FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Two weeks pass while my various injuries heal. Every morning I would wake up feeling energized, but come night I would slump into bed like a bear. Anea said it might be the toxins helping me, but I was not sure. She did some research to try and find the trucks while I told her what I could remember of any designs I might have seen on the trucks. Everything happened so fast I don't remember much of that day. Although I saw them for about a solid ten minutes while driving before the accident, I seem to have forgotten anything that happened before and after the crash. I only remember blood, sweat, fire and green slime all around me.

The stitches on the side of my face were the first to come out. A nice, clean scar was all that was left behind from a piece of glass that was in my face. Hard to know I didn't feel it when I was outside the car, probably because I was in shock. Once the gauze on my head was gone in the middle of the first week, I felt dizzy for a few days, staying in bed to rest while the world stopped spinning.

During my two weeks of healing, I checked my Kindle occasionally to keep in touch with my companies. We had started to develop the PlayStation X, a new technological advancement, allowing both companies to create a revolutionary game console that can project something close to virtual reality.

Technology has come a long way, and the things we are able to do now are only as limited as our imagination. I would travel back and forth, giving and taking suggestions on the design of the console and format. We are still in the development stage; a few more months and the prototype would have been ready. We could have gotten our game testers to try out some sample games and see what could be fixed on the console, but now problems are rising and we are going to be set back at least five months to a year.

Anyway, as I spent my days healing, eating, and dealing with the growing problems enveloping the corporations as trouble was brewing in Europe. There was also increased gang violence and more bank robberies in the New England states than ever before. None of that concerned me right now since I was resting in a hospital bed trying to recover from my wounds.

As the days went by, Anea would spend as much time as she possibly could with me. I did not think of anything of it at the time, as I have always been so involved in my work to not notice things like that. But by the end of the first week, I had slowly started to develop feelings towards her. It was not much at first. Once I got use to the semi-cast on my left leg after a few more days, Anea and I would take walks outside in the park nearby. We would sit together and I would tell her everything I could about my job, how I work, what games are made, what games are being made, etc. It is a lot harder than you think, working for not one but two big gaming companies and not being able to tell a fast growing friend what new game console we are working on. Once I told her I could not tell her such things, she immediately understood.

