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The Hunt for Chaos Theory

By Chris Gilman

The over muscled German Shepherd male enters the office and snaps rigidly to immediate attention before the lone desk in the room. Behind it sits an old Bulldog, four golden stars shining on his shoulders in the bright light streaming through the window behind him. Placing the page he had been studying into a plain, unmarked folder he closes it. Looking up at the hulking German Shepherd the older male sighs while waving a dismissive hand towards the unoccupied chair in front of his desk, "Be at ease Colonel, and have a seat."

"Thank you, sir." The younger male responds as the indicated creaks under his bulk. The Colonel waits with eyes and ears focused on the old General like radar tracking missiles.

With a casual shove the general pushes the folder across to the Colonel, "This should look familiar."

Reaching out to take the folder he flips it open to reveal a dossier, "It does sir." Holding up the file with a raised eyebrow he asks, "Is this my next mission?"

The General rubs at his forehead, "Yes son, it is. I want that soldier returned, alive. We can patch up just about any injuries you do to him, but we still can't reverse death. Alive, we might even be able to recover the airship he stole when he went AWOL. Besides, dead we can't learn the secrets of his unique talents." Indicating the folder, "His powers have grown since he left. You'll need his old teammates to bring him in I think, and even then it might not be enough if he uses his full power."

The over muscled soldier returns to reviewing the file and flips to another page, "Last known location, sir?"

"Megalopolis, which is part of the problem," he tosses over another file. "Our authority there is limited, by order of the Joint Chiefs and the President."

With a snicker the German Shepherd reaches for the second file and browses the information, "When did we care what they ordered, sir. We've been making our own rules for the last ten years through two administrations."

"You might be the 'Dog of War' among your fellows here or out on the battlefield Colonel, but in that city you are just another Meta among hundreds, some even more powerful than you. Those most of those Metas are under tight control as a threat to society. They even have their own police force for handling Metas, they call them the Marshalls. Each and every one of them is a Meta to some degree, and working together they are far stronger than the sum of their parts. Then there are the vigilantes who fight crime without being registered," he indicates the first folder, "which our wayward cub appears to have become. The press of Megalopolis has taken to calling him Chaos Cougar, a rather appropriate name given his powers."

"They will not stop me," the Gernam Shepherd says with a smirk.

Sitting back with a creak from the leather chair the General steeples his fingers, "They might, if you cause any sort of ruckus, they might even kick you out of the city all together, and don't think they can't. I have even received reports that some of the villains will team up with the Marshalls if the threat to the city as a whole is considered to be too great. I would consider it a better course of action to enlist the Marshalls' help to track down our young soldier." He points to the first folder, "This man is not a registered Meta. I'm sure they will be pleased to help you remove such an uncontrollable threat to their city."

A frown crosses the Colonel's face, "And if they don't?"

A grim smile crosses the general's craggy face, "Then I'm glad we're so black, the president herself doesn't know we exist." His face loses all emotion and his eyes grow hard, "Officially, I will have to deny that you are working for me. If they declare you outlaws we will not acknowledge that you are working for us. You will be off the reservation officially until this task is complete. But we both know what's at stake, and there will be support when we can provide it."

A smile crosses the Colonel's face as he stands, "With your leave, sir. I'd like to prepare the team to hunt our quarry."

The old man dismisses him with a wave, "Dismissed Colonel."

After the Colonel has left, the General slowly turns his chair to look out the window and onto the training field where twenty men and women of various species and ages are training in battle. Their weapons range from fists and knives, to Meta-powers that defy all known laws of nature and science. An evil smile creeps across the General's fat lips as he speaks into the quiet and empty office, "Chris Catamount, you'll be back home soon. You still belong to us."

* * *

"What do you mean no?" says the Colonel, now dressed in a formal uniform as he stands in one of the offices of the Marshalls Inter-affairs Liaisons. His shoulders back, his spine erect, and a chest full of medals and ribbons on display as he stands at rigid attention in front of the motherly cow sitting behind the desk with the simple name plaque bearing the name Andrea Stewart in black letters.

"I would think a man of your years would understand the meaning of a simple two letter word Colonel. No, the Marshals will not help you capture a man who has done no harm to the people of this city," she says without looking up from her filing.

The canine abandons his pompous stance to lean over the desk, his muscled hands gripping the solid edge as he tries to intimidate the buxom female sitting behind it, "I come here on the orders of the military, which means you will help me or..."

"Or nothing young man, your military rank means absolutely nothing in Megalopolis, Colonel," responds the cow without looking up from her terminal. Raising a hand she waggles a finger back and forth at the canine, "And don't try damaging my desk. Metas far stronger then you have tried and failed. I've even had a few try to on a bet; I've made a nice little nest egg on those fools."

Half a grin crosses her features as the shocked silence from the officer lingers on, "Don't look so surprised Colonel, we knew you were a Meta the moment you entered this building. It's our business to know such things. I'd put you at a medium rank Meta at best without checking the readings, probably strength and toughness from your actions and build. Maybe you're even overcompensating for something," she says with a sly smirk. "There are enough Metas on this floor of the tower alone that can make you look like a newborn pup if you really want to start something. You think you're all powerful from working with ordinary people in the military, but here you're a small fish in a very big pond, and the sharks are bigger."

Shaking off the surprise the large canine glowers at the cow and growls, "I am pursuing a highly dangerous, unregistered Meta. He could kill millions with the odd and unlicensed powers at his control. If left unchecked he could destroy everything!"

