FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

With control over the car having been relinquished by...something, Jady was finally allowed some respite. So there she sat, panting from exhaustion in a full suit of sci-fi armor, sunken into the seat of a currently self-driven car after having been attacked by two friend request psycho-bots. Admittedly, this hadn't been what she had expected from the day when she had woken up this morning.

Thankfully, her chest didn't feel broken or anything, and from the looks of the read-out of her body that was being shoved in her eyes, the rest of her was alright as well. All of the other chaotic aspects of the day had also fallen to the wayside, with all of the voices that had previously been blaring in her ears now having gone silent on her. Once the self-check-up app vanished from her sight, she saw that the car was approaching the same tunnel that she had emerged from originally. It slowed down as it descended down its now lit road, allowing the rumble of the car's engine to calm to a soft, reverberating purr. It didn't take long for her to arrive in the room she had run into (she could tell from seeing the table she had smashed in half).

Now that it was properly lighted, she could see that it was some kind of decked out garage. Evidently, there had been doors available to her and she had merely failed to notice them in her panic. Splendid.

Jady shoved the thought aside for later once she took notice of the two new occupants of the room. One of them was a Labrador in a lab-coat wearing an expression that was some kind of mix between cautious and confused. Though Jady wanted to laugh at the idea of a Lab in a lab, she was still a bit too shaken up to take the situation so lightly. Judging by the long hair trailing down to her shoulders, Jady guessed that the canine was the first mystery voice she had heard.

Standing next to her with his arms crossed was a mountain lion dressed not too differently from Jady. Well, when she had been wearing regular clothes, of course. She guessed this one to be Flynn, and seeing how agitated he appeared to be, she felt pretty confident with that assumption. But that still left one last voice...

The car soon rolled to a stop, and its door popped open. With a huff, Jady pulled herself up and stepped out, standing before the two other furs in all of her dented up glory.

"...Ano..." came the still unidentified voice, "Nani ga...okotteiru no desu ka?" This prompted two wildly different reactions from both of them, with the Lab gasping in shock and Flynn curling his lips back in a snarl. Left unsure of what to do, Jady just stood there awkwardly, shuffling her weight between her heels.

"O-oh right," the Lab spoke up, "Just take out the Shift Car and press the button on your brace. That should get rid of the armor." As much as she enjoyed having it on, it was getting quite stuffy. So Jady followed her given instructions and, low and behold, the armor vanished into thin air in a bright flash.

Though happy to be back in her regular clothes, the panther felt more exposed than ever before these two furs. Both of their gazes were bearing into her, but it was Flynn's that bothered her the most. His intense glare spoke all on its own, somehow conveying words that felt too inappropriate to acknowledge. With no one apparently willing to break the sudden silence thrust upon them, Jady smacked her lips and swished her tail. "...So--"

"First, who are you," Flynn cut her off before she was even able to get to a second syllable, "Second, how did you find this place? Third, what were you even doing here in the first place? Fourth--"

"Okay, okay, enough," the Lab cut him off, waving her paws around as she stepped between the two of them, "Just take it easy on her. She's probably really confused right now."

"WELL SO AM I!" Flynn barked at her with a snarl.

"Look, it won't do us any good to confuse her further. Plus she deserves a proper explanation about what's going on."

"Y-yeah that's RIIiiight," Jady bit down on her lips and hushed herself as soon as Flynn's soul-searing gaze whipped back around to her. The Lab sighed and shook her head before looking over to her as well.

"I guess I'll break the ice then," she began, "My name's Amber. Amber Sawagami. And this is Flynn." The mountain lion rolled his eyes at her, with this being what would probably be the only break from his death-stare for some time.

"Okay...well, my name's--"

"It's okay," Amber cut her off, holding up a paw, "We already know who you are. You told us about yourself after the crash."

"And you wouldn't shut up about it either..." Flynn muttered under his breath. Amber shot him a look, but he seemed determined to continue being as unpleasant and irritable as possible.

"Ano..." came a third voice, "W-watashi wa-ah, gomen'na...I-I mean, sorry. I-I have no name that I'm aware of. In fact...I don't know my own identity, or...why I am here, or...what's even going on."

Jady blinked and glanced down at the belt, only now noticing that the screen was displaying a vague representation of a face. "W-whoa wait! The BELT was the one spouting all of that Japanese lingo?!"

"H-hai," the belt replied, "Ah, I mean, that's correct."

"And THAT'S ANOTHER THING I--"

"FLYNN!" Amber silenced him, "One step at a time..." The feline grumbled to himself and settled down.

"Well..." Jady decided to speak up again, "like the...talking...belt said; what the flippin' heck is going on?! What were those things, and why were they so obsessed with 'friending' me?!"