After that, we would talk about other various subjects, politics, music, movies, and more of my background. Anea did not know everything that happened, but I told her as much as I could bear. When I told her about my sister, I did not see it at first because we were lying on the ground, but when she sat up slowly, I knew that something had upset her.

~~~~~~~~~~

I frowned as she slowly rose from the ground; her rust red hair was untied, flowing lazily in a light summer's breeze. I craned my head to look at her from my position on the ground. I could see her yellow and green shirt with trees on a meadow embroidered elegantly on her dress. The dress was flowing down past her knees towards her feet. She still wore her nurse shoes, being careful to not dirty them. The mid-day summer sun softly touched her slightly dark tan skin, creating a rainbow of vibrant hues and effects. Her misty turquoise eyes shone radiantly in the breeze, illuminated by a wonderful light behind her eyes. Her hair shone with a brilliance only rivaled by royals of true blood.

The park we were in was fairly close to the hospital which I am staying at. Big, fresh conifer and spruce trees dot the park, making many good spots for a shady picnic. The grass is trimmed down to just the right length where it does not bother you as much, nor does it tickle. Benches and water fountains are spaced sporadically around the park, providing ample resting and drinking places for the weary.

She had signed me out, driving me here as we had a nice little picnic under the shade of an old oak tree. I was still wondering if something was wrong, but it could not be going so horrible already, could it?

I slowly eased myself up, careful of my semi-cast and still bandage wrapped chest. I had a plain green shirt on with white stripes and plain brown pants. Anea had been nice to get me a plain green stripped shirt with some pants as I had to toss my other pair away because they were torn and had begun to smell. I had stopped having to use my assist pole two days after the day I went to the Rec room. I had felt fine, no weariness or exhaustion, only after walking a mile or so, as Paul had warned Anea not to let me overexert myself.

Now I feel slightly worried as she turns to the left to wipe an unseen tear from her face, the drop catching a ray of sunlight and glittering like a purely polished diamond.

"Anea, what's wrong?" I ask, placing my left hand lightly on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. She jerks her shoulders back around so quickly my hand slides off, landing softly on the cool shaded grass under the big oak tree we were under.

"Oh, nothing... It is just the tensions have been slowly rising between old enemies again. It seems Germany has been secretly engineering a dinosaur, although rather small, in the Antarctica." Anea answers dispassionately.

I sit still, surprised by the great oak tree at the idea of an advanced Hitler like Germany arising once more. We narrowly escaped conflict with the little idiot in North Korea, no thanks to excellent persuasion and some bribing. But a dinosaur, I do not think we are that advanced, at least not yet anyway. How Germany could find a way to resurrect dead dinosaurs is beyond me, but if they succeed, we would be in deep trouble.

I contemplate what the effects would be if dinosaurs roamed the earth once again. Small dinosaurs are good at teamwork, and will probably strike at night, that is, if they make a pack of them. Thinking deeper, I realize she looked startled once I talked about my sister.

"Do you think...Do you think my sister has anything to do with what is happening is Russia?" I ask, almost afraid of what the answer would be except for only one outcome. She hesitates, although I had looked out at the clear blue sky to take in the view, waiting for her to answer, I do not notice the brief pause.

"I do not think so." Anea answers after a short time. "She could have never gotten enough money or courage, by what you tell me, to be able to do that...No; I do not think the disappearance of all trace of the terrorists has something to do with it, although I am not sure why even Germany would want to ally themselves with those monsters; suicidal bombers and all." I laugh slightly, wondering what they would think of us in the same manner, but with patriotism, Viva la America!

"They would probably call us the monsters. It was us, and Europe who were involved in World War 1 and World War 2. I do agree, though, my sister was as shy as me, maybe even more so, but I could scarcely think they would want to risk allying themselves with any nation, seeing as we took down their leader." I say as a matter of fact, looking at her graceful physic as Anea contemplates my answer. It was all very true, but how much remained to be seen.

As before, the buzzing sound would come and go occasionally. I had gotten to the point where I could almost ignore it, but not quite as it returned at this point in the conversation in a slight lull in the back of my mind. I lean back, a little annoyed at the small interruption, but I don't let it show as I enjoy the time we share together.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Anea turns to me smiling before pulling me into a big hug. I return it after a few awkward moments. I grip her hair, entwining it within my fingers; the silky smooth touch igniting some hidden pleasures within me. The color of her hair complements my own yellow blonde nicely as we both squish each other, hair turning into a Brazilian rainforest. Her smell is like Lilacs near a Lotus tree and her breathing is as smooth as a doves coo. I close my eyes as I relish in the contact, glad to have such a good friend.

"You're right; it is probably some secret agency that resembles the Nazi's. Next they will want to take over the world again, but I guess they are not that stupid. It would start a nuclear war, and where would dinosaurs get you then?" Anea replies as we break apart, brushing a few stray strands of hair back into place.

I chuckle, trying to imagine dead Nazi zombie members trying to take over the world. It is true it would be World War 3 and nukes would be used, wiping out their dinosaurs, along with the human race. As time passes, we head back to the hospital so Anea could return to working and I could get some rest, the buzzing leaves once again gone, leaving me to ponder what it is.

~~~~~~~~~~

That picnic was on Sunday at the end of the first week towards my full recovery. I did not mind staying longer, but that hug had made it both awkward and enjoyable for me. Anea seems really sweet; she has a nice voice that I would never get tired of listening to. The softness of her hair and the smell she has just drives me wild. There is one thing that keeps bugging me, though. I feel as though she is not telling me everything that is really happening. I was basically knocked out unconscious or in a coma for three months. Thinking back to the T.V. show I saw when I first woke up, many things can change around the world in three months. I will not press it for now though as I bet the government has it all under control.

That was the first time I came to realize my growing feelings for Anea were also starting to bloom into something more than a quaint friendship. I began drawing random pictures on one of my Kindle Fire Apps shortly after our picnic. They were mostly random doodles of her and me, sometimes of us with a dragon or two, or just a dragon striking a pose. Thankfully, after permission from me and information on where I lived, Anea got the charger for my Kindle Fire along with a few other things so I would not be as bored during my stay in the hospital.

