FSE

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(This is a reposting of an old story I did. I made a few changes and spruced a few details. Hopefully it's better than it was, though I admit it's still a tad bit sappy, I still like it.)

The blackness started to fade into a lighter blackness as Jake came around, deep voices murmering somewhere in the distance, or so it seemed to him. His head felt woozy as it was lifted up, and he thought he was doing it, but he wasn't sure. Someone was gently shaking him and rubbing his back, and slowly the voices filtered into one distinct speaker, the words intermittent with the shakes. It seemed like an eternity before he could finally make out what it was saying, and even then at first it was fuzzy. The person wanted him to drink something, he didn't know what. Somehow with what shreds of thought he had, he managed to call out Ken's name, and then sank once more into darkness.

A while later, he came around again, this time more quickly and permanently. He lifted up his head, though it was ringing with pain, and looked around. Standing not far off was a large black and white dragon shape, it could only be Ken. He jumped off what whatever he was lying on and dashed over to him, clasping his arms around him, repeating his name over and over, tears flooding down his face. A hand reached around him and patted his back, then gently drew him away to a distance of a foot or two.

"Hey, whoa whoa. Wait a second. Obviously you know me, but I dunno know you. Mind telling me where you get my name from?"

Jake stopped, shocked, then felt the scales on the arm that held him and he realized his mistake, breaking down into tears again, broken hearted that it was not the Ken he knew and loved. He shook his head and sputtered through his tears.

"No, no it isn't you. I thought you were another Ken that I knew."

"Yeah, and knew pretty close from the way you acted." The other voice chuckled. "But it's all good. Don't worry about it."

"What happened to me anyway?" Jake asked, leaning on the arm as he began to feel woozy again. The other Ken noted it and picked Jake up, setting him in what felt like a recliner.

"That bear you fought, pretty bravely too I might add, he came round soon after that mom and kid left. You were pretty busy in your thoughts, so you didn't even notice when he stood up and aimed a blow at your head. I tried to stop him, but I got him down after the fact. You're healing up pretty well though, I think you'll be ok."

"Thanks for saving me."

"Naw, don't thank me. Somebody needs to make some sense in all this chaos, like you did for that pair."

Jake shrugged.

"It was just what anyone should have done . . . how on earth did everybody get transformed?"

"How dih- you must not be from around these parts buster. It's just happened all through the entire world because of some mutation bombs."

"Mutation bombs?"

"I think you might have some amnesia or something from that blow. I'll fill you in. About a month or so ago, thousands of micro hover bombs had been sent to various cities across the globe. They blew up, and turned random people that were anywhere near, into random things. Some escaped it, some didn't. In America, power was transferred to a guy named Steve Mitchell, since he was transformed himself, and everybody trusted him for whatever darned reason.

"Steve Mitchell!!?? That guys a creep!!"

"Now you're remembering. I think he used his mind control implants on the government officials and got them to put him in place, then he had all of them assassinated making it look like other terrorist organizations had done it. Anyways, he had all the military injected with these . . . brainchip things. They make a person totally . . . I dunno if it's loyal or brainless, but I think it's the latter. Anyway, there has been a rebellion going on because this guy's character has gotten plain viewing, but he controls the media and the military (he gains new recruits all the time) so no one can really go outright against him and live."

"This is awful . . . it's like something out of a sci-fi novel."

"Ha, this isn't the first time I've heard _that_ said. By the way, my names Kenneth Jamerson, friends call me Kenny. What's yours?"

"Jake Manning."

"Wait! Aren't you the- . . . Ahhhh, now I see. So the rumors of what really happened in that lab were true eh?"

"What rumors?"

"That Mr. Mitchell pumped you both full of genes and then blamed the whole thing on you two."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened."

"Ken Dawfield was your boyfriend?"

"Not really, but we became mates as we lived together for a while." Jake unconciously reached for the ring on the neclace, but found it missing."

"Hey! Was there a neclace with a ring on it on me?"

"Uh, yeah, I took it off so that you wouldn't choke yourself in your sleep."

"Where is it?"

Kenny produced the said ring from his pocket and held it out for Jake who snatched it up and held it to his mouth. He drew back and chuckled as Jake did this.

"Somebody's been watching a bit too much Lord of the Rings."

"Oh," Jake blushed. "Sorry . . . this is all I have left of Ken. He was killed . . . by helicopters that had tracked us to our cave."

