FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 11.0: Here and There Again!

Shellington Hospital

All I saw was red.

Red of rage.

Red of blood.

My fists shook even as I clutched Dev's paw tightly. As they wheeled him into the ER, I could barely let go. It took three grown orderlies to prise me away from him. His ice-coloured eyes were glazed over in pain and I could have sworn his lips were moving, calling out my name.

I stood shaking in fury in front of the door into the ER for what seemed like an eternity before Chad finally guided me over to a seat. My parents came rushing in shortly afterwards. They asked questions but I was too enclosed in my bubble of rage to register let alone reply. Chad filled them in.

Deep down, beneath all the anger, there was guilt.

I had been stupid.

Stupid for trusting Cliff.

Stupid for thinking I could end this in some sort of dramatic stand-off.

Stupid of bringing the two people I cared most about right into the sights of a criminal!

Ultimately, Cliff got what he wanted.

He shot Dev and killed Bosch.

I swore that I would find him and I would make him feel every ounce of pain Dev went through a hundred times over. He accused me of being all bark and no bite? Well, I was going to show him just how badly a soft bite could be when it gnawed on him for all of eternity!

Maybe I'd find some way to sever his dick and teleport it right into his ass.

That way, he could go fuck himself.

I replayed those events over and over again in my brain. Dev getting shot... That bullet coming within an inch of my forehead... then Bosch dying, brains splattered all over the green grass. I couldn't believe that I had essentially doomed the proud lion. Whether or not I destroyed the Seal, wouldn't matter. Bosch would never get to see the end of a natural life.

But he was dealing with drugs right...?

The red in my vision was starting to get blinding. I buried my eyes into my paws. I think I started crying but the burning from tears and the heat from my anger all melded into a single, seething mess that burned every path before me.

I was lost.

That stupid paper crane had been right.

I was late.

Too late in realising the truth about Cliff.

Too late to react.

I needed guidance.

I straightened, pressing my back against the hard backrest of the seat. Slowly, I pulled my paws away from my eyes, afraid I would realise I was more riddled with guilt than burning with rage. Oddly enough, I only saw odd brown markings attached to the ceiling of the hospital.

"Huh... They finally got rid of it..."

I glanced to my left. My left eyebrow rose as my father sat down beside me. Despite the ridiculous plastic mask he wore, there was no mistaking his voice, his posture or that strangely cheesy grin he had. I wasn't sure, but the adorable, grinning baby seal mask he wore was soothed my rage somewhat.

Instead of wanting to kill Cliff, I was struck by an undeniable urge to murder baby seals.

"What are you meant to be?" I asked.

"I'm a seal," my dad answered cheerily. He pulled his mask off and placed it on his lap. "You know, Jake, when you were born, there was a waffle stuck where that brown stain is right now."

"The Great Waffle God?" I glanced at the brown smudge. "I remember... I was meant to be stillborn and a girl. You prayed to some deity and an orderly came over and helped you cheer up right?"

His nod and smirk said a lot. "I won't deny it. I'm more than happy that you were born with an extra foot."

I was about to correct him when I realised exactly what 'foot' he was talking about.

"So I don't suppose you're going to cheer me up are you?"

His paw patted my shoulder comfortingly. "Jake, in all honesty, there is nothing I can do to cheer you up. Seriously, you messed up." He made slicing motions with his free paw. "I mean, if you had just taken the time to wait and think things through you would've actually had some sense. You would've brought Dev and Chad to somewhere safe. You didn't consult either of them or your parents who have had your back this entire time when making these choices. You only spoke with Cliff. The same guy who shot you, blackmailed you and has terrorized you every moment since you met him.

"What_ever_ possessed you to trust him?"

My eyed dropped slowly finding my paws firmly clasped together. "I don't know... Maybe... Maybe I just wanted to believe in some good in him."

"Or maybe you just wanted to have sex with him."

My tail fluffed out and I gave him a look crossed between horrified and 'my boyfriend just got shot, now is not the time'. "Dad!"

Smiling, he patted my shoulder again. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. But seriously, Jake, you've been living in a world of fantasy and sitcoms. People change, Jake. People grow. When you look at a baby, you don't see the same baby years later. Unless you're the mother. You're still seeing Cliff as he was years ago."

