{"sf1_id":969742,"sf2_id":"WeldjBke","title":"The Protectors - Close to the Border","author":"LHWolfskin","words":3049,"posted_at":"2016-02-28T13:20:23.000Z","tags":["Character Development","Corruption","Fennec","Hare","Hypnosis","Insanity","Lemur","Lion","Plot Development","Rottweiler","Story Series","Superheroes"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/969742-the-protectors-close-to-the-border","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/WeldjBke","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/61/67/61672fd0-1719-4955-aab2-650b22e88d31","description":"Sorry this took me so long... it's not as long as it probably should be... It's primarily there to set up some future development for both series.  \nNext installment of Hero Academy is on it's way too.  \n  \nAs per usual, please leave me some feedback, it's the only way for me to get better.","content":"+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\n\"So? What's wrong with me oh big master of the mysterious ways.\"\n\n-Don't mock me, that we have a deal about me not enslaving you doesn't mean i can't get back at you in other ways.-\n\n\"Hey, you're the one who got me into this mess in the first place.\"\n\n-And i'm taking a look at you, aint i?-\n\n  \n\nThey had been at it for at least an hour, Flicker trying to be patient, Abyss trying to figure out what, if anything, was wrong with the lemur.\n\nThe lion had no idea though, still he made notes in his book every once in a while,\n\nbefore returning his attention to the hero in front of him.\n\n  \n\n-For me this is just as new as it is for you. Even where i'm from your talent would be called rare,- he wasn't lying.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was rare, people with the ability to draw in the unused potential around them,\u0026nbsp;\n\nthey were powerful, some would call it dangerous even.\n\nPotential meant a lot, not only good things and if going it's merry way unchecked it was\n\nsomething that could lead to a lot of destruction.\n\nOne of the reasons Abyss had brought up his deal in the first place.\n\n  \n\n\"So?,\" he asked again, impatiently, everything just... just brimmed with energy, seemed to call out to him to be formed, used.\n\nLarry was, however, aware how unusual and weird this was.\n\nNot that the feeling was completely new, when he had his inventional craze every once in a while he had the same feeling,\n\n not as strong, sure, but it had always been there.\n\nStill this intense urge, this feeling to lose himself in endless possibilities...\n\n  \n\n-I think you're okay... for now, still, you should be careful not to get too lost in this... well...-\n\n\"Yeeees? Go on?\"\n\n-I'm not sure how to define it. And you should know yourself better anyway, lay it low for a while, your ideas don't have to be rushed through.-\n\n\"It's not like i want to build a bomb.\"\n\n-Yet.-\n\nThe white lion looked at him with something Larry almost wanted to call concern.\n\n\"Don't look at me like that, i'm not some psychopath hypnotizing people for fun or something like that.\"\n\n-At least you've still got your moral bias, that's something.-\n\n  \n\nTaking a deep breath Abyss got up, with a snap of his fingers the book disappeared in a small cloud of purple smoke.\n\nIt still was interesting, seeing how this all developed, even though he could tell something was up, something just didn't feel right about it all.\n\nIf it just had been that the lemur wanted to build a few toys it wouldn't be much cause\n\nfor concern, but he could feel something else and the fact that it seemed familiar yet still\n\neluded his mind drove him crazy.\n\nFrustrated he shook his head, maybe he just needed a different angle.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nHours later Larry was back at his apartment, his fingers twitching as soon as the lemur's eyes\u0026nbsp;\n\ncaught a glimpse of his tools and all the unused parts.\n\nMaybe he could, just a little...\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut at the same time, he shouldn't...\n\nOr should he?\n\nThe constant back and forth was something he definitly wasn't used to...\n\nAlmost audible this time there was another crack forming, not in the physical realm,\n\nbut once again in his mind, another rush of ideas, of possibilities running through his every\n\nfiber of being.\n\nThe sensation was almost sexual, as if his entire body was suddenly opening up channels\n\nthat could take in the entirety of this reality from different positions.\n\n  \n\nAs sudden as it happened though, it ended.\n\n\"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck,\" he moaned at the echo that was still there, and at the same time he felt like screaming in anger.\n\nIt was like having a tv signal cut out during a historical event.\n\nIf only he could get this to be stable, constant...