Jolt and THE Vault of Furry Trash Writing

    (Oh wow it's been forever huh? Well I've been stuck in school as usual and thought I might as well post a story I never really finished. This is the only chapter and ya know? It feels good leaving it here. It's simple, short, bit gory, and gives that overall feeling that it's better left as is. Either way, here's the story so enjoy!!)

The ground had long become a marsh-like mess before the two armies had clashed in combat, appearing as a wound on the very earth itself with all life seeming to leave the area in preparation for the bloodshed to arrive within moments. Their flags and war machines towered over the creatures as they sprinted towards each other with determination in their hearts and battle cries being roared in defiance. A sea of blades clashed into each other; blood, flesh, and bodies painting the muddy ground in a bright red. More and more soldiers streamed to the front, stepping over the bodies of their former comrades with nary a second thought before quickly becoming crushed by the waves of bodies coming from the rear to join them in the struggle. War machines cut swaths through the fields of bodies while their numerous legs traversed them through the battlefield, a large blade extending several feet from the base of the machine and spinning at a pace that seemed rather slow from a distance but carried a surprising amount of power behind it. Corpses were sliced in two with the blade quickly being swathed in blood and organs of friend and foe alike as the machine sliced through any individual that came too close.

    Many corpses were mangled beyond repair, lost to whatever beasts would come after the battle to feast on the remains but there were still many bodies that survived intact. That is what the priests were searching for as they stood atop of machines of their own. Their war machine took on the shape of a massive tower wrapped in symbols and writing that swirled up the base towards the large platform on top. A bright blue glow emanated from a smaller structure within the top of the machine, the priests gathered around the object in solemn prayer as the light swelled in size and intensity. Their vision was lost due to the glow before it suddenly rocketed upwards, seeming to pick a direction at random as it arced over the battlefield before suddenly slamming into the earth on top of a pile of mangled soldiers. The pile shifted and swelled before corpses were tossed to the side, a formerly dead soldier rising from the grave and regaining life. He quickly grabbed his weapon before charging at the enemy with a renewed vigor as the priests continued their solemn prayers far above the death and destruction below them to return more soldiers from their rightful embrace of death to fight for their kingdom once more. Defiance of death and destruction reigned over the field of mangled corpses and blood with one particular soul standing out in the center of the madness.

The first and most recognizable feature is the overall strange appearance that reminded many of some sort of fish. Which kind isn't quite a debate point since many don't get the chance to ask. Fur covered his upper chest and shoulders in a way that created the illusion that he wore a cape of some sort while he tore through the enemy forces. A large tail trailed behind him as he hacked a path through the soldiers in his way. The most prominent feature would be his large horns that curve slightly to the back and the eyes. They were slit and containing the ferocity of a beast. A beast that knows only of death. His blade, by all accounts, was rather simple in design. A long straight blade sharpened from hilt to tip to allow for slashing attacks along with stabbing attacks. The hilt itself was of a simple copper design with ridges along the handle to allow for a better grip on the blade. A large circular ball of copper decorated the end of the grip. Overall, a rather simple but elegant design that allowed this particular warrior to show his opponents their innards. His prowess in combat was one unparalleled by anyone on the battlefield, his beast-like demeanor emerging with full force as he sprinted through the battlefield like an uncontrolled force of nature.

He rushed the line of enemy soldiers while letting out a loud roar, his blade held at his side while he charged. The soldiers held their ground with their weapons raised, watching the soldier sprint towards them to what would most likely be his death. The moment he came close enough, all of the soldiers rushed forward with heavy slashes to cut the strange fish soldier into ribbons. The warrior barely lost any momentum as he sidestepped the sword swings with a practiced ease before sliding along the earth with his sword extended. The twenty-inch blade slammed into the gut of the soldier furthest to the right of the group, the weapon rendering his armor useless as it sliced through the metal with ease before tearing into flesh and bone. The soldier, to his credit, managed to remain standing for another second or two before the warrior finished his movement and ripped his enemy in two. He resumed his attack the moment his weapon was torn out of the now dead soldier, both paws on the weapon as he lunged forward and buried his weapon to the hilt into the nearest soldier's side. The wounded fighter spasmed and wretched up bile and blood for a few moments before he tore the blade upward, the sharpened edge slicing to rend him in two and allow his rapidly cooling corpse to fall onto the earth. The remaining soldiers spun to face their opponent before being bowled over by a surprisingly powerful tackle. The fish warrior quickly followed up with a heavy downward stab, piercing steel and flesh with equal ease as he finished them off. His narrowed eyes gazed up from his slaughtered prey to find that he'd been surrounded by more soldiers but they were hesitant to face him. He slowly stepped off of the mangled pile of corpses before shifting into a fighting stance, his sword held in a defensive position across his body while his narrowed eyes scanned the enemies around him with a cold glare. The group facing him shuffled nervously as they watched the bloodstained warrior before backing away, leaving him rather confused until the ground began to shake under his feet. He quickly spun around with weapon raised before pausing in his movement, finding himself facing soldiers directing one of the many war machines wreaking havoc on the battlefield.

The machine stood well over four times his size, the massive wheels alone taller than he was. The spiked arrangement on the steel wheels allowed for the machines to grip the mass of bodies and mud as it tore its way through the war zone. A soft red glow decorated several tanks that covered it's front while it crawled towards the warrior, a loud shout signaling the machine to attack. The glow intensified as the warrior crouched down in a defensive stance, the machine building up its power before letting loose waves of flames that quickly scorched the battlefield. Bodies and unlucky soldiers were both victims of the uncontrolled flames as it swept across the muddy field, being burnt to a crisp as they were enveloped in a wall of flames. The warrior didn't move from his position as the flames approached but instead held his ground even as the heat which could be reminiscent of the depths of hell itself washed over his position. The enemy soldiers let out a loud cheer when the monstrous warrior was encompassed by the flames, the machine grinding to a halt while they waited for the flames to eventually dissipate.

The brief giddy high of eliminating the surprisingly hardy warrior was quickly dashed when a figure burst from the flames, both paws gripping the sword in a death grip as he approached the machine with a loud roar. The war machine immediately attempted to charge up for another fiery burst, pipes pumping a mix of flammable liquids into the tanks while soldiers charged the warrior to buy some time. The first few approached with swords held high, attempting a downward slash to tear the warrior in two before steel met with steel. The weapons clashed for a second before the warrior angled his weapon downward, allowing the strike to slip off of his blade and cause his opponent to stumble before striking the soldier in the throat. Whatever yell was in the soldier's mind was quickly cut off once the steel sliced its way into his neck, being reduced to a barely audible gurgle as he started to choke on his own blood before the warrior ended his life by ripping the blade through what remained of the neck. There was no pause as he switched to his next target, spinning and swinging his blade in a wide arc before it was buried deep into his shoulder. It ripped through flesh and bone before rending the arm from the rest of the body, bits of flesh and blood adding to the gore already covering his body while the soldier screamed and clutched the now bloody stump. His pain was ended once the sword sunk into his chest, slipping in between the ribs before the warrior sawed his way upward. The ungodly strength of the warrior was shown as bones were crushed under the blade before the blade was retrieved, the soldier's chest being torn open for all to see before the body collapsed into the mud. The last soldier wasn't much luckier than any of the others as the meeting of blades caused his to shatter before the warrior buried his weapon into his neck and helping to add him to the quickly growing body count.

More soldiers surged forward to attempt to stop him but he'd gotten too close to the war machine. His blade dug deep into the riveted steel as he used his unnatural strength to rip into the pipes and tanks in the front of the machine, volatile liquid starting to pool underneath it and even spraying to catch several of the reinforcing soldiers unaware and cover them in the flammable concoction.

The machines deadly flames now out of commission, the warrior whirled to face the reinforcements with a loud growl and blade held high. The fuel soaked soldiers barely had a moment to prepare before the bestial warrior was upon them, ripping through their steel like a monster. The first one fell relatively quickly once his blade lodged itself into his gut, ripping away flesh and steel to allow his intestines to spill onto the muddy earth. The soldier dropped to his knees as his paws fumbled with his internal organs and placing his body at the perfect height for the warrior to tear away his skull with a heavy swing of his blade. The second one swung his blade horizontally at the warrior, their blades clashing together for a moment before the soldier's blade shattered. His surprise lasted for only a moment before the warrior's blade found its place in his skull; grey matter, blood, and bone spraying the area around him before collapsing onto the floor. The final soldier charged forward with his weapon raised, swinging earthward but only cutting open air as the warrior sidestepped the attack. He was unable to compensate as the soldier stumbled forward into the pool of flammable liquids still continuing to leak from the war machine. He managed to turn to face the warrior just in time to see the blade slash across his chest, barely out of reach as the tip of the blade left sparks across the armor. That was the last thing he managed to witness before his body and vision was consumed by fire, unable to even scream before the flames found a way down his throat to charr his vocal cords. The warrior watched with a blank gaze as the immediate area was also enveloped in flames, racing back to the machine and within the pipes themselves before being enveloped in a massive fireball that swallowed the warrior and several soldiers around the war machine as the fire spread in every direction with metal shrapnel covering the battlefield.

There was no moment of perceived victory for the soldiers before the figure of the warrior started stepping through the flames unharmed towards the terrified soldiers. But, whatever bloodshed was going to be underway was put on pause the moment the battlefield was suddenly cloaked in darkness. The clouds had turned dark suddenly and unexpectedly, a strange form seeming to try to break through to the other side. Whatever it was, it didn't seem like it was succeeding but there was something else that was. A massive rock fell from the heavens before slamming into the earth, decimating the units fighting underneath it before what followed next to spell their doom. It seemed like the sky itself was bleeding as a bright orange and glowing liquid fell down towards the warzone below. Confusion reigned on the battlefield as all the soldiers paused to look up at the seemingly heavenly signal before their curiosity turned to horror.

(Another chappie up and ready to be seen! Time for the introduction of a new character!)

