Calling Cards Chapter 4: Aftermath
#5 of Calling Cards
Disclaimer: While there may not be any adult content here, there is still reference and I ask that you use discretion if you are not of legal age. (As always comments are appreciated, so please let me know how you like the story and if improvements can be made) As the emotionally crippled wolf made his way into the raccoon's apartment, Leon was running around the place like a decapitated chicken, trying to throw on every light switch in sight and clearing off old newspaper and beer bottles from the dusty furniture at the same time. The dejected lupine attempted a meager glance around the entry room, which doubled as a den. In one corner, a 72 inch plasma television was mounted on a wall. An arsenal of electronics were hooked up to TV, including an Xbox 360, a Playstation 3, a Wii, a DVD/VHS player and 5 stereos which were mounted on the walls and ceilings. Everything on that side of the room looked new or in pristine condition. The opposite side of Leon's den resembled the extreme opposite. Two dusty brown recliners slumped against the wall, worn from use and neglected at the same time. In between the two chairs, a blue-gray sofa made its home, with questionable white stains plastered in every other spot. Two beaten and torn pillows were propped up at either end of the couch also bearing evidence of neglect and seed. The structure of the room was of old timber, creaking and moaning from countless years of strain. Empty bottles, Coca Cola cans, week old newspapers and the occasional crumpled twenty dollar bill littered the floor and the furniture. Against one of the side walls sat a small cupboard, a lock placed on it to seal the doors closed. On the other wall an opening was placed leading deeper into Leon's lair. It was from said entrance that a raccoon head emerged sizing up the wolf, a smile forming on his face. Of course, the raccoon head was attached to a raccoon body, and if Matthias hadn't been in state of hatred and despair he would surely marvel at Leon's form. The coon was adorned in nothing but a pair of silk boxers, his pajamas of choice. Leon's pecs, abs and biceps were toned to perfection, the results of an intense workout regimen that his mentor had trained him in. Over the muscles, a mixture of short black and brown fur covered his body. Except for his long tail, which was in alternating rings of black and white and his head which had black fur around the eyes with a layer of white fur surrounding it. His short fuzzy ears poked out at the top of his head, a small pierced earring dangling from the right. His silk boxers were blue, that being his favorite color, and the bulge that it outlined left little to the imagination. However, Matthias wasn't admiring Leon's sexy body as he was too much lost in his own world of thought. The raccoon observed the sad golden eyes of his lupine friend and was wondering what was troubling the wolf so. Though the tragedy at the wolf's house was a few days ago, it still wasn't common knowledge, and the raccoon was completely oblivious as to why Matthias was in such a dour mood. But he was going to sure as hell try to find out. With a gesture of his paw, he motioned for the wolf to follow him into the kitchen. As Matthias followed the bouncing coon through the dark and narrow hallway, he couldn't help but think of Daniel. His thoughts constantly returned to the snow leopard. The bright mischievous grin, his radiant hazel eyes, his luscious blue white fur; these physical aspects were always what Matthias thought of first. But then his mind went deeper and he remembered all the times he shared with the feline. All the times he felt his warm embrace. All the moments when they laughed together over the silliest incidents, the mutual passion and love, the first time they shared each other intimately. All of those times vanished never to be experienced again. All the love, hope and joy he had felt with the snow leopard were replaced with hatred, despair and a longing. The wolf doubted he would ever love again, but a base desire welled up inside of him. A desire to mate and breed. Never more would he make love, but the urge to fuck came stronger than ever and he knew it had to be sated. Just the thoughts of mating with some other fur brought tears to the wolf's eyes, thinking that by doing so would betray the snow leopards love. And thus, Matthias started to loathe himself. The wolf started to despise everything he was, everything he believed. He decided at the funerals that the only way to punish himself for what he would do in the future was to turn away from his values and virtues. He would disregard his parents ever taught him. He would reject anything that scouts