Only Illegal if you get caught.
Story by sangheilinerd on SoFurry
So this is yet another prompt idea. I don't know if I even followed the prompt really. but here we go.
This Week's Writing Prompt: It's only illegal if you get caught.
1017 words.
The Dog lay crumpled on the sand. His body marred by clawmarks and his once brilliant white fur was completely red. His ears had been torn to shreds; his tail lay limply between his spread legs. A few feet away, a Bengal Tiger stood panting. His fur also marred by blood streaked across it making a gory cross hatch out of his normal orange and black striped fur.
Humans whooped and hollered. They booed and groaned, handing money over to their friends. All of it Jackson watched from the owner’s box. He looked over his shoulder at the Bald Eagle who ran this grungy establishment. His eyes twinkled with barbaric glee. He had enjoyed the fight. He stood as the attendants grabbed the dead body and dragged it from the stadium. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed that much as I did. Titus is a wonder, is he not?”
The crowd roared. The edges of the Bald Eagle’s lips curled in a sadistic smile. “Want to see him face another?” The crowd responded in unrestrained excitement. The din made Jackson want to cover his ears. The bald eagle gave an almost imperceivable nod. Two large Polar Bears in suits came up behind Jackson and grabbed his shoulders.
Jackson struggled his eyes bulging as he cried out, “What are you doing, Ares?”
Ares chuckled darkly. That sadistic smile came back to his face, “Did you hear something boys? Sounded like the oinking of a pig.” The two brutes behind him chuckled humorlessly.
“What? Ares, no! I would never. I…I thought we had something!” The human begged. Jackson’s position here was more than just precarious.
The Eagle had gone back over to his desk. Grasping a manila file folder. He opened it in his clawed fingers. He read aloud, “Detective Jackson Riviera, San Tomás Police Department, Organized Crime Investigations Unit. Thirty-eight years old—lied to me about your age—and being a fucking squealer—notably single and attracted to Avians. Could be useful in investigating the Aguilera Crime Family.” He closed the folder and sighed. “You know, Jackie. I did love you… This isn’t easy for me.”
“I…I’m so sorry Ares. I…I know you won’t believe me, but I…” Jackson sobbed, “I love you, too.”
“Tch! Get this piggy out of my sight. Feed him to Titus.”
Jackson’s world was tossed around as the bears grabbed his legs and he was thrust into the ring. He fell onto his face. He could taste the blood in his mouth as the wind was knocked out of him. He stumbled to his feet where the tiger still stood marred by the blood of his last kill. But Titus looked up at the Balcony confused. The words “Feeding time!” Echoed from the balcony in a choked sob.
“Ares! You need to stop! We can get you a deal!”
Titus chuckled. “Oh. this is going to be fun. And tasty” He said as he growled, licking his fangs. He pounced and once again Jackson’s world flipped on him. He was on his back, the wind once again knocked out of him, and the tiger wasn’t helping as he tried to choke the life out of him.
Jackson wasn’t too proud. He kneed the tiger in the groin and Titus made the most frightening squeal He’d ever heard from the Beastman. Jackson scrambled to his feet and the crowd cheered. Titus in his pain had rolled over and was laughing “Ow. The human has teeth!”
He jumped up and whirled around, his claws extended as his paw swiped across the virgin skin of the undercover detective’s chest. Blood sprayed from the wound and Jackson couldn’t help but cry out in pain. Grasping his cheek, Jackson panted. There was no way he was going to win this fight. He was only a human. And this BeastMan clearly outclassed him. He was dead as soon as he hit the sand.
He lifted his other hand to his face. Dislodging a fake tooth from his upper jaw he took out a small pill. This was his only chance. He bum-rushed Titus. He jumped up and shoved his hand with the pill into the shocked tiger’s mouth and broke it open. Several moments later the Tiger was on the ground his mouth foaming. All the crowd now was on their feet in uproar. This wasn’t how this was meant to go. These fights were supposed to be no weapons, no tricks, just claws and teeth and whatever was a part of your body. That was the only stipulation.
Jackson didn’t care. He had to do something, or he was a dead man anyway. “ARES!”
The Eagle soared into the arena, his wings spread and the look of pure hatred, hurt, and betrayal blazing in his eyes frightened Jackson. “You BASTARD!” He screeched. And flew beak-first into Jackson’s chest, which sent him flying into the chain-link fence which lined the field of the stadium.
Ow! That had hurt. Jackson looked down at his chest. There was a big, beak shaped hole in his chest. And Ares’ beak was coated in blood. He reached his hand out, “A…Ares…” Jackson’s life fled his body moments later.
“Let this be a lesson to all of you. What we are doing is technically against the law. However, it only becomes illegal if you get caught. I fell for this charlatan. It won’t happen again. Now clean this mess up. We have more fights.” Ares finished as he was handed a washcloth and cleaned his beak of the gore which marred it. He turned away to leave—but also to hide his tears. He really had loved Jackson. Then Jackson had betrayed him worse than any of his prior pursuits. Choking back a sob, he said, “And gentlemen?”
The cleaners looked over at him in question.
“Give him a decent burial. He may have been a cop, but he was still my boyfriend.”
They all nodded. Understanding.
Ares walked away. Trying his hardest to keep the sobs and tears as quiet as possible. He couldn’t look back. Or he’d just break down completely.