Kenny's eyes softened and he patted Jake's shoulder, seeing the pain that was churning his heart.

"Wow, I don't really know what to say . . . man, I'm sorry Jake, I really am . . . I lost . . I lost my wife kinda like that. We were among the rebels against Mitchell, and some of the police caught up with us. I made it . . . she didn't." Kenny showed Jake the golden ring that was worn on his wedding finger, looking down at it and almost forgetting he was showing it to anyone other than himself. Jake stepped foward and hugged him softly, and he hugged back. After a moment, Kenny continued. "I think you should know . . . Ken did make it to one of the nearby cities."

Jake's eyes flew open with shock as he jerked his head up to star at Kenny. "HE DID!? Where is he? What happened?"

Kenny hugged Jake tigher for a moment before answering. "He went to the town hall and tried to get in contact with some officials, but a special ops team set up by Mitchell captured him. Mitchell had him executed a day later."

Jake felt his heart crumple to pieces as any linger hope he ever had for Ken was hammered into the dirt. His body went limp and he sagged in Kenny's arms as tears poured from his eyes. He couldn't think, he couldn't move. Finally, after about ten minutes, he looked up and gave Kenny a weak, but solid smile.

"Just as sure as I was Ken's mate, I'll be your friend and I won't leave your side till all this is over."

Kennys smiled back down at Jake and nodded.

"Same here bro. Same here."

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

The next five years were spent with Kenny, who was a computer engineer and was working on the technological squad of one of the rebellion's cells, helping them hack into systems and plant viruses. He taught Jake all he knew who soon was often considered a staple member when a mission had to be accomplished, being called an "active field agent." In other words, he would go with raid parties and access the government computers from the inside, instead of hacking from the safety of his home computer. Kenny made sure he was fluent in every trick of the trade from keypad hacking, to building on-the-spot viruses. It was on returning from one of these missions that Kenny broke some startling news to Jake. Jake had just walked into the headquarters, which at that time was the underground sewer purification systems. Kenny was sitting with his feet propped up on a desk, and swung around when he heard Jake enter.

"Hey Jake, guess who's coming to town."

"Santa Claus."

"Nope."

"Uh . . . Gary Johhane?"

"Nope."

"The Devil."

"Close enough." Kenny chuckled. "Our beloved Mr. Mitchell is going to be coming around to pay us a visit this weekend. Intelligence says he is coming to check up on the operations done here by his puppet government, and to do a little something about the rebellion cells here." Kenny sat back and sipped his coffee while Jake digested the news.

"Stevie himself eh? Heh, that'll be a big ordeal. Is there a mission on him?"

"There's one in the making. We're hoping to take him out."

"Take him out?!" Jake gave a start. "You gotta be kidding."

"No, no kidding, though there is one problem. Intelligence also says that he has a rather formidable body guard, some even rumor him to be more powerful than Mitch himself, but he's got a mind control device on him."

"Eh, go figure. Anyone so close to Steve for long periods of time would _have_ to have a decive on him to stay loyal. Still, I wonder why he uses a device for this guy, and not a chip. You did say he wore a device on him didn't you?"

"Sure did, and I'm not really sure why myself. Just know that it's a little mechanism and not a chip, possibly either an older or newer form of mind control."

"Most likely newer, since Steve would always want the latest gadgets and nothing less."

Kenny leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Well, that's only half of the news."

Jake looked up with interest. "Oh?"

"Guess who got chosen to go out and help get a shot in."

"Me." Jake responded, rolling his eyes.

"Right on the button. You're one of the best hackers we got, mind you only one of the best." Kenny laughed, giving Jake's shoulder a friendly slap. Jake grinned and returned the favor. "Besides that, you know genetics, you can heal, and you're a great shot with a rifle. Kinda like the all-in-one appliance."

"Oh thanks, love being equated with kitchen equipment. So, when do we go out for detail?"

"As soon as our honored guest arrives, which should be in . . . oh say 2-3 hours. A scout just came back with the operation frequencies of the device, so we're going to see if we can jam it. That way you should be able to take a well-aimed shot at Mr. Mitchell. The CI wants us to do everything we can to take him out because . . . well, the CI didn't say anything, but the grapevine says that he's planning to take some action to further his control, using a genetic mind control system."

"Sounds just like him and his toys. Well, I'd better go pick out which gear I'll need. I'll see you later."

