Chapter 3 - Man on a Mission
Chapter 3: Man on a Mission
Bring your own lampshade, somewhere there's a party
Here it's never ending, can't remember when it started
Pass around the lampshade, there'll be plenty enough room in jail
If being wrong's a crime, I'm serving forever
If being strong's your kind, then I need help with this feather
If being afraid is a crime, we hang side by side
At the swinging party down the line
- Lorde, "Swingin Party"
__________________________________________________________________
Jacob stood completely still in almost total silence. The only sound came from the small stream that flowed around the rock that he stood upon. He had his eyes closed, only taking in the sound of rushing water. The wolf was in such a state of mind that he could have easily lost himself to the peace of the moment. That is, until -
A twig snapped to his right.
Jacob spun around, seized some water with his mind, and pushed it away from him, sending a large wave in that direction. Two large fiery tendrils reached around from behind the wave, rapidly making their way toward him. With only a split second to react, Jacob erected a wall of water to obstruct them; the fire collided with the wall in a thick cloud of steam. Using the steam as cover, he spun back around and made for some bushes. About halfway, something darted across his vision and hit the water. Jacob spared it only a glance; an arrow had nearly skewered his head but missed by only an inch.
Jacob crouched behind the bushes and waited.
A fox cautiously stepped out from the trees, wearing the shiny silver armor of an Air Elemental. His attire was similar to that of Jacob, only that he instead held a large silver bow in his right paw. He already had another arrow notched and was searching carefully for the wolf.
"Where'd he go?"
A tiger in similar armor appeared next - this time a deep shade of crimson - holding a longsword in two hands. He stopped at the edge of the stream, also keeping an eye out.
"Not sure," the tiger replied. "You sure you didn't get him?"
Nick gave a small nod. "If I had, Gav would have interfered by now."
Ash chuckled. "Well, he'd make a good thief; I'll give him that." He continued forward. "Shout if you see him."
Nick nodded again and they proceeded to cross the stream. A mistake.
Jacob smirked as the water instantly froze around their feet. Both Nick and Ash began searching frantically for Jacob, while the surrounding water began to swirl around them. An orange glow could now be seen near their feet; Ash was trying to thaw the ice. It didn't matter though; in a few short moments, Jacob will have won.
That is, if Nick hadn't sent a strong gust of wind outward in all directions.
Jacob was knocked backward and out from his cover. Though still dazed from the blast, he instinctively rolled to the side as an arrow immediately impaled the ground where he had just been. Using his momentum to roll onto his feet, he sent a glob of water into the fox's face, just to delay him loosing another arrow.
"Oof!"
A heavy weight slammed into him, and his vision was filled with orange and black fur as Ash wrestled him to the ground. They rolled around for a few seconds, each attempting to overpower the other. Finally, Jacob pushed the tiger off of him with a loud grunt and stood again, summoning his trident.
By now, Nick had gotten out of the stream and had been waiting for a clear shot at the wolf. Before he could fire, however, Jacob dove toward him and tackled him as well, knocking the bow out of his paws and trying to roll him back toward the water. Nick saw through his plan and hastily pushed him off again, summoning his bow again.
Before Jacob could stand upright again, something hit the back of his knees, sending him back down. Ash wrapped his arms around him from behind, holding the blade of his sword near Jacob's throat. The sword was no longer flaming, but the blade glowed hot near his throat, ensuring that he would not struggle. Looking up, Nick had notched another arrow and had it aimed at his head, ready to fire.
They waited.
Jacob began to laugh.
"Alright, alright," the wolf chuckled, holding his paws up in surrender, or as well as he could with Ash restraining him. "You got me."
Ash let go of him and Nick dismissed his bow, offering the wolf his paw.
Nick chuckled, pulling Jacob to his feet. "Told you we'd win."
Jacob rolled his eyes, panting a little. "It was two against one. You were bound to win. Besides, it still took you like half an hour to even catch me."
Ash grinned. "Yeah, but we still did. Up for another round?"
Jacob shook his head. "Nah, too tired. And I think Jasper and Sly should have a turn before the morning's up."
Nick nodded and raised his voice. "Hey, Gav! I think we're done for today!"
The scene around them flickered and then gradually disappeared, leaving them in a very large room with plain white walls and ceiling, except for a single rectangular window. A wolf's head could be seen through the window. The wolf studied the room for a moment, then strode away from the window and disappeared.
Jacob, Nick, and Ash all dismissed their armor, leaving them in black spandex suits with white plastic dots scattered around them. These dots were actually sensors that helped them enter the virtual reality generated by more powerful sensors around the room.
Gavin entered the room and stopped. The large wolf just stood there at first; then he gave his assessment.
"Alright folks, good work," he began, "You're all still not up to speed on your close combat skills - yes, you too, Ash - but we can work with that. I'll have you train some more with Gwen for a while. You're done for today, though. Jacob, before you go shower, Gwen and I need to talk to you. Go get changed and then meet me in the office."
Jacob nodded and left the room after him. He went to a nearby change room, changed into a t-shirt and some gym shorts, and headed for the office.
Gwen and Gavin were both waiting for him when he arrived, the fox sitting at a desk examining some files and Gavin standing resolutely behind her with his hands behind his back.
"You wanted to speak with me?"
Gwen looked up from her work. Noting his presence, she straightened a few more papers and addressed him.
"Indeed we do," she said in a business-like manner. The vixen folded paws together, elbows resting on the desk as she fixed her sapphire gaze on him. "We have a mission for you."
Jacob's heart leapt at that. Ever since the team had explained the purpose of Legion and the true intentions of the Sealbreakers, the wolf had been eager to go out into the field and be an active part of the group. It had only been a week since he had arrived at the Facility after their wild chase across the bridge from Juniper, but Jacob didn't like the thought of spending all his days training and only hearing news from Gavin and Gwen.
Jacob grinned widely and wagged his tail, unable to contain his excitement. "Cool! Whatcha got for me?"
