The Blood Bar
#9 of Chronicles of Sonic Fox
This story is rated "Y" for Yiffy. Reader discretion is advised. I sat in the lounge area of my ship, dressed in full armor, sitting in a chair next to the large black table, resting my left arm on the table top as I played with the computer screen on my armor. It had been a slow week, with no happenings whatsoever since Alex came aboard; after my early morning workout and training exercise, I was trying to find something to do when I realized I had barely used this thing on my arm for quite some time. This armor belonged to my father, so it had to have some interesting information, maybe even concerning The Remnant. I must've sat there for two hours, just surfing through the seemingly endless files, trying to find some worthwhile information. Finally, just when I was beginning to think I wouldn't find anything, I found an audio file that was titled, "Journal 1." "Hey Nik," Alex called out from the other side of the room. I turned around and saw both Alex and Gene standing over in the kitchen area, each holding a bottle of water in their hands. "Do you ever wear anything aside from your armor?" "Hey, I'm wearing a shirt and some pants; since when are you so interested in my fashion sense?" I replied. "What are you up to?" Gene asked, moving alongside Alex as they sat down at the table on opposite sides of me, staring at the arm console. "I think I found one my dad's journals," I answered, staring at the screen. "Really," Gene said, "Well, what does it say?" "I was just about to find that out myself," I replied, touching the journal icon on the screen. The screen changed and displayed some kind of sound mixer; you know, those things you see sometimes when you put a music CD into a computer. As the journal began, I could not help but gawk at the sound of my father's voice; it had been so long, and I was overjoyed to hear his deep but somewhat elegant speech. "I have finally taken the time to make a journal entry. I used to have many more when I was still a member of The Remnant, but I have deleted all of them; I don't want to remember what I've done. It has been over three years since I left The Remnant, and when I met my wife, Alice; I have no idea how I managed to live without her for so long. At first, I felt guilty about bringing her along with me to other dimensions, but after seeing how well she handles herself, and manages to keep my equipment in one piece, I can't help but think I made the right choice; she even does a good job with my injuries, though my healing ability is more than capable of keeping alive, but I think she enjoys being close to me." "Now, I am pleased to say that five nights ago I preformed my people's mating ritual, which allows Alice to be my mate; I am also enthusiastic to hear that she is now pregnant. I can't believe that one day I'm going to be a father, and yet...I fear for my wife and child. The life my offspring will have to live in, one of obscurity and fear, is something I never wished they would have to endure. I am worried, however, about how The Remnant will react if they discover this; Omni Dragon will no doubt want the child to serve him, and he has the power to do so. As omnipotent as the dragon is, I am more concerned about the others. I know that Seductress Tigress and Shadow Cat won't turn me in, but they are still honor bound to Omni Dragon, meaning I can't trust them with this information, not yet. I do know, however, that Shadow Cat is in debt to me for discovering a serum for him that allows a vampire to become temporarily immune to all weaknesses they have, even sunlight; it was a simple formula that I have saved in this computer and the chemicals can be found anywhere, though how Shadow Cat managed to turn it into a permanent cure I have no clue as to how he did it. I am fully aware that all the others are out hunting for me, and wish me and my wife dead." "I know for a fact that Guardian Bear, now half cybernetic, is dying to get back at me for what I did to him; still, a near invulnerable giant is not my biggest concern. Hunter Jackal and Razor Cougar are also searching for me; those two just live for the bloodshed, and I have to insure they never find my mate and child. Then there's Sky Coyote; he's the one who rules over the aforementioned members of The Remnant, though he still answers to Omni Dragon. I don't know why the two of us had bad blood between us; maybe it's just the natural way wolves and coyotes feel about one another." "But despite all of these opponents, none of them strike more fear in my heart than Omni Dragon's assassin; Stealth Viper. This snake is blessed with the perfect art of thievery and assassination; he once took out an entire fortress of 350 well trained soldiers and killed every last one of them without being spotted. If Omni Dragon sends him to find me, then I fear he will somehow discover my family and use them as bait; if this happens and he should succeed in besting me, I will take solace in the fact that he doesn't kill unauthorized targets, thus protecting my mate and child. I must go now; this recording has lowered my spirits, and I just want to be with my wife." "Wow," Gene said as the recording ended, "That was a long time ago." "Yeah, it was from before I was even born," I muttered in wonder. "Who were those two your father mentioned," Alex interrupted, "You know; Sky Coyote and Stealth Viper?" "I don't know," I admitted, "I've never seen either of those two before." "They must be pretty strong if your dad was concerned about them," Gene added. "Well, they're not invincible," I stated. As soon as I had said that, I felt that all too familiar tingling in my markings; I could feel the pull of another dimension. "And it looks like we've got work to do."