or the church ever trained him in. He would become the complete opposite of what he was brought up to be. Not only to gain revenge against the one eyed otter and his followers, or the fox that paid up the contract. To become a thief was to gain revenge upon himself. First he would establish himself as a first class thief. Then he would track down his parent's and Daniel's killers and extract justice. A snap of a furry paw brought the wolf back to reality as he noticed a bottle of Smirnoff's placed in front of him on the kitchen counter. Matthias quickly wiped his eyes and took the bottle from Leon's paw and muttered a quick thanks as he downed the sweet nectar in three wolfish gulps. He placed the empty vessel on the surprisingly tidy counter in front of him as he perceived that the coon was eyeing him with a concerned look in his olive colored eyes. "W't sup?" Matthias asked, trying his best to fight back a sob, the alcohol helping to alleviate the pain. "You tell me." Leon remarked the expression of concern only deepening on his face. "What do you mean?" the lupine asked trying to mask his grief, but failing miserably. "Oh come on," the masked fur exclaimed, "You look like a puppy that had its favorite toy smashed. Only you're not a puppy, so I'm thinking it's probably more serious than a damaged object." The wolf's head dropped low, but the raccoon could hear whimpers from the lupine as tears ran down his muzzle and plummeted down to a newly remodeled kitchen floor. Realizing that the situation called for desperate measure the raccoon gracefully jumped up and over the counter in between them and embraced the wolf, patting him on the shoulders and comforting the gloomy fur. "There, there," Leon soothingly whispered, "It's going to be all right. Whatever you're going through, I will help you. You can count on me to have your back, Matthias." Feeling the soft fur and the warm body of the coon hugging him, Matthias forced himself to calm down. Even though he was still in a state of gloominess, at least he had stopped the waterworks. It was a start. Leon, noticing that the wolf was settling down indicated a chair behind the counter and beckoned for the lupine to take a seat. Instead of an acrobatic feat this time, Leon just walked around the counter and pulled out the two chairs that conveniently enough happened to be there. As Matthias walked around the counter to take a seat, the coon placed a paw on the wolf's shoulder. "Whatever's grieving you, you can tell me when you're ready. Until then, I will be here for you and I'll help you any way I can." The lupine lifted his muzzle into a meager smile, "Thanks Daniel... I,I, I mean Leon." The wolf corrected hoping the coon hadn't noticed. Leon however, was unusually sharp and caught that something had happened with Daniel. The raccoon vaguely remembered Matthias introducing the snow leopard after a recent Hashtin Saido class. He had been introduced as the wolf's boyfriend. The raccoon didn't mention it to the wolf because he was embarrassed about it, but he was also gay. In fact he had many lovers over the years, but nothing closed to the bond that the wolf and snow leopard shared. The raccoon was a little jealous of them but he never brought it up. The raccoon pretended to be oblivious to the wolf's slip up and remarked, "It's no problem. Would you like something to eat? You look pretty famished." As if to verify the raccoon's statement, a long growl sounded from the wolf's stomach. Matthias weakly nodded and Leon went over to the fridge to rub up some tasty morsel that could satiate the bigger fur's voracious appetite. As the raccoon went about preparing the food, Matthias took his first good look at Leon's kitchen. If Leon's den resembled a broken down Chevy with a new set of shiny wheels, then Leon's kitchen most closely resembled a brand spanking new sparkly blue Prius. The floor had been remodeled with veneered wood planks, giving Matthias the impression of a log cabin feel. There was a long spotless counter on three sides of the kitchen. Above one counter was set a jet black oven and above that a matching microwave. Both of these appliances were supped up and appeared to be extremely expensive. On the opposite counter sat a knife holder with seven different types of black handled knives, including a steak knife, a butcher knife, two butter knives, a paring knife, and two others that Matthias could not identify. Next to the knives, a wooden bread box and state of the art coffee maker made their home. Above the third counter, built in cupboards housed an assortment of plates, bowls, glasses, etc. On the side of the kitchen that did not have a counter, a gargantuan black fridge towered over the room. Almost