She had been impressed on how I had transformed my bedroom into a futuristic Tech room. From one computer to six, with duel high-speed processors, it was a wonder I did not get greater praise. You have got to have a fast computer if you do not save often or you might lose all your work. I had learned that lesson the hard way when I had first started my job as a game designer. It gets really frustrating when software crashes and you haven't saved at all for a while. The whole company or Duel Company between PlayStation and Xbox learned a few lessons from combining technology after a few new 'toys' we were working on were lost. It took three weeks to get them back, and we have made sure to save often since then.

Anyway, by the middle of the second week, I got to get my semi-cast removed. That big saw they used to get it off was kind of nerve wracking, but not so bad since I had gotten my left wrist broken before. Now that I could walk and go to the bathroom freely, our walks in the park generally started to become longer.

Paul would accompany us sometimes on our many outings to see how I was doing. I had certainly gotten over the trauma of what happened a while ago because Paul brought the subject up of the accident, I told him basically what happened but not as much as I had told Anea.

Paul is a nice fellow. He is 6'2" with navy blue eyes and black hair. His skin is a dark tan, darker than Anea's with broad, muscular shoulders; the result of heavy lifting. He occasionally wears a shirt with a military saying on it every once in a while. Like "knowing you opponent is half the battle" and quotes like that. He occasionally wears dark blue jeans and a cross between sneakers and mountain boots. Whenever he came, we usually got him to tell us some stories from when he was in the military. Like the way he dressed did not already give that away. Also, from the way he acted when he joined our walks, it was like he knew what was going on between us but did not say anything out of courtesy. We respected that, and I would tell him once I was ready.

The rest of that week went smoothly enough, random pictures, emails to me by my company, the progress of the tension on the news, and the progress of my healing. To say Anea was surprised would have been an understatement. She remarked several times a day about how fast I was healing. By normal circumstances, I would have had that semi-cast on for at least another week or two. Again, we both suspected that the chemicals had something to do with my recovery, so we went to Paul to see if he knew anything about it.

With my permission and a little persuasion and promise of no needles, I let Anea and Paul see what the green toxins were going inside of me. Once under the scan, I tried to relax and think of happy thoughts. Soon enough, my eyes were opening again to a sound.

"OK, the scan is done, you can get up and redress if you want." Paul says in his gruff, Russian accent.

I got up and quickly grabbed my borrowed clothes held by Anea, and slid into the bathroom. After quickly getting changed I came out, half hoping, half dreading what I would hear. After getting close to the screen between Paul and Anea, he began to explain to me what he thought was happening in my body.

"Well, you look healthy enough by the looks of it. Your leg is healed exceptionally well as well as your head. What concerns me are the traces of toxin at the sight of the closed wounds," he says pointing out four rather large cuts on my thigh which do not even bother me; the screen showing large lines of the toxin at the site.

I gulp slightly, wondering what would have happened to me if I had not gotten out of the car in time. If I was on another planet, my thighs would have soon become steaks of the sort I would not agree with. Quickly shaking my head a little and blinking my eyes, I ponder what Anea said earlier, that if they were not harming me, maybe they were healing me?

"Yes, that is exactly what I think is happening. But the question is if there are going to be any side effects we should know about. There is no telling how long you are going to keep healing just to quickly disintegrate like wood caught on fire," Paul finishes on a melodramatic tone.

I take a step back and both Anea and Paul watch while me eyes start to bug out. Anea puts a hand over her mouth to try and conceal her barely restrained laughter. Seeing me like this, Paul quickly adds something about the founded properties of said mysterious toxin.

"Do not worry, that will not happen. Shortly after you were taken to the hospital, a team of forensic scientists came to extract some samples of the spilled toxins that were on the ground. But when experiments were run, it seemed to heal anything it touched, and in some cases, revived skeletons back to flesh." Paul says, finishing his explanation of the mysterious toxin.

Anea and I both gasp at the information. Paul looks back and forth between us, frowning with concern. When asked what was wrong, I tell him what Anea had told me about the dinosaurs, filling me in where I missed or forgot a vital detail. When we finished, Paul sat back in his chair, stunned by the news.