\n\nHis ears perked up, he looked around as if hearing something...\n\n\"I shouldn't... even that weirdo lion warned me...,\" he muttered, another echo, painfully quiet, dying, went through his mind.\n\nLarry's thoughts began to race, his own mind distracted him long enough for him not to notice how\n\n he had sat down at his workbench and began to assemble different parts here and there.\n\nEven minutes later he still tried to figure out the right answer in this dispute with himself\n\nas the cracks kept whispering, quietly, almost silent.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nRight now his mind was a maze he didn't quite care to get out off.\n\nGlazed eyes looked up at someone, the lion looked nice, so nice, as Brian's nose pressed\n\nagainst the felines balls, taking another whiff before his broad tongue moved over them in\u0026nbsp;\n\na long, slow lick.\n\n-Good dog,- the lion chuckled, ruffling Brian's hair, scratching behind the mutt's ears.\n\nAnother slow and sloppy lick, it made him happy to see the lion like this, the feline member\n\nbouncing up and down right in front of him, every now and then catching his attention.\n\n  \n\nSuddenly though, Abyss pulled away, leaving the dog confused and down on his hands and knees.\n\n-No worries, i'll be right back with you.-\n\nAnd with that statement the confusion was gone, master would be back in no time, so\n\nall he had to do was wait.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWaiting was easy, waiting was like floating on all the sensations his body could imagine.\n\nSlowly a broad, grin spread on his lips as he swayed a little bit from side to side.\n\nAs the lion returned he grinned a little, enjoying the sight in front of him.\n\nIt was still a bit curious, he had lost himself pretty far in all of this, willingly one could say.\n\nThe others he had tried this with only went to a certain point, there always was a part\n\nresisting his influence.\n\nNot that he did much with them, it was just a little fun, and of course, with him filling the\u0026nbsp;\n\nrole of villain for them, a means to get away.\n\n-Now, pup, look what i have for you here,- smiling he dangled a crystall in front of the\n\ndog, swung it a little back and forth.\n\nIt took Brian a few seconds to catch up, eyes blinking before they saw the crystall, followed\n\nit's arc.\n\nHis smile grew a bit more as his tongue lolled out.\n\n  \n\nFor Abyss this was an opportunity, the dog had been nothing but a stroke of luck so far,\n\na great way to understand how his magic affected these people and how he could fine tune it.\n\nBut more than anything, this was an opportunity to understand how their powers worked.\n\nWhat exactly made Flicker so different from the man in front of him?\n\nWhat made these two powers tick.. or any other power for that matter?\n\nBrian's super strength seemed to come from someplace else as far as he understood so far.\n\nAs if you'd route some water to either take this or that way with some valves.\n\nSince that didn't change the water itself that would mean, in theory, that Flicker's powers of\n\npotential should be able to have physical response just as much as Brian's strength.\n\nIn reverse though that would mean that Brian's strength should have some mental feedback as well.\n\nWas that maybe the reason he was so easy to hypnotize?\n\nPossible...\n\nAs long as he kept playing the villain for these supposed heroes,\n\n as long as he kept the situation under control he could and try keep figuring it out, work on them...\n\nJust don't get too greedy, a soft voice in his head warned him.\n\nHe smirked a little before returning to his research, sending little jolts of magical energy through the canines body,\n\n watching them traverse the channels that they chose depending on the dog flexing his muscles.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nFrustrated Larry pulled at his hair, grumbled before tossing one of the machines in front of him against the next wall.\n\nIt didn't make sense, not enough sense?\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe understood it well enough, in theory, he understood that he needed to open it up...\n\njust a little, just a little bit of eternity and he could have the feeling forever...\n\nAnd yet it eluded him as that chorus kept whispering in his ear, in his head, all over his body.\n\nIt was like some dark knowledge kept flowing into him, every inch of him itching to build something, wanting to get more of this sweet information flow.\n\nBut at the same time everything around him seemed to hinder that flow, seemed to stand in the way.\n\nJust a few hours ago he had felt completely lucid... now?\n\nHis mind was pulsing with the agony of being on the verge of something greater and not knowing how to make the next step...\u0026nbsp;\n\nas if he had forgotten how to go forward and his feet\u0026nbsp;tried to step everywhere at once.