Gwen gave a subtle grin at the wolf's child-like behavior and picked up one of her files.
"Infiltration mission. We've just found out that the Sealbreakers are having a small meeting under the cover of a college party taking place at a nightclub called the Veil. You and I are going on Saturday evening to attend the party, find the meeting, and gather as much info as possible. This is a huge opportunity; we haven't been able to do something like this in months."
Jacob tilted his head in confusion. "Just us?"
It turned out the Sealbreakers were more than just rogues who found ways to trump Brand technology. They were actually a large conglomerate of companies dedicated to creating new Brands. While under normal circumstances this would not be considered a violation, their creations tended to be highly unstable and potentially harmful to clients.
The first Brands - Water, Earth, Fire, and Air - were called the Original Brands. These were the original types of Brands that existed when Brand technology was introduced and thus was considered the only legal Brands one could obtain. The newest set of Brands (Light, Dark, Star, and Lightning) were dubbed the "Generation 2" Brands. The Sealbreakers were said to have had a hand in the creation of the Generation 2s, but at some point they began to occur more naturally. The cause of this is unknown, but they were definitely more unstable than the Originals. Even Jasper had encountered some troubles of his own recently, often having his shadow powers lash out unexpectedly; it sometimes made training very interesting.
Legion was dedicated to stopping their activity. Given the gravity of this situation, one could understand Jacob's weariness to send only two people on the mission.
Gwen shrugged. "We shouldn't need more than two people. Don't forget we need someone back here watching the cameras, plus we need room for backup if needed."
Gavin narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you sure you're up to this? This is a very serious matter we're trusting you with. We're on the verge of exposing some potentially groundbreaking information on the Sealbreakers and we can't have you screwing that up."
Jacob's ears went down a little at that. Gavin's tone made him feel like a child being reprimanded for misbehaving. He understood Gavin's concern, though. This really was an important opportunity for them and he needed to have his head on straight if he wanted to do this right.
He dialed back his excitement and looked the large wolf in the eye. "I'm sure," he said firmly.
That seemed to satisfy him. "Good," Gavin replied. Addressing both of them now, he continued. "If you're going to a club, you need to look the part. I suggest you both do some clothes shopping. Jacob, you should probably buy yourself some extra outfits. I'm sure Brent is getting tired of you borrowing his clothes."
"Not to mention we still need to get him, Nick, and Jasper their laptops. It's been a week," Gwen added.
Gavin shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."
"Where do you get all the money for this stuff, anyway?" Jacob inquired.
"You don't want to know." Gavin and Gwen both replied automatically.
There was a short moment of silence in which Jacob began to wonder what else they weren't telling him. He had only been there a week and already he had begun to grow suspicious of their operations.
Gwen broke the silence. "Anyway, that's all we needed you for. We'll leave to go shopping in an hour." Gwen waved him away. "Now get out of here. You stink."
Jacob nodded and began to leave.
As he left the room, Gavin called after him. "And send Sly and Jasper to the Simulation Room. It's their turn to train."
Jacob found them in the rec room. They were on the couch, fumbling with game controllers in their paws and facing a large screen television. Sylvester "Sly" Rhone was a rather small raccoon for his age, being two years older than Jasper and a couple inches shorter. They had instantly become best friends once they discovered their mutual love of video games. In addition, they both had Darkness Brands, so Jasper often relied on him for tips and tricks regarding his powers.
They were so engrossed in their game that they hadn't heard Jacob enter the room. Jacob was about to make himself known when Sly shouted out suddenly.
"Yes!" the raccoon exclaimed, thrusting his fists into the air.
"No, come on!" Jasper slumped back on the couch. "I had you! You were almost dead! I call hax!"
Sly stuck his tongue out at him. "Nope, I'm just better than you," he teased. "I told you, I've been playing this game for years."
Jasper shook his head irritably. "I'll beat you this time. Next match."
The raccoon chuckled in response. "Dude, you've been saying that for the last ten games. Just admit it, I'm better."
Jasper's laser-like gaze could melt steel. "Next. Match."
Sly's cocky façade never faltered as he picked up his controller. "Alright, prepare to be flattened. Again."
Jacob saw his chance and cleared his throat loudly. Both furs turned to him in surprise.
"Gav needs you two for training," he stated simply.
They both groaned in response, Sly moving to put the game away.
"Just one more match?" Jasper begged, puppy-dog eyes on full display. "Please?"
Jacob met his brother's big blue eyes and chuckled inwardly. Even as a teenager, Jasper had never lost the puppy-dog eyes.
He considered the request for a moment. "Fine, but make it quick. You know how Gav gets when we're late."
Sly paused and grinned menacingly, gripping his controller again. "Let's do this, then. I'll even go easy on you this time."
Jasper's gaze hardened again. "Don't you dare."
Jacob chuckled again and left them to play their game, closing the door on his way out. Those two could be such kids sometimes. He turned a few corners and began moving down the hallway that led to his quarters.
He found his path blocked, however, by a certain German Shepherd. Brent McAllister stood at just over six feet and had the musculature to back it up. It was clear that he worked out regularly the way his biceps bulged out of the sleeves of the tight t-shirt that he wore and his thick thighs filled out his blue denim jeans. He had a deep and commanding voice worthy of a drill sergeant and a reputation for overconfidence. To any common stranger, the dog was quite intimidating.
The two just stood and stared at each other for a moment. Neither moved at all until Brent broke the silence.
"So," Brent began, "First mission. Bet you're proud of yourself, aren't you?"
Jacob frowned at this comment. "Why do you care? You should just be glad it's not your wits we're relying on to get us through. You wouldn't last ten minutes with that overgrown ego of yours."
Brent snorted at that. "Don't flatter yourself. The only reason Gav chose you is you're one of the few of us young enough to pass as a college student."
"Young?!" Jacob blurted. "You're only what - four years older than me?"