During the pause Amber took to consider her response, Flynn took his chance to speak up. "Those things you so casually ran into are called Roidmudes. They're highly dangerous androids that need to be destroyed as soon as possible. And thanks to you, TWO of them are roaming freely around in the wild."

"FLYNN!" Amber snapped at him. Again, the lion remained undeterred. Letting out a defeated sigh, she turned back to Jady and went on. "He's right, though. Those Roidmudes are incredibly dangerous and they need to be neutralized as soon as possible. They're most likely responsible for the recent string of kidnappings that have been happening around here."

Even after everything she had gone through today, Jady still had a hard time believing that this was real life. There really had been a connection to all of those calls reporting missing people. And now she was smack dab in the middle of it all.

"Thing is, we don't know whether they're only capturing all of those people, or worse..."

Jady's ears flicked. "Oh, wait a minute. I actually do know." Both Amber and Flynn perked at the mention. "Yeah, one of them grabbed me while I was walking and he took me away. He kept blabbering on about something friend-related. I was kinda too busy freaking out to really be listening to what he was saying, but from what I remember, it didn't seem like he had the intention of doing anything worse than...abduction. I mean at first anyway."

Whilst Amber seemed to ponder on her words, Flynn gave her a look of suspicion. Jady was willing to guess that the fellow feline didn't feel ready to take her word for anything just yet. Regardless, Jady went on. "Yeah, it's actually how I came across this place. I managed to wriggle out of his arms when that weird slowness thing wore off. And while I was running for my life, I heard Amber's voice call out to me. That's when I noticed your underground tunnel thing. With a crazed psycho bot on my tail, and with really nowhere left for me to hide, I just kinda ran down there and followed her voice."

"Mmmmmm," Amber nodded thoughtfully, "I get what happened now. You must've heard me when I was trying to lure the Roidmude that got in here outside." Jady's mind briefly flashed back to when she had nearly crashed into it. Now all of the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. "I was trying to lure it away so that I could buy some time for Flynn to get back. That's why when you ran in when the lights were still out, I thought you were him. So...wait, Flynn, where were you when that happened then?"

"I was still outside, trying to get the main power back on. That pile of scrap really did a number on our generators... But now it's my turn to ask questions. You." Jady felt a tingle run up her spine. "How on EARTH were you able to transform?"

"...I dunno," she shrugged, "I just _did_it!"

"A likely story," Flynn spat, his tone starkly contrasting the message of his statement, "The Drive system was designed to work with me and me alone. That means that it should've been IMPOSSIBLE for anyone else to use it. Here, I'll PROVE it!" Jady's heart leapt as he suddenly closed the space between the two of them. She yelped as he grabbed onto the belt buckle and yanked it off of her, causing the belt itself to suddenly vanish.

"W-watashi o kizutsukenaide kudasai," the buckle stammered as it was swung around. Flynn's upper lip twitched before he slapped the device against his waist. To everyone's surprise, the belt that had snaked around Jady never appeared, even as the mountain lion stood there waiting for it. With a snarl, he pat the buckle against himself several times in hopes of prompting the belt to finally show up.

"Why isn't it WORKING?!" he snarled, clutching the buckle tighter.

"Ah! Ah-p-please calm down!" the buckle tried to shout over him. This only seemed to anger him further, though. He yanked it back up and held it in front of him, glaring at the screen as if it was the buckle's actual face.

"And what are YOU supposed to be?! And WHY are you in my BELT?!"

"I...I...a-ano..."

"YOU!" Flynn boomed, sending another tingling jolt up Jady's spine, "You haven't answered me yet! What did you do to my Drive system?!"

"FLYNN, that's ENOUGH!" Amber barked, grabbing hold of his shoulder and getting him to stop, "You're freaking both her and the AI out!"

Flynn's eyes went wide as he turned to face her. "You mean you care about this thing's emotional state? In a time like THIS?!"

"There's no point in keeping everyone on edge, Flynn," she replied calmly, "Besides, I find its existence...intriguing."

"Wait, you mean it wasn't supposed to be there before?!" Jady spoke up, having found her voice next to where she had left her nerves. "I thought it was just a high-tech feature of the armor..."

"The DRIVE system," Flynn growled.

"It most certainly wasn't there originally," Amber explained, paying no mind to the feline's temper, "There was an AI I left for Flynn that was meant to act as a guide on how to operate Drive, but it wasn't NEARLY as complex as this one. It emotes, it responds to speech... Honestly...it's quite fascinating. I'm curious how it even came to be..."