"But he hasn't posed a risk to the city as a whole, and until he does pose a risk, we are not going to intervene. Your file vaguely states the lad, Chris Catamount, has some minor and unspecified meta-talent, how can he pose such a risk if you won't even tell us what it is?" Looking up at the muscle-bound canine she grins, "Your story hasn't held up since you came through my door Colonel, and the Marshalls do not like being lied to. The most the kid has done, if he is who you think he is, is some property damage that was easily reparable by the recovery teams and hit some of the local riff raff that call themselves villains with those stun rounds of his. He is hardly a threat to the entire city as you claim."

She waves a hand towards the door to the office as she returns to her files, "That will be all Colonel. Feel free to look for him yourself, but don't cause trouble for the citizens of Megalopolis, or you'll find yourself with a file in my drawer," she tosses the unopened file with the details of his prey at him. "One labeled villain."

"You're making a big mistake," he responds as he retrieves his folder of classified documents and arranges them carefully with a hand shaking with rage. "One you will come to regret." With that he turns and marches from the room with military precision.

The cow looks up from her filing to call out to the dog's retreating form, "There is only one mistake here, and that's a foolish kid trying to play in an adult game. Or maybe it was that your mother should have swallowed."

The dog halts for a moment at the cows taunt, but after a moment he continues out of the offices and leaves Marshall Tower.

* * *

The German Shepherd gets into the unmarked black SUV with darkly tinted windows waiting for him outside Marshall HQ. "Drive," he orders the female cougar behind the wheel in a Lieutenant's uniform.

She lowers her sunglasses on her nose to look over them at the canine in the back seat, "No help from the goody-two-shoes, Colonel?"

The canine glares at her reflection in the rearview mirror and his lips curl in a silent snarl, "I said drive Lieutenant, that is an order."

The female pushes her glasses back up her nose with a gloved middle finger. Turning the key she guns the engine to life and pulls the SUV out into traffic as they ride in silence.

A few blocks down the road a female kangaroo in a tight fitting white outfit with red crosses on her shoulders seems to form out of the thin air in the seat next to the uniformed canine. She pulls a data-pad out of a thigh pocket and starts to browse it, "Colonel, I have been able to gather some news reports about a vigilante called Chaos Cougar. I believe the General was right, he is the one we're after." She passes the data-pad to the canine who takes it with a polite nod of thanks.

He starts to skim some of the stories on the pad, "Anyone here we can use against him? A hostage would be most advantageous."

The kangaroo nods, "There is a report from one of the capture teams that almost had him. He was in an apartment with a female named Lydia Rumblewave. It is possible she may know his whereabouts."

"What do you have on this Lydia Rumblewave?" the German Shepherd asks.

She flips through a series of pages, "We can't get confirmation from the Marshalls, and their security is top notch, but our intelligence suspects that she is the vigilante known as Plasma. Powers include super strength and endurance, she can summon energy she calls 'plasma' and form it into melee and thrown weapons. I categorize her as a class four threat, not much of a risk."

The canine grins, "Good, we'll use her to bait the hook."

* * *

Chris Catamount sits in the control cabin of the Theory with his booted feet on the edge of the console while he leans back, his arms crossed as he studies a map of the city in silence. The faint hum of the aircraft's electronics is disturbed by the melodic voice of the craft's AI, "Colonel Catamount?"

A single ear twitch is the only physical reaction from the cougar before he responds with a flat voice, "Yes?"

One of the screens before him changes to an artificial image of a young female fox, "Chris, I have intercepted something disturbing."

The AI lets the pause draw out for a long moment and the cougar looks towards the ceiling as he usually does when addressing the AI, "Theory, what is it?"

"The Colonel is in Megalopolis. He has been sighted with Ghostmedic and Last Stand near Marshall Tower."

Chris stares at the ceiling for several long minutes before he lowers his gaze to the map still on the screen before him, "I see, they're hunting us again aren't they Theory?"

"High probability, I calculate a 98% chance we are the target," the voice agrees, "They have possibly tried to get assistance from the Marshalls, but the odds of that are low, given the practices of Inquisitor I calculate the odds below 3%. They may attempt to recruit help from the MPD, but they will likely receive less help there, odds below 1%. There is only one police officer rated for work against Meta level cases, and that is Armored Tiger. We know he is currently investigating that organization setting up house in the old-town district."

Chris drops his booted feet to the floor with a thunk as he lifts himself to his feet, "Theory, locate Lydia Rumblewave, I have to warn her she's in danger. If anyone has let slip that she was with me at that bar or the apartment afterwards, she's in more danger than she can imagine." Keying the door open over his gun rack he pulls a handgun and loads a magazine, chambering the first round with a loud clack in the quiet room. "And she's in danger because of me. It's happening again Theory, and I won't let them do it again."

"Chris, what are you going to do?" asks the AI, letting concern enter its artificially melodic voice.

He slams the pistol into the holster rig high on his thigh as he pulls a Mossberg shotgun and racks the slide to chamber the first round, "Warn her, and get to them first if I can." Adding a sidesaddle of the special tazer rounds for the big bore weapon he walks back to the console and taps a spot on the map, "Drop me here Theory, I am not going to let these pricks get me without a fight." He steps towards the drop bay, "And don't give me the odds."

"Affirmative Chaos Cougar, good luck Chris."

* * *

The bear fem walks down the street, her arms full of groceries when she notices a hulking canine following her in a leather jacket and his gaze focused on her a bit too much to be casual. 'Must be a new hood in town to think his muscles will protect him,' she thinks as she turns down an unobtrusive alleyway. Setting her bags down; she turns to face the canine if he follows her into the alley. A moment later she sees the bulky German Shepherd pass the alley mouth without looking in her direction.

