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Kade--Chapter One--

For the first time in a long time, Kade Creed found himself hesitating. Something had been wrong since he had gotten that call early that morning, his superior's voice still echoing in his head with an amused, snarky tone.

"My office, first thing in the morning. Report directly to me."

_ _ Two short, simple phrases, yet they lacked the usual biting sarcasm that he had come to expect from his superior, Chief Bianca Gray. It made the dog's fur bristle, knowing that she was waiting for him, knowing she probably had some scheme or plan she needed him for. Not that she was a bad person--she was probably one of the brightest officers that the Peacekeepers had ever known, as evidenced by her rank. She just rubbed him the wrong way.

A heavy sigh escaped him and he steeled himself before knocking on the door before him. It slid open almost soundlessly and Kade stepped inside, immediately disliking the gleam in Bianca's eyes, the smug look that pulled on the lioness's features. She might've been a lioness, but she looked as sly as any fox Kade had known, seated behind her desk with the city's skyline visible through the window behind her. She looked absolutely devious.

Yet the presence of another being caught his attention. Seated in one of the two chairs in front of the chief's desk was a young timber wolf, dressed in the uniform of a Peacekeeper, straight backed and alert, eyes peering over his shoulder at Kade through goggle-like glasses, who was studying his plain uniform. There were no symbols of rank on that uniform.

This timber wolf was a fresh cadet.

"Reporting for duty, Chief," Kade said after a pause, though his tone was noticeably lazy and lackadaisical. He stood with his weight shifted to his left leg, his arm crossed over his chest.

Yet Chief Gray made no mention of his attitude or improper posture, nor his tone. She had long since become accustomed to it and ignored it. "I'm glad you're here, Lieutenant. I want to congratulate you on your recent arrests."

Kade's eyes narrowed; he couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic. He had done a moderately good job, though he had made some mistakes, he would admit.

"And all by working alone," she droned on, inclining her head slightly. "Although, I wonder why all of your partners felt the need to be reassigned."

"They disagreed with my methods," Kade said simply with a nonchalant shrug. "But I got the job done."

"Your methods are a problem."

"What'd I do?" Nobody's been killed in the cases I've handled," Kade scoffed.

"Killed, no, but injured? Civilians have been injured on your watch!" Chief Gray snapped. Anger colored her voice now and she looked just as furious as her tone. "And I know what your methods are. All that matters to you is catching the bad guy, never mind if there are others in your way!"

"Nobody's been killed," Kade said dismissively.

"That's not the point!" she bellowed, rising from her chair. She exhaled sharply. "I cannot allow this to continue! That's why I'm assigning Officer Mooney"--she pointed to the timber wolf--"to you."

"Beg your pardon, love?"

"He'll be a kind of counter balance to your reckless, irresponsible behavior," she said. "His record at the academy is remarkable and he's quite an impressive specimen if I do say so myself. He'll be reporting to me directly about you. Should I fail to see any kind of--"

"I don't need a partner, Gray, especially not a greenhorn," Kade growled, his muzzle contorting in his frustration. "I refuse."

"You don't have a choice anymore, Creed," Chief Gray warned. "Either you accept your new partner or you're fired! Hell, I might even have your ass arrested!"

"For what?!"

"Unlawful entry--"

"Probable cause!"

"--assault and battery--"

"Resisting arrest!"

"--and really pissing me off!"

Kade snorted in amusement. "That's not a crime. That's just fun."

"I'm not having fun, Creed," she said, "and my mind is made up. I've got your record, your history, and so much on you. If I wanted, I could not only have you discharged, but arrested. This is not open for discussion, Creed. This is an order! Tyler Mooney is your new partner! Get over it!"

Kade bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue and snorted indignantly. The wolf stood and gave a salute, his tail wagging.

"Officer Tyler Mooney. It's an honor to be your partner, Lieutenant."

