FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A thirty year old feline woke up in the dead of night to a cracking sound, as if someone had broken into his apartment. He reached under his pillow and grabbed his knife before throwing off the blankets. His body was muscular, and his fur a light gray. Since his days as a hitman, he could wake up to the sound of a feather hitting the ground. The crack was loud, as sounded as it came from the opposite side of the wall closest to his bed. He sprung out of bed, but fell to the floor almost immediately.

It was only then did he realize that the cracking didn't come from his apartment, but his chest. It felt as though his ribcage split apart and his heart was being crushed. He stayed on the ground, unable to move or think clearly as the indescribable pain spread throughout his entire body. "This... isn't death... what then?" he wheezed. He was fit and had a healthy diet, so a heart attack was out of the question. There was something so strange about it. He was an expert in anatomy and the study of various ailments and diseases. But the symptoms for this one... were too out of the ordinary.

Tears poured from his eyes as he forced his numb body to its feet. He was aware of a nearby hospital with a good reputation, and he knew he had to get there quick. The pain was too much to bear for a normal civilian, but to him it was nothing more than a small thing. After some struggling, he pulled some clothes out of his closet and put them on, trying to ignore his body's cries for help. Before he set out, he grabbed a small white box and his steel zippo lighter. He had to be prepared, no matter what was happening.

The feline worked his way down the seven flights of stairs and eventually to the bus just as it arrived. He stared up at the night sky as the pain began to fade. The moon was red, and the stars seemed to hide behind its ominous presence. The city wasn't the largest, but it was still odd for it to be this quiet at night. It was as if someone was trying to punish him for his past. By the time the bus reached the hospital stop, the pain was completely gone. He exited and walked through the brisk and silent night air.

He passed under the lit up sign that read "Angel's Mercy Hospital" and could hear the hum of the neon as if it were next to his ears, "Good thing, I thought I was going deaf" he mumbled as he walked into the empty building. The nurses were talking and laughing amongst themselves on an obviously easy shift. They were quickly alerted when they heard the ring under their desk that let them know someone was entering. As they spun their heads around, their mouth's went wide and their body's froze in the seats, "What? Can't a guy get some decent service around here? I thought you nurses were paid to care for patients, not stare at them." He didn't understand the looks at all.

Suddenly, a female husky walked out of a hallway while putting on her coat, "I think I'm going to head home now, girls. Let me know if something big hap... what are you staring at?" She followed their gazes to the feline standing in the doorway. She dropped her jacket and stared at him the same way, "Impossible... it can't be... impossible! Who are you?!" her voice was shaky and clearly disturbed.

"Uhh... call me Sammy. Seems to comfort people. Glad to meet you doctor..." he squinted so he could see her name tag, "Tesser. I think something is wrong with me, mind giving me a looking over?" She nodded and directed him to a nearby room that could barely be seen from his position. Her vision was locked on Sammy, and he found it odd when she didn't blink.

He walked a short distance in the recently cleaned hallway and entered a rather large room. There were all sorts of devices and shelves. He simply hopped up on the bed as she slowly shut the door. "What?" he said as she pointed to a mirror. What he saw was not himself. His fur had grown pale, blood was coming from his tear ducts, his expression, which he thought was a content one, looked more like a zombie's, "What the... doc. What happened to me?"

Tesser sat down on a steel chair and started typing on a computer. Sammy waited for an answer, but nothing came. Her face calmed down some as she spun around to face him, needle in hand. "I need to take a blood sample to make sure, so could you give me your arm? Thanks. Now, you may feel a pinch." She stuck in the needle and started to draw blood. He was bored, having had much more painful experiences in his past. She placed a folded gauze pad on the entry hole, "Hold this here, this won't take a long time." She held a calm demeanor, but her body language told a different story. She put the blood into a machine and turned it on. A low humming could be heard.

Sammy sighed, "So... what's the deal?" he pulled a home rolled cigarette out of the white box and flipped back his lighter top. Tesser was about to protest, "Yeah yeah yeah. 'No smoking in a hospital' right? Trust me, this isn't exactly a cigarette." He inhaled a few times then shut his lighter with a snap. The machine stopped and the computer opened a program with all kinds of statistics. Tesser seemed as though she had lost hope, "Hmm... What is it?"

She turned to face him with a solemn look on her face. "Recently, scientists have discovered a bacteria found on everyone. It didn't seem like a big deal, but they couldn't determine a purpose. It didn't do anything to anyone. It was just there. A few medical examiners, however, have discovered it's purpose. Two people, one a canine and the other a seal, have died of a mysterious and fast acting disease. Using the bacteria, they confirmed that it had killed the two. It was so odd, one was a child, the other a middle aged male. They lived in different parts of the world, had different diets, nothing could link them. Except," she took a pause, "are you aware that we haven't fully mapped parts of the brain and DNA, right? Well, we learned that the two deceased shared a common DNA strand, one that reacted strangely to the bacteria. These people didn't carry it, so they lived for a while until they came into extended contact. When they did, their internal clocks shot ahead to the point where they only had a few days left to live. I don't think I need to tell you the side effects of the transition."

