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Factions of War

As the nineteen year old jaguar woke up from his sleep, he stretched lightly, moving his muscles in synchronized motion. As his tail tucked back into his backside, his black fur turn into the smoother, less furry skin of a human, and his eyes change from a piercing yellow to a calm green. "Looks like the radiation is working its affects once again." He said as he stretched once more to get his blood flow moving. The room Brendan was in was made of a sturdy, but cheaply made wood which had cracked in places. The floor boards were stable, but in some places they were taped together shrewdly, almost like the person who used to live in the house didn't care if the floor fell beneath his feet. Brendan heard shouting, and looked outside the window to see a preacher for a faction telling about how wonderful his faction was compared to others.

"Your ignorance towards genetics is a common sight nowadays! You people should not ignore me for I speak the truth! You need to listen to my words! Genetics will change, and when they do, you will regret it! Our thorn can change the world. We can pierce the enemy's side! We can create a world where we don't have to worry about genetic abnormalities, or being controlled by the R.T.S. We can create a world where we are the rulers, and genetics are eliminated!"

The speaker was talking radically, and started to gain a crowd that was curious about the subject. Many started to circle the speaker, and his words messed with their mind like a hypnotist messes with the minds of patients. Some asked questions while others shook the man's hand, agreeing with the subject he was preaching about. Brendan started to recall events that he learned from word of mouth, and from generation to generation as well as in the classroom.

America was a changed state now. The government collapsed in 2015, and has tried to come back ever since the stock market crash. Rioters flooded the streets of Washington, claiming war upon the government. People started to fight back, shouting for change, and marching down streets, violently protesting sometimes. Law enforcement would come out, separating the riots, but the anger would come back in bigger forces, like a tide coming in that was more violent than before. A civil war broke out that lasted eleven years between the government and the people, neither side giving into the other. In 2026, the government fell to the people, and many argued who should control the once powerful America.

That is when a new government came about. A government so powerful, that it was deemed deadly to even whisper their name because they could track you down. The R.T.S, The Radiation Transformation Squad. These "people" did experiments on their own kind, eventually benefiting from the research that was gathered by working with the fatal gamma radiation. The gamma would be changed with a machine by bombarding the radiation with a different kind of energy that was discovered on the moon. The radiation mixture with the moon's dusty crust was eventually called, Moondust, and became very popular with the R.T.S. In small doses, the exposed human could get genetics changed, and even become young if certain tools were used. It was a breakthrough.

And a curse.

In 2030, a radical group called The Rose's Thorn went into the scientific facility of the R.T.S, and formed a plan of attack on one of the biggest channels of radiation ever created called The Brewery. The Brewery exploded, sending pockets of the mixture of radiation into the atmosphere, and elsewhere, making genetic mutations in many humans. Some had strange abilities, while others like Brendan could transform into an animal due to the genetic codes of both species of animal and man converging into one. The abnormal properties of the Moondust allowed that to happen, unveiling why R.T.S wanted to use the powerful mixture.

The company wanted to make an unstoppable army to crush any that stand in their way. With the genetics of an animal combined with the will of a human, R.T.S would have been unstoppable. Until people started to realize that experiments were being forced upon them, did another rebellion occur. Many factions that were not seen for years since the rebellion of 2015 rose out from under the depths of the slums, wanting to take a piece of America for themselves, and their own selfish needs.

This is the time Brendan lived in, and it was getting more hectic every day. Since Brendan lived in some of the poorer conditions of recently changed city of Chicago, faction influence was everywhere. On billboards to bounty boards, faction's symbols were posted, and flying away as well in the city's breeze. It was called the "windy city" for a reason, and many posters of "advertisement" would fly away in the wind to be lost forever in the crowded streets of Chicago.

Brendan Fire put on a white glove over his hand which glowed a bright blue where his veins connected on his hand, covering up the veins like a thief who covers up the evidence to a crime. A light prick on his hand made Brendan recoil quickly, and a sharp dressed man appeared above Brendan's palm when Brendan turned his hand over to hear what the mini hologram had to report. Brendan squeezed his hand lightly, and felt it pass through the image of the butler. Brendan is still not used to holograms.