Faith was a proud and dedicated soldier in every single task assigned to her, completing it with the same diligence that allowed the lynx to rise the ranks to her current position quickly. But even an individual like her grows tired of waiting. The soldier had spent a couple of months so far waiting in the local tavern nearby within a small room set aside for and begrudgingly paid for by the local government. It contained sparse accommodations: a large bed, a trunk for storing her gear, a desk, and a lamp. Hardly suitable accommodations for a long-term such as hers but there wasn't much better for the small seaside town. Most of the energy and focus was on shoring the defenses from attacks by the local creatures that lived in and out of the water around the city. Despite the difficulties presented by a near constant threat of attack, most of the garrison dedicated to protecting the walls were lax in their assignments with their minds more focused on enjoying the drunken fun associated with taverns and the local women of the evening. After all, the local monsters may be a menace, but a few quick sword swings will scatter most of the creatures that near the town, so fear was never high on the priority list.

    The city also included a unique twist to the usual cavalcade of girls restricted to specific ports. Many of the ones wandering the streets were sharks, and their reputation made them excellent targets for many a soldier, civilian, sailor, or even the occasional noble looking to tame the supposedly untameable. This situation was most likely one of the only instances where the reputation of ferocity and difficulty to handle became one of the main reason to seek them out. Should one manage the feat, this would often grow bragging rights far into the foreseeable future. Of course, the water-dwelling creatures also cornered the market both metaphorically and literally in the number of escorts available to the usual fur seeking relief and a warm bed for the night. All of these features helped create the peaceful looking town into a center of debauchery and losing inhibitions of all kinds. Faith hated these kinds of cities. But, there was little she could do. The lynx wasn't here to rip the guards a new one for shrugging off their duties, as fun and equally fruitless as it'd be to be smacking sense into the poor soldiers wasting their weekly earnings in a single night. Faith was here for the shark squirreled away in one of the many rooms of the hospital, under the eye of the guards and staff alike. Whether that would be for his safety or theirs was left to be seen in their eyes. With that thought in mind, the lynx hurried out of the room and down the stairs to begin her walk to the hospital. She didn't need a nervous nurse deciding to try to take matters into their own hands.

    The trip was mercifully short thought somehow nerve-wracking to the hardened soldier. She felt eyes tracking her every movement while she rushed through the morning crowds, each time finding nothing but another shark sparing her a passing glance. A lot of the sharks were out and about today. A lot more than she thought lived in the town. It made her uneasy and hurried her steps. The lynx didn't drop her guard till she managed to finally reach the hospital, stepping inside with a silent relieved sigh. She took a moment to glance behind her once more before regaining the stoic nature lost earlier while amongst the crowds, striding past the front desk to reach the elevators just on the other side of the entrance. The soldier went unnoticed by most of the furs traveling back and forth through the vast maze of corridors crisscrossing this particular hospital, focused on their tasks while she approached the rear of the facility on autopilot. Faith found herself slipping into the depths of her mind more often these days, usually concerning the shark and the destructive amount of power he contained. Questions swirled around the lynx as to the source of his magical strength or even if such a force has a possibility of being honed without causing such extreme damage to the user.

    "I'm sorry ma'am,  you'll need to wait before entering the room." Whatever feelings she may have had at the moment were brushed aside once Faith refocused on the physical world and the guard standing in front of her.

    "What? Why am I being kept out?"

    "We've been told to keep the room devoid of all but the priestess until she has finished her rites."

    "I'm going inside." The mention of someone she didn't know, verify or even get to glance at before they entered the room was unnerving. The lynx trained mind ran into overdrive, flicking through each possibility and scenario awaiting her in the other room while she attempted to bypass the soldier before immediately being met with a weapon blocking her progress.

    "Sorry ma'am but you have to stay outside."

    "Either you let me in, or I make sure command tosses you to the worst monster-ridden hole I could find and forgets the key." There was a long pause as the guards stared at the soldier in front of them, weighing their options while Faith waited with impatience and annoyance displaying clearly on her face. The seconds passed in tense silence before they relented, withdrawing their weapons from her path.

    "Alright ma'am, please head inside." She allowed herself a moment to enjoy the victory while she stepped past them with the smallest of smirks tracing its way across her muzzle. However, once she opened the door to the room, whatever little joy she had quickly erased while her paw slid up her thigh to grab the hilt of her weapon. A slender shark stood directly in front of her, back turned to the lynx as the tail slowly swept from side to side. After a moment of study, Faith was able to determine she was female. Least that much was obvious. Her dress was a mix of blue and white fabrics that reached just below her knees on the back and angled upwards while they swirled around her to the front. The cloth stopped at her shoulders, leaving them bare. Several golden chains wrapped around her left shoulder held her clothes aloft along with a particular piece of material that stretched from the chains on the left shoulder to her right paw, connecting to the fabric wrapped around her paw.

    "Who the hell are you?" The question didn't cause a reaction the lynx could notice, not even glancing at the fur behind her. The complete disregard for her presence only worked to aggravate Faith, tightening her grip on the handle of the weapon at her hip.

    "I will ask only one more time. The patient is under my protection, and I can't afford any danger coming to him. Who. Are. You?" Once again the shark failed to answer, giving a dismissive wave of her paw before refocusing on the hospital bed in front of her. The lynx was running out of patience while she slowly slid the blade out of its sheath to begin more aggressive questioning. Luckily for both of them, the doctor chose this moment to enter the room and dive headlong into the situation.

    "Faith, please! Put the weapon away! She is meant to be here!" The soldier paused for a few moments, her blade still halfway in the sheath while her gaze remained on the small professional.

    "Why?" The simple question caused the doctor to let out a sigh before glancing at the hospital bed and the female shark in question.

    "The one you brought in has taken a nosedive in regards to his health. We haven't been able to stabilize him despite our efforts through the night. As such, we decided to bring in a priestess from their faith to perform the rites just in case. Currently, his situation is dire. As such, the tools have been left untouched since the shift change late last night." The explanation seemed to satisfy the lynx as she sheathed her weapon, giving a small nod before turning to face the fur in front of her entirely.

    "I should've been informed about this situation sooner."

    "We sent a messenger last night, but I'm assuming the innkeeper forgot to mention it to you this morning. To be honest, we don't know much about his faith or status other than what we gleaned from his injuries and clothes, but everyone enjoys the comforts of one of their own during their last hours." Faith grimaced at the statement describing what is soon to be the death of the loner in the hospital bed. She crossed her arms in front of her, occasionally glancing at the shark priestess resuming the rituals in front of the bed.

    "You sound like you've given up already."

    "It's a hard truth to stomach, but I've already cut back on the anesthetic and treatment as I stated before. The priestess will handle the rest. Considering the rest recovering in the other rooms from the guardian attack, we can't afford to keep wasting medicine on the rogue. I'm sorry, but I've done everything I could to save him. If you come with me, we can discuss the next steps we should prepare for." He didn't wait long for her agreement before turning and waddling out of the door with the lynx following behind him after a slight pause, glancing once more behind her at the priestess before closing the door and shutting the two off from the rest of the world.

    The priestess kept her gaze on the injured shark until she was sure the two weren't returning to the room. Only then did she allow her stony facade to fall, a soft sigh leaving her lips while her posture sagged. These particular moments were always awkward for the priestess to handle. As a servant of Thanatos, death quickly became standard fare for her everyday duties, but she could never fully steel herself against seeing one of her own in such a state. It was a burden she struggled to bear at the best of times and felt crushing at the worst of it. But the priestess had a job to perform, and she couldn't afford to let the situation keep her demotivated for long. She was vital to many that lived above the water, far from their home beneath the waves. The shark provided relief and a link to the god keeping an eye on those transitioning from the land of the living to the area of the dead. Just like Thanatos, she needed to provide a peaceful transition. This thought helped soothed the mind of the priestess somewhat while she removed the needle in the arm of the wounded rogue to continue her duties of tending to what would most likely be his final hours.

    The rituals were meticulous, requiring rigorous training and memorization for the proper completion of the ceremonies required of her. Such thorough preparations warranted the extreme focus of every single action the priestess performed. Even the simple withdrawal of the needle from the skin needed a small prayer and diligence to prevent any accidental damage. It was this diligence that allowed the priestess to discern a tiny pinprick located within the crystal clear plastic tube attached to said medical needle. The discovery caused her to pause for a few moments, her mind analyzing the new development in the treatment of the ailing rogue. Despite the dire situation, the corners of her lips turned upward in a small smile. The female shark moved quickly to her little bag of herbs before working swiftly in creating a rather potent mixture with the help of a pestle and mortar. A heavy dose was only warranted once there was a confirmation of a dire circumstance but considering the current events with the young shark and his steadily approaching expiration, medical backlash from too strong a dose for a few hours is a pleasant alternative to death.

    "Seems you're not meant for the embrace of Thanatos just yet. Not by the hand of sabotage at least." The words were unheard by the rogue while she pried apart his jaws with ease, tilting the stone bowl to dump the contents into his maw. Her free paw quickly went to work of working his throat in slow and comforting strokes to induce swallowing of the medicine. Time would tell if the young shark would pull through the current situation. Until then, she'd continue her job like the others before her and provide him comfort and prayer until either life or Thanatos tugs him in the direction fate desires.

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    "You know why he needs to remain alive."

    "And as I keep telling you, we can't afford to keep him alive. I don't care how much Macca is being tossed at this, I'm no miracle worker. He's bound for death as is. Every single treatment we could leverage at him for the months he's been here has done absolutely nothing. He's only gotten worse, and it's a miracle he's managed to cling to life as long as he has." The short doctor continuing insistence was beginning to grate on the nerves of the lynx soldier sitting on the opposite side of him. She may have been sympathetic to his position, but Faith couldn't back down from her insistence on the survival of the shark just a few rooms away. She was under heavy pressure as is from the current leader of the kingdom and subsequently her commanding officers. The idea of an end to the guardians that have ravaged the countryside and even the major cities for centuries was too enticing to wave away this opportunity. The rogue must survive. They must know the secret to his power and how to finally reach the golden paradise hanging far above them. It was with that goal in mind that they pressed the lynx for information each and every day. The months haven't been kind to the messages she received with each showing increasing unrest and annoyance from the commanding officers waiting for progress.

    "I understand that the situation is dire, but we need a solution. They've been breathing down my neck for months now, and I can't keep reporting that I need more time or, gods forbid, that the shark died. I need him alive." The small medical professional leaned forward on the desk with a soft sigh, letting his head hang for a moment before readjusting the small glasses balanced on his muzzle as he refocused his gaze on the soldier in front of him.