The three of us walked down the darkened streets of the city, looking for a place that was bound to be filled with people that wasn't closed for the evening. The dimension we arrived in was similar to my own world, but was inhabited by furries; personally, I liked these simple worlds the most. So far, nothing seemed to be going on, despite some punks running around the streets; I really wished things would be different every time I went somewhere, instead of all this searching only to fall into a trap. "Hey guys," a cheetah called out, leaning against the wall of a building in the alleyway, "You lookin' for some late night fun?" "Sorry, you're cute, but we'll pass," Gene answered sarcastically. "Funny," the cheetah said with a fake laugh, "So do you wanna go to a cool hangout or what?" "If it'll make you shut up," Alex grumbled. "What was that?" the cheetah sneered. "Look, stop talking and show us this "cool hangout" of yours," I growled irritably. "Whoa, chill foxy," the cheetah said coolly. The cheetah turned and faced a large metallic door that was right next to where he was loitering; with three quick raps, the door slowly opened with a screech. The cheetah gestured for us to go inside, smiling in an eerie way; I flashed Gene and Alex quick glances to see if they were okay with going right into a possible lion's den, and, naturally, they just smiled back. As the three of us crossed the threshold, the cheetah followed close behind us, shutting the metal door with a deafening bang. The only light we had we're these red glowing lights that were strung along this labyrinth like tunnel; I had no idea what this place was, but I was glad to be armed and surrounded with friends. It was very dark in the tunnel, and very cold, too; each time we passed under a red light I could see my breath billowing out of my nostrils like red smoke. Finally after what felt like five minutes of walking through the chilly passageway, we finally came to another door, this one slightly smaller than the last one, and the cheetah opened it for us once more. The room was filled with flashing lights and thundering techno music; all around immense area many furs were dancing to the beat, some with drinks in their hands while others ground themselves into some random partner. Cautiously, Alex, Gene, and I followed after the cheetah, who was cutting a path through the thick crowd of raving furs and making his way to a less crowded area. After getting pushed, shoved, bumped into, and stepped on, the three of us managed to gain some elbow room as we moved to where the cheetah was standing. The cheetah nudged a skinny looking badger who was talking to a hyena and a dingo, nodding to us with a grin; the other three smiled as well and slowly made their way to us. "So, do you like the party?" the cheetah asked. "It's alright," Alex muttered nonchalantly. "Good," the cheetah uttered, stepping closer to us with his friends, "We like to have our guests be as comfortable as possible, so they can say that they had the best time of their lives." "Really," Gene whispered, tensing up. I could see Alex become more alert as well; it was obvious that these anthros meant us harm. "Something tells me they didn't leave here," I said bluntly, keeping my eyes on the cheetah. Although we were ready for a fight, the odd thing was that they didn't seem to be armed. "Wow, you're almost as smart as your mouth!" The cheetah lunged forward, jaws parting as he attempted to grasp my shoulders and bite my neck; my hand shot out on instinct and pushed against his chest, keeping him from sinking his teeth into me. As the cheetah struggled to get close, I noticed something was off setting about his teeth; the feline had two oversized fangs that formed into vicious points, and as he wheezed in my face I could pick up the smell of blood on his breath. We had been lured into a vampire hideout. With my other hand, I grabbed the back of the cheetah's neck, getting a good fistful of fur and flesh; it only took one good yank to break his hold, leaving the feline vulnerable. My right hand clenched into a fist and slammed into the cheetah's stomach. As the vampire doubled over, I dragged him over close to the wall and smashed his face into it. The cheetah clutched his nose as it dribbled blood, whimpering as I held him tightly by the back of his neck; I glanced back to see Gene pinning the badger with one swift move while Alex held the hyena and the dingo in a headlock. As we held our attackers, I noticed something odd; the rave music was no longer playing. I turned around and saw that every single fur was glaring at us, mouths opened in vicious snarls, exposing their fangs; there were far too many for the three of us to take on. "Wait, wait," someone called out from the crowd; everyone turned to see a silver dragon make his way through the crowd. The dragon was roughly 5'5'', dressed in a black shirt and black pants, his body complete with wings, a long scaly tail, a well built physique, and reverse-jointed legs; on his forearms were what looked like short curved blades that seemed to be a part of his body. The dragon made his way to us and, with a wink, turned to the crowd. "These are guests of a friend of mine; I'm betting these four tried to feed on them, so they got what they deserved," the dragon explained. There were some murmurs of disagreement, which the dragon picked up. "Of course, you can always take it up with him if you'd like," the silver dragon stated. As if they lost their nerve, the mob turned around and continued to rave, forgetting about us instantly. The silver dragon turned to face us, smiling broadly. "Well thank god that's over; you guys need to be careful about coming into a place like this." "You're not one of them are you," Alex asked, dropping his victims, "You don't have any fangs." "Nope, I'm normal, but enough talk; we need to get to my friend before someone decides to grow a pair and bite us," the silver dragon said as he walked off to a hallway. Gene released the badger and I let go of the cheetah, following the dragon close with Alex bringing up the rear. "Name's Shawn by the way," the dragon added. "Thanks for the help, Shawn," I replied, "I'm Sonic Fox, and these two are Gene and Fireman." "Codenames, huh," Shawn called back, looking at the numbers on the doors we passed by, "Well maybe you'll tell my friend your real names." Shawn stopped in front of