Lydia relaxes and sighs as she closes her eyes and speaks to herself, "Lydia, you're letting your nerves get the best of you again."

"Then again, maybe you haven't Plasma," says a voice from behind her.

She snaps around, her hands up and her trademark boomerang forming to be launched. Scanning the alley she finds no one there. "Where are you?" she shouts into the gloom of the dark alley.

"Behinds you, hehehe," laughs the voice and the female bear spins again to find nothing there.

She growls, the adrenaline flooding her system, readying her for the fight to come, "Come on out and fight! I never liked games of Marco Polo."

There is a soft puff and Lydia winces as she feels a stab in her shoulder. Turning her head she is surprised to find a dart has actually penetrated her fur and skin to sink a chemical concoction into her system. "Raaah," she roars as she rips the dart only to wince in surprise as two more punch into her, one in her stomach and the other hitting the sensitive flesh of her right breast. She is enraged at the indignity of an invisible attacker striking her in such a lewd manner as the edges of her vision start to darken. The ground comes up to meet her and she catches it with arms that tremble with the struggle to stay up. 'How did they know?' she asks herself as she feels her super strength fading like a dying bonfire into a pile of ashes.

The clicking of booted feet on the pavement of the alley seems to echo inside her head as she sees a female kangaroo with long black hair materialize out of the thin air in front of her. The white body suit the female wears hides none of her curves as she looks down at the bear and loads another set of darts into the strange gun in her hand, "I must admit Ms. Rumblewave, I'm impressed. That much tranquilizer would drop even Dog of War in his tracks." The kangaroo gives the bear a knowing smile, "Or should I call you Plasma my dear?"

Gritting her teeth at the strain she flings the boomerang still in her hand with her last reserves of strength at the kangaroo who lets out an, "Omph!" as the projectile hits her in the stomach and knocks her on her tail.

Lydia feels a smirk cross her muzzle as her arms collapse and she falls to her side looking up at the kangaroo still trying to catch her breath as the German Shepherd she saw earlier steps up to loom over her, "Ghostmedic, is she unconscious?"

"She will be soon, sir," the female says as she tries to stand erect again, a hand rubbing her sore abdomen. "I hit her with three darts of Meta-tranq." She primes the gun still in her hand and frowns at the bear, "Maybe I should hit her with a fourth, even if it could kill her."

He signals for her to relax with a wave of his hand before he squats next to the bear as her vision fades, "Just cooperate Ms. Rumblewave, we don't want you, and we don't want to hurt you more than we have to. We just need you to be the bait for our true prey." As her vision goes black she hears his final words, "Get her in the truck and secure her with the right manacles. I don't want her getting free before we have Chris Catamount back in the fold."

As blackness claims her consciousness her mind screams out, 'CHRIS!!! It's a TRAP!!!'

* * *

Chris steps from the open door of the Theory onto the fire-escape outside Lydia's apartment window. He looks through the window and his breath catches in his throat as he sees the mess inside the dark apartment. Furniture is smashed and thrown about the apartment. Picture frames on the walls are smashed, and there are shreds of clothing scattered everywhere. He controls the urge to break the window and charge to the rescue. He instead takes a small device from his bracer and sets it on the window frame, 'Thought so, alarmed,' he thinks as the lights on the device flash an angry red. With the press of a button he triggers the device to bypass the alarm system for the apartment. He watches, his anxiety growing by the second, as the red lights on the finger long device flash a few times before going solid green. The window gives a soft click as the electronic lock securing it releases and he steps into the ransacked apartment with the shotgun at the ready.

Sweeping the muzzle left and right he sees no signs of life in the living room while the flashlight on the end sweeps the room and illuminates the destruction. Reaching with trained fingers he triggers the sonic detection system on his helmet and the world turns into a set of blurred white lines against a black background. 'There, someone tied to a chair,' he thinks as he takes quick but careful steps into the bedroom.

He switches off the sonic system as he enters and his heart drops at the sight before him. Seated in the chair is not the lovely brown furred bear he remembers from their night of shared passion, but a female cougar, unbound, in skin tight black leather pants and a matching halter. A sidearm rests in her lap and a pair of handcuffs twirls on her finger as she smiles towards the stunned male with an all too familiar grin he had hoped to never see again, "Hello Chris, it's been a long time."

He settles the bead of the shotgun between her firm breasts, "Kathy, I told you we're done. What did you do with Lydia?"

The female rolls her eyes and brushes some stray strands of her flaming red hair from her eyes, "Oh please, like that little whore of a bear could take my male away from me? Besides, you need to get with the times, I'm Last Stand now." She winks at him, "I've gotten some improvements since we last met, and I bet I could do amazing things with your body now."

Chaos grits his teeth, his lips curling back in a snarl as his glove creaks with his grip on the fore stock of the shotgun, "You never did like it much that I refused to sleep with you, did you?" He focuses on the chair she still occupies as his eyes glow with an inner golden fire behind the black visor of his helmet. There is a cracking that echoes in the silent room as all of the joints of the wooden chair collapse at once.

"Ekk!" she squeals as she lands on her rump and her pistol skitters off under the bed. She rubs her rear as she glares up at the snarling male. "Still playing your little practical jokes huh Chris? When are you going to learn?"

His voice grows cold as ice, colder even if that could be possible, "The name's Chaos Cougar now, and I hunt scum like you to make the world a better place."

She stands, the muzzle of the shotgun following her every movement, "You're Chris Catamount, AWOL soldier of the US Army Meta Project, and we've been sent to bring you back soldier. So put the gun down and come with me."

"No," he says, his voice indicating the single word was as final as the falling of the headsman's axe.