"Sorry master Brendan about the slight tingling sensation. Your blood to radiation rate is normal, and you seem to be getting the right amount of oxygen through your blood stream. It seems the radiation is not affecting your blood flow today." The butler said professionally, and then eyed Brendan's almost naked body with disgust. Brendan took off the glove, and discarded it elsewhere.

"Your clothing choice is as limited as always, master Brendan."

Brendan gave a slight grin at the remark and shot back, "I could take off the boxer briefs if you want me to get even more limited."

Brendan was pleased at the grimace look that the butler gave. "I certainly hope not, sir."

The hologram's name was Jobs, Brendan's own personal holographic helper that did chores around the house, gave him advice, and delivered messages from his mother. His father named Joseph Fire created the holographic butler to assist Brendan in life. Brendan's father died when Brendan was only three, and he has lived with the butler ever since. Job's sarcastic attitude and ability to analyze every problem made him seem more of a human, and less of a hologram. That is why Brendan called him a friend and father in his mind.

Brendan put his fingers in a flicking motion, and the butler turned into a ball the size of a marble. With a flick outward, Brendan cast the blue light, making it ricochet when it hit the wall parallel to him. The light opened like a flower opening to the sunlight during spring time, and the butler stood like any normal person. A black tuxedo, shined brightly polished, and black dress shoes gave the butler an aristocratic appearance. The butler faded back out of existence, and back in once more, the hologram showing it was not human, but a false image.

"Jobs?"

"Yes, master Brendan?"

"Why do you call me master Brendan? You know I don't like to be called that..." Brendan said as he picked out a black and gray jumpsuit out of a drawer nearby. The jumpsuit was smooth, and gray paint was on the shoulders, from the wrist to the hand, and from the ankles to the feet to give it a less boring look. The grey blended into the black like an assassin blends in with its environment.

"Because your father programmed me to. He also programmed me to clean the dishes, organize your clothes, do your laundry, and..."

Jobs started to ramble on about how much he does around the house for Brendan, and when he was finally done, he ended his statement with, "And anything else you don't feel like doing due to the primal feeling called laziness. Before your father died, he gave me most normal functions that you..."humans" call work."

"He also apparently programmed you with emotions."

"Correct, maste-I mean Brendan. Ahh, finally you decided to cover yourself up." Jobs said in a matter of fact tone as Brendan slipped his body into the black and grey jumpsuit. The material slipped over his body easily, like a snake sliding off its old skin, and into a more fitting armor. A streak of lines across the jumpsuit moved like a river through a forest, each one jutting off from the neck where the suit started, and down over his feet which were trapped in the flexible and elastic material.

"Whoa, it seems you made some modifications to my suit." Brendan said surprisingly as he found he could flex his arms and legs more spaciously in the spandex. Like a gymnast doing stretches, Brendan started to get used to the abnormally stretchy material.

"Yes quite. But actually that was your mother's doing, not mine. She seems so busy up in the lab. You should thank her when you ge-"

"All that she cares about is my safety, and not her own. One of these days, she is going to get herself killed because she didn't protect HERSELF." Brendan said, rudely interrupting the butler as he kept stretching his muscles in the jumpsuit.

"Yes well, she does care a whole lot about you. You could call it...instinct." The butler said while choosing his words wisely. "So what would you like to wear today, sir?" Jobs asked politely, trying to change the subject away from Brendan's mother.

"The usual attire."

"Very well."

Jobs snapped his fingers, and the jumpsuit lit up on a round circular object that was the chest area of the grey veins that ran through Brendan's jumpsuit. A light appeared that made the grey veins glow mysteriously bright in the dark of Brendan's room. The jumpsuit was like a candle lighting up a space that was shrouded in darkness. The jumpsuit started to transform into a black jacket with a black hood connected to the material. The shorts that formed were black with blue lines jetting through the material, and comfortable shoes fitted around Brendan's feet.