a door marked "B-234" and opened it; it was dark inside, and it was just as cold as the rest of this place. "Come on in," Shawn invited. I gave him a serious stare, "If this turns out to be a trap, it'll be your last." "Hey, who just saved your fluffy blue tail from getting drained dry," Shawn answered irritably. Knowing the dragon deserved my trust, I went inside the dark room with Gene and Alex behind me. Shawn stepped inside and closed the door; as the door shut, a red light turned on from up above, revealing three other furs sitting at a table in the center of the room. Shawn walked over to the table and sat in the booth with the others; there were two females, an Akita and a German Shepherd, and one male, a large black scaled dragon with large wings and even bigger blades on his elbows than Shawn's. All three of them looked up, the black dragon removing his mouth from a bloody spot on the Akita's arm. "I see you managed to get lured into the Blood Bar," the black dragon stated with a smirk, wiping the red liquid from his mouth, "The name's Jim, or Jimmy; the Akita is Keara and the German Shepherd is Layla; you've already met Shawn, I take it?" "Yeah," I muttered, moving into the opposite booth with Gene and Alex, "So are you three vampires?" "Nope," Keara answered quickly, "The only bloodsucker here is Jimmy." "You're so sweet," Jimmy said sarcastically. "You guys aren't from around here; what brings you to this city?" "Business," Alex answered, "Looking for some friends that look like my fellow vulpine here." "Well, I never seen any blue furs around here," Layla replied, "And I'm sure people would've been talking about them if they've seen them." "Well I'm sure they're here," I remarked. "Well, your gonna have to stay here with us if you don't want to lose a couple quarts of blood," Jimmy said as he took a drink of water, "This place doubles as a safe house for vampires when daylight comes; it'll be safe for you to leave when they've gone to sleep." "Well, if we're gonna stay here," Gene sighed, slumping in his seat, "I guess we better get comfortable." "Oh don't worry," Shawn interjected, "Daylight's coming within the next hour or so-." Without warning, there came a loud screeching noise from the ceiling; as we covered our ears, we looked up to see an intercom speaker directly above us. "Attention," a masculine, yet frightened voice said over the intercom, "The Blood Bar has been infiltrated by an unknown assailant; the intruder is believed to be armed and dangerous. We have already indentified three injured patrons, and now we ask that everyone calmly depart to the subway tunnels and return to your homes. I repeat, evacuate into the-" The voice was cut off and all we could hear was what sounded like a struggle, followed by a gasp and then a thud. "Ssssssonic Foxsssss," a low, raspy voice hissed over the intercom; the intercom screeched then died, leaving the seven of us in stunned silence. "What the hell was that?" Shawn asked. "Trouble," Jimmy answered, rising out of his seat. "Shawn, I want you to take the girls and get out of here; I'll deal with this guy." "Are you sure, man?" Shawn asked. "I think I can handle this," Jimmy said with a grin. Shawn smiled back and nodded, taking the two canines by the hand and leading them out the door. "You sure they'll be safe from the others?" Gene asked. "The patrons know they are my friends, and none would dare try to feast on them," Jimmy replied. "As for you three, you may want to follow their lead." "No way," I stated, "Whoever's here is after me; they won't stop until we come face to face." "Well then, I guess we'd better stick together so you don't get lost in this place," Jimmy said jokingly. With a small smile and a quick nod, I started to move slowly behind the dragon with Gene and Alex on either side of me. Jimmy stepped lightly out the door, looking down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. The four of us walked down the hallway, casting our gazes all about for any sign of the assailant. Jimmy led us into the previous room Gene, Alex, and I were in. "Let's split up, but check on each other often," Alex whispered. We did just that; Jimmy moving to the bar area, Gene to the entrance, Alex going to the second floor, and I went towards the dance floor. I drew my blaster and scanned the whole area; all that could be found were broken glasses, articles of clothing, and a number of different fluids pooling on the floor and moving towards the large drain in the middle. Lowering my gun slightly, I moved over to where the DJ was standing, checking out the spot for clues when I noticed a small knife sticking into the metal floor; I bent down and wrenched it from the floor, looking it over for blood. "Nik look out!" Gene yelled from across the room. I turned my head just in time to see a slender figure raise an obsidian short sword with a hiss; instinctively, I leapt off the DJ platform and rolled on the ground, narrowly avoid the blade from piercing my head. I picked myself up just as the others came to my side and gazed at my attacker. The figure leapt on top of the mixer console and slowly stood upright, hissing as it did. The attacker was a creature I had never seen before; the long whip like tail, the slim yet toned arms and legs, and a pointed head on top of a long flexible neck helped me realize that this assassin was a snake anthro. The snake was outfitted in a flexible, slightly armored suit that covered him from head to toe, a black harness clung to his chest, adorned with small cylinders of some sort; I could feel his unblinking eyes staring at me through the blacked-out eye-visor on the mask. "So you're the one who killed the party, huh," Jimmy asked lightheartedly, "Not cool man." The snake simply stood still, hissing through its mask, staring right at me. "I take it your with The Remnant," Alex called out. Again, the figure did nothing but hiss and stare at me, the long tail slowly moving. "Hey Nik," Gene mumbled, "Remember what your father said on that journal? I think this is the guy he feared so much; Stealth Viper." "You're