"And don't you forget it." Brent responded smugly. "I've got bigger and better things to do than party and get smashed." The dog's annoying smirk grew wider as he leaned in slightly. "I've got priorities, Jake."
Jacob growled and narrowed his eyes. "Don _'__ t_ call me that."
"Don't act like you don't like it," Brent retorted. "Nick and Jasper say it all the time and you don't have a problem with it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just don't like me saying it."
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Well, you're rather observant aren't you?" He mocked.
Brent didn't take the bait. He crossed his arms and answered smugly, "Comes with being a cop."
"Ex-cop," the wolf shot back. "And for the record, I don't care why I was chosen over you. I don't care what you think makes you so brilliant. I have a mission to prepare for and I don't have time for your bullshit." Jacob growled and bared his fangs menacingly. "So get out of my way!"
The large German Shephard only chuckled and moved aside. As Jacob pushed past him he called after the wolf, "Try not to hurt yourself out there, pup! I'd much rather not have to swoop in and save your ass!"
Jacob stormed into his room and slammed the door behind him, letting out an intense growl. What is his problem?, he thought. Ever since they had met just a week ago, Brent had been nothing but condescending and just plain rude to him. He got along well with the other members of Legion, but seemed to enjoy bullying the wolf in particular. Jacob didn't know why Gavin let the German Shephard get away with this, but he sure as hell knew that he would not.
.............................
After his argument with Brent, the wolf had showered quickly and reluctantly dressed himself in one of Brent's oversized t-shirts and some shorts. He met Gwen at the Facility entrance and they soon left for the mall. As they rode away from the Facility, Jacob gazed at the building in bewilderment. The Facility had been built on the outskirts of Hillsboro, a city very close to Juniper. It was under Drake's protection so that anyone outside of Legion could not enter the building. In fact, anyone else didn't even seem to notice that the building was there.
It made Jacob wonder exactly who - or what - Drake actually was. He was certainly a peculiar fellow; the white wolf always had this strange confidence about him, always seeming to know when things were going to happen before they did. He often disappeared for entire days doing heaven knows what, and then would reappear at the Facility as if nothing had happened; he just came and went as he pleased.
Jacob decided that if he wanted to understand Drake, he needed to ask him directly. Logging that to memory, he shifted his focus back to the task at hand.
.............................
"Gwen, we've been here an hour. Can't you just pick an outfit?"
"Relax, I'm almost done!"
Jacob should have seen this coming. He remembered going clothes shopping with his girlfriend back in high school. It had taken her ten to twenty minutes just to find single outfits, and that didn't include shoes. They had spent a total of about two hours in two stores.
This was no different. He had already found his clothes, which included a single pair of jeans, some shorts, and several shirts. The wolf was now waiting outside the girls' change room and leaning back against the wall with a bored expression on his muzzle. His claws tapped impatiently on the handle of the cart full of clothes in front of him. A coyote shopping alongside a female wolf shot him a sympathetic glance as he passed by.
His ears perked as Gwen strode out of the change room, arms full of clothes.
"All finished?"
Gwen dumped a few articles of clothing into the cart. "Nope, not yet."
Jacob groaned in frustration. "Seriously, how long does it take to pick out a few outfits?"
"Oh, don't be such a baby," the vixen replied, heading to another clothing display. "Just be glad I didn't make you come with me to the lingerie section. Besides, we've got all day to spend here."
"Oh, thanks, that clears that right up."
The wolf sighed. He was bored out of his skull and he was beginning to get hungry. Maybe they might get something at the food court when they were done here. Where was the food court anyway? Had they passed it on the way in? He could really go for some pizza right about now...but for lunch? They tended to have dinner relatively early, so he probably shouldn't get something too big. Maybe just a pretzel? A fresh warm pretzel? With cinnamon and sugar...
Jacob shook his head. Daydreaming about food was not going to help matters. In an attempt to interest himself in something else, he decided to pay more attention to the clothes Gwen was picking out. Perhaps he could offer some advice? The wolf wasn't necessarily known for his fashion sense, but anything to make this trip go faster...
As Gwen reached up to grab a pair of jeans, the right sleeve of her blouse pulled back to expose her forearm. And there on her arm, he saw...
Nothing. Just the natural orange fur of her species.
Lowering his voice, he muttered, "No Brand?"
Reading the tag on her latest find, she confirmed, "No Brand."
Curiously, the wolf asked, "How come?"
Gwen shrugged. "Just never felt like I needed one. Why use magic when I'm already so advanced in close combat?"
Jacob was sure that there was more to it than that, but he didn't want to press it too much when they were in public.
"It's not magic. It's science."
"Same thing," Gwen replied, rolling her eyes. "Magic is just a word for science that people don't understand. And that certainly applies to Brand technology; otherwise, we wouldn't be here now."
Jacob thought about that for a moment. He supposed he could understand that, but didn't totally agree with it. Then again, it was very likely that there was something Gwen wasn't telling him.
As they headed back toward the change rooms, they were interrupted by an excited voice from behind.
"Gwen?!"
Gwen turned around and her eyes went wide. "Melissa?!"
Jacob squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head in disbelief. Oh no...
Turning around as well, he found that the voice belonged to a lioness of about average height. She wore black pants with a matching black shirt that had a band logo on it. Her ears were decorated with two diamond earrings and she had a wide smile on her face, showing perfect white teeth. Jacob had to admit she was quite pretty.
The lioness gasped. "It is you! I thought I recognized your voice!"
"How are you?" Gwen asked as they exchanged a hug. "What have you been doing? It's been years!"
"Just finishing up college," Melissa replied. "I wish I could say it's been fun, but school is school, y'know?" Her eyes drifted over to Jacob. "And who's this? Boyfriend?"
Eyes wide, the wolf and fox both took a large step away from each other.
"No!" They both exclaimed in unison.
"We're not a couple," Gwen continued. "Just friends."
"My bad," Melissa chuckled. "I saw a girl and a guy shopping together and jumped to conclusions."