"If what you say is true and this stuff revived a dinosaur, then why were there trucks all the way in America?" Paul asks inquisitively, thinking about what this could mean for the fate of the world.

I think about what Germany could be planning if they have trucks full of this stuff in America. The implications of raising a dinosaur army back from the dead could have disastrous consequences for the nation. Their plan could even backfire if they did not have some sort of mind control device or a way to tame them.

"Let's just hope the government can take care of it. We are lucky that most of the toxins were lost in the explosion; that is a few thousand gallons that they will not be using." Paul says, turning back around to the image screen.

After we finish analyzing any possible side effects either positive or negative, I return to my room to rest and think about the day's events. I start to think that there is something bigger going on, yet I cannot put my finger on it.

As I sit on my bed, I look down at my left leg while lifting the pants up to see the large scars on my skin. When I look closely, I can faintly see the green tint of the toxins that line my scars. I reach down and tentatively touch the edges of the scars on the left side of my leg. I do not feel any pain or weird sensation. The closer I move to the center however, the more... power I feel inside of me, a weird energy that I can feel beginning to flow through my body. The buzzing returns in a slight hum as I press lightly down, trying to touch or see more clearly what the green tinge will do. I stop and pull back sharply, looking in amazement and surprise as the green color starts to grow stronger. The energy I feel starts to move all over my body, thrumming with power.

I begin to feel more energized than I had been for the past for weeks. It feels like I can stay awake for months and not have to go to sleep. My heartbeat starts to speed up as I feel the urge to move, to fly. I quickly grasp my leg, trying to make it stop. It does not work, the buzzing only gets stronger as I wonder what could be happening.

_ ~~~~~Anea~~~~~ _

Returning from guiding Colby to his room, not that he needed any assistance, I start to think what could happen if Germany did succeed in reviving the dinosaurs. As I pass through the main lobby, nodding my head to Paul as I walk, heading towards the kitchen to get Colby his dinner.

It is not that he could not just go to the cafeteria himself to get something to eat, it is that I know he wants to be alone to think about everything that is happening, I think to myself as I silently walk through the doors and start to prepare some grilled cheese.

The kitchen, not a perfect five star restaurant, but good enough to serve decent food to the sick and wounded. The shape is two T's counters on each side, the long side standing on the wall with the sinks on the wings on both sides of the room. One side are the ovens and stoves, the other the ingredients and workspace. Rust red tiles line the floor and pale white walls paint the room's interior.

As I pass the last section of tables to go through another section of the kitchen through a pair of doors, a jovial voice rises above the noise of the kitchen to capture my attention.

"Hey! Anea! What brings you here? It has been awhile since I have last seen you! How have you been!" shouts a happy voice, with a cross accent of Italian and Mexican.

I turn around to look at a nicely shaped plump face that holds the sound belonging to my Papa, moving over to greet me. He passes a couple of other chefs who are preparing dinner for the residents.

"Hello Papa. Yes, I am well. I am just going to make grilled cheese for Colby. He wants some time alone after what we both learned of today." I reply in a playful manner, hair tied back in a nice flow.

"Ha Ha Ha, back to cooking I see. Never could stay away, but what is it that you learned that could not have that slump going to the cafeteria himself?" Papa questions jokingly, slapping a big meaty and scarred hand on my shoulder while looking at me with a goofy face.

"Oh, it is something I should not say. It does have something to do with how he came to be here," I answer, voice dropping as I say the last part.

Papa ponders what had brought that Tech genius here in the first place, a vague distant look glazing over his eyes as he stares blankly past me in deep thought. Papa does not have the best memory, but is still a very good cook, able to remember each and every spice, ingredient, and dish, despite not being able to remember everything else. Frowning, Papa looks up and his big smile reappears.

"Well, why did you not say so?! I will make his grilled cheese for you. No, I will not have you cooking, you could hurt yourself. You have other people to tend to, not the other way around. Why don't you tell me how he is, do you like him? I am sure he likes you." Papa says in his playful manner while breaking into a laugh after seeing my face.