His paw squeezed my shoulder tightly. "He's changed, Jake. He's not the Cliff you loved. Or maybe he is but you always have to remember that when you look out the window, someone can always look back. People are malleable and more often than not, they adapt because it's to their advantage. You have to admit, Cliff just used you to get what he wanted."

"I know," I croaked, feeling my anger melt away to sadness. "What should I do, dad?" I searched his eyes for the answer but the way he stared back at me with that gentle smile... I just knew it was an answer I wouldn't like.

"You'll have to end this, Jacob. It might be time for you to see things from a clear pair of eyes and a fresh heart. When you screw up this badly, you just have to start again."

I let out a soft, cynical chuckle. Tears rolled freely down my cheeks. Finally, my guilt pushed through the anger. I planted my head against my father's chest, half-sobbing and half-laughing. Looking back now, my attitude was both hilarious and just pathetic. Cliff was always a step ahead of me and he cut me off at every turn.

Now... the results were coming back to haunt me.

Was I really that surprised?

"The people, the world around us and even ourselves change over time," my dad surmised. "It's hard turning around and seeing the same street that we're so comfortable with change so drastically. Sometimes, we just get stuck reminiscing and live in the memory. But that's only staying in the one place. We're not moving back but we're not moving forward either. If we want to move on with our lives, we as people have to grow up and realise that if we stay still, never moving forward, we're clogging up the footpath. We're hindering other people's journeys." He gripped my shoulder tightly. "For instance when I look at you, Jake, I don't see the same bouncing, baby boy that I held in my arms for the first time all those years ago. I don't think either of us wants that."

I chuckled at his words but also realised just what he meant.

With my perceptions of Cliff being perpetually frozen in the 'good old high school days', I had hindered everyone else's paths.

My dad kissed my forehead affectionately, his arm pressing my tightly against his chest. In the softest whisper he said, "After all, since you're all grown up now, it can't be considered child molestation."

Yeah, way to ruin the moment dad.

"Okay, I feel better now," I muttered, pushing him away at arm's length. "I'm going to go check on Chad."

"Awww!" he complained loudly "Can I at least get celebratory sex once Dev gets out of the hospital?"

Everyone in the hallway stared at us both. I quickly rose to my feet and spun away from him, making sure to swat his muzzle with my tail. With a cocky smirk on my muzzle, I glanced over my shoulder and said, "After I fix this... We'll see."

I padded down the hallway to my dad's loud 'Whoos'. Knowing Chad, he would probably be off somewhere to be alone. I remember him saying that this hospital was where Dev proposed to him in a flurry of flower petals.

I forewent the elevator as I felt I needed more time to think. Each step I took seemed to get heavier and heavier. Dread mounted with every level I passed. My foolishness had not only gotten Dev hurt but also threatened Chad. As my dad pointed out, my idiocy had hurt a lot of people. Did I even consider what it would have done to Chad? To my parents?

And poor Bosch.

I came to the door leading to the hospital's roof. I stopped just long enough to take a breath before I pushed it open.

The wide expanse of Shellington's skyline met me and framed amidst the concrete barricade of countless skyscrapers was Chad West. He stood in just the right place that he had the night sky peering between the gaps of two glass and metal towers as a backdrop. He had a phone to his ear and he was rapidly speaking into it.

Padding over to him seemed to take an eternity. With every step I took, I seemed to take two steps back and he seemed to be getting farther and farther away from me. I almost bumped into him when I finally reached him.

His hazelnut eyes were bloodshot and tears streaked the fur on his cheek. Still, there was strength in his eyes and he spoke with conviction into his phone.

"Look, I don't care if you can't see either of our movements. You can see Dev's! You get him fixed up right now! Yes, I know a shot in the arm will potentially ruin his football career! That's one of the things I want you to fix, damnit!"

I hadn't considered that... Unlike the movies, a shot in the arm isn't something you can just get up and walk away from. There were a lot of nerves there and getting shot in the upper arm just like Dev had could risk the rest of his lower arm being utterly useless. At the very least, it wouldn't be as strong as it used to be.

Was Cliff just being exceptionally cruel? He knew Dev was a quarterback so what would the star of the Thunder Phoenixes be without his throwing arm?

Damnit...

"What? Fine. Just do whatever it takes! I'll pay the price, just name it!" Chad rolled his eyes and let out a groan. "What do you mean you'll tell me in a couple of hours? You're the freakin' God of Fate! You should know this!"

