Love's Battlefield - Volume 15
Love's Battlefield - Volume Fifteen: Winning the War By Joseph Raszagal
With an aggravated grunt, Forrest growls, "So, remind me again, why are we here?"
"Because Adam asked us to meet him here." Answered Danni with a sigh as he pantomimed putting a cellphone to his ear and rolled his green eyes. "He said that it was important for us to be here to witness... something."
"Witness what?"
"I'm not sure, he didn't say."
"And with no knowledge of what we're supposed to bare witness to, no idea whatsoever, here we are."
"For the last time, hun, just count to ten and calm down; it's Adam we're talking about. He captained the soccer team for two years and to this day still volunteers at the local soup kitchens. Can you seriously imagine him plotting some kind of underpawed trap and then attempting to spring it on us at three in the morning?"
With an agitated sigh, Forrest relents, "No, but it's still cold and I'm still annoyed."
"Oh, really, YOU'RE annoyed?" Smirked a sarcastic voice from somewhere up above them. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'm just as out of the loop as you are."
Just as Danni and Forrest craned their necks to look skyward in search of the mysterious, disembodied voice, a lithe figure quickly blurred through their field of vision and landed in a crouched position some 10 to 15 feet in front of them. Sporting a friendly smile, Adam stood up and stretched his wings before folding them back beneath his arms. The chocolate bat then strode with a sprightly spring in his step over towards the two furs watching him.
"So you... flew here?" Questioned Forrest, raising one eyebrow.
Grinning, Adam nods his head and confirms, "I used to fly everywhere back when I was healthier, but go figure, I had to cut down on my airtime once the attacks started happening. Strictly speaking, I guess I shouldn't have been flying at all, but you know, it's hard not to. Heck, I still remember my first time under a full moon; it looked so close from way up there, I was sure that if I could just catch the right air current I would climb those last few feet and touch it."
Only after a moment of silence had passed did the winged teen realize that his reminiscing must have come off as something more akin to bragging. Embarrassed, he abruptly turned around so as to hide his face which had since flushed a deep shade of red beneath his fur.
"Uh, sorry it took me so long just to get here, I kind of lost track of the time while flying." Apologized the blushing bat as he clumsily attempted to change the subject. "It, uh, it happens a lot."
Adam then slammed his open palm into his forehead as what he'd just said dawned upon him. Albeit unintentionally, he'd done it again.
Though still irked by the late hour and the cold, Forrest found it difficult to hide his grin.
Waving a paw up at the night sky, the ivory wolf glowers and growls in mock anger, "That's twice in a row! If you throw the fact that you can fly in my face one more time, I swear to God, I'll send you into orbit with my boot and we'll see just how graceful your descent is!"
Realizing that Forrest's words were all in jest, the brown bat's muzzle broke out into a wide grin.
"Hey, it's not my fault walking sucks." Laughed Adam as he stuck his tongue out and gave the canine a raspberry.
For several more minutes, the three furs joked and talked amongst themselves in a tight huddle. Despite the ordeal that they'd gone through and Adam's connection to the perpetrator, Danni and Forrest found it impossible to spite him. Friendly, honest, and very nearly a victim himself, albeit only emotionally, the winged mammal just wasn't unlikeable in any way, shape, or form.
"Alright, I think we've shot the grease for long enough." Said Forrest at last, rolling his shoulders and shifting his weight from one hindpaw to the other. The cold was beginning to bite at him again. "I don't mean to be the interrogator here, but seriously, what did you call us out here for, Adam? According to Danni, we're supposed to bare witness to something. Care to expound upon that?"
"Honestly, I wish I could." Answered Adam with a shrug as he turned to face the building that loomed behind them, The Lion's Den. His smile very slowly became a frown. "Thomas was the one that had me contact you, the text message was at his behest. He said that any request made by him to meet up like this would likely end in radio silence and that the only way that this could even happen, whatever THIS is supposed to be, would be if I was the one to contact you."
Mulling over that thought for a moment, the alabaster wolf nods his head and agrees, "Yeah, that sounds about right. While our rendezvous back at your house didn't end violently and, as a result, I did learn more than enough about him to help quell the hatred that I felt, I can't say that I left with much of an interest in ever seeing him again."
"H-heh, that's pretty much how he said you would react had he been the one to approach you." Affirmed Adam uncomfortably. "So I did instead."
Scratching his chin, Danni perplexedly inquires, "So then I guess it's just as you said. You don't know what we're here to see either, do you?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Confirmed the featherless flier. "Thomas told me that what he had planned would be best left as a surprise for all three of us. Not even I could be clued in."
With a shake of his head Danni sighs and says, "That seems... odd."
"Does it really?" Questioned a distant but familiar voice, the words startling all three furs and causing them to snap their heads around in perfect unison.
