FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"You let him go?" Lauren asked the beige fox as he styled his jet black head fur in the mirror taking special care to put each hard gelled spike in just the right position atop of his head.

"I had no choice, the middle of the JSTF holding center wasn't exactly the best environment to work the issue out. I think I might have reached him though, for a second he flinched." Zen sighed pulling the shiny black button up shirt over his arms and chest, taking as much care as he did with his head fur to put the shirt in exactly the right spot into the tan khaki pants he was wearing. "Anyway he's still out there but he isn't the priority at the moment. Have we gotten anywhere with figuring out what demons we're dealing with in the government?"

The older wolf shook her head, passing her paw through her wavy blonde long hair. "Negative, who ever they are...they are extremely good." Zen nodded slightly taking one last look at him self in the mirror before leaving the shower room with Lauren right behind him. "So are you sure you know where you are going?"

"Not really...I made a promise to Alicia though and I mean to make good on it. There's only one person I know of that has experience with anything regarding the technology of the fates..." Zen explained punching in the access code to the armory, picking up one of the silver steal gauntlets and clasped it around his wrist then picked up a set of blue metal pistols.

"True but the last time you went to see Sakai it wasn't the best of occasions." Lauren said with a worried tone.

Zen shrugged and placed each of the pistols in their respective holsters on his side and the other behind his back. "I'm sure it won't be that bad." He replied trying to fake a smile but his nervousness showed plainly through by his voice and the nervous twitch of his bushy vulpine tail.

"In any case Zen, be careful. Hopefully by the time you get back we'll have made some head way." Lauren said with a smile escorting Zen to the hangar bay.

--^--

"Just as I remember it..." Zen sighed to himself looking at the bleak glowing greenish grey sky, the same twisted endless maze of modern skyscrapers intertwined with ancient castle like structures, the streets contorted at weird angles with barely any visible sign of life but to some one like Zen he could sense the life energies all around him some good but all the more evil. Zen folded his high collared trench coat around his body and made his way through the dangerous streets, his sharp fox ears constantly on the move for any sign of trouble.

At the end of Zen's trek he stood before an ancient black stone looking archway over grown with a dark green moss, just inside of that was a golden glass revolving door, he watched for a moment or two as several people moved in and out of it each on dressed in either very expensive suits and clubbing clothes or the darkest looking sets of bondage attire, chains, whips, masks and leather. He had to take a deep breath and closed his eyes before stepping forward entering through the revolving set of doors leading him into a brightly designed lobby, at one side was a winding stair case looking like a hotel with a reception desk while on the other side was an unassuming elevator door, where most of the people were going and coming from.

Zen leaned against the back of the elevator as it moved down into the building, watching a human female wearing a bright right cocktail dress and a fur scarf around her neck and two vinyl clad male jaguars, one had a heavy chain attached to his collar while the other held it tightly. The doors opened and Zen waited for the three others to move inside, observing how they were all stopped and searched for weapons then let into the club. Zen cautiously exited the elevator, looking at the rows of four thick columns holding up the roof made of the same green stone that made up the archway outside, on the opposite side he saw six burly furs guarding the stairwell which would drop him down into the club, while a single small white furred mouse female stood holding a clip board behind a glass desk, behind her was a very impressive rack of firearms and various other weapons. The nervous fox walked right up to the mouse and smiled, opening up his jacket and slowly removed both his pistols placing them on the glass.

"And you are...?" She meekly asked looking on his clip board.

"Hunt...Zen Hunt..." He replied confidently, his eyes darting to the bouncers whom started to shift and surround the fox with the mouse's aggressive look.

"I'm sorry but you are not on the guest list." She said.

"I know Sakai knows I'm here, so why don't we just cut out the bullshit and you take me to him?" Zen growled harshly as one of the bouncers placed his paw on his shoulder. "Why don't you take that paw away before I remove it for you?"

The bull recoiled and lifted his hoofed paw from Zen's shoulder "I'm sorry sir Sakai has been waiting for you. This way..."

Zen cocked his head to the side looking back at the bull, probably weighing a good three hundred pounds at least having two of the biggest and sharpest horns he'd seen and he was submitting so easily. "Alright take me to him..." Zen waited for the bull to lead and followed him into the hard rapid drum and bass beat filled club. It was the same as the last time Zen was here, demons and mortals all around, in all of his time in clubs and in the underbelly of quote unquote civilized society Zen had never seen the acts in the club being done so freely from drinking and drugs, to sex, even demons feeding without fear. At another time Zen would have loved to bust this place with a couple detachments of hunters but for now the fox opened his trench coat and confidently walked behind the bull up along a red velvet carpeted stair case that brought him up to the second level which was a large lounge space with couches and beds the view looked out over the entire club space.

Zen stopped and took his jacket off, tossing over the back of one of the couches as his eyes met a shiny black furred jackal, wearing only a set of leather pants, his muscular body adorned with several piercing. The jackal's eyes met Zen's the golden color sank right through Zen's soul as he gave a sneer baring his teeth. "Hello Sakai, surprised to see me?"

The jackal sat up from his lounging position placing his martini drink on the table in front of him and shooed away the various slave furs that surrounded him. "There are few things that surprise me Zen but you boldly showing up here is definitely one of them. I told you the next time we met I would not be so welcoming."

"And I said the same. But things have changed, I bare you no ill will. In fact I require your help again." Zen said sitting down across from the jackal resting one of his legs over his knee.

"Your balls have definitely dropped as well..." Sakai chuckled and snapped his fingers followed by one of the waitresses getting Zen a drink. "Vulpine scotch, 2156 a very good year. Now what do you want?"

"I've come into the possession of something, and to be honest you are the only one I know of who might know anything about it." Zen started to explain but Sakai didn't seem to care too much. "It's a weapon...named Alicia..."

Sakai shot up form his seat his expression went from an idle annoyance to a mix of fear and anger "You found her, and brought her here?!"

Zen studied the reaction of the jackal being extremely puzzled "Uh ya, listen Sakai. I need to release her; she is tired of being used for destruction. Alicia wants to be deactivated permanently I promised her that I would help."

"Ha, you can't trust something of that kind of power. Besides once connected there is no way for you to be separated..." Sakai nervously said.

"Bullshit Sakai, you're smarter than that..." Zen said but it was not his voice, but the one of the weapons, the female fox Alicia "...you have been the gate keeper for the fates for tens of thousands of years, long before even I was created. So why don't you just level with us huh?" Zen shook his head and gritted his teeth "Alicia, please let me handle this." Zen said to himself.

"It is true I have been around longer than you but I do not lie to you when I don't know of anyway. There's never been a champion who has been joined who's wanted to separate." Sakai said.

"But I am no champion..." Zen cried out.

"No you are not and should not have been able to find her. The rules have changed though, after Kitt and Alec joined the fates everything has for lack of a better term gone to hell. They thought they were doing a good thing but they are young and careless, so many of the things that were to be kept secret and low key are being found by mortals who do not have the mental capacity to handle them. I am sorry Zen, Alicia, but I cannot help either of you. I think you are stuck together." Sakai explained with a heavy sigh.

Zen sadly walked out from the revolving doors of the club and wondered down the street back to the space port "I'm sorry Alicia, I tried. I don't have any ideas how to fix this."

"I know I don't hold it against you...like Sakai said things aren't the same. I don't hold it against you." Alicia replied into Zen's head.

"So we still going to work together, maybe someone knows something?" Zen said aloud getting odd stares form people whom only saw the fox talking to him self.

"Yeah, we still have a deal I realized that it may take longer than a couple of weeks. I've waited five thousand years, I'm sure I can wait a bit longer." Alicia chuckled.

---^---

"I don't understand why we didn't for see them..." A proud looking vulpine said his body covered in a black and gold uniform of the Alliance star fleet command, his experienced ice blue eyes said to Lauren through the communication channel.

Lauren nodded and shrugged slightly, sipping at a steaming cup of tea as she listened to the confused red furred fox "Baxter, I don't know either but the fact of the matter is we have this problem to deal with. I know I've already asked a lot of vulpine intelligence but I need more."

The fox grumbled under his breath and cracked his neck uncomfortably in his leather office chair "I don't know how much more I can give. Sooner or later they're going to start asking questions about where the resources are going. Especially if this goes as high as you say it does, we've already gotten reports that the JSTF has started suspending operations and personnel."

"Well if anything it means they're attention is drawn, which for one give us the opportunity for recruitment and means their intelligence net is faltering." Lauren said with a glimmer of hope.

"Possibly, or they could just be trying to lure you out. How many hunters do you have currently?" Baxter asked.

The wolf grimaced slightly pausing a moment considering her answer "Thirty four right now...listen Baxter I'd better get off this channel before someone taps it. I'll contact you in a couple days." Lauren said quickly, terminating the communication and leaned back into her chair with a contemplative look on her muzzle then quickly picked up her cell phone.

Aiden kept his red furred body as still as he could, each exhale coming with extreme concentration he wore a set of white and black camouflaged military fatigues, ignoring the fact it was minus fifty degrees on top of the cliff his thick fur coat helped a bit but more so it was his mind that helped the most. He steadied his paw upon the grip of the long sniper rifle his eye gazing through the digital scope the rotating cross hairs flashing meaning he was correctly aimed. Aiden depressed the trigger letting a vicious thunder escape from the massive barrel sending the anti tank bullet loose, it screamed and struck the burnt out remains of a tank that had been discarded there years ago. The round pierced the hull and caused the entire vehicle to up root and explode, he was about to take a second shot when his cell phone began to ring. "Aiden...go" he said into the microphone.

"Aiden, I think we've been compromised, meet me in command and control." Lauren quickly ordered.

Aiden still in his snow fatigues rushed in through the door, the snow that had collected on his clothes and fur was starting to melt. "How bad is it?"

"I'm not sure yet. I just got off the com with Admiral Baxter and just something in his voice just wasn't right. We have to prepare to get the hell out of here." Lauren growled.

"Hope, you're back up plan is still available." Aiden sighed.

"She's never let us down before..." Lauren replied.

Zen's shuttle touched down in the icy hangar bay and the fox sauntered off into the midst of a flurry of activity he saw the hunters and technicians scrambling about to load the other transports with the equipment. And Aiden there at the center coordinating the chaos, Zen rushed up to him "What's going on?"

"The General believes we've been made. We're evacuating" Aiden barked.