He sighed heavily, shutting his eyes and rubbing them in frustration. "Okay, okay. Fine. seven o'clock. I'm expecting a call. Just make sure Dev makes it through this, okay? Good. Bye."

My husky hung up and gave me a shaky sidewards smile. "Talking with gods is always a bitch..."

"I know," I muttered weakly. "Hey... Listen..."

My throat clogged up and I found myself unable to speak. The tears were starting to well up in my eyes again. I tried pushing them back but found my dam walls crumbling. Chad's strong arms wrapped closely around me, his body heat warming my chilled form. It didn't feel right to hug him back but I desperately needed someone to hold me before I broke apart again.

"Jake, it's alright. You didn't know."

"But I should have," I croaked, beating his shoulder lightly in frustration. "I should've know... Cliff... I should've stopped... Should never have brought you or Dev along..."

He hushed me softly, licking the tears away with his long, flexible tongue. "Jake... What's done is done. The gods will do what they can to help Dev get back on his feet. He'll make it through..."

"But at what cost?" My eyes met his, worry in creeping from my heart and pouring out of my quivering lips. "What price will you have to pay?"

Chad smile was a bright, warm sunrise to this otherwise dark, dreary night. "I'll pay any price, Jake. I love Dev and I know you do too. I'll do anything to see him back in our arms... Even if it's only in your arms."

I blinked in surprise and pushed him away at arm's length. "What?"

His smile obtained a tinge of sadness. "I don't know, Jake. The gods can be cruel and I don't think they like being bullied or their subordinates demanding stuff of them. I honestly don't know how you do it." He added a soft, dry laugh. "You go up against the gods and somehow make it through without them throwing lightning bolts at you."

No... They just conspire to kill my friends and family instead...

But... that was unfair. The gods probably had nothing to do with this. A Seal was involved. The gods would never touch a Seal.

"I'm not sure how they'll react, Jake," Chad said. "I don't know what the price of me telling them to keep Dev safe is... But like I said, I'd willingly pay it." His eyes wavered for a second, fear flickering behind his brown eyes. "Even if it means I won't be with you guys anymore..."

"I won't let them!" I cried, lunging forward and seizing his arms. "Chad, stop being such a noble dick and listen to me! The gods are just mortals, just like the rest of us! Sure they're strong and powerful but they can't make you do anything you don't want to!"

Slowly, he prised my paws away from his biceps. "I know that, Jake. But the same goes for them. We can't force them to do what we want either. There's a difference between prayer and coercion. If they do this... there has to be something in it for them. I would rather Dev live and be with you than for me to be with you without Dev."

My anger bubbled to the surface again. I took a step away from him, fists shaking.

Another consequence of my mistake...

Chad was going to pay the price...

... unless Cliff did.

"A sacrifice."

Chad's eyebrows rose and he inclined his head to the side. "Beg your pardon?"

"Give me your phone."

My husky instantly pulled his paw back. "Jake... You're not -"

"Fine," I growled. My eyes locked with the carpet of stars above me. "Hey, you! All of you dickwads! Listen up!" I shoved an accusing finger at them... whoever 'them' was. "Here's the deal! You make sure Dev makes it through this one! In exchange, I'm going to gut Cliff, chop up his entrails and arrange them into whatever holy symbol you want and then I'm going to impale his dick on a rocket and send it up to the fucking sun while he watches! I'll dedicate it all to you if you spare Chad whatever the hell price you're thinking of!"

"Jake!" Chad cried, trying to pull my paw down. "Don't anger the gods!"

I refused to back down. "And if I fail to kill Cliff, you can have me instead! Isn't that what you always wanted!? What's better than one Avatar but an Avatar and a Worldrider, huh?"

Chad used all his might to shove my arm down and he nearly broke it. "Stop this, Jake! You don't want this!"

A phone rang.

Chad's.

We exchanged glances. Gingerly, Chad picked up his phone and answered it. His eyes locked with mine.

His lips moved.

"They said 'yes'."

With those words, I spun around and marched back down into the hospital. Chad was trying to get me to talk to him but I had my mind set. I wasn't going to move from this path. I would reach the end of this street before I started again. I wasn't going to leave any loose ends.

I made my way back to the floor where Dev was being kept. I noticed my father and mother had disappeared. I asked the nurse where they had gone and she mentioned Dev was awake and in recovery. My parents had gone to meet their son-in-law.