The fact that they'd been expecting him for quite some time didn't seem to lessen their surprise at all as the huddled group turned to find Thomas strolling towards them. While the azure dog's sense of style appeared to have survived his recent moral epiphany, the expensive leather jacket wrapped around his shapely frame proof enough, the same could not be said about his posture. The tip of Thomas's tail was colored a dirty, dingy shade of brown as it dragged along the ground behind him and continued to pick up the dust and grime of the inner city's polluted streets. His ears, normally pert and attentive, drooped as sullenly as a death-sentenced prisoner's. Lastly, it was hard not to notice how seldom his crimson eyes ever strayed from scanning the sidewalk cracks that sprawled in every direction beneath his feet.
All in all, it was the body language of a young man tasked with carrying the heavy burden of shame.
"Hey." Greeted Danni, determined to break the silence that had since Thomas's sudden arrival set in.
"H-hey." Replied the Lucario, his tone meek as he continued to avert his eyes.
Without missing a beat or even blinking for that matter, he walked right past the three shivering teens and proceeded up the short concrete stairwell to the club's main entrance.
"No, no, wait just a goddamn minute!" Shouted Forrest as Thomas reached for the door. "First you have your boyfriend ask us to meet you here, making sure to keep the blindfold securely over his eyes the whole time too, and then you speed past us as though we're invisible?! What's your game, Thomas?!"
Stepping in front of the tightly wound wolf, Danni places two tiny paws on his lover's shoulders and calmly hushes him, "Easy now, easy. I'm not sure why we were called out here either but I think it's safe to say that it wasn't to start a fight. Look at him, hun. He doesn't look like he wants to pick one; he looks more like he just lost one."
Somewhere along the line, the cerulean canine turned to look over his shoulder at the three-man-audience still anxiously watching him. With the help of his vulpine negotiator, Forrest had managed to calm himself several stages and now maintained a steady but still somewhat apprehensive stance. Adam, no less confused than he had been before, struggled to prevent the alarm and worry from showing in his expression. Having come so far with Thomas in such a short amount of time, both physically and emotionally, he wanted to believe with all of his heart in the Lucario's wish to change himself. But in order to believe in that, in his complicated friend, Adam had to ignore how odd and suspicious this whole scene was. It looked, sounded, and Hell, even smelled like betrayal.
Scared and shrill, a voice in the back of Adam's mind screamed, 'Please, please, PLEASE, don't let this be what I think it is! Dammit, Blue, you're better than this! Don't relapse on me now!'
Tears nearly welled up in the cobalt canine's eyes. Emphasis on the NEARLY. Despite coming close to hearing the bat's distraught thoughts through the kind of telepathy only shared by soul-mates, Thomas took in a deep breath and held together his fragile facade. Mental scotch tape and glue kept him from falling apart at the seams, but only for the moment. The lazuli lupine knew that continuing to allow his boyfriend to think the worst of him would be the finishing blow against his steeled resolve that had taken the entire day to construct.
So he spoke up.
"Surprises are best left surprising." Sighed Thomas, wracked exhaustion filling his voice. "But if you really MUST know, this nightclub is where I 'shake what my mama gave me'. Tonight I've come to turn in my resignation."
Pure silence.
At some point Adam's mouth dropped open. All of the fear that he'd felt moments earlier was instantly replaced with hope.
"I strip and sell myself here and tonight I'm quitting." He clarified, pruning away as many words as he felt possible.
Pressing an open palm to his forehead, Forrest exclaims, "No, we understood that much. We're just... chewing on it for a moment."
"So, you want us to be here to witness you last day as a prostitute?" Concluded Danni after several seconds of quiet pondering.
"Bingo." Replied the navy dog as he pivoted back towards the door, his deadlocks dancing behind him as he turned. "Look, I know it's really cold out, way colder than I thought it would be, but this should only take a minute or two longer. Afterwards I have some news that I thought would be best for me to announce in person."
"An announcement?" Inquired Adam, stepping forward several paces.
"You might not like it, Bats." Said Thomas, his voice wavering, as he rapped his fist against the large double-doors. "Hell, I don't like it, I just know that if I ever want to become a better person, an average Joe and not a monster, that it's something that I've gotta do. No ifs, ands, or buts."
Seconds later and the falcon from nights before appeared and swung open the massive piece of weathered wood. Without another word, Thomas strode forward and vanished into the confines of the large building. Adam, Danni, and Forrest were simply left standing out in the cold, both curious and confused as to what the result of the next few minutes would be.
Meanwhile, inside the demise of debauchery, Thomas walked with the purpose and conviction of a man on a mission. Though to the boys waiting not-so-patiently outside for the azure dog, the hour was unusually late, the same could not be said of the club and its clientèle. No, the place had just begun to pick up. Scantily clad performers entertained the growing crowd whilst the janitorial staff, surprisingly sparse of clothing as well, prepared the three main stages for yet more. Along the way a few of the entertainers and several regulars to the fine establishment attempted to wave the young Lucario down for conversation, some for reasons that were likely far, far more licentious, but Thomas maintained his pace and sped for Dex's office door as though his heels were ablaze.
Upon reaching the oaken door far in the back, the words "Dex Dragyn" masterfully engraved into its surface and stained several shades deeper, the navy teen took in a deep breath and reached for the brass knocker.