"It's no problem," Jacob replied, slightly embarrassed. He offered her his paw. "I'm Jacob."
The lioness flashed another smile and grasped his paw in a surprisingly light grip. "Pleased to meet you, Jacob. Can I call you Jake?"
Putting on a polite smile, he responded, "Er...I prefer Jacob, if you don't mind."
"So you said you're in college?" said Gwen. "What are you studying?"
"Business," Melissa replied. "Kent's really good for that."
"You go to Kent?" Jacob asked. "Do you know a fox named Nick Hale?"
Melissa thought for a moment. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell. What's he study?"
"Cybersecurity."
"That would be why." Melissa answered, giving a small nod in understanding. "I'd imagine we wouldn't share many classes, if any."
"So what's the coursework like?" Gwen inquired. "Not too difficult, I hope?"
"No, it's not too bad," the lioness agreed. "Still though, I'm just glad it's almost over. I'm going to a party this weekend to give myself a well-earned break."
Whatever the two said next was lost to Jacob as his mind began to wander again. Sure, it was nice meeting Melissa, but he was still incredibly bored, not to mention hungry. Maybe he would go for that pretzel...
"...what was it called again? Oh yeah, the Veil."
Wait, what? Had he heard that right? That was the same club that the mission was to take place. Having Melissa there might cause some complications...
"Hey, you two should totally come with me!"
Ok, no. That was just unacceptable. They couldn't have Melissa tagging along with them; that would make the mission so much more difficult.
"No thanks," Gwen replied politely.
The lioness wasn't giving up that easily. "Oh, but it'll be so much fun! Please come with me so I don't have to go alone?"
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. In fact, they would be at the party anyway, so it wasn't like they could avoid her...
"Please?"
Gwen opened her mouth to refuse her invitation again, but Jacob interrupted her with a chipper "Sure!".
"Gwen here doesn't party much," Jacob continued with a chuckle, ignoring the fox's glare. "But once you get her out, she has a good time."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Sure, Jacob, whatever. When's the party?"
"Seven," Melissa replied, almost bouncing in her excitement. "I'll meet you outside the doors. Here, I'll give you my number."
Jacob waited while they exchanged numbers. Casually glancing around the store, he wondered if this would be their last stop. They had already spent too long here and this conversation only served to make him even more impatient.
"Great. Well, we need to get going. See you Saturday night, Melissa!"
"Cool! See ya!"
Gwen waited until they were out of earshot before rounding on him.
"What was that about?! We can't have her with us at the party! It'll compromise the mission!"
Jacob crossed his arms and arched on eyebrow. "Will it really? If she's gonna be there anyway, what's the harm? Besides, she's your friend and you haven't seen her in years. It can't hurt to spend some time with her."
"Okay, first off," Gwen snapped, holding up a finger. "I'm not Jasper. You don't get to order me around."
"I don't order -"
"Second," Gwen continued, "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here? We're only going to be there to gather intel, and we can't do that with her tagging along. If we suddenly disappear, she'll wonder where we went."
"Like I said," Jacob retaliated, "she would've noticed us anyway at one point or another. If anything, it'll help our cover."
Gwen thought about that for a moment. "Okay, I guess you have a point," she admitted. "But still, we need to be careful."
"You think she might be a Sealbreaker?"
"It's a possibility," Gwen said, "Though I really hope it doesn't come to that." She turned and headed towards the change rooms again. "Now, come on. Let's get the rest of this trip over with."
.....................................
"You're back!"
"Yeah, finally."
Nick was sitting at the dining table with a notebook beside him, fingers tapping away at a laptop keyboard. It was a simple laptop, very thin and silver with the Legion logo on the back.
"When did you get that?" Jacob asked.
"Just recently," Nick answered. "Gav went and got us laptops while you were gone. Yours is in your room."
"Ah," Jacob sat down next to the fox. "So where is everyone?"
"Gav is in the office. Drake is still away, doing god-knows-what." Nick absently tapped his pen on his notebook in thought. "Brent is...I'm not sure where he is; I haven't seen him since training. Sly and Jasper are in the rec room, playing that game again." The fox chuckled in amusement. "Jasper is bound and determined to beat him. It's kinda funny."
Jacob laughed along with him. "Yeah, I saw them earlier. So what are you doing?" He asked, having noticed the hastily scribbled notes on the paper.
"Just doing some research," Nick replied, gesturing toward the computer screen. "Gav wanted me to look into the identities of some major Sealbreaker officials. Just as well; now that I haven't got classes to worry about, I need something to do."
Jacob gaped at him. Nick had needed to put his education on hold - possibly permanently - because of this whole fiasco. If he had just kept to himself instead of seeking the fox's help...
"Nick, I'm -"
"Now don't you start," Nick interrupted, poking the wolf in the nose. "None of this was your fault." He stretched his arms in the air. "You wanna go shoot some hoops?"
"Don't you have work to do?"
The fox shook his head. "Nah, I'm due for a break." He shut his laptop and stood up. "Come on, let's go."
On the way to the gym, the two split up to change into some workout clothes. After he had changed into one of his new t-shirts and some basketball shorts, Jacob headed to the court and found Nick already waiting for him with a basketball under his arm.
"Ready to get creamed?" Nick said with smirk.
"Am I ready to get creamed?" Jacob snorted. "You're talking to the two-time MVP and team captain."
The fox grimaced at that, passing him the ball. "I should have gotten that award and you know it."
Jacob grinned. "But you didn't." Widening his stance, he shifted the ball to one hand and slammed it against the hardwood floor, the deafening boom resounding throughout the gym.
"Let's see what you got, fox."
.....................................
"Aaaand game!"
"Lucky shot," Nick panted as the ball fell through the net.
"No such thing," Jacob grinned and patted the fox on the back. "Maybe next time."
"You only beat me by one point," said Nick. They headed toward the bench at the side of the court. "We'd still be tied if you hadn't made that three-point shot."