"...Ano..." it spoke up, sounding as though it was afraid to speak up out of fear of angering the owner of the hands that now held it, "watashi-ah, ah, iie. M-my first memory is of Jady-san crashing into the tree during all of the panic." The two other furs continued to contrast each other. Whilst Amber appeared greatly invested and intrigued by this piece of information, Flynn looked as though he could care less. Odds were that that actually was the case.

"Can you just fix this already?" he asked, waving the buckle at her like it was a broken appliance. Admittedly, this was getting to Jady more than she expected it to.

"I'll see what I can do," Amber replied, taking the buckle from him, "Right now, though, I really want to learn more about Jady and this strange AI. Besides, you saw it too, right? The Drive that Jady made wasn't the one we designed."

"I noticed," he replied in an "as a matter of fact" tone, "That's why I want to know what SHE did to the belt, and HOW she was able to transform with it. I can't be the only one that remembers that you set the system matched to MY DNA and MINE ALONE. You said it yourself that NO ONE ELSE would be able to transform aside from me!"

"Flynn--"

"I'm NOT calming down, Amber! In fact I'm amazed at how lightly you're taking this! I for one am LIVID. First from the fact that someone else was able to transform! Second from the fact that I CAN'T anymore! And third that YOU aren't taking this as seriously as you SHOULD be! Do I actually have to remind you that the Roidmudes have FINALLY resurfaced, and that NOW we have the chance to take them out once and for all?!"

" FLYNN!" The firmness in Amber's voice seemed to be enough to quell the beast that was Flynn's temper. As he seethed in anger, Amber took a slow breath in. "Flynn, I understand why you're frustrated, but this little tantrum you're having ISN'T going to solve anything. I will look into what's going on with the Drive system and I will see what I can do, but as of right now, we're STUCK either way. We DON'T know where the Roidmudes currently are, the building needs emergency blockades from the damage it took, and you AREN'T going to be Drive anytime soon until we can figure out how to fix this. Now have I made myself CLEAR?"

It seemed as though she had, as the fire that had been fueling Flynn no longer seemed to burn within him. He was now as silent as a statue and moved just about as much as one. With that settled, Amber turned to Jady again. "So then, Jady, do you mind telling us what you know about the Roidmudes? Do you maybe know why that one tried to take you away?"

Oh, right, she was part of this conversation.

"Well, I remember that it kept going on about friends and what friends were supposed to do to each other. Apparently kidnappings are a popular pass-time among robot-friends." Her ear flicked as she caught the sound of an unamused chuff coming from the other feline. "And...he kept going on about someone named...'Heart.'"

"Heart?" Amber echoed with a tone of confusion. She shared a confused glance with Flynn before turning back to Jady. "Do...do you know if that's a Roidmude, or a person?"

Jady shrugged. "Dunno. The only thing I could tell is that he's some kind of big-shot for them, at least from the way the guy talked about him. And he talked about him a lot. Like, I'm talking--"

"Okay, okay, so...do you know anything else about the Roidmudes?" After Jady shook her head, Amber pressed a paw against her head and let out a sigh. "Alright, well, we've got a lot to think about. I'm gonna go run some tests to see what's going on with the Drive system. Flynn, lock down the garage and check the security systems to make sure those things didn't follow her back." Flynn nodded without a word (since his death stare already spoke pages for Jady). "And Jady? We're gonna be stuck here for a while, so you might as well get comfy."

Jady looked around the garage. "...I don't know how comfy I can get without a couch or...chair in general."

"Ummm..." Amber took her turn with looking around the place, "Just go ahead and sit in the car."

"Are you TRYING to push my buttons?!" Flynn shouted from afar.

"Ignore him. Just go ahead and get comfortable." Jady had no qualms with this (after all, she was warming up to the idea of doing anything she could to frustrate stank-eye-Flynn). As such, she walked back over to the car and plopped back into the driver's seat. With both felines out of her hair, Amber huffed through her nose and raised the buckle up to eye level. "Alright, let's have ourselves a little looksee..."

"...Please be gentle," it squeaked.

***

Heart now stood on the other side of his fence, picking at one of the many piles of scrap littered around him. As he reached for a particularly intriguing piece, he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps. With undeniable glee, he dropped everything he was carrying and stood up straight to properly face his two companions. "Welcome back, my friends!" he greeted them with wide-spread arms, "So, were you able to find us a new friend?"

Both appeared reluctant to speak. Eventually, 42 stepped forward and said, "Why...yes, Heart, we were. But...I bring terrible news. We've run into...a problem..."

"Problem?" Heart repeated, lowering his arms, "What do you mean?"

"She didn't want to come with us!" shouted 47, "She struggled and tried to get away!"