Omni Dragon's assassin?" I asked, trying to get the snake to do something; the way he stared at me was unnerving to say the least. Viper slowly brought on hand up before him and pointed at me with one finger. "Ssssssecure target; othersssss unimportant." "Unimportant," Jimmy growled, "Well we'll see about that." The black dragon flexed his arms and the blades on his arms became longer, forming two viscous edges. "Impressive, but the three of you will be dealing with us," came a familiar voice from behind. We all turned around to see Shadow Cat, Guardian Bear, and Kairn standing in fighting stances. "I don't see why I can't fight the fox myself," Bear growled. "Because you failed miserably and now it's Viper's turn," Cat replied smugly. Bear glared at him, but did not argue; instead he pointed at Alex with a razor claw. "In that case, I'll take that fox instead," Bear said with a savage grin. "Gene's mine, as usual," Kairn sneered, clacking his claws together as he cracked his knuckles. "Then I suppose I'll take my fellow night dweller," Cat announced, drawing his rapier from his belt. Gene, Alex, and Jimmy moved away from me and towards their designated opponents, spreading out for the inevitable fight. Alex and Bear were the first to attack; Bear attempted to swipe at the fox with his great metallic arm, which Alex ducked underneath and drew his great sword. Alex dashed forwards and swung with his sword, clanging against Bear's metal arm as he blocked just in time. With his free hand, Bear grabbed Alex and flung him into the air; amazingly, the fox managed to flip and land neatly on his feet, grinning smugly. "That the best you got?" Alex called out mockingly. "You wish," Bear growled, advancing towards him once more. Gene and Kairn meet with a clash of steel on claws, the two of them swiping, ducking, and stabbing at one another viciously. Kairn smashed his left hand and thrust his palm into Gene's face; the human staggered backwards, covering his face as Kairn rushed towards him, his right hand balled into a fist and ignited. At the last second, Gene leaned back, dodging the punch, and countered with a swift uppercut that sent Kairn to the ground. The winged blood red fox picked himself up slowly, snarling angrily as Gene readied himself for another attack. Meanwhile, Shadow Cat strolled casually towards Jim the vampire dragon who stood at the ready, his arm blades poised in a defensive position. "Are you ready, my friend," Cat asked, tapping the point of his rapier on the ground. "Bring it," Jim growled; the dragon cracked his fists and they became alight with, just as Kairn would do. The large dragon ran towards Cat, leaping into the air just as he came close to him. Jim brought his blades down as he descended, but Cat danced backwards, dodging the blades as the points screeched on the floor. With the dragon open to attack, Cat moved in and thrust forward with his rapier; in an amazing display of speed, Jim bought one blade up to block the rapier whilst he rose to his feet and slashed backwards at the feline with the other. Cat managed to dodge the slash, but in a split second, Jim rushed over to him and slammed an ignited fist into the side of Cat's head. Cat backed away, holding his aching head as Jim waited for him to recover, brushing the char from his head fur. "Too much?" asked Jim with a grin. Cat smiled back, "Can't you do any better?" The dragon and cat started to close in on each other, slowly circling as they scanned each other for an opening. I turned my attention back to Viper, who had been standing in the same spot without moving an inch. "So, it's just you and me, huh," I said, keeping my blaster down at my side, waiting for a chance to end this with one shot. Viper hissed, moving his free hand behind him; the snake pulled out a small black cylinder with a short blade that shortly shot out from it. "Are you even going to say something, or just hiss at me?" I asked irritably. "Wordssss are meaninglesssss in a fight," Viper rasped out. "You make a good point," I stated. I brought my hand up, aiming at the snake and firing off three shots. The snake threw himself down on his stomach, easily avoiding the blaster shots, and slithering on the ground at me with lightening speed. I tried to aim my blaster down at the snake, but in a flash the snake rose to his feet right in front of me and brought his fist crashing into my shoulder; even with my armor, it was enough to make me lose my grip on my blaster. Viper's tail then quickly wrapped around it and wrenched it from my grasp, tossing it across the room. Shaking my hand in disbelief, Viper took a step back and twirled his twin obsidian short swords. "Firearmssss are for the weak," Viper hissed fiercely, "Draw your father'sssss blade." "Fine," I growled, grabbing my sword from my belt and unsheathing the blade, "At least this way I get the satisfaction of watching you die up close." I ran towards the snake, blade at the ready; Viper raised his blades up to block, ready for the strike. I saw this and moved to his side, hoping to catch him off guard, and thrust at his flank. The snake bent his back, dodging the sword point, and lashed out with a blade; I backed away before the blade could strike my face, having it instead scrape across my armored chest. Viper tilted his head and hissed softly, probably thinking as far as I could tell. Viper made the next move; spinning around once, the snake came at me with both blades coming down at different diagonal swipes. I raised up my sword and blocked the attack, our blades locked together. I pushed back at the snake, surprised by his strength, but I felt as though something was amiss. Viper freed one blade and tried to bring the point up under my muzzle; with a swift move, I leaned back, letting the blade pass in front of my face, and grasped the reptile's arm with one hand. Suddenly, somehow the snake managed to break the deadlock and spun to my back, grasping my sword arm with one hand and wrenching his other hand free from mine. I tried to desperately free myself, but the snake's grip was