\n\nThis... it wasn't working.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe needed better equipment, better tools...\n\nSlowly an unnatural grin spread... the firm that Charles had ties to, they probably had pretty good equipment there.\n\nConsidering the fennec's ideas and blueprints he could only imagine what he could achieve with their inventory...\n\nThe grin grew even wider, almost looking like a crack in Larry's face.\n\n\"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees,\" the voice sounded distorted, not even like his own as the plan settled in,\n\n dark whispers pushing away the resistence his morality would normaly put up.\n\nWith vigor, zeal in his movement he got back into his costume, the grin not moving from his face.\n\nIt was only right to get the equipment... distorted, warped and twisted Charles' words echoed through his mind.\n\n  \n\n+Progress shouldn't be opposed,+ yeah... shouldn't be opposed, instead you should\n\ngo with it, wasn't that the essence of it all?\n\nSo what better way to get some results than simply going with the flow, losing oneself in it.\n\nAnd to achieve this, all he had to do was get some extra tools and resources, nothing bit.\n\nAs Larry grabbed his costume he felt almost ecstatic, a gentle tingle moving down his spine.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\n\"... this is why we think that you should get into our agency, there's a lot we could do for you.\"\n\nThe message came to an end, Brian moaning as the next began to play.\n\nSince his outing as a hero there had been a ton of people trying to get him to sign some sort of contract in one way or the other.\n\nBeing a mascot for a cereal, talent agency's trying to get him to do movies, ads and what not.\n\nIf anything, this was more exhausting than most of the fights he had so far.\n\nStill, he didn't quite regret it, while this was time consuming and, well, stupid, he wanted this,\n\n he wanted people to know that he was more than a freak in a costume.\n\nHe was their hero.\n\nBeing that meant more than the costume, than his powers.\n\nA few of his colleagues probably felt the same.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt wasn't even the attention that he craved, he just wanted people to know that he was one of them.\n\nMaybe he even reached someone with powers this way, showed them that they could do good with it,\n\n that they could help in a way that others couldn't.\n\nSure, he had his family back in the day, helping him through the discovery, showing him\n\nthat he was more, could be more.\n\nBut others? Others might not be that lucky, and the simple fact that there were, even though he disliked the word,\n\n supervillains, that meant there were quite a few that weren't as lucky.\n\nStill, with him all alone in this, it was quite an undertaking, and now that even his brother had cut off the contact.\n\nHe sighed, got ready for his morning shower.\n\nThe last night whiped from his memory, not a single thought about kneeling on the floor,\n\nhorny, begging for attention as some sort of experiment was conducted on him, everything\n\ngone.\n\nFor him it had been an uneventful night on patrol.\n\nAnd since the news didn't mention anything either the illusion held up.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nOnly a few blocks further away the day didn't start as peaceful.\n\nAching joints, sore muscles, a throat that felt like sandpaper.\n\nAll too familiar to Charles, as the fennec got up into his wheelchair he slowly moved through\u0026nbsp;\n\nthe little apartment.\n\nTurning on the tv, starting the coffee machine, for most of this he didn't even had to lift a finger,\n\n being what he was had it's benefits after all, not many in his current state, but a few.\n\nChuckling turned into coughing as he too moved towards the bathroom, though he didn't make it there,\n\n his ears perked up as he heard the phone.\n\n+Huston speaking, what can i do for you?+\n\n-Charles? Reginald here, we have a problem,- he knew the voice, the name, a young, bright man working\n\n in the division that tried to turn his ideas into reality.\n\n+Huh? What is it? Did one of my prototypes explode again?+\n\n-No... someone... someone broke in last night, took away quite a bit, some of your stuff too.-\n\nHis expression changed in the blink of an eye, if Charles was the definition of an optimist in\n\nmost, if not any, situation, the fennec's face now showed nothing but concern.\n\n+What exactly got stolen?+\n\n-I've send you an e-mail with a list, some of that stuff is dangerous.-\n\n+I know all too well, Reginald, i'll be over in a bit.+\n\nWith that he hung up, starting the laptop on his coffee table before resuming his way to the\u0026nbsp;\n\nbathroom.