    "I'm sorry to say that there's no clue what's happening with him. With such harsh rejection of our treatments, I really don't see any other solution. I'd suggest reporting the is-"

    "Ma'am, we have a situation!" The fur bursting into the room interrupted the doctor mid-sentence and drawing the attention of the lynx. She was on her feet in an instant, her mind whirling through the various potential scenarios and mentally preparing her for what was ahead while focusing on the fur in front of her. He was a somewhat pudgy looking individual from the hospital staff, a bear to be specific. His security badge hanged from his upper chest while his breath came in heavy pants, leaning against the doorway for support as he attempted to speak.

    "H-hospital... beast attack!... We need to go into lockdown!"

    "Beasts? We're nearly in the heart of the city, how the hell did they get this far without someone warning us?"

Onto the fourth chapter of this old story of mine. Just tossing these things out with the frequency of cicadas popping out of the ground at this rate. Ah well, in chapter 5 we get speciesism. Probably how ya spell it, most likely not but ah well XD here's the next chapter!

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    Even when surrounded by the darkness of unconsciousness, Red was not allowed a moment of rest. Within his mind's eye, the shark found himself slowly pulling himself onto his feet in a rather nondescript room. There were no identifying features, no visible marks, nothing at all that could define this area as anything other than a run of the mill room. He let out a soft sigh before running his paw through his hair, taking the time to walk the perimeter of the room. He crossed his arms over his chest while he circled the room, the sound of his footfalls echoing with each step and providing the only entertainment Red could find. The tattoo covering his right arm was pulsing unnaturally during his time within the room, the pulsing slowly growing more erratic as time passed before he found his foot paws stuck into the floor. His body was slowly sinking downward as he began to struggle and strain to free himself to no avail. The process was painfully slow while he flailed uselessly, the floor enveloping his waist before the wall in front of him began to shift and morph. The wall bulged outward towards Red while salivating maws began to dot the amorphous mass, causing the shark to immediately recoil and increase his struggles. The mouths split into wide grins, the sound of several voices assaulting his ears all at once and giving the sensation similar to something drilling directly into his skull even as he sank even further into the floor.

   "Such a delicious morsel.....  but I know my place. I've only come for the piece I deserve." A loud growl escaped the shark's throat from its statement, the floor now around his upper chest while continued to sink. He opened his maw to give a tongue lashing and potentially several bites against the amalgamation before the ground in front of him broke open. A large tentacle-like protrusion launched from the gap in the earth before stuffing itself into his maw to stop any attempt at biting while the amalgamation of mouths and teeth approached his right arm which was now held in place with a protrusion from the mass of teeth and saliva. He continued to squirm despite the fact that he was nearly completely submerged under the surprisingly pristine white floor, his gaze on the amalgamation being cut off the moment it split in half to reveal a massive maw running the length of the creature before he let out a muffled scream of pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       "His vitals are getting erratic. The meds might be causing a reaction. Get some anti-inflammatory and hurry with the blood tests, we need to know exactly why he's having such a bad reaction." The cat readjusted his mask while his fingers probed the open flesh with a practiced methodical approach, working to piece together the bones that had been shattered during the fight while Faith and Spear looked on from the observation room in complete silence. While staying in such a room wasn't necessary for any capacity due to the current status of the shark, the lynx had insisted on watching the procedure in its entirety. While Faith was as stoic as ever when focused on the surgical table on the other side of the glass, her furry summon had long learned how to find out her mood through where her eyes were focused. Her gaze never strayed from the arm while the doctor worked tirelessly, slipping in a few pieces of metal to supplement the shattered pieces of bone. But that wasn't what she was focused on. Her thoughts were swirling around the tattoo, focused on the marks that haven't been covered in blood during the operation while her thoughts swirled in her mind.

   "Do you think they'll take him?" His question pulled the lynx from her musing, not fully facing him but acknowledging his question by the tilt of her ears.

   "What do you mean?"

   "Do you think they'll take him? He's a magic user and a powerful one at that. You know they take every single one that they can in order to fight the Guardians and this will probably be no different." A soft sigh left her lips as she gave a small nod, not letting herself turn away from the shark on the operating table. Faith knew that Spear was right, especially when it came to magic. Magic users were rather rare for the most part and as such, nearly every single one of them was rather forcefully pulled under the control of the government the moment that any sign of magic proficiency is seen. So a shark such as him with this much power is extremely desirable to the ones back at the capital. It didn't help that he was one of the only ones so far to force a Guardian to retreat, if only temporarily. That alone will ensure him a presence within the military arm of the kingdom for life. An extremely short life at that, if today was any indicator of what would be the end result of any more battles with the massive beasts.

   A soft sigh left her lips before she turned away from the glass, stepping out of the room without a word. Her summon watched her with indecipherable eyes before shaking his head slowly,  letting his wings wrap tightly around his form. He let his jaws hang open slightly as he let out a long breath, the light blue mist sinking down onto the ground before quickly coming to encompass the furry warrior. The mist hung in the air for several moments before slowly dissipating and revealing the now empty room.

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   "It's been almost a month Doctor Kitoya, how much longer until he's awake?"

   "Always rushing to the finish line with you military types huh? This shark suffered extensive damage to his arm and shoulder. It's a miracle that the bones weren't pulverized. Add blood loss and an unknown physical reaction to the meds that we haven't been able to fully diagnose, it's a surprise that we've managed to keep him alive this far. Not to mention that the staff is getting anxious."

   "Anxious?" Faith raised an eyebrow as she turned to face the doctor, looking down at the short professional while he flicked through the papers on the patient clipboard. "This is like any other patient. Why are we having issues?"

(Alright time for the third chapter after god knows how long. Bleh I've been on vacation and goofing around to enjoy some time with friends and family. This has been on the back burner for a while but I've finally come around to releasing the chapter so without further ado, time for the next chapter of Nameless!!)

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    He was largely ignored by the large monster as he sprinted towards the creature, its fists smashing against the earth as the lynx and her guardian struggled to cause any damage to the beast. It seemed more annoyed than anything else while it swung wildly at the two warriors with the precision of someone attempting to swat a fly. The shark slid to a stop just short of the conflict to hunker down against the spray of earth and debris raining from the sky, plumes of earth being launched into the sky from the heavy blows while Red took cover. Faith had her muzzle set into a permanent scowl as the battle continued to deteriorate, dodging the creature's fist as she slid backward while raising her gunblade once more. The cylinder spun seemingly without any outside interference, clicking into place before the lynx depressed the trigger with her sights on the massive monster.

   Three more rounds raced towards the creature, maintaining the appearance of lightning bolts as they slammed against the chest of the beast. The hit seemed to be slightly more effective as the electrical energy crackled along its body, causing the beast to pause in its movement from the shock and giving the two warriors time to regroup beside the defensive shark.

   "Do you feel the need to jump into everything?" The question caused Red to let out a loud snort before standing up fully, shaking off the dirt that had accumulated on his body from the plumes of earthy material.

   "Do you feel the need to be so pissy? I swear, I go out of my way to try to save your ass and I don't even get a thank you. Ugh... You must be more wound up than a freaking dolphin cause I don't see how you'd be so angry."

   "Shut up and focus on the enemy. We don't have time for your running commentary and we definitely don't have time to deal with you being a desperate flirt." Whatever protest the shark had in mind fell on deaf ears as the beast regained its mobility, plunging a fist into the earth and barely missing the other combatants as they scrambled out of the way. Red was on his feet rather quickly before dashing forward with his right fist pulled back. The gauntlet collided with the creature's fist with a heavy clang before Red recoiled as the force from the impact worked its way up his arm. He took several steps back while clutching the injured limb, his sharp teeth bared while pain pulsed up his arm with each heartbeat.

   "Damn, the hell is this thing made out of?! It's like punching a wall!"

   "That 'thing' is one of the guardians of Paradise! Punching it isn't really effective. I suggest you become a diversion and let us handle the beast." A barely audible snort was the only retort before the lynx sprung into battle with her companion just steps behind her. He had created an icy shield while a spear remained in his other paw, tossing them with speed and precision but the frozen weapons did little to hamper the beast while its focus shifted onto the two currently sprinting towards him. His fist remained in the earth as he extended his claws further into the dirt, ripping through concrete as he dragged his hand through the dirt to swing at them along with the several pieces of rocky debris now being sent their way. They were quickly forced to abandon their assault as they dodged to the side with her cat-like companion using his wings to give him a burst of speed. WIth his shield raised, he managed to keep Faith safe from most of the projectiles being flung their way despite the shield starting to crumble with each successive strike against his frozen defenses.

   "Faith, we aren't doing enough damage to deter the Guardian. We don't have the abilities to handle this threat on our own and need support."

   "I know Spear but we don't have support, it's already destroyed the rest of the base and we're the last ones standing currently. We need to hold out till the other areas can support us." He sighed but gave a quick nod before hopping to the side as they split up once more, dodging another round of rocky projectiles while they circled the creature. None of them were having any luck with damaging the beast with Red being handed the short end of the stick due to his focus on hand to hand combat. Each punch felt like he was smashing his fist against solid steel which sent shooting pain up his arms. After a few blows, his arms felt ready to give out and they'd done nothing to the creature. Even the two soldiers trained for an event like this were powerless. This was a horrible predicament and the shark was quickly running out of options as the situation continued to deteriorate. Every cut and bruise they've experienced so far had been wearing them down little by little while they've barely caused any noticeable damage to the creature itself. This was gonna be a death by bug bites if they didn't do something rash to buy them some time or even cause it to back off. Anything was better than nothing at this point, which was why Red stared down at his right arm and the black tattoo swirling upward towards his shoulder with a vacant gaze before letting out a soft sigh as he began undoing the straps on the right gauntlet before being forced to stumble back by the lynx.

   "What are you doing shark!? Dropping your weapon isn't an option here, especially now!" Red let out an annoyed huff but ignored Faith as he discarded the gauntlet, dropping it at his feet before starting to slowly close the distance between him and the beast. Least he would be, until the lynx and her companion stepped in front of him.  "Shark, what are you trying to do? You're not exactly equipped for this encounter."

   "Of course I am."