"Jake . . Jake wait." Kenny's voice was pleading, which was unusual for the big hunk. "Jake, I want you to take care out there, don't let anything happen to you."

Jake smiled at the concern in Kenny's eyes and patted his shoulder, gripping it reassuringly.

"Don't worry Kenny, it'd take a whole lot to bring me down."

Kenny smiled back and laid his hand on Jake's shoulder, then after a moment caved in and hugged him, rubbing his back.

"You're like a bro to me Jake, I don't wanna see you hurt or anything. You just see that you take care so I don't have to come out and get you." He chuckled. "You know how I hate to get my feet wet."

Jake smiled once more and patted the big dragon's back.

"I'll be ok, don't worry about me. Now, I really need to go get my gear."

"Yep, you go and don't come back without that guy's head on a platter or _else_!" Kenny laughed, slapping Jake on the back as he trotted off to his quarters.

It didn't take Jake too long to decide what equipment he wanted to take, but still, he didn't come out of his room till he was called for the operation. Something about seeing Steve again depressed him, all the memories he had from when they were just in highschool. He knew Steve too well, but that was also why the CI was sending him on the task. He sighed and finished pulling on his shadow uniform, which looked more like a wetsuit than anything else. Reconnasance had nicked it off a military testing facility, and it had everything that batman would have wanted on it, and more. Jake sighed as he looked into the mirror, then started off to the departure hall.

"Step aside superheros, here I come."

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

"Subject in sight, moving to position G."

The radio clicked on and off quietly as the team made their way from rooftop to rooftop, following the slow parade in the street below them. People cheered as the dictator's car slowly drove down the prepared road, confetti fluttering everywhere and streamers shooting out from the windows as the vehicle went by.

"Certainly doesn't waste much for pomp does he?" Jake thought to himself. Suddenly one of his comrades crackled over the radio.

"Subject stopped! Destination reached, prepare to shoot Red Cardinal."

"Ready!" Jake whispered back, positioning his rifle on his shoulder, keeping the rear car door in his sights. Slowly it opened, and cameras immediately began flashing as a large gray anthro dragon, similar in build to Ken though a little smaller, stepped out. Jake tried to aim at his head, but a reporter stepped in the way and he was forced to wait.

"Red Cardinal, do you have him?"

"Not yet!" He growled back at the reciever. He shouldered the rifle again, taking his time to set the mark between Steve's horns. He counted down to himself softly.

"Five . . . . four . . . . three . . . . two . . . . one . . . . ze-WHAM"

Jake was smashed in the back with a powerful blow, and yanked back by another, a huge roar resounding in the air, everything lighting up as though there were a bolt of lightning standing behind him. His eyes were brought level with a menacing set of teeth, shining brightly as their owner let out a very low growl. The creature held him by the nape of the uniform, almost hanging him by his own weight. His throat was jerked as the creature jumped over the side of the building and swooped down to Steve, sending the crowds scattering in all directions as the former waited patiently on the steps of the building he was entering. The rifle was still clenched in Jake's hand as he was brought before the gray dragon. In a moment of desperation, he tried to aim it at the dictator, but a black claw reached around and wrenched it out of his hand as easily as if it had been candy from a baby. Steve stepped up to Jake's camoflouged face and smiled.

"So, you wanted me dead . . . sorry to disappoint you, but I have a very faithful servant here as you can see." He reached over and plucked the radio from Jake's side, non-chalantly holding it up to his mouth and clicking it on. "Hello, tell your leaders whoever they may be, that one attempt on my life is quite enough, and if they do not cease this nonesense, they will be promptly weeded out and exterminated. As for your agent here, he will be tortured, and then killed as punishment. See that you don't follow his example." With a single twist of his wrist, the radio was crushed, and he motioned to the creature holding Jake. "Take him down to one of the lower chambers and torture him as you see fit. Make sure he enjoys it too."

"Yes sir." Came the deep reply, distinctly Ken's voice. Jake hung there stunned, his mouth hanging open as they all went inside, the creature turning down a long hallway and beginning to walk down it. Jake reached up a paw and began to feel the hand that held him, finding on the wedding finger, a ring. The hand lifted up and turned him around as they walked, and Jake found himself staring at Ken, an evil and cruel smile spread across the black muzzle. "Seem familiar for some reason? Hmm . . . I have _no_ idea why. He he, Steve doesn't remember you yet, but I do."