"Hey, points are points." The wolf grabbed his water bottle and drained half the contents in record time. "I beat you fair and square."
The two furs continued their banter while they cooled off. Jacob tensed when he heard the door to the gym open and close, followed by footsteps heading in their direction. He couldn't see who it was yet because of the wall separating the court from the weight room, but if it was Brent coming back to pester him some more...
It turned out to be Gwen.
"I thought I might find you two here," she said as she strode toward them.
Jacob relaxed. "Oh, hi Gwen."
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Did I do something to piss you off?"
"Besides the mall, you mean?" He shook his head. "But no, I thought you were Brent."
"Don't let him get to you. He's like that with everyone." Gwen stopped a few feet away from them. "And by the way, those last twenty minutes at the mall weren't my fault. You insisted on getting that pretzel."
Nick, who had remained silent since Gwen had arrived at the scene, spoke up. "So how's your research going?"
Gwen shrugged. "It's going. A bit slow, but that's how it usually is. The most we can do now is wait for the mission."
"Tell, me about it. Once you two get into that meeting, that'll be the real deal." Nick leaned back on the bench. "So, anyway, what're you doing here? You taking a break, too?"
Gwen nodded. "Just a short one, I did just get back after all. I'll be getting back to work shortly. You should too."
The lounging fox waved a paw dismissively. "Nah, we've got time. You wanna play some one-on-one?"
Gwen scoffed. "Not a chance. If you think I'm into sports, then you are very sadly mistaken."
"Oh, come on. _Ten_minutes," Nick persisted. "I'm sure it'd be okay if we went a few rounds."
Jacob froze, wondering if he had heard that correctly. The tone in which Nick had said that had been a bit odd. Is he flirting? A glance at the fox's posture gave him his answer. Nick was still leaning back on the bench with his eyes fixed on Gwen, his gaze sincere but the corners of his muzzle curled ever-so-slightly in a complacent smile. Yup, he's definitely flirting.
Gwen seemed to pick up on this too; her expression abruptly changing from amused to stern. Jacob suddenly felt very uncomfortable as he watched the two foxes stare each other down, neither breaking under the pressure. After a short while, Gwen moved first, adopting a sly grin only a fox could pull off. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, pressing a few buttons before bringing it up to her ear.
"Hi, Melissa? Yeah, it's me. I'm calling about the party." Her grin grew impossibly wider, her gaze still fixed on Nick, who was now regarding her with curiosity. "Do you mind if Jacob brings a friend?"
..................................
"I hate you."
It was the night of the mission. Jacob, Gwen, and Nick sat in a van as they headed toward the nightclub. Gwen had called Melissa to ask if Nick could attend the party, and Melissa had graciously agreed. Now Nick was being sent on the mission as well, in rather simple attire: jeans and a dress shirt; Jacob wore a similar outfit.
"After that comment you had it coming." Gwen sat in the driver's seat, wearing jeans with a fancy blouse. She had flat out refused to wear a dress.
Nick grinned. "Joke's on you, though. I get a night of partying out of this!"
Jacob shook his head in amusement. "You're hopeless, you are. To be honest, I'm surprise you didn't want to go in the first place." He looked down and examined his attire. "I still think we're a little underdressed, though."
"Well, we're not there to look pretty, are we?" Gwen shifted in her seat, her eyes scanning the road ahead of her. "Just do me a favor and don't get too rowdy, okay? I actually put on makeup for once and I'd like to enjoy it while I can."
"Hey, is this thing still working?"
"Yeah, you're good, Ash," the wolf replied.
"Oh, good." Came the reply. " __It's been so long since I've gotten to use these."
"Ash, you've been testing them out all day." Nick replied, adjusting the microphone hidden underneath his collar. "I think you're a little too excited for your own good."
"You're one to talk, Nick."
"Alright, boys, we're here." Gwen parked the van and switched off the ignition. "Behave."
"I'm sorry, okay?" Nick protested as he unfastened his seatbelt. "I won't do it again, promise!"
"You, I can handle. It's Jacob I'm worried about. He's never been to a party before." Gwen paused before opening her door. "Ash, Gav. You still with us?"
"Loud and clear, Gwen." Gavin's deep voice came through Jacob's earpiece. " __We're ready when you are."
"Alright, we're going in." Now speaking to the two males in the van, she said, "Let's go."
They exited the vehicle and headed toward the club entrance, finding Melissa waiting for them there. The lioness wore a sparkly blue dress that hung to her knees. She smiled wide when she spotted them approaching her.
"Hey, you made it!" She said jubilantly. "Nice to see you again, Jacob. Then she noticed the second fox. "And you must be Nick."
"The one and only," Nick responded with a charming grin. He shook her paw. "If you don't mind me saying, you look simply dazzling!"
"Smooth."
"Why, thank you," Melissa said with an equally warm smile. "I do try." She gestured toward the door. "Shall we go in?"
"Yeah, let's go," Gwen agreed.
Once they got into the building, Jacob was hit with a complete change of scenery. They now stood in a wide open space illuminated by bright multicolored lights that swirled around the room. Music was being blasted out the speakers with the bass turned up high, countless furs dancing in the middle of the room.
"Alright, now just blend in and keep an eye out," Gavin instructed. "It shouldn't be long now."
"I'm going for a drink first," Melissa shouted over the music.
"Read my mind," Gwen replied, following her.
As they made their way to the bar, Jacob twisted and squeezed through the sea of dancing furs, doing his best to make as little physical contact as possible; not that he was doing a very good job of it. No matter how hard he tried, he always found himself being compressed on all sides by oblivious furs, making it harder to move without bumping into someone. The wolf even felt someone tug on his tail at one point, but when he turned around to see who it was, the culprit was nowhere to be found.
They got to the bar and started ordering drinks, Gwen getting something non-alcoholic because she had to drive them back.