surprisingly strong. I felt the snake read out for my left arm and slide the armor plating off my suit's computer. Viper's finger's were a blur as he punched in God know what when my suit started to glue blue. I gazed in shock as my suit became transparent, only a shimmering outline of it lingering before the digital lines receded into the computer, leaving me standing there in only the pants I wore underneath and the part of the armor the computer was on. "You ssssshould learn more about your armor," Viper hissed, and then I felt a sharp prick in my neck that went away as soon as it had come. I felt a wave of nausea rush through me, my whole body starting to go numb. Viper released me, but I couldn't feel my legs so I ended up crashing to the floor. I began to feel incredibly tired; the shock of my armor disappearing into this one metal band on my left forearm where the computer was left my darkening mind in shambles. I tried to rise up, but my limbs wouldn't respond and I started to drift off into a sleepy state. "Ssssssedative adminisssssstered," Viper hissed, dropping what looked like one of the cylinders from his harness which I now realized were tranquilizers, "Assssssisssssting alliessssss with sssssssecondary targetssssss." The snake then pulled out some metal cord and tied it around my limp form, securing my arms to my sides before Viper walked off, blades back in his hands, leaving me helpless on the ground. I saw my friends fighting off their enemies, and I saw them trying to make their way over to me, but as I could do nothing as I drifted off to sleep; the last things I felt were the cold floor against my fur and flesh, my slow breathing, and a rapidly growing heat in my head.
My eyes snapped open and I glanced about; The Remnant scum were fighting off the fox's friends, their attention away from me. Grinning, I managed to lift up my upper body until I was resting on my knees; the transformation was quicker than I had expected, as my fur immediately turned black and my muscles rapidly growing. I grunted as my muscled arms and chest strained against the cord, digging into my flesh painfully; with a snarl and a short flexing of my muscles, the cord snapped and I was free. Everyone turned in my direction and gasped, amazed that I had transformed and freed myself so quickly. I reached down and picked up my sword, slowly rising to my feet; I realized from the torn pants and shirt I was wearing that my armor had vanished, leaving only the part that contained the computer, but paid it no mind. "What the hell is that?" Jim asked. "You got me," Alex answered, backing away slightly. "It's the wolf," Gene stated, "Nik's dark side; don't go anywhere near him or he'll attack you." I laughed at the human's explanation, amused by his wariness. I gazed at The Remnant members, my eye's narrowing into a glare. There were more of them this time, and now I had a chance to deal with them all at once, provided I wasn't incapacitated like the time the human knocked me out cold. I started to slowly walk towards them, sword point dragging against the floor. "So the wolf has finally decided to show itself," Cat stated. "Good," Bear laughed, "Now I can finally find out why Omni Dragon wants him alive so badly." I grinned, pointing my sword towards the four of them. "This time I won't stop until all of you are dead," I growled. I glanced over at the fox's allies, "And don't any of you try to stop me, or else." "Let's get this over with," Bear said darkly. "You guys go ahead," Kairn said, "This is your job; not mine." "Then leave," Bear roared, waving his hand and opening a portal. Kairn smiled and stepped into the portal as it closed behind him. "Worthless fox," Bear growled. "What a shame," I replied lightly, "You really could've used all the help you could get." "We'll see about that," Bear retaliated. The mechanized ursine started charging towards me, his cybernetic arm pulled back for a punch. As soon as Bear thrust his metal claws at me, I ducked underneath the blow and attacked; my claws and sword slashed at his metallic parts, cutting into the steel and severing the circuits, sending small sparks flying into the air. Bear leapt backwards, his cybernetic parts starting to twitch and go limp; the great blue ursine gawked at me in shock, trying to move away from me with only his natural limbs. "All that technology and you couldn't even handle a sword and my claws," I chided, slowly walking towards him, "How disappointing." Shadow Cat and Stealth Viper stepped in front of Bear, barring me from him. "Bear may have been a fool to attack you wildly," Cat muttered, brandishing his blade, "But you'll find us much harder to defeat." I chuckled at the feline's bravado. "You may be more of a challenge," I replied darkly, "But I will still defeat you with great ease." I stepped forward and slashed diagonally with my sword; the snake and the cat leapt away in two separate directions. Cat recovered and dashed to me; the feline swiped and thrust with his rapier, trying his best to hit me. I managed to dodge and block his attacks, but a few managed to slip by and make small flesh wounds that immediately healed. Cat clashed his rapier with my sword and twisted, trying to disarm me; I let go of the hilt and, as it spun in the air, slammed my fist into Cat's gut and caught it in the other hand. I lifted up the blade, ready to finish off the stunned feline, when I felt two sharp blades pierce me from behind. I looked down and saw Viper's two obsidian blades sticking out of my torso, covered in blood and fur. I gasped once, which was difficult with the blades going through my lungs, dropped my sword, and kicked out with one leg, knocking Viper away; reaching back behind me with both hands, I grasped the hilts of the short swords and pulled hard, feeling the metal recede back into my body and finally slip out my back with a sickening sound. I coughed up some blood from my lungs and glanced down at the two holes in my chest; the red blood that was pouring from the wounds stopped and turned black. The dark liquid then began to recede