After starting to say I could make the grilled cheese just fine, his final question takes me by surprise. As he laughs, his nicely round belly jiggling as he laughs like Santa, I frown and quickly say.

"I do like him Papa, but you know as well as I do it cannot happen if he is the one. It is probably driving him crazy, not knowing what it is."

Papa stops laughing after hearing this. His smile turns into a frown as he starts to make the grilled cheese, while talking at the same time.

"Well, you know I don't particularly like what you're doing. You could give him a chance. It is not like he WILL find out any time soon would he?" Papa replies, raising an eyebrow as he turns the bread over to melt with the cheese he lays on.

"Papa, you know he would not allow me to do that. What he could become is more important. That does not mean it could be possible in the future. And yes, I know we live longer than most, but who does not know of one who has not done that already?" I say politely, pointing out the problems for now and the solutions for later.

With a small sigh, Papa responds. "Please Anea; please do not talk about this. I know it would only break your heart in the future. I know you have feelings for him, Paul has told me that, but focus on YOUR job right now, and that is taking care of him until he is healed," Papa finishes, handing me the grilled cheese with a delectable smell wafting up as I walk to get his drink.

"Think about it this way. If he finds out and does not freak out, take it as a good sign. If he says his feelings, either bad or good, except them, knowing you will at least be his friend." Papa says wisely while he smirks and follows me.

Thinking over his words, I realize that what Colby and I had was definitely more than a simple friendship, but if bad came to worse, I think knowing what he has been through will tell me we will at least stay friends.

"Thank you Papa, but what if he finds out what my job is and hates me after he has told me his feelings, when...If he does." I respond in a strained sad and scared tone.

"You know he will handle that for you. He always knows what to do when a secret comes out. Remember the spy plane incident in the cold war? Best work yet!" Papa answers while blowing an Italian Magnific in the air.

I sigh as I say my goodbye and turn around to deliver Colby's dinner to him. This should have been plenty of time for him to calm down about the events that happened today. I am scared that one day he will wonder where I am if this keeps up. Never one to slack, Paul will probably know what is going one, other than what he told Colby. Some of the information was new, but it would not have been good to NOT act surprised. He might have asked questions about why I was not surprised, questions I could not willingly answer without endangering his life.

I get out of the elevator and continue walking towards his room. As I get closer I slow down, trying to figure out exactly what I am feeling. It does not feel normal, more...animalistic, if what I think could be happening...No. I walk quickly and with determination for his room. If Paul does not agree, well, I will deal with him later.

I pause at the door as I feel a great increase in energy. I hear a yelling inside that could only mean something bad. It dies down and a few seconds later I hear a horrific crash while I slowly open the door. The drink and grilled cheese crash to the floor as I stand opened mouthed, the chocolate milk spilling all over my pure white shoes. People come running, dashing about to see what happened to the front of the building. The windows are perfectly fine as I catch a faint speck in the darkening night sky that could barely be seen. Crap...Too late.

_ ~~~~~Colby Daniels~~~~~ _

Fear and excitement run through me at what could be happening. The implications of what I could now possibly do stun me into submission. The green tint of the toxin glows steadily brighter with every passing second, illuminating the room like a football field at night.

The room starts to bake in unnatural heat; like a power radiating off a furnace. Everything takes on a vague hazy look, like looking into the distance on a highway on a hot day. Countless scenarios run through my head as I wonder what would happen if somebody were to come through the door any second now.

Crap!

My mind races as I start to panic, the power and energy responds to my emotions, slowly rising to a feverish pitch. What was a low buzzing now turns into a nest of bees, all swarming angrily around the inside my head. I hesitantly and slowly move to the right side of the bed, dangling my legs over the side.

I grasp my head and close my eyes, the green light fading to be replaced by a natural white aura. I start to hear random voices and feel confusing emotions run through my head. My body shakes dangerously fast. I fear the flesh will just melt off any second now.

Feeling unusually warm, I carefully take off my sweaty dark green shirt, mindful of my bandages still on my chest and glasses. With me eyes open slightly, I weakly toss it off to the side, the shirt slightly smoking. The white color starts to blur. The room begins to melt into a haze of smoky gray colors as I get dizzy. I shut my eyes once again and hug my arms around myself, trying to make me feel secure.