"And...how do I look?" Brendan asked Jobs as he spun around slightly so Jobs could see how the clothes matched.

Job's gave a frown, and said, "Nothing I would wear in a civilized dinner, but it will do. Ahh, your mother didn't want you to forget this."

Job's reached into his back pocket of his coat, and pulled out a white gauntlet that was made out of the same smooth material of the jumpsuit. The butler then put the gauntlet over Brendan's arm, and Brendan gave a surprise yelp when the piece of clothing disappeared, and blended in with his skin.

"This cannot just be a clothing style..." Brendon said half-jokingly as he flexed his hand. Jobs grinned slightly, "No my dear boy. Your mother would never give you something that was just normal equipment."

Jobs felt Brendan's wrist, and finally found the button he was looking for. With a metallic beep, the glove said in a robotic voice, "Shields online."

Brendan was transfixed on the device, and felt it hum to life like an engine inside a vehicle. Except instead of a roaring, deafening sound, the glove just made a buzz as quiet as a mosquito, and with his animalistic hearing, Brendan could easily pick up the sound that other humans would just ignore.

"I am glad you are at a peaked curiosity about the device. The shields will stop or throw back certain projectiles that are shot towards your general direction." Jobs said in his professional voice that defined him.

"You will also need these. These are energy disks so if your old energy disks are out of use, you can just slip another disk into the driver. There are also electron charging stations around town if you ever need a recharge. Just tell them you know Lady Rose and they will not think twice about serving your needs."

Jobs gave Brendan a quick glance, as if inspecting him for signs of hesitance, before handing him three small, round, and brightly glowing disks that shined a soothing light blue. Brendan then found a crevice, and lightly pried it open to unveil a bright blue disk already inside the glove.

"You really cannot quench curiosity can you Mr. Fire?" Jobs said as Brendan clicked the slot where the electron disk went into to see a light blue disk already inside the glove.

"Nope." Brendan replied as he kept clicking the slot open and closing it once more to get the feel of it.

"Ahh yes. I almost forget. Mrs. Rose wished me to show you something...unique. I am certain to say that you will find it excellent since all you ever do is get into trouble."

Brendan gave a slight chuckle at the humor. "Well, show me what my mother modified this device with then."

"To put it simply, the glove is connected to your brain waves so it can react to whatever your brain is saying. If your brain says, 'Turn off shields,' then the glove will automatically turn off your shields, but not only can the glove protect you, it can act as a weapon."

Brendan raised an eyebrow at the comment. "How is that possible?"

"The shields are basically a concentration of energy into one place. By splitting bonds between the electrons, is how the disks are powered which in turn power your shields. Now you can take the energy of your shields, and focus it into whatever form you wish. If you want a sword, dagger, or just want to use the energy like a cannon, then focus your mind onto the energy of your shields, and the glove should do just that. Remember, if you ever use this technique, your body will be wide open. Your shields will no longer exist until the energy is transferred back." The butler snapped his fingers, and two holographic targets popped up in front of Brendan in a fighting stance like they were about to attack.

"Focus your energy onto these two targets. It can be your first practice run. Don't go overboard. I don't want to have to clean up the mess..."

Brendan heaved a sigh, and starred at the targets with his light green eyes, trying to focus his mind on the two targets that stood in front of him. His blond hair was slightly ruffled, and he had a horrible case of bed head. Brendan kept blowing a strand of hair that hung down back upward, which then it would fall back downward onto his head like a leaf would fall onto the ground. Brendan moved his palm outward so it faced the targets, and concentrated on an image of a bright ball of energy hitting one target, and then his hand moving to the next target to deliver the final blow.

Brendan could feel his hand start to shake violently as the energy rushed from his shields towards his palm, and started to move outward in bursts. Sparks started to create near his palm, making a small yellow light for a few seconds before disappearing into nothing. Brendan could feel a pressure start to build, and he started to imagine himself letting go of the energy.

