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Chapter 2.0: Black Tie Affairs

Arcadia Shopping Centre

Who would've thought that shopping for suits would be so... tedious.

After hours of having my shoulders, waist and arms measured as well as being asked to 'lift my tail' - apparently, they had to measure the circumference of my tail and where it was positioned in relation to the rest of my body so they know where to put the tail hole - I finally collapsed on a plastic seat, hefting my haul onto the table.

"I can't believe you don't have any formal attire," Devlin said, sitting down opposite to me. In comparison to my three bags worth of suits, shoes and ties, Dev had just bought something from a jewellery store, namely a pair of cufflinks.

"I have formal wear," I replied with a grunt. "Only they're back where at home with my parents."

"Why didn't you just drive up there and get it before coming to the ball?"

"Did I mention my parents live about two hours out of the city?"

A curious look crossed his features. Unlike Chad's typical look of canine confusion, Devlin perked his ears, furrowed his brow and frowned very slightly. "What? They don't live at Fable Road anymore?"

I pushed my purchased onto the ground, not at all caring as they cluttered to the ground in a heap. "Dev, it's been years since we lived there. You didn't think that they would've stayed in the same place forever considering the jobs they have."

The bigger wolf nodded faintly. "I suppose that's true... Your mom is still a bodybuilding model right? And your dad is a researcher?"

"Head researcher now," I corrected, making a dull note that if my dad where here right now he'd make a point to point out the innuendo about being head researcher.

"And you're a world-famous author now." He got a distant look on his face and his eyes wandered away from me. "You've really done well for yourself, Jake."

Sometimes I wonder...

"You haven't done so badly yourself. Quarterback for the Thunder Phoenixes. That's got to be an achievement."

A cynical smirk crossed his features. "My guess is that you've never watched a professional football game since we..." He choked a little.

The silence was a strain on both of us.

"Unfortunately, I tend to be a little busy whenever football season comes kicking in." A tried not to smile as I said, "I prefer watching the Laserboys and Seraphim."

If Devlin were a keg of gunpowder, I had just thrown a lit match at him. His eyes exploded with a fierce fire, his tail fluffed out, going completely on edge and his lips pulled back in a snarl. "You a ComSports fan?"

My arms crossed against my chest, I nestled into my seat, straightening my back and keeping letting that smile sneak onto my muzzle. "Sure am. My dad used to play in high school, you know."

There was a faint sound like metal grinding against metal as Devlin drew his claws against the table. "What's so special about jumping into a three dimensional simulation and shooting fake guns at one another?"

And there was the famed animosity between football players and Virtual Reality Jocks or VRJs. Stand in the middle of a crowd and shout 'Football sucks. VRCSs rules' or vice versa and watch the crowd divide. Devlin was no exception.

"VRCSs is just a place for mass murderers, psychopaths and geeks to do things to people that they wouldn't be able to do in real life without getting thrown in the slammer," Devlin muttered. "At least football doesn't have some underground version where people actually die."

My curiosity was instantly piqued. Flicking my ears towards Dev, I said, "You mean the Dark Nexus?"

"Dark Nexus, Death Sword, Fatal Fight. All of those illegal VRCSs leagues that keep getting people killed playing their 'sport'." Dev slammed his fist against the table. "This is what happens when videogames take over the world!"

Trust me, the videogames I had in mind would take over the world in a very different way.

"You know, you should try it some time," I urged. "I mean, you might actually like it."

"I'll be damned if I end up in one of them fake fields swinging a make-believe sword at some bastard whose never picked up a ball in his entire life!"

"You know, some of the other sports actually use simulators for training. Tennis players use pre-programmed versions of their toughest opponents to get better."

"That's different!" Dev growled, his ears flattened against his head. "That's productive. What VRJs do is just... just..."

"Lame?" I offered, my smile growing broader.

"Yeah!"

Inspiration is a bitch... and right now, she was favouring me.

"How about a deal then?" I offered. "I'll play a game of football with you and you play a game of VRCSs with me."

A loud snort was my reply. "You've got to be kidding, Jake. You don't have the build to take on a stud like me." Just for effect, he straightened and flexed his muscles.

"Maybe not," I conceded, "but I have a lot of experience handling balls."

What confidence Dev exuded quickly toppled and ducked his head, deflating instantly, apparently trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Jake..."

"Don't give me that look," I answered, my smile evolving into a grin. "I'll admit, I don't have your size but I've been known to stick my sword in the right places."

The big football player ducked his head, whimpering loudly. "Please just stop..."

I leaned forward, grinning broadly, as I patted his head comfortingly. "Okay. With luck, I'll get to prove my point on the field. Hopefully I'll score. Who knows, I might even score a touchdown."

Dev threw back his head and let out a loud wail, catching the attention of many people nearby. Laughing, I sat back down in my seat as he gave me his best, 'You are so going to be sorry' look. I took that as a sign that he had acceptable my challenge.