Zen gasped and rushed to the elevator and raced into the depths of the base up to Lauren's quarters seeing her backing up all of her computer files. "Are you serious?!" Zen knew the question was rhetorical but he had to ask, he even saw Lauren instead of wearing her normal robes she'd dressed in black military cargo pants and a fitted armored vest that for the first time in Zen's life he saw her carry weapons, a large pistol at her side and one of the gauntlets attached to her wrist.

"Yes Zen, I thought we would have more time here but our enemies are amassing. We are out of time..." Lauren huffed and placed a small explosive charge on her desk and grabbed her duffle bag and walked out of her quarters with Zen followed only seconds after by an explosion that ripped her cabin door out of the wall. "Aiden are we good to go?" she asked into her cell phone.

"Almost General but I think we have bigger problems. The early warning system just picked up a hyperspace jump point in orbit, looks like a detachment of Hyperion destroyers they've already launched landing craft." Aiden anxiously yipped.

"Shit...alright I have to get to C&C and take down the mainframe. Get your asses to the rendezvous point, Zen and I will meet you there." Lauren said

"But General, you can't..." Aiden tried to respond.

"Captain, follow my orders. We will be fine." Lauren barked harshly and hung up her phone.

Zen looked at the older wolf he was amazed, she was like fifty years old but her body was well toned, firm and in all the time Zen had known her she had never raised her voice to give orders. "You know there's at least five hundred soldiers getting off those transports right?"

Lauren nodded and smirked "Yeah I know..." she led Zen down the hallways into the darkened computer room and threw her bag atop the briefing table and begun pulling out the various electromagnetic pulse and conventional explosives. Both of the furs rushed around placing each of the devices in place, Zen's eyes going wide as he caught a glimpse of the security video.

"We've got company, probably forty five seconds." Zen yelped as he placed the last charge.

"We're good we have to get to the south exit." Lauren said pulling her pistol from the holster.

Lauren and Zen marched towards the doorway of the command center only to be met by five heavily armed soldier appear in the way. Zen gasped and grabbed Lauren yanking both of them over on of the control desks as the bullets started to rain, shredding the desk to pieces. Zen nodded to Lauren as they popped back up in an instant returning fire with their pistols and dashed to the side narrowly avoiding the faster rate of fire from the rifles. Puffs of smoke from the bullets hitting the concrete walls and explosions of glass and fire as the computer displays disintegrated behind them. Zen rolled across one of the tables ducking down to one knee letting his gun fire several bullets that sliced through the knee and shin of one of the soldiers. Lauren leapt on top of the table putting single rounds into the fore heads of the soldiers then to Zen's astonishment he watched the wolf cart wheel flip over their tumbling bodies as three more entered the room, they didn't even have a chance before the female wolf unleashed the sword from the gauntlet and slashed them to ribbons.

Zen and Lauren raced through the base at lightning speed until they skidded to a halt being confronted by and entire company of Alliance marines headed up by a purple black furred panther cat. Lauren started to back up but quickly stopped when the soldiers all cocked their weapons.

"General Florenas, Hunter 57 put your weapons on the ground and get your paws in the air!" The panther roared.

Zen looked around quickly trying to figure a way out but they were completely cut off "Any ideas?" he whimpered.

"Well..." Lauren looked down at the detonator in her paw.

"This is going to suck bad" Zen growled and nodded as Lauren and himself dropped their guns and dove forward simultaneously depressing the button. In the command and control center all of the charges that were placed beeped startling the soldiers who were trying to secure the area then exploded sending a rolling fire ball through the hallways and up the elevator shaft bursting out behind Lauren and Zen as they dove sending the fire ball and shockwave at the soldiers tossing them helplessly away.

The smoke and fire settled, leaving Zen looking around both of them where unharmed he stared in amazement seeing Lauren holding her paw up forcing a blue translucent energy barrier over them. "You okay Zen?" she asked letting the barrier dissipate and picked Zen up forcing him to move past the stunned soldiers strung about.

Lauren and Zen piled into one of the shuttles and blasted off the surface into orbit. Zen's eyes went wide seeing the four massive destroyers that hung in the blackness of space each one was a behemoth over a kilometer long with a blunt flat midsection brisling with long gun emplacements while along the aft sections was a large block spinning section which housed the fighter bays and functioned to create artificial gravity "How the hell are we going to get away from those?!" Zen yelped.

"Just wait..." Lauren said with an unusual calm turning the shuttle away from the destroyers as they launched their squadrons of fighters. "High Priestess to Guardian Angel do you read me?" Lauren growled into the communication system of the shuttle.

"Confirmed Priestess we are in bound, making the jump..." Another female voice crackled over the speakers suddenly a pinpoint of light exploded into a massive white and blue swirling vortex and out flew a ship that even dwarfed the destroyers on approach. The ship had a thin cylindrical like middle section that came to a point like a spear gracefully curving off the long center were four large wing like pylons. The entire ship was covered in octagonal panels that seemed to swirl like marble. "This is the Assembly Destroyer Blackstar 2 to Alliance destroyers. You are here by ordered to heed too and cease your attack." Lauren and Zen sat nervously as the fighters continued their advance. "This is your final warning..." The massive ship flew quickly over the shuttle it's huge forward cannons began to glow green before unleashing several blasts of energy that collided with the lead destroyer covering it in some sort of electrical charge that made the ship list and begin to spin out of control but did no physical damage.

After that show of force the fighters began retreating to their mother ships and they limped away into the depths of hyperspace. Lauren quickly piloted the shuttle into the Blackstar's main hangar being quickly met by Aiden. "I told you to follow orders and everything would be okay." Lauren said with a smile. Looking beyond Aiden and saw the captain of the ship, a fox female about the same age as Lauren, wearing a pure white military uniform buttoned with golden clasps. She had silver fur and large set ears with several piercing in each. "Admiral, glad you could drop in." Lauren chuckled and saluted the fox.

"You know me General always love to crash the party. Good to see you again Lauren." The fox replied and returned the salute.

"You too Shar, what's our status?" Lauren asked.

"Well the Assembly is fully aware of the situation but cannot openly act. They will deny giving this ship permission to perform this extraction and pretty much black list us. It's the best they can do for the moment." The fox reported.

Lauren nodded and sighed looking back at Zen. "Shar this is Hunter 57, Zen Hunt."

Zen walked up and shook the paw of the female and smiled. "Thanks for bailing us out there."

"Hey anything to stir up the shit" The grey fox said with a smirk. "Now we have to figure out where the hell we're going..."

Like every other battle planning room Zen had ever been in, they were seated along a silver steel table which housed fifteen furs all watching a humming holographic display which cascaded from the ceiling. "I know this isn't the best of briefings. But unfortunately we are on the defensive; our worst fears have come to pass..." Lauren said with a whimper yet she tried to mask it under a tone of aggressiveness. "...A demon sect has infiltrated the Alliance government and to the very root of the JSTF, I will not lie to any of you sitting here, if you stay you will be branded as traitors and if we don't succeed in routing out this problem; one none of us will ever set foot on Alliance soil again or you will end up dead. I say this to you all now because it is your choice, no disgrace, no ill will. The JSTF was founded on the prospect that we would give our lives to safe guard others no matter the cost; however fighting our own government is something else. If you do not believe in this mission I ask you to stand up and leave now, you will be dropped off at the nearest star port and nothing will happen to you." Lauren said confidently, making eye contact with every single fur at the table, including Zen whom lazing back in the chair tapped a pen nervously on the table top and gave only a reassuring nod.

A tense minute passed in the room the Hunters, Blackstar crew chiefs, and such all looked around at each other but not one stood up and walked away. Lauren waited one more second then let a wide smile cross her muzzle "Thank you all...believe me I would have preferred another way. Now down to business, we need to pool our resources we need all available Intel. I know this ship can operate without refueling and support for nine months however I would rather not jeopardize Admiral Legosi's ship. We need to locate a port well outside Alliance and Assembly control and at least give is some breathing room." Lauren said coming to a stop from her walk around the table, looking around hopefully to anyone to have some lead.

Zen twitched slightly in his chair, glancing up and down the two rows of pure still Alliance military trained furs, none of them showing any initiative or ideas. The beige fox warrior leaned forward and cleared his throat getting the immediate attention of everyone at the table including Lauren and Shar making Zen feel completely zoned out from the regular armed forces. "Uhm...I know I may not have the strategic or military experience of any of you here but there is one place we may be able to go..."

---^---

Zen marched confidently up the ivory stone staircase followed closely by Lauren, Aiden and Shar. His eyes gazed upon the monolithic towers of granite that lined the entrance to a great hall, decorated with thirty meter tall statues of furs each one looking proud and unflinching. It wasn't long standing there being nervously stared at before a familiar light tan lion wearing a loose pair of black pants and a hooded sweater padded up his hard prominent mane almost carelessly let to flow around the sides of his head waving with each movement. For a moment the lion had a smile on his bulky muzzle but quickly upon seeing the full military armed fur on either side of Zen made his expression turn defensive and worried.

"Zen...we did not expect to see you back so soon." The lion said uneasily, his eyes not even meeting the fox's only to glance to the others.

"I'm sorry Taylor, I didn't know where else to go." Zen whimpered and went through the introductory process for his comrades being led through the complex, every detail being exactly what Zen had remembered, the tranquil peace all around him, he had no urge to feed, no urge to do any harm to any being in the temple. But he had to shake out of the pleasurable tingle as they approach an unassuming room, domed in glass and white marble, the view was absolutely breathtaking a full three hundred sixty degrees of green rolling vistas and hills.

"Where are the masters?" Zen asked as the lion offered seats to the Blackstar's crew.

"They have taken a sabbatical and will not be back for some time, for the moment I am the head of this temple. So what happened?" Taylor asked. Zen took a deep breath and began to tell the story of everything that had happened. The lion oddly enough seemed like he knew all about it or at least good portions of it and idly flicked his tail from side to side as he paced along the window. "We figured something big was going on, there has been a dark wind blowing for sometime now. It is partially why the masters left." Taylor's glance focused on Lauren a bit.

Zen cocked his head to the side and looked at Lauren. "Why they left?"

"High Priestess Florenas you should know why, but you haven't chosen to act yet." The lion said.

Lauren adjusted uncomfortably in her seat tenting her paws in front of her muzzle "I was not aware that it was a viable option, I was told that the Alliance was too unstable for that. Now it would seem we are at our worst."