"Enter!" Called a musical voice from the other side of the barrier.
Thomas gulped... and released the knocker that he hadn't even used.
'And now I suppose he's psychic?' sighed Thomas's inner self as he turned the handle and pushed open the door. 'Not that that would surprise me. I don't know what, but something about him has just always felt... powerful.'
Inside, seated behind his polished mahogany desk, was Dex. Just to the right of him, leaning at a rather precarious angle in an office swivel-chair, sat Jean. Quietly, both men turned their heads, their gazes falling upon the cobalt canine at the exact same time.
"Mister Lamont." Said Thomas in a level tone as he inclined his head and nodded in greeting. "Good evening."
With more charm and poise than any other man his age, the feathery accountant stood and curtsied, bowing slightly at the waist in much the same fashion as would be demanded of a butler or a valet, then inclined his head in return.
In his famously thick accent, Jean replies, "Good evening to you too, Thomas. If I may be so bold as to ask, to what do we owe the pleasure of your most unexpected arrival tonight? Unless I am mistaken, I do believe that you are not scheduled for any of tonight's performances, correct?"
"No, I'm not performing tonight. Nor will I be ever again."
Raising one eyebrow, Dex steps in with a grin and inquires, "Oh really now? Well, is certainly an interesting revelation. Do you mean to say that you are quitting, Thomas?"
"Yes, yes I do. I've brought with me a formal request to have my contract nulled and voided. I would also like my name stricken from the club's roster, along with it any evidence that I ever worked here."
"But of course, blotting out any incriminating information about past employees is standard procedure here." Stated the bunny with an unreadable, business-like smile. "I may dabble in dirty business from time to time, often tarnishing the reputations of my workers in the process, but I have always guaranteed a societally clean slate to anyone wishing to leave in order to seek other employment opportunities."
"Heh, yeah, I suppose 'Prostitute' wouldn't look too good on a job applicat~
Waving a paw, the charcoal rabbit silences his guest with the mere gesture alone and then says, "But seriously, retirement packages aside, I have other things that I would like to discuss with you. Tell me, Thomas, what happened to spur you to leave our humble whorehouse all of a sudden?"
"No reason." Lied the dog as he turned away. "I just~
"Just thought that with your high school career coming to a steady close and college ahead of you, that it would be best to leave your life as a stripping showgirl behind and begin the search for a more honest, socially acceptable line of work?"
Cowering, Thomas bowed his head in shame and, even as Dex gently tugged upwards on it with his thumb and forefinger, refused to meet the dragonic hare's steady gaze.
"You know that I can't just let you leave." Said Dex very, very slowly. "As lighthearted as I may often appear, I am running a business here and you are a major asset to my business."
Still looking away, Thomas struggles to hold back the tears as he mutters, "You're not going to scrap my contract... are you?"
The black rabbit smiled.
"Why should I?" He inquired, shrugging nonchalantly. "What incentive would I have to do so? Empathy? Kindness? Compassion? You forget, Thomas, that I am a businessman. While I may have been something of a friend to you in the past, you must remember that I am your employer first. Profit, after all, is paramount."
"B-but... but I thought that~
Padding back across the room, Dex seats himself behind his desk once more and chuckles, "Clearly, you thought wrong. Dead wrong. In fact, I think I'll have you added to tonight's performance roster, if only to get my point across that much more."
Dumbstruck, Thomas just stared at the two men in shocked disbelief, his muzzle agape and his mouth utterly dry. Words failed him completely.
"You see, it's all really quite simple." Continued the black bunny as he clasped his paws together. "While I offer a clean conscious and a clean slate to all those who leave my employ, I only offer those things to those that I so graciously ALLOW to leave my employ. If you were anyone else, I might be willing to let you go, but you're not. You're you. You're still valuable. It would be foolish of me to send packing one of my show's top performers."
'So this is what it feels like,' echoed a voice inside of his head, 'this is what it feels like... to be betrayed.'
"Yes, I think you'll remain in my care for a long, long time to come." Laughed Dax, eliciting a rumbling laugh from Jean as well. "You're young, you're fit, and your engine still has quite a few miles left in it before it's long for the scrapyard. To put it simply, Thomas, you'll know when I'm ready to let you go, because you won't have to ASK for permission. I'll TELL you to leave."
Taking to his feet, the lavender gryphon that Thomas had completely forgotten about crossed the room and gripped the doorknob with one powerful talon. Bowing at the waist once more, his eyes sparkling with curious expectation, Jean attempted to usher the Lucario out.
However, Thomas had different plans. VERY different plans. He'd been backed into a corner and, like the fox he'd recently come to know, felt something well up from deep within him.
It was courage; brash, bold courage.
"I'm not going anywhere until I watch you shred my contract with my own two eyes!" Barked the azure dog as he placed a paw against the door and applied the weight of his body as pressure.
Dex and Jean both traded intrigued looks.