"Fine... But I get to pick my team. We'll do a three on three. For the real sport anyway."

I grinned back. "Fine with me. Two on two for the VRCSs match. I'll make the booking at a good simulator. And just to be fair, we'll play two matches. One of your choosing and one of mine. Deal?"

I offered him my paw.

He reached out to shake it but then stopped an inch from touching my fingers. "Wait... What's the prize?"

I hadn't thought that far...

"Um... The satisfaction that we'll finally settle between us which sport is better?"

"Your pansy gaming simulation isn't a sport," Dev growled. "And no... It has to be something that will really motivate us to win." He clicked his fingers, his eyes ice-blue eyes brightening. "Ah! I know! If I win, I get a signed copy of Concrete Storm from you. Dated and with a personal message."

My eyes tried to blink away the shock in my eyes.

"You read my books?"

For a second, Dev's eyes went wide and then he ducked his head and blushed beneath his dark fur. The white patches in his ears began turning pink. "Erm... Of course... I mean... You're one of Rillotia's bestselling authors, right? You can't pass a bookstore without seeing one of your books up there or an announcement that you're going to be at the shopping mall for a signing."

Slowly, I inclined my head to the side, examining him curiously. "How long have you been reading my books...?"

His discomfort was mounting... as was the shade of red in his ears. "Long enough..."

"Do you like my books?"

I had always been convinced Dev's fur colouring was black and white... Now he was black and a deep red. Evolution is fun. Evolution and deep embarrassment.

"Erm... yeah...?"

My eyebrows lifted up. "Dev. Be honest with me. I won't take offence."

"Some of your books," he answered hurriedly. "I mean, I really like all the ones with aliens, space-age guns and starships and that stuff but the other stuff that's more... today-like and just adds some strange stuff... I find them kinda..." He gulped loudly. "Boring..."

I chuckled and leaned forward, patting his cheek. "That's okay, you big lug! I was just asking because I really wanted your opinion." Still giggling lightly, I sat back and said, "I don't expect people to like everything I write, you know. I mean, I write in different genres because that's where inspiration hits me. I'm sure there will be people out there that like everything I write but there will always be people who will like one particular story or genre over the other. Hell, there'll probably be someone out there who won't like what I write at all."

"Doesn't that... I dunno... Disturb you?" Devlin asked. "I mean... What if they start talking junk behind your back and spreading rumours and everything? Aren't you afraid you'll lose fans?"

I got the inkling that this wasn't just about people liking my books anymore.

"I guess there is that..." I answered softly. "As public figures, we're at the mercy of... well... the public. One bad move and that could be our careers down the drain..." I flicked my eyes towards Devlin whose blush had slightly faded. I wanted to ask him if this had anything to do with his sexual orientation and his public life but in such an open space, I didn't want anyone overhearing the wrong thing.

"I guess we just have to do our best at what we do and leave how people receive it to the people," I said with a shrug.

"No way to please everyone, huh?" Devlin asked.

"There probably is," I answered, thinking about certain gods and their plans for the perfect 'Heaven'. "But I doubt it's anything we could possibly comprehend."

The bigger wolf gave me a wry smile and nodded. "Thanks... I guess since it's really my first time being in the public eye, it's sort of... I dunno... Nerve-wracking..."

"Didn't you get any public relations training before you got enlisted?" I asked.

"We did... But you know I was never that good at school..."

The number of times I had to save his ass for group projects and let him cheat off me... I guess that just made the betrayal at the end hurt all the more. Still, it added more weight to our efforts to rebuild the bridge between us.

"How about I give you the number of the guy that trained me?" I offered. "He's really pretty darn good. He's the one that taught me to take people's criticisms and praise with a grain of salt."

Devlin brushed the back of his head nervously. "Oh... Alright. That'd help, I think. I mean, our first game is in a few days..." His eyes widened and he turned to me with a big grin. "I just had a thought. What do you say to Sky Box seats to the first game of the season for the Thunder Phoenixes?"

As much as I didn't want to open a closed can of worms, I couldn't help it. I crossed my arms, rested one leg on top of my other knee and turned my head away. "A football game... I dunno..."

The scraping of plastic against tiles met my ears and I turned back toward Devlin who abruptly jumped to his feet and walked away.

"Dev...?" I began, rising.

Did I piss him off that much?

Maybe I went too far?

Damn my non-existent fox genes!

I quickly chased after him.

"Dev! Wait up!"

I'm sure the onlookers were really going to love this. I could already see many of them flipping out their phones and either texting or taking pictures.

Crap... So much for good public relations...

Alexiel, my agent-slash-publisher, was so going to kill me. This was why I spent most of my time locked in my two bedroom apartment while everyone thought I was living in a secluded farm in the imaginary 'Seaman Cove'.

Damage control was needed and that was normally in the form of a hasty exit.