She sighs and slaps dust off of her black leather pants, her breasts jiggling as she tries to brush it off her leather halter, "You always were a fool Chris. There is no option for you. Either we bring you back healthy, or we bring you back bloody, beaten, and broken." She licks her lips in a sultry manner, "I prefer my males still being able to perform personally, but I'm sure you'll be of use in a hospital bed if I can get the guards to leave us alone for a few."

"You want a performance, I'll give you one you cunt," he snarls as he pulls the trigger and the gun clicks. He looks at the gun in surprise as the females starts to laugh with hysterics.

"Hahahaha," she holds up a small black box as she gets the laughter under control. "A new toy from R&D; prevents gunpowder or explosives within a fifty foot radius from igniting, no matter what is done to it."

Chaos growls and lowers the muzzle of his now useless weapon, "Where is she?"

"Huh, oh you mean the bear bitch," the female says as if Lydia were less than a living person. She pulls a piece of paper out of her impressive cleavage and holds it out to him, "Here's the address."

He reaches for it and she snaps it back, "But Dog of War wanted me to tell you, if you show up with some of your Marshall buddies, we'll be forced to hurt her. I understand she can take a lot of punishment, she'd have to, going to bed with you, but I also understand she has quite the phobia."

Chaos snatches the paper scrap from her fingers and unfolds it, "Tell the Colonel I'll be there. And if she's been hurt in anyway, you will all regret it. I will pound all three of you to mud with every fiber of my being. There won't be anywhere you can hide from my wrath."

She smiles and takes two steps to close the distance between them and press her firm breasts against his chest causing them to surge to escape the top of her halter. She reaches a hand up and tilts her head to give him a kiss but the flash of steel stops her as she feels the cold edge against her neck. "Don't ever touch me again," he says, his fury barely under control as his hand trembles and a flicker of gold can be seen in his eyes through the black visor of his helmet. "Or I'll dig that computer out of your brain and leave you a lobotomized corpse on the floor for the rats."

She smirks as she steps back and away from the knife, "So dark for one who always believed himself a champion of the weak and downtrodden. I wonder what that little bear bitch would think of you if she heard you say those words right now. How about that village back in that no-name country we explored on our last assignment together? You know, where we killed everyone."

"RAAAHHH!" he shouts as he flings his knife at her, but it is no use as she fades out of existence, a fine dust settling to the carpet. He pants as he brings himself under control, "A solid state hologram." He looks at the address still in his hand and speaks into his radio, "Theory, we've got a few favors to call in."

* * *

The female cougar steps away from the holo-camera as the image of the enraged male disappears, "He's rather upset at me. I'd almost think he wasn't happy to see his mate again after all this time." She rests her hands on her hips and gives a disappointed pout.

The Colonel sits on a crate eating an MRE from its pouch with the tip of a combat knife, "You know, that might have something to do with that village we slaughtered before the lad went AWOL. I always said he was too soft hearted for field work. He's a good lad, but he just didn't have the stomach for what needed to be done to protect the nation." He stabs another piece of meat with the point of his knife as he looks over at the bound female bear and the kangaroo testing her bindings, "How's the prisoner?"

Ghostmedic nods as the gagged bear tries to tug at her bindings, "These would hold the Incredible Wonder, let along this little girl. She'll serve her purpose of bait," she says as she walks over to a table and picks up her own MRE and gulps down a mouthful, pouring it into her mouth without using a utensil.

The German Shepherd looks at the young bear and gives her what he thinks is a reassuring smile, "Don't worry miss. We'll be letting you go as soon as the lad agrees to come back home with us. Then you'll never have to see any of us again. It really is for the best if he returns with us. His country needs him back, preferably intact."

The female cougar frowns as she circles the bound and helpless female, her eyes studying the nude female, "You know, I don't know what he sees in you. I got better tits, more endurance probably, and I'm at least his own species. You're just some tramp with delusions of being a hero. Hell, I bet you subdue the street gangs on your back with your legs spread," the cougar gives the bear and evil grin, "Or do you prefer it on your knees?"

Lydia struggles against her bonds and tries to leap at the cougar who laughs at her, "So much anger. Trust me girl, I'm doing you a favor taking that silly feline back. He was never meant for lesser beings like you freaks. He belongs to the US Army and will always be ours. He was selected to be my mate as the highest possibility of passing on his gifts." The feline grips Lydia's chin and lifts it to look her in the eyes, "So remember little whore, you were never going to be allowed to be more than a weekend fuck for my male."

Lydia tries to bite despite the gag and the feline adjusts a control of the bracer of her right arm that resembles the one Chris wears before she rears back and slaps her hard across the face, leaving Lydia woozy with pain no ordinary person could inflict upon her.

"Last Stand, you are ordered to stand down!" barks the Colonel.

The feline looks over her shoulder at her commander before sneering back down at the bound bear, "This bear is an insult to my mate. I want to see it punished." Her nostrils flare, "I can still smell his trace on her. She should have never been allowed to touch him, let alone receive pleasure from his touch. His seed was polluted by her touch."

Dog of War steps down from his crate and steps up to rest a firm hand on the cougar's shoulder, "Go and eat! You are not to approach the young lady again." He turns her away from the bound bear and gives her a gentle shove towards the table and the warmed MRE waiting for her before he squats in front of Lydia to take her chin in his hand and lift it gently. He wipes a tiny trickle of blood that has started to flow from her nose, "I am sorry for that Ms. Rumblewave. Last Stand has had a thing for Chris since he was recruited when his powers became evident," the big canine explains with a gentle voice. "She isn't a bad sort, but she gets jealous with ease when it comes to Chris." He takes a handkerchief and dabs at the trickle of blood and sighs, "We never should have given her that kinetic amplifier. If you weren't a Meta that might have even killed you, you're a lucky one girl to be tough like me."