"Take it easy, boys," Gavin warned as the wolf and fox ordered beers.
"Gav, relax." Nick grinned as he twisted the cap off his bottle and took a large gulp. "It's just one bottle."
"This is a college party?" Jacob said in bewilderment, surveying the area. "Can they even do this legally?"
"It doesn't have to be official. Nothing wrong with just having a good time." The fox replied as he guzzled his beer, now eyeing the crowd in consideration.
Jacob sipped from his bottle nervously. "I don't know, man. I don't think I'm missing out on much."
"It's your first time. Don't sweat it." Nick drained his bottle and began moving toward the dance floor. Shouting over the music, he added, "Just have fun!"
That was easier said than done. Gwen and Melissa also left the bar soon after, so Jacob was left on his own. Not wanting to simply sit there, he had left his half-finished beer at the counter and headed to the dance floor as well. From there, the wolf passed the time by dancing awkwardly with everyone else and keeping an eye out for any unusual activity.
He didn't have to wait long. Back at the bar, he caught sight of several furs speaking to the bartender and then after a short response, going behind the counter and through the back door.
This was it. Jacob pulled out his phone and called Gwen.
She answered on the first ring. "Hello?"
"Gwen, it's Jacob. Where are you?"
"At the bar," Gwen replied. "Melissa's still off dancing."
"The bartender -"
"Yeah, I know," she said in almost a whisper. "I was just about to call you. Meet me here." And with that, she hung up.
Jacob called Nick next. It took him much longer to answer his phone. In fact, the wolf had to call him again before he finally picked up.
"Sup Jake? How's it goin'?" Nick's slurred voice sounded through the speaker.
Jacob frowned. "Nick, how much have you had to drink?"
Nick was silent for a moment. "...Umm..."
"Never mind. I'll call you later." Jacob almost hung up before Nick started speaking again.
"No, wait! It - it's about the mission right?" The fox stammered, suddenly no longer slurring. "What's going on? Where are they?"
Jacob hesitated before answering. "Just meet us at the bar," he said before hanging up.
Jacob pushed his way back through the crowd toward the bar. He was almost there when Gavin spoke up.
"Actually Nick, forget it. The room they're meeting in has a window. We need you to be our sniper in case anything goes wrong. Go around back."
"Alright, I'm on my way."
Jacob approached the bar to find Gwen sitting on a stool looking very bored. When she noticed him, she sported a wide, very uncharacteristic smile and put her arms around him.
Jacob, shocked at this behavior, stammered, "Gwen, w-what -"
"Shhh," Gwen interrupted, pushing him back toward the dancefloor.
Once they were lost again in amid the wild crowd, Gwen stood up on her toes so that her muzzle was inches away from his ear.
"Order a Bloody Mary with extra Mary," she whispered. "That'll get you behind the counter."
Jacob relaxed, now that he knew that it was just an act.
"Extra Mary? What does that even mean?"
"Hell if I know, just go with it!" She hissed back. "Wait about a minute after I leave, then go." The vixen left back the way they came and disappeared.
Jacob waited for a short bit and then followed her. As he approached the counter, the bartender, a grouchy-looking leopard, glanced up at him questioningly while wiping a glass.
"I'd like a Bloody Mary," said Jacob, trying to appear nonchalant about it. "With extra Mary."
The leopard gave a small jerk of his head toward the door behind him and went along his own business. The wolf calmly and quietly made his way behind the counter and through the door. He now found himself in what appeared to be a storage room. Stacks of boxes and shelves full of bottles lined the pale off-white walls. There was a single, small window on the far wall which exposed the now dark sky outside.
That wasn't what immediately caught his attention though. A table had been set up in the center of the room and about ten furs sat around it, including Gwen. Some were preoccupied with their phones; others simply stared idly into space. Among them was a familiar coyote, who glanced up at him when he entered. Their eyes met, and the coyote grinned.
"Well, hello there," the coyote said, standing up to shake his paw. "Had a feelin' I'd be seein' you again."
"Yeah, umm," Jacob hesitated, trying to ignore Gwen's skeptic gaze. "I guess I can't really say the same to you - er -"
"Hunter," the coyote said with that same crooked grin. "It is a small world after all. And what do I call you?"
"Ja - Jason," the wolf said, thinking quickly.
"Well, Jason," Hunter replied. "I dunno how long you been with us, but no matter...welcome to the team." He finished with a hearty pat on the wolf's back.
"Alright, I think we've waited long enough." A cheetah at the end of the table spoke up. "Let's get down to business."
"Okay everyone, this is it," Gavin sounded through the earpiece. "Pay very close attention to everything that goes on. Nick, are you in place?"
"Nearly."
"Hurry up."
Jacob strode over to the table and took a seat next to Gwen, still avoiding her eyes.
"Okay, first things first," the cheetah began. "How's the progress on Project 47?"
A horse to Jacob's right cleared his throat before speaking. "It's going rather smoothly for the time being. We're ready to begin the first experimental stage with the boss' permission."
The cheetah nodded. "What do you have in mind?"
"We've managed to create a crystallized version of Ultium serum," the horse explained. "We're thinking about setting up at the local mall and planting a representative at the food court. We'll have him sprinkle some onto a customer's food disguised as salt."
The cheetah looked surprised. "Impressive. You think it'll work?"
The horse shrugged. "It should. Of course, the effects may vary depending on the Generation of the Brand, but we can work with that."
"When do you plan on doing this?"
"We're thinking next Friday. Again, it depends on what the boss says."
"Experimental stage? What's Project 47? This is huge! Sly, are you writing this down?"
"Alright, I'll go ahead and put it in the logs," the cheetah replied. "Be sure to notify me if your plans change at all. Now, we need to discuss funding for future developments -"
"Hang on," Hunter raised a paw, sitting further down the table. "Are we not going to talk about the project under way in Mortaelis?"