"Tue but if the Alliance falls to these dark forces, they will have an incredible fighting force which will be next to impossible to stop with out a galactic war." Taylor explained, making Lauren sigh and slouch back in the chair.

"Would someone like to fill the rest of us in, Taylor you know Lauren or something, a galactic war, what the fuck?" Zen yelped.

"We have never met..." Lauren started to explain "...just after the Great Balancing war and the death of Kitt and Alec I knew it wasn't over. I was head of Alliance Intelligence, constantly receiving reports of demon attacks; we couldn't win because we didn't understand the enemy. I left the military and began to search out those who did know how to kill demons I trained, explored and learned everything I could, eventually coming to a temple much like this one, where I was shown the White Guard..."

Zen, Aiden and Shar's muzzle looked between each other not having the faintest clue was Lauren was talking about. Taylor stepped from the window and nodded "It's the army of the light that was never used during the Great Balancing, hundreds of thousands of warriors all over existence. This temple and the others like it serve as recruitment and training facilities in times of darkness, normally the White Guard does not remain active between the times of Balancing but since all of you know it's different this time the army is still there lying in wait for the call."

"So if this army of good is out there why haven't they come to our aid, or why didn't we use it to bolster the JSTF ranks?" Aiden impatiently asked.

"It wasn't time Aiden..." Lauren said. "...think about it, how it would have been perceived if I came back after five years with an army like that. Most would have considered me trying to take over the government for my own gain. I began the JSTF to help ease in the thinking that a larger force would be necessary." Lauren explained, making Aiden huff and cross his arms somewhat angrily over his chest.

"It doesn't matter the reasons in the past we're still in the same boat, yeah we can use the White Guard to destroy the demons in the Alliance government but it still will be seen as a take over. Who in the government knows about the White Guard?" Shar quickly interjected.

Lauren shook her head "No one, not even Tarn, I couldn't risk anyone trying to use the army for their own purposes."

"At any rate, Taylor can we at least use the temple as a safe haven for a couple days...I know there's a lot of danger in having us here." Zen interrupted.

The lion nodded and smiled. "Of course...this temple while not an active White Guard armed camp, it still is dedicated to its mission and will aid in anyway possible."

While Shar and her first officer headed back up to the Blackstar2 to organize restocking, Zen leaned against one of the large pillars that held up a archway looking out and down the kilometer drop and massive mountain situated in the distance. He sighed and rubbed his muzzle his ears picking up the distant growls and arguing between Lauren and Aiden in the temple room they were just in. Zen looked behind himself briefly feeling Taylor softly padding up into the landing taking in the same view as Zen. "Why didn't you tell me you knew who I was?"

"To be quite honest I wasn't sure, we had heard about your exploits and connection to Lauren but we couldn't risk outing ourselves. It wasn't my intention to deceive you." Taylor explained.

"I know. I'm just frustrated I'm in way over my head..." Zen whimpered.

"Aren't we all?" Taylor chuckled.

"Fair enough but at least all of you have at least some knowledge of how to wage large scale military operations. I'm just a field operative I don't know the first thing about leading troops in to battle." Zen said.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, when the time comes you'll know what to do." The lion said patting Zen on the shoulder making him smile slightly.

"I hope so..." Zen replied seeing Aiden burst from the room with an angry sneer on his muzzle. "Excuse me." Zen said to Taylor heading back into the room seeing Lauren leaning her paws over the back of one of the chairs, her claws dug into the material. "Lauren is everything okay?"

"Yes Zen...Aiden is just taking it a little hard that I left him out of the loop and just the added stress of what we're going to have to do, he just needed to vent. Damn he too much like his father..." Lauren said, keeping the last part rather quiet.

"Lauren I know I might be over stepping my bounds...I know he's your son but I'm curious, does he know who his father is?" Zen asked making sure to check the doorway so know one over heard.

"No he doesn't...he died before Aiden was born. I couldn't bring myself to put that kind of weight on his shoulders. Hell he doesn't even know he's got a brother and sister out there." Lauren slowly explained with a tear in her eye.

Zen blinked and shook his head "He has siblings, who was the father?"

"At the end of the war, I had to make a choice. You see not many people know actually what happened in the last moments, Kitt, Alec and Gabriel had become so powerful that with a mere thought a galaxy would have been destroyed that's why the White Guard was not used, it would have been pointless. But in exchange for the chance of saving everything I agreed to bare children." Lauren choked out.

"Agreed, Kitt and Alec were the fathers?!" Zen gasped trying to control his voice.

"Not exactly, they join their life forces to fight Gabriel becoming one fur. Aiden, his brother Reese and sister Layla have inside them the very essence of their energy. That's why I had to hide them, with no knowledge of whom their parents were it would keep them safe. Aiden was the only one that stuck close, something about him just pulled him into the military and to me." Lauren straightened out looking directly at Zen "Please don't tell Aiden, I will in time but right now he's got enough on his plate."

Zen's muzzle gapped open trying to grasp exactly what Lauren has just told him but quickly nodded and smiled "Hey my lips are sealed, I doubt he'd even believe me if I told him."

"Thanks Zen, I appreciate it." Lauren nodded. "Now, I'm sorry we didn't exactly get much of a chance to go over what you learned when you went to Sakai's."

The beige fox shrugged and plopped himself down in one of the seat his legs dangling over the arm. "According to Sakai it's never been done before nor does he know how to even go about it...so for now Alicia and I are stuck together.'

"If anything that gives us an advantage, with her power it could give us an edge." Lauren said getting a nod from the fox.

The temple was bustling with activity a constant flow from the three thousand crew members of the Blackstar2 came and went on various supply and training tasks. To Zen's surprise it didn't seem to impact the already present populous of the temple whom simply carried on about their lives. Still though Zen felt out of place in the seemingly chaos of military life, Lauren, Aiden, Shar and Taylor all had assignments and things to do. Zen gathered small backpack of equipment along with a large bale of rope he slung it over his shoulder, dressed only in a tight tank top, black and blue spandex shorts and sunglasses he walked from the temple carefully scaling down a rock face covered in wet jagged rocks and green moss, the sound of the raging water fall that ran underneath the temple and cascaded down into the valley.

At the base Zen gazed up the slight slope of the kilometer cliff he'd just scaled down, seeing the temple looming just at the edge then moved his head looking at the over grown almost jungle looking valley floor, the fast moving water whipping by him.

Deeper and deeper Zen followed the river the temperate air blew through his beige fur coat his tail swayed back and forth trying to balance his body out as the fox leaped and skipped across the wet rocks finally coming to a rest on a large fallen tree. Panting Zen sat down taking a sip from his water bottle and just watched the rolling water pass below him, he had never been much for the wilderness after all he was born and raised in a large city and spent his life in them, he always hated the school camping trips he was forced to go on but now it was kind of nice no distractions. Zen laid back on the tree looking up at the perfect turquoise sky letting the sun sooth his muscles and softly closed his eyes.

"Zen..." A distance echoing voice called out to the fox, whom opened his eyes briefly and looked around seeing no one. "You can't hide forever, we are going to find your little band of rebels and you will all die."

Zen growled out loud realizing it was in his head and instantly recognized the voice. "Yeah you think so Senator..." the fox replied into his head to the Buck who was in command of the JSTF.

"Eventually you have to show your muzzle, but until then I guess we'll just have to settle for your father. I'm assuming you remember him right?" The male deer's voice cackled.

"You fucker, leave him out of this. He's not involved!" Zen barked.

"I'm giving you one chance...turn in Lauren and the Blackstar and we'll let him live. Otherwise it'll just be another person who has died because of you."

Zen snarled and closed his mind to the Buck, shooting up from the tree and raced back along the river to the temple.

---^---

"Are you sure you can make it in time?" Aiden yipped to Zen as he piloted the shuttle into the dock of the space port.

"I hope so, I wish we could take the Blackstar2 but that's what Yates is hoping for. I should be able to reach Alopex minor in three days by standard liners. You've got my weapons already in transit right?" Zen rapidly asked, dropping the door of the shuttle into the docking ring and zipped up his tight black cotton jacket to his neck.

"All of you equipment will be there when you arrive. Be careful, when you're clear contact us and we'll arrange pick up." Aiden explained giving his friend a firm paw shake and watched the determined fox as he tore off into the station.

Zen nervously paced in his cramped cabin on the passenger ship, rubbing his muzzle just wishing this bucket of bolts would move faster but not like that would help. He wanted so much to just call his father but he couldn't because the phones were most certainly tapped.

Hours seemed to take days but the fox finally put his paws for the first time in over five years on his home planet, it was like he'd never left everything was exactly the same. The sweet summery air, beautiful cityscape, it should have been a nice home coming but he had no time for site seeing Zen raced to the package receiving area and impatiently waited in line to pick up two large brown cardboard boxes and hauled them off then climbed into a rental car and sped off towards his home town. "Computer, locate directory for Vincent Hunt and display directions." Zen growled intro the car's navigation computer.

Night fell onto the city four furs sat in a darkened van, their paws clutching anxiously at the grips of their firearms all of their attention was drawn onto a humble single story ranch styled house a long red brick winding driveway led up the large yard lined with small blue lights. It was only the driver who happened to look forward spotting in the street light the five foot seven inch tall beige furred fox, his tail long and bushy under lined in a lighter tan, it swayed aggressively back and forth. The fox wore khaki cargo pants covered by the holsters housing two large semi automatic chrome pistols on both thighs and a black cotton jacket that zipped up all the way to his chin, covered in various zipper pockets. The Doberman driver didn't even get a yip from his muzzle before the fox brought his paw up drawing one of the pistols, with its cylinder silencer piece on the barrel and fired a single whisper quiet shot which pierced the windshield, the forehead of the Doberman and into the skull of the fur who sat behind him.

In an instant the two furs still alive now covered in the blood, skull and brain matter of their companions, shot their eyes forward and saw the smoking barrel the fox was carrying and rushed to open the doors and the fox lunged forward his free paw flicking to unleash the electric snap as the sword appeared and glistened in the street lights, barely the furs touched the pavement before the super sharp blade sliced through the glass and steel of the door through the first fur hacking him in half and even right through the second fur as he leapt from the sliding door.

Zen came to a rest without even looking back his sword held out form his body without the slightest budge, like he'd just cut through paper and not a car and two bodies. He shook his stance and looked back making sure they were quite dead then brought his eyes for the first time his father's house, the last time he saw him Zen's father was selling the mansion. This modest house actually seemed more like him, he never felt that his father really was the type to live in a castle sized house but it was his mother wanted.