I headed straight into Dev's ward and there, looking drained and weak with his arm in a sling, my mate lay surrounded by my parents, the only family he ever really had. His icy blue eyes met mine, melting in love. My paws wrapped around his free one and we leaned towards one another for a kiss.

I dodged his lips and kissed his forehead.

"I'll be back," I told him.

"What...?" he whispered. "Where...?"

My eyes hardened and my grip around his paw steeled. "To finish this."

Chapter 11.1: Game of Life

Shell Stadium

My fists tightened, claws digging into my palms as I stepped onto the ring of Shell Stadium. Standing opposite to me, dressed in his full-combat armour complete with chaingun was Cliff. His emerald green armour matched his eyes which simply shone in the darkness.

Slowly, I pulled my custom handguns - Turmoil and Tumult - from under my jacket, checking their magazine for the fiftieth time. The Liquid Nitrogen Rounds were still full and ready.

"So here we are at last," Cliff said, his voice heavy with emotion. A heavy sigh followed his words like he was feeling some sort of guilt. I wasn't falling for it. Too many times he had tugged at my heartstrings and I wasn't going to let him play me anymore. "Time to end this, I assume?"

"This was over a long time ago," I growled, joining my two handguns. The weapons folded together like an intricate puzzle, forming a bright, blue energy blade between the parted barrels. The grips formed the pommel while the barrels ran parallel to the blade, ready to fire at my command. "This is just overkill."

I saw one of Cliff's eyebrows rise as he slowly slipped his helmet on. "Right... Well then, any particular field you want to choose?"

"Machine Temple," I snarled.

On cue, Cliff lifted his left paw. A bright, green Seal appeared over his fingers. The green, concentric rings of arcane runes glowed and spun beneath a fist closed tightly around a circle. Our surroundings twisted, the light from the Seal spilled out, crawling all over the ground and peeling away the smooth metal of the ring in place of the dusty, dark landscape of the Machine Temple.

Old, twisted, long abandoned factories unveiled around us. The night sky was replaced by a bloody-red field populated by sickly, greenish clouds and an ailing, red sun. A blustery wind blew the blackened soul into my eyes. Metal groaned and creaked mixed with the sound of the winds blowing rusted doors open.

"Need any extra equipment?" Cliff asked.

"Give me your arm. I'd love to use that to beat you to a bloody pulp."

The coyote chuckled darkly. "Funny. But I need this." He patted his left arm. "You want a fair fight, right?'

"I wasn't talking about that arm."

His smile faded. "Alright. I can tell you mean business. So here is how it's going to go down -"

I flashed, the blade of Razor pressed up against his neck. The chilling touch of my blade froze the edges of his flesh and fur. "When I win," I snarled at him, "you're going to tell me exactly who the bastard is that's trying to ruin my life! Then, I'm going to rip your heart out, shove it down your dick, make you shit it right back out and then stuff it right down your throat!"

Cliff shoved me away. The force of the blow was enough to send me a couple of feet back. I let the momentum take him somersaulting backwards, dancing on my hands and feet and creating distance between us. Bullets raked the ground, speeding towards me. I seized them all in my gravitational grip before sending them straight back at Cliff.

Even with such heavy armour, Cliff was fast and dodged easily behind a large chunk of rock. The bullets buried themselves into the stone with little effect.

"And if I win -" Cliff began.

"You won't!" I roared, seizing the entire stone with my powers. I yanked it boldly from the earth, letting it hover ominously above a shocked Cliff. I brought it crashing back down right on top of him. Cliff shot a stream of bullets at me. He was already desperate. Trying to kill me when he knew he was going to die. I easily dodged aside and the rock crashed down with a heavy boom.

The hot barrels of his chaingun were suddenly levelled at my templ;e.

"If I win," the coyote repeated, "you break up with both Chad and Dev. You'll leave your former life and you're going to come with me. You're going to fight for me."

"What!?" I snapped. I kicked out with my left leg, taking his stance out from underneath him. He caught his weight on his left arm and rolled away deftly as I got to my feet and fired at him. Icy explosions followed his escape until he managed to duck behind several walls of twisted scrap metal.

"You heard me!" Cliff roared back, poking his chaingun from around the corner. Bullets sizzled through the air and I swatted them aside with a thought. "You leave them! Leave your family! You're going to come to the Dark Nexus, we're going to suit you up and you're going to fight for me!"