Right when his thoughts were on that image, one of the holographic images exploded from inside out. It seems instead of getting a ball of energy, Brendan just implanted the energy inside the holograms. When Brendan let the energy go, the force of just moving energy blew him backward unto the bed he got up from. As one of physics rules, every action has a opposite reaction.

Brendan starred at the glove for a few seconds, watching the steam from the sudden energy release, and looked up to see a butler glaring at him. Brendan pulled a few splinters out of his hand from the explosion, and sat on the bed with a nervous smile. "I will sweep up the mess YOU created while you go shopping. Here is some money for groceries." Jobs floated two golden coins with R.T.S inscribed into the soft medal of the back of the coin. Two angels holding up a scroll that had "order" written into it was carved into the front.

The coins floated above his palm like an invisible fan was bellow his hand. Brendan pocketed the money, and thanked Jobs who said, "Don't thank me, thank your mother. And be careful. Factions are out for more territory than ever. Use the energy disks if you get into an emergency. And try not to blow yourself up like you almost did now."

Grinning, Brendan walked down the small stairs that connected his room to the downstairs area. The stairs led to a kitchen with a door that led outside into the bustling city of Chicago. The stairs creaked and groaned with every step, resisting the weight that was being put onto them. He walked downstairs to see the exoskeleton of a once beautiful kitchen. Pots and pans were thrown everywhere, spices and herbs thrown all over the tile floor that was cracked in places from wear. He was more worried about the pots and pans that littered the floor. He just organized them yesterday. No wind could knock down all the pans like dominos. Someone was in his home.

Brendan cursed to himself, and grabbed a flash light that was hanging on a nearby wall. Since the R.T.S regulated power usage, lights, heating, and air conditioning could only be used at night. Gas could be used so people could still create a meal whenever they pleased. He turned on the flash light, bathing the area in light which lit up the darkness of the house. Then he heard the scrambling of feet. Usually Brendan didn't have trouble with uninvited guests like thieves, and other Faction members wanting their fare share of profits other people make, but Brendan was not going to be vulnerable to being attacked.

With quick movements, Brendan hid behind a cabinet that was near the stove, and grabbed a knife out of the holder that stood still, not disturbed unlike the pots and pans. Being a knife used for chopping up vegetables, it was sharp enough to defend a person, but not enough to kill in one blow. To Brendan's demise, his worst fears were realized. An adult about his age with white pants, and orange shirt with blue lines darting through the material was digging through the medicine cabinet, looking for anything she could get her hands on. Her blond hair reflected easily off the light that came through the kitchen window, and she had a stern face.

"Tylenol, coughing drops...ehh. I guess I can fetch a good price for these." The thief said to herself as she pondered what items would be the best to steal. Selling to the market in the square was busy work, and medicine would sell for a good amount in spring when the flu would be spreading around.

Brendan felt anger boiling up within him like a volcano that was about to erupt. He stealthy made his way towards the woman when all of a sudden she darted around, and said, "Whose there?"

A silvery dagger was concealed in a pocket, and her eyes darted around quickly, looking for anybody intruding on her act of stealing. Brendan noticed something equally shining that was connected with her hand. He realized that the shiny, pointed objects were claws.

Brendan cursed once more to himself, and realized he was being robbed by not only a normal human being, but someone who had almost the same genetic makeup as him. Brendan felt his hand start to shake out of fear, and he realized that this woman might be insane enough to kill. Even for a few pills.

Slowly making his way towards the thief, he was so close he could hear her breathing. Out of his excitement, Brendan could not control his emotions, and was starting to slowly transform into a jaguar. His smooth human skin was quickly replaced with fur, and his finger nails with claws. On his backside, his tail swung back and forth like a pendulum hung from a wooden pole. His eyes started to change into the piercing yellow once more, as his hands quickly widened into paws. His nose started to stretch outward into a defined muzzle, and the round jaguar ears formed over his once human ears.