Zen quickly hammered on the front door of the house feeling the four mercenaries approaching quickly through the backyard. The door was answered by a middle aged light red furred bat eared fox female dressed in a very nice black cocktail dressed, his head fur and makeup done like she as about to head out for nice dinner. She looked over Zen her eyes widening quickly seeing the armed fox standing in her doorway, her muzzle dropped.

"Darling who is it?" He asked no realizing the fear the bat eared fox had on her muzzle then he saw Zen standing there with an exasperated expression on his muzzle "Zen you're alive?!" he yelled.

Zen looked passed his father as he past the open kitchen, he saw through beyond the backyard pool the four swat armed fur rushing up. Zen inhaled sharply, pushing past the female "Get down!!!" he yelled barely getting to his father and tackled him to the floor as ten or twenty rounds shattered the glass sliding doors gouged deep holes into the plaster walls.

Zen rolled over his father instantly drawing his pistol and took careful aim retuning the favor putting two bullets center mass of one of the furs making him flail and fall back into the pool. He quickly looked down at his dad "Get up, we gotta move! I'll explain later, take her and go to the garage." Zen ordered and got little argument from either fox and watched them scurry away.

The beige angry fox braced himself against a wall and opened the fuse panel shutting down all the lights, leaving the entire property in the pitch black of night. Zen's sharp ears and demon senses allowed him to hear and feel everything, dashing out in a fraction of a second taking three well timed shots that pierced right through one of the kitchen cabinets and into the neck and muzzle of one of the furs. Zen growled ducking behind the counter as another series of automatic gunfire raked through the house. He waited for a moment, hearing the cracking foot falls of someone stepping on the broken glass, waiting just long enough to see the barrel of a large shotgun come over the counter he popped up in a flash grabbing the assailant by his large canine ears ramming the muzzle down into the hard marble with a satisfying crunch and snap of bone and cartilage being destroyed.

Zen flung the lifeless corpse away and nonchalantly walked towards the living room his green eyes reflecting the moon light right at the last of the four whom frantically took aim at the fox but realized his magazine was empty. Zen grinned sadistically at the fur for a second allowing him to just barely get the fresh ammo into the gun only to hear a mocking clink as the round jammed. "Should check your weapons a little better next time, now we can do this the easy way...or the fun way" Zen smirked.

The fur hissed and threw himself at Zen drawing a long serrated combat knife, trying to slash out the fox's throat but each slash was avoided and ended quickly with Zen's knee being rammed into the spine of the fur and his own paw clutching the knife being run across his neck the gurgling agony of the blood spurting from his throat lasted for a minute before the fur finally died. Zen stood over his kill and sighed, suddenly the lights all came back on making Zen's muzzle shoot around seeing his father and the female in a terrified gasp.

"Zen what's going on here?!" his father yipped his eyes locked on the fur who had his throat cut.

The rusty lock of the hotel door swung open, Zen cautiously made his way in followed by his father and his female friend still dressed in their evening clothes. Making sure the room was secure Zen sighed and unzipped his jacket tossing it over the back of a chair and placed his well used pistols across the small lacquered desk that looked as if it'd been sitting in the same position for a decade, dirty, scuffed and dented.

Zen's father looked about himself, a dank room two double beds made neatly at the far end of the room a small bathroom next to that and a cheap television set bolted to the wall. "So now are you going to tell me what's going on? You've barely said three words to me since you destroyed my house."

The young fox nodded and drew the blinds across the window taking one last look out into the parking lot instantly counting and assessing all the vehicles that were there. "I'm sorry dad this really has nothing to do with you, they were trying to get to me through you."

"I see. I take it from those weapons you have you are some kind of criminal, solider, professional killer?" Zen's father asked.

"All of the above pretty much. Listen I can't explain everything; suffice to say I work for the Alliance government. I am a professional killer and unfortunately there are elements in the Alliance right now that deem my organization against the will of the Alliance which makes me and my fellow agent's traitors which makes me a criminal." Zen explained and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Great...Zen, this is Rebecca." He said sitting next to the fennec female giving her a comforting hug, in the entire time since the fight at the house she had not stopped shaking.

"Nice to meet you, as I said I am very sorry for all of this..." Zen started to say.

"Yes we heard that, question is now that you've gotten us involved what are you going to do about it?" Zen's father said with a sneer and a bit of a growl.

Zen shoulders slumped as he sighed moving over to the desk running one of his paw fingers along the slide of his combat pistol. "I haven't quite figured that out yet. But I have to get you guys some where safe..."

The night passed so slowly, finally his father and Rebecca had fallen asleep together in one of the beds but Zen couldn't he kept a close watch out the corner of the window, propped up rigidly in a chair one of his pistols clenched tightly in his paw. In his ear held the microphone piece connected to his cell phone, he tried to keep his voice as low as possible. "Yeah nineteen I've secured the target, I don't know how long we'll be able to stay stationary though, any ideas?" Zen whispered.

Aiden's voice spoke with the same caution and tone, keeping all of the specifics of what was going on hidden in code words and phrases "Negative fifty seven, we're stretched pretty thin as it is. Have monitored heavy eyes on any of our passports and identities, think you have to extract outside of normal channels."

Zen nodded to himself happening to glance back, seeing his dad standing over him "Roger that nineteen, will contact on frequency four in twenty four hours..." Zen said and pressed the 'end' button on his phone. "Couldn't sleep?"

Zen's father shook his head "Could you if you were in my position? How long has it been since you've slept?"

The beige fox cracked his neck and closed the blind fully standing up giving his back a stretch "Seventy two hours roughly. Wouldn't worry about it, I'm used to it."

"Of course....Zen, seriously, what happened? When you came home all those years ago, I could see you had changed but I never would have expected this..."

Zen shrugged slightly "Why not, you heard all the news reports about what happened at the school, hell you probably heard about what happened the night I left the house. You always knew that I was different, or maybe you didn't, I know you're not my real father and she was never my real mother."

The old fox gasped for a second his eyes almost welling up with tears as he took a step back from the young warrior fox still in his beige muscle shirt and cargo pants his slim yet muscle ripple arms tensing as he spoke. "How did you find out?"

"That's not important. But let's just say I came from a completely different stock of furs. But why didn't you tell me?" Zen growled.

"We were going to, or at least I was. You're mother couldn't bare children, a genetic mishap denied her that ability, but I still loved her. We decided to adopt, the instant we saw you we knew that you would be the son we had always wanted." Zen's father explained.

"Do you still believe that? Hell I have trouble believing what you just said after what Janet put me through..." Zen struggled never having used his mother's first name before.

"I won't make excuses for what happened, deep down she did love you as a son. She couldn't get past her own demons..." His father said trying to hold back the emotion.

Zen shook his muzzle and looked away, the way his father said what he did just made Zen hate what he was all the more "You have no idea how much I understand what you mean. Tomorrow we'll have to get moving early, we can't stay in one spot for too long this planet is too hot. But I have an idea..."

The red furred fox cocked his head to the side his ears perking. "Which is what?"

"Ever been to the Alliance capital world?" Zen grinned.

"No I haven't...but if you are being pursued by the government wouldn't that be the most dangerous place to go?"

"Pretty much but it is the most unexpected. Plus I have some unfinished business there. What do you say, all expense paid visit to the center of the Alliance government?"

"If you think it would be the best move, I trust you son." Zen's father said making Zen smile and give him a big hug.

"I missed you." Zen practically cried out.

Zen marched just ahead of his father and girlfriend, his green eyes shrouded by his wrap around sunglasses. It was dangerous walking out in broad daylight and in public but they really didn't have a choice, boarding the transit train speeding towards through the dizzying metropolis of the Alliance capital, Zen nervously tapped his fingers in his leg having no weapons but the gauntlet blade on his wrist.

Thankfully there were no problems and the three arrived in a tall apartment block, Zen couldn't help but smile as he passed his paw along the door scanner and watched it slide open into a small two bed room apartment still fully furnished but everything covered by sheets to keep dust away, his glanced out the large balcony door glass onto the city. "Well here it is..." Zen said shutting and locking the door behind them.

"You lived here?" His father asked, as Zen began taking the sheets off the couches and chair, showing the black leather surfaces.

"Yup, I haven't been here in about five years so it's a little dusty but it will do. Now just a couple of precautions, you can move around the city but just be careful don't make any huge purchases or long phone calls. You have to keep your presence as low key as possible. I will be the only one entering this apartment, so if anyone comes knocking..." Zen started as he reached under his kitchen counter and grinned sliding out a small black metal pistol plus three magazines of ammunition. "...use this." He finished slapping one of the clips into the gun then handed it to his father.

"Zen I don't want to kill anyone..." His father whimpered.

"Think about it this way, its Rebecca's life and your own. If it comes down to it don't hesitate." Zen sighed as his father took the gun.

"Where are you going to be?" Zen's father asked, his eyes shifting we worry.

"I'll be around it's for the best that I keep a minimal amount of contact with you two. I won't make any phone calls except if there is a serious problem I will simply say four, four, and seventy. This is the address of our rendezvous point, sector four, block four and level seventy. It's a restaurant called Equinox go there and wait at the bar for me. Understood?" Getting an affirmative nod from both of them, Zen gave his father a hug and turned leaving the apartment.

"I need to speak with the director..." Zen growled to the receptionist on the other end of the phone. "Tell him it's Zen Hunt." A long pause ensued before his call was redirected, Zen's eyes locked in on his watch.

"Mr. Hunt, impressive I didn't expect you to make it on time." The voice of the male deer snarled.

"You really should stop underestimating me. Now I'm really pissed off..."

"What do you intend to do, you are completely cut off from your precious Lauren, I'm betting you have no weapons, no support and no way out." Yates smugly responded.

"Sucks hunting someone who knows exactly how you work don't it? Just like I know the tracing a phone call takes exactly sixty seconds. See you soon." Zen grinned and quickly hung up the phone. He turned out of the phone booth and glanced up and down the crowded street, the midday traffic and life rushed by him.

"What are we going to do now Zen? He's right..." Alicia spoke into Zen's head.

"To be honest I have no friggin' idea.

--^--

"How long has it been since last confirmed contact from Zen?" Lauren nervously asked from the center of the circular shaped bridge on the Blackstar, all of the crew stations fell silent.

"Ninety three hours, General..." The silver fox admiral Shar reported.