Lydia stares at him with a combination of fear and anger burning in her eyes as he stands and returns to his perch on the crate which protests under him with a loud creaking. 'Where are you Chris?' she asks inside her head, wishing telepathy was one of her powers. Her cheek still stings from the slap that female cougar gave her. 'Who are these Metas, and where are the Marshalls. Surely Chris has informed them that there is a dangerous set of Metas running the streets now. These three could be a bigger threat than some of the egotistical villains who just want loads of money or hours of sex.' She thinks of the reports about Chaos Cougar and mentally shakes her head, 'He's going to come in alone. Dear God, don't let him be that foolish. Don't come alone Chris, it's a trap!'

* * *

Dog of War looks up from the copy of Playfur he was thumbing through, actually reading the articles rather than ogling the nude females, as the front door of the warehouse bangs open and a single set of booted feet echoes within the spacious building. He smiles as he drops the magazine on the table and stands with the other two members of his team to greet the young cougar walking in with an arsenal strapped to him. He claps his hands together a few times before holding his arms out in a welcoming gesture to the young soldier, "Chris, now I know you didn't come here to fight us. After all, we're all old friends lad. Not to mention brothers in arms though more firefights than either of us can remember." With a casual shove he turns the chair Lydia is bound to around to show the furious soldier their prisoner as he takes a few more steps closer and stops. "Now, I'd really hate to hurt this young girl because you refused to do your duty for your nation."

Chaos Cougar grips the shotgun tighter as he responds with a complete lack of emotion in his voice, "This is between you and me Colonel, let the girl go. I know you may be bulletproof, but the other two aren't and I got enough firepower to level a city block."

Lydia hears the lack of emotion in his voice and it brings a tear to her eye as she tries to call out to Chaos Cougar, to tell him to run, but all that escapes her gagged muzzle is a high pitched, "Mmmmm! Mmmmm!" She closes her eyes as she tries to scream at him to run, the tears flowing from her eyes leaving darker tracks down the brown fur of her face.

The cougar's eyes flick behind his visor to the bound Lydia and his mouth dips in a frown, "Why is she nude? I thought you had more honor than this Dog of War. Have you really fallen so low?"

Last Stand steps up and poses, an assault rifle resting over her shoulder as she smiles and gives a girly wave to the impassive male, "Why so I could see the goods babe. Though I must admit, she ain't much to look at. Little shy in the chest and excess in the ass if you ask me. Though I guess that does give her more cushion for the pushin." She snorts and rolls her eyes, "Typical bear, always got the extra pounds where it doesn't count in the end." She beams at the helmeted cougar again, "Now, how about you drop that hardware, all of it? That way we can let the whore go so we can get down to business and get you back to base, where you belong, in my bed." She coughs, "I mean in our barracks."

Ghostmedic puts away the small handheld scanner she had been studying since the cougar had walked into the warehouse, "Last Stand, you're not making things easier. You're pissing him off, and the readings of chaotic flux around him are increasing. He's already at scale six, don't push him."

The female feline laughs, "Nonsense, he wants to come back with me. He knows where he belongs." She runs a hand from her collarbone down to her halter top and pulls the center lower to expose more of her vast cleavage in a teasing show for Chaos Cougar.

Dog of War snarls at the feline and snaps, "Silence, Last Stand, or I'll have you gagged with your own panties!"

She turns to face the big canine but she hesitates as her eyes go wide. She points to the empty chair where the bear had been bound, "Where did she go?!"

A new voice echoes in the warehouse, one softer and with a lilt of humor in it, "You should be asking who let her loose I think since we all know she did not free herself. Those ropes were good, some special enhancement or magic to make them unbreakable I suppose, but we all know the Gordian knot was untied by a sword, not by strength."

The three military Metas turn as one to see a white fox wearing loose black pants out of a samurai flick and carrying a pair of sheathed samurai swords standing next to the young soldier. One hand rests on the hilt of a sword while the other carefully strokes the gold pendant hanging from his neck. Dog of War flexes his muscles as his hands clench with the cracking of knuckles, "I warned you not to involve the Marshalls boy. Now we're going to have to hurt you and your friend there."

The fox frowns and there is a shimmer behind him as his one tail appears to multiply into a swirl of fur, "I assure you, I am not a Marshall large warrior." There is a hiss of steel as the fox stops fingering the pendant and pulls the pair of swords from their scabbards and takes up a martial stance with the longer sword pointed forward in his right hand and the shorter one folded back along his left forearm, "I am Master Ryuutarou of the Hidden Dragon Dojo, and my friend here is in my debt on a matter of life and honor many times over. I would never let him enter such a trap as this without my assistance. Besides, my students needed to observe how useless modern weapons are against one who is trained in the true arts."

There is silence for a moment as the group of military Metas absorb the fox's words. "Ghostmedic, drop him," the big canine orders as if the fox was a bug to be stepped on.

The kangaroo raises her pistol and squeezes the trigger twice, sending a pair of drug laced darts straight at the fox's chest. To the surprise of the kangaroo there is a whoosh of steel through air and the tink of the darts imbedding into the concrete floor. The white fox grins and a sparkle shines in his eye as he relaxes again and returns his blades to their ready position.

Dog of War raises an eyebrow in surprise at the speed of the swordsman, "You are good son, but you really shouldn't interfere in matters of national security."