It does not work.

The room starts to spin as the dizziness increases. My head feels as if it is going to fall off any second. I start to faintly see visions of vaguely outlined figures beneath my eyelids. A cloak, woolen sacks, and a big round titanium door. I shake my head vigorously as I try to shake the images from my mind. Not good. The spinning room follows me as I start to lean forward and crash onto the floor sideways, my glasses tumbling off with wisps of steam floating up, fogged and useless.

~~~~~~~~~~

Safes...Money...As far as the eye could see, wait...was that a man? No, two. What are they doing inside a vault with all this money? I involuntarily look to the left and see the big round door I saw in the hazy picture back in my room.

The Bank!

Wait, why are those two stuffing the money into sacks then? Before I could think of any reason two grown men, both in brown sweat shirts with black pants could possibly be doing in a vault in the bank stealing money, a distinctly feminine voice breaks the silence.

"Faster you fools! I want this money loaded now!" she yells in a ballistic voice. I can see the two thugs flinching slightly as they pick up the pace.

This does not look good. It must be a bank-robbery, but, how am I seeing this? I pause to think as the two men haul bag after bag of money into a corner, to be taken to a safe place no doubt. The green toxins! I realize as a black tattered sleeve appears in my visions, displaying a digital map showing numerous banks of the New England coast. Those toxins must be allowing me to do this!

This looks like they're at a main bank in New York City. That is a long ways away from the hospital I am staying at. Yet, how am I supposed to get there? I then remember I blacked out after I fell onto the floor. Memories come back of the fear and excitement that was coursing through me. I wonder how I will wake up, so I can go there or maybe not. As I subconsciously walk towards the vault door heading out, the female voice sounds again.

"Keep stuffing the money. I am going to check on my security measures." shouts the mysterious figure while ducking out under the entrance of the vault.

I hold my breath, wait...No; it seems I am only watching what is happening, of course, how could I forget. Then I come back to ponder who the mysterious figure is that I am sharing her vision with.

A thought strikes me; it could not be her, could it? No, Lira would never stoop to robbing banks. She is as shy as me, if not even more so. But the voice could not be hers, even after more than a year, I would not have forgotten it.

The figure cloaked in black turns right after making other various twists and turns. If I came here, I would have a hard time finding the vault.

Suddenly, a civilian, a hostage, leaps up with a gun from behind a desk to try and club the figure. The blow connects with the lower part of her left temple as the impact makes my vision start to fade, but I watch as the figure cloaked in black puts an elbow into the undercover cop's chest, undeterred. His grip on the gun loosens and the figure takes it with her left hand, then turning in a complete blur of motion, aims the gun and pulls the trigger.

Instead of a bullet; no ammo cartridge loaded in the gun, a black ball of plasma shoots out, hitting right where his heart would be. The cop then falls back, a gaping hole where his heart used to be. He impacts the ground with a soft thump, where he lies motionless on the ground with blood gushing from the large wound. My vision is just a narrow tunnel of light by now, my surroundings shaping into blurs while sound starts to fade into the distance. Before I return to the waking world, I hear the cloaked figure say from a mile away, "should have stayed down" as she turns to head back for the vault.

~~~~~~~~~~

I gasp a lungful of air, my eyes flying open while my pupils dilate to full size. I lay on my right side, a little bruised by the fall. I slowly get up and look around at the room. Everything seems to be normal: no heat, no power, no melting. I spot my glasses on the floor as I rise, picking them up, I wipe them clean on my slightly wet pants and put them back on. As I carefully sit back down on the bed, thinking over what I saw, one name comes back to me.

Lira.

That could not possibly be her, I refuse to believe it. That voice could not in a thousand years belong to her. It could not have changed that much in a year. But if it is not her, then who could it be? I ponder these numerous thoughts as I look around the room once more. What seemed like a few minutes was only a few seconds, according to the clock on the wall. The room is dark, everything shrouded in a gray hue. The curtains lay spread open as I look out the window, taking in the sights of the city.