back into my wounds, closing them up completely as the last drop reentered the holes. I sucked in a deep breath of air, enjoying my fully healed lungs, and turned to face the reptile that had stabbed me. "Imposssssible," Viper hissed in astonishment. I grinned at the snake, still holding his shorts swords in my hands. "You three have absolutely no idea what you are dealing with," I snarled, "Let me just show you exactly why you should fear me." I brought both of Viper's blades together, crossing them over each other and pressing them together tightly; with one swift movement, I scrapped the blades against each other and an arc of energy emitted from both swords. Viper ducked underneath the arcs, dropping to his stomach; the energy continued onwards and smashed into the wall, leaving two deep diagonal slash marks on the wall behind the snake. Bear and Cat stared at me in bewilderment; I couldn't tell what Viper was feeling at that moment, however. "That power," Bear uttered wide-eyed, "That was one of Razor Cougar's." "So that's who it belonged to," I said slightly amused, "Although I suspected it was his beforehand." "How could you possibly posses his power?" Cat asked. "Omni Dragon never told you the other reason why he wants the fox, did he?" I replied smiling. "He doesn't just want him for me, but because of his power to acquire the powers of any of our kind he kills; however, I have taken it for myself, and even though he will kill your allies, I will get the powers. I do not know why the dragon decided to keep you in the dark, but you won't get the chance to question him once I use your allies' powers against you!" Growling, I threw both of the short swords in different directions; one towards Viper, the other Bear. Bear raised his metallic arm just in time to have the blade lodge itself to the hilt in it, while Viper moved to one side and allowed the blade to clang against the wall behind him. Viper dashed over to where his sword struck the wall and quickly grasped it in his hand, staying where he was to keep a safe distance from me. With an amused laugh, I picked up my own sword and held it at the ready; focusing on my new power, I made a vertical slash and created an arc of energy that threatened to behead the snake. Viper leapt over the arc, his feet and tail clearing it neatly, and landed gracefully. The snake wasted no time in trying to rush me, zigzagging in random patterns to try and throw me off; before the snake could reach me, I smiled and triggered my other power, courtesy of Hunter Jackal. My body quickly became transparent, so much so that by the time Viper was with ten feet of me, I was completely invisible. Viper stopped in his tracks, glancing all about him and hissing angrily. I moved silently around him, making my way to his back; once close behind him, I thrust my sword forward, aiming for his spine. Surprisingly, the snake immediately blocked the blade with his one short sword, spinning around to face me; my sword's edge, however, sliced through Viper's harness, causing it to fall to the ground along with a dozen of the tranquilizers he used on Sonic Fox. The snake leapt backwards from me, staring through his mask. "Unexsssspected complicationssss," Viper hissed, "Misssssssion abort." No sooner had the snake said that, Shadow Cat waved his hand and opened a portal, helping the crippled Guardian Bear into the blue tunnel first. Viper dashed past me and headed straight for the portal, Cat already entering before him. "You damn cowards!" I bellowed, disengaging my camouflage and charging after them. I thundered towards them, but the snake had already jumped into the vortex and closed it behind him, leaving me panting and fuming. "How am I suppose to kill them when all they do is run?!" I heard faint footsteps and whirled around, seeing the human, the fox, and the black dragon approaching me cautiously. "What the hell are you exactly," the human asked. "A shadow," I growled angrily, "And one that will not remain as such for long." "How are you able to do this," the dragon asked, "Are you a werewolf or something?" "Don't insult me," I scoffed. "Then who are you and what do you want," the fox questioned. "I want to be free," I snarled, "I want to no longer be bound to a sniveling fox that doesn't have the mettle to do what needs to be done; we are a superior breed, we are gods among mortals, and we should be worshipped as such." "Pretty ambitious aren't you," Jim said snidely, "You really think you can accomplish your nebulous goals?" "With the fox's power I can; I have already taken over almost half of his body, and soon I will take full control. I will take what I want and kill who I want, and that fucking fox won't have any say in the matter; all will tremble before me, Dark Blood Wolf." "You're insane," Gene muttered. "Am I?" I asked, "Well let's see if you can best this crazed wolf." I gripped my sword tightly and ran towards them, raising the blade up high to strike. The three of them scattered in different directions, getting as far from me as they could; I made a swift semi-circle stroke with my sword, sending the arched energy surging towards the muscled fox. The vulpine brought his two-handed sword forward and used it to block the energy, keeping his body safe. With an irritated growl, I switched focus to the black dragon; with great strength, I hurtled my blade towards the reptile, the sword flying like a spear. The dragon leapt up into the air and took flight, avoiding the blade as it sunk hilt deep into the wall. I heard the human run up behind me and I instinctively swung my arm back; the human ducked underneath my arm and rammed his knife into my chest, the blade slipping between my ribs and piercing my heart. With a gurgled grunt, I slammed my fist into the side of the human's head, dislodging the knife in the process. As my wound already began to heal, I grew more and more furious with the group's hit and run tactics. "Jim! Jim! Daylight's coming and I wanted to make sure you-oof." A white dragon ran into me from behind, pushing me forward a few feet and sending