I seized Dev's paw just as he forked over 8 Solars for...

... a mango slushy...?

"Cool off."

Oh -

Splash!

As if the weather wasn't cold enough.

"Yarf!" I cried, staggering back and looking at the front of my shirt which was now dripping with mango purée and shards of ice. I hated getting sticky substances in my fur especially if it got into the thick patch of golden chestfur that was shaped like a heart - a fact that Devlin teased me about constantly when we were younger.

"Football is better than VRCSs."

I gave him a tight smile and stepped up to the counter of the drinks shop. The young stag manning the cashier was looking at both of us dumbstruck. His eyes went even wider when I put down a good 12 Solars and told him to make sure it was 'nice and cold'.

Devlin regarded me with a cold stare, tail lifted in a challenge. "You wouldn't dare."

The extra large mango slushy was pushed across the tabletop. I snatched it up, holding it threateningly and poised to give Devlin a shower of a frozen drink, with no artificial colourings or preservatives and now 99% fat free.

But... I decided I'd be the bigger man in the situation.

"You're right."

With my free paw, I picked up a straw and jabbed it into the Styrofoam lid, taking a long sip that cooled my boiling blood. Everyone around me visibly relaxed.

Especially Dev.

Perfect.

Lightning fast, I lashed out with one paw, gripped the rim of Dev's pants and pulled it wide enough to make a visible opening. I popped the lid of the drink and before Dev or anyone else could react, I tipped the contents of my frigid, mango slushy right down Dev's pants.

Yep. If I wasn't the bigger man before, I sure was now.

Dev let out a loud yelp and leapt away dancing on one foot and then the other as he desperately tried to get the slushy to slide down his pants legs. The crowd around me were laughing their heads off and snapping pictures like crazy.

Ultimately, this probably wasn't a good sign for Dev's image but I suppose I could get Alexiel to spin some yarn about how our actions just showed how comfortable we were with one another. Maybe it would be a good excuse to release our past together so that our continued sighting together wouldn't be so suspicious.

"Y-y-y-you are s-s-s-so dead!" Devlin snarled, shivering. He tried cupping his groin to keep them warm but pulled back instantly when it only pressed his soaked pants and presumably his underwear against his manhood. "Th - Th - This s-s-s-suit was a rental!"

Oh...

I had forgotten Devlin was wearing a very expensive looking suit and that we were meant to go to the big Ball in a couple of hours.

"Oops..." I offered lamely.

"Run little puppy," the big bad wolf growled.

Flashback to high school days...

Yarf...

I spun around and bolted as fast as I could. Devlin's big, feet thumped hard behind me as he took long, laborious steps after me. Part of me was tempted to use my abilities to get away from him. Seriously, he was a footballer. He was built to outrun guys like me!

I bolted for the palm tree that sat in the middle of the food court. Maybe I could climb up far enough that he wouldn't catch me... Then again, he'd probably just tear the tree out of the ground... I bolted to my right, zooming across the food court and dodging people who were taking photos of us and no doubt updating their social networking pages.

I saw our table -

... and saw a shady, hooded guy snatch up our unattended bags...

"Hey!"

All eyes flicked to the hooded individual who snapped his attention to me in horror. Multiple flashes from various cameras and phones flickered against his bright, widened, green eyes.

"Oh shit!"

He swiped up the one thousand two hundred Solar suits I had bought and Devlin's hundred Solar cufflinks. Without a second glance over his shoulder, he bolted.

The adrenaline that had been pumping into my veins from Devlin's chase dulled out all common sense. My feet were taking me straight after him long before I knew what was happening. Some primal lupine instinct switched on in my head and the only thing in my vision was that black hoodie and the sandy-coloured tail that flicked behind my prey.

Two mall cops jumped in front of the thief's way.

He was trapped now!

Or so I thought...

The thief threw the packages at the cops underhand. The two men instinctively went to catch them. My prey instantly shot past his two projectiles, leaping at the authority figures feet first!

WHAM!

His feet slammed hard into their unprotected heads, sending them sprawling to the ground with blood spurting from their muzzles. Not a second was wasted as the thief snatched the parcels up in midair and just kept on running!

I was starting to think this was no ordinary thief as he bolted through the mall's doors.

Growling, I shot after him, never losing sight of his retreating tail even as he wended his way through the parked cars. His scent was already in my system. An odd dusty sort of smell that dried my nostrils but had a fresh mix of crispness that brought to mind a dessert with a fresh stream cutting through it.

I followed the scent and saw him duck between two family vans and not appear again. With a grin, I jumped onto the hood of the nearest car and leapt from vehicle to vehicle nimbly. I somersaulted over an RV and landed on the bonnet of a sports car. A quick leap away and I was suddenly above the guy, one leg on one each of the vans and staring down at him like a psychopath finally catching his prey.

"Gotcha!"

WHACK!

Pains hot up my groin...

