FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Previously in Chapter 6:

A crash reverberated through the entire building, followed by Max running through the main hall and heading straight for the door carrying several vials in his paws. Jasper placed a paw to his forehead. "Ahh shit."

The dingo turned back to Jasper, flattening his ears and pulling a handgun from beneath the bar. Moments later, the sound of heavy footsteps from above caused everyone in the building to look up. Kuda tumbled down the stairs wearing ripped shorts with the tattered remains of a shirt still clinging to his fur. "Jasper the women here are insane!"

The lynx turned to face the bartender with a smile, looking down the barrel of his gun. "Well I guess this turned out to be a real shit show, didn't it?"

Chapter Seven: Bar Fights and Secrets

"It seems that I'm needed elsewhere, gentlemen. Allow me to take my leave." Jasper stood from the bar and thrust the small glass forward into the dingo's face, sending the contents into his eyes. The dog stumbled back, rubbing away the acidic fluid with one paw and blindly shooting throughout the bar with the other. Jasper ducked down under the counter and out of the path of the flying metal projectiles.

Vix turned to the lizard closest to him, chuckling nervously. "Now look, I don't want this to end poorly, so--" His aggressor smashed a bottle against the bar table and immediately went for Vix's throat, barely missing his fur. The reptile countered by reaching out for Vix's throat and clamping down with his claws, tightening his grip immediately. The fox's hind-paws began to lift off the ground as he struggled to pull free.

Accepting the notion that he was going to have to fight his way out of the bar, Kuda came to his senses and started to chase down another hooded reptile who began running out the door after Max. The third reptile intercepted him as he passed the bar, blindsiding him and knocking him off his feet. The lizard was smaller than he was, but his shoulder packed a punch like a battering ram. Dazed and confused, he rubbed his head and rose shakily to his feet. "I've had a long day, you sorry pile of scales, and I think it's time to go home." He charged his opponent, bending the floorboards beneath his paws as he ran. The lizard's confident smirk began to fade, slowly replacing itself with shock as Kuda rushed him and sent him flying back into the far wall.

Vix began to see stars, but gave one last attempt to free himself from the claws that choked the life from his body. The fox raised his hips between himself and the massive lizard, pressing his hind-paws into the reptile's muzzle and using his legs as leverage to push off. The trick worked, and he soon found himself on his feet again. Newfound strength surged within his body. He took the cue from his own muscles and jumped onto the bar, grabbing the lizard by the neck and pressing him onto the countertop.

Jasper worked quickly, sneaking around the bar and climbing onto the barkeep's shoulders. The crazed dog continued to shoot wildly until the gun clicked. Finally exhausting all of his ammo, the dingo admitted defeat to the cat crawling over him. "Get off of me, get off! I give, I give!" He threw the pistol onto the ground.

"You don't have to tell me that. Now sleep." He placed two digits to the dingo's temples. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a hooded lizard sliding from one end of the counter to the other, smashing bottles and knocking glasses onto the floor as he traveled. He smiled at Vix, jumping off the bartender as he fell to the ground and landing on top of the reptile's barely-breathing chest. All was silent again. Nothing inside the building moved.

"Guys, did Max make it outside?" They all turned to the door, listening for any sign that their friend was still alive. The door slowly creaked open, and Max stumbled back in. He pulled a shard of glass from his shoulder and let it fall to the floor. "Got you something, kitty cat." The raccoon tossed a small vial containing a glowing liquid towards Jasper, who caught it and shook the contents questioningly. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Is everyone okay?"

Max glared at Jasper as he held a paw to his shoulder. Kuda brushed his chest off and put an arm around Vix, who nervously looked around at the damage. "So that sucked."

"You all have a lot to learn. I'm a bit rusty myself, but I think we can consider today a victory. Let's head back to the transport." The three left the bar and tried their best to blend in, their ragged appearances working to their advantage. Jasper motioned for Kuda to lift the manhole cover and everyone but Max climbed in.

"Guys, can I get a little help? My shoulder is out." He looked to the ground and his tail drooped in embarrassment. Kuda chuckled and climbed back up, lifting Max off his feet and over his broad shoulder.

"I got you little trash panda, don't worry." He slid the cover back over the street and climbed carefully down the ladder, where Jasper waited to close the hatch.

"You want to tell us what's in that little bottle, Jasper?" Vix fastened his seatbelt and crossed his arms. "I feel like you owe us at least that."

"Ah, yes!" Jasper sat next to Max and sealed the pod. Moments later, it started to move. "This bottle here, is what allows our scaly friends back there to remain so elusive. They've manufactured a drug that allows them to shape-shift, you see. We're having a bit of trouble tracking them down. Those lizards at the bar must have been smuggling it into the city tonight as opposed to being users themselves. The drug has powerful side effects that grant the user the ability to control others. That's why--"

Kuda cut Jasper off, wide eyed. "Wait, did you say shapeshifting? The girl I met upstairs did something like that. She was able to hold me in place and...other things. Did you guys think I was just banging the chick upstairs while you three had all the fun?"

Jasper looked incredulously at the wolf. "What?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He placed a paw to his temple and flattened his ears. "It's taken us forever to locate just one of them. The few we have captured managed to escape."

Kuda shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "You didn't ask."

Max removed his paw from his shoulder and looked at the blood that covered the pad. "Maybe if you had told us more about what to look for instead of after we got the shit beat out of us, we would have been better prepared."

Jasper glared at Max, but softened his expression before the raccoon made eye contact. The last time I gave out too much information about a mission, I lost somebody who took it upon themselves to be a hero."

Vix put an arm around Jasper. "Even if that's the case, this team isn't going to get very far unless you open up to us. I don't know if I speak for the other two when I say this, but tonight was absolutely exhilarating."

Kuda looked up, chuckling slightly under heavy breaths. "I didn't expect that from you, little fox."

Max forced a smile. "Sounds like you could use a little more glass in your shoulder."

"Again, I'm sorry about that Max. I'll have my best medic stitch you up right away when we get back to base. Thank you all for your help tonight, I really can't thank you enough."