him to the floor on his back. Still furious at my quarry escaping, I turned on the dragon with a snarl. The dragon stared at me in shock, unsure what exactly he was looking at. "You'll regret that, fool," I growled, storming towards him. I cracked my knuckles and flexed my claws, moving closer to the confused dragon, ready to vent my anger on him. From seemingly out of nowhere, the black dragon dashed in front of me, arm blades crossed together; I raised my claws and brought them down, scraping across the dragon's blades as I. With the dragon blocking my claws, I brought my other hand up, going past his arms and attacking his stomach and chest; my claws slashed through the thick black scales, drawing five lines of blood across his chest. The dragon leapt backwards, bringing a hand to touch his wounds; while he was distracted, I moved around him and went back towards the white dragon. I took two more steps and then something rammed into my side, knocking me to the ground; before I had a chance to get up, I felt my arms stretched out and my legs pinned to the ground. It didn't take more than three seconds to realize the fox's allies were intervening. "Hold him down," the fox shouted, "Gene, keep his legs and torso pinned while Jim and I restrain his arms." Snarling angrily, I bucked and thrashed, trying to rid myself of the bastards; the human had surprising strength and kept most of my body down on the ground, while the dragon and fox stretched my arms out, making it difficult for me to break their hold or even bring them close enough to bite. "Shit," the black dragon exclaimed as I tried to pull him towards me. "Shawn! See that black harness? Grab it and bring it here!" The silver dragon pulled himself together and complied, racing towards the harness and picking it up; I realized what they were planning and struggled even harder, trying to sink my claws into the arms of the fox and dragon while trying to knock the human off my back. "Quick, take one of those tranqs and sedate him before he gets loose," the fox shouted. Nervously, the whit dragon took one of the sedatives and moved cautiously towards me; I snapped out at him with my jaws, making him leap back in fear. "Hurry!" the fox yelled as tried to hold my arm that was slowly working its way free. With a serious look in his eyes, the dragon ran forward, avoided my jaws, and plunged the needle into my neck, sending the liquid into my body. I snarled and tried to bite him, but he got away quick enough; my vision began to blur and my reactions were weaker, but I was still conscious and still trying to get free. "He's still awake," the human shouted, "Give him one more!" "But won't that kill him?" the white dragon asked. "I know Nik, and he couldn't live with himself if he killed us; he'd want you to do it," the human replied. Though seemingly unsure, the dragon took out another sedative and approached from my side, out of my jaws' reach. I felt the needle go into my skin and the sedative affecting me further. My body started to cease responding to my wishes and my eyes started to close. I couldn't find the strength to get up; all I could do was drift into the blackness of unconsciousness.
My head started to clear, the grogginess began to lift, and my eyes could now open with great effort. At first, I couldn't really see anything, but after a while my eyes focused and I could clearly view my surroundings. I was in a dark room with candles lit all around; I was lying on a couch in some sort of living room, with some aesthetic furniture and blacked out windows. I tried to lift my head up, but my body did not respond; it was strange, I could feel every part of my body just fine, but I couldn't muster the strength to lift up a finger. "So you're alive," a familiar voice called out, "That's good. Your friends were worried about you." "Is that you...Layla, right?" I groaned, unable to move my head and see who was addressing me. "Right," the German Shepherd replied. "Hey, what about me?" another feminine voice rang out. "Oh, Keara's here, too," I muttered, "Sorry, I can't...really move." "No surprise there," came Jimmy's voice over from where the girls' voices came, "You took three of those sedatives in under an hour, so you're bound to be experiencing some effects; can you feel anything?" "Ugh," I groaned, "Yeah, I can, and I can lift my arms and legs a little bit, but I just feel...so exhausted; it feels like I'm made of lead or something." "The chemicals probably depleted you energy or something," Jimmy answered, "But at least it shouldn't be permanent." "What happened," I asked, "Where are Gene and Alex?" "They're with Shawn, just resting from last night," Jimmy said as he came over to my side. "What happened to you last night?" I sighed heavily. "There's something inside of me, something violent. I don't know what triggers it or why I have it, but there are times when it just takes full control of me. It only seems to come out when one of The Remnant is around, though." "And it didn't occur to you that you could've informed me about this?" Jimmy asked. "Well damn it, I don't fucking know when it's going to happen," I almost yelled, "It just does. You think I enjoy turning into a monster and put my friends at risk?" "Whoa, okay," Jimmy said, putting his hands up, "I'm sorry, that came out wrong; it's just that you nailed me pretty good." I then noticed the five lines on the dragon's chest; they were no longer open and bleeding, but the scales looked different than the others. "Don't worry, I heal fairly easily, though not as well as that wolf; look, all that matters is that we're all fine, those guys are gone, and you're not going to change again anytime soon, right?" "No," I uttered. "Well alright then," Jim replied. "You doing alright? Thirsty? Hungry?" "Nah," I murmured. "You're sure? You seem a little down," Jim asked. "I'm fine," I sighed. There was a brief silence, then some whispering between someone, and some apparent giggling. Layla the German Shepherd came into my line of sight and sat down by me on the couch, starting to remove her