The fox scoffs and tosses his head to flick his thin braid over his shoulder, "Son? I am more than a thousand years old young pup, and I would like some respect from the younger generation gathered here. I have fought the hordes of Genghis Kahn and survived the hell fire of nuclear war, there is little you can do to me."

Ghostmedic's eyes widen and she yanks her scanner from the pouch on her leg to focus it on the fox as her pistol clatters to the ground with an echo in the suddenly quiet building, "Colonel, he's not an ordinary vulpine..."

Dog of War nods before she can continue, "I know. He's a kitsune, masters in illusion and elemental attacks. Hard to count from here, but I'm guessing nine tails from his speed and mannerisms. He's a class seven threat at least, probably pushing an eight."

There is a purple glow from behind the three and they turn to see Plasma holding a massive glowing purple hammer, a female tiger in a green ninja outfit and holding a sword at the ready beside her. Plasma looks the three soldiers over and grumbles, "You know, I really hate when someone threatens my friends." She charges at Last Stand, the hammer reared back for a swing, "And this is for saying I got a fat ass you oversized pussy!"

The cougar tries to bring her weapon around to point at the enraged female bear, but she is far too slow as the hammer connects in an upward swing that sends her flipping tits over ass to land hard on the concrete floor and knock all the air from her lungs. She continues her swing to focus on Dog of War but the big dog catches the hammer's shaft with ease, ripping it from her grip without much effort. He tosses the weapon over his shoulder as it dissipates, "Girl, that was foolish. You are a class three threat, four at best. You are no match for us."

Everyone hesitates for a moment as a noise edges into their awareness. Ryuutarou grins and nods to Chaos Cougar, "It seems Chiyako's friend got our message and made a few calls to his fellow officers after all. Good, this will be entirely legal then."

Last Stand is pulling herself to her knees as she touches the tender spot that used to be her chin, "What is that?"

Dog of War looks up as the music reaches its peak. "You have got to be kidding me! Nickleback!" he shouts as a white and black striped suit of powered armor crashes through the skylight to the lines of 'If Everyone Cared'. Landing in the middle of the floor surrounded by the crashing glass raining around him the hulking suit stands as the music amplifies, "Then we'd see the day when nobody died". The music fades to a faint background level and a small plate moves aside to show an MPD badge on the chest of the armored figure, "MPD, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of a citizen of Megalopolis, assault on same citizen, and because I don't like the looks of you. You can make it easy on yourself and come quietly, or we can do this the hard way."

Plasma takes a fearful step backwards from the armored figure as her thoughts run in circles, 'I know it's a living person, it's not a robot. I know it's a living person, it's not a robot. I know it's a living person...' The terror on her face grows as various weapons deploy from the powered suit and in her mind she only sees them targeting her despite the fact that none of them are focused on her. "NO!!!!" she screams as she falls on her naked ass trying to back away and starts skittering across the floor.

Ryuutarou recognizes the true terror radiating from Lydia and makes a series of hand gestures to the tigress who nods in understanding before throwing the frozen bear over her shoulder and slamming a smoke bomb at her feet to hide their escape. When the smoke clears there is nothing to show the ninja and the bear had ever existed except a whiff of rose petal perfume.

Dog of War sighs and looks to Ghostmedic, dissatisfaction clear on his face. "Did I mention I hate coming here? Too many damn freaks around this town to let you do an honest day's work in the name of national security."

Armored Tiger steps forward, his armored foot grinding the glass to powder under his tread, "This isn't for national security. I already checked and the government claims you're all AWOL soldiers out to create havoc." Armored Tiger stands before the three military Metas as Chaos Cougar and Ryuutarou step up to flank him, "Now, do you surrender?"

Dog of War cracks his neck and smiles down at the armored figure, "I don't think you really know who you're messing with tin can."

"Neither do you big guy," Armored Tiger flicks his tail and a pair of tazer darts fling towards the over-muscled dog only to bounce off his thick hide and clatter to the concrete, discharging their burst into the ground harmlessly. The armored cop turns to Ryuutarou, "Ok, that I wasn't expecting."

Ryuutarou grins at Armored Tiger, "You take the muscled one, you've got the armor after all. Chaos, you get the crazy one. I'll take care of the strange kangaroo who thinks she's tricky."

The cougar racks the slide of his gun, "They're all crazy my friend."

Last Stand starts to laugh as she finally stands from where Plasma had knocked her, "You think we didn't take precautions against your little guns babe? No gunpowder will work in this building, just like at the whore's apartment."

Chaos Cougar shows a flicker of a grin, "That's why this doesn't use gunpowder you pussy." He pulls the trigger and there is no clicking of a hammer or bang of an explosion, only the whining of mag rails as it fires a tazer slug in a burst of blue light.

Dog of War catches the round in his hand and crushes it before the female cougar can react, "Now lad, you know that was foolish. I think..."

He is cut off by the slam of a metal encased fist across his jaw. The big canine turns his head slowly to look at Armored Tiger, "Alright lad, it's on!" He throws a roundhouse which the armored feline ducks as he turns the volume on his playlist up and delivers a series of quick jabs into the canine's stomach. The canine catches his forearm and throws the armored suit into and through a wall. Chasing after Armored Tiger he is rewarded by an uppercut that actually lifts the heavy dog off his feet to crash to the floor on his back before he shakes his head to clear it and stands up again.

While the two titans duke it out in a fist fight Ghostmedic looks at the kitsune while he advances slowly towards her. Squatting, she picks up her pistol and fades away with a mischievous grin on her muzzle. "You can't fight what you can't see," her voice echoes coming from no one direction in the echoing building.