"Oh really?" Inquired the black rabbit, sounding bemused. "And what makes you think that I can't simply force you out of my office and onto the stage?"
Baring his teeth, Thomas clenches his free fist and snarls, "Because I'll fight. I'll thrash. I'll hurt myself just to spite you, if necessary. What use would I be to you with a broken arm or a broken leg? How sexy do you think the crowd would find me if I bloodied my nose or maybe lost a few teeth? Do you think Charlie or David or, Hell, even Finch would fuck me if was howling in pain the whole time?"
"You'd shoot yourself in the foot just to shoot me in mine?" Asked Dex through pursed lips and narrowed eyes.
Smiling devilishly, the kind of smile that he'd recently promised himself he would abandon, the cobalt canine replies, "In a fucking heartbeat."
Sighing, Dex shakes his head and says, "Very well, have it your way."
The black bunny then reached for a small, unlabeled bottle on his desk.
"Chloroform." Dex mused as he studied the bottle with a grin. "Quite dangerous if you're not familiar with how to properly use it. Fortunately for you, dear Thomas, I am."
Removing a small handkerchief from his pocket, the charcoal hare unscrewed the bottle's cap and applied some to the cloth. Then, after having placed the bottle back down on his desk, he silently approached the terrified teen with the chemical cotton clenched firmly in his paw.
"I would prefer not to take such drastic measures, really I would, but I'm afraid you've given me no other choice." Said the dragonic rabbit, his tone eerily soft despite the cold, cruel nature of the situation. "This should keep you under control for a few hours, three at the most. No fighting and no thrashing. You'll be out cold, colder than the frost and snow outside right now. In fact, if I remember correctly, Neil and Everett are supposed to present a mock rape scene tonight, aren't they? Hah, who better to play the role of the victim than an unconscious performer? I could rewrite the scenario and dialogue to make it seem as though they knocked you out with a flashlight or a bat and then proceeded to have their way with you. Then who would be the wiser? Certainly not the audience. It's actually quite ingenious, really; a rape scene in which one of the actors is ACTUALLY being raped."
"As far as I'm aware, that's a first." Laughed Jean callously.
With a grin, Dex nods his head and concurs, "What can I say, I'm an innovator."
Aghast, Thomas fell back against the door and just stared at the man that he'd once thought of as a friend.
"I trusted you, Dex." Muttered the lazuli Lucario, his knees shaking and his tail tucked between his legs. "I trusted you when I felt that I couldn't trust anyone anymore."
"And I stabbed you in the back." Stated the hare as he took another step closer. "Perhaps not with a dagger, but the wound is there all the same."
Placing a paw over his heart, Thomas closes his eyes and whispers, "Yeah, yeah it is. I can feel it right now."
"Does it hurt?"
"More than... more than anything's ever hurt before."
"Tell me why."
"The things that you've done for me. Th-the things that you've given me. Some might look at all of those things and view them with disgust, b-but I saw them as salvation. You took me off the streets. You taught me how to survive. Y-you gave me the means to help the one that I love the most."
On the verge of tears, Thomas pictured Adam waiting for him outside, growing colder and colder as he stood shuddering in the wintry nighttime darkness. Then he thought of Danni and Forrest, the two young men that he had wronged most recently and, against all odds, managed to befriend. Well, perhaps that wasn't quite the case, considering Thomas's crimes against them, but they too were out there waiting for him. Just like Adam, they were waiting. They didn't need to be there, wrapped up in thick coats at such an ungodly hour, but they were.
Thomas clenched his fists again and suddenly knew what it felt like to be Forrest. He looked down at his paws, opened them, and saw wet scarlet stains.
And as if on cue, Dex takes his final step forward and asks, "So, Thomas, are you going to struggle?"
By means of reply, the teenage Lucario bridged the minuscule gap between them in milliseconds and punched his former employer in the nose.
Now two furs were bleeding.
"Am I going to struggle?" Growled Thomas as he spat to one side. "I don't know, why don't you tell me? What's my answer?"
Almost immediately after completing that thought aloud, the cerulean canine found himself restrained. His arms were folded behind his back and held in place by a pair of vermilion talons. However, despite the gryphon's firm grip, he did little more to restrict his captive's movement.
"Dex?" Called Jean, his tone sounding surprisingly unconcerned. "Are you alright? From where I was standing it looked like he got you pretty good."
"Worry not, I'm fine." Replied the bunny as he got back to his feet, albeit with a slight stagger. "Although he did indeed 'get me pretty good'." Taking the cloth that had moments earlier been presented as a weapon, Dex dabbed at his nose several time and cleared away a majority of the blood. "Had I known that you were capable hitting that hard, I would have stood further away."
Now confused beyond any stretch of the imagination, Thomas stared, wide-eyed, at the rabbit as he continued to clean his reddened face.
