.

We are a race that beats back mother nature’s attacks.

We are a race that, time and time again, spits in the face of whatever is trying to hold us back.

At around 70,000 B.C.E., a volcano nearly wiped humanity off the face of the Earth. Did they just sit down and accept the end?

No.

In 1969, man defied gravity and went up hundreds of thousands of miles to reach what was once seen as impossible: the moon. Did they just sit down and give up when gravity proved difficult to overcome?

No.

During the Second World War, three Brazilian soldiers fought an endless wave of Nazis that eventually shot them dead. Did they just sit down and accept their fate when victory seemed impossible? No.

They fought to the bitter end; because that’s what humans do.

They clawed their way up to the moon and did the impossible; because that’s what humans do.

They stared that volcano in the face, and continued on anyway; because that’s what humans do.

And I, no different from them, refuse to just sit back and let someone else tell me what to do; because that’s what we humans do.

It doesn’t matter if they’ll shoot me dead, or try to arrest me. In fact, every fiber in my being is telling me to chuckle.

And that annoys the hell out of Becca.

Good.

“Go to hell,” I grin.

This was the moment where the gravity of her mortality finally hit her like a ton of bricks. Visible panic has flooded her face, and she tried to quickly smack the gun away from my hand.

But, it was too late.

The lethal whisper of a blue laser whistles clean through Becca’s skull; and this time, I made sure that the gun was set to kill.

With a hearty thump, her big body now lays lifelessly on its side; killed immediately by my shot.

I wasn’t even given enough time to begin another thought before my body was lit up like a Christmas tree. Shot after zip of blue lasers passes through me with malicious intent; each less painful than the last.

Which was odd.

I should be panicking due to the fact that my life was ending right before my eyes, but...I wasn’t.

I was not only calm, but...happy?

Happy that my life goes out on my terms?

The firing was over now. I couldn’t quite make out whatever the soldiers were saying. But, whatever it was, they were all looking at me with glances of pity; like I’d just made a mistake.

But that’s not how I felt at this very moment.

I could feel the weight of my treason slowly lift off my shoulders with each passing second.

The stares of everyone I’ve betrayed, just...fading away.

I didn’t make a mistake. I chose to free myself; not just from the State, but from the torment that was eating me alive.

On the drive here, Becca said something about us “wild humans” having a high rate of suicide in the State. Now, bleeding out on their floor, I understand why that’s the case.

Unlike the males here, I’ve had a taste of freedom. To suddenly have it removed is a travesty; I much rather prefer to be dead than coddled and restricted.

Maybe that makes me a fool, but I don’t care.

At the very least, I can die knowing that I was indomitable all the way to the end.

And they can’t take that away from me.

___

Author's Note:

End of scenario A