Lauren growled under her breath "Okay, we need eyes on as soon as possible."

"Lauren, seriously we're stretched to our limits. Even if we knew where he was it's not like we can get support to him, we're still integrating the White Guard into our systems here." Shar tried to reason with the old wolf but realizing that once she got an idea in her head it was near impossible to get her to change her mind.

"Contact Aiden and Taylor, I want a team put together and ready for incursion." Lauren turned and stormed off the bridge.

"Where would Zen go?" Lauren started, sitting across the long conference table easily able to contain twenty people but only she, Aiden and Taylor sat.

"My last contact with him left him with few options, he was running protection to his father so that leaves him slow and open. Honestly if I were him and knowing he would have to end up there anyway when we make our move, I think he's on the Alliance capital but unfortunately Zen is too random to know for sure." Aiden reported, tapping a pen across the high gloss black plastic table top.

"I would concur with that assessment..." Taylor said "If we intend to put troops into the city, it could take a week considering we have to go through backdoor channels."

Lauren nodded "Alright Aiden draw your team from the White Guard soldiers as they will probably not be recognized by Alliance security. I want you to leave immediately. Once you have landed, track down Zen after that I want you to work with him and gather as much intelligence about the JSTF as possible."

Keeping hidden throughout the day Zen moved about the city, he wanted so badly to go back to the apartment and make sure his father and his girlfriend were okay but his better tactical judgment kept him from doing so. Night crept eerily over the city, all of the towers and road way lights bursting to life making it seem like the sun hadn't even set. The beige fox sunk into the depths of the underbelly of the city, he needed information and weapons if he was going to survive, he swung the creaky door of a dank basement looking club, dark angry tribal and jungle styled electronic music smothered his hearing while the blood red and strobe lights clouded his vision, he carefully studied the large open dance floor crowded with furs dancing, most of them reeked of demon energies and along all four sides of the room was a long black marble bar top manned by various species of fur.

Zen took a deep breath and adjusted the high collar of his tight cotton black jacket and moved past the dance floor towards the back of the club where several large low level table sat surrounded by plush leather couches all crowded by very posh high rolling furs; it didn't take Zen's senses to tell they were vampires, just by the rocks glasses filled with blood and several innocent furs being drained of their blood right out in the open told him that.

The bold fox strutted right up to the tables and sat down in front of a large bat fur, his stubby muzzle lined with a light white fur patched in tan, his pink nose and huge ears sat atop his head, easily this fur was six and a half feet tall and wore a tight black messy tank top and baggy cargo pants his large thin wings tucked against his arm as he sipped at his rocks glass. The instant Zen sat down the bat's ears swirled and focused on the fox even though he could barely see the fox, his natural sonar hearing let him see the fox clearly. "Bold aren't we?"

"Jariah, pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Zen Hunt." The fox said directly to the bat, his entire posse leapt from their seats and pointed every manner of firearm and edged weapon at him.

The bat chuckled and rose an eyebrow "Ah the famous demon slayer, finally coming for your pound of flesh of me?"

"As much as I would love to take it, I have other concerns." Zen growled keeping his glare focused on the bat, not even flinched by the weapons.

"I assume you mean the presence in your precious JSTF?" Jariah squeaked waving his wing slightly making the group lower their weapons.

"Of course, why else when in the five years of operating I couldn't even get close to you." Zen smirked and ordered his drink from a scantily clad cocktail waitress. "I figure that you being in the top five vampire house leaders and the most feared on the capital world; even you know it won't last forever with the freedom you are obviously enjoying. Whatever force has taken over is going for complete control over all demons, as soon as they deal with the JSTF you will be next on the hit list."

The bat leaned back in his chair and tented his long thin clawed fingers in front of his stubby muzzle and contemplated for a second, taking several glances of his followers around him, each on of them waiting for the go order to rip the young beige fox's throat out but the bat simply waved his clawed paw causing them all to straighten up and drop their guards. "You are right of course. The obvious question still stands...what the fuck do you want?"

Zen chuckled and leaned back, smirking at the vampires as they drop their weapons and sipped at his drink being very cocky about it. "A cease fire for the time being; I'm going to lie to you, given other circumstances I'd put a silver bullet between your eyes but it works in our best interests right now to work together..." Zen smiled and watched as the bat heard what he was saying and tried to fake a superior laugh to at the fox but his body language told Zen, Jariah knew what he was saying.

"What do you propose?" The bat's huge sharp ears flickered slightly.

"I can take this Senator Yates out of power and get the High Priestess back in power, putting things back to relative normal but I need weapons, information, and your help. I want all vampire and other demon activity that you control to be suspended..." Zen bluntly yipped.

The entire group laughed at the young beige fox but Zen merely kept his narrow stone cold glare on Jariah "What exactly is in it for us, other than to be hunted by the JSTF again?"

Zen slipped back into his chair and crossed one leg over his knee "Well what do you want?"

The bat grinned and chuckled in a most evil fashion "I want a free pass on this planet and I want your JSTF strike teams to eradicate all of my competition, all of the four other houses present must be taken out."

"C'mon Jariah you know I can't give you that much." Zen growled.

"Then my dear fox, you have no deal and of course you will not walk out of here alive." Jariah replied with a sneer the group of weapon totting furs began to stir.

Zen waved his paw up and snarled under his breath, quickly weighing his options. Suddenly Alicia's voice crept into his head "Zen we've got trouble, JSTF strike team just pulled up in a van outside the club." Zen's eyes went wide just as a wolf leaned down and whispered something into Jariah's ear.

"Well Zen, you are quickly running out of time, what's the answer?" Jariah said standing up, adjusting his suit along his upper body.

The beige fox remained seated, his bushy tail flicking and swaying quickly along the chair, his senses locking in on the demon hunters taking up positions at ever entrance to the club. "You got a deal, give me a gun." Zen huffed and caught a pair of large silver revolver typed pistols as they were tossed to him. The fox growled and shot up from his seat, spinning in step putting the tip of one of the pistols against the forehead of a leather trench coat clad lion who was trying to get the bead on Zen's group.

"Zen, wait!" The lion mewed, quaking at the lightning speed of the fox and the massive cannon at his head.

Zen hesitated for a moment, his paw quaking on the pistol, he didn't want to pull the trigger which gave the lion his opening, thrusting his body against the fox and knocking him flat against his back onto the glass table shattering the cups and table top. The entire club erupted in the maelstrom of automatic gun fire as the team began systematically executing the patrons of the club, whether they were demon or not. Zen shook his muzzle and rolled out of the frame of the table escaping three shots from the lion's own gun and shoved his feet paws forward kicking a chair right into the shins of the lion toppling him ass over tea kettle.

"Zen c'mon this way!!" Jariah screeched over the calamity of the gun fight.

Zen climbed to his feet, seeing the bat and his group scurrying to a fire exit. He whimpered, and twitched, not giving a fuck about the demons getting slaughtered but the innocent fur being mowed down just as easily. "Zen..." Alicia barked harshly "...you can't help them, run, run now!" He growled at the female voice in his head and leapt over the couch dashing towards the fire escape.

The tinted windows of the limo clouded the streets but Zen could still see the scrambling red and blue lights of police and ambulance vehicles racing to the scene of the massacre. "Welcome to our lives Zen...how does it feel to be the one to be hunted?" Jariah chuckled.

Zen huffed and sighed staying completely silent, following the band of vampires as they moved from the limo to a shuttle craft that brought them into orbit and into the docking bay of a small luxury space craft. The fox studied the layout of every lavishly decorated corridor, he counted roughly twenty vampire grunts milling about the halls some of them just by their smell were only a couple days past the change. "Guess it pays to be scum huh?" Zen growled.

"It does sometimes..." Jariah responded snidely "...this is my private ship, all my followers come here when they make the transformation. You will only be staying here for a short time so don't get too comfortable." He said taking Zen into a living area and threw his jacket over the back of a couch turning to the fox quickly. "You know the deal, take out the leaders of the other houses and I will provide you with the necessary tools for your mission. But it won't be that easy, I want them all to know that it was one of us who actually executed them."

"Shouldn't be that hard...once they see their followers being destroyed and you being left alone they'll get the hint." Zen replied standing pretty much at attention in front of the bat.

"Ah but I want them to see it as you pull the trigger. They see you as a government toy, not a real demon just someone doing mortal's bidding. You kill them one by one and one by one you take their essences, I want their followers to find them empty husks."

Zen knew what Jariah was asking and bared his teeth "Fuck off, there's no way, do you have any idea what would happen if I started taking souls again? You think you know the thirst, well I'm a fucking Thane demon something you bastardized version of vampire couldn't even comprehend."

Jariah tented his claws in his lap grinning almost ear to ear "I am aware of you heritage, the mighty Thane's among the first vampires to exist. You unlike us are immune to sunlight and silver, your body heals four times as fast as ours, you are faster, stronger and even your life expectancy is much more; a Thane is pretty much immortal. However, if you are as strong as you claim to be I'm sure you can handle this little task. That's the deal, take it or..." Jariah waves his paw towards the door.

"Alicia, what do you think?" Zen said into his head.

The dark red female fox standing beside the bat, only being able to be seen by Zen crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes trying to tear the bat to shreds. "I don't trust him. You haven't taken a soul in how long? I have idea what this is going to do to you. But if you are insistent on this plan which I know you are, I will probably be able to help you control your thirst."

Zen's muzzle nodded to the invisible female fox making Jariah and his body guards cock their muzzles to the side. "Fine you've got a deal..." Zen grumbled.

"Good..." Jariah grinned and snapped his claws followed by one of the side doors opening showing a tall, six foot two inch tall hyena, his fur made of reddish beige striped with deep black, his hard focused yellow size instantly locked on to Zen. He stepped confidently up to Jariah and gave a slight bow, adjusting his heavy black cotton trench coat behind him. "...This is Diego he is my house's lead enforcer. Diego will be accompanying you on your hunts."

Zen looked over the slim looking frame of the canid and nodded to him. "Ah the infamous Diego, just hope you can keep up." He said with a cocky grin.

---^---

"How long before Aiden's team reaches the Capital" Lauren's cold stern voice asked the chief ground force commander from the Blackstar's crew.

"Assuming they didn't run into any complications, I would imagine they should have paws dry in the next twelve hours. General, I know your people are well trained but they are completely cut off. I'm not entirely sure what you hope for them to achieve." The small squirrel officer said in a soft yet concerned voice.

