Chapter 1: Time
'I'm running late! I'm running late!'
A fox, his fur as black as the night sky, was running through the streets to get to the school as quickly as he can. It was not a good day. Woke up late, missed the bus, and almost forgot something important. He just kept on running, his blue tracksuit pants and his dull green shirt bellowing out behind him and keeping his bag from always hitting him in the back by holding on tight to the shoulder straps.
He just made it past the boundary of the school when the bell rang. Not caring about anyone for now, he weaved his way past the many anthros in the corridors until he reached his locker. He fumbled with the lock, but he managed to get it open and shove the needed books inside his bag. He then closed the locker and rushed to his first class of the day. He just made it in when the teacher told the rest of the class to calm down.
He stood in the doorway, practically heaving with his paws on his knees. He looked up at his teacher for this class, which was Advanced Mathematics. The teacher was a female eagle, whose piercing eyes could make even the toughest and bravest of anthros, usually the bears, cower in fear with just a glance. He smiled sheepishly, even chuckling a small bit.
"Well, well, Mr Reischer. Just in time. So nice of you to join us." She said, her eyes looking into what he thought was his very soul.
The fox breathed out. He made it. Barely, though, but he made it.
"Sorry about that, miss. Bad morning." He responded.
"Hmm. Hardly an acceptable reason, but understandable. This is the first time you've ever been remotely close to late this year, so I'll let it slide just this once. Take a seat."
He took his normal seat, the one next to his boyfriend's left side, he took his required books and pens out and shoved the bag under the desk. His boyfriend, another fox with deep red fur and a dyed green streak running down from between his ears to down his back, only for it to disappear underneath the black shirt he wore, lovingly shoulder bumped him. Smiling, the black fox wrapped his right arm and gave him a one-armed embrace. They stayed that way for a few seconds when the teacher's gaze fell over them, that's when they quickly separated. After a disapproving look, she went back to teaching.
The class today was just an extension of the class last week. It was easy to the black fox, understanding the concept easily. His boyfriend, on the other hand, had trouble understanding it. When the bell for the next class rung, the majority of the class sighed in sweet relief.
The two foxes packed up and left the room, paw in paw. The corridors were packed to the brim with students, but the two made it to another classroom where they parted with a kiss.
"Meet in the usual spot, Braedon?" The red fox asked.
"For you? Always." The black fox responded.
The red fox smiled. He pushed the black fox on the chest. "Charmer." He quipped before leaving.
The black fox grinned and shook his head. He then entered the classroom, the music room. Since only the teacher was there, a green chameleon in a business suit, the fox took his usual spot before anyone else could come. The teacher moved his right eye to look at him. It was creepy
"Ah, Braedon, nice of you to appear. You look tired." The chameleon stated.
"Just hasn't been a good day so far, sir. Almost everything went wrong this morning." Braedon answered.
"No time management? Or just unlucky that time wasn't on your side?"
"Most likely that time wasn't on my side. Then again, time is never on our side."
The chameleon smirked. "True enough. Spoken like a wise anthro."
The rest of the class filed in, pushing each other to get to their spots.
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It became recess quicker than Braedon wanted. His boyfriend was leaning against the tree which was their normal spot to hang out. Braedon held the thing he nearly forgot in the morning. A small box was in his left paw, a gift.
He still couldn't believe how long it has been.
He marched up to beside his boyfriend and sat down next to him. When he did, the red fox rested his head on Braedon's right shoulder. The black fox only wrapped his right arm around him, like the way during their Advanced Mathematics class.
Braedon, when his boyfriend was comfortable, took a deep breath in.
"Amato, I have something for you." He said, his voice almost betraying him.
The red fox lifted his head up and stared into Braedon's eyes, which, to him, sparkled like the stars in the night sky. Braedon shuffled around and produced the box.
"For our two years of dating." Braedon said, holding it out in his paw.
The red fox gasped and lovingly took it in both hands. He pulled the lid off the box, revealing the pendant underneath. It was one he always wanted, but never bought because it was too expensive. Yet, here it is, in a box in his paw.
"I knew you wanted it, Amato. It is beautiful." Braedon explained, blushing slightly. He thanked Rikmos, their God of Nature, that He made his dark fur hide that blush.
"But..... how?" Amato asked.
"My father's club. I get paid to help." Braedon answered, referring to that one place.
Amato had no other words to say. He placed the lid back on and placed his lips upon his boyfriend's. When they separated, there was only two more words for Amato to whisper.
"Thank you."
"Again. For you? Always."
They kissed once more, both happy for now. When the rest of their small group of seven turned up, they chatted away the free time before classes recommenced.
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That night:
He's been up there for the better part of forty minutes, crouching over a sniper rifle, his red eye looking through the scope through a window on the other side of the street. His mismatching attire broke his form in the shadows, although his white fur and tail nearly always gave him away as something odd.
"Light, you still there?" A female voice over the earpiece questioned.
The albino fox, codenamed 'Light,' groaned and reached up to his left ear.
"Yes." He answered, before lowering his paw back onto the rifle.
"Good. I'd have thought you would've stormed the place by now." The voice responded, a jovial tone to it.
Light growled. He reached up once more. "I don't do that." He replied, an eerie calm to his voice.
His target, a jaguar, appeared in his sights. Light shuffled, now only what's needed is to take the shot. He breathed out slowly, lining up the sights to the target's heart. He counted to three in his head. One second later after three, he pulled the trigger. The normal bang was reduced to a soft spitting sound, the light reduced to a near dim flash. But the kickback was the same.
The bullet glided through the air, puncturing the glass cleanly and shattering it before the bullet made a good home in his target's body. The jaguar stiffened and fell forwards onto the floor. Light didn't watch what was next. He didn't need to. He knew the target was dead.
Light stood, loosening the stiff muscles that stayed that way for forty minutes straight. He took the sniper rifle with him, dismantling it with practiced ease and placing it into a case. He closed the lid and snapped it shut before walking away from the rooftop, his blood work now done.
When he was at street level once more, he met up with the anthro that was on the other end. A hawk, her feathers a shade of blood red and her beak was a bright white. Her strangely purple eyes contrasted the blood red of her feathers. She wore a similar attire to him, but their attire was mainly street clothing. Hoodies and thick long leather coat.
"Skye, we are done." Light said, pulling his muzzle mask down.
"Good. What does it make now? Fifty one kills?" The avian responded.
Light smiled, but it wasn't a friendly one. It was one that struck fear. "No. Now, it is fifty." He answered with a bad case of the 'calms.'
"Sent that many to our Dark Lady Osyn's realm? And by the age of sixteen? You really are one of us." Skye whispered, her voice betraying her and displaying her shock.
"Yes. Let us leave. I cannot stand this place anymore." Light said.
Both of them walked out of the nearby area. They were long gone by the time the police came to investigate the happenings.