"Someone's looking rather baffled." Chuckled Dex, the handkerchief folded up once more and stuffed back into his pocket. "And before you ask, no, I'm not immune to chloroform. I'm not aware of anyone that is." Padding back over to his desk, the black bunny snatched up the bottle from before and presented it to Thomas with a mischievous grin. "Hydrogen peroxide. Quite useful when dealing with minor cuts and scratches. It's also very helpful when trying to dissolve dried stains like, oh I don't know, blood."
"S-so... you were never going to knock me out?" Managed the captive canine after a few seconds of mental gear spinning.
"Of course not!" Exclaimed Dex as he waved a paw at his gryphon boyfriend and pointed to Thomas's still-restrained arms. "I think it's safe to release him now, Jean. He's seen though our clever ruse, or more accurately, he's punched through our clever ruse."
Shrugging, the violet gryphon loosened his grip and then crossed the room to stand at Dex's side.
Still confused, Thomas wracks his mind to come up with the sentence, "R-ruse? This was all a ruse, a trick?"
"Yes indeed." Answered the obsidian hare. "We've been planning it for a while, actually."
"Planning WHAT? What was all of THAT? Why did you do that? Why did you scare me half to death?"
"To use your own words, 'I don't know, why don't you tell me'?"
"But that's just it, I really don't know!"
"...Very well. Jean, if you would be so kind as to divulge for me?"
"We did it to give you a taste of you own medicine, Thomas." Eloquently spoke the feathered fur. "And while it may have tasted bitter and foul, it was something that you had to experience at least once."
Dex paced over to one of his office's windows and drew back the curtains. He then proceeded to open the window itself, revealing a whirling flurry of white snow.
"I knew this day would come." Chuckled Dex sadly as he stood in the snow and let the cold white powder pepper his dark fur. His crimson eyes, normally merry and jovial, suddenly looked impossibly distant and wise. "I knew it would come and I had to prepare for it, I had to prepare you for it. I wanted to make sure that you knew, full and well, the terror and despair that you've put others through. You had to know, Thomas, because without that knowledge you would have no real understanding of the depths of your own sins." Laughing a tad louder, but perhaps even more mournful, he added, "Just before you arrived, Jean and I were discussing your contract and how best to terminate it."
"You were... debating on how best to fire me?" Inquired Thomas, licking his lips apprehensively.
"Debating? Heavens no, we were in total agreement." Retorted the rabbit, breathing in the cold night air. "What we were discussing was how to fire you in a way that would look believable. You see, Thomas, you're one of our star attractions. You're also very well behaved; you've stayed late, come in early, and even come in on holidays."
"I guess my work ethic is a bit... perfect." Admitted the Lucario with a shrug.
Stepping away from the window, Dex pats his young protégé on the shoulder and agrees, "Quite so, which has the adverse effect of making firing you seem absolutely ludicrous."
"Alright, then WHY are you firing me?" Questioned Thomas in an exasperated tone. A combination of already frazzled nerves and the night's chaotic turn of events had taken their toll on him.
Once again, both Dex and Jean traded glances, the kind that only partners in crime and partners of another fashion trade. They smiled in near-perfect unison, reading each other's thoughts as easily and as naturally as taking in a breath of air, before turning back to the blue boy awaiting their reply.
"Because we care." Stated Dex softly.
Locking eyes with his onyx mentor, Thomas tilts his head and quietly questions, "What?"
"You heard me, hun." Repeated Dex. "We did it because we care. You're more than a whore, Thomas, much more. Over the past few days you've proven that and not just only to yourself. You've proven it to others as well. You're not long for this line of work, it demands some VERY loose morals, looser than certain things after some other certain things have done certain things to them. Eh, eh? Catch my drift?"
With a cough, the navy teen scratches the back of his neck and replies, "Um, yeah. The picture was... uh... painted."
"Wonderful, it's a relief to know that we didn't scar you to the point that you could no longer pick up on the obvious." Said the obsidian rabbit as he reached into his jacket and withdrew an envelope. "Now take this."
"Huh, what's this?"
"Your final paycheck."
"But it's not even Saturday."
"You say that as though it could stop me from initialing a piece of paper."
Relaxing a bit at the joke, Thomas smirks and retorts, "Point taken."
But it wasn't to last. As soon as the Lucario opened the envelope, all of the relaxation in his posture was replaced with rigid tension. He stared in shocked surprise at the piece of paper in his paw.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this can't be right." Gasped Thomas as his lower jaw nearly hit the floor. "This is... I can't even begin to... What the fuck is up with all of those zeros? Were you even looking when you signed this?"
"I certainly hope so, otherwise I've learned how to sign documents in my sleep and that's superpower that'll surely bite me in the ass before sunrise." Answered Dex with a sarcastic chortle.
Still uncertain, the azure dog looks Dex right in the eyes, crimson to crimson, and asks, "But it's so... so much. You're really sure about this?"
"Absolutely." Assured the midnight hare as he took the blue boy's paws in his own and clasped them around the check, squeezing them gingerly. "It's yours, Thomas, now go and use it on someone who needs it."
"Someone... who needs... it..." Pondered Thomas aloud, looking from the rabbit to the gryphon then back to the rabbit again. "You guys know. You know and you're doing this for him. For me."