"Captain, your troops must take on impossible odds every day. We need eyes on the ground, if we're going to get anywhere with this. I appreciate your concern on this matter." Lauren responded politely and turned from the console walking from the bridge of the Blackstar, sighing to herself.

Aiden hurried along with his team to connect their computers and check all of their equipment setup in the back of an abandoned apartment block buried deep in the sea of steel, concrete and glass of the Capital city. "Do we have communications yet?" he barked out.

"Yes Lead, we've tapped the central telecommunications networks, we have access to all local police traffic. We should be patched into the satellite imagining system within the hour." A mottled black brown and white furred border collie said as he flipped on one of the small flat panel displays, showing an almost incomprehensible show of computerized data.

"Good!" Aiden smiled and looked to two others as they laid out several sets of automatic assault weapons and submachine guns along a table. "Five and Six you guys head out and start recon of the JSTF headquarters. Seven and Eight we need to secure lines of supply, start working on the underground arms dealers. Two you're with me, we're going to start tracking Zen's movements. Three and nine stay here and make sure we are secure." Aiden said only using the team's number assignments to acknowledge them and promptly got a strong 'aye sir' from them all.

Aiden and his Border collie officer left the warehouse slinking through the cities under belly coming up to the surface into the bright hot savannah air "Lead, how are we going to find him?"

"We just gotta think like he does, we know his mission and objectives just got to follow the path." The wolf replied leading the way out into the busy street.

Zen sat across from Diego in the long stretch limo as it coasted along the highway. Zen wore a tight fitted pair of cargo pants and an orange tank top, his wrist adorned with the silver gauntlet and a pair of gold rimmed sunglasses over his muzzle bridge, looking out the heavily tinted windows which barely let any kind of sunlight in. "You don't speak very much do you?" The rough yet sleek looking hyena folded one of his legs over his opposing knee and quietly looked out the other window his dark leather frame barely even recognized Zen's presence. "Oh I get it..." Zen chuckled. "You've spent years training and hunting in the hopes that you'd get your chance to take me out, trust me I know your file. And now your one chance to get your paws on me and have to just sit there and baby sit me."

The hyena sneered and grunted at the smaller fox, finally meeting eyes "That about covers it. I'm just waiting for you to turn on us then I'll be there waiting to rip your throat out."

"Good, at least we are on the same level." Zen smirked and blinked for a second feeling a shift in the hyena's energy but couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"Yes we are. Now you're first objective is the house of Blood Talon, a younger house but none the less dangerous, the master during the day has his brood located and guised as a library on level one seventy. You probably know it as a place where demons go to research their pasts, spells and what have you; it is a low level target for the JSTF or at least you thought. Inside there are anywhere between from ten to thirty vampires and other demons. This is the one we want..." Diego explained holding out a small octagonal disc which projected a holographic image of a lanky scrawny looking black furred rat. "...Maximo Oris, he leads the house, don't let his small stature fool you he is as vicious and deadly as any other master."

Zen nodded and reached under his bench seat sliding out a large plastic cargo case and opened it up showing his arsenal of fire arms. "Sounds good, you got blue prints of the library?"

Zen studied the layout of the closed in building as they pulled up to an unassuming set of wooden doors on either side two steel pillars a rickety sign that looked like it was going to fall off at any moment, it read 'dark texts and knowledge library'. "Alright give me ten minutes..." Zen sighed and swung the door of the limo open, smirking as Diego squirmed and shifted into the far corner of the car hissing slightly at the burst of sunlight that shot inside.

The slim beige furred fox gently opened the door to the library, seeing row upon row of books, scrolls and data disc some what carelessly thrown about. Zen's slim fox tail twitched and swayed back and forth with each step down the aisles he didn't see anyone at first but his sensitive nose and demon abilities could detect the shifting and scurrying of nervous protective energies all around him. "My name is Zen Hunt I am looking for Maximo Oris!" Zen barked out getting only his echo in the apparently vacant space. That until he had to leap form the aisle into the center reading area as one of the tall shelves came toppling over with a heavy boom. Zen rolled up to his feet, his paw instantly reaching to the black steel pistol on his side and whipped it out, scanning for the one who had pushed the shelf over but saw nothing.

"Zen Hunt..." a loud cackling laugh echoed along the empty space "...you come to take me head is that right?"

Zen growled, moving is gun left and right quickly "That's right so why don't you get your ass out here and let's make this quick." His large sharp ears pivoted around with the sounds of a couple doors opening then he was forced to dive for cover behind a large statue of some long dead demon lord, a hail storm of gun shots streaked through the space tearing the oak wood furniture to bits. Zen ducked down to his knees in one fluid motion putting his gun paw out snapping off several return shots.

Everything went quiet again, Zen snapping a fresh ammo clip into his pistol and put on his wrap around sunglasses. "Activate targeting computer..." Zen said softly, the glasses shifting into a black and blue colored picture of the room every object being overlaid with a florescent green grid instantly along the sides of Zen's view was distance, object densities and weak points, he could see glowing red, orange and purple energy patterns representing the demons who were amassing, each color telling Zen their strength, power and intent. 'Twelve targets acquired; current combat effectiveness at eighty four percent.' The computer spat out into Zen's ear telling him he was perfectly able to handle the situation and drew his second pistol calmly walking out from the statue, his gun thundering with each trigger pull and each round splicing through five of the twelve attacking vampires spraying their ash all over the library as they exploded from the specially designed bullets.

Zen twisted his head as one of the vampires leapt over a table, not giving him any time to get his pistol on target it was kicked form his paw. The nimble fox yelped quickly and spun around hooking his leg around the neck of the vampire shoving him down through a table top, his other pistol being shoved right against the neck of the vampire. Dust flew up into the air as he exploded, Zen growled as his gun ran dry and was thrown to the side he flicked his wrist causing the electric crackle and burst of light as the straight mirror finished blade of his sword extended sending the fox's arms moving the feather light steel around his body his lightning fast reflexes combined with the targeting computer allowing him to deflect bullets fired at him.

Almost like a baseball bat swing Zen connected with one bullet sending it careening back into the forehead of one of the vampires then a second bullet into the sternum of another. The bared his teeth as his sword rose above his head pointed aggressively at the remaining two vampires, the stark look of fear only gave way as from the door they entered in walked in a scraggly looking black rat, his long fur seemed greasy, wearing a long black vinyl trench coat in his paw he clutched a curved ruby red bladed sword. "So the JSTF has finally found me and sent you?"

Zen kept his aggressive stance and smirked at the rat, his tactical display showing the rat in a flaring orange and yellow out lay pulsing with powerful demon energies. "Hardly, we could never get anywhere close to you; I'm here on behalf of Jariah."

The rat's expression went cold and fearful "You are working for them now, thought you were all righteous and good."

"Yeah well, I got bored." Zen growled as the rat stalked forward around the bullet hole filled wooden tables, having not pulled his sword up yet.

"You should be careful. My house is dedicated to the preservation of knowledge and our demon heritage. My dear fox you have no idea what you about to do, the Thane demons are notoriously unstable especially when they start taking souls." Maximo smirked stopping three feet from the fox, looking him dead in the eyes, his beady black eyes going right through Zen. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy that you are about to let your inner demons out upon the universe but it could be very bad for business, your and ours."

Zen sighed and rolled his eyes "Are you finished?"

"Pretty much, just a word of advice; don't turn your back on Jariah for a second..." Maximo hissed and whipped his sword up from his side swiping up along Zen's body only the fox's quick reflexes allowed him to take a step backwards watching the blade pass an inch in front of his muzzle. Zen followed through spinning his blade at the rat, hard sharp clangs of super sharp steel hitting together echoed the room.

Zen and Maximo darted and leapt from side to side viciously trying to cut the other to ribbons, each one very skilled using sword. The beige fox grunted as he vaulted over a chair corkscrewing his body through the air and landed with a hard thud on his feet just in time to bring his sword up to deflect the ruby colored one of his adversary. Maximo huffed and twisted his body away from Zen in turn slicing his way through one of the support pillars that held up a section of the roof causing it to collapse and tumble down giving Zen a split second to dodge out of the way.

Tons of steel, glass and concrete crashed down to the floor and before Zen could get his bearings he felt an invisible paw grasp around his neck and lift him off the floor. Two feet above the carpet Zen hung, the rat smirked and chuckled standing right in front of him "What you though this was going to be easy." Zen coughed and gagged as the tension increased cutting off his air supply. Maximo whipped his paw towards the floor slamming Zen down into the concrete with a loud painful yelp from the fox then up into the ceiling getting a similar sound and finally tossed the slim fox effortlessly across the room blowing through several stacks of books crushing him into the wall finally he collapsed, struggling to stay conscious.

Maximo softly padded forward pressing the tip of his sword against the back of the fox's neck as he shook and whimpered in pain. "I don't think Jariah's plan of ruling the vampire nation is going to work out too well. You are the best hunter we've ever seen and even you are defeated so easily."

Zen winced and caught sight of his sword laying on the other side of the room, then flexed his wrist causing it to disintegrate back into the gauntlet. "I wouldn't say you defeated me." He forced out as the rat drew his sword high above his head about to bring it down for the final strike but even before he could make his swing Zen shot up to one of his knees and with an electric whip sound the sword shot out behind him stabbing right through Maximo's rib cage. The fox knelt in front of the rat for a few seconds, the blood flowing down the sword and pooling on the floor.

The fox growled and ripped his sword from Maximo's chest letting him collapse to his knees, Zen climbed to his feet using the blade to lift the rat's head up to look at him and without the slightest word or yip pivoted his body the sword slicing and tearing Maximo's head from his shoulders. Zen sighed and grunted the pain from his injuries flooding his mind suddenly the headless corpse of the rat lifted off the floor glowing a deep angry crimson color; Zen's body shuddered and convulsed as the red light slammed into Zen casting him into a wall his yowled and screamed in pain feeling the rat's demon energies surging and penetrating his essence.

Diego waited in the long limo, nervously tapping his claws on the seat then growled picking up his cell phone. "It's me...I think Zen fucked us..." the hyena started to say just then the door open and the shaking ripped clothing wearing fox collapsed inside. "Did you get him?" The hyena asked putting his phone down.

Zen shut the door quickly looking at Diego his eyes glowing with a feint red hue. "What do you think...?" Zen's shaky almost demonic toned voice whispered.

"What happened in there?" Diego growled as the limo peeled away.