Brendan was close to the women now, and could hear her shuffling through the medicine cabinet, looking for the perfect item to sell. He raised the knife, the blade pointing away from his body. He started to move his paw over the women's mouth to silence her while he would put her in a chokehold. He didn't wish to kill her, just teach a lesson to never come back to the house, and get his supplies back that she was now roughly digging through. Brendan had to dodge a pill canister as it was discarded by the thief to make sure he would not be heard. The canister flew through the air, and Brendan lightly used his newly formed paws to quickly dodge the oncoming projectile. It landed on the floor with several small, empty pings.

Before Brendan could get near the women, she turned around with lightning fast speed like a lion protecting her cubs from being snuck up upon. Reaching into her pocket quickly for a knife, the women was quickly letting her emotions take control of her as she transformed into a doe. A light brown skin that reminded Brendan slightly of chocolate formed on her skin, and white fur sprouted up from her shirt that she was wearing. Curving to the small ears of a doe, her ears started to take shape. With her facing Brendan, he could see that she had crisp blue eyes that starred into his very being, analyzing what he would do next. A muzzle formed on her face, replacing the nose quickly as fur started to cover her face.

The women lunged at him, looking for soft spots to hit Brendan at. Blocking the blow, Brendan re-adjusted his posture to make sure the wave of force from the women's hit would not send him on his back. The women's strength was impressive for her small physic, and the hit proved it. The metal clashed together like two monsters fighting over a small piece of fertile ground. The blades made a screech that echoed through the architecture of the kitchen like dropping a rock in the Grand Canyon.

"You're not very stealthy for a jaguar." The women said with a smirk as she pushed harder on the dagger, making Brendan push back with equal force. Neither side was giving in, and Brendan could feel the women's eyes analyzing his every move once more.

"You're not very graceful for a doe." Brendan shot back.

The doe women huffed slightly, and recoiled backward. "I don't need to be graceful to fool an idiot like you."

The women then shot through the door with lighting fast speed, and Brendan felt the instinctual need to check his pockets. He then ran out the door to chase the women not wanting to give up on her yet.

As the sun hit his face, he held up a hand slightly while he ran. Since the Ozone layer was gone from pollution, an artificially made layer called Pzone layer was created to keep the sun's harmful rays from scorching the planet's surface. Before the Pzone was created, many were suffering from burns ranging from mild to severe, and the weather from the excessive heat was not taking lightly to the warming planet. Although the Pzone protects like the Ozone, it is weaker. Many rays are let through which make the sun appear somewhat brighter than before.

Brendan ran out the wooden door of his house that almost fell onto the ground. Due to the hinges of the door rotting away, he has to be extra careful not to completely knock away his door to his house.

The woman ran through an alley that was crowded with people. Lit trashcans that were made for the homeless lined the narrow alleyway, making space limited. Brendan knocked over a beggar who cursed loudly at him, and damned him to several unspeakable places. He looked at the other people who were intrigued with the two transformed humans now running through their alleyway like their feet were on fire. Some clapped, and cheered as the two ran through. People who transformed in public into their animal forms or showed off other abilities gained from the radiation were punished by the R.T.S. The R.T.S wanted the people to forget the experiments that happened so it would not fuel another rebellion in another district. If a soldier spotted you, they could arrest you instantly. Or worse.

Many of the shanty town's houses were made of wood, and were rotting away. With the R.T.S focused on the oncoming civil war, they had no time to worry about the foundations of the old buildings.

The doe then gracefully used a wall to jump, and grab a low hanging balcony. Pulling herself up, she gave Brendan a rude gesture, continuing through the home she was not running through. Brendan, using his jaguar dexterity and footwork, grabbed onto the balcony. He pulled himself up to the stunned family eating around a table. Brendan waved nervously, and ran out a door that led to stairs back down to the street.

Brendan could catch the white sparkle of a dagger, and started to run down the street like a bat out of hell. The women kept running, dodging civilians that were casually walking. Since the civilians were marveled at seeing two animals on legs chasing each other, some pointed. Others stood dumbfounded at the rare event while the small children laughed and played in the streets. Many children in the poor districts could only play with what they create so it mostly was just a game of cat and mouse or hide and go seek.