"So basically, I'm fucked."

Tesser continued, "I wouldn't put it that way, but yes. I want to help, but there is only so much I can do. Your body will be susceptible to the occasional bleeding, caused by your skin opening at random in different sizes and time periods. Bouts of weakness would be a serious factor for most, but," she waved the smoke out of her face, "For someone like you, it won't cripple you like most. On the final day, you will feel pain beyond your comprehension. You should consider yourself lucky if you can move. Hmm... your color is coming back. In the last hour or so, a heavenly state of nirvana will overtake you. A serene sensation will make you forget about everything, and big problems will seem like nothing. It's like the disease is merciful at the very end." She looked at Sammy funny, because he was laughing, "I want to help you, so if you agree to stay here we will make you as comfortable as possible in your final days. I know it isn't much, but I'm afraid it's all I can offer."

He took another drag of his cigarette, which burned green, "Heh... let me tell you something. I don't plan on sitting around. I've got someone that I need to set things right with." he hopped off the bed and walked to the door.

As he opened it, Tesser had to ask, "Who? Maybe I can help and you'll be peaceful."

Sammy laughed again, "One piece of advice... don't try to help a man who deserves death." then he walked past the receptionist desk where the two vixens now looked at him like he was attractive. As he walked out of the door, he leaned against the wall and watched the faint glimmer of sunlight trying to climb over the distant hills. He let out a breath of air, "For you, Karma. I never meant to get you hurt. I will make it up, even though it'll cost me the only thing I have left. Please," he stared lovingly at the line of light, "watch over me." He took a final drag then threw his cigarette into a nearby ashtray.

Sammy decided to walk home as the city sprung back to life. Voices rose over the traffic, laughter mixed with arguments polluted the air, denying him any peace. The clanging of metal sheets protecting the convenience stores opened and deafened the meaningless chatter, if only for a moment. Horns began honking as someone had already got into an accident. He knew of only one place to find solace this early in the morning, so he decided head there. O'Shenanigan's Bar was his favorite spot since her death.

He went inside and expected to see it empty. The friendly bartender, a lizard named Flannigan waved to him. Sammy waved back, but saw a lone German Shepard sulking over a glass of whiskey. It may have been just dumb luck, or perhaps Karma was trying to help him make things right, but he didn't care. He sat next to the man, "Hey, you okay? You look like someone died."

He was sobbing quietly, then a burst of rage overtook him, "Shut up you bastard! You have no idea what happened to me! My family... my wife and two daughters... they were killed in some terrorist bombing. You have no right to say anything about knowing how I feel!" he was wearing military fatigues, but they were dirty and wrinkled. It had appeared that he faced this loss recently, which would make sense. If he did fight in the war, he would most likely have made quite a few enemies. Sammy noticed a patch that said all it needed to.

"You have no idea what I feel. So a sniper, huh? Hmm... tell you what, if you have an idea of who killed your family, I may be able to offer my unique... services."

He looked up, tears falling over his drenched fur, "Why... why would you help me? And what could you do, you're only one person. you wouldn't stand a chance."

Sammy smiled, "Try me."

"Fine. There's a supposed connection between a group of terrorists and some street gang around here, The Black Demons or something. In return for money and weapons, the gang offers to assassinate enemies of the terrorists. A certain section, I think there's four of 'em. Highly trained in explosives and firearms, they even left a card saying that they did it. I went to the police, but they have been bought off. I had to leave the military, I just couldn't... I just..."

Sammy sighed, "I know the feeling. I have an idea where this group is. What's your name?"

"Alfie."

"Fine, Alfie. I'll have them dead by dinner." he put a twenty down on the counter, "For any drinks he may get after this one."

Sammy did have an idea where these gang members usually hung out. There was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city and there were always reports of loud bangs. Easily recognizable by experts as explosives training. You need to know how to activate and make a bomb, as well as the different effects of different materials and combinations. If you don't get it right, you don't get second chances. He walked to the building, about an hour's walk away.

It was about forty feet tall, but it was used for vehicle manufacturing so it had one floor and a catwalk about halfway towards the ceiling. He planned out his method of entry. Since Sammy didn't have any weapons on him, he had to rely on what they happened to be carrying. He noticed a gutter drain that led the the rooftops and acted. He climbed up, used to the kind of demand that something like this required. A minute later and he was on the top. Before he jumped up, he checked to make sure there were no guards. He moved to a ventilation duct that was against city building codes. "Probably why this place was shut down." he mumbled, carefully removing the grate. There was a steady decline, which was safe for him to slide down to the catwalk level, most likely giving easy access to an office.

After an easy drop, he was as he expected just over an office. A smug rat sat there, polishing his big machine gun. Sammy thought that this was way too easy. He carefully removed the grate and silently dropped down behind the rat. Fortunately, he was too obsessed polishing his gun to notice Sammy's shadow. He put one hand over the rat's mouth, the other around his head, then he snapped his neck without a struggle. The entire ordeal took about a second.