"Fuck," Kade whined and he saw Tyler Mooney's expression falter. "I fucking hate you, Gray."

"I love you too," she said dismissively. "Get out of my office."

Kade stalked out of the office, wishing he could slam the door behind him rather than allowing it to simply slide closed. Tyler followed him in silence looking uncomfortable.

"Follow," Kade said.

"Okay," Tyler murmured, frowning.

"Can you shoot?" Kade questioned.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You're gonna show me."

---

Kade was sure that, without guidance, Tyler would've easily gotten lost in the maze that was a typical Peacekeeper base. Filled with technicians, officers, maintenance (and everyone else needed to keep such a busy building functioning), it was easy to get swept away in the hustle of it all. Yet Tyler followed closely behind him as they went up two floors, down a few hallways and towards one of the base's numerous training facilities--the shooting range.

"I assume we're gonna get some shooting practice in, sir?" Tyler said.

"No, we're here for me to see what you can do," Kade explained. "Honestly, I don't know what to think of you. I haven't seen your record or see you in action, so this'll be a way for me to get to know you in a way. Not perfect, but it'll be something."

"I see."

The range was divided into several booths, but Kade quickly found an empty one. He walked towards it, picked up the training pistol and tossed it lazily to Tyler.

"I believe it's improper handling to throw a loaded gun," Tyler said and Kade could hear a small bit of snark in his tone.

"Firstly, it's a training pistol, it'll only hurt the targets. Secondly, don't ever lecture me."

"Sorry, Lieutenant."

"And my name's Kade, not 'Lieutenant' or 'sir'."

"Alright,Kade."

Rolling his eyes, Kade turned towards the console in front of him, typing in a few commands. Soon, in their booth's range, three green orbs appeared floating in midair. Kade motioned to Tyler who approached calmly, pistol at the ready.

"At your command, sir."

"Don't call me 'sir'."

"My apologies, Kade."

Kade pressed the green button on the console and the orbs turned red, starting to jerk in the air erratically. Kade watched carefully, taking mental notes of Tyler's habits. He aimed with both paws. He watched closely. He was relatively quick on the draw. He fired once--a bolt of violet-colored energy flew out from the pistol an into one of the orbs, which briefly turned blue before disappearing. The other orbs began to increase their speed, but Tyler seemed unfazed. He fired again, and one final time: two more perfect shots. When the final orb disappeared, the console flashed a single phrase: COURSE COMPLETE: 1:54.

"You did fine, I suppose," Kade conceded. Somehow, he hadn't expected Tyler to have not missed a shot, nor had he expected a decent time.

"Um, I think I better than 'fine'," Tyler argued. "I hit each target."

"In the time it took you to line up one shot, I could've shot you dead."

"I did my best," Tyler grumbled. "Most other cadets would've taken at least twice as long if not longer."

"True, but your timing could be better. On top of it, you took three shots."

Tyler's jaw dropped in confusion. "There were three targets."

Kade keyed in a reset on the console (the green orbs reappeared) and snatched the pistol from Scout. "Let me show you what experience can do."

Tyler pressed the button to begin. The orbs turned red and started to move but before Tyler could speak, Kade had taken his shot with one paw. The beam had penetrated the first, yet it did not stop there. It had gone through the other two as they lined up behind the first for a fraction of a second. Almost at once, the orbs turned blue and disappeared. COURSE COMPLETE: 0:28.

"That's... impressive. But it's probably more luck than experience."

"Perhaps."

"If it's experience, maybe you've done this course too much."

"Set up another one."

Tyler did so. Three orbs appeared once more, moving noticeably faster and differently than before. When they turned red, Kade watched for only a moment before he took his shot. COURSE COMPLETE: 0:38.

"Wow," Tyler breathed.

"Thanks."

"How're you able to do this so well? That kind of precision isn't normal."

"You're partially right," Kade said with a shrug. He indicated his right eye. "It's a bit of tech giving me an edge."