Mental note: never expose your balls to a criminal.

"Think again, dumbass."

I toppled back onto one of the vans, clutching my manhood as he turned and ran out of sight. My regeneration quickly kicked in, alleviating much of the pain but unfortunately leaving my bruised pride. I took one second to grunt before I leapt back onto my feet and charged after him.

Now he definitely wasn't getting away.

I saw him charge across the street and bolt down an alleyway.

Bad move.

I channelled a bit of my power into my paws, pushing my will into my very palm. A small, clear, white crystal appeared in my paw and I quickly threw it in a straight line after the crook. Just as I saw it slide into the alleyway, I ducked back behind the two family vans, well and out of sight. I took a deep breath and willed myself to the location of the crystal.

I 'flashed' and appeared right in front of the crook.

The hooded figure skidded to a halt, doubling back in shock.

"What the hell!?"

I straightened, pushed my shoulders back and tried to make myself look taller.

"The bags," I demanded, holding out my paw.

There was a moment of consideration in his green eyes. The slim muzzle beneath that hood let out a soft scowl. "Fine... You want them... Have them!"

He threw the bags at me -

I wasn't about to be fooled.

But I wasn't expecting the flash of steel that followed afterwards.

Shit!

I jumped back, feeling pain shoot of across my chest. Blood seeped out of the deep gash across my chest, soaking into my clothes. The crook held out a rather nasty looking combat knife in a reverse grip. His position belied expertise in close quarters combat. No way was he just an ordinary criminal.

"You're dead!" the thief cried.

Desperation drove me.

I threw a crystal straight at his knife. The tiny speck attached to the silvery blade. There was a burst of darkness around the knife and it instantly appeared in my paws with a burst of faint light. The thief tried to stop his advance but he was already too close.

I seized the knife in a forward grip, spun around and -

...

We froze...

His own blade was pressed against his neck. I was pressed up hard against his body, one of my legs slipping in between his. There was no escape. His paws were too far to the side to do anything. One wrong move and I could pierce his jugular.

We stared at one another, face to face.

"You messed with the wrong super-powered author."

He didn't reply... merely swallowed hard. His throat brushed against the blade, cutting himself slightly and forcing him to wince.

I pressed my advantage.

I kicked his legs out from under him.

Wham!

Thud!

My entire weight was pressed down onto his chest and I still had the knife at his throat.

His hood... fell off...

... and my jaw dropped.

It took me a second to recognise the sandy fur, sharp, triangular ears, slim muzzle and cream coloured fur that grew from his lower jaw all the way down to his chest.

"Cliff?"

Hard, emerald eyes stared back at me. "Reaper."

"Jacob?"

I spun around...

Devlin stood at the entrance of the alleyway, jaw wide open and his eyes wide.

"Devlin!?"

"Devlin?" Cliff repeated, glancing over my shoulder.

"Cliff!?" Dev exclaimed.

Both men's eyes switched to me. "Jacob?"

...

"Yarf..."

Chapter 2.1: Worst Reunion Ever!

Arcadia - Secluded Alleyway

Cliff Thornton is - was - my boyfriend.

An ex.

Worse... He was my first boyfriend.

Back in high school, Cliff had been the captain of the soccer team. Me? I was just some quiet achiever who got good grades and joined some writing clubs here and there. Never really into sports and I avoided them like the plague because I already knew I was a superhero at that point. I didn't want my powers to accidentally slip out like they just had now.

As I flicked my gaze from the astonished look of Devlin Rooks - my former best friend turned high school bully - to the cold, calculating stare of Cliff Thornton... I realised that I had just dug myself into a very deep grave.

"Isn't this a quaint little get together?" Cliff chuckled, a smirk crossing his features. His eyes darted between myself and Devlin. "Never thought you'd actually hook up with the guy who bullied you, Jake. Guess that's why we never worked out."

"What!?" I exclaimed, my fur fluffing out. "Dev and I aren't a couple! Tell him Dev!"

...

Dev took a little too long to reply.

"Dev?"

The big wolf was staring at Cliff with mute astonishment so I took that as a sign that he wasn't pondering the possibility of me and him being a couple.

"You're a Viper..."

I perked my ears at him. "Huh?"

"Jake... Get away from him!" Dev exclaimed. "He's a Virulent Viper! He plays for the Dark Nexus!"

Yarf...?

Whack!

Pain blasted out of my groin. The flood slammed up against the side of my head. Cliff stood over me, pressing his foot against my chest and reclaiming his combat knife.

"What is it with you and my balls...?" I grunted.

"I don't recall you complaining before," Cliff answered darkly. His eyes flicked back to Devlin. He blew casually against his knuckles before rubbing it against the green badge against his tattered shirt. The distinct emerald snake shaped like a 'V' was a sign you couldn't mistake for anywhere.