touching the high ceiling and grazing the various lights that illuminated the kitchen, the black fridge was divided vertically down the middle. On the left side a large door opened up to reveal a radiantly white interior. Many shelves lined the inside of the fridge stacked with all manner of delicacies. The top shelve contained every kind of fruit possible, from apples to grapes to watermelon slices. The next shelf down had an assortment of vegetables which included but not limited to radishes, carrots, celery and lettuce. The next shelf contained jars of every possible flavor of jelly and preserves as well as a variety of meats. The next shelf down was blocked by a furry raccoon head rummaging through the vast shelf, trying to scrounge up some food. All the other shelves were blocked by Leon's body as well, but seeing all the food on the top shelves had stirred up Matthias' appetite. In the middle of the kitchen stood arose an island counter on which the raccoon had already place a wide variety of ingredients. The wolf assumed that the right side of the fridge hid away the freezer, which the wolf was sure of countless goodies. Leon turned around, arms brimming with fruits, veggies and a huge wheel of aromatic golden cheese and dropped them onto the island with the other food. He bent down and pulled out a chopping board from a hidden cabinet in the island, and motioned for Matthias to hand him one of the knives. Rathe rose out of his seat and handed Leon one of the two strange knives. As soon as the knife was in the raccoon's paw, it was like magic. In a blink of an eye Leon had chopped up the different ingredients, handling the blade with incredible coordination and skill. He laid it on the counter and started mixing the food together in a big mixing bowl. Matthias looked in awe as his friend employed culinary wonders beyond anything seen on Top Chef and in a matter of minutes, (twenty three minutes and forty two seconds to be exact), the wolf and raccoon were sitting at a luxurious dining table in yet another room, gorging down fruit, bread and vegetable fondue. Matthias' taste buds exploded as he sampled the bitter yet flavorful cheese dip that meshed nicely with the sweetness of the fruit and the savory of the vegetables. "I didn't know you could cook," the lupine mumbled through a muzzleful of celery and cheese. The raccoon's face seemed to light up as he responded, "Yeah, it's been my dream ever since I was a little cub. I've always had this insane desire to cook and my mother encouraged me to take culinary classes. I was always thinking up new dishes to make or new foods to blend together. It was my dream to become a famous chef and open my own restaurant. I was very talented and quickly climbing up the ladder. But my father..." Leon quickly cut off, and changed the subject, "So anyway, tell me why you want to become a thief. Last time I mentioned the prospect, it didn't seem to be up your alley." Matthias' eyes narrowed as his hackles rose and he commented, "Revenge. I want to become a thief so that I can get revenge upon those who have done me wrong." The raccoon's eyes widened just a fraction and he took a sip from a wine glass before replying, "Oh? Well I'll tell you in advance that if you are set on becoming a thief, you can't allow your emotions to cloud your judgment. Thievery is a dangerous game and if you follow your emotions then you will wind up getting yourself or innocent furs killed. I completely understand that there are furs out there that deserve to die, but who are you to decide their fate. That is not a thief's task. The task of a thief is to acquire valuable goods either for a buyer or for oneself. The best thief is the one who can mask their anger, their hatred, and their joy when they are on the job." Leon continued "You have impressive skills. I have only heard of three furs who have mastered Hashtin Saido better than you. Your father was a locksmith. This means that genetically, your eye to paw coordination and dexterity with lock-picks should come naturally. Your mother was an aerobics instructor and your potential for flexibility and balance could be exponential. However if you don't keep your emotions in check, they will consume you and you will be a liability both to yourself and your client." "Fortunately for you, you can learn to keep your emotions in check with training. And if you're up for it I know just the fur who can train you to walk the path of darkness. The question is, are you game?" "If it can help me control my emotions so I don't have to feel this pain, then I will give it a shot." Leon perceived that the lupine was determined to take this road and he nodded to the young wolf. "Well then, I'll give him a call."