Unnoticed, the scars that marred my body have now vanished. The bandages that had been wrapped around my chest are now loosely bound and partially soggy. All of this goes unheeded as I wonder what I am going to do. Looking out the window at the falling sun, yellow and orange hues mixed with pink and lavender colors. The distant clouds flash lazily with the vibrant colors of a beautiful sunset. The city noises blare unheard as I figure out what to do.

I could go there and stop whoever it is, but I would be outnumbered three to one, not to mention the gun she now has. I would also be unable to fly there, or could I? I blink slowly a few times, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. I take a slow, deep breath as I calm my nerves for what I am about to do. I know I will come to regret it later, but to ask Anea to walk with me outside, show me her car; which I am surprised she has not done already, and then steal...er...borrow it, would not bode well with me.

The buzzing noise I have come to know now streaks back at me with full force. The pitch and frequency are totally different from all the other times it has appeared. The unexpectedness with which it appears stuns me into submission. I precariously rock back and forth between falling on the floor again and lying flat on the bed on my back, hands gripped tightly on either side of me on the bed sheets.

My breath comes in short and quick gasps again while my mind races with a thousand fears and questions on what is happening. Maybe I offended it when I thought about stealing a car? No, instead, it fades into the back of my head as an alien presence enters my mind. My rocking slows down, my breathing calming to a steady pace, and sweat rolls off my face and onto my now damp chest bandages.

The presence oddly calms me, speaking or conveying with emotions instead of words. Unfamiliar thoughts float through my head, heroic battles fought millennium ago. As I stop moving and my breathing returns to normal, the presence chooses that moment to speak.

"Well, now that you're calm, how about you tell me your name son?" Asks a voice with years of wisdom and age within my head, clear yet a little raspy.

"What?" I say, stunned by the direct question, eyes wide as I look around, trying to see who said it. Whoever this man is, he was definitely not going to steal my life.

"Surprised I see. That is understandable when this happens the first time. Now, let me introduce myself. Then you might feel more comfortable telling me your name, no?" The man says in a curious tone.

"U-Uh...Sure, I guess?" I respond, thinking my response as I had heard it within my head, still wary of his sudden presence. The buzzing could still be heard, but at least it was bearable, and for that I was grateful.

The intelligent voice laughs a soft chuckle, as the man responds: _"Do not worry, I promise I will do nothing to hurt you. Now, my name is Quin Shun, I am a Guardian of the Universe. I am here right now to guide you through your first time."_The Quin Shun says respectively.

I sit paralyzed for a few seconds, thinking over what he said. If...If what I am now is true, then that means I could really save the bank and stop the Robbers! I think as each second passes new choices open up.

As I put my excitement on hold, I reply kindly: "First time, sir? What am I? What can I do?" I ask hesitantly, pulling my face into a puzzled look while unconsciously tilting my head slightly, wanting to know what my title is and what I could possibly do.

Quin Shun chuckles again before responding. "Hold on young one, there are many answers to your questions, but first we must deal with a greater matter at hand as you so discovered awhile ago, no?" I lay mesmerized on how he knew what had been happening.

"What must I do to help them? I cannot fly there, but if I can, I do not know how." I say in a sad tone. That does not stop Quin Shun from moving on.

_"Ah! But you can, only if you believe you can. The first time is always the hardest for new protectors. That is who you are now. Go, a great destiny awaits you. Believe you can do it, and nothing will go wrong."_Quin Shun replies as his voice and presence slowly fading. The buzzing starts to come back with a vengeance.

In a panic I say: "Wait! How will I know how to find you again! How will I train!" I shout out loud and in my mind at the same time.

A few seconds pass as I realize what I had done. I listen in full suspense as I wait for someone to open my door. Sweat slowly roles down my face, my chest bandages getting soggier and uncomfortable.

No one barges in, but that does not help to lesson my fear. As I wait, the buzzing recedes a little as Quin Shun speaks one last time before departing.

_"Do not worry young one. You will know where to go, and I will come back when the time is right. Trust no one, there are powerful enemies arising."_Quin Shun answers mystically as he leaves for now.

The buzzing now comes back full force, like a high pitched wine from a sonic jet blaring right in my ears. My body starts to shake with nervousness as I balance many decisions, but the noise makes it hard for me to concentrate. I isolate two choices, I could ignore Quin Shun and stay here, but what I have now become is something I cannot easily ignore. Or, I could embrace it and save the bank from whoever is robbing it.