   "With what? Half of a set of fancy gloves?" He didn't answer but instead stepped around them, letting out a loud sigh before raising his arm up to his face with his paw level to his maw.

   "I always hate this part..." Red hesitated for several seconds before opening his jaws wide, his jagged teeth glinting in the light before they buried themselves into his paw. The muffled grunt of pain was quickly caught in his throat as the crimson liquid flooded his mouth, the tangy metallic flavor immediately a heavy shiver up his spine as a door that's hidden away within the passages of his mind slowly creaked open. It didn't have to be his blood to entice what he needed out of It but it definitely enjoyed the suffering of the carrier for what was to come. The beast wasn't letting him wait, choosing to slam its fist downward to crush the shark underneath it. His mind wasn't focused on his imminent demise but was focused on the ground in front of him, staring like he was attempting conversation with something. Whatever was occurring in his mind seemed to cause his tattoo to flare as the shape pulsated and grew. Several more dark tentacles burst out from the tattoo before snaking and wrapping around the limb, keeping the arm in a death grip. This all passed within a few seconds before Red snapped his neck upward to focus on the massive fist approaching his body, the shark tossing his right upward to meet it before they crashed together with a heavy crash.

   Faith expected to be staring at a very large red puddle of a shark after he tried to meet their ungodly strength. The end result of an idiot standing up to a god-like being entire kingdoms haven't been able to defeat. Of course, she had never seen his mark at work. When its fist crashed against the sharks, the result was immediate and painful for both of them. Cracks appeared in the armor of the beast that spiderwebbed up the arm and raced towards the shoulder while the creature recoiled in pain. The injury was definitely new to the massive creature as it took several steps back before opening its maw to emit an ear-grating screech. Despite the newfound strength, the shark wasn't doing much better with loud snapping noises which was quickly followed by an overwhelming pain encompassing his entire arm. The sudden power didn't toughen his body as bones snapped from the impact in several places audibly before his arm fell limp to his side, the shark clutching the wounded limb while tilting his gaze upward to focus on the beast. They stared at each other for several moments before it decided to retreat from the battle for the moment, taking a step forward before the wings unfurled and launched the creature into the sky.

   "What?..." Her companions sentiment received only a nod from Faith as she stared at Red with an unreadable gaze, her mouth forming a straight line while thoughts swirled in her mind. The shark himself was swaying from side to side as his arm throbbed in pain with each heartbeat, needles seeming to dig into his arm while he struggled to remain steady. The price was always high to use his 'gift' and this was no different. However, it seemed the mark was hungry for more. The tattoo on his arm pulsed rhythmically while it burrowed itself into place, the new tentacles that had grown seeming to feed on the arm. Darkness danced on the edges of his vision while his strength slowly failed him, collapsing into a heap on the floor while Red struggled to maintain consciousness. The other two broke into a sprint to check on the shark while his world faded to black, dropping into the sea of darkness as his ears were filled with the sounds that only he could hear.

Hey guys, time for another post! (Not that anyone really reads these.) This time for the shark and lynx to enjoy some time together once again!~ Though honestly she probably hates his guts right now but hey it's fun to see. Now it's time to see the shark in fighting action!

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“Ugh….. really like it rough huh?~” The lynx couldn’t tell whether to be impressed or even more pissed that he was somehow still pulling out flirts after she firmly imprinted her foot-paws against his chest and tossed him onto his back. To Red's credit, he was on his feet rather quickly but the grin was a bit shakier when compared to before as he favored his right leg. “Well sorry cutie but I really don’t have time for this. Especially not when this place is falling apart.” Her eyes narrowed as she remained silent before letting out a loud sigh before she glanced back at the large dragon creature.

    “I really don’t have time for this. Spear, handle him. Preferably take him alive.” The shark tilted his head slightly in confusion, his eyes scanning the area around her and seeing nothing that would suggest that there was someone else near them that wasn’t currently occupied with the massive rampaging creature before refocusing his gaze onto her while her paw trailed up to her necklace.

    “Look, while I love a bit of roleplay, I really don’t think this is the time at the moment ya know?” She ignored him for the most part, focusing her eyes downward at the soft glow that was beginning to emanate from in between her fingers. A small shiver slowly trailed up Red's back as he suddenly felt extremely cold, trying not to shiver as the shark's breath came out as small vapor clouds.

    “The hell?....” The cold feeling intensified as small pieces of ice formed in mid-air, floating in front of her. The shards slowly melded together and grew larger with each passing second, forming into a large furry creature that reminded him of a very very large cat. Except for this one also had large wings. He seemed to have a bright blue crown resting on top of his head made entirely out of ice, his right paw held out in front of him as more ice shards formed in the air around him to create a large spear that dropped into his paw.

    “Ice?... really? Out of everything, it had to be ice?...” He sighed loudly as Red struggled to keep himself from face pawing lest he hurt himself with his own gauntlet, both out of the frustration of fighting the one thing he hates more than those large tubs of sunshine and rainbows that are the bane of every shark's existence known as dolphins along with the fact that he really didn’t wanna deal with this.

    “Of course Faith, consider it done.” The large cat-like creature allowed a small smile to cross his features for a moment before walking forward with a deliberate slowness in his movements, twirling the spear in his paw while his eyes were focused on the shark in front of him. The shark let out a warm puff of air as he adjusted the steel gauntlets before shifting back with the back of his forearms facing his opponent in a defensive stance. The two fighters kept a fair distance from each other as they slowly circled each other, Red working to keep himself from limping while keeping pace with the lynx’s furry guardian. While Red could think of several things he’d rather be doing right now, he really couldn’t afford to run at the moment. He was already lagging a bit with his leg giving him trouble and the shark knew that any attempt to run wouldn’t really go well right now even with the massive creature rampaging through the base being an amazing distraction.

    Spear moved first, claws digging into the earth before launching with a swift stab. Red grinned as he sidestepped to the left to avoid the icy weapon before launching a swift jab towards what he saw to be the exposed belly of his opponent. Least till they swung the outstretched spear to connect against the side of his skull with a rather heavy thwack to topple the shark and leave him seeing stars as he collapsed onto the floor. It was quick and efficient for the veteran guardian. Something he had drilled into his mind during his time with lynx. Still didn’t help the sharks pride once he realized that there was now an extremely cold spear tip pressed against the back of his neck.

    “Yield.”

    “Fuck off.” All pretense of jokes had fallen to the wayside for Red who now had his gaze firmly on the floor in front of him as his vocabulary turned to something fitting of the shark image most of the ones on the surface had come to cultivate for their species. The ice digging into his skin became more insistent, forcing him to turn his head down or risk impalement.

    “Yield and you don’t lose more than your pride today.” The shark kept his jaws clamped shut as his mind searched feverishly for a distraction that could give him enough time to get away from the conflict without losing his life in the process. But there was nothing currently giving him that opportunity. Least till Faith was sent flying from the furious battle with the dragon creature, sent into a tumble that landed the lynx beside the two of them with a loud grunt.

   "Well, looks like she's having fun. Think she's gonna give up or does she need her pet joining in?" The quip gained him a foot paw against his back, causing a loud grunt and muffled yelp as his fin was bent at an unnatural angle.

   "Shut up." The furry warrior didn't let his spear waver in his grasp as he kept the shark pressed against the earth, glancing upward towards the lynx picking herself up from the floor.

   "Are you alright Faith?"

   "I'm fine. Damn Guardian is giving us trouble. This place isn't gonna be around much longer if it keeps this up right now." A soft sigh passed her lips as she wiped her brow, the paw coming back red. Before she could sprint back into the action, the ground shook heavily as the large creature landed in front of them with wings outstretched. A heavy growl struck to their very core, the noise feeling powerful enough to shake their insides like coins in a jar. She shook her head and mumbled to herself before turning to face the warrior currently holding down Red.

   "Forget about him. We've got a bigger fish to deal with right now."

   "Yes, ma'am." Spear stepped off of the sharks back with a nod before shifting over to stand in front of her with his weapon crossed in front of his form defensively. Red quickly scrambled to onto his foot paws before taking a step back, being forced to crane his neck back to stare up at the massive monster staring down at the group. A closer look gave away the surprising regal nature of the creature. Even as battle-scarred as it was, the scales and designs along its form gave off the feeling of intricate craftsmanship and beauty that would be awe-inspiring if it wasn't currently attempting to murder him along with everyone else currently at the facility. Of course, the shark isn't looking to stick his neck out for the ones that had tossed him into a cell so he took the chance to turn tail and run. Or try to at least. He'd barely gained any distance before he found himself suddenly slamming into an unknown barrier that knocked him onto his back.

   "Fucking idiot," Faith muttered to herself before shifting her gaze back to the massive guardian before her. "Alright Spear, we've got a job to do."

   "Of course ma'am, let's clean up the mess," his confirmation allowed a small smile to grace her features before leaping to the side, both of them going around the massive creature in different directions. It turned towards Faith first, claws outstretched as it slammed its hand into the ground. The earth buckled and cracked under its fist as the Lynx struggled to dodge the obstacles, sliding across the ground on a knee as she lined up her weapon before firing off several rounds. The shots streaked towards their target with each shot seemingly encased in a ball of flame before crashing into the body of the creature and disperse harmlessly across its surface. The dragon-like creature retaliated with a heavy swing, slamming its fist into the earth with a heavy crash. Shards of rock flew in random directions from the impact and splattering the area around it with the rocky shrapnel. Faith quickly spun her sword till it faced downward, keeping her body behind the blade to defend against as many of the shards as she could while they whistled through the air. They tore into her clothing, causing several cuts to appear on her body and staining her uniform red as her foot-paws skidded across the ground. The lynx leaped towards the creature with her lips turned down into a snarl, dodging another heavy punch from the guardian as she slid between its legs. She sliced at its legs, her blade bouncing off of the armor with a metallic clang.

   Spear wasn't having much luck either as he circled the large beast in the other direction, tossing frozen spear after frozen spear at its back. The weapons shattered uselessly against the armor before the pieces crumbled away into nothingness while he continued to hurl the projectiles. His frustration grew before he unfurled his wings and launched directly upward into the air, attempting to find an advantage in the air while the icy weapons continued to rain down on the creature harmlessly. With both of them now behind it once the lynx slid underneath the beast, it spun around with an arm extended in a backhand swing that clipped one of his wings to send him spiraling downward.