"You wanted him dead well he's dead...where's the next one?" Zen barked.

---^---

"Lead this is six; we have full eyes on the target. So far we're not monitoring any abnormal traffic we won't know for sure until we can tap their communication lines." Aiden heard in his microphone as he and his Border collie team mate stood in an elevator.

"Confirmed six, stay on it. We're following a lead here, next contact in four hours." Aiden replied as the doors slid open softly showing a bright well lit hallway the outer wall all glass and on the opposite side rows of doors for apartments. Aiden led the way up to one of the doors and softly knocked.

"Hello?" a shaky male voice responded.

"My name is Aiden Florenas, I'm looking for Zen Hunt does he live here?"

"Why are you looking for him?"

"He and I worked together, he's my friend and I think he's in trouble. Please I need to find him." Aiden whispered.

"Alright you can come in..." The voice said, the door unlocked and slid open, Aiden cautiously stepped inside while the collie stayed just outside and out of sight. Aiden looked around quickly in the apartment seeing nothing then froze in step as the cocking of a gun was heard behind his head "Who are you?!"

Aiden yipped and put his paws up slowly "Listen, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm working with the Alliance government along side of Zen. I'm just trying to find him, please lower the weapon.

"Bullshit, Zen told me that if anyone came looking for him I was to kill them." The scared voice said and yelped as the collie vaulted into action point his weapon at the neck of an older red fox.

"Two, lower your weapon, do not fire everything is fine." Aiden barked loudly getting an immediate compliance from him. "You're Zen's father right? We know what's going on, Zen is in a lot of trouble I've been sent to help. You got to trust me though."

"What's going on here, I haven't seen or heard from him in almost two weeks." Zen's father asked finally lowering the gun.

"I don't know but I'm going to find out."

---^---

Thick sheets of rain fell upon the city while thunder echoed throughout the sprawling metropolis. Zen growled and crossed his arms over his soaked long leather jacket, his leg holding up the bulk of a sleek dark purple and black sports motorcycle his eyes looking through the amber gas like color of his tactical glasses, the targeting reticule constantly moving locking on the various cars and trucks as they moved along the street below. The bike sat with the engine whining waiting to be unleashed at the edge of the ramp to the highway. "Zen, are you okay?" Alicia's voice asked.

"Yeah I'm fine why?" Zen replied aloud.

"Don't be coy with me Zen, there's something wrong. You haven't been the same since you took Maximo's soul. You haven't contacted your father since you left him at the apartment like two and a half weeks ago and what about the mission." The female fox said.

"Look Alicia we aren't arguing about this, this is the only way we're going to win this thing. I just have to string Diego and the others along, hell this gives us an opportunity to take out the demon power base on this planet I can't ignore it." Zen hissed angrily.

"You know what I think you've got a hard on for this Diego, I see it every time you look at him. I think you're starting to like this life a bit too much."

"Bite me Alicia..." Zen replied hard and was about to continue when his head set microphone began to crackle with the hyena's voice.

"Zen we're hot, we've locked the target. Evian's convoy is heading right towards you ETA four minutes, you're sure this is going to work?" Diego reported.

"Yeah you guys told me that she's constantly on the move in his mobile home on that truck. Just go with me on this one just make sure you take out the support vehicles." The fox said quickly, making his final checks of his weapons.

Zen took a deep breath and activated a small screen at the corner of his sunglasses seeing the camera image from the other vampires who were racing through the busy street approaching a large Mac truck like vehicle completely covered in a high gloss black metal being followed by three smaller SUV trucks. He watched as the camera gave him a perfect view of the vampire taking aim with a huge rocket launcher and blasting one of the SUVs completely over making it crash through the side of a building with a massive fireball.

They were so close Zen heard the explosions as each of the SUVs being taken out causing Zen to rev his motorcycle hard "Zen, ten seconds!" Diego barked. Zen let go of the clutch and break on the bike and tore off down the ramp leading to the street just as the last remaining SUV and Mac truck raced by. Zen bared his teeth screaming out into traffic narrowly missing the back of the trailer and one of the assault cars. The angry looking bike slipped up on the passenger side of the Mac truck and bolted ahead of the SUV, the fox swerved to avoid the hail of gun fire begin shot at him. Zen's eye locked onto to the review mirror on the handle of his bike and pulled his pistol from his holster and pointed it backwards instantly without even turning around he fired twice one round punching through the passenger side of the windshield the second striking dead center of the shooter's chest causing him to flail against the door of the SUV. Zen took another second to readjust his aim firing against sending a fully automatic burst raking across the windshield tearing the driver's head and chest apart.

The SUV careened off to the side and slammed head long into a lamp post. Zen grinned and holstered his side arm focusing back on the road, narrowly dodging several cars in front of him, the Mac truck didn't even seem to care, only speeding up smashing through the panicked vehicles trying to run down the fox on the motorcycle "Diego, take control of the bike, get ready for this!" Zen yowled out into his microphone dangling next to his muzzle. He watched the control panel light up on the bike flashing with the warning 'remote driver activated' Zen looked back at the truck as it closed in, the cab stood almost three times higher than Zen's black with purple painted motorcycle. The fox grinned and hoisted himself up to stand on the seat, leaping straight up into the air letting the momentum of the high speed chase carry the bike and truck below him. Zen's feet crashed into the hood of the truck, he pivoted quickly just in time to see the fur in the passenger seat pulled a shotgun out and blasted out the windshield, the nimble fox cart wheeled his body into the air again coming down on the cab roof and pulled out his pistol raking the armor piercing bullets through the fiberglass into the body of the fur with the shotgun killing him almost instantly.

The truck jerked and shifted back and forth trying to shake the fox off, Zen tripped and slammed his body into the cab his pistol bounced off the hood and rolled under the truck tire. The wind and rain whipped across the beige fox as he struggled to stay on the vehicle. Zen finally got his balance and hopped up to his knees, his wrist flicked sending a bright flash followed by his sword materializing, he then rammed the blade into the cab like a hot knife through butter the tip of the sword pierced the roof and plunged right into the skull of the driver. Zen pulled the sword free and swung down onto the running boards next to the driver's door and punched through the window grabbing the steering wheel and yanked it to the side. The truck screeched and spun out of control tipping completely over on its side.

"Diego!" Zen yelled out as he saw out of the corner of his eye the driverless bike pulled up behind him. Without skipping a beat, Zen balanced himself on the free sliding truck slapping down a circular disc onto the engine casing and pushed the 'arm' button then launched himself backwards with a perfect back flip he landed, straddling his bike and pulled the handle bar and brake skidding it to a hard stopping, watching the truck slide away. Zen pulled a small cigarette lighter looking device from his pocket and smirked pushing the flashing red button. Within a second the truck bulged at the engine then burst in a blinding blue flash followed by a shockwave that shattered windows four stories around it, the fireball from the explosion raced up into the air.

Zen rolled his bike slowly up into the flaming chaos, while Diego's assault SUVs rolled up behind that. The fox kicked out the stand of the bike and strolled up his sword held loosely at his side watching intently at the flaming rubble, some of it shifting and sliding to the side the charred burnt form of a female tiger began to emerge from the inferno crawling across the pavement. Zen bared his teeth at the tiger as she put her paw onto his highly polished combat boot looking up into the emerald green uncaring eyes of the fox watching as he drew his sword into the air and without even flinching barked forcing the sharp blade through the neck as well gouging a long slash into the concrete of the road severing the skull of the tiger clean off. Diego and the other vampires watched in awe as the violent life force of the house leader burst from her own body and raced into Zen in a brilliant pattern of light and energy leaving the fox quickly on his knees panting and quaking.

"This is the scene after a bloody and destructive chase that happened at three twenty this morning, leaving six lanes of the Pride One highway closed. It is not yet known who was involved or why this happened police and city officials are tight lipped about it but through our sources we have obtained security net feeds from the horrific event..." The holographic monitor in the center of Aiden's warehouse command center shifts from the news reporter to an over head view of the motorcycle racing through traffic. "...if anyone has information about this, police are urging you to phone in to the central police com channel. This is Kevin Jinx reporting..."

Aiden cracked his neck and turned off the display looking over his shoulder to where Zen's father sat "You think that was Zen?" the red fox asked nervously getting a soft nod from the wolf "But why would he do something like that, isn't he risking being caught?"

"I don't know Mr. Hunt, it doesn't make sense. He's always been random which makes him almost impossible to find, but being this bold about it in public. I seriously don't understand what's going on..." Aiden turned and picked up his coffee from the desk and took a sip.

"One this is six..." Aiden's ear piece started to squawk. "We've just monitored a massive deployment, looks like they've dispatched three strike teams."

"Confirmed six, stay in position and continue to monitor." Aiden growled and spun around to one of the computers typing in the feed from the police computers, seeing an all points bulletin with Zen's picture all over it. "Shit, they're going public with it."

"What does that mean?" Zen's father yelped and shot up from the chair looking at the police report on the screen.

"It means that they're worried and desperate, whatever Zen is up to has backed them into a corner enough to not care about dealing with him discretely. This may be the advantage we need, hopefully it'll flush Zen out but we don't have a lot of time..." Aiden barked and opened up his communication channel to all of his team "One to all units, change of plan, the police have an APB out on the target we have an estimated thirty six hours before they locate and arrest we have to get there first, any resource use it, squeeze it, we have to get there first!" Aiden ordered quickly.

"Can you find him and save him?" Zen's father whimpered.

"I hope so, you two stay here...if you need anything we're on channel three." Aiden explained grabbing his brown suede jacket from the back of the chair and threw it over his shoulders.

---^---

Zen quivered and shook his paw tensed against the wall of the bed room, sweat beaded and dripped from his brow, his head swam in intense feelings of blood lust and power. He shot up straight taking a deep breath as he felt someone come into the doorway. "Yes...?" his voice cracked.

The spotted hyena Diego stood there for a second studying the slightly smaller fox, seeing his white t-shirt soaked in sweat "Zen are you okay?"

"Yeah Diego, I'm fine. It's just been awhile since I've taken souls especially ones of these kinds of power, hard to stay focused. What's up?" Zen turned finally rubbing his paw along his muzzle.

"We have located the last two apparently they've joined forces against us and are held up together." Diego reported.

"That's no surprise they're terrified. Where are they?"

"The Helix brood's main HQ, they also operate a large cargo shipping company to hide they're activities. We're compiling all the data on the building should have it completed within the hour." The hyena responded and turned to walk away.