"Do you need everything spelled out for you, boy?" Griped Jean in false irritation, the tone of his voice betrayed by his warm, compassionate smile. "Take the bat to a hospital and throw some money at the doctors until they're either buried in it or he's cured."
Rolling his eyes, Dex concurs and laughs, "Yes, do that, more or less."
The comedy of the black and violet couple's words, while helping to ease the residual tension still rife in the office's atmosphere, to Thomas seemed entirely eclipsed by their sheer benevolence and generosity. Tears pooled in his eyes and quickly sought escape, streaming down his sapphire cheeks like rain down the the foliage of a tall tree.
"You... you have no idea what this means to me." Whimpered the lazuli lupine, his lower lip quivering. "H-holy fucking shit, you have no goddamn idea."
Wrapping his arms around the young fur, Dex hugs him tight and softly coos, "Hun, you may be right, I probably don't know what this means to you, but I'd at least like to think that I'm in the general ballpark. Now dry those tears for me, okay?"
Lifting Thomas's chin with one paw, the charcoal bunny used his other to wipe the trembling teen's watery eyes, one after the other.
"I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm just overwhelmed is all." Replied Thomas unsteadily. "I-I'm really going to miss you."
After ruffling the Lucario's long, decorated braids, Dex begrudgingly releases him, steps a pace or two away, and reassuringly states, "Worry not, puppy, I have my paws in places all over this city. Filthy places like this establishment and others as pure and innocent as the public library on Frederico Street. Perhaps we won't be able to meet under the same conditions as we have in the past, but rest assured, Thomas, we will meet again." Reaching for the door, the rabbit opens it and inclines his head in that direction. "Now, do I have to call security or are you going to take that check and extract yourself from the premises? Besides, you have people outside waiting for you, don't you? This is hardly the kind of weather one would want to stand around and twiddle their thumbs in. Shoo, shoo!"
Pausing for a moment, Thomas stared deeply into the eyes of what was very likely the closest thing that he had to a legitimate father figure. An unorthodox family, to be sure, but a family all the same. And those eyes, the same vibrant color as his, reflected the sadness that he knew his own must have been displaying. The cobalt canine didn't have to reveal his intentions. Dex already knew. Despite assuring him that they would meet again, Dex knew that what Thomas had planned would result in their permanent separation. Perhaps it wouldn't last forever, but then again, what does? He'd be gone long enough for it to hurt, that much he knew. That much they both knew.
Now it was time for someone else to know as well.
"Thank you, Maste~
Dex merely shook his head.
"Heh, you're right, that won't do." Laughed the Lucario as he choked back the tears that were still attempting to surge out from within him. "I guess that's just been how I've always referred to you whenever, I don't know, I've felt emotional. But tonight's different. Tonight we're equals. So thank you, Dex, thank you for everything. It's been an honor knowing you." Turning to face the lavender gryphon just to the right of him, Thomas grinned and added, "And the same goes for you, Jean. I never really got a chance to know you, but something tells me that I should have. I owe you more than I'll probably ever know."
And with that, Thomas marched out of the room and out of the club. While his head was held high, the wet streaks staining his cheeks remained. He'd done what he'd come to do and had lost a great deal in doing so.
But he was proud of himself for doing it and that has to amount to something.
"Finished saying goodbye to the bunny?" Mused a familiar voice as the azure dog closed the double doors behind him.
Standing under the same flickering streetlight as Adam, Forrest, and Danni was a small hyena wearing a heavy travel coat. Slung over his shoulders, stuffed brim and dangerously close to bursting, was a military-grade backpack.
"Andrew?" Exclaimed Thomas, stacking even more confusion atop his already emotional state. "What are you doing here? No, wait, what the Hell; you knew what I was doing in there?"
With a haughty smirk, the diminutive hyena retorts, "I know everything, Tommy, we've discussed this before."
"Right, right." Sighed Thomas, rubbing at his forehead with one paw and waving the other in a slow circle through the air above him. "So, um, back to the other question. What are you doing here?"
Catching his breath after running over to join them, Adam points to Andrew and asks, "An excellent question. What ARE you doing here, Andy?"
"You're actually on a nickname basis with this guy?" Commented Forrest with a sneer as he and Danni walked over to join them.
Appearing to be completely disinterested in Forrest and his comment, the hyena instead addresses Adam's question and replies, "I'm doing the same thing as Tommy Boy here, saying goodbye."
"You're quitting too?" Questioned the Lucario, stepping back a pace and looking rather stunned.
"Actually, I already quit." Admitted Andrew with a shrug. "Did it hours ago in fact. The person that I came here to say goodbye to... is you."
Taking a moment to absorb that, Thomas quietly mutters, "Me?"