 Oh boy time for another chapter huh? Well I'm not the most popular boi sadly but that ain't stopping me from writing what I can and doing my best to show off what I got! This story is the continuation of Together Once Again and contains more time with our beloved pit bull and the hyena! Please enjoy and tell me what you think!

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   The assault was nearly ready by the time Liz skidded the Warthog to a stop at the meeting area, a small section of the road about 50 yards from the start of the bridge leading into the city. The area was stuffed with Warthogs of various sizes and models rolling into their various battle groups in preparation for the assault. The vehicle slowly rolled forward towards the front of the group, slipping into place towards the right side of the line of military vehicles.  Her fingers slowly tapped on the steering wheel as the final checks were made before beginning the operation, watching the engineers and soldiers sprint from vehicle to vehicle before letting out a soft sigh. These moments always made her antsy and she really couldn't do much else until it came time to begin. Her passengers both were focused on their own ways to cope with could be boiled down to simply checking their weapons for the 4th time that day so far.

   "All units, begin operation Lasso. Repeat, begin operation Lasso."

   "Finally, let's get this hunk of metal on the road!" shouted the female Spartan before smacking the roll cage of the Warthog, excitement clear in her voice before a soft chuckle emanated from the soldier in the passenger seat. The comment brought a small smile to the hyena's helmeted muzzle before firmly planting her foot paw on the pedal and following the few vehicles that had sped away ahead of them towards the city. While she may not have been fast enough to catch up with them, her vehicle was one of the many to crest over the middle of the bridge to dive headlong into the conflict now unraveling.

   "Contact!! 11 and 1 o'clock high!" The passengers call outs were barely heard over the onslaught of small weapons fire that began to pepper the approaching vehicles, the pit bull Spartan answering with several bursts from the chain gun. Liz muttered a swear muffled by the gunfire as she swerved to the side, wheels squealing against the pavement as she avoided a makeshift barricade placed on the road by the rebels. Shells were quickly pooling at the feet of the super soldier before unceremoniously bouncing away into the distance while the vehicle veered from side to side in an attempt to avoid the rounds splattering against the road all around them. While the vehicles were holding together under the onslaught at the moment, the doorless configuration of the Warthog was quickly becoming an issue as more than one of the drivers ahead of them found their quick demise due to a sharpshooter's steady aim. The driver quickly careened to the right to avoid one of the Warthogs before it slammed into one of the makeshift barricades, flipping end over end before coming to a screeching halt on its roof while the deceased driver hung uselessly from its restraints. The passenger managed to stay inside the vehicle while it flew through the air but the gunner was catapulted out of the vehicle, hitting the pavement with a sickening thud and falling into a crumpled heap. The hyena quickly hunched down in her seat once several bullet holes made themselves well known in her windshield, covering herself as best she could while keeping focused on the path in front of her. The passenger was hunched down beside her with his assault rifle pointing out of the side of the vehicle, firing off bursts towards the hunkered down rebels while they approached the other end of the bridge. Leigh kept the trigger pressed down as she raked the rebel fortifications in front of her to knock down as many bodies as she could, the energy shielding integral to any Spartan was working overtime as it flared into a bright orange with each round that collided against her body.

   "Pedal to the metal! My shielding is not gonna hold at this rate!!"

   "I'm trying! Just keep shooting!" The cursing was barely heard above the mayhem as the amount of weapons fire directed towards them increased, more and more vehicles falling from the onslaught as they approached the various buildings just beyond the bridge that the insurrection held to attempt to keep the UNSC from crossing into the city. Wheels squealed above the sound of the firefight as the hyena yanked the wheel hard to the left, the back half of the Warthog swinging around as she kept her foot paw pressed against the pedal. Liz hunkered her head down more as the fire increased, losing sight of the area before her for a few moments as the back of her chair was splattered with several rounds before the vehicle slammed against the stairs leading up to the building. The Warthog bounced into the air, wheels spinning uselessly with the hard bump and coaxing out a loud yelp that was quickly muffled when the front end of the vehicle slammed through the glass doors into the lobby of the building.

   The steering wheel was yanked hard to the right, the rear end of the vehicle sliding out from behind before bouncing off of one of the many concrete pillars lining the sides. The Warthog was sent careening off of the pillar in a tailspin while the occupants held on for dear life while the vehicle spun crazily. The receptionist desk was an unwilling savior for them at that moment as they crashed against the side and crumpled it under the impact, containing enough momentum to tilt up onto two wheels before crashing back down to earth. Liz let her helmeted head rest against the steering wheel while the world continued to spin around her, holding back the contents of her stomach for the moment while her paws tightened their grip on the said wheel.

   "Ugh...... Everyone still alive?"

   "Well... We made it where we were meant to at least. Let's hurry and deal with the insurrectionists up top so we can get this show on the road." The Spartan quickly hopped down onto the floor easily despite the extremely rough ride, unslinging the assault rifle from her back before padding over to the driver's side of the Warthog while the hyena readjusted her armor before snatching her assault rifle and turning to face the large pit bull.

   "Agreed. We need to get up top as fast as possible or else we're gonna lose a lot of people just to get into the city."

   "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Despite the current situation, the stern tone of her voice had a hint of mirth as the Spartan sprinted around the Warthog and aimed for the stairs leading upward while she failed to hide the strange happy go lucky nature that the pit bull always seemed to carry with her. The two ODST were quickly left behind as they gathered themselves for a few moments before Dingo hopped out of the passenger seat and passed by Liz.

   "Ma'am, do you always get the weird ones?"

   "Dingo. You know I only know the weird ones at this point." A soft sigh left her muzzle as she broke into a run, chasing after the pit bull Spartan with her cat passenger on her tail while they bounded up the stairs to dive into the fight now occurring further inside.

   Their boots pounded against the tile floor as they sprinted down the hallway, sounds of gunfire and screams growing louder with each step. The two soldiers approached an open doorway with the source of the fighting further inside which was indicated by the fact that the door was ripped off of its hinges.  Wasting no time, they burst into the room with their fingers on the trigger as they entered the battle before immediately diving to the floor as a corpse was sent flying over their heads and slamming against the top of the doorframe. Liz was the first to spring up onto her feet, ready to fight before sighing at the damage in front of her and letting the aim drop to her side.

   The battle had already wound down by the time they arrived due to the Spartan showing off her prowess on the field, having ripped through their defenses and weaponry. The large room looked like a second lobby for the employees of the building with couches, coffee machines, and chairs littering the area. Makeshift barricades created from the couches and chairs were shattered with bodies littering the room and  Liz could spot the pit bull Spartan was towards the back of the area. She was in the middle of mopping up the last of the insurrectionists in this particular room, forcing their arm to bend the wrong way and snap as they let out an anguished cry before sending them to the floor and ending their life with a heel to the skull. It was brutally efficient in every sense of the word, causing an involuntary shiver to roll up the hyena's spine. The pit bull may be used to the situation, having been in similar combat situations for years on end but Liz still maintained her agitation at the scene. Killing the Covenant was easy, they were literal aliens from outer space hell-bent on the destruction of their home and complete extinction of the species that made up said home. This was something else entirely when it's your own that you have to fight. She had been pulled away from those thoughts when Leigh called out to the two ODST soldiers, hopping over one of the makeshift barricades that haven't been destroyed by her battle before motioning for both of them to hurry.

   "Come on Liz! You're making me do all the work at this point, ya gotta keep up if we wanna get this done quick as we can." She let out a silent sigh as she maneuvered through the carnage, jogging over to the impatient Spartan while their cat soldier companion let his thoughts be known.

   "Damn.... remind me not to piss you off. You ripped this place apart."

   "Well, I don't exactly have the tools for my usual work so I made a bit of a mess. They really like their barricades though. Really not all that strong though, could tear right through those things." The train of thought was quickly tossed to the side as she spun around to face the door leading further into the building, breaking out into a run and leaving the ODST soldiers behind once more before they began chasing after her.

   "Ma'am, I think I'm seeing a pattern right now."

Another story for all of you here following me (I'm pretty sure there's not anyone following my trash but hey I can dream XD) This one involves two of the prominent members of my team that I enjoy on Halo called Fireteam Naja!~

Featuring the Spartan V known as Leigh Sullivan and the ODST Heavy support known as Liz Armel, these two are very close pups who love to fight together in everything they do! Now, without further ado, have the first chapter of the story known as Together Once Again!

Liz was never a fan of heights, aircraft, or anything high up in her life. An absolute irony that she was in a group such as the ODST. Then again, there’s a lot of things she didn’t expect. The biggest and deadliest war she’d ever been in is over. There should’ve been peace now, one that could’ve lasted for the rest of her days, that there was no longer a threat of annihilation. Of course, if that was the case then she’d be out of a job. She was knocked out of her musings when the vehicles suddenly veered to the right, causing her helmet to bounce off the side of the vehicle. The hyena groaned softly as she shook her head before sitting up.

    “Falling asleep over there ma’am?” the teasing tone in the voice caused her to turn and give the best scowl she could until she remembered that he wouldn’t be able to see her anger. Letting out as quiet of a sigh as possible, she paused for a moment before shaking her head.

    “I was fine until you decided to take the wheel. I swear you drive like you’re always drunk.” The driver, a large husky glanced at the helmeted hyena and gave a large grin before shrugging as he refocused on the road in front of him.

    “Good thing driving isn’t what we do then right? You’d crash the Warthog almost immediately.” Liz sighed before leaning her head back to relax into the seat, ignoring the jab.

    “Whatever, just keep us on the road.”

    “Yes, ma’am.”

    The rest of the ride was rather uneventful for the most part which allowed her a chance to catch a few minutes of quick rest before they finally came to a stop within the New Albany FOB. The base was located on the edge of the city within the suburban neighborhood. It was a flurry of activity as troops scurried from tent to tent with the most activity occurring from the largest tent that had quickly been pitched to act as a Command and Control Center. Once the Warthog had stopped, the hyena wasted no time in hopping out and heading inside to search for the commanding officer.