Ryuutarou closes his eyes and smiles knowingly, "Foolish girl, you can't hide your presence that easily with simple tricks." With an almost casual move he spins and snaps out with a practiced sweep.

There is the thud of his leg making contact and a feminine cry, "Aie!"

Ryuutarou grins as the shock of landing on her backside makes Ghostmedic loose her concentration and fade back into existence. "Don't you know? Don't try to out trick a kitsune young lady, we invented tricks."

She brings her pistol up to fire a snap shot at the vulpine and is shocked as he bursts into a mist and the darts pass through the air he used to occupy. "That's not fair," she squeals and gasps as she feels the tip of a sword rest against the side of her neck.

"One of my masters taught me all is fair and love and war young lady, and we are not in love," says the kitsune with a roguish smile.

Chaos Cougar ducks behind a crate as a rain of energy bolts impact the metal surface from the enraged female cougar across the room. He grunts as a single bolt finally manages to punch through the crate and find the meat of his right shoulder with a searing white pain. Gritting his teeth he focuses on his opponent and the gun she is raining fire at him with. His eyes flash with a golden light for a moment and there is the sound of Last Stand's gun beeping as something inside the complex piece of equipment fails at just the wrong time. With a practiced hand he pulls four cartridges from his vest and thumbs them into the magazine of the shotgun without looking. He racks the slide to load the first of the special munitions and the sound echoes in the room filled with the cracking of stone and steel over the blaring music as the two titans continue their rampage against each other.

Last Stand throws her now useless gun at the crate with a snarl, "You're going to come home with me, even if it's on a stretcher!" She draws an oversized sidearm and Chaos Cougar feels a dart deflect off his helmet as he peeks from behind his cover.

Jerking himself back, he reaches into a pouch and removes a hockey puck sized object. He presses the center of the device and a small red light starts to flash. With a sidearm throw he lets the object skip along the ground towards Last Stand. The female sees the object coming and dives for cover as it explodes with an eye searing light.

As the flash brightens the room Chaos Cougar stands from behind his cover and advances on the female, his shotgun firing the four special rounds into the ground around the screaming female kneeling with her hands clapped over her ears. As her eyes clear she pulls herself into a crouch and snarls at Chaos Cougar as she slams another magazine into her sidearm, "I was helpless and you still couldn't shoot me. How pathetic," she spits at him as the muzzle rises towards him. "Now surrender and tell your friends you're coming with us."

Chaos Cougar shakes his head and Last Stand hesitates, the muzzle of her pistol lowering in surprise, "What do you mean no?"

He takes a step closer and seems to tap on the air between them resulting in the thumping of a gloved finger on glass. The female's eyes widen as she throws herself towards the male only to impact a perfectly transparent and unbreakable surface. She claws at the transparent walls around her and finds the box that surrounds her in anchored by the strange rounds he had shot into the ground around her.

"Let me out of here!" she screams, unable to move more than two feet in any direction.

Chaos turns away from her and thumbs several more rounds into the shotgun as he surveys the situation. Ghostmedic is on her knees, her wrists and ankles bound with ropes and the white kitsune sitting casually in the chair that had held Lydia recently. "You could have helped," says the cougar with a voice so neutral it could define the term.

The kitsune grins, "You had her well in hand." He flicks a thumb towards the two juggernauts, "How do you suppose we should stop th..." He surges to his feet and reaches to grab the male cougar but is too slow as a large hand snatches his throat and lifts him into the air.

His shotgun falls from hands that try to grip the oversized forearm and pummel it to break its hold. Dog of War turns the cougar to face him as the dog snarls, "You are coming with us! Or I will crush your neck right now and leave you paralyzed if you're lucky. We can still use you even if you can't move your arms and legs." Chaos Cougar can't answer as the grip on his throat gives him barely enough air to stay conscious. The canine smirks, "What? Can't concentrate enough to use your little power when I cut off your air?" He shakes his head, "No, you would never use your power on a living person, not after that little village would you?"

Ryuutarou pulls his lips back in a snarl of rage as he watches the muscled Meta lift the much smaller cougar off his feet. "Drop him Dog of War, if you injure him you will make an enemy you could never hope to defeat or escape in a dozen lifetimes."

Armored Tiger pulls himself out of the last wall he'd been thrown through and brackets the Meta holding Chaos Cougar. His right hand gives a flick and a sword of blue energy crackles from the back of his right hand. "You're outnumbered and overmatched, let him go!" the tiger's angry voice echoes from the loud speakers on his suit as the music once more fades to a background level.

The dog sneers at the two, "I think you don't understand, I have the ace card right here." He shakes the gasping feline in his outstretched hand like a rag doll, "Now lower your weapons or I'll ruin this pussy cat's life with a simple squeeze." Chaos Cougar's mouth opens in a silent scream as the canine squeezes right to the edge of doing serious damage by shattering his vertebrae.

"ARRRAAAAHHHHH!" echoes a scream from behind the canine as a purple glow flashes into existence in the room. He turns his head just in time to see Plasma charging him, her favored weapon, a hammer, swinging down behind her to come up with all the force she can build.

The canine's ears lower and he whimpers, "Fuck," as the hammer swings up between his legs in a purple blur too fast to dodge. The head of the hammer impacts its target with every ounce of power behind the swing. "AAOOOWWWWWWW!" the big canine howls at a higher register then he had ever before. The hand holding Chaos Cougar off the floor opens as it joins the other in cupping the Colonel's injured privates and the vigilante drops to the floor gasping and holding his bruised neck.

Plasma runs to Chaos Cougar and kneels beside him. She pulls his head into her still naked lap as she strokes his cheek and tries to sooth him, tears running dark tracks through the fur on her face to drip onto his helmet. "My brave soldier, what did they do to you?" she asks with a hoarse voice as the cougar gasps and struggles for air.