"This is what this was all about!?" I barked. The metal Cliff hid behind jerked and became even more twisted. Each segment snapped towards a central point, pressing against one another as intense gravitational forced began compressing it from all sides. "You just wanted me to fight for you!?"

"I'm giving you a chance!"

The voice came from behind me and I spun around as -

BANG!

I took a while guess and dodged to me left. Good thing I did. The bullet slammed into the earth far to my right.

A single bullet.

High impact.

I cursed as another bullet slammed into the earth beside me.

He had a sniper rifle!

"Your world is messed up, Jake! There's nothing waiting for you there!"

"All because of you!" I shouted, firing wildly where I though the bullet was coming from. The problem with a field like Machine Temple is that in the rusted hulks of abandoned factories, there were so many sniping points. It was impossible to tell where Cliff was hiding.

"I reacted to your choices!" Cliff roared.

Another bullet snaked out and I flicked it aside with a simple command. It was coming from one of the upper floors of a nearby factory. I flashed through one of the windows and landed on the gangway with a heavy clunk.

Armour creaked and plated boots thudded along the metal gangway to my left. A flicker of a sandy-brown tail vanished an old smelting machine. I remembered one of the fun little quirks about this particular field and dropped down to the ground floor. I hurried straight to the control panel of the smelting machine and flicked the switch.

The entire factory instantly sprang to life. Fires roared and machines gave reluctant groans as they moved once again from centuries of disuse. Parts of the machinery crumbled and smashed into catwalks, causing part of the factory to crumble. An entire ceiling collapsed, blocking the entrance. I flashed three times, taking myself away from view and landing securely on one of the catwalks far out of view.

There I waited.

Click-click.

"You're just too predictable, Jake."

Cliff stood to my right, emerald eyes hardened and emotionless.

"You honestly think I'd want to start again with you?" I growled.

"You did... Once." Cliff's eyes wavered slightly. "We came out to the world together. Then..."

"Don't go all soft on me now." A cruel smirk crawled onto my features. "You haven't gotten to the best part yet."

"And what's that?" His eyes hardened again.

"The part where this particular catwalk shatters."

True to my word, the metal beneath our feet groaned. Several pillars holding up the catwalk collapsed and the metal gave way under our weight. We were both hurled towards the ground. My back slammed painfully against the rubbery surface of a conveyor belt but I ignored the pain and got straight back up to my feet. Cliff was having a little more trouble what with his armour, a chaingun fused to one arm and a sniper rifle clutched in the other.

I instantly pounced, ignoring the movements of the belt beneath my feet. Razor sliced through his chaingun, just barely missing his fist. He cursed and tried to swing his sniper rifle at me. I blocked the blow and seized the barrel of the weapon with my free fist. I yanked it towards my left, avoiding my body. He fired once in desperation and I punished him for that by slicing the rifle in two.

WHAM!

His fist slammed into my chest, forcing a bloody breath to rush out of my muzzle. His armoured fist seized the wrist clutching my sword, tightening his grip around it. I cried out in agony as his vice-like grip squeezed on nerves and muscle. I dropped my sword -

WHAM!

And slammed against the belt, blood seeping freely from my cheek. My regeneration was seeping back in but not fast enough.

WHAM!

His boot cracked a rib.

"So I'm guessing you memorized all the pre-programmed events in this place, huh?" Cliff snarled. "You always were a nerd, Jake. Stuck on what was and not focusing on what could be."

I spat, a fang wiggled dangerously. "You're one to talk..." Razor was getting farther and farther away from me as the belt took us towards the massive burner. "Aren't you the one that's obsessed about me because deep down, you still love me, don't you?"

His eyes flashed and he kicked me again. This time in the gut. "Yes, alright?"

WHAM!

Another kick.

"I still... I still care about you." Cliff lowered his arms but kept his paws balled into fists. "I'm jealous because you got to be someone while I became a nobody. Part of me wished that you could've taken me with you. That you could've picked me instead of the asshole who threw rotten tomatoes at us!"

"Funny way of trying to convince me to pick you, Cliff," I grunted, struggling to my feet. "You blackmail me, give me a frontal lobotomy with a bullet, blackmail me again and then shoot my mate! Why can't you change instead, Cliff? Why does it have to be me that gives up everything for the sake of something you clearly gave up a long time ago?"