"Diego..." Zen started to say making the hyena stop for a second "...What I said when we first met..." the fox hesitated for a moment.

"I know Zen I know...things aren't the same anymore." Diego responded and continued to walk away.

Glass shattered and flew around as a tiger was cast through it, landing against the concrete floor with a dull thud, he whimpered and grunted trying to get to his feet looking through the door he was just thrown through, seeing the angry deep red wolf stalking towards him, the shards of glass cracking under his heavy combat boots. "Alright now that I have your attention...the explosion on Pride One yesterday, what do you know about it?"

The tiger hissed and tried to get to his foot paws only to have his paws swept out from under him sending him back down into the piles of broken glass and Aiden's boot pressed down on the back of the neck pressing the shards against the tiger's muzzle. "Something about a war between the vampire houses, apparently the Yannis brood is trying to assume total control..." The tiger winced and panted the pain of the glass cutting into his muzzle was excruciating. "They brought in some super demon from the out side to do it I don't know anything more than that; please let me go!"

"Where are the last two broods held up?" Aiden calmly asked.

"The Helix HQ, they're scared shitless of this demon both of the houses are there trying to protect themselves." The tiger blurted out.

"Thanks for your help..." Aiden said releasing the tiger and walked away, leaving the tiger with a cut and bloodied muzzle. "Team this is one I have a location, all units return to base."

With the dying sun over the horizon, left the sky in a deep blood red everything seemed calm against the black glass sky rise surrounded by a high concrete wall, with a large sliding steel gate in the center, normally the building would be a flurry of activity with transport trucks coming and going but there was nothing. The was until the screaming sound of a rocket echoed between the buildings exploding and taking the gate completely off it's hinges followed by screeching tires of five black SUVs drove right through the fire and smoke careening right towards the main doors. While the three trailing trucks spread out through the courtyard timing it just right for the sun to fall, the vampires inside pour out laying down massive amounts of cover fire as the buildings windows shatter with gun shots from within. The lead two trucks travel without worry smashing right through the high glass lobby doors spinning to a halt in the middle of the stark blue grey steel and concrete room instantly being doused in gunfire.

Zen flung the door open using it for cover as he unleashed the ammunition into the air, raking it across several furs as they tried to approach. From the second car Diego and his team leap from the truck and marched in a line up the lobby easily killing anyone that came up from the narrow hallway at the back which held the elevators "Zen! Move up, we've got your back." Diego barked out making the fox move from the car with his own five armed vampires, both teams moving together to the elevators "Teams 3 and 4, hold your positions."

From out side the wall of the building Aiden and his squad watched the chaos ensue flashes of gun fire from the ground and from the building itself "Lead how the hell are we going to get inside of that?" the collie communications officer asked nervously.

"Fuck if I know it's a war zone, but we have to hurry the police and JSTF will react to this quickly." Aiden said motioning his paw forward for his team to move along the street towards the burning gate. "Six, take up sniper position in the building behind us lay down cover fire one anything that moves. Guess the direct approach will have to do."

Waiting a couple minutes Aiden watched through his tactical glasses as his sniper took aim and fired, down in the courtyard the first three vampires in the building exploded into ash and fire spiraling through the air which sent Aiden and his team into action folding through the torn gate and in pure military precision they began moving forward carefully laying down three round bursts from their submachine gun, the bullets tearing through the vampires around the trucks as the sniper continued to take out the ones in the windows.

Zen and Diego stealthily make their way up the stair well, it was eerily quiet. "They should be on the tenth floor..." Zen whispered keeping his rifle tight against his shoulder looking through the digital scope.

Diego gasped and tapped Zen on the shoulder making him stop "We've got trouble; I'm not getting anything from the outside teams."

Zen growled and focused his senses instantly detecting Aiden and his team "Fuck...we don't have a lot of time. Diego hurry to level ten, keep their fucking heads down."

The hyena's ears perked as he looked back "Where are you going?"

"Trust me, just keep them busy." Zen said opening the door at level eight and disappeared leaving the hyena and the twelve other vampires confused.

Zen marched down the outer hallway of the building having to take pot shots at several vampires as they stupidly walked out into the open. He looked into the courtyard seeing Aiden and a strike team pinned down behind the SUVs which looked like Swiss cheese from the amount of bullet strikes. Zen pulled out his radio and dialed in the emergency frequency he knew Aiden would use "Strike team lead this is 57 do you copy?!

"57! Good to hear you, what's your position?" Aiden's ragged voice barked out over Zen' ear piece.

"Level 8, I've got eyes on. You need to move your team to the southwest corner of the building you can make it up the main shaft, the targets are on level 10, lay down suppression fire on the west side of the building I'll cover your approach" Zen said locking in a fresh magazine into his rifle and dashed down the outer hallway of the building.

"Confirmed!" Aiden replied and looked to his team "Alright let's move!" he growled and popped out from the truck firing off short sharp bursts from his rifle, followed one by one in a diagonal line step by step making their way towards the building.

Zen braced his body against the corner, sticking his rifle around the digital sighting system showing him three demons kneeling just over the broken out windows pouring boxes of bullets down onto the court yard and Aiden. Silently the beige fox stepped out from the wall not being noticed and one by one placed single bullets into the side of their skulls. "Aiden building snipers have been eliminated...proceed with your approach, on level ten there's an arboretum, I need a full breach from the southwest stair well."

"Understood Zen we're entering the stairwell now!" Aiden replied

Zen huffed and panted tearing up the stairway, hearing the hard bass thumps of gun fire. He thrust his combat boot thru the flimsy wooden door into a lush indoor garden the walls and ceiling like strobe lights with the muzzle flashes. Zen knelt down next to one of the tree laying down a long stream of bullets across a line of demons that had pinned Diego and his team down. The room fell silent quickly as the hyena slammed the butt of his rifle across the spine of a fat stubby badger taking him to his knees next to a lion put in the same situation. "So these are the last great vampire lords here..." Zen chuckled and slung his rifle behind his back the hard electric whip sound of his shimmering straight edged sword extends from his gauntlet.

"Zen wait!" the badge whimpered "Jariah is using you..."

"Duh, no shit...do you think I'm fucking stupid?' Zen growled and paced around the pair and was about to dispatch them when the huge glass dome skylight cracked and burst in showering glass and steel everywhere, in it's place all of them could see the huge spinning turbines of two Alliance military troop transports, within seconds the garden fills with the state of the art armed JSTF soldiers surrounding Zen, Diego and the other demons.

"Drop your weapons now!!" the soldiers yelled out, Zen nodded to Diego signaling him to lowers his rifle. Their attention whipped around as from the far door way the tall muscled statue of a black suited deer with massive antlers walked out into the garden towards Zen.

"Yates, you son of a bitch!" Zen growled and wanted to lunge at the buck but the twenty or so assault rifles told him better, he flicked his wrist and let his sword dissolve back into the gauntlet.

"Well done fox, I couldn't have done better myself." The male deer chuckled and mockingly clapped his paws together and turned his muzzle looking through the doorway.

Diego's jaw dropped as he dropped to his knees realizing what was going on seeing his master Jariah cockily stepping up "Master, what, was going on, I thought we were supposed to be fighting against this piece of shit."

Jariah smirked and put his paw on Diego's shoulder his long almost scaly bat wing connected up his forearm, his body covered in a light grey business suit. "We're getting on the winning side my pet, you've served me well. I thought you would have figured it out, with all the vampire lords dead our house will raise to unimaginable power."

"But, he's of the Vetis, he will betray us, they only seek out their own power..." Diego barked, looking at Zen who hadn't moved his arms out stretched none threateningly; not knowing the fox was listening to his head set still connected to Aiden's team.

"I don't think so my loyal subject...toge..." Jariah's sentence was cut short by a hard slicing sound; he stumbled for a second and looked down seeing the crimson flood of his blood gushing along the sides of a steel sword that was rammed through his chest."

"Noooo!!" Diego cried out, the house of vampires he'd served for so long came crashing down in an instant as he watched the buck sever Jariah's head from his shoulders in one clean swipe.

"Aiden now!!!" Zen howled out and dove forward tackling Diego to the floor while the southwest doorway exploded off its hinges followed by Aiden's strike team viciously began firing towards the soldiers making them scramble for cover. Zen rolled over Diego's quivering body and drew the pistol from the holster on his back and snapped off three rounds into the buck then thrust his feet into his chest knocking him several meters back. "Diego, we got to go now!" he tugged on the hyena.

"No, I'm going to rip the fucker limb from limb!" Diego growled and fought against Zen as he tried to pull him away.

"We can't win, let's go, now!!" Zen struggled to keep Diego under control pulling him towards the stair well getting a weird look from Aiden but he couldn't say anything at the moment as his team folded back down the stairs.

--^--

After dumping their weapons and gear they JSTF team with Zen and Diego slinked their way through the city, the street brimming with both police and military. Eventually they came back to the safe house Aiden had setup.

"Just what the hell is going on!" Aiden barked and growled out pivoting around to Zen as the team fans out and starts to break down their equipment.

"Aiden calm down, I didn't have much of a choice, it was the only way to keep the heat off of my father. If I didn't then they would have targeted him directly. Speaking of which we can't leave I have to go and get him." Zen sighed and turned to leave.

"Wait! Zen, your friends already found me!" Zen's father cried out and rushed up to his son giving him a hug, grimacing at the feel of the bulky body armor and gun holsters concealed beneath the shiny leather jacket Zen was wearing.

Zen's muzzle dropped as he yips out happily almost in tears returning the hug back and looks to the auburn furred wolf "Thank you Aiden, I'm sorry for all of this. If there was a better way I would have taken it."

Zen's father looks lets his son go and looks between the fox and wolf "What are we going to do now?"

Aiden sighed and rubbed his neck "I don't know, was hoping Zen had an exit strategy.'

The beige fox looks away "Well...I...uh...hadn't figured that part out fully."

"Perfect..." Aiden grumbled and locked eyes on Diego staring him down a bit. "And what about him...this is Diego Van Arous isn't it?"

Zen stepped between Diego and Aiden "Yes it is, don't worry he isn't a threat. He just watched his master betray him and then killed."

"Great so we're stuck on this planet with no way out and zero resources with the best vampire house enforcer in the Alliance."

Zen, Aiden and their group sighed as the realized the full situation they were in...it did seem like a good idea at the time.

TO BE CONTINUED...