- * * It was the dead of night, with a silver moon in the sky casting light to draw back the darkness, as sole shadow stood over a grave in the sea of the dead. His body was hidden in the darkness, thanks due to his jet black fur. The only sign of any sort of life in the lifeless city were his eyes. Two red dots that penetrated the darkness, eyes of cold red fury. The shadow was adorned in a black cloak to further mask his presence, a trademark of his profession. As he stood vigil over this grave he reached into his cloak pocket and withdrew a rosary which he held out in front of the tombstone as he prayed. And it was while he was praying that he shed a single tear from his cold crimson eyes. He knew that what he had done was unforgivable. He knew no matter how much he tried he couldn't change the past. He past the point of no return long ago when his former friends had introduced him to his life of crime. A small sad smile, escaped from his dismal visage. Even if he could change who he was, he knew he wouldn't. Being a thief was a part of him; a part of his soul. He laid the rosary down in front of the tombstone and knelt down to pray again when a noise erupted from his pocket ending the silence... "And even though this might spell your doom, you'd better make this its final tomb, it's up to you to save us from our plight. Or evil will spread across the land, seeping out malice through his wicked hands, that's why we chose you...a demon of the light." With a sigh, the shadow reached into his other cloak pocket and pulled out the source of the irritating noise, a cell phone. As the shadow held the cell phone up to his eyes to see who was calling him at that ungodly hour, the light from the cell phone revealed the long eared head of a red eyed jackal. He flipped open the cell phone and brought it to the side of his head. "Yeah," the jackal answered. "Hey, Shadow," a voice on the other end crackled through. "What's up, Bandit?" "You remember that wolf I was telling you about?" "The one who's in your martial arts class?" Shadow inquired "Yeah that one. Well he's at my place right now," Bandit stated. "And I think he's ready for some training, if you're up for it." "He any good?" asked the jackal "He's got a lot of potential. He could become great if he had the right guidance." "Hmmm," mused Shadow as he glanced down at the tombstone he was standing over. "Very well. Bring him by my place as soon as possible. I'll meet you there." "Okay. See you in a bit, Shadow." The line clicked off and Shadow closed his phone and returned it back to its pocket. He said to the grave, "I'm sorry. I never was one to tempt fate. Once a thief, always a thief." The jackal turned around in vanished into the darkness surrounding the cemetery. The moon shone down, illuminating the tombstone with the rosary placed in front of it. To many, it's just another random grave among thousands that filled the graveyard. However, to one guilt ridden jackal, it was filled with memories from when he and his former colleagues took the step from petty thieves to cold blooded murderers. The name on the tombstone? Sarah Glass 1990-1998 Loving daughter She will be missed
It was unusual for Gabriel Hawkins and his colleagues to frequent any bar other than Seraph's, but this week was special. The five criminals had reopened a drug ring in the basement of an orphanage and they were in the mood for a little sport. The type of sport they preferred usually involved people getting hurt or losing their lives. Their target was a little downtown bar known by the local residents as "Treejumper", run by an aging squirrel. Said squirrel was huddled in a corner, watching in apprehension as the villainous furs ransacked and raided his supplies. Being a war veteran, the squirrel, branded Cajin by his war buddies, put up quite a fight when assaulted by the nefarious felons. Lefty, a red coyote, was sporting a limp and Righty was holding an ice pack against a bloody gash, crimson with fresh blood oozing out of his canine head. However, when facing off against the beagle, the older squirrel wasn't prepared for the speed or viciousness of the canines attacks. It only took three hits to central nervous points to send the bushy tailed fur doubling over in pain. Also, the attack paralyzed Cajin's lower body muscles, and so the squirrel could only watch as his life's dream ravaged by greedy and sadistic vermin. The beagle sat at the bar sipping a martini of his own creation. He paws were tapping to the soothing