Virulent Viper..._One of the most notorious teams in the _Dark Nexus. Those in the underground VRCSs league play dirty but it's said that the Vipers take that to a whole new level.

"Let him go, you asshole," Dev snarled, his hackles raised and his fangs bared.

"Sure," Cliff answered. "Did you want his head first or his balls?" As if to prove a point, Cliff pointed his knife at me. He pressed some invisible trigger on the hilt. Energies crackled in the air as sizzling lightning danced from the tip of the blade and formed an electrifying blade that hovered dangerously against my muzzle.

One bolt snapped out from the blade, slapping my nose.

"Yarf!"

"Heh, I see you're still making that stupid noise," Cliff observed. "I always hated that. It was a major boner killer when you'd make that sound as I jammed my cock up your ass."

"Stop it!" Devlin shouted.

"Touched a nerve, did I?" Cliff's smirk turned into a big grin, humourless grin. "You sure you're not a couple? Oh wait..." He let out a dry laugh. "You can't be a couple. You're a big shot football star" - he pointed at Dev with his free paw - "and you're" - he slapped me lightly with the lightning blade, making me yarf even louder - "a world-famous author. You guys can't be a couple. Things here topside sure do suck."

My mind was racing with possibilities... and questions... How could Cliff end up playing for an illegal VRCSs league? He seemed like he'd be a really successful guy. Maybe get a sports scholarship somewhere, get a contract with a major soccer team and live like a king.

But the biggest question in my head...

... how stable was his stance with one foot on my chest...?

"Don't you dare hurt Jake," Dev snarled. "I swear, I am going to rip your cock off and make you fuck yourself!"

Slowly... I reached up for his ankle...

"You don't hold any cards here, Pinsk," Cliff replied, his grin fading. "I hold Jacob hostage. Hell, I've even got your career hostage. Wait until people hear that you went to school with a criminal. Oh! Let's not forget that this puppy" - he slapped my nose again with that sword - "has superpowers!"

That's right... Just keep on talking...

Dev's eyes wavered, the doubt and hurt creeping into his features.

"I wonder what superhero he is..." Cliff mulled loudly. "Can you just see the headlines? A superhero exposed. All the villains will be going for his loved ones. Hell, you won't be safe, Dev. I bet one day, a supervillain is just going to snatch you up and hold you hostage just like the princess you are."

Gotcha...

I seized Cliff's ankle and before the coyote could react, I threw him off me. His solid frame staggered in the air just as I leapt to my feet.

"Bastard!" Cliff shouted and he charged at me, bringing his blade up.

He didn't get within six feet of me.

I seized him in my mental grip and imagined an invisible had grabbing him around the waist and lifting him up into the air. His feet dangled and he flailed madly but to no avail. Cliff was lifted into the air, shouting profanities at me.

"Your footwork always was shoddy," I muttered.

WHAM!

Cliff slammed hard against the alley wall.

WHAM!

... and he hit the opposite wall.

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

He dropped his sword.

SLAM!

He hit the ground hard, immense gravitational forces crushing him against the solid concrete. His eyes bulged and he tried reaching for me. There was no remorse in his expression. No hint of apology. He seriously wanted to kill me!

"Good night, Cliff."

I applied immense forces around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. I could hear him gasp and stutter as I slowly choked him. His limbs went limp... his arm fell to his side... and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Two more seconds... and I let him slump to the ground. The gravitational field I used to keep him pinned to the ground dissipated.

I took a deep breath.

A soft melody played from my phone... a dark, ominous tune.

I reached into my pocket and flicked out my phone.

"Dev, duck."

For a second, the big wolf just blinked then he immediately hit the deck as I spun around and aimed my phone's camera in his direction. A dark, cloaked figure wielding a massive black scythe in skeletal hands loomed just beyond the alleyway.

"I'm not in the mood, Grim."

Fwash!

I took a picture.

Grim, the Avatar of Death, vanished.

Slowly, I released the breath I held, letting my arm drop to my side.

Just like that... my world had been ripped totally asunder. Today was turning out to be pretty rotten after all. First I meet my former best friend and while that turned out well, I end up encountering my first _ex-_boyfriend who turns out to be a criminal! Add to that the fact that I had just revealed I was a superhero to my best friend...

My paws were shaking...

Damage control... right... Damage control.

I dialled the emergency number and brought my phone to my ears.

"Hello. Triple-zero. What's your emergency?"

It took me a second to take stock of my situation.

"There's an unconscious body over here," I replied, trying to sound as hysterical as possible but I just sounded so dull and empty. "I don't know what happened. We just found him. He's got the badge of the Virulent Vipers on him."

There was a pause on the other end and some shuffling. I knew dropping that name would escalate my emergency to top priority. The whole world was after any signs of the underground VRCSs teams. Any mention of them and the RBI or CCIA would be swooping down on this place like a murder of crows to a fresh carcass. No doubt the lucky girl who had picked up my phone was going to get her boss and was in for a promotion.