"I didn't give up on us!" Cliff roared, charging forward and throwing his fist at my face. I parried the blow with an arm and snapped my fist out, taking him under the chin. His helmet rolled of and bounced back onto the factory floor. "In the Dark Nexus, if you win the championship, you get a choice!"

He lashed out with a kick. I caught his ankle and threw it off the side of the belt. He tumbled to the ground and I jumped straight at him. His feet planted against my chest just as my claws raked his chest. I was thrown straight back, my head slamming against the side of the conveyor belt.

"You can either continue on as the champion," Cliff growled, rising to his feet and wiping his muzzle. "Or you get to go back to normal society. They give you a new identity. Heaps of cash. Hell, you can get fucking plastic surgery if you wanted to! One of the former champions went from being a reptile to a fucking mongoose!

"I was planning on winning and making a new life for myself! I was going to make it big! Get into the real VRCSs leagues and then..." His eyes dropped to the ground. "Then I dreamed that... one day, you'd see me on the big screen... we'd meet at some flashy party and then... we'd just hit it off..."

Did he really want that...?

Or was he just pulling my leg again?

Did it really matter?

No.

I wanted him dead.

Chad and Dev depended on in.

Cliff's eyes boggled. He clutched his neck, making choking sounds. From where I stood, I could see the flesh around his airways constricting, my gaze deadly as I slowly crushed the life out of him.

"I don't care what you intended," I growled, slowly rising to my feet. "What you did was unforgivable! Here's a lesson you should've learned pretty early on, Cliff!" His paws scratched as his neck in desperation. He realised what I was doing and tried to stagger towards me, paws pleading for me to stop and eyes watery with tears.

"Dreams get crushed!"

His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he fell to his knees. There was a sudden, loud hiss as his armour abruptly crumbled around him, peeling off his body in a hiss of smoke. If that was meant to distract me, it didn't. I just kept squeezing the life out of him. As much as I wanted to get right in there and choke him of his last breath with my own paws, I knew he could be just as dangerous up close.

I kept my distance and -

Thwack!

Pain rocketed up from my lungs.

I glanced down, a dagger protruding from my chest. Blood began filling my lungs, making me choke. A splatter of blood erupted from my muzzle. My knees gave out from underneath me. I heard Cliff's gasping breaths and cursed myself mentally for having been distracted. I could've kept choking him.

I could've made it that long.

I seized the dagger as best as I could and yanked it free, tossing it aside. Blood poured down the front of my shirt. I fell to my back, gasping as my regeneration slowly began repairing the damage dealt. Not too far away from me, I could hear Cliff gasping for precious air as well.

"You... You gave up on me...?" Cliff whispered between coughs.

It took a few more chokes before I could answer. "If you had asked me when we first met, I would have said 'no'."

"But I'm right, you know... The world out there... it won't accept you for who you are... Why do you have to hide yourself, Jake? Why... Why don't you tell everyone you've got superpowers...?"

The answer to that was very simple.

"Because that's how the world is... And that is the world I choose to live in."

"You never want to make your own world, Jake?" He rolled onto his side, regarding me with his saddened, green eyes. "Don't you ever just want to make your own path instead of following the one that everyone else has set for you? Don't you realise that your mom and dad are just cutting the weeds off footpath and covering the cracks with tar? They're still there, you know."

I just kept staring at the crumbling ceiling. "I know... That's why when this is all over, I'm going to start again... It's going to be my path this time. Dev and Chad will be there, of course."

"But you just said -"

"I said that I want to forge my own path," I interrupted him, feeling a smile touch my lips. "But a world isn't made up by my path alone. I don't want my road to block anyone else's. It'd be a pretty crowded street otherwise." I laughed absently, feeling tears run down my cheeks. Whether it was from hysteria or just realisation, I wasn't sure. "One path does not make a world. I think that's why even the gods decided to make mortals."

Cliff let off a soft laugh. "I don't suppose there's room enough on that path for me, is there?"

Damnit...

_Now_he decides to ask for forgiveness?

"Sorry... No."

"Didn't think so..."

Cliff slowly got to his feet. Under all that armour, he just wore a sleek, combat suit made of a revealing and very flexible material. He picked up his dagger dripping with my blood and slipped it into the sheath by his side.

I gingerly propped myself up as well.

I was surprised when I found his paw offered to me.

I took it and his strength pulled me to my feet.

"Then I guess it's about time we ended this, huh?" he asked. Strangely, his words were filled with a sense of closure and... satisfaction.