Mortaelis? Now that was interesting. Mortaelis was an abandoned city quite far away from Hillsboro. The place was ancient; one of the oldest cities in the country. What could the Sealbreakers be doing there? Why run a project there, where there were no clients to sell to?
"Mortaelis isn't a priority at the moment," said the cheetah. "Besides, the boss specifically told us not to worry about it. Another division is handling it for the time being." Flipping through his notes, he began again. "Anyway, as far as funding goes, I think it's safe to say we're going to need more support for the next few projects..."
As they discussed finances, Jacob continued to wonder about their business in Mortaelis. How could they possibly benefit from setting up a base there? Surely someone would have noticed if people had started living there. But even then, what could they pull off in Mortaelis that they couldn't manage anywhere else?
"Guys, you've got trouble incoming," Ash said abruptly. "Nick, get ready."
Suddenly on the alert, Jacob quickly glanced around the room with just his eyes, surveying for danger. He could hear people shouting back near the bar and they seemed to be getting closer. Soon the door swung open and a very angry-looking bear and a panther stormed into the room.
The cheetah stood up abruptly. "What is the meaning of this interruption?!"
"That dumb guy at the bar wouldn't let us in!" The bear shouted furiously. "We gave him the password and everything!"
The bartender barged in through the doorway. "I was told to let ten people in! After that wolf got through, I'm not granting access to anyone else!" he said, pointing at Jacob.
"Twelve people? We're only supposed to have ten." The cheetah froze, eyeing the room suspiciously. "Two of us shouldn't be here..."
"Have you got the roster?" Hunter asked, getting up out of his chair.
"Yeah, it's saved on my phone," the cheetah replied, pulling out his phone. "Hunter, don't let anyone out of the room."
" __Gwen, Jake," Nick said urgently."Keep your heads down and be ready to run."
Jacob rested his head in his arms, slouching over the table and trying to look bored. He jumped when he heard the window shatter with a deafening crash, followed by a loud thump as something collided with the table. Glancing down, he saw the cheetah lying still on the floor with a silver arrow protruding from his back. Everyone else in the room sprang into action, summoning their armor and weapons. Jacob did the same, backing himself up against a wall with Gwen beside him.
"Legion!" A wolf snarled. "We should've known!"
"Your boss isn't going to be happy," Gwen taunted. She had assumed a casual stance, seemingly unperturbed by the nine armored furs facing them. "If you know what's good for you, you'll let us out of here with no trouble."
The bear from earlier snorted. "And why would we do that?"
"Because you won't win if you don't." Gwen answered with ease. "If you fight us, you won't live. Besting us in combat is out of the question, especially when we've got backup. You should know that by now."
"Oh, that's just fine," said the wolf, smirking. "The boss wants you alive anyway."
Jacob opened his mouth to retort, but didn't get his chance. With a small whistle, another arrow flew through the window and hit the wolf right in the middle of the forehead. He staggered back a bit, toppled backwards, and didn't move again.
Gwen struck out suddenly, delivering a swift punch to a nearby Sealbreaker's throat, following up quickly with a knee to the groin and a strike to the back of the neck, dropping him to the floor in just a couple seconds. She then spun around crouched low to the floor with a sweeping kick that tripped two others. They quickly rolled to their feet though, looking even more angry.
Jacob in the meantime was dealing with his own share of combatants. The bear and horse he was facing, wielding a sword and a war hammer respectively, seemed to be relying on brute force alone to try and take him down. He blocked them with his trident easily, but the force behind their attacks made it difficult to recover and retaliate. Plus, everyone else in the room was trying to get in their own jabs here and there, forcing him to stay in motion.
"Jacob, duck!" Gwen shouted suddenly.
Whirling around, he spotted a cat crouching in a corner of the room, charging a ball of glowing red energy between his paws. His eyes were locked on Jacob, ready to fire.
Jacob ducked low to the ground narrowly avoiding the bright red beam that shot over his head. The beam bounced off of someone's shield and hit the front wall, completely demolishing it in an explosion of sparks and smoke. Loud screams and shouts could now be heard from the main room.
"Get out of there now!" Gavin barked. "There's too many of them!"
Eyes tightly shut and trying to fan away the smoke, Jacob stepped through the gap and into the main area of the club. It was chaos; patrons were running everywhere, trying to escape the incident.
Jacob made a beeline for the exit, but was tripped by someone behind him. Rolling over, he found himself staring up at the bartender, who held a trident in his paws.
"The boss will be delighted when I take you in," he grinned, tightening his grip on his weapon.
The leopard was interrupted by Gwen latching onto him from behind, attempting to choke him. He struggled for a moment and then elbowed her hard in the ribs, breaking her hold. He spun around and aimed a fist at her muzzle, which she blocked easily. He tried to jab her with his trident but she back flipped swiftly away from his attack. Gwen gracefully rolled backward onto one knee, seized a bottle on the counter behind her, and sent it spinning toward the leopard. The bottle hit him square in between the eyes and he collapsed.
Gwen got up and offered him her paw.
"Thanks," Jacob said as she helped him up. "You have got to teach me how to fight like that."
"I've been trying," Gwen muttered dryly.
"Guys, you really need to get out of there right now!" Ash warned. "They've called for backup - Where do you think you're going?!"
"What?" Jacob inquired, checking his surroundings for more Sealbreakers. "We haven't gone anywhere."
"Not you. Never mind that; just get back here now!"
Three Sealbreakers now emerged from the destroyed room. Jacob quickly assessed the Brands that they were dealing with: a Light, a Star, and a Lightning. And a Fire, counting Hunter. Glancing around, however, Hunter was nowhere to be seen.
A panther cracked the jet black whip she held in her paw, which crackled with electricity.
"And just where do you think you're going?" She grinned, before cracking the whip at Gwen.
Gwen yelped as the whip made contact. Jacob lunged forward with his trident. The panther hopped backwards out of the way while their other two assailants advanced. Out of nowhere, they got knocked back by some unseen force, severely throwing off their balance. Jacob looked behind him; Nick stood at the entrance, preparing to release another gust of wind.