"A prosthetic?"

"An_enhanced_ prosthetic in my eye," Kade said proudly. Tyler scoffed indignantly. "Is that a problem for you?"

"Sort of," Tyler answered. "I have a prosthetic of my own." He leaned down and pulled up the left leg of his trousers. Instead of fur, Kade saw shiny metal. "I lost my leg when I was a pup. How'd you lose your eye?"

"It's a complicated story, full of danger, violence and a fairy," Kade answered. "Is your leg enhanced?"

"No and purposely so," Tyler explained. "I take pride in my own ability which doesn't come from a machine."

"Are you insulting me?"

"No," Tyler said, readjusting his pants as he stood. "Just making an observation. In my experience, the people I've met with enhancements rely very heavily on them. A cadet I knew got so used to them that when he had them replaced with a standard model, he was a disaster. Couldn't even keep up with the basics. And besides, there are all kinds of people who purposely cut off limbs to get the enhancements. It's absolutely ridiculous."

"You sound bitter."

"I don't agree from a moral standpoint, but it's legal and all. Can't stop it."

"Not getting into a moral debate with you right now," Kade sighed. "Do you want to improve on your time?"

Tyler seemed unhappy with the abrupt brushing off, but said, "I suppose, but don't we need to start patrol soon?"

"I've got time to kill and you need to practice."

---

While practice had not done much to improve Tyler's time or aim, Kade had truly not expected any major difference by the time they went on patrol. Honestly, it'd take more time than Kade was patient enough to wait for in order for Tyler to reach his level.

Leaving the base to patrol, Kade had not argued when Tyler had offered to drive. He climbed into the passenger seat, propping his footpaws onto the dashboard, something that Tyler seemed happy to inform him was against both Peacekeeper regulations and potentially hazardous.

"I know," Kade replied, "but I'm not expecting anything else to happen. Figured I could get a nap in."

"Seriously?"

Kade shrugged.

"So, since we're going to be partners, I think we should get to know each other," Tyler said. "Be friends, you know?"

"What do you want to know? My favorite color, favorite food?"

"Your favorite color is blue, your favorite food is salmon," Tyler said. "The chief and I talked about you before you arrived this morning," he added rapidly when Kade glared at him. "She also said that your eye is a unique model. Where'd it come from?"

"Let's talk about that later. Let's talk about you," Kade said. "Why'd you become a Peacekeeper?"

Tyler came to a traffic light and stopped, thinking for a moment before speaking. "Because I believe that justice should be done. I believe that the Peacekeepers make a difference in the world and that we're the best defense for the public at--Are you laughing at me?"

"I am!" Kade snorted. "It's such a fucking cliche, Ty. The Peacekeepers weren't founded for 'justice'. They were founded to keep the peace which never existed. There will never be that kind of peace and the fact that we've got an impossible goal only secures our future."

"That's cynical. Sardonic, actually. Do you really see the world like that?"

"I do."

"You seem too young to have such a jaded view of the world."

"How old are you?!"

"Twenty-one."

"I'm three years older than you. You can't talk down to me!"

"There's no reason to be defensive," Tyler grumbled. "I just made an observation."

"Whatever."

The next few minutes passed in an uncomfortable silence. Kade had almost fallen asleep when Tyler slammed on the break suddenly, rousing his consciousness. He glared over at Tyler, then out of Tyler's window to see what his partner was seeing. In an alleyway across the street, he could see someone holding a pistol to someone else who was clearly terrified, holding her kitten behind her. Before Kade could stop him, Tyler was out of the vehicle, his own pistol holstered as he flashed his badge and entered the alley.

"Dumbass!" Kade growled, getting out of the vehicle.

"Halt!" Tyler shouted. "You are under arrest!" The mugger, a black-furred dog with mangy fur and a wild gaze, turned, his pistol now aimed at Tyler who stopped just inches into the alley. At once, he reached out, grabbing the female cat beside him, pulling her to stand between them. "Stop!" Tyler insisted. "There's no need for this! Come quietly, please!"