beat of the jazz drifting from a jukebox which lay on its side, a casualty from the carelessness of the raiders. Above the bar mounted on the wall was a beautiful naval sword, made of folded steel and an iron hilt. Ash was leaning against a column, chugging an enormous bottle of JD, showing no signs of slowing down, pain or intoxication. His spiky tail was slowly waving back in forth, relishing the stinging taste the alcohol left in his mouth. Gabriel Hawkins sat at a table with his trusted subordinates, Lefty and Righty, as he counted out the cash in front of him from their random haul. Righty looked menacingly at the poor squirrel, thoughts of malicious and despicable acts towards the crippled squirrel revolving in the Dalmatian's mind. He snapped at Cajin, "Hey, squirrel." Cajin looked at the bleeding Dalmatian, a look of defiance gleaming in his eyes. Righty was unnerved by this look and he arose from where his remarkably firm tush was resting, and walked over to where the squirrel lay. He brutally kicked Cajin in the side as he bared his fangs at the huddled form and snapped. "When I say 'hey, squirrel' you answer me 'yes sir, Mr. Righty.' Got it!" The Dalmatian's footpaw performed another cruel kick, which was followed by the delightfully painful sound of several ribs cracking. Cajin groaned in agony, but his stare remained the same, bold and insolent, and he showed no signs of breaking. That didn't stop the canine from delivering four more swift blows, each followed by sounds of internal damage. "Righty, that's enough." Gabriel barked out, his voice stopping the Dalmatian from continuing his sadistic treatment of the squirrel. "As much I enjoy the torment of others, I'm trying to concentrate on dividing up the spoils and your actions are distracting me. Now sit back down." Righty shot Cajin a glare of the purest hatred before hurrying back over to his seat and the friendly bottle of Jose Cuervo in front of him. As the scarred otter separated the cash into five piles, a techno tune sounded from his pocket, breaking his concentration and causing him to lose count. Mentally swearing, Gabe reached in to his pocket and withdrew the cell phone from his pocket, and checked the caller ID. "Hey beagle," Gabe snapped out, "Turn that fucking shit off right now. The Master's calling." The beagle set down his drink and through a hidden knife straight through the power cord of the juke box, silencing the musical machine for good. All eyes in the room, except for Cajin's of course, turned towards the otter, now with his ragged ear to the phone. "Evening Master. The operation went as planned and the Heroin ring is set up inside New Beginnings Orphanage." A crisp voice came through, thought the tone of the Master's voice was edgy. "Very good. I am pleased to hear that my student. However, that is not the reason I have called. Am I correct that you killed a family a few days ago and set their house on fire?" "Yes Master. That bratty son of Chief Katz said he'd rats us out to the Feds if we didn't dispose of a couple of fags." The Master's tone turned from edgy to dangerous. "And how many did you kill?" "The two queers and two parents." "Are you aware that the police report indicates that only three corpses were found in the house?" Gabe's eyes widened as he turn towards Ash and the beagle. "No Master, I was not aware. I'll have my people search for the missing body." "You are aware that if the fur is not found, he could cause a great deal of problems to our organization and our goals?" "Yes Master, I'm aware. I'll get right on it. You can count on me." "I hope so," the Master replied, and with that he hung up. Gabe turned looked at Ash and commented "Seems the two of you didn't finish the job. Either the wolf of the snow leopard is alive." The dragon and beagle glanced at each other and Ash responded "Shit." Gabe put his paw to his head, an expression of 'how do I get myself into these kind of messes' fleeting across his face. "Okay gents," the otter replied, "We've got a fur to find and I want him found ASAP. An extra share of tonight's loot goes to whoever brings back a corpse. The right corpse." The otter looked at Righty as he indicated the huddled form of the squirrel in the corner. "Take care of the mess." As Gabe, Lefty, Ash and the beagle all departed, Righty's eyes zeroed in on the naval sword hanging on the wall. With a rancorous grin spreading across the spotted canine's muzzle he responded to his departed boss's command. "With pleasure."