"Bu-Bu-But Ken! You aren't like this, you were good and kind . . . you were my mate. Look! See? I still have the ring you gave me!" Jake undid the uniform and held out the ring on it's string.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. Well, if it is so important to you, why don't you wear it?" The string broke of its own accord and the ring floated in front of Jake, beginning to glow, hotter and hotter, till even the air around it was hot on his face. Ken pulled Jake's hand up and held it there, the red-hot ring darting down on his finger and searing through the scales on his hand. Jake tried to screamed in pain but he had no breath and only a soft whimper escaped as he writhed, trying to get the ring off, which had now burned itself onto his hand. Ken chuckled and stopped, entering a large dark room and shutting the door behind him. He flipped a switch and florecent lights shone down on a dentist like chair with clasps for the neck, tail and limbs. After stripping Jake, he laid him down on this, engaging the clasps and unsheathing his claws, slowly circling the chair and straightening it out. He pricked the tip of Jake's tail making him howl with pain, the touch being like a hornet's sting. Ken smiled at the result, and began walking his fingers up the underside of Jakes tail, then the tailbase, the abdomen the chest and finally stopping at the neck, each time a claw perpherating the scales and dripping acid into the wound. "Steve's made a few adjustments to my anatomy. I hope you enjoy them." He smirked and slashed across Jake's chest, ripping through the scales, then he began to circle his paws, nearing his neck, then his face, one finger on each claw slowly zeroing in mezmerizing Jake despite the pain he was in. He jabbed the talons into the nerves beside each eye, driving Jake into siezures of torment. Ken leaned forward and kissed the end of Jake's nose, ending it by sinking his teeth into the soft flesh and ripping them out of it, then licking his tongue over the wound as it bled, torturing acid burning at the nerves. He smiled again.

"It's going to be a long night; I suggest you get comfortable."

All that night, and into the morning, Jake was tortured in countless ways and places, his body repairing itself only to be retortured in the same spot, driving him mad with pain. If Ken made the slightest move he would scream and jolt as if struck, writhing to get away. When Ken had been satisfied enough, he shut out the lights and left Jake to himself. There he lay, staring into utter blackness, too numb from the ever increased torment to feel anything except his shattered nerves slowly and painfully healing, the acid still burning into the wounds on his body. But the thought that ran through his scattered mind the most never changed: Where was Ken? He needed Ken, he loved Ken. Ken betrayed him. Ken hurt him. Where was Ken? These semblances of thought repeated themselves in a never-ending loop within his mind as the morning hours ticked by, seeming to get longer each time a second passed. At long length, the door opened, and Ken walked in, undoing the clasps and picking him up roughly. Before long, Jake found himself out in front of the building where he had been before. Ken threw him down on the steps and smirked when Jake yelled as the edges struck his back and head. Steve was there, and a crowd had been gathered to wittness the excecution. Steve stepped forward grinning.

"Hello Jake, did you enjoy your night? It's been such a long time, I'm sorry I didn't get to sit down and talk with you, but I'm sure Ken can fill me in on everything."

"You-aaa, you're just . . . controlling Ken- with that device on him. He isn't -er, he isn't like that."

Ken kneeled down beside Jake, smiling cruelly into his face, taking the device from the back of his head.

"What? You mean this?" He asked as he crushed the mechanism in front of Jake's eyes. "You thought I loved you didn't you Jake? Well, let me tell you now that I have no loyalty to you. You were merely a convenience."

Jake sputtered in anguish, writhing on the steps.

"Kill me . . . KILL ME!!" he screamed.

Steve nodded to Ken. "Let me get the first blow." He walked over to Jake and unsheathed his claws, slicing them over Jake's stomach and ripping him open like tissue paper, his stomach visible for a few seconds before the blood began pooling around him. Jake stared up as he lay there dying and his eyes locked on Ken's.

"Jake, I will always love you, never forget that." The words echoed back from Jake's memory, and he gently resigned himself to fate.

"K-Ken . . . Ken . . . I l-love you . . ." Jake whispered. With that he lost the strength to speak, but his eyes remained fixed on Ken. He heard Steve from behind him.

"Ken, finish him off."

Jake closed his eyes again, not wishing to see the blow being struck by the one he loved.

"Ken, I said finish him off, I don't have all day."

Jake opened his eyes slowly, and saw in Ken's eyes a light, a struggle, a hidden will that had been supressed and was now freeing itself. He managed to turn his head slightly and look at Steve, who had suddenly gotten a strained look on his face.

"Ken . . . Ken stop fighting me! You're mine! Stop fighting!"

Jake's eyesight failed as his life drained from him, but in the darkness he heard Ken's low voice speak back in defiance.

"Steve, there is more than mind, there . . . there is . . --SOUL!"

Almost immediately there was a gigantic explosion and the ground shook as if an earthquake were ripping through the city. Blinding light blocked all vision so that even the source could not be dicerned. A deep groan from the earth resounded, and there was a scream as someone was ripped apart by sheer energy. The scream was quickly drowned out by a roar, and soon that faded to a gentle hum. The ground became stable again and there was silence. Ken rushed over to Jake, tears streaming down his face, and put a paw on the red dragon's bloody chest. Softly he lifted him up into his arms and kissed the quivering lips as tears also slipped down from Jake's eyes and mixed with the blood from his wound.

"I- . . . I love you . . . Jake. I had hoped I would not have had to use this . . . so soon at least, not because I begrudge giving it to you -- I would have died before I ever hurt you if I hadn't been under Steve's control . . . I'm only sad that . . that I didn't get to see your face longer . . . . I love you Jake."

Without waiting longer, Ken clenched the hand with the ring and pressed it to Jake's ring. The two rings glowed softly with a pink light when they touched, a soft musical hum emanating from them. Ken leaned down and kissed Jake softly, gazing into his mate's eyes. He held that kiss for as long as he could, leaning down on Jake slowly, his own weight soon separating their lips, but his head falling in such a way that he still stared with love into Jake's eyes as the last light of life flickered out of his own, and the life returned to Jake, his healing being boosted by the flow of energy from Ken. His body sank heavily onto Jake, whose tears were now streaming down to mix with those that Ken had shed. He lifted the body up and cradled it in his arms.

"No! Ken, don't leave me. I love you, please don't die. KEN! Ken . . ."

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

A small black convertible drove down the road, the stars shining out above it. The night was dark, the sky clear with a quarter-moon and springtime had laid the ground in a fresh sheet of green grass that shimmered in the soft blue light. Finally it came to a ledge overlooking a city and pulled slowly into a small gravel driveway. Jake set the parking brake, and sighed, gazing out over the city, whose lights mirrored the sky above like a terrestrial constellation. He got out and walked up the driveway to the porch and lied down on the large cot-chair there, groaning a bit as he eased his body into a relaxing position. Several decades had passed since the "incident" and many things had changed. With Steve out of power a grateful nation had released him and his comrades from the charges laid so that they could their lives in peace. Kenny had gotten re-married and Jake now worked as a doctor at a hospital facility, using his abilities and a hard-earned knowledge of anatomy to heal there. Though Jake's memory was filled with pain, he still had Ken's love living in his heart, and that was a treasure that he had never taken for granted.

Jake's thoughts were slowly dulled as he stared up into the night sky admiring the stars. They sparkled happily back at him as if whispering funny secrets amongst each other, overlaid translucent clouds giving each a silvery sheen. His eyes gradually closed and his senses became less concerned with the things around him as he relaxed in his chair for a nap. As had been his habit every night, he instinctively reached over and clutched his hand with the ring lovingly, and a deep sigh escaped him. A breeze blew through the garden over the rosebushes, simultaneously carrying the perfume from the blossoms and playing Nature's age-old lullabye, the nursemaid putting her child to sleep. A few loose petals from the roses tugged free in the breeze and lighted on Jake's form.

A hand started shaking Jake gently.

"Jake? Jake. Jake, sweetheart."

Jake's eyes fluttered open and he smiled as they were greeted with Ken's own loving grin.

"Come on now Jake, you know how rude it is to keep a person waiting."

Jake chuckled and playfully punched Ken's shoulder. "You know I couldn't help it, big lug."

Ken grinned even more broadly and helped Jake up, pulling him into a deep kiss as he drew the red dragon to his side and walked back out under the stars. The ever so faint rose glow of the dawn was creeping up on the horizon. Ken stood behind Jake and wrapped his arms and wings about him, cradling his love tenderly.

"I love you Jake, I always will." he whispered, in some ways saying it to Jake, partly saying it to the world, and partly to himself.

"I know. I love you too Ken."

With the hushed confirmation, the two basked in their mutual unselfish love. No matter what came, they knew that their love for each other would last all through the night.