"Guess so," I answered with a nod. "Mind getting rid of the crazy Seal-induced hallucination?"

With a smile, he nodded and the world of the Machine Temple shattered around us.

Once again, we were in Shell Stadium.

I strode over to where Razor lay. Part of me was screaming about leaving my back exposed to a criminal but something else told me that Cliff wasn't about to go stabbing me in the back... again_._ That something proved to be true as I picked up my sword and spun back around to face Cliff.

"This time, we play for keeps," the coyote said.

"Yeah," I replied. "No holding back."

Cliff smirked and spun his dagger in his paw expertly. "When have I ever held back?"

Chapter 11.2: Kickoff

Shell Stadium

Despite the fact that Shell Stadium boasted some of the best VRCSs simulations in the world, I have to admit that the stadium itself was one of the best arena for real combat. I guess there was a degree of irony in the fact that we were fighting in a VRCSs stadium without a simulated arena that added to my mounting enjoyment.

I don't know whether or not I should be worried about actually enjoying a fight as I ducked between the stands, dodging Cliff's bullets. We had taken our fight inside and out of the stadium itself, never truly leaving the grounds. Our tactics were becoming more and more elaborate as the fight wore on.

Cliff had raided a security office, stolen several live guns and began firing at me. I had hotwired the holographic system and created multiple clones of myself. He used the security cameras to keep an eye on me and even locked me inside one of the hallways. I teleported away and activated the spotlights to blind him when he came out.

Our battle ravaged the entire stadium.

Stands were riddled with bullets. Seats were slashed to bits. Icy growths populated the aisles. Bullet casings littered the hallways.

I stopped and pressed my back up against a pillar in the atrium of the stadium, my breathing heavy. Blood ran freely from different cuts. I was on the edge of my energy reserves and my regeneration had faded to a pathetic, spluttering crawl. Even my periodic flashes didn't seem enough to heal my wounds. I had knocked Cliff's own matter transporter out of his muzzle early on. In return, he had chipped one of my fangs.

I checked Razor's magazine.

I only had three shots left.

Damn... I could easily flash back home, snatch a fresh magazine and be ready to go again.

But... I guess that would be unfair.

And Cliff was playing fair... 'Fair' being a loose term.

Alarms began blaring out from all around me. The sprinklers sprang to life, drenching me completely in water. I couldn't help but laugh despite the stinging sensations I felt as the water seeped into my wounds. I glanced down at Razor. Each droplet froze upon touching the energy blade, coating it completely in ice and effectively rendering it useless.

Clever.

"Remember when we had our first water fight?"

I didn't need to turn around to know that Cliff was standing on the other side of the pillar. From his heavy breathing, he was just as exhausted as I was.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "It was the middle of summer, we were outside, panting in the heat. I didn't like getting chlorine in my fur so I didn't want to jump in the pool."

"So I got a garden hose instead and chased you around the backyard."

"And you eventually led me right into the pool."

"At which time you dragged me in," Cliff laughed. "Then we proceeded to make out there and then."

I sighed softly. "Good times..."

He mirrored my sigh. "Hey... For what it's worth, I'm sorry I did all those things... For the record, I didn't steal your stuff at the mall on purpose. I was just doing my rounds."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your rounds?"

Lightning fast, I spun around and slammed Razor into the pillar. I knew Cliff wasn't there but it gave him an opening. One I was clearly ready for. Just as he levelled his gun at my head, I lashed out with my leg backwards, catching his chest. As he staggered, I yanked the gun away from him and threw it aside. My fist connected with his nose with a sickening crunch.

Yet, despite that, he was laughing, his fangs stained with blood. "Yeah. In the Dark Nexus, you've got to pay for your own weapons and armour. Most of us go topside to rob people, pawn off the merchandise to make new equipment."

His fist came hurtling towards my head. I dodged aside, my left ear brushing his knuckles. His leg caught my chest and his meaty arms quickly curled around my neck, catching me in a choke hold. I slammed my elbow into his chest, feeling hard muscle fight back. So, I instead aimed lower and my bone hit his 'bone'.

Cliff let out a yelp and let go of me. As he doubled over in pain, I caught his chin with my foot. His paws quickly wrapped around my ankle, throwing my off balance. The ground slammed against my back and his weight pressed on my chest.