I stand up slowly, taking steady, deep breaths. As I try to calm myself, I walk slowly towards the window; the orange and yellow hues turning violet and gold mixed with light and dark blues. The buzzing is ever present, annoying and hard to dismiss. Every step is hard to make as I steadily make my way to the window. My mind races to definite conclusions as I seal my fate by opening the window. A cool nighttime breeze flows by, dragging my soggy bandages along with it. I shiver slightly from the wind, stepping backwards towards the bed.

Quin Shun sounded like an important destiny awaits me. I had the feeling, from reading countless books and watching numerous movies; even if I skipped this chance to explore a new world now, it would eventually come back to find me.

Making my decision final as a bird chooses its home wherever it wants, I close my eyes and gather my breath. I try to drown out the incessant buzzing with peace and tranquility. Knowing my attempts were futile until I took to the air to answer the call, I open my eyes with fresh determination.

I start a light jog as chant over and over, "I can do this, I can fly, believe in myself," in my head. After a few steps, I burst into a full out sprint, dashing for the open window as if my life depended on it. The white aura that had faded when I was unconscious now surrounds me in an ethereal sphere, ready to lift me off the ground on command. My chest bandages start to unwind as a warm breeze flows against me, smelling of freedom and city air.

I reach the porch, rapidly approaching the edge. My chanting becomes faster as my breath comes once again in short, quick gasps. With my bandages fluttering behind me like a sash; dark blue pants and no shirt on except my trailing bandages, I leap up to the rail then propel myself off the building, chanting and screaming all the way.

_ ~~~~~Bank-Robbery, Mysterious figure~~~~~ _

Shuffle...Shuffle...Shuffle...Shuffle...Thwack!

"Stop goofing off you buffoon. I need you to get this money in those bags quickly! I mean like yesterday!" A mysterious figure yells, making both Larry and Gerry flinch yet again.

"Sorry Boss." Larry says, touching the stinging bruise tenderly on the back of his head before quickly getting back to work.

"Well, If you guys were not lazing around instead of taking this seriously, we could have been done by now!" the feminine voice belonging to the cloaked figure yells in restrained anger.

The last job did not go so well. If we are to successfully pay for the atonium, every robbery has to be perfect. What these two lunatics lack in moderate intellect, they make up for in inhuman strength and endurance. It would not do to ask if he could just send me some Ba'lay as well. Those things at least know how to get a job done quickly and efficiently.

Thump!

"Oops, Sorry." says Gerry, picking up a forty pound bag once again, carrying it to a corner where similar bags waited.

Idiots...They are complete morons. Yet, I dare not say anything that would cost me my life. As long as the...

Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...Ring!...

Darn, not again.

"You buffoons! Work faster! If we do not clear this bank out, the dinosaurs will not be ready in time!" I scream. Hurrying towards the vault door, I put numerous traps and spell wards around the outside perimeter, not to already account for the ones outside and on the walls of the main building. With malicious glee I ponder to myself. Let us see them try and get through this.

I turn back around to check the already overstuffed bags, making sure they are secure. Satisfied that the morons do not get everything wrong, I wait patiently for the fun to begin. Five minutes later, the sirens of police arrive in force.Drat! They must know I am here! I say silently to myself while turning to face my two minions.

"Hurry up or it is jail time for the both of you!" I say in a desperate tone. Out of fear, they visibly start shoving money hurriedly into the remaining bags. A few minutes later and a terrible crash sounds. Both Larry and Gerry look up briefly and then back at me; even more frightened, they get back to work, sweat visibly rolling down their skin and soaking their clothes.

I faintly hear a strangled, OW! _Now where did that come from? I had thought we cleared the bank, save for a few hostages._A few seconds after I hear, "OK, that...was fun. Need to work on my landing though. Now, where would a thief be?"

Crap! I start to panic a little as I think who could have passed my traps on the outer perimeter. No Reason. Guess I will just have to flush him out. I bark orders to Larry and Gerry to finish up, then head for safe-point D. I stroll out of the vault to look for the intruder.