Some whispered that the two chasing each other were insane, and risked getting the entire district in trouble with the R.T.S. Others that were for rebelling against the R.T.S cheered loudly, and proclaimed their allegiance to their faction by holding up patches, flags, or transforming themselves. The whole area started to get hectic.

Brendan paid no attention to what was going on in the background, but kept his eyes locked on the thief. As the thief rounded the corner and Brendan along with her, Brendan came face to face with a shipyard that was loading cargo for trading across the Great Lakes. Most traders would pick up the supplies in Canada, and trade the materials elsewhere. Brendan looked upward to notice a massive billboard that had signs of rust and decay from age. The letters read simply, "Lake Michgan's Shipping Yard. Since 2013!" Some of the letters were leaning over to one side, almost about to fall. Others lit up once, and flickered out again like a candle that kept being relit, and put out. Since Brendan was in the poorer district, many could not afford hover crafts that the richer, south and middle Chicago had. The poor districts had to rely on gas.

Brendan looked over at the large cranes that were lifting up the large cargo. Each crane lifted up one or two large crates, and dropped them on barges that looked barely suitable to even think about floating on water.

Brendan started to frantically search for the doe, and noticed the tail of the doe jutting out near the first great lake. With a splash, the doe dived into the water, not worrying about one of the barges that was now moving away from the port. Many workers shouted at the women, but she didn't care. The barge started to move toward the doe, its propellers moving in synchronized motion. Brendan gulped as they nearly missed the doe by inches. The doe circled around the barge, and grabbed hold of a later that was near the end of the ship, and close to the propellers. An amazing feet. Although she was a thief, Brendan would hate to see a fate of being chopped into bite size pieces. Now it was his turn to keep the chase going.

Fully sprinting down towards the water, Brendan ran on the wooden dock. The dock lightly swayed back and forth as he put his weight on it. Many dock workers stopped doing their job to see what would happen next, putting down the large crates that they were carrying.

One worker lightly joked, "I thought cats hated water." As Brendan dived into the warm water of Lake Michigan. At first, Brendan's brain kept screaming, telling him impulses to jump out of the lake, and return to the safety of his home. But Brendan didn't care. He ignored those impulses.

Water rushed up his nose as he swam into the once clean water of Lake Michigan, and felt himself sneeze when he moved upward to catch a breath of fresh air. Brendan could hear the workers shouting at Brendan to continue, and he heard another worker say, "He must really love the gall."

Brendan started to swim faster towards the ladder, and heard the propellers underneath his body, ready to chop him to pieces at any moment he would get tired. Feeling his clothes stick to his body, Brendan could feel them dragging, and clinging to his wet body. Brendan's feet were close enough to the giant propellers that he could feel the movement of water underneath his feet which sent a chill down his spine. As he swam closer to the ladder that the woman was grabbed onto, Brendan saw a flash of concern in the doe's eyes, but was quickly replaced with a "Are you stupid?" look.

Brendan was close enough to the ladder now that he could reach out, and grab it. But then he felt something tug at the bottom of his leg. The current of the water quickly changed as the lake got deeper, and the water choppier. Brendan knew exactly what was forming underneath him.

It was the deadly undertow.

The mixture of the propellers, and the land dipping down deeper to the depths created the perfect condition of the terrible fate. Swimmers, surfers, and people who have fallen off boats have been lost forever due to the deadly development of the riptide.

Brendan felt his heart start to race, and panic set in. If he didn't move, he could risk losing his life to the propellers underneath the ship. Brendan did the one thing that was advised not to do when caught in the riptide, and that was move. A swimmer or surfer would know to float on their back, and just to stay calm, and wait until the water naturally pulls you back upward. Brendan knew all this, but it was the fact that the propellers would kill him before he would float back up. The rip current started to drag him deeper downward, submerging him in water. First his shoulders, then neck, and finally his head were dragged underneath by the invisible hands of the undertow.

Brendan started to thrash insanely like a beast trying to get out of the cage. He tried to yell, but the only thing he produced was a gurgle of bubbles that floated to the surface. If he didn't die from the propellers, the next thing that could kill him would be suffocation. As Brendan felt water rush over his head, he did the only thing he could do during that time, and that was raise his paw upward.