"Don't you get prize money?" I asked. Another punch came flying towards my face and I saw stars for a second after impact. Sensing another punch, I pooled my power against his chest and threw him straight off me. He crashed into the receptionist's desk, smashing it into splinters.

Bloodied and with bits of wood sticking out of his fur, Cliff tenaciously rose. "We do but as you can tell, I haven't exactly been on the winning team lately."

"Yeah. Your attempted murder didn't go quite far, did it?"

His paw snaked out, seizing a plank of wood and hefting it like a club. I smiled softly and seized about twelve large planks that lay around him with my gravitational grip. They hovered ominously around him before lashing out in rapid succession. Cliff shattered two before his own club splintered into bits. He seized a third and fourth, wielding them both to smash the rest.

Then he charged at me.

I dove between his legs, bowling him over and snatched a plank myself.

"To be fair," Cliff said, "your boyfriend, Chad, actually caught me before I made the shot when I intended. I was caught in a tight spot so I fired just to distract him."

"So on a whim, you fired and coincidentally got me right between the eyes?" I don't know why but I was laughing.

"Hey, I never said I didn't aim."

We charged at one another, two planks against one. Mine shattered after the first blow and I caught Cliff's next blow to the side of my chest, sending me sprawling. I rolled to avoid landing on my back again and heard his plank shatter against the ground.

"Then the whole blackmail thing in jail? You planned that?"

Cliff chuckled as he tossed the remnants of his 'sword' aside. "What can I say? I know you. You've changed a lot but you're still the same old Jake Reaper."

He drew his dagger, reminding me that I was once again unarmed. I gingerly got up, feeling weakness roll over my entire body. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than to just lie down and rest. But Dev and Chad were counting on me. I had to end this.

And soon.

I checked my watch.

It was six in the morning. We'd been locked in combat for most of the night. Chad was going to get a call in an hour from the gods about the price for getting Dev through his injury. If I didn't kill Cliff by then... I risked losing them all.

"And the shot at Dev and me?" I asked.

His smile was sad and filled with guilt. "I'll tell you all about it when you beat me."

With those words, he charged, bellowing a challenge. I focused, bringing up the last of my reserves. Razor flung out from where it was embedded into the pillar, flying straight towards Cliff. The coyote saw it and ducked just in time... but his face came within range of my foot. I planted my sole right against his left eye, making him cry out in agony. A stray slash from him bit into my calf, spraying blood across my jeans and sending pain rocketing up my leg.

We both staggered but I didn't stop.

I dragged the massive, ice-covered Razor straight towards me and gripped the pommel. With all my strength, I tore the two guns that made the sword. I prayed they weren't completely frozen over. As Cliff reeled, I brought the weapon up to his face.

His eyes met mine, filled with unspoken words.

_You win,_they seemed to say.

For a second... I felt I couldn't do it...

Then I saw Chad and Dev's faces...

I levelled the gun at his thigh and -

Click.

The gun didn't respond.

I pulled the trigger once more.

Click.

I tried the other.

Click-click!

They were frozen stiff!

"Sorry Jake," Cliff chuckled. "Looks like I win."

He charged one last time.

And I grew desperate.

I flung both my guns straight at him. One bounced off his shoulder and the other off his chest. For a second he was momentarily stunned and then -

Thud!

We stood there, bodies pressed up against one another, water raining down upon us from the sprinklers. Our arms were almost around one another.

Then... his right arm curled around my shoulders and he pressed his lips against my cheek.

"You win."

My eyes boggled as he took several steps back. I was in shock as he clutched his own dagger, the blade embedded deep into his gut.

He had...

He...

"Cliff!" I cried, catching him as he tipped backwards.

"Hi," he laughed softly.

"What the hell!?" I demanded. "Why did you...? Why would you...?"

His smile was still so sad. "I never intended to walk out of here alive, Jake. All this..." He waved his paw, gestured at the ruins of Shell Stadium. "It was just to make sure that you have what it takes to get the job done."

"What?" I shook my head, unable to comprehend. Was this all just a test?

"Jake... you once told me that you don't have the guts to kill another person in cold blood... especially not someone you care about. This... This was to help you do just that."

My heart suddenly froze. "Wait... Are you saying...?"

He gestured for me to draw closer. I pressed my ear right against his muzzle.

"You want to know who to blame for all this...?"

I wanted to shake my head... but instead, I nodded.

He whispered a name.

And I died a little inside.