    An initial search of the crowded tent yielded nothing that could help her and every individual she talked with only added to her frustration before she ran into what she could only describe as a solid steel wall. After taking a moment to shake the mental cobwebs out of her mind, she found herself staring at armor that nearly everyone within the UNSC knew by heart before slowly trailing her gaze up to focus on the face of the massive Spartan in front of her.

    She knew that they were meant to be large walking tanks but this was a giant even by their standards. She seemed to be almost 10 feet tall by her estimates, easily dwarfing the ODST squad leader as she focused on the face. She was a pit bull with a soft smile on her face that juxtaposed the imposing frame she maintained. Her helmet was currently underneath her arm which allowed Liz to stare at her face for much longer than was necessary as strange little neurons were firing off in her mind. She suddenly felt very hot, a strange mix of emotions coming over her as the muzzle underneath the helmet grew red from the blush rushing to the surface. It lasted for several seconds until the little common sense monkey residing in her mind started smacking the mentally impaired portion of her brain until she could control herself enough to speak in a voice that unintentionally came out with a slight squeak.

    “S-sorry ma’am didn’t see you there..” She thanked whatever gods there were that she had her helmet on still, allowing Liz to hide the heavy blush on her cheeks while the Spartans muzzle shifted into a soft smile.

    “It’s no problem. Might wanna keep an eye out ya know, things have been getting more tense than usual. Don’t wanna be caught off guard.”

    “Of course ma’am.” She nodded before turning and quickly making her way back out of the tent, the hyena holding her breath until she felt she was free of her gaze. Despite the temperature control in the suit, she felt hot and very very embarrassed that she just acted like an awestruck teen. She sighed and grabbed the edges of her helmet, pulling it off to allow her a chance to breathe in the sea breeze that flowed through the town. Liz sighed before running her paw through her pink hair with her helmet stowed under her arm while she relaxed. After a few minutes, she decides to make her way back into the tent to finally find the co-

    “You two want any food for tonight?” The noise jerked the two out of their reverie as they refocused from the game screen to the pitbull mom beside the tv. The hyena stretched before falling back onto the bed with a yawn, feeling her back let out a few satisfying pops as she stretches.

    “Pizza would be great. Oh! And some Pepsi too~ We’re both feeling thirsty.” She nodded before slipping away again to allow for the two of them to relax before Leigh turned to face Liz.

    “Blah. I told ya we should’ve left the arcade earlier.”

    “We couldn’t leave! Somebody beat my high score on Time Crisis 4! I couldn’t let that stand, especially since I had already every other leaderboard on there.” She huffed as she crossed her arms, causing Leigh to smile and shake her head with a soft chuckle.

    “You’re obsessed with that arcade place ya know, gotta try out some other stuff rather than staying there every day.”

    “You mean like you’re obsessed with a gay toaster?” The smirk on Liz’s face only grew as the pitbull blushed heavily, glancing behind her at the massive and somewhat provocative poster of said character before quickly turning her gaze back to the Hyena as she shifted to the side so her large form could better hide the poster.

    “Don’t kink-shame me! There’s nothing wrong with that beautiful toaster!” Liz laughed at the flustered response before she shook her head.

    “Toooootttaaaalllyyyy. Nothing wrong at all with the metal boi with legs that I’m sure you drooled over more than once.” She smiled and shrugged before shifting so the hyena could lean against the wall the bed was resting against. She let out a loud yawn as she stretched her arms above her head, her form curving as she listened to the satisfying pops.

    “Ahhhh~...... so! I think it’s time for a snack break, don’t you agree?” The pitbull nodded and grinned before hopping off of the bed.

    “Food sounds amazing right now, let’s go!” Liz chuckled as she slid off of the bed before following the large pitbull to the small but cozy dining room. Dinner had already been put onto the table and had been filling the room with intoxicating scents of seafood that was making both of their mouths water as they couldn’t help but dash into 2 of the chairs and chow down on the meal in front of them.

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    “Glad to see you finally join us, Staff Sergeant, now we can get this meeting started.” The hyena gave a quick nod before slipping into place beside the rest of the squad leaders, flashing a quick smile before refocusing her gaze on the large holographic map in front of them.

    “As I was saying, currently nearly every location in New Albany is currently under control of the United Rebel Front. They arrived several days ago and quickly swarmed over the city due to the extremely weak defenses after the decimation it received during the war with the Covenant, taking several hostages in the process. Now we’ve identified several areas where they’ve fortified their positions in order to maintain their hold as long as possible.” Several red dots lit up on the map, concentrated on bridges leading in and out of the city along with several choke points throughout the city. The largest of these dots were centered on the capitol building as the commander, a large lion with a silver mane that belied his age continued. “Thankfully we’ve got approval for several TCAU units and since they’re finally here, meaning we can begin Operation Red Wave. I’ll let Faith take over from here.” He stepped to the side before one of the machines connected to the holo map sprung to life, displaying the image of a lynx with a rather no-nonsense attitude about her.

    “Currently we’ve seen them using the few defenses the city has left against any UNSC or UEG personnel that travel within the effective range of the weaponry. However, they have rather limited resources due to the fact that the colony hasn’t been brought up to full strength yet. As such, a unified assault on all sides should allow for units to create a ring that’ll eventually crunch down their influence until they’re all concentrated within the capitol building. However, the hardest objective to accomplish will be entering the city and that’s where the Spartan IV’s come into play. We’ve received support from various squads and as such, they’ll be providing support during the city assault.” She turned to face the assembled Spartans to the right of the hyena and the other ODST squad leaders, facing the group of Spartans quietly waiting for orders.  “Leigh-223, you’re with Staff Sergeant Armel. You’ll be sniper support while they fight their way into the city.” The Spartan in question gave a quick salute and a smile before walking over to Liz, her smile faltering slightly as she noticed that it was the Spartan from earlier which she had already embarrassed herself in front of. The hyena didn’t know whether or not it was worse than she already knew her from before. The way her face split into a massive grin told her that it was probably a bad thing.

    “Little Lizzy? I should’ve known it was you when you ran into me earlier.” The AI ignored the interaction, continuing to list off Spartans and the squads that they were assigned to which quickly became background noise as another blush came over her face while she shook her head.

    “Come on Leigh, I’m not Little Lizzy anymore….”  The pitbull laughed loudly before giving a nod, looking down at her with a grin.

    “Of course ya are, you barely reach my chest right now. I don’t think you’re any taller. Actually… I think ya got shorter!” The blush only grew as the hyena sighed, face pawing before turning to face the map again as the AI was finished with her assignments.

    “The TCAU will be working in tandem with the Spartans and ODST squads to help spearhead the main assault over the 3 bridges into the city. The defenses of the city are limited but they’ve been working tirelessly to bring the defenses up to full strength. We cannot allow that. The assault will occur at 0400 hours tomorrow. We must secure the city, you’re all dismissed.” A quick salute and then the meeting was dispersed, allowing for the various soldiers to return to their designated barracks and their respective squads.

   The trip back to the barracks was rather quick but to Liz, it felt like an eternity. It had been forever since she'd seen the pit bull that had been her guardian angel during the time on Kive. It was honestly a miracle that she was even alive due to everything that had happened to her. The early years of the Covenant War were terrifying, to say the least, with countless deaths littering both sides by the end. It didn't help that after the fact, there was another rebellion right here on this planet which she now had to suppress with the help of the Spartan following in step beside her. Hopefully, it won't be too difficult to deal with. Liz has a squad to keep alive this time.

   The night passed rather quickly when they arrived at the barracks, most of the time being taken up by the squad crowding around the Spartan and fawning over her with the sort of awe that made the hyena roll her eyes with a small smile while she focused on their gear. They needed their fun before a mission like this, stress made it difficult to focus and Liz had to admit that Leigh was one Spartan worth acting like she'd been starstruck. Maybe she'll finally pay her back today with some heroics of her own. She needed to be at her best to impress someone like her. With that thought in mind, she hunkered down into her work with renewed determination as she picked up the next weapon that needed inspection before the mission. There was little room for error tomorrow if they wanted to get through without being killed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   The air was abuzz with a simmering tension that had blanketed their base of operations and left everyone apprehensive about the mission. Liberating the city was no easy feat and urban warfare was notorious for high casualties and destruction for both sides. However, these were jitters that everyone had gotten more than once during missions such as these and they trusted their individual squads enough to pull through the chaos together. After a quick synopsis of the mission briefing given yesterday, the various units separated into their designated groups and hopped into the M12 Force Application Vehicles otherwise known as the Warthog. The M12 Warthog was equipped with an M41 LAAG which was a rotary-barreled mounted machine gun. A devastating weapon attached to a very mobile vehicle which had the tendency to roll in the hands of inexperienced drivers. Being of a speedier variety, there were no doors for the driver or passenger.  A risk when facing a skilled marksman that can take out a driver with a well placed shot but one that was worth taking a reliable and durable vehicle for this job. A skilled driver is still needed. Which is why Liz hastened her pace and planted herself between the driver's seat and the pit bull.

   "Nope."

   "What are you talking about?"

   "You're not getting to drive." The helmet may have hidden her features but the hyena could easily feel her indignation ringing loud and clear in her voice as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

   "Why?"

   "Because I already nearly died twice when it came time for you to drive and I reaaaalllyyy still don't trust you right now. So no." A small huff was the only reply given by the Spartan as she maintained her pose, staring down the much smaller hyena with as stern of a look as she could muster. But... considering that her face was behind a helmet, it was just a blank stare which the helmeted soldier returned with gusto. After several seconds of silence between the two of them, soldiers hurrying into their positions to begin the mission, the super soldier decided to relent first and pull herself up onto the back to take control of the machine gun.

   "Fine but once this thing crashes, I get control of the next vehicle we see."

   "Pfffttt, you'd crash that one in less than 5 minutes considering your record with vehicles last time we were together." She chuckled before pulling herself into the driver's seat and wiggling into place.

   "With all due respect ma'am, please tell me this isn't gonna be something I'll have to listen to all day. I'd really prefer anything else right now." Liz felt her brow twitch slightly as she spun her head around to face the soldier currently in the passenger seat of the Warthog, one from her own unit named Dingo. He had quite the irony of being a cat named after a dog but he took the curveball given to him by his parents in stride and was often a great laugh. Nice thing to have when the soldiers needed a large morale boost. Horrible thing to have when you're attempting to be serious.