"You and I were once quite similar, do you know that?" Spoke Andrew as he looked skyward, his eyes squinting as snow peppered his face. "But as the days march ever on, we continue to change. You for the better. I for the worse. Tommy, what I'm trying to say is that I think that I've... polluted you for long enough. I don't want to run the risk of permanently ruining you for everyone else in the world. I think that it's time we head our separate ways. While you've been taking steps to better yourself, I've been doing the exact opposite. I'm still just as much of a liar and a cheat and a thief as I've ever been, not to mention the fact that I'm oftentimes none too polite. So, for the first time in my entire life I'm going to be a half-decent friend to you and... leave."
Just as Andrew turned to leave, Thomas spiraled around on one heel and grabbed him by the wrist.
"I just said goodbye to the man that took me off the streets, goddammit, I can't say goodbye to you too!"
"You can and you will. The choice isn't yours."
"But it isn't fair!"
"Tommy, we've spent almost all of our young lives being unjust bastards to others, so I think we can stand to suffer a bit of unfairness ourselves. I figured that Dex would try to teach you that lesson sometime tonight. What, was he too busy molesting that gryphon of his to get around to it?"
"W-wait, you knew what he had planned?"
"Do I have to say it again?" Inquired Andrew, his eyes impossible to read. "I know EVERYTHING, even the things that go unsaid. Every secret, every surprise, and every forgotten detail. It's both my greatest gift and my greatest curse."
In a gruff tone, Forrest scoffs, "You just have to be creepy, even when you're doing something decent."
"Just wait until all of the decency's worn away, pup, the word 'creepy' won't even begin to describe me." Laughed the hyena as he turned his head to face the wolf. His pitch nearly rivaled that of his feral ancestors. "I've been brushing up on my Jack Salem impression and I'm well on my way to becoming a monster."
With a nervous gulp, the white wolf replies, "That's... nice."
"Oh, I just knew you'd agree." Mocked Andrew, grinning wickedly.
But not a second later and the hyena's gleeful grin had already vanished. In it's place was a somber smile, the kind that the wearer forces when trying and failing to mask a great amount of pain.
"Ah, but we've gotten off-track a bit, now haven't we?" Joked Andrew, hoping that his mastery over the spoken word would be able to hide the emotions bubbling up through the cracks in his expression. "This is supposed to be about goodbyes and good-riddances. I'll be wishing you all a fond farewell and while I saunter off into the snow you'll be thankful to be rid of me at last."
"But I won't!" Declared Thomas immediately. "I won't be thankful to be rid of you!"
"No, I suppose you won't." Sighed the spotted fur, tenderly patting the paw still clamped around his wrist. "There's no easy way to do this, is there?"
Tearing up again, the soggy fur beneath his eyes made soggier, Thomas shouts, "I don't want you to do it at all!"
"Trust me, I know you don't, but the fact of the matter is that I have to." Uttered Andrew softly as he pulled the Lucario in close and held him.
It was the first time, even for the boy being held, that anyone alive had seen the hyena display an emotion like genuine compassion or love.
In a voice that's both below a whisper and just barely above inaudible silence, Thomas pleads, "Why, why do you have to?"
"You just don't get it, do you Tommy?" Sighed Andrew, tightening the embrace. "You were never meant to be a villain, that's a job better suited for scoundrels and lowlifes like myself. You may have suffered a lot while growing up, but a sound mind can survive its world falling down around it and emerge from the rubble still sane. There's bound to be some damage, damage that could take a long time to undo, but nothing irreversible. People like you can recover. You're in the middle of recovering right now. People like me can't. People like me were damaged beyond repair from the start, psychopathic and sociopathic while still forming in our mothers' wombs. Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Robert Mugabe, Saddam Hussein; we were all doomed from the very beginning to be the antagonists of our own tales." Releasing his willing captive, he chuckled and stroked the lazuli lupine's cheek. "You might even have to come and defeat me one of these days. After all, Tommy, you're the only one who knows my every weakness."
"I'm one of your weaknesses, aren't I?" Queried the dog in a choking voice.
With one finger, the spotted hyena brushes aside Thomas's tears and divulges, "Perhaps my greatest weakness of all. In the time that I've known you, you've warmed my heart in ways that nothing else has and nothing else ever will. Finding a fire like that again may prove impossible. Heh, but do you know what? I'd rather be miserable for the rest of my life than ruin yours."
As the azure dog prepared another protest, anything at all to keep his friend from leaving him, Andrew took advantage of the open muzzle and surged forward in a flash, surprised him with a deep kiss. Overly emotional and caught off-guard, Thomas struggled at first but soon discovered that the tiny fur locking lips with him was far stronger than his small stature should have allowed. Steadily, the cerulean canine melted into the passion of the moment and closed his eyes. The kiss, much like Andrew himself, was brash and bold; fierce like the last kiss a that soldier gives to his lover before heading off to war.
Seconds later, Andrew simply let go and stepped away, turning to face Adam in an instant.
"I don't expect to be forgiven for that, Adam." Joked the hyena. "But then again, I don't expect to be forgiven for a lot of things."
A single tear, a tear that Thomas was not allowed to see, glistened in the light of the nearby street lamp and fell to the ground. Adam, unable to be angry, nodded his head in understanding.