Ryuutarou winces with sympathy for the canine curled into a ball on the ground in agony, "I don't care how tough you are, that has to hurt. I don't think his voice will ever be the same after that."

Armored Tiger nods in agreement, "I'll call for a wagon for these three, see if maybe the Marshalls want to take them..." he trails off as the three incapacitated Metas seem to fade out of existence leaving behind only the traces of the battle against the group of heroes.

Kinuko steps out of the shadows to stand next to her mate, a hand wrapping itself around his waist as he slips his swords back into their scabbards with a soft sigh of steel against wood. "Where did they go?" the tigress asks, her voice as soft as a summer breeze as her faint perfume tickles Ryuutarou's nose.

Armored Tiger is scanning the area frantically, "I detected a transmat beam, very dangerous technology to use with living beings."

"They have it, the unit," gasps Chaos Cougar as he tries to sit up but Plasma doesn't let him lift his head from her naked lap where she pillows him.

The armored suit looks at him, "You got to be kidding me? That's suicidal."

Chaos Cougar shakes his head, "No, it is not a common technology but they do have a transmat device. They don't use it much due to the power requirements. It'll take another month to slowly build the capacitors to the proper charge to use it again, but it is used for exactly this kind of event, to extract an incapacitated team from a hostile zone of operation before the team is lost."

Armored Tiger nods in understanding before rubbing his gauntlets together, "Well, since I don't have anyone to arrest anymore I think I better get back to the station. I forgot to let the Chief know I would be out on an independent case tonight."

Ryuutraou rests a hand on the heavy suit's armored shoulder, "Thank you for coming at our friend's request."

The tone of the voice over the speaker indicates the male inside the armor is smiling, "Wouldn't have missed it for the world. I got a few more ideas to tinker with now for facing Metas like that Dog of War jerk. I might even need to make a new variant of my armor just for those fights." He gives them a friendly wave and with the hum of thrusters lifts himself back through the skylight he crashed through to enter the building.

Ryuutarou smiles at his mate and rubs her nose through her mask with his own, "You did wonderful my dear, and thank you for keeping the students out of this." He looks up to the rafters of the warehouse and a group of four females leap to the floor. The female ninjas bow to Master Ryuutarou and the gray furred kitsune speaks, "Master, it was an interesting learning experience. We hope to use the lessons learned today in our next battle with the Shadow Dojo."

The white kitsune smiles with pride, "I'm sure you will my students. Now, back to Dragon Tower with all of you," he orders with a flick of his head.

The four ninja females bow again before leaping out of sight and out of the building. Kinuko kisses her mate on the cheek, "I better go with them mate of my heart. I will see you soon?"

He smiles, "Yes mate of my soul, I will join you shortly."

The tigress gives the kitsune a respectful bow before she too leaps out of sight in pursuit of the students.

Ryuutarou looks to the two still in the middle of the floor, "Chris my friend, will you be alright?"

The Cougar reaches up and with the aid of Plasma removes his helmet, "Yes Master Ryuutarou, we'll leave in a minute. The Theory is locking onto our location; I didn't tell Armored Tiger I have one of those transmat devices myself. Don't want anyone hunting me for a piece of technology; I got enough things hunting me as you saw today."

The kitsune nods in understanding, "Do not hesitate to call me if you need assistance again my friend. My debt to you is still not paid in full."

Chris looks up at the kitsune, "You've helped me on more than one occasion, when will you considered the debt paid?"

Ryuutarou smiles and answers with a lilt in his voice, "When time has come to an end my friend." Without another word he dissipates into a mist and is gone.

Lydia looks down at Chris and runs her hand through his sweat soaked hair, "You came for me, knowing it was a trap?"

He smiles and reaches a tired hand up to cup her cheek, "Knowing it is a trap is the first step in avoiding it."

The device on his arm beeps and he turns his wrist to look, "Theory, two to transmat. And fill a warm bath, I think we could both use a soak in the captain's cabin after today."

"Certainly Colonel, stand by for transmat," the voice of the AI says before the two vigilantes disappear in a glimmer of light leaving behind only another run down warehouse and the indications of a serious fight.

* * *

Light glints off a small lens in one corner of the vast warehouse as a small camera ball turns to scan the room. At the other end of the video pick-up a figure sits in a dark room illuminated only be the screen. "Curiouser and curiouser," the dark figure comments as he lifts a glass of twelve year old scotch to his lips and takes a generous sip. "Chaos Cougar, Christopher Catamount, I knew you were special, but never that special." He ejects the recorded video disk from the desk's terminal and looks at it, "I could expose so much with this," he stares at the disk before slipping it into a protected drawer marked 'secrets'. "But what would be the fun in that, if I told all the villains who every hero was there would be no spice in life. I can't stand the idea that life would get boring."

A door opens behind the figure and a well-endowed arctic vixen stands silhouetted in the light from the hallway. Her shapely body outlined inside the almost transparent gossamer nightgown, "Master, are you coming back to bed? We woke and found you missing. The bed is too big and lonely without you there."

The winged black equine shuts off the terminal and secures the drawer with a palm-lock, "Of course my pet, how could I resist such an offer from such a lovely female." He stands and wrapping a hand around the smaller vixen's waist and leans over to kiss her tenderly as he escorts her from the room, securing the door behind him.

All characters unless otherwise stated are the property of Christopher Gilman.Story © Copyright Christopher Gilman 2014 all rights reservedPlasma © Copyright Goliath Thunderstep and used with permissionMegalