Chapter Seventeen - Burning Light of the Sun
#18 of Within Escada
Xavier has vanished, but has appeared in a very familiar place. Jacob and Mark have returned to the United States after the disaster. The gang is making a slow and long journey back home, with a detour while they wait for the road to be cleaned up. RF interrogate Atlas and learns of the damage caused by the disaster. The final confrontation.
Within Escada - Chapter Seventeen - Burning Light of the Sun
Atlas Jezoriah De'Turso - sixty-year-old Doberman Pinscher; the leader of Maelstrom. He is currently in containment with Red Fang following the events of the Cairo Incident.
*Warning - Adult Content*
Contains homosexual and heterosexual characters and themes.
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Xavier appeared in the early morning light on top of a leaking water fountain. The December breeze rushed through his fur as he took in a deep breath. As he took in his surroundings he jumped down from his perch into the large puddle of water that surrounded the stone fountain and began to walk across to a bench. He was at a large park in a residential area near the Pacific Ocean. The place brought back many memories to him from his childhood; memories of running along the cement path around this very fountain before him. 'If this world shall doom me,' he thought as he could feel the toxins from the Dekoret pulsing through his veins, 'then it shall go with me.' He snickered to himself as he stood up and walked along the paved path. As he walked, he limped in pain before collapsing to the ground and coughing up blood. He held onto his chest as it tightened. Using the infused Dekoret within him to get back to Los Angeles had cause an advancing of the poisons. 'I guess I can't use that trick anymore,' he thought as he wiped the blood from his mouth on his sleeve. He slowly picked himself up off his knees and began to walk again. "All I have to do now is take everything away from him like he did to me once I can move to the final phase," he said aloud as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small stone he had retrieved from the end of the compression reactor after he vanished from where he stood before Jacob. In his paw rested a small stone that had an appearance of quartz with the brilliance of a diamond. "You will help me carry out the final step," he said soothingly to the small rock as the early morning sun began to flood over the blades of grass.
The buses had to stop since a car accident had left a portion of the freeway closed off. It was an extravagant shopping mall in Santa Barbara filled with many of the amenities and places to eat. "We're going to be here for two hours till they get the accident cleared up," William said over the intercom inside the buss. "Once that time is up we will get a roll call and then be back on our way home," the ursine then handed the microphone to Antonio. "Stick together and be ready in case of an emergency," he said to follow with William's statement. The group nodded and all began to rise to proceed off of the bus. "Well, at least we can get something to eat and stretch," Scott said as he looked to the ferret who sat beside him. The younger band member smiled. He had grown closer to the panther over the trip and looked up to him. "I'm starving," Alex stated as his stomach groaned loud when he rose from his seat. "I hear that," Wolfe chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the fox. "I wouldn't mind trotting around the mall a bit," Jeff, the ferret, said as he held onto the panthers tail while they stepped off of the bus. Alex and Wolfe chuckled as Scott then hugged the small ferret, making Jeff laugh.
Outside of the bus, Jessica and Edward greeted them. "Hey guys, how's it going?" the fox asked as he padded up to Jessica from Wolfe and gave her a hug. "Not bad, just a long drive," Edward stated as he stretched. The six of them began to walk to the entrance of the mall. Sets of large glass doors opened as the throng of furs stepped near them causing a rush of warm air to rush over them. "You all want to grab a bite to eat first?" Jessica asked as she approached the directory. "Yes!" Alex cheered as he bounced happily in place with the lupines paw in his. Wolfe chuckled as he continued to hold the fox's paw. "Well what sounds good?" Scott inquired as he walked over to view the directory. "McDonald's sounds good; everyone agree?" The fox said as he turned to the group. With a nod of agreement they began walking towards the direction of the food court.
The expanse of the mall was filled with a bustle of furs shopping in the stores for the holiday season. Even with the events of the day before, no one seemed too bothered with it. Everyone seemed to have no care in the world to the fact that an entire region had been destroyed, according to news reports that had been heard on the radio. Along the way, Edward turned to Wolfe and Alex, "So have you two heard from your parents?" The two just looked down as they gripped each other's paws and checked their phones for any messages. "Well, I'm sure they just can't get ahold of you guys. They're on trips, right?" The fox said as they turned to the corridor to the food court. "Yeah, but it has me worried. They usually call or message me every few hours to check in with me and see how I'm doing," Alex stated in worry. Wolfe squeezed his paw in reassurance, "I'm sure they'll get ahold of us as soon as they can." He nuzzled the fox's cheek as they stood in line to place their orders even though in the back of his mind he was wondering why Jacob and Mark had not contacted him yet.
"We'll have forces gather to meet you in Los Angeles," Uroso said as he helped Douglas down the ramp off of the ship as the two ran past him. "I'll set them at ready to activate the transport to Los Angeles once you're nearby," Veronica said as she opened the door to the ambulance at the end of the ramp. "Thanks guys," Jacob said before he climbed into the driver's seat of the BMW. "Be sure that Atlas stays secured," Mark as he opened the passenger door. "Won't be a problem," Steven said as he rolled down a gurney with Atlas upon it. Jacob started the vehicle immediately as soon as the lion shut the door and drove off quickly of the tarmac. He speed out the gate from the shipyard and toward the air force base a few miles away. "Have you been able to get a hold of Wolfe?" The lupine asked as he accelerated. "No I haven't been able to get through to him nor have I received a message from him," the lion growled in frustration as he threw his phone to the floor. "Shit," Jacob said in anger as he made a sharp turn onto a highway.
Mark turned to look out the window as they drove past military buildings of gray and blue. As he looked out the glass he felt a paw grab his. Jacob continued to look out onto the road, weaving between vehicles in the evening light as he could see the airfield with jets taking off. The lion squeezed his mate's paw as they pulled off the highway to the airfield. Next to the runway stood a Black Eagle, the fastest jet in the Red Fang air fleet. Jacob and Mark hurriedly climbed out of the car and climbed the staircase to the passenger cabin. "Good evening, sirs," The pilot said as the stairs were removed, allowing him to retract the door to a closed position. The two took seats as the pilot went to join the copilot in the cockpit. The engines came to life and the vehicle immediately began to taxi to the runway. As the two sat they looked into one another's eyes with fear and hope.
Steve guided Atlas to a chair as Karen and a group of five armed guards followed behind her. They lined the walls opposing the Doberman with guns held on their shoulders at the ready to open fire if necessary. Atlas looked around the room at everyone around him from where he sat, examining them from top to bottom. "So..." Atlas spoke, "Could we remove these cuffs then?" The Doberman jingled the metal bindings around his wrists weakly as he looked to Steven. The fox reached into his pocket and retrieved a small metal key pass. Atlas stood up from his seat as the fox approached him, causing the guards around the room to raise their weapons and point the straight at him. "Relax guys," Karen said as she placed a thick folder with the Red Fang insignia upon the table, opening it. "He isn't going to do anything." She pulled out a notepad that had been set inside as her husband ran the key pass across the locks, removed the shackles, and handed them to one of the guards.
"Thank you," Atlas said as he leaned forward a bit as the guard put the cuffs on his belt and signaled to the others to return to their former position. "Now Atlas," Karen said as she opened to the first page of the file, "we need you to cooperate with us and we can see about not returning you to your employer." Atlas sat up and looked straight into the vulpine's eyes before realizing that his fight would be useless. "Carrying around you data passport drive doesn't leave much to hide from us," Steven said as he pulled out a small black hard drive from his back pocket and laid it upon the table. "Well..." The Doberman said as he relaxed, "Where would you like me to start?" "Our first question would be why you and your organization had Dekoret in an underground facility in the middle of the desert inside a gigantic compression reactor?" Karen said as she began to take notes. Atlas leaned forward and rubbed his temples as he thought. "We were hired by the Russian government to create a way to use Dekoret so it didn't have the poisonous effects in living subjects," he started, "we succeeded. We knew that it would destroy an entire geographical region for us to make it." "How was Xavier involved in all this? We know that he used to work for us six years ago," Steven said as he handed the Doberman a bottle of water.
Atlas broke the sealed band that protected the chilled water inside, the sound clear and sharp to his ears. He raised the bottle to his mouth and drank half the contents before setting it down. He licked his chops before taking a breath and speaking, "Purified Dekoret doesn't have any toxic effects, it does keep its elements properties though." Karen wrote furiously before she paused. "Do you mean to say that the Dekoret poisoning that he has now..." she stopped mid-sentence and looked at the Doberman. Atlas nodded to her and took a deep breath. "He's going to use it on himself to remove the toxins? But how does he know it will work?" She asked, waiting for an answer. "He will be using it on himself to remove the poisoning and keep his abilities," Atlas said as he removed the cap from his water bottle, "He has nothing to lose as long as he kills the one who brought him to the state he is in now." Atlas raised the bottle once again and finished the remainder of the bottle contents.
Douglas was resting in the hospital bed after a brief surgery to repair his punctured lung. Veronica and Uroso sat nearby on a couch parallel to where the ursine laid. "You feeling okay kiddo?" The ape inquired as he wrapped his arm around her. "Yeah, I just get worried more and more about him," she responded as she nuzzled against his chest. Uroso ran his fingers through her hair to provide comfort. "He is getting there in the years. I'm surprised he can still do this kind of work," he said as he kissed the top of her head. She nodded in agreement as Douglas began to stir. She quickly got up and gripped his paw. ""Why hello there, sweetie," the ursine said as he squeezed her paw and opened his eyes. "Hi Daddy, how are you feeling?" The lupine asked as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Feeling pretty good now," he said with a chuckle that made her smile and give him an embracing hug.
Uroso stood up from his seat and left the room to give them some time alone. As he walked down the hall past the nurse's station, the sound of a television airing the news was on. 'These new images have come in and show much of the devastation that has fallen over much of the Middle East and portions of Northern Africa,' the anchorman said as pictures of the carrying degrees of damage were shown. Uroso could hardly believe what he saw as a fox now stood beside him. "We have a report regarding the damage and effects of the Dekoret reactor to the region," Steven said as he handed over a report. "I can only imagine how many lives were lost," the ape said as he began to look through it. "There is also some new news from headquarters," the fox said as he sat down on a nearby chair. "What do you mean?" Uroso asked as he turned away from the report and then back to the television. 'Just earlier the president released this message at a press conference,' the anchor said as the BBC news logo flashed across the screen to a video where a large bison stood before a podium, 'We have reason to believe that an unknown organization is behind the events that occurred and we are inquiring with the Russian government into any information they may have of the situation. At this time, leaders around the world have agreed to restricted air travel to military vehicles only.'
"He want to find out what they know when they're the ones who employed Maelstrom and funded their cause," Steven said as he rose from his seat, "we found it true according to Atlas and from his own data passport." The ape turned back to the fox once more, "We have already sent reports to him right from headquarters." "Yes, sir," the fox said as he walked down the hallway, "but two of our offices at the capital have been raided and members have also been arrested for questioning." He stopped at a window and looked down to the street below, the ape soon joining him. "Has anything else come in?" Uroso asked as he peered to the paved roads. "No, sir. As far as I can say we can assume things are stable at HQ," the fox said as he exhaled, fogging the glass.
Wolfe and Alex had decided to go off on their own from the group and walk around the mall. The open skylights showed the grey clouds above and what little sunlight could peak through them. They walked paw in paw past busy shoppers and various stores filled with festive cheers, along with so called "deals" of the season. The fox ran up to a window, tugging the lupine with him and looked at the Christmas tree that had been set up on display. "It's so pretty..." Alex said as he pressed his nose to the glass and gazed upon a tree decorated in strings of lights and silver trim. "Yeah, I like it," Wolfe said as he played with the fox's ears. The fox could see the lupine in the dim reflection and wiggled his ears around as he could feel paws upon them. "Those are mine you know," Alex said as he ducked down from the window out of the wolf's reach and melded in with the crowed. "Hey!" Wolfe exclaimed as the fox began to weave in and around the crowd of furs. Wolfe stood in place as he watched his mate move through the throng. He snickered before he disappeared. Alex continued down the path as he moved past a large cow and her calves. He weaved out of the crowd and into a jewelry store on the corner. He stopped for a moment took look at some of the gleaming gems before he slipped out the opposite entrance and began to head in the direction of a nearby Abercrombie & Fitch.
The fox padded into the store where the sound of heavy dance music was playing. The air was tinged with the same scent he recognized on the lupine new clothes. 'I guess this is the source of it,' he thought, walking to a wall were shirts folded upon shelves. He gazed around at the varying polo shirts and jeans. As he walked around to the center of the store he could see a bustle of furs waiting to be rung up at the registers. Many of them had bags hanging from their arms from many stores around the mall. As he moved past a mannequin of a wolf he didn't even look twice. Wolfe slowly stepped down from wear he had positioned himself. As the fox reached out for a pair of jeans that had caught his eye he heard a voice behind him. "Could I help you love?" The lupine asked as Alex froze in place. "Well..." the fox said as he turned around from where he stood, "I was wondering if I could try these on. What do you think?" Alex winked to the wolf. The lupine grinned and nodded before following the fox to the dressing rooms in the back. As the two moved back, Wolfe grabbed a few more items as they walked past.
"Can I try these on?" The fox asked as he stood before a tall Dalmatian who was opening rooms for furs. "Sure there little buddy, how many you got?" He asked as he opened a small cupboard with numbered tags in them. "Looks like I have five," Alex said as he gathered the garments from the lupine. "Five it is there then," The dog said as he walked down narrow corridor to open a room. "Thank you," the fox said as he stepped in with the lupine outside the door. "Not a problem," the Dalmatian said as he walked back to the entrance to the hallway. As soon as the attendant past out of sight the lupine knocked on the dressing room door three times. Alex turned the handle to let him in. "What should I try on first babe?" The fox asked shyly as the lupine sat down on the bench. "Why don't you try on those pants first" The wolf recommended to Alex.
Alex hooked his claw into his pants and along the button of his jeans; the forming bulge clear through the dark fabric made Wolfe's mouth water. The fox slowly unzipped his pants and turned around, bending over for the wolf to see his firm round butt. As he rose up from his place he felt the lupine press his body against him and thrust his tightened jeans against the fox. "Hi there honey," the fox said soothingly as he craned his neck to the lupines shoulder. "Hi there," the wolf said as he reached the fox's sheath and gave it a gentle squeeze. Alex moaned as the lupine reached into his underwear and began to tenderly squeeze the forming knot at the base of his cock. The wolf pulled the fox with him and sat back down on the bench before unbuttoning his jacket and tossing it to the floor. The two quickly undressed one another; Alex now straddled the wolf and was kissing him in lust. "Oh wolf..." Alex said as he could feel the wolf's cock slide out of it's hiding place and drool pre along his abdomen. Alex reached down with his one of his paws and flicked the pointed tip of the lupine's cock. Wolfe growled deep in his throat as he then pulled the fox in to him for a deep kiss. As the tip of his cock was being teased, the fox grinded his own swollen member against the lupine's while being sure to rub his plump fox nuts against that of his mate. "Come here," Wolfe said as he released his mate and made him stand before him.
The lupine brought his muzzle to the opening of the fox's sheath; it's contents slowly peaking out. Alex shuddered as he felt the wolf's tongue slide into his sheath and run along to the base of his cock. He gripped Wolfe's shoulders with his paws, claws gripping the lupines flesh, and rocked against his tongue. "Delicious," the lupine said as the fox's cock slid out of its sheath and pulsed before him. Wolfe smelled the tip of his mates cock, it's pungent odor filling his nostrils. He ran his tongue across the head before he took the length into his muzzle. Alex held his muzzle shut as he moaned with the sudden assault on his pride. He began to piston furiously into the wolf's maw as he felt his sac being rolled around mischievously. The lupine sucked harder as he felt the torrents of fluids pulse into his maw in anticipation. "Wolfe," Alex said as he stopped the lupine and pulled his aching pride from the wolf's maw, "Fuck me..." The fox said as he placed his paws on the wall with his tail high, inviting the lupine to claim him. Wolfe rose from his seat and pumped his cock in his paw before grinding it against the fox's eager hole. The fox moaned as he felt the oozing pre drip onto his awaiting opening. "Oh... are you gonna tie in my tight ass?" The fox said as he pressed against the thick and long cock that demanded entrance.
"I'm going do more than tie with you," The lupine said as he thrust the slobbering extremity to the opening of his mate. The lupine slowly slid his cock deep into the fox, thrusting harder as more of his length pulsed inside the warm walls. Alex moaned as the wolf hilted into him before the swelling knot and began to saw in and out along the smooth walls. Wolfe wrapped his arms around the fox and pulled him forcefully against him, his forming knot stretching the entrance he glided through. "Wolfe, fuck me.... Harder..." The fox said as he gripped his pulsing knot and began to jerk his cock hard. Wolfe grunted and growled as he thrust faster and bit down onto the fox's shoulder, sinking his teeth into the flesh hard enough to hurt, but not to draw blood. Alex covered his clenched his teeth as he held in a powerful groan while still pumping his swollen meat that leaked juices to the floor beneath him. "Liebe... I'm close..." The fox said as he tried to hold off long enough.
With the fox's statement, the lupine thrust deeper and with more force as his knot began to swell more. He thrust with all his strength, feeling his knot pop into the fox's hole and swell to near fullness. The lupine growled deep as he slammed hard a few more times into the tight ring that gripped his cock. Alex could feel his cock swell and his knot pulse against his body. He let out a satisfying groan as he pushed himself forcefully against the lupine and shot for his sticky seed all along the wall before him. Wolfe could feel the fox's hole tighten with each pulse, making him peaking with one final push deep into the hot tissues surrounding his huge cock. The lupine growled and clenched his teeth harder on Alex's shoulder as his swollen cock pulsed, shooting a wave of burning hot wolf cum deep into the cavity. His knot swelled to seal the fox's opening to hold his seed. Alex breathed rapidly as he felt the lupine lean onto him, still gripping the flesh on his shoulder. "Oh Wolfe...." Alex said as he released his paw from his cock and set it along the wolf's cheek. Wolfe exhaled as he felt the waves of cum rushing out the head of his cock and released the mass from his muzzle. "Oh baby..." Wolfe said before he craned his neck to meet his mates muzzle and kiss him passionately.
After a solid ten minutes, the wolf's knot had subsided enough for it to slip out of the fox. Alex moaned as he could feel the empty space inside him filled to the brim with hot wolf spunk. Wolfe kissed the fox once more before the two quickly dressed and left the dressing room. As they passed the Dalmatian, he spoke, "You two get all you needed done?" He winked to the two lovers and collected the numbered tag. "I believe we did," the lupine said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around the fox's hip. Alex chuckled as he held the garments and walked to the register with the wolf.
Scott and Jeff led the way out of the mall with the two foxes following behind them. Since the ferret was so much smaller than him, the panther had decided to lift him upon his shoulders and carry him around the mall. Jessica and Edward smiled as they walked through the doors and in the direction of the gathering by the buses. As they walked out, Wolfe and Alex sat on a bench with the surrounding covered in a light patch of snow. "There you two are," Scott said as he turned. "Hallo," Jeff said as he waved to Alex. "Hey there little buddy," the fox said as he stood up and padded up to the two. "It's time for us to get going already?" Wolfe asked as he rose and shook of some snow from his tail. "Yep. I can't wait to get home," Jessica said as she and her mate began to walk towards the buses. The group followed along with them. Alex was talking to the ferret above him as the lupine walked along side of him. "So did you have fun?" He asked Jeff as he reached for the wolf's paw. "Yep, I sure did. Scott got me a game for my Nintendo to keep me busy the rest of the trip," the ferret said as he pulled the bag with the game out of his pocket and pat the panther's ears. "How sweet of him!" Alex exclaimed as he smiled to the panther. Scott smiled to the fox as he blushed and nodded. "He's always been a good friend, Jeff," Wolfe said as they approached the circle of furs. Jeff smiled and played with the panther's ears. Scott flicked them around and chuckled.
The interior of the aircraft was rather large for being such a small jet. There were two levels inside: one for the passengers, which had few computers with two furs already working at them, and the other for cargo. Jacob sat with his eyes closed as the sound of the engine pulsed through the cabin. Mark was reclined reading through a report that had come in from HQ regarding the damage in Cairo; he turned to see the lupine roll over towards him. The wolf had fallen asleep. The lion set the report in his seat as he got up and walked to the lupine. He kneeled down on the ground next to the seat where his mate rested. Mark reached out for his paw that rested on the wolf's chest and held it in his, tenderly squeezing it in his own. As he stroked the lupines head fur he felt the lupine move into it. "Hey handsome," Mark said as he massaged one of the lupines ears. "Hi," the lupine said before he yawned and moved to wrap his arms around the cat. Mark embraced the lupine and lifted him out of the chair, holding him close. Jacob planted his feet on the floor and nuzzled into the lions mane. They stood there in the plane, taking in the moment of peace with one another.
As Jacob brought his body even closer to the lion, his swollen sheath rubbed against that of his mates. Mark let out a quiet growl of lust as he held onto the wolf. The lupine then pulled himself away and grabbed the cats paw, tugging him to the back of the plane and down a set of stairs. At the end was a door, which he opened, and continued to pull the large cat along with him. The wolf then shut the door and walked slowly back to the lion. "Jacob..." Mark said before the lupine took the lion's tie and kissed him deeply, tracing the rough tongue against his. As they stood together, the lupine slowly unbuttoned his shirt, Mark doing the same with his own. Jacob growled deep as he pushed the lion against a crate and ground his bulge against the lion's. They continued to kiss deeply as they both unhooked their belts and opened their pants to let their burning heat out of the fabric prisons. Jacob shuddered as he felt the feline's barbed cock, drenched in sticky pre, rib against his own moist cock. He broke away from the lion and pushed him forcefully onto the crate before taking the barbed cock into his muzzle.
Mark groaned as he felt Jacob's tongue tease his barbs. The lupine took the lion deep into his muzzle as far as he could and bobbed up and down along its length. He moaned as he could feel the lions cock pulse against his throat and drip it's lubricating fluids. As he continued he could hear the lion sink his claws into the wooden crate, the sound making him grab hold of his own slimy member and rapidly jerking it. "Oh..." Mark called out as he continued to grip the box he laid on while Jacob continued to slurp on his meat. The lion lifted the lupine off of his cock and pulled him to his muzzle, locking in with him hard and lashing out with his tongue. As he did this, Jacob positioned the blunt tip of his pride and began to quickly thrust its tip into the lion. Mark groaned as he felt the thick, pulsing cock opening him more as it slid deeper into him. The wolf lifted the lion's legs and with pure force, thrust hard into the inviting walls of his mate. The cat called out with a groan as he felt the wolf pump harder and harder into him in the dim lighting. "Jack your cock kitty," Jacob growled as he could feel his knot swell and press to the lion's entrance.
Mark did as instructed and took his paw to the head of his penis, using the pool of pre formed on his chest as a lubricant. He furiously began to pump his cock as he met with the wolf's thrusts in equal force. "Cum in me Jacob. Breed this kitty cat. Make me yours," The lion called out as he could feel Jacob trying to force his knot into him. Jacob warped his arms around the lion and pushed his knot into the lion before spraying his hot seed deep into the cat. Mark moaned and lifted his head as felt the waves rush through him causing him to shot his load all over his chest in sync with the wolf. The lupine growled and lunged for the lions shoulder as he thrust hard into the lion and continued to shoot his seed into him, his knot now swollen and pulsing hard against the cats prostate. Mark squeezed hard on the base of his cock as he could feel the last of the waves grow slower and weaker. He dropped his head back down to the surface of the crate and respired rapidly as he felt the wolf's cock continue to leak its fluids into him. "Oh my love..." Mark said as he stroked the cheek of the lupine.
Jacob relaxed his grip on the lion and let his shoulder go. He breathed deep before resting his head next to the lion's As he rested he heard Mark speak, "I love you, Jacob." "I love you too, Mark," He said before he kissed his mate deeply.
"We will now be rerouting to our approach for Red Fang Field Delta," the pilot said over the intercom. Jacob and Mark turned to each other with puzzled looks on their faces as they went over the report Mark had been examining earlier. They returned to their seats and strapped their belts on. "I know that there will be a vehicle waiting for us when we land," Mark said as he looked to the wolf. "But why can't we land in New York?" Jacob asked him as the vehicle shook and began it's decent. The Black Eagle cruised lower to the airfield and touched down to the runway. As the vehicle began to slow dramatically, air hugging close to the fuselage made it vibrate as the tires and wings worked together to bring them to a taxi speed. Mark unhooked his belt and exhaled as one of the furs came to him and handed him a report. "Sir, HQ has an order from Agent 63 Gamma stating that all field agents are to be on guard against U.S. military forces," the attendant said as he stood before the lion. "What do you mean?" Jacob said as rose from his seat. "Six command posts have been raided and captured. The one in West Virginia was the last one reported," he said as the vehicle stopped.
Mark turned to Jacob in disbelief, being met by the same look. "How are we getting to Los Angeles?" Jacob asked as he retrieved the lion's jacket. "We have a vehicle here to drive you to the New Jersey station for transport," he said as another attendant handed the lion another report. "Agent 186 Zeta has already made preparations for it once she found out that the chief is currently not at capacity to give orders since he was in surgery and when the West Virginia post fell," the other attendant said. Mark handed over the reports to the lupine after reading it. He advanced to the door of the craft and opened it. Jacob read over it briefly as he followed the cat out into the darkness of the airfield.
"Looks right," the fox said as he looked upon a map he had on him. The fox was on top of a lamppost in a dimly lit suburb a good four miles from where he needed to be. He leaped down to the sidewalk below and began to walk in the direction of where he would wait. As he did, he reached into his pocket and fished out the small stone of purified Dekoret. "How are you doing?" Xavier grinned as he ran his paw across one of the faces of the stone, "You should be happy, today is going to be a wonderful day." He chuckled as he gazed upon the gleaming gem and placed it once more into his pocket. As he looked along the various street signs he grinned, taking in the environment around him.
Mark exhaled as he stepped onto the cold cement that greeted him on the opposite side of the transport. Jacob soon followed after and stood in silence as the furs around them rose from where they sat. Immediately a team began to shut down the transport as on soldier walked up to the lupine. "Sir, we have everything ready and set for you," he said before being pushed aside. "We won't be needing your help," Jacob said as he walked over to a table that had been setup with equipment for the lion and himself. "But sir," the soldier said as he turned to Mark, "We have been ordered to accompany you." "And we have decided that rather than have many casualties we will do this on our own. We don't know what we are going against exactly, so this is what we have decided is best," Mark said as he too walked over to where Jacob stood and began to assemble his own equipment. Jacob loaded a clip into a handgun and pulled the action back, locking a bullet into the chamber. He then began to assemble various rifles for himself and Mark before changing into more appropriate attire. As they changed, Mark spoke to the soldier, "We're going to handle this alone. That's an order." The soldier nodded and reached for a set of keys on his waist. "Thank you," the lupine said as the soldier approached him with the keys. "That will be all we need from you all. You are all to report back to HQ due to the recent events of command posts being captured," The lion said as he shouldered a number of guns and followed the lupine out through a door.
"Mark," Jacob said as they walked down a hallway, "can you activate the tracking device in Wolfe's car?" "Yes. I can," Mark said as he pulled out his cellphone and activated an application. The lupine pushed open a door and began to walk through the parking lot to a black SUV. Unlocking the doors, he pulled off the rifles from Mark's shoulder and loaded them onto the gun rack in the back seat. "His car is still at the school," Mark said as he climbed into the passenger seat. "Good," Jacob said as he started the vehicle and drove off, "as long as he doesn't expose himself then we should be able to stop Xavier. The Dekoret is probably going to be very unstable in him that he can't just appear anymore unless he uses the stone." Jacob now accelerated down a quiet street and towards the interstate. "He would have to fuse the stone with himself when he has a high enough toxin level anyways or it'll just kill him. He has no way to read it off anyways," Mark said with confidence. "We'll see what we find and if we can just end this now," Jacob said as he glanced to the screen of Mark's phone.
The buses pulled into the rounded circle drop zone in front of Shadow Cascade Academy High School at eleven in the evening. The lights inside the buses flickered on above the mixture of tired and sleeping furs that would rather go to bed or continue their slumber. Scott had his arms around Jeff who had fallen asleep holding onto him. "Jeff, come on. We're back home," The panther said as he tried to wake the slumbering pup. Jeff opened his eyes before covering them and trying to go back to sleep. The panther chuckled as he helped the ferret sit up and began to gather their things. Wolfe and Alex sat with eyes heavy in exhaustion in their seat, looking upon the furs all beginning to file out of the buss. "I want to go back to bed," Alex said as he turned and buried in the lupine's jacket. "Me too," Jeff said as he climbed over his seat and into the fox's lap, the fox.
Before long they made their way off the bus, with much disappointment. As they trudged up the stairs to the front of the school they carried their belongings with them. Inside the front atrium awaited Jessica and Edward. "Hey guys," Wolfe said with exhaustion in his tone. They all followed together through the corridors to the Performing Arts building. Furs were moving in and out of the doors having made sure to check in with Douglas and Antonio as they left. "Well, at least we have the rest of the weekend," Edward said with relief. Wolfe looked around the room and then to Alex; he stood in a daze as furs waved and said goodbye to him. "You two should get going," Jessica said as she walked back with Scott. "Jess said she'd get me home so you can head off now," The panther said as he shouldered his bag. With that Wolfe walked to the fox and extended his paw. Alex nodded and took it in his, reaching for his bags. They began to say their goodbyes to one another. "We should get together this weekend," Scott said as he gave the fox a hug. "Sounds like a plan to me," the fox said with a laugh as Jeff appeared out of nowhere and latched onto the fox's waist. The group chuckled as the ferret held tight and had to be pulled off by the panther. After a circle of goodbyes Wolfe and Alex headed over to William and Antonio to check in and be on their way. "Drive safe,' William said as he patted the fox's ears. "I will, sir," Wolfe said as the badger patted his ears and he took Alex's paw in his own.
The two waved goodbye and walked down the hall to head over to the parking structure. "So do you want to come over tonight handsome?" The lupine asked as he held the door open for Alex, walking into the large expanse of grass, structures, and hills between them and the parking structure. The snow on the grass was beginning cause a frost layer that held a tight grip to every blade. The two walked slowly across the commons as the sky began to release a mixture of sleet and snow. "I still haven't heard from my mom and dad," Alex said as he reached for the door to the parking garage. "Neither have I from my Dad and Mark," The lupine followed. As they stepped into the elevator, Wolfe checked his cell phone; still nothing in the means of an SMS message or an email. He let out a dissatisfied sigh as the elevator slowed to a stop and shifted its doors open. Wolfe could spot his car in the distance amongst others who were still waiting for their owners to claim them. "Here we go," the lupine said as the trunk popped open for them to load their luggage.
With luggage in, Alex slammed the trunk door shut and gave the lupine a hug. Wolfe wrapped his arms around the fox, bringing him closer and caressing his head fur. "Come on now, let's get home," he said soothingly to the fox before kissing him on top of his head. The two climbed into the black vehicle and buckled in. Once Wolfe started the car, he shifted into reverse to back out. After shifting into first gear, Alex rested his paw on the lupine's arm and smiled. The lupine returned it as he accelerated.
"He's moving toward home still!" Mark exclaimed as he turned to the lupine. "Fuck," was all Jacob could say as he noted that they were still four miles from the school. Mark looked out along the freeway as he heard his phone begin to buzz and vibrate. "It's Wolfe," the lion said as he quickly answered the phone. Static filled the earpiece briefly as he shouted hello to the pup. "Mark! Finally I can get ahold of you." Wolfe said as he stopped his car and exited into a liquor store. "Wolfe, listen to me. You're not safe. Stay where you are!" Mark said through static that chopped his words. "I can't understand you, I think some towers got damaged from the earthquake," Wolfe said through the high-pitched pulses of sound. "Stay w-" was all Wolfe heard as his phone cut out. "FUCK!" Mark shouted as he threw his phone at the dashboard. "Where is he?" Jacob barked. "It sounds like he got out of his car and was inside a building," Mark said as he programmed the nearest convenience stores to where they lived into the GPS on the dashboard. "Pull up his tracking, we're not that far from where he might be," Jacob said as he sped off of the freeway off ramp.
Wolfe slid his card and entered his pin number on the terminal after he hung up his phone. Mark's voice was entirely unclear through all of the static that he couldn't understand a single word. "Thank you, sir," the lupine said as he took the bag that had a bottle of soda for the fox and himself in it from the cashier. He walked slowly out to his car where Alex sat waiting for Wolfe to return. "Here you are," Wolfe said as he handed the fox a cold bottle of Pepsi. "Thank you," he responded. They snapped off the lids and drank the drinks before Wolfe spoke. "Mark called me," the lupine stated. "He did? Wow, finally," the fox said as he took a drink of his beverage. "Yeah. The only problem is that I couldn't make out a word he said," the wolf said as he then gulped down the rest of his drink. "Well, I know Jessica said that she heard a bunch of towers got messed up and signals are really bad now," Alex said as he capped the now empty bottle. Wolfe nodded as he closed off his own and put it back into the bag along with the fox's. "I just hope they can get home eventually when they lift the air travel ban," Wolfe said as he started his car. "Me too," Alex said as he buckled his belt before the lupine began to drive down the road again. The lupine began to drive along the street towards his home. He shifted into gear and reached for the fox's paw. He took it in his own and squeezed it affectionately. "Love you," Alex said as he wagged his tail. "Love you too," Wolfe said before he turned his attention back to the road. As he continued, he noticed that a fox was standing in the median of the street, facing towards him. "Shit!" Wolfe shouted as he slammed on the brakes
Xavier walked down the well-lit strip of road towards where he knew they would come. "I can't wait to play with the cute puppy," he snickered as he saw headlights in the distance. He decided to stand on the median of the street and just watch as the wind blew across the ground. Slowly, the lights on the vehicle began to approach closer and closer. Inside the car were two passengers, a wolf and a fox. Xavier laughed as he heard the sound of screeching tires approaching in the opposite direction pull onto the street. "You're too late Jacob!" The fox shouted as he breathed deep and cast a burst of flames. The liquefied fire traveled to the car and pulled into the asphalt as the vehicle braked. The machine flew into the air before turning over on its side when it struck the ground, sliding and tearing into the cars parked along the side.
Jacob cried out as he saw the black Mustang fly into the air and fall onto its roof on the side of the road. The lupine immediately stopped the car and turned to the lion. "You get the boys. I'm taking car of this fox," Jacob said as he threw open his door and broke into a run towards the fox. "Jacob!" The lion called out to the lupine, but was ignored. The lion cursed to himself as he reached for an assault rifle in the back seat and climbed out of the SUV. He circled around to the driver's side and looked towards the vehicle that the two were in. He could see that their airbags deployed, but they lay motionless. Mark could see Jacob cast a wall of flames towards the fox to form a barrier. "Seems to be my best chance now," Mark said as he quickly ran towards the car and hugged close against the driver's side. Rain began to sprinkle more as he mustered his strength to tear open the driver's side door. In the vehicle he could see the young lupine's lifeless body hanging in by the seatbelt. The lion pulled out a knife and cut away the seat belt, grabbing hold of the wolf as he became freed.
On Wolfe's face he could see a heavy cut along his right eye, blood seeping from the wound. "Fuck," Mark said as he lifted the pup and set him on the ground to check him. He was breathing, but shallowly. Quickly he tore off a section of his shirt and placed on the wolf's eye to absorb the blood. The lion then positioned the wolf on his side before climbing back into the car to retrieve the fox. Alex was wedged in-between the dashboard and his seat snuggly, making his retrieval difficult. He tore the seatbelt with his knife and pulled the fox's lifeless body out as a loud cracking went off behind him.
Jacob cast flames to shield the wreckage and Mark from the fox. A wall of fire burst forth to a staggering twenty feet above the ground. The grumbling sound of thunder echoed in the distance as Xavier chuckled, slowly stepping toward the lupine. "Now I have you and your pup," the fox said as he continued to stare down the wolf. "You can't win this Jonathan," Jacob said as he drew his gun and aimed at the fox, "I'm not going to let you." "It's too late. I will get what I want from you," the fox said as he stood in place, "All I have to do is use this and then I can take back what everyone has taken from me." Xavier reached into his pocket and pulled out the small stone of Dekoret, showing the lupine what he had succeeded in creating. "You know that the chances of it working are slim. It's a fools chance," Jacob said as he planted his foot paws to the ground. "You continue to amuse me Jacob. It's empty, all I have to do is force my will into this small gem and everything will be lost," The fox said as he snickered before lunging at the lupine. Jacob quickly dodged and fired three rounds at the fox before he leapt out of the fox's next attack.
"You can't win this because I wont let you!" Jacob called out as he sent a string of crashing electricity at the fox. Xavier dodged before brandishing his own blade and swinging at the lupine. The wolf thought quickly and in a flash of light materialized his own weapon, grinding the searing titanium of his own blade against the fox's. The fox chuckled before he kicked the lupine in the gut, sending Jacob flying across the ground. As Jacob fell the fox stood over him and tried to bring his blade down upon him. The lupine closed his eyes and quickly vanished, Xavier's weapon striking into the black cement. Jacob stood at a farther distance, wiping the rain from his eyes before he cast a streak of burning light towards the fox. The fox cried out in pain as the light hit him in his chest, causing him to fall to the ground. "You wont stop me no matter what you try," Xavier said as he staggered while rising from pavement.
They stared each other down in the falling rain, waiting for the other to make a move. Jacob gripped hold of his gun tightly in his paw as he exhaled. The rain began to let up slowly as they watched on another. Slowly, Xavier walked over to his weapon and pulled it out of the ground, the lupine watching in motions. "Do you know why I am doing this?" The fox asked as the rain fell harder. "Because you feel like because of what happened to you with the Dekoret testing you should take everyone with you for what has happened," the wolf replied as he aimed his gun and held his own blade to the side at the ready. "You sure are a smart one, Jacob. I thought I would give you the respect of killing off your boy with you being able to watch," he said as he looked up into the air and brushed his head fur from his eyes, "Then I get to kill you in the process." The fox looked back to the lupine once again and reached into his pocket and withdrew the stone. He raised it once again to show the lupine before it began to glow with the burning light of the sun. Jacob closed his eyes to shield himself from the intensity as it shined across the area. "I'm tired of trying to just get rid of you first, so I'll just take care of this now and take you with me," Xavier said as his body glowed with shades of violet.
The wolf covered his eyes as the stone began to break down and release its vitality to merge with Xavier's. Jacob made his move quickly, lunging with a brandished fist to the stone as it approached the fox, striking it with all of his might and bravery.
Mark carried Wolfe's limp body to the rear seats of the vehicle and carefully laid him inside. As he turned he look out upon Jacob and Xavier, starring each other down with burning intensity. Mark then moved back to the wreckage to retrieve Alex. As he lifted the fox's body, the area was filled with a burning white light. The lion clenched his eyes shut, twisting his body towards the wreckage to protect his eyes from the potency of the glow. Mark quickly pulled the body close to his chest before he turned to face the two figures. "Jacob!" The lion shouted as he could see one figure merge with the other. Mark shielded his eyes as the light grew brighter and waves of energy pulsed from where the fox and the wolf stood with the burning light of the sun. Rainwater sprayed across his face as it was hurled away from where they were with flourishes of purple and white light streaking across the sky; the echo of booming energy advancing across the landscape.
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Next up, the final chapter for this series. Epilogue - Remnants of Hope
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All characters, structure, scenario, and plot © 2011, 2013 Wolfe Dimitrivich Escada aka XenialShadow
All artists, music, brand names, company names, slogans, registers, and trademarks are copyright to their respective entities and used only to enhance the story.
The majority of the story is purely fictitious and is not to be taken into account in the event of coincidental reality.
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