The workers on the shore saw what was happening at a distance. Some gasped at what was happening while others started to cheer for Brendan's survival. Some suggested swimming out to help Brendan while others hesitated, and said it was better for Brendan to drown then get captured by the R.T.S, and questioned or executed.

As the suspense of the situation set in, a piercing quiet flew over the shipyard. Many were waiting to see what would happen to the mysterious transformed animals that decided to jump out to the lake, while others were wondering when they would get their next paycheck silently.

And then the surprise happened.

The thief reached down and grabbed the paw of the jaguar, and started to lift him out of the rip tide. Brendan felt his head emerge from the water, and grabbed onto the ladder, mounting his feet on the sturdy step below. The doe then helped Brendan up on the barge, and they both could slightly make out the cheers and woops of the crowd on the shipyard's deck. It was quite a show for them.

Brendan panted loudly, and started to cough out water which spewed all over the deck, trying to wrap his mind around the events that just happened. Why would a thief go out of her way to save him?

"Why did you save my life?" Brendan said curiously when he got his breath back, and confidence to ask the question.

"What...not even....a thank you?" The women said as she was also panting loudly.

"You robbed me, and then you saved my life from the rip tide. Why?"

"Because you are the bravest person I have ever met. Not only did you chase me through almost all of Chicago, but you dived in the water after me. It takes A LOT of balls to do that." The women said while jumping up, and ringing out her shirt.

"Oh and you can have these back."

With a quick movement, the doe grabbed the pills she had stashed, and threw them onto Brendan's stomach. "I have no use for them anymore. Now that you are recruited into our faction, we will share our belongings."

Brendan's mind almost exploded. "I AM RECRUITED!?!" Brendan shouted, and with new found energy, he jumped back up to facing the women.

"Yes, and I suppose you should know my name. My name is Luna, or Lucky Luna."

She extended a paw like this was the first time they met, and Brendan swatted the offered handshake away.

"What do you mean recruited? This has to be a joke..." Brendan shouted even louder. He knew there had to be a catch, or was this a way for her to toy with him?

"Nope, no joke. You proved yourself worthy of joining the Ark. Now you just need to repay the debt you owe me for saving you." Luna said swiftly as she stepped on Brendan's stomach.

"H-hey!" Brendan said as he swiveled under the mercy of Luna.

"You can now refer to me as, 'Master Luna, the doe of all knowing' and as the one dominate over the jaguar species..." Luna said while striking a pose on Brendan.

"By the way, I never got you name Mr..."

"Brendan, Brendan Fire."

"Ahh, well I am sure we can get along just peachy." Luna said as she finally stepped off Brendan to let him get up. He gave Luna a quick glare which she just giggled at like a small girl.

"What does the faction Ark specialize in might I ask?" Brendan said curiously as he raised a eyebrow.

"We specialize in smuggling, stealing, or anything to piss the R.T.S off. The R.T.S are not really our favorite of people." Luna said smugly.

"Are they anybody's?" Brendan implied.

"No. Not these days anyway. Ahh, and before I forget, you are a novice, so you will have to work up the ranks to become the best of our faction. Your first mission will be assigned later. Oh, and here is our meeting place." Luna said as she turned Brendan's hand over. She placed a mysteriously looking stone into his hand as the clue.

"Good luck finding the hideout, nooby! This will be your next test."

Luna then walked on top of the guard that separates the boat from the ocean, and jumped off into the water, never glancing back.

"Well, this is just great!" Brendan shouted. Not only was he annoyed at the little information Luna gave him, but he was annoyed that he got himself into this situation. He gave the stone a angry look, and contemplated chucking it into the ocean, but remembered he owed Luna a debt for saving his life.

He pocketed the stone, and sat down on the barge. He watched the sunset going over the horizon, thinking about what to do about the faction called Ark, and what else that could possible happen.

Brendan will soon learn to expect the unexpected.