The windows were blacked out, which was just as much of a blessing as it was a curse. He couldn't see out, but they couldn't see in. Sammy picked up the machine gun, "Fan-cy. M60 in a place like this? You could mow down twenty cops with this thing in a few seconds." he checked the ammo, "Armor piercing bullets! Who'd a thunk it? For a well trained and heavily armed group, they aren't very effective at fighting off threats." He put the shoulder strap over his shoulder and crouched down as he slowly opened the door. For some odd reason, it lead to a hallway. "Yeah, this place was destined to shut down." He sneaked through the hall until he came to what used to be the break room. A bear was inside, snacking on something.

Sammy looked around and listened closely, but there wasn't anyone else around. A bear's neck would be too hard to break silently, especially for a man of his build. The M60 was very loud and would give away his position. Even though the first one fell without a fight, he may have just been taken off guard. Sammy looked to his side to see a fire extinguisher. It was perfect, the metallic sound would probably be unnoticed and he could easily bash the gang member's skull in. He pulled it off the wall and slowly moved to the busted out window in a crouching position. The bear reached down for something, "Come one, there's gotta be... Alright! Another Twinkie! My lucky day-" a metallic clang filled the air. Sammy hurried in and checked the body.

Oddly enough, he had a silenced 9mm pistol on his. "Huh. Did not see that coming." he picked it up and fired once into the bear's head. His kept the pistol in his hand and carefully tilted the broken vending machine onto the table. This way, anyone passing by wouldn't see the body and would believe the sound came from the fallen machine. Sammy moved silently through the hallways again, taking notice of the warped walls and the water damaged ceiling. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it. The green embers on the tip didn't reflect a lot of light against the graffiti on the work floor.

He quickly moved down a metal set of stairs and took cover behind some rusted machinery. Two sets of footsteps could be heard coming closer, but they stopped on the other side of the machine, "All I'm saying is that we need some more money. Seriously, we're more likely to get cancer in this place that shot. Did you see the ceiling in A-Sector? Is was practically glowing with that blue mold."

"Pro'bly somethin to do with what they used to make here. I heard that it processed nuclear waste. Creepy to think about, huh?"

Sammy smiled. One set of footsteps moved away from the machine, so he decided to act. He rushed out and grabbed the one closest to him and quickly put a bullet in his head. The other one spun around and shot Sammy in the side. He was shocked when no blood came out. "Yeah, I used to get that look a lot." Sammy said as he took another drag on the cigarette, "Notice what I'm smoking? Heh, a little concoction of mine. A little rolling paper, some pure tobacco, and a little EB-666."

"What the fuck are you?! Why aren't you bleeding?!" He shot at Sammy again, but he easily dogged the aimed bullet.

"As I was saying, EB-666 was actually an accident. I was trying to make something that would instantly kill someone without a waiting period. I mixed all kinds of chemicals together, because if you just plop everything in at once, some will cancel out the others and the victim can still call for help. I found a perfect mixture, though. It speeds up metabolism, speeds up reflexes, speeds up cell regeneration, and increases strength and mental concentration." The bullet fell out of his side as his flesh started to repair itself, "It does have some problems, but hell, I got nothing to worry about anymore. By the way, I have a gift for you, from a military sniper named Alfie." He pointed the silenced 9mm at the terrified man and fired. He dropped like a fly.

Sammy simply picked up some trash bags that happened to be lying around and put both the 9mm and the M60 inside, an easy hiding technique that will let him use the weapons for further use. As he walked out of the building, he noticed that the sun was high in the sky. He squinted as he marched back to his apartment. It was winter, so the sun wasn't a bad thing. However, to Sammy it was. His eyes could never adjust to the sun, no matter how long he stayed outside. Another long walk later and he dropped off his new weapons before heading back to the bar.

Along the way, he noticed that a little feline had just let go of her balloon by accident. She was screaming as her father tried to get it, but it was just outside of her grasp. Sammy reacted fast, using a trash can for a boost and propelling off of a store wall to just reach the balloon string. he landed on the pavement with a thud, then handed the girl her prized possession. "If you tie it around your wrist, you don't have to worry about letting it go." he said with a smile as he continued to the bar.

Inside, the man in fatigues was sitting impatiently. When he saw Sammy, he popped out of his seat, "Did you get them? Did you really get them?" Sammy noticed that the deaths had already made the news.

He laughed, "I hope so, otherwise I just dreamed them to death. What's done is done. Now, buy me a zombie. I earned it." Alfie was confused, but he told the bargirl, who gladly mixed the drink, "Sometimes it's better to just forget the day, and think like a zombie. Cheers!" Sam took a drink.

Alfie was a little disturbed, "How can you sit there like nothing happened? I know I hated them and wanted them dead, but still. Even when I killed an enemy, I felt sorry for them."

Sammy took another drink, "Well, way I see it is that they deserved something bad to happen to them. I just sped up justice a bit. They died as they lived, terrified cowards. Now go to your family's grave sites and mourn like a normal person. Let me rest."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Thanks go out to spikey pete, who provided the characters Tesser and Alfie. All his ideas, maybe tweaked a bit to better fit the story. Thanks for the help!