   "Dingo, don't make me kick you out of the Warthog."

(Oh boy it's only been god knows how long and it's time for another chapter? Well I've been more or less busy with work and school on a near daily basis and freedom doesn't come easily for me I suppose;3; However, I've managed to gain my freedom and thought I'd drop the next chapter of my story! Oooo also, I'll give you a cute picture of the two main characters!~ Of course, it shows them waaayyy more buddy buddy than they are now but it'll get there~ The lynx has to work out her differences with the very flirty shark first

“Ugh….. really like it rough huh?~” The lynx couldn’t tell whether to be impressed or even more pissed that he was somehow still pulling out flirts after she firmly imprinted her foot-paws against his chest and tossed him onto his back. To Red's credit, he was on his feet rather quickly but the grin was a bit shakier when compared to before as he favored his right leg. “Well sorry cutie but I really don’t have time for this. Especially not when this place is falling apart.” Her eyes narrowed as she remained silent before letting out a loud sigh before she glanced back at the large dragon creature.

    “I really don’t have time for this. Spear, handle him. Preferably take him alive.” The shark tilted his head slightly in confusion, his eyes scanning the area around her and seeing nothing that would suggest that there was someone else near them that wasn’t currently occupied with the massive rampaging creature before refocusing his gaze onto her while her paw trailed up to her necklace.

    “Look, while I love a bit of roleplay, I really don’t think this is the time at the moment ya know?” She ignored him for the most part, focusing her eyes downward at the soft glow that was beginning to emanate from in between her fingers. A small shiver slowly trailed up Red's back as he suddenly felt extremely cold, trying not to shiver as the shark's breath came out as small vapor clouds.

    “The hell?....” The cold feeling intensified as small pieces of ice formed in mid-air, floating in front of her. The shards slowly melded together and grew larger with each passing second, forming into a large furry creature that reminded him of a very very large cat. Except for this one also had large wings. He seemed to have a bright blue crown resting on top of his head made entirely out of ice, his right paw held out in front of him as more ice shards formed in the air around him to create a large spear that dropped into his paw.

    “Ice?... really? Out of everything, it had to be ice?...” He sighed loudly as Red struggled to keep himself from face pawing lest he hurt himself with his own gauntlet, both out of the frustration of fighting the one thing he hates more than those large tubs of sunshine and rainbows that are the bane of every shark's existence known as dolphins along with the fact that he really didn’t wanna deal with this.

    “Of course Faith, consider it done.” The large cat-like creature allowed a small smile to cross his features for a moment before walking forward with a deliberate slowness in his movements, twirling the spear in his paw while his eyes were focused on the shark in front of him. The shark let out a warm puff of air as he adjusted the steel gauntlets before shifting back with the back of his forearms facing his opponent in a defensive stance. The two fighters kept a fair distance from each other as they slowly circled each other, Red working to keep himself from limping while keeping pace with the lynx’s furry guardian. While Red could think of several things he’d rather be doing right now, he really couldn’t afford to run at the moment. He was already lagging a bit with his leg giving him trouble and the shark knew that any attempt to run wouldn’t really go well right now even with the massive creature rampaging through the base being an amazing distraction.

    Spear moved first, claws digging into the earth before launching with a swift stab. Red grinned as he sidestepped to the left to avoid the icy weapon before launching a swift jab towards what he saw to be the exposed belly of his opponent. Least till they swung the outstretched spear to connect against the side of his skull with a rather heavy thwack to topple the shark and leave him seeing stars as he collapsed onto the floor. It was quick and efficient for the veteran guardian. Something he had drilled into his mind during his time with lynx. Still didn’t help the sharks pride once he realized that there was now an extremely cold spear tip pressed against the back of his neck.

    “Yield.”

    “Fuck off.” All pretense of jokes had fallen to the wayside for Red who now had his gaze firmly on the floor in front of him as his vocabulary turned to something fitting of the shark image most of the ones on the surface had come to cultivate for their species. The ice digging into his skin became more insistent, forcing him to turn his head down or risk impalement.

    “Yield and you don’t lose more than your pride today.” The shark kept his jaws clamped shut as his mind searched feverishly for a distraction that could give him enough time to get away from the conflict without losing his life in the process. But there was nothing currently giving him that opportunity. Least till Faith was sent flying from the furious battle with the dragon creature, sent into a tumble that landed the lynx beside the two of them with a loud grunt.

   "Well, looks like she's having fun. Think she's gonna give up or does she need her pet joining in?" The quip gained him a foot paw against his back, causing a loud grunt and muffled yelp as his fin was bent at an unnatural angle.

   "Shut up." The furry warrior didn't let his spear waver in his grasp as he kept the shark pressed against the earth, glancing upward towards the lynx picking herself up from the floor.

   "Are you alright Faith?"

   "I'm fine. Damn Guardian is giving us trouble. This place isn't gonna be around much longer if it keeps this up right now." A soft sigh passed her lips as she wiped her brow, the paw coming back red. Before she could sprint back into the action, the ground shook heavily as the large creature landed in front of them with wings outstretched. A heavy growl struck to their very core, the noise feeling powerful enough to shake their insides like coins in a jar. She shook her head and mumbled to herself before turning to face the warrior currently holding down Red.

   "Forget about him. We've got a bigger fish to deal with right now."

   "Yes, ma'am." Spear stepped off of the sharks back with a nod before shifting over to stand in front of her with his weapon crossed in front of his form defensively. Red quickly scrambled to onto his foot paws before taking a step back, being forced to crane his neck back to stare up at the massive monster staring down at the group. A closer look gave away the surprising regal nature of the creature. Even as battle-scarred as it was, the scales and designs along its form gave off the feeling of intricate craftsmanship and beauty that would be awe-inspiring if it wasn't currently attempting to murder him along with everyone else currently at the facility. Of course, the shark isn't looking to stick his neck out for the ones that had tossed him into a cell so he took the chance to turn tail and run. Or try to at least. He'd barely gained any distance before he found himself suddenly slamming into an unknown barrier that knocked him onto his back.

   "Fucking idiot," Faith muttered to herself before shifting her gaze back to the massive guardian before her. "Alright Spear, we've got a job to do."

   "Of course ma'am, let's clean up the mess," his confirmation allowed a small smile to grace her features before leaping to the side, both of them going around the massive creature in different directions. It turned towards Faith first, claws outstretched as it slammed its hand into the ground. The earth buckled and cracked under its fist as the Lynx struggled to dodge the obstacles, sliding across the ground on a knee as she lined up her weapon before firing off several rounds. The shots streaked towards their target with each shot seemingly encased in a ball of flame before crashing into the body of the creature and disperse harmlessly across its surface. The dragon-like creature retaliated with a heavy swing, slamming its fist into the earth with a heavy crash. Shards of rock flew in random directions from the impact and splattering the area around it with the rocky shrapnel. Faith quickly spun her sword till it faced downward, keeping her body behind the blade to defend against as many of the shards as she could while they whistled through the air. They tore into her clothing, causing several cuts to appear on her body and staining her uniform red as her foot-paws skidded across the ground. The lynx leaped towards the creature with her lips turned down into a snarl, dodging another heavy punch from the guardian as she slid between its legs. She sliced at its legs, her blade bouncing off of the armor with a metallic clang.

   Spear wasn't having much luck either as he circled the large beast in the other direction, tossing frozen spear after frozen spear at its back. The weapons shattered uselessly against the armor before the pieces crumbled away into nothingness while he continued to hurl the projectiles. His frustration grew before he unfurled his wings and launched directly upward into the air, attempting to find an advantage in the air while the icy weapons continued to rain down on the creature harmlessly. With both of them now behind it once the lynx slid underneath the beast, it spun around with an arm extended in a backhand swing that clipped one of his wings to send him spiraling downward.

(Time to post a story after making my way into here out of boredom and slight desperation for more furry trash XD anyways, here's Red!~ A beautiful sona made for me by the amazing MysticSolace! Now, without further ado let's get started with my trash of a story!)

    Red didn’t know much, if anything, about the world above. Honestly he didn’t care about the world around him. He just didn’t want to take part in the Ritual or to be stuck in that archaic city for the rest of his life, forced to pick on a mate he barely knows in order to keep the city alive and well with as many new lives as possible. Such a life wasn’t for a young shark like him. So he devised a plan. The night of the Ritual was one that the entire city would be in attendance. It was mandatory and also important as a way to maintain their former empire as well as for young sharks to finally gain an individual name instead of the nicknames the adults have used over the years to differentiate between them all. Mandatory meant everyone within the city. Everyone included the guards at the entrance. The only ones that would not be in attendance were the patrols that were vital to keeping the city’s location a secret from anything and anyone. From there, it’s simply following the wall that the city is residing within until he reached the surface.

    Slipping away from the crowd was easy, all of the residents were focused on the speech by the Magistrate, allowing Red to dash along the streets of the brightly lit city with little to stop him. He had already prepared a few days in advance with a small waterproof bag he could toss over his shoulder containing his clothes and a 3 part staff. This particular weapon was one that composed the category of self defense weapons that nearly every citizen had. Every child attended classes to help them learn to defend themselves and survive in every aspect from stealth to hunting. It was seen as necessary for those whose world would constantly be in peril of being discovered and needed support in every aspect of life. These classes were meant to create jack of all trades to allow for sharks to be swapped around without too much issue. Thankfully, this aided to a successful escape from his cavernous prison to the world outside. First thing that Red noticed was how cold the water was, chilling him to the bone from the moment he entered the water. His tail swung from side to side as he swam upward along the wall of the trench, his eyes scanning the area above him for any patrols that could swim over the trench and spot his currently vulnerable position. He reached the top of the abyss without incident and quickly slipped into the enormous reef that surrounded the drop into darkness. The next several hours were passed in quiet trepidation as he swam from cover to cover, hiding in the large tunnels that pervaded every inch of the massive reefs at even the slightest inclination that he had been spotted. It was unknown how many hours had passed before the shark finally reached the soft sands that marked the edge of the beach and his safe new safe harbor. He was far enough to be free from the patrols and to finally swim to the surface. Red breached the surface silently, his eyes blinking in the dim light as he focused on the shore in front of him.