"Where is your location, sir?"

I glanced up at the walls, looking for some indication of where I was. "Um... I'm opposite the Arcadia Mall... Erm... In an alleyway on Solphoros Street. I think it's called... Ah... yeah! Koron Alley! Please come quick! He's breathing and I think he'll wake up soon!"

"A squad is on their way as we speak, sir. Please hold the line."

Like hell I was going to do that.

I immediately hung up.

With one last glance back at Cliff, I turned towards my shocked friend who was still lying on the ground but now on his back. I hovered over him for a second, smiling faintly.

"So... Wanna go back to my place?"

Chapter 2.2: Truth Time

Wolfehome Apartments

Thankfully, Zeke was out by the time I returned to the apartment with a still shocked Devlin. I let him rest on the couch where he stood stiffly looking blankly at the empty TV screen. Offering to give him a drink of water only resulting in a very short, 'Yeah. Sure.'

When I handed him the glass -

Splash!

... he splashed himself with it.

Part of me wasn't really that surprised. The other parts were quietly giggling away at the fact that he had effectively ruined his rented suit beyond repair. I just let him marinate in his shock for a little longer, just waiting for him to snap out of it.

"I guess we won't be going to the ball now, huh?" I asked.

His ice-blue eyes blinked rapidly in succession as if he was realised I was there for the first time. "Oh... Um... Why not...?"

"It's eight thirty," I answered, pointing at the nearby clock hanging above our front door. "We're already late. It'll take about twenty minutes to get there. Not to mention we need to get cleaned up and neither of us are in any particular condition to go shopping for a new suit."

Devlin regarded his ruined suit. The wince that escaped him sounded like it carried more than just his lamenting over a lost deposit. Finally, his eyes locked with him, filled with confusion and almost... pleading me for answers.

"How long...?"

Took a few seconds to realise what he was asking. "Since middle school," I replied shortly. I let that sink in for a little longer before I said, "Remember that week where I was suddenly out of school and my mom and dad told you I had some contagious disease?"

Dev's ears flattened against his head. "Oh... So... You were going through superhero puberty then, huh?"

"You have no idea." My chuckle was light but short-lived. I sat down opposite to him, as far away as possible. "Dev..."

"No... I understand. You kept it a secret because you didn't want people you cared about hurt..." He clutched his head in both paws, ducking down and groaning in frustration. "God... I must've seemed like such an ass... I was your best friend and then I turned on you like that... And all the while, you were risking your neck to save idiots like me!"

Okay... He was seriously blowing my superhero identity out of proportion.

"Dev, I'm not one of those superheroes that goes around flying in spandex or with a cape," I said, daring to slide slightly closer. "Cliff got it wrong. I don't reveal my identity to anyone because I'm not a superhero. I just have superpowers."

An ice-blue eye poked between two meaty fingers. "Doesn't that make you a superhero?"

"No. A superhero is one of those people who gets endorsement deals and products drawn onto their costumes. I'm just a guy who goes around on random missions delivered to me by a paper crane and I turn my experiences into books."

Devlin sat up straight, regarding me fiercely. "Wait... Are you saying everything in your books...?"

"They actually happened..." I let out an uneasy sound and bobbed my head from side to side. "With small alterations..."

"So the whole alien abduction and anal probing?"

"Totally true except no one was anally probed. At least not that I was aware of. But there was something that looked like an alien probe."

Dev pulled back a little. "The genetic research facility that was infected with an airborne virus that melted down all mortals and turned them into enormous blobs of flesh out to absorb others?"

"Happened. I omitted the tentacle sex scene because I don't think my audience would like that."

His eyes narrowed slowly. "Okay... The cabal of cannibalistic underground demon worshipers...?"

"True. Only they weren't cannibals. They had a horrible serum that caused terrible hallucinations among them and they proceeded to always slaughter one another in the name of their 'god'. It was part of their 'enlightenment'. I just made them cannibals because what they did the corpses wasn't very... pleasant..."

"Please don't tell me they screwed them..." Devlin winced.

"Nope. They ground them up, added some herbs and then processed the hell out of it. That because their serum." I glanced to the distance. "Huh... I guess that does make them cannibals..."

I could sense Dev's uncertainty even without looking at him. "You know... I'm not sure what part is bullshit and what's real shit..."

I gave him a big grin. "Hang out with me long enough and you'll find out."

Though... I don't think that'd be safe in the long run...

A loud sigh escaped him and he went back to clutching his head between his paws. "Jake... This... This is just a lot to take in... For all those years... All the times that I made you suffer... You could've just beaten me up like Cliff...?"

"Not really. My powers weren't as well developed then as they are now."

There was a long pause. Then...

"So... These days... You go out, find adventure and then write about it?"

"I don't find adventure. More like adventure finds me. Oh and replace 'adventure' with 'deep shit'."

"But you help people, right?"