Heart chuffed and shook his head. "Oh 47, you know that's how they all start off! It just takes patience, my friend."

"Yes, Heart, we know," nodded 42, "But...this one was different. She...fought us. She could move...like us."

"She didn't freeze like all of the others!" 47 exclaimed. "And she tried to HURT us!"

Heart was taken aback upon these revelations. Sure, his friends being outright attacked was one thing, but to find out that this person could move like them?That wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"What are we going to do, Heart?" asked 42.

"Should we try and hurt her?" suggested 47.

"No no no no no," Heart shook his head, turning his back to them and looking across the wilderness that lay behind the fence, "Haven't you learned by now, my friends? The best way to get rid of an enemy...is to make them your friend..."

***

A good amount of time had passed by the time Flynn finished his work. Now he stood in the garage once more, leaning against the one intact table where Amber was working. Jady, meanwhile still remained stretched out in the reclined seat of the car. The window nudged up and down as her fingers played with the controls.

"Cut that out," Flynn snapped at her. Jady's desire to do the exact _opposite_was fueled by his anger, and the window continued to jerk up and down as a result. A snarl began to form on Flynn's muzzle and his tail began to swish.

Just before he snapped again, Amber announced, "Okay, I think I know what happened. Technically, Flynn, it wasn't impossible for someone else to use the Drive system. Yes, I designed it to only_work with you, but there was a _small probability of error in the programming."

"How small are we talking?!" called Jady from the car.

"Well," Amber's eyes went back to the computer, "if my numbers are correct, the probability of failure was about...Oh." She took a moment to collect herself before re-checking her numbers. "...About...0.0001%."

The sound of a pin-drop could sound about as loud as a bomb going off in the silence that passed through the room.

"...So..." Flynn began, "you mean to tell me...that I'm losing my one chance at redemption...to some idiot who got stupidly LUCKY?!"

"Hey! Who're you callin' stupid, Stupid?!"

"ENOUGH, you two!" Amber barked.

"HOW long until you can fix this?!" Flynn shouted without missing a beat.

"Several months at the least," Amber answered him with regret. Flynn banged his fist against the table as he walked away.

"We don't HAVE several months! Those Roidmudes are still out there doing GOD KNOWS what!"

"I know Flynn! I know..." Both of them brooded in silence, allowing each of them to cool down on their own.

"...So what are we going to do?" Amber only shook her head, unable to come up with an answer for him.

"...Did...did you guys seriously forget about me already?" rang Jady's voice. Flynn's eyebrow twitched as he whirled around to see her finally sitting up.

"You have NOTHING to provide to this conversation, so just keep your mouth SHUT!"

"Y'see, I'd be inclined to follow your 'advice' if not for the fact that I actually do have something to contribute."

"And what would THAT be?"

"How 'bout an answer to your problem?" Jady smiled as she opened the door and stepped out of the car, "I can transform with that thing, so why don't I go n' fight those Roid-things for you guys?"

"Oh don't make me laugh."

"I was under the impression that you couldn't."

"Should I remind you about your humiliating performance out there?! We can bring up the footage if you want."

"Hey! It was my first time behind the wheel! I bet I can do better once I get used to it!"

"You wouldn't even last a SECOND out there against them."

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh YEAH?!"

"YEAH!"

"Would you two quit acting like 5 YEAR OLDS?!" Amber shouted over them, silencing them in an instant.

"It's always so loud here..." the belt commented to itself.

"Flynn...she's right."

"AMBER--"

"Flynn. We don't have a _choice_at this point."

"BUT--"

"Flynn."

The lion hissed and stomped away, lashing his tail around behind him. It was then that Jady realized that the two of them had been walking towards each other during that entire exchange. As such, it didn't take very many steps for Amber to walk up to her. "Jady, if you're going to be doing this, you CAN'T tell anyone."

"Wait why--"

"PROMISE me, Jady." The panther let out a defeated sigh before giving her a solitary nod. "Good. Now, since we're gonna need you to actually land some hits, I'm going to have you train under Flynn."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Like I said, under Flynn," Amber went on, completely ignoring Flynn's shouts of protest, "He will teach you how to properly fight, and I'll teach you the things you need to know about using the Drive system." Had the need to listen carefully to Amber not been there, Jady's internalized squeals of glee most CERTAINLY wouldn't be...that. Thus, the ears of the other two furs were spared from the high pitched torture that was Jady's excitement.

"I can't believe I have to hand Drive over to someone like...HER." Flynn's turmoil was just the icing on her "Becoming a Straight-Up Superhero" cake at this point.

"Well," said Amber with a shrug, "If you want this to be quick and painless, then you guys might as well get started now!"