"Shut up! I swear I'll blow her fucking skull out!" the mugger bellowed, his voice somehow louder than the screams of his hostage and her offspring.

"Don't do this! Do not do this," Tyler pleaded. "I promise I won't harm you if you surrender peacefully."

"Don't come closer!" the mugger warned, starting to back away. "Keep away!"

Tyler began to reach for his pistol, but the motion had been noticed; he hadn't time to unholster his weapon before the mugger took a shot, not at his hostage, but at Tyler. The bolt of light scraped his arm and Tyler yelped in pain. He attempted to unholster his pistol, but a violet bolt of energy surged by him, startling him as it blasted through the mugger's right arm and tore through the shoulder. At once, his hold on the cat slackened before another bolt ripped through the air, into the the paw that held the mugger's weapon. Kade stepped into the alley beside Tyler, his gun ready as he looked unflinchingly at his handiwork.

"Get out of here, get to the nearest Peacekeeper station," Kade ordered the cat, who hurriedly grabbed her daughter and dashed away, screaming a hurried word of thanks as she ran by her saviors. Tyler watched, silent, as the mugger reached for his pistol. Kade took one final shot, aimed just inches away from the muggers face. It singed the fur in a straight line and the mugger froze, his breathing hitched and ragged. "That's your only warning," Kade snarled. "You're under arrest and if you move again, the next shot I take will be through your eyes. Tyler, get the first aid kit out of the car."

"Y-yes, sir."

---

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kade knew that he would have to explain the injuries sustained by the mugger to Chief Gray when he returned but as of now, he had other concerns. The mugger had gone into custody, the injuries disinfected and bandaged by Tyler after he was cuffed and was now on his way to imprisonment in another Peacekeeper vehicle. In his own, Kade watched as Tyler winced, wrapping his injury with weak whines.

"Why the hell would you approach an armed criminal without your gun out?" Kade asked. "You saw he was armed!"

"That was excessive force," Tyler said with clear, audible disapproval. "He could've bled to death."

"But he didn't and don't change the subject. Why didn't you draw your weapon?"

"I wanted to reason with him," Tyler confessed. "To diffuse the situation with words, not violence."

"Very rarely does that work and there's a reason we have professional orators and negotiators to handle situations like that. You're not qualified. You're lucky I stepped in when I did; he was about to take your head off."

"Why didn't you help earlier?"

"Because you needed to learn a lesson," Kade answered. "You can't reason with most of the people we arrest. Somebody might've been able to reach him but it sure as hell wasn't you."

"I see..."

"If you want to be a Peacekeeper, you need to understand what the job requires. It's a bleak job that asks for a lot and gives little. What're you going to do when you have to kill someone?"

"I hope it never comes to that."

"Eventually, it will if you keep at it long enough," Kade remarked. "I still remember what it was like. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could've done it differently. It was a hard choice to make: whose life means more and I've got too much I want to do with my life to die right now."

"We live our lives by putting our lives on the line," Tyler explained. "That's the duty of every Peacekeeper, to risk our lives for the betterment of society."

"You do a great job reciting dogma and rhetoric. Do you really believe the words you just said?"

"I have to." "Hm... does it hurt?"

"Just a little flesh wound," Tyler answered. "Nothing that won't heal later."

Kade nodded but reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small needle. "Take this. It'll numb the pain."

Tyler's eyes narrowed. "Where'd you get that?"

"Do you want it or not?"

"What is it?"

"A painkiller. Do you want it or not?" Kade repeated, irritable.

"No. I don't think I should take it," Tyler answered. "Is that a narcotic? Is it legal?"

"You ask too many questions. I just saved your life and you're worried about a painkiller."

"Sorry. Not trying to sound ungrateful."

"Whatever. I'm hungry, let's get something to eat."