"Yep."

"Since you found out about your powers?"

"Yes."

Devlin groaned and leaned back against the couch. "God... I'm just scum...!" He regarded me in an almost Puppy-Dog-Pout-like expression. Unfortunately, he couldn't really pull it off. His features were a little too hard and too square plus that mark on his forehead that made him look like he was constantly scowling didn't help. "Jake... I'd take it all back... Every flaming bag of shit, every name I called you, ever second I chased you... Everything."

"Funny thing," I answered, a coy smile on my features. "I wouldn't let you."

"What?" Devlin whispered. "Jake... it's obvious I knew jack-shit about you. If I had... I would never have done any of those things..."

"Why? Because I have superpowers?"

"Um..."

"Devlin," I said slowly. I had managed to slink over to him. Close enough to rest a paw on his knee. "I would rather you have treated me badly for who I was than for you to treat me favourably for what I was."

"Why would you want me to treat you like a pile of horse shit?"

"Because at least then you were being honest with me. In fact..." I patted his knee. "I should be the one apologising to you. I was your best friend and I didn't tell you I could defy gravity, teleport and whenever I used my powers, I grow a bit in muscle."

"You grow?"

I flexed my bicep, a big grin plastered on my muzzle. "What? You didn't notice?"

Devlin reached out tentatively and squeezed my bicep. "Huh... You do seem bigger..." He pulled away slowly but his eyes never left mine. "But seriously...? You wouldn't mind if I treated you like a piece of shit just as long as I treated you honestly?"

Truthfully, it didn't seem like an appealing prospect whichever way you looked at it. Either get mistreated for being who you were... or feared for being what you were... No wonder superheroes wear masks and hide their identities...

"You know what...?" I responded, holding up my paw. "Let's just drop that idea. It's stupid."

"No, wait," Devlin said, gripping my paw and pushing it down. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was trying to focus. As he opened them slowly, he let out a deep breath and said, "Jake... I think... I think you're onto something... I think... I think you're right... It's better to find the people who are willing to like you for who you are than going through the world with people admiring you for what you are."

He pulled his paws away from mine, leaving me wishing for the contact. "I'm the quarterback for the Thunder Phoenixes... But do people actually see anyone beyond that... or do they just see a QB?"

Wait... I think I knew where he was going with this.

"Hold on there, shithead."

Oops... That just slipped out...

Devlin was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

I grinned bashfully. "Sorry... You were using 'shit' a lot and I thought I was being clever..." His eyes narrowed and I knew I had very little time before he turned me into mince meat. "Look, I know where you're going. I mean, I know you've wanted to come out of the closet, get it off your chest and stuff. But there's a different between wanting and needing. You're just starting your career. You don't want it to end, do you?"

"But what's the point of building a whole career on a lie?"

"Is it a lie though?" I responded with a shrug. "You're gay. That's a fact. But you're also a great footballer player! Hell, you're a quarterback! You don't have to show people all of you right now."

"But what if I want to?"

I gave him a sad smile. "Then you risk forcing people's perceptions to focus on just the one thing. The public is notorious for being a poor judge of value when it comes to character traits. They focus more on the negative than the positive." My grin exploded into a big grin. "Remember that time Neil McCormack pissed his pants in primary school?"

It was refreshing to see Devlin's grin. It brought me back to those days when we laughed a lot together. "Oh yeah! Man, no one ever let him live that down!"

"See?" I said. "Even the smallest thing, the slightest step out of line, and people will hold it over your head for all time." A soft snort escaped me. "Heck, look at how we're supposed to be judge when we go to the afterlife. If you so much as do one thing wrong for one day, one second in your entire life, you could be damned for it all eternity.

"And the fact is, there's nothing we can do about it. We can't alter people's perceptions of us anymore than they can change us to fit their perceptions. But at the very least..." I turned to him, giving him a smile. "... they're treating us honestly and not adjusting their opinions because we hold power over them."

"I suppose that's true..." Devlin rubbed the back of his head with a soft sigh. "So... I guess I shouldn't come out, huh?"

Once again, I placed my paw on his knee though this time, I squeezed tightly. "Dev, just make sure that when you jump, there's someone there to catch you."

His significantly larger paw rested on top of mine. "Will you be there to catch me, Jake?"

I gave him a coy smile. "Hmmm... I don't know... There is that time you threw that bag of poop on me..."

Devlin rolled his eyes -

WHAM!

... and was suddenly on top of me!

Yarf!

"You know, you weren't entirely right about adjusting people's opinions," he said with a devilish grin. "There is a thing called brainwashing, you know."

"What are you going to do?" I asked tiredly. "Beat me up with your big muscles until I succumb. I have superpowers, you know."

His grin grew broader. "Well I have superpowers too!"

My heart sank. "You do!?"

Oh crap... Just what I needed...