"Goodbye Thomas." Concluded Andrew, forcing all of the emotion out of his voice.
Falling to his knees, Thomas pounds the ground with one fist and sobs, "G-goodbye, Andrew."
Disappearing into the distant darkness and snow, Andrew looked back behind him only once he was certain that he was out of sight. To the only person in the world that he would miss, he waved.
The only person in the world the he would miss couldn't see it.
That person, Thomas Alexander Rayne, after emptying his eyes into his paws, managed to pull himself together and stand. Adam hugged him tight. Danni came over and hugged him as well. Even Forrest acknowledged his plight by placing a paw on his shoulder.
'That's right, you asked them all to meet you here tonight for a reason', reminded an echoing voice inside of Thomas's head.
"I did." Murmured the Lucario with a nod as he remembered. "It's time."
Steadying his boyfriend as he wobbled upon standing, Adam raises an eyebrow and queries, "Time for what?"
"Time to tell you all why I asked you to meet me here." Answered the downtrodden dog.
Holding Thomas's paw, Danni shakes his head and says, "I'm not in a hurry. You can wait a while longer if you need to, it's alright."
"No, I think I've waited long enough." He sighed, taking in a deep and frigid breath. As he exhaled, he watched the small cloud dissipate in the frozen wind. "Everyone, pretty soon now I'm going to be going away for a while. It could be a very long while or a very short while, I'm not really sure. The reason why is because I'm... going to turn myself into the police. I'm going to confess to all of the crimes I've committed."
Forrest staggered back in surprise.
Danni put a paw to his mouth to cover his gasp.
Adam just stood there with his muzzle hanging open.
And despite everything that had happened to him that night... Thomas smiled.
In just a few days, he'd be packing his bags for prison and he'd be doing it because it's the right thing to do.
Several blocks away, something made a cold, shivering hyena smile too. He didn't know what and he didn't know why, but to him, for whatever reason, it damn sure felt as though it were something worth smiling about.
For better or for worse, the end...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, it's been fun, but it's high time things come to a close. I'd like to thank everyfur who read, favorited, rated, commented on, came to, or even glanced at my very first series, Love's Battlefield. And now, in no particular order (though I did number it out of obsessive compulsiveness), I would like to thank a whole cavalcade of people:
1) Sykofox For all of the support you gave and continue to give.
2) Captain Barrelstuffs For mocking me when I needed it the most.
3) Scott the Bear For mocking me when I needed it the least.
4) Firarn AerosIngeir For reading my garbage and somehow enjoying it.
5) Ollie "Successkitty" Failkitty For inspiration and being awesome.
6) Darkfox For giving me the dang idea in the first place.
7) Kiba Wuff For being my buddy.
8) Dex Bunny For granting me near-unlimited use of your character.
9) Jellymuffins For somehow managing to read this smut and then donating to it.
10) Dourlynome For being British, sarcastic, and a bastardly, cock-juggling, thundercunt with a heart of gold (his terminology, not mine).
12) Angelfox For being the nicest fox around and running a totally awesome website.
13) Doomtrout For being the cutest thing since a puppy sat in a glittery basket full of flowers that was surrounded by butterflies and rainbows. Deal with it.
14) Sethel For staying up with me all night, talking about communism, and drinking apple tea.
15) Helldawg For you know what.
16) Eclectic Puppy For being eclectic.
17) SoFurry & Muushi For featuring the works of struggling/amateur/furry authors everywhere.
18) Unicorns For supporting the weak and giving bullies what they deserve.
~and of course~
19) Mountain Dew & Combo Pretzels For the obvious. Especially the Combos.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This next list goes out to all of the distractions that attempted to dissuade me from finishing at least one chapter every month. This list is numbered and ordered completely on purpose:
1) The Discovery Channel - The Mythbusters - Dirty Jobs - American Chopper
2) Cartoon Network - Adventure Time - Adult Swim
3) Pokemon - Soul Silver - Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Space
4) Halo - ODST - Reach
5) Nickelodeon's Avatar DVD Complete Box Set
6) Time Splitters 2
7) Super Smash Brothers Brawl
8) Ben Folds - Trusted - All U Can Eat - Not the Same
9) Bomb the Music Industry! - Sort of Like Being Pumped - Fresh Attitude, Young Body - You Still Believe in Me?
10) Shinobu - Regular Love Triangle - I am a Lightning Bolt - The Heralding of the Mustache King
11) South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
~and last but not least~
12) Covering my walls in show and movie posters...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aaaaaand before I forget, I'd like to announce that at some indeterminable points in the near/far future I plan to release three short stories featuring some of Love's Battlefield's stars. Here are the three titles and the respective characters that will be starring in them:
1) Noble Gun - Jean Fernando Lamont, Dex Dragyn, and Andrew Klein
2) Penance - Thomas Alexander Rayne
3) The New Recruits - Jay Larraby, Azazaer Reddmayne, Forrest Regal Lionel, and Danial Alan Richards
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
See you around, Space Fur...