\n\nOn the other end of the line Reginald wasn't even flustered, he knew the fennec,\n\n knew him well, a few years he had worked with him now.\n\nIf Charles was willing to get out of his aparment for anything more than groceries it was serious.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nFor someone else it wasn't the beginning of the day now.\n\nRather the end of his night, the lemur collapsing on his bed, the lights had been out before\u0026nbsp;\n\nhe hit the matress.\n\nAt this moment, right that second, he almost seemed normal again.\n\nAnyone knowing Larry would have thought it nothing more than one of his quirky, little\n\ninvention crazes.\n\nHe had those from time to time, worked through a night, sometimes the day, lost himself\u0026nbsp;\n\nin his thoughts, but given his time he'd eventually be the same dorky, friendly guy\n\nhe'd always been.\n\n  \n\nSomewhere in his apartment, on a shelf that normally would be right in his view when he\u0026nbsp;\n\nwas working there was a photo.\n\nOne of his few treasured possessions.\n\nIt showed a young lemur, first price at a science fair, although his fur looked slightly singed.\n\nRight next to him a hare, blue suit, probably a teacher.\n\nAs Larry rolled around on his bed a bit, dark, unseen energy crackling through his fur,\u0026nbsp;\n\nthrough all the machines that he had worked on during the night, big and small,\n\nthe glass in front of the picture cracked, the photograph slowly turning dark.\n\n  \n\nLarry was losing himself, far more than any time before.\n\nAnd whatever took hold of him slowly tore at whatever could bring him back from where\n\nhis mind had gone during the last day.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\n+Did the security system detect anything?,+ he didn't look sick right now,\u0026nbsp;\n\nif anything Charles, as he moved into the laboratory, had an aura of authority about him.\n\nHe took it all in, his eyes constantly moving, checking everything, it was important to know\n\nif something else was missing, although he didn't suspect Reginald to do so poorly as to miss something important.\n\n-Nothing, whoever it was, he or she was very thorough,- the hare replied, moving alongside\n\nthe fennec.\n\nHe wasn't his boss, not really, but he felt more of an obligation towards him than\n\nthe firm itself.\n\n-Anything else that's missing? I went through your list... he could've stolen anything\n\nbut from what i saw there.-\n\n+We couldn't find anything else even after the third inspection, it seems that the only\n\ninherently dangerous thing that got stolen was an experimental ultrasound generator\n\nwe build a few weeks ago.+\n\n-So we can asume this was not someone well informed at least.-\n\nThe hare slowly nodded, took a deep breath, looking towards the workers and engineers\n\nthat tried to check up everything, return work here to normal.\n\n-Still, we have to find who it was and where he took our equipment, i trust you will\u0026nbsp;\n\nput this task into able hands.-\n\n  \n\nWith that Charles slowly turned around again, maybe, he knew someone.\n\nSomeone nimble, someone intelligent.\n\nThere was a chance that a fellow inventor could help, if only because this seemed\n\nto be the action of someone who had some similiar interests.\n\n  \n\nGetting out of the building he swiped over his cellphones screen, moving through the\n\nmenus until he found Larry's number.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\n\n  \n\nMoaning he got up, purple smoke in the air, some spices burning in the censer...\n\nAn alien, but pleasent scent filled the air, exotic due to the substances burned,\n\nfamiliar since there still was the lingering evidence of his night with the mutt.\n\n  \n\nA smile moved over the lion's lips as he slowly got ready to shower.\n\nMoaning, purring he stretched his frame again, muscles tensing,\n\n relaxing shortly after under the hot water that rained down upon him.\n\nMaybe he should invite someone else tonight, if only to give Hammer a rest for a while,\n\nhe had used him a lot last night, for research as well as pleasure.\n\nSlowly he moved on, the warmth of the room drying his fur as he massaged some oil\n\ninto it.\n\nA good morning, relaxed, it was nice.\n\nStill, he was already planning what to do, so much he had to keep in mind after all.\n\n  \n\nBut just as he was going through the crystals he had bound to the different heroes,\u0026nbsp;\n\nand even a few villains, he noticed something...\n\n-What's happening to you... -\n\nSlowly he picked up the crystal in question, it still was it's filigreed self but a dark\n\nshadow had formed inside it, like ink in a tank of water, moving, shifting.\n\n  \n\nSomething wasn't right here. Not at all.\n\n  \n\n+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++","series":{"name":"The Protectors","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/877840-the-protectors-grey-in-grey.json"}}