"The pleasure's all mine" the snow leopard said smiling as he shook paws with the German Shepherd standing behind the desk in front of him. As the two let go paws, the canine gestured to the seat on the other side of the desk. "Please take a seat Mr. Harrison." The feline pulled out the chair and slowly seated himself, his paws placed in his lap as he waited for the canine to continue. A stand on the desk identified the German Shepherd to be James Welles, FBI administrative head. James was perusing the feline's credentials, a low whistle sounding from his mouth. "You've got quite the record of achievements. Several drug busts, two medals for exemplary service in the line of duty, a promotion to Sergeant after two years of field work and several testimonies from fellow officers of your outstanding leadership during time when others are losing their heads. Might I inquire as to why you resigned from your precinct?" The snow leopard closed his hazel eyes and inhaled a quick breath before replying, "The Chief of Police and I didn't see eye to eye on several issues." Welles looked down at the papers, his eyes transferring from a look of confusion to one of understanding. "Your precinct was No. 25, located in Destiny, Virginia. That means the Chief of Police would be Henry Katz, would it not?" The snow leopard, amazed that the canine knew Henry Katz's name, replied, "That is correct, sir." The German Shepherd registered Mark Harrison's surprise and explained, "We've known about Katz's involvement with the Vices for quite some time. I'm glad to know that you didn't play a part in the corruption." Welles set down the documents on the desk and looked at the snow leopard squarely in the eyes. "I must admit that your credentials are impressive and it would take hardly any trouble for your transfer to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. I'll have you notified when your request comes through." Welles stood up and so did the feline they shook paws one last time and as Mark Harrison made his way towards the door of James Welles' office, the canine had one last question. "Just out of curiosity, is there any cases you'd be interested in working on?" The feline looked back over his shoulder, an expression of hate pooping out its ugly head to say a quick hello. "There is one. I want to be involved in the tracking down and arrest of Gabriel Hawkins." Welles nodded his furry head. "Very well. That shouldn't pose a problem. You start work first thing Monday morning, Agent Harrison." The canine went back to his desk and started filling out paperwork for Mark Harrison's transfer. The feline left the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and rode a bus to the hotel he was staying at in Washington, D.C. He thought to himself, "I promise Matthias, Daniel ... I won't let you down. Retribution is on its way." Then the snow leopard drifted off to sleep, weary from the intensity the day had place upon him.
"Come on, we're leaving" Leon stated as he led Matthias by his paw out the front of the raccoon's apartment, not bothering to lock the door as it slammed shut behind him. The lupine's eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, as he and Leon went around back to the abandoned lot where the coon's vehicle was parked. From what the wolf could tell, it was a metallic blue Jeep Wrangler, complete with a cloth bikini top that sagged in, due to constant strain from holding water whenever it stormed. The back portion of the Jeep was open to the night air and the automobile had seen better days. All over, the paint was chipped, metal was rusted, and the driver's door was completely missing. However, the tires looked brand new and the raccoon ushered the uneasy wolf into the questionably sturdy vehicle. Matthias had it in his mind that once Leon started the ignition, the Jeep just might blow up in their faces. "At least I'll be able to reunite with Daniel," the wolf thought gloomily. And as his thoughts returned to his beautiful snow leopard, the waterworks started up again. Matthias turned his head out the window so that the raccoon wouldn't see him crying, but Leon was perceptive and saw past the wolf's shabby façade. However, the coon didn't say anything as he started up the engine and put the Jeep into gear. The ride through the brisk darkness was a silent one, as the two furs were lost in their own thoughts. Matthias was thinking of his deceased feline and Leon was thinking of the upcoming meeting with Shadow, one he was sure would end very intimately, as it usually did when the raccoon and jackal got together. After a myriad of turns and weaves, the blue Jeep made its last turn up an unpaved path, the vehicle having entered and ominous and dark looking forest. The rest of the ride was bumpy as the wheels sped over all sizes of rocks and braches, the raccoon not slowing down until he reached the end of the path, which dead ended into a huge grassy clearing As the Jeep came to a standstill, Leon hopped out through the space where the door used to be as he beckoned Matthias to follow him. The wolf wiped his eyes with the back of his furry arm as he trailed the agile thief. Matthias looked around before asking through a grief strained voice, "What are we doing here?" "Well," Leon answered him as he got onto his paws and knees as started groping around in the darkness for some sort of