"Come on, let's go!" The fox exclaimed. "They'll be here any minute!"
Jacob turned and pulled Gwen to her feet before racing towards the exit.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine," she responded, rubbing her arm. "Mind the door, would you?"
Jacob nodded and ripped some water from the pipes in the walls, allowing it to collect near the doorway. Once they had exited the building, he formed a wall of water against the opening and froze it, leaving a thick layer of ice blocking anyone else's way out.
His ice wall didn't last long, though; before long the wall exploded into icy shards, allowing the Sealbreakers to pursue them.
"Never mind what the boss says. You're not getting out of here alive!" The panther growled, arcs of electricity curling around both her paws. The three furs tensed in anticipation of the strike, but it never came. The panther's eyes locked on something behind them and she paled. "Shit," she spat, retracting her armor. Her two companions did the same.
Following her gaze, Jacob spotted a police cruiser pulling up next to the sidewalk. Just great, he thought. How were they going to explain this to the police? As the officer got out of his vehicle, he began to form excuses in his mind, anything that would get them out of this mess.
But then he saw who it was.
Brent McAllister sauntered over to the group, clad in a blue police officer's uniform, complete with a shiny silver badge pinned above his left breast pocket. He stopped a few feet away, crossing his arms and staring down the three Sealbreakers.
"What's going on here?" he grunted.
The panther hesitated. "...well..."
Brent's eyes flickered toward the entrance and the icy mess around it. "What happened there?"
One of the other Sealbreaker's, a golden retriever, blurted out, "Look, dude, this isn't our fault! They were -"
"Shut up!" The German Shephard growled. "Don't try and talk your way out of this. You're already in trouble for destruction of property. Don't make matters worse."
"Wh - that's not fair!" The panther complained. She pointed at Jacob and the others. "They were -"
"I'll deal with them," Brent interrupted. "The rest of the squad is coming soon. If I were you, I wouldn't get any ideas, Ingrid."
The panther gaped. "What? How do you know -" She sighed and tuned back towards the building. "Come on, guys."
She and her companions went back into the building. Jacob turned around to thank Brent for his help, but the dog was already getting back into the cruiser.
"Hey, wait -"
Just as quickly as he had arrived, Brent was gone. Without a word, the furs immediately got into their van in case the Sealbreakers came back. Jacob offered to drive since Gwen had an injured arm.
"You two alright?" said the wolf as he pulled out of the parking spot.
"We're okay," said Nick. He was slurring again, but not as much as before. "Just don't expect much from me for a bit. I'm still drunk."
"Yeah, about that," Gwen retorted, giving him a sideways glance. "Never do that again."
"How do you aim so well when you're drunk?" Jacob asked. "Shouldn't that be a problem?"
The fox grimaced. "Lots and lots of practice."
..................................
The rest of Legion greeted them when they arrived back at the Facility.
"First things first: are you all okay?" Gavin asked. "Any injuries?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Gwen replied. "Got hit by a Lightning's whip. But otherwise we're okay."
Gavin nodded. "Good. At least that means something went well tonight. We'll have to plan more thoroughly next time."
"Hey, it's not all bad," Nick said, handing over his earpiece and microphone. "We know they're doing something at the mall next week."
Jacob decided to jump in. "Yeah, and they're also planning something at Mortaelis. That's definitely something we didn't expect."
Gavin dragged a paw down his face, suddenly looking exhausted. "Okay, so it wasn't a total bust. We still need to work on our planning, though. Good work everyone. Go get some rest." As they began to leave, Gavin spoke up again. "Nick, stay here. I need to have a word with you," he said with a slight growl in his voice.
Remembering what Brent had done for them, Jacob noticed that he wasn't there.
"Where's Brent?"
"Dunno," Sly shrugged. "He just came in and went right past us without a word. He's around here somewhere."
Jacob nodded. "Well, thanks anyway. I'm going to bed."
With a yawn, the wolf headed off toward his quarters. As he passed by the rec room however, he heard loud noises coming from the television. Who was watching TV immediately after they had gotten back. He pushed open the door to find Brent on the couch with a game controller in his paws. Unlike Sly and Jasper earlier, he didn't seem to be overly focused on the game. Judging by the way his character zipped across the screen, the other characters in the game dropping left and right, he appeared to be demolishing his enemies with ease.
Jacob waited until the word "Victory" blazed across the screen to grab his attention. "I didn't know you play videogames."
Brent started a new game. "Add that to the long list of things you don't know about me, pup."
Jacob ground his teeth at the nickname, but otherwise didn't react. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for saving us back there."
Brent didn't respond.
"Did you hear me?"
"I did."
"...are you going to say anything?"
"Why should I?"
Jacob scoffed. "I just thanked you for saving my life! Do I even get a "you're welcome?"
"No," the dog said bluntly. "If you remember our conversation earlier, then you'll know that I hate having to play the hero. Your idiocy tonight wasn't appreciated."
Jacob gaped in disbelief. "Really? What the hell, man?! I come here to thank you for this huge favor and all you do is blow me off?! I know you don't like me, but the least you can do is accept my thanks!"
"Fine. I accept your thanks." Brent kept his eyes glued to the screen. "Now go away."
"What is wrong with you?!"
"What's wrong with you?" Brent threw his controller to the side. "I drive out there and save your ass and you come to me acting like I did some huge deed. I wouldn't have had to doing anything if you hadn't been stumbling around like some drunken buffoon."
Jacob was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"
"Your 'fighting,' pup." Brent held up his paws in air quotes. "Your so called 'skills' are severely lacking. You don't know how to use your element and your form is, well, nonexistent. My interference wouldn't have been required if you had known what you were doing."
"I can handle myself!"
"Can you? Prove it." The large German Shephard stood, towering over the wolf. "Tomorrow. 8 am. Sim Room. Loser buys lunch for a month."
"You're on!"