shirt. "Well, maybe we could have some fun then," Layla whispered gently. There came a small scream and I turned my eyes as best I could to where it came from; Jim hand lift up Keara, placed her against the wall, and his hand disappeared underneath her skirt. "Stop teasing me, Jim," Keara giggled. "Just trying to warm you up," Jim replied cheekily. I turned my attention back to Layla, whose hand had slid unto her pants and started rubbing herself. "Look, Layla," I said hesitantly, "I'm not really sure I can really do much; I can't move my arms or legs." "Oh, I'm not concerned about your limbs," Layla said sensuously, placing a hand on my crotch, rubbing my sheathe through my torn jeans, "Just this thing right here." I gasped a little as the canine started to squeeze my sheathe, coaxing my member out and applying pressure to the head. Layla stopped for a moment and unzipped my pants, sliding her hand down and touching my hardening erection with her gentle hands. My member started to press against my pants uncomfortably, making me squirm a little on the couch; thankfully, Layla pulled down my pants and allowed my impressive penis to stand upright and fully erect. "Let's get you prepped," Layla whispered with a grin as she moved on top of me and slid down. I couldn't move my head to watch her, but I knew what she had in mind; her soft tongue sliding up the underside of my cock confirmed it. I groaned softly as the German Shepherd licked slowly up and down my shaft, teasing me with small licks and quick kisses here and there. I tried to move my arms, to place a hand on her, but the sedatives still hadn't worn off. As I lay there enjoying the oral play, I glanced over to where Jim and Keara were; the big black dragon still had the Akita pinned to the wall, but now he was thrusting into her wildly, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. The two were panting and moaning together, the dragon's huge dick going in and out of Keara's pussy so fast I was actually worried he would hurt her. However this fear left my mind as the Akita just kept screaming for more, her claws digging into his scales, urging the dragon on. My focus was returned to Layla when she sat up in my lap, my cock against her inner thighs. "I know you can't move," Layla said lustily, "But I can do all the moving for both of us." The canine moved over my cock and pressed herself down on it, gasping as her hot depths took in my cock, all the way to base. Layla sat there for a minute, squirming around with my penis inside her, her butt rubbing against my sac. The German Shepherd placed both her hands on my chest, leaned forward, and started to ride me slowly, breathing deeply as she moved up and down my length at a gentle pace. All I could do was lie on the couch, having a sexy German Shepherd bounce in my lap, her hot tunnel going up and down my cock, and quite frankly I loved every second of it; Layla seemed to be enjoying herself even more. The dog started to bounce a little faster, her tongue lolling out as she panted and moaned audibly. I could feel that all too familiar tingling sensation that crept up my cock that strengthened with each bounce. I started moan loudly, cursing the fact that I couldn't move even as my orgasm approached. Layla suddenly emitted a moan that turned into a pleasured scream; her hot pussy leaked all over my member, adding on to the sensation of her heated flesh against my sensitive organ. I clenched my teeth and managed to lift my hips up as I came; I could feel my seed shoot inside her vagina once, twice, and thrice. I relaxed on the couch with Layla lying on top of me, the two of us panting in our afterglow. Layla and I looked over and saw Jimmy holding a worn out Keara. "Guess I was too much for her," Jim said with a laugh. "Apparently," I added. "Hey Jim, you seem to know how to fight; you think I could persuade you to help us with The Remnant?" "I don't know," Jim sighed, "Not only is this going to be a massive change for me, but I don't think I'd be of any use to you, what with my super sensitivity to sunlight." I suddenly remembered about my father's journal entry. "What if, in exchange for your help, I give you a formula that makes you immune from sunlight?" "I'm listening," Jim replied.
"Okay, we're finished," Gene said as the four of us sat in the repair room in my ship. Since most of them knew more about manufacturing than me, I asked them to fashion a device that would ensure I wouldn't harm anyone as the wolf, or Dark Blood Wolf as it now calls itself. I stared at the device in awe; it was a lightweight gun metal collar made up of spare parts found in a bin. On the inside of the collar were tiny sealed holes where, upon uttering a verbal command, small disposable needles would quickly pierce my flesh and inject me with the tranquilizers we got from Stealth Viper's harness. "You sure you want to do this, Nik?" Alex asked, picking up the collar. "It's the only way I can be sure the wolf won't hurt anyone," I muttered. "Alright, hold still," Alex mumbled. The fox opened the collar and moved it to my neck; the metal collar then closed and tightened to a comfortable fit. I felt the collar around my neck, thankful that it wasn't bulky; at least I would eventually get used to it. "So what now?" Jimmy asked. "Now we can relax," I answered, "You can do whatever you want, but don't leave the ship." "Alright then," Jimmy said, "Hey let's go and watch me kick your asses at poker." "Yeah right," laughed Gene, walking out of the room with Alex and Jimmy. "You coming Nik?" "In a minute," I replied. As the others left the room, I walked over to a shiny metal sheet, staring at my reflection. The collar wasn't too noticeable, and now I had some insurance. As I started to walk out of the room, I could've sworn I heard the wolf growling; somehow, I feared it would do something horrible to get back at me for putting a collar on it. Sonic Fox, Dark Blood Wolf, and The Remnant belong to Sonic Fox. Gene and Kairn belong to absorbentgene. Alex belongs to Rzr Blader. Jimmy, Shawn, Keara, and Layla belong to Viper7388.