    He kicked out towards the shore with renewed vigor, the chill of the water forgotten as he approached his destination with fervor. The sand felt surprisingly warm underfoot as he stumbled onto the sand with a loud sigh of relief before collapsing onto his knees to take a moment to regain his breath from the exhausting trip. The chance for rest was welcome but brief as he heard soft footsteps in the sand that weren’t his own before looking up at the face of a young….. Lynx? He believed that’s what the species was called but there were certain features that seemed off. However, Red was more focused on the fact that she was wielding a very sharp looking weapon of a somewhat strange design directly at his throat before he found himself surrounded by several armed individuals.

    “What are you doing here?” her voice was rather sharp and questioning from the start which didn’t bode well for the young shark as his eyes remained focused on hers, hearing the sound of something clicking into place behind him which caused his eyes to narrow slightly.

    “Enjoying a nice swim, who doesn’t? Or are the beaches illegal now?” his reply was given with an overly relaxed tone, seemingly intent on annoying the woman in front of him as her eyes slowly scanned over his form before looking at him with a raised eyebrow as a small blush unintentionally rose to her cheeks.

    “No but entering a military compound unnannounced certainly is illegal. Along with the disturbing…. Lack of clothing.” Red couldn’t help the cocky grin that overtook his face, filled with razor sharp teeth from ear to ear as gave a wink.

    “Well I felt the need to strut my stuff tonight, a little bit of fresh air always helps to keep an appealing figure~ Why, looking for a closer look?~” The question immediately drew more of a blush onto her face as she growled softly, taking a step forward and showing what she thought by pressing the tip of the blade against his throat. Before Red could begin digging an even deeper hole for himself, one of the individuals with the lynx gained both of their attention as he held up the bag the shark had taken with him from his former home.

    “He’s got a weird set of sticks in here and some clothes ma’am but not much else, what’re your orders?” She stared at the individual for a moment before letting out a sigh and stepping back, refocusing her gaze and her composure on the shark kneeling in front of her.

    “Take him into the compound and we’ll question him there. And you,” She raises her weapon again with the sharpened tip aimed directly between his eyes, “Put some clothes on before I feel the need to hurt you.” Red still didn’t understand the need to shut up as the smirk remained plastered on his face while staring up at the annoyed lynx.

    “Oooo ya like it rough huh?~ Well I can definitely oblige to a nice private interview. Fair warning though…. It’s gonna be a very rough ride~” She turned and ignored his flirting as she walked off towards the military compound in front of her, helping her to hide the blush on her cheeks from the shark behind her as he was forced onto his feet. After a quick minute to change into his clothes, he was escorted into the facility. The process was surprisingly efficient, which was disappointing to the shark as he was taken through the process of fingerprints and mugshots. The speediness didn’t give him enough time to use the usual cocky quips in order to enjoy watching others react. He was also disappointed that the cute lynx didn’t escort him through the process, instead being led by a large dog with a no nonsense tone that was already making him zone out whenever he began speaking. After a process that he swore still felt like it had taken years, he was tossed into the cell and left on his own. Red sighed loudly before leaning against the cell wall with his eyes focused on the door. For a first day of freedom, it was a pretty big failure. He got captured by some sort of military, met a cute lynx to flirt with, was tagged and bagged, now Red is sitting in a cell. All in all, a pretty good day for him. Now to get himself out of the cell and to find a way to an actual city. But how?

    That was the question that continued to taunt him as he looked over his steel cell, not finding any sort of weakness. It was the kind of construction that would make bank vaults jealous and frustrated him to no end as he slowly paced back and forth in his cell. The sound of footsteps after what could only assume to be hours of waiting was a welcome relief as he turned to face the new visitors. His grin immediately returned when he noticed the lynx from before standing in front of his cell accompanied by the large dog from earlier. Red grinned as he slowly stepped forward before resting against the cell door with his eyes immediately focused on her.

    “Hey there officer kitty, finally up for playing with the fish tonight?~” The grin on his face was just as irritating as ever to her as she did her best to ignore the soft verbal jab while focusing on the task at hand. She glances over to the dog before motioning to the door. He opens the cell quickly before grabbing the shark by the jacket before pulling him into the hall.

    “Woah hey! I’m all up for being rough and dirty but I’m preferring the cute little lynx, maybe another time big guy.” His continual flirting was grating on her nerves in a way she didn’t think was possible as the group made their way deeper into the facility. The trip was short lived but torturous to her face as a near constant blush burned her face with every step as she struggled to not turn around and immediately bury her fist into his face. As much as she and everyone else who’s had the misfortune of listening to him would enjoy it. Finally reaching the interview room was a welcome relief to everyone as he was brought inside and immediately cuffed to the table.

    They couldn’t get out of the room fast enough and mute it, causing the sharks teasing to be cut off mid flirt and to drown the observation room in wonderful silence. Red didn’t notice of course, tossing jab after jab at the one way mirror while the lynx enjoyed her brief moment of silence in the other room. Of course, they needed to interview the intruder and learn all they can before tossing him into a cell again. Which led to the dreaded question, who’s gonna be stuck in the room with him to ask these questions? Nobody wanted to enter the room and everyone wanted this over and done with as soon as possible. All in all, including those that maintain and observe the rooms, it was a small group of 7 that had the dreaded task of deciding which among them would deal with the single most annoying thing since surprise drills. Something had to happen however and that was when it was finally decided that the best way to do this was by drawing straws. Lady Luck was always a fickle woman, especially when it came to games like this, and this time was no different as the very unlucky lynx came to have the shortest of the straws.

    While the lynx may have been having a day that could only come out of her nightmares when looking at just how irritating it’s been, Reds been enjoying what could be seen as the time of his life. It was only getting better when he saw the unwilling interviewer entering the room. Devoid of weapons surprisingly though it was probably for the better. But from her current feelings, she would probably strangle him if he didn’t keep his mouth shut. Then again, this was Red and he didn’t understand that he should shut up. This fact was ever obvious as he turned to face her with the same grin as always.

    “Heeeyyyy it’s you again~ Finally taking me up on my offer? Fair warning, I do get rather rough but you look like you can handle it~” The lynx, to her credit, kept her composure for the most part but she couldn’t help the soft blush accompanied by a growl that escaped her lips before she sat down in front of the cuffed shark on the opposite side of the table.

    “Alright, who are you?” She ignored the question completely as the lynx while tossing him one of her own as she stared Red down, giving him the impression that she was trying to kill him with her eyes and failing miserably so far.

    “Who me?~ Just a young shark that’s managed to stumble onto somewhere he shouldn’t be…. And found a beautiful kitten such as yourself~” The lynx let out another sigh as the all too familiar blush adorned her face again before she stood up and slammed her paws on the table.

    “Ok, that’s enough! Keep talking like that and I’ll turn you into sushi!” Her anger seemed to grow with her blush as she growled at the shark in front of her who couldn’t help himself from adorning the biggest grin he could in order to goad her even more. But, before she could begin showing her ‘negotiation’ skills, she was immediately called out of the room which caused her to pause before letting out a loud sigh. She smoothed her fur before shooting one last glare at the shark, leaving the interrogation room and turning to face the newcomer to the group currently watching through the glass.

    “Sorry to interrupt ma’am, but we need to lea-” the entire base suddenly shook with a heavy impact that took more than a few of them off of their feet. The lighting flickered as several lights failed, leaving them in a dimly glowing room. The confused shark was quickly forgotten about as their instincts kicked into high gear with the lynx leading the charge out of the room and into the mayhem that was beginning to unfold outside. Now Red wasn’t sure of what was going on or why suddenly things were turning crazy but the shouting and explosions really didn’t bode well for him. He began to tug and strain the chains to try to get free, the bolted down table barely budging from his struggles as the base continued to shake and tremble from blows of unknown assailants before the wall suddenly collapsed as a clawed hand slammed through the reinforced steel with ease. The claws pierced into the table with ease before it retracted with the poor shark in tow. His loud shout of surprise went unheard as he was dragged out blinking into the light.

First thing he noticed was how long he had already been in the facility cause it was already somewhat early in the morning. Second thing was his current predicament of hanging from his chains still attached to the table. Third thing was the fact that the table in the grip of something that Red could only describe as an extremely large dragon currently staring him down with a gaze that most likely could kill from the presence of the massive creature alone. It was at that moment that brought out a masterpiece of words from his lips as he hung in front of the monster that had been rampaging through the military compound.

“Well err……… Hi?” The immediate response didn’t inspire confidence as he was immediately tossed with the table. He was slammed through a group of soldiers before the table finally was torn away while his cuffs remained. To be fair, better than earlier, but that wasn’t on his mind as he was tumbled through the dirt until he finally came to a stop a good distance from the creature as it refocused it’s gaze on the soldiers. The shark let out a loud groan as he struggled to his feet with both paws, favoring his right leg as he limped over to a nearby piece of cover to watch the carnage from relative safety as soldiers were quickly turned into ragdolls. The shark limped from cover to cover to the closest building he could find. It was a small and stocky building with one side completely missing, scattered and mixing with the debris from various other buildings. While it was a bit difficult to pull himself into the ruined building, he manages to struggle enough to find himself within a small storeroom that composed the entirety of the building.

The injured shark scrounged through the ruined building for anything that could help him in his current situation but could only find a small workbench of questionable quality with a saw built into it and his weapon which was useless with his hands still cuffed together. Now while normally anyone would look at this and find it utterly useless, a desperate and keen shark such as Red saw the sharp tool as his one and only escape key to freedom. He stumbled over to the table, fumbling for a moment as he tried to figure out how to turn on the machine before it whirred to life at the click of a button. Now came the hard part for him. He positioned himself at one end of the table with the saw blade rotating away from him. Then he raised his arms before setting them on either side of the rotating steel. After a few moments of hesitation, he yanked back towards him as hard as he could and metal grinded against metal with a loud screech before the chains were snapped in two and the shark landed on his back with a loud groan. But he was free finally and now he really needed to get out of there. After a quick hobble to grab his 3 part staff, he made his way out of the building into the current carnage again and right on top of the lynx from earlier in what could only be described as compromising in nearly every way possible. After the initial second of confusion and blushing, her response was a swift and immediate kick that sent Red onto his back with a loud groan.