Though... In a way... It made sense. How did Devlin become the quarterback after failing the first draft? His powers must've awakened! Heck, perhaps there was some residual power left over from his first encounter with the supernatural.

Don't tell me...

He's a werewolf...

Crap... Not again...

Smack!

That was the sound of our lips meeting.

Yarf!

That's the sound of my mind exploding.

Devlin's kiss was gentle, caring and just a little awkward. He was slow to draw his tongue over my lips and his breaths were smooth, calm. As he slowly pulled away, his minty breath washed over me, filling my nostrils.

"I have Super-Sorry Powers," he murmured. Slowly, he buried his head against my shoulder, startling me with the contact. Funny, isn't it? We kissed and I still could think. But when he leaned against me, my brain shut down.

Then he started sobbing...

"Jake... I'm so sorry..."

His apology was heartfelt. Though he had already apologised, for some reason, this apology felt like the real deal. The bridge between us was suddenly rendered redundant. Why would you need a bridge when you're standing on the same piece of land after all?

There were no secrets between us.

Okay, maybe a few but they weren't major secrets. Compared to the ravine that had been between us, they were cracks. Hairline cracks.

A smile crossed my features and I hugged him tightly. "It's alright, Dev... I understand... Hell, I'll accept your apology if you accept mine?"

He turned his muzzle towards me, gently licking my cheek. "What do you have to apologize for...? I'm the one that was a jerk..."

"I'm sorry for keeping my superpowers a secret from you."

Devlin snickered. "Yeah but you had good reason for that... Though... For the record, I forgive you... If you can forgive me for that time I locked you in the closet with Anna Berkowitz."

That brought back memories and a hearty laugh. "Alright. If you can forgive me for all those times I stole your towel while you were showering after gym class."

He sat up, startled. A mix of anger and amusement was on his features. "That was you!?" A mischievous grin crawled onto his muzzle. "Fine. Since we're on the topic..." He sat up, pulling away from me much to my mixed relief and sexual frustration. Devlin crossed his big meaty arms across his chest and with his tail wagging, he said, "I'm sorry for breaking your SuperStation 1 and then convincing you that you did it."

My tail fluffed out. "Hey! I had all my saved games on that one! I was so close to getting 100% on Finale Fiction too!" I crossed my arms as well. "Okay, if you're playing that game. Remember that time at camp when some of the guys came in to your cabin, sprayed shaving cream on your muzzle and shaved off your whiskers and fur?"

Poor Devlin didn't come to school for a week and even then, his fur was horribly mismatched. The anger and frustration showed in his glare. "Yeah...?"

"I gave them the shaving cream."

Devlin growled at me but I stood my ground.

Beat that shithead.

"Golden Boy."

My grin dropped and old, pained, repressed rage built up inside of me. Spending an entire week covered in head to toe in gold fur because some gold paint fell on me because of a prank was a nightmare in the dog-eat-dog world of high school. Even worse when I had a total psychological breakdown and shaved my fur and I went to school furless!

"You didn't."

"I did," Dev answered, a big, smug grin on his face.

"I was freezing during winter!" I cried, hackles raised.

"I never thought you'd be one to complain about being naked."

Okay... That drew the line. That cocky smirk on his features told me that he had a lot more in store than I did. Seriously, he had bullied me basically through most of high school. I had nothing against that. Except... maybe...

Perhaps it was weak... but my only chance was to slam him with something he couldn't possible counter with...

... and I just had the thing.

"Remember that tribute story I wrote to Robert Lester's Crimson Series?" I asked.

Devlin's ears perked up and grinned at me. "You mean Blood Night? I loved that story. No offense, but it's probably the only non-sci-fi story of yours I like." His grin grew bigger as the mirth in his eyes radiated to the rest of his face, softening his otherwise harsh features. "I especially like how Shane Fang ended up with Jack Raver."

"You do, do you?" I answered with a smirk. "Well, remember Derrick Stone?"

"That other werewolf asshole that tried to muscle in on Shane's mate? The one who thought that after he had bullied Jack for so long, that he could just miraculously make up for it after he found out Jack was... a... hybrid...?"

Devlin's eyes widened. "You didn't...!"

"Yep," I answered smugly.

"But... Then that means..."

"Yep. It really happened. You just don't remember it because of what happened afterwards. That's how all my adventures tend to end. No one remembers it after I destroy the Seal except who used the Seal and me." I was purposefully being vague. Turning my head away from him smugly, tail raised, I said, "I'll be sure to tell you more about it sometime. I'll go into all the juicy details too especially how Derrick tried to molest Jack in the woods that one time."

...

Silence.

Ha! I won!

"Jake..."

His voice was sullen again.

Crap... Did I go to far...?

He wasn't holding his head between his paws again, was he?

"I have one more thing to apologise to you for."

I turned to him. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry for trying to steal you from your boyfriend."

"Wha -"

Smack.

Our lips again...

...

Yarf.