object, "if my friend agrees to train you in the ways of the Path of Darkness, then this will be your home for the next six months." The wolf's burnished gold eyes shot open as he looked around, trying to glimpse some sort of building in the clearing, but none could be seen through the thick blanket of night. "You're joking, right?" There's nothing here." "One of the first rules of thieving is appearances can be and often are deceiving. Aha," the coon exclaimed as he found the latch he had been looking for. With a quick tug and a small click a big circle of light shone ten feet away from the raccoon on the ground and the raccoon scurried over to it, lifting up the large circle to reveal a brightly lit stairwell. Matthias stood in amazement as he watched the raccoon disappear into the hole leading underground. The raccoon head reemerged and winked at the wolf, "Trust me, this underground system has been here since before I was born. It's perfectly stable." So the wolf crawled over to the hole and lowered himself into the stairwell, following Leon. When he got to the bas of the stair, the wolf found himself in a brightly lit huge tunnel. The source of the light was shards of luminescent crystal, covering the floor, ceiling and walls. The width was twenty feet and the height was fifteen feet and as the wolf navigated the naturally made tunnel he couldn't help but wonder what kind of thief was going to train him that the teacher had to live underground. Various caves led off from the tunnel, each with an artificial door, and Matthias assumed that each cave was supposed to be a room. As the young wolf wandered through the tunnel, he lost sight of the raccoon whom he had been following. His heart rate jumped a bit and he picked up his pace in hopes that he might catch up to lithe thief. Up ahead a doorway to his left stood ajar and Matthias figured that Leon had entered into that room, but when he got close heard two voices echo from within the crystal lit room. "Where's your friend at?" a jaunty voice asked. Matthias didn't recognize the source of the voice so he figured it was his mysterious teacher. The young wolf stood up against the wall eavesdropping on the conversation. "He's in the hallway. He will be here shortly. Before he arrives I want to give you my report." "Wait," the new voice commanded. "It seems that your friend is right outside the door. Come in, young wolf, and introduce yourself in proper fashion." Matthias jumped at being found out, and slowly made his way into the room to view a black furred jackal with blood red eyes sizing the young wolf up. The jackal wore a black cloak, with a hood on the back, and a grin slowly spreading on his face. The jackal recognized the wolf immediately. It was only a few nights ago when he pulled out the bleeding half dead form from the inferno. The jackal had gone to the house to stop Gabe from putting his plans into action, but he arrived in too late. As soon as he found the residence, Ash and the beagle where leaving and smoke was starting to billow out. He dashed into the flames and noticed the three dead furs tied into chairs and the fourth fur huffing, puffing, and sobbing on the ground. He carried the wolf out and called the ambulance from his cell, and then left before anyfur had noticed him. Of course, he didn't show any surprise that the young wolf he saved was before him now, wanting to learn the ways of a thief. He raised his left eyebrow and said "So, you're the wolf who wants to be a thief, huh. And why would that be, may I ask?" The jackal seemed to glower at the wolf and Matthias shrunk back a little, his ears flattening against his head as he glanced at Leon, who was looking at the wolf, an amused expression on his face. Matthias meekly replied, "For revenge." The jackal seemed to grow taller as his expression was impossible to read. "Revenge, huh?" the jackal asked, his voice dripping with fake malice. Matthias was sure that this jet black furred, glowing ember eyed fur was going to eat him until the jackal unleashed a throaty laugh, causing him to double over and hold his sides. Matthias was unsure of what was going on, as the jackal's mood seemed to lighten considerably. "Revenge, huh?" the jackal asked again, laughs chirping out between words. He walked over to the lupine, clapping a paw on his shoulder. "Sorry for laughin, pup, but I never heard an excuse as pathetic as that for wanting to become a thief. How do you think you'll obtain revenge through thievery? What are you going to do, steal all your enemies' valuables?" As the jackal's mood lightened, the wolf's mood continued to get graver as he replied, "I want to become a thief to build up contacts to find those who have hurt me. When I find them, I will kill them. I will make them suffer greatly." Tear started brimming in the wolf's eyes, and the jackal stopped laughing immediately. "I will make them pay for what they have done and I will make them beg for death before I kill them. But that's not the main reason for my wish to become a thief. It's to punish myself for being weak. To have urges which I can't control, it makes me sick. To have urges which I wish to share with the one fur whom I can never be with again. I want to become the extreme opposite of what I am, in order to get inside their heads, to kill them and to destroy the part of myself that remains linked to the past. In order to get on with my life, I have to destroy my innocence." The jackal's expression turned serious as he eyed the shaking wolf up and down, noticing something dark and dangerous stirring up in the wolf. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well. I will train you, but on the condition that you do everything I tell you to. Understood?" The young wolf nodded, and the jackal continued. "Very good. From now on, you will stay here. You will eat, breathe and sleep underground until I deem that you are worthy to return to the surface, reborn a thief. My name is Shadow," the jackal said, then motioned to Leon. "When on a job that requires Leon you shall refer to him as Bandit. You too will have a codename, once you've completed basic training. Leon will show you to your room. Get some sleep, we start first thing tomorrow morning. He gestured to the raccoon who walked out the door. Matthias hesitated a moment before following Leon/Bandit out into the tunnel. Several doors later, the raccoon guided the lupine into a nice sized cave. A queen sized bed sat in one corner, a dresser in another. Other than that and the natural light, the room was empty. "Sleep tight," Leon said before he closed the door and the crystals dimmed. The wolf fell on top of the mattress and he welcomed the warm embrace of sleep . "So, do you think he has what it takes?" Leon asked Shadow when he returned to the room. "Perhaps. If he can learn to overcome his grief, then he might have what it takes. I could barely tell that he was eavesdropping outside the room in the first place. Speaking of which, your report?" "Oh yes," the raccoon remembered, "From my surveillance I found that the Master and the Vices have opened up a drug ring in an orphanage." The black furred jackal silently swore. He had Leon keeping tabs on the Master for a long time now. The raccoon was an excellent thief and was the best when it came to stealth. Once, a long time ago, Shadow had respected the Master, but ever since he had been manipulated into killing that little girl, the jackal's view of the old codger had done a one eighty. Leon looked up at the brooding Shadow, "You say that Matthias has to overcome grief? DO you know what's bothering him?" Shadow sat down on the king sized bed that graced his room and sighed. "His parents and his mate were murdered a few days ago and his house burned to the ground." A wave of emotions, from nausea to sorrow coursed through the raccoon, who put his paws to his mouth in an expression of shock. "Oh my god! How horrible. I had no idea." "It's alright," Shadow replied. "It's not common knowledge." "Then how do you know about it?" asked Leon Another sigh escaped Shadow's muzzle. "Because, I was there." "You don't mean...?" "The Vices were the ones who killed his parents and mate. But I don't want him to know. Revenge is a poison. If he lets it, it will eat away at him and consume him and he will be turned into something as base and low as the Vices themselves. If he wants to kill them, I won't stop him. Hell, I'll even help him. But not 'til he's ready. If he finds and tries to attack them now, he'll be torn to shreds. With proper training, he could be useful." Leon sat down beside Shadow and placed his paw on top of the Jackal's paw. "I know you will do what's best. But right now I've got a 'small' problem which needs taken care of." A smile starting to form on the coon's muzzle. "We haven't had a 'get together' in a couple of months and I've been practicing a lot of self control until we could reunite. But now, I can't hold back anymore." The jackal smiled as he said "Well, let's see if we can solve this little problem..."
Rachel Denia was on her way home from work at an uptown cafeteria. The lithe squirrel had been exhausted after her Hashtin Saido class. The old senile rabbit, Jali, had praised her for her determination and investment, but she was completely wiped out. After class, she rode her Yamaha motorcycle twenty miles to her work at Appetites Café. From then 'til closing she bused tables, tended the register and washed dishes." Finally she was off work and on her way home to "Treejumper's Bar" and her old father. Her dad, a war veteran, was the only family she had left and she loved him deeply. He had raised her all by himself, and treated her more like a son than a daughter. He taught her naval combat, as well as swordplay, how to spit like a male, and other masculine things. As such, she never fitted in anywhere as she seemed to female in sex, but had a masculine upbringing. This wasn't to say she was transgender. She felt very feminine, but was raised more like a son. And she loved him for the way he looked after her. Her motorcycle stopped outside the café as she whipped off her helmet and jumped off her bike which crashed to the street. The lights were still on inside the bar. Her father never stayed up this late, so she knew something was wrong. She hurried inside but was halted by the wreckage in front of her. Glass was broken everywhere, a juke box lay on its side. Tables were capsized and there were empty bottled all over the bar. A furry figure lay off to the side of the bar and in a flash Rachel was at his side. Cradling his lifeless head in her arms, she noticed that a sword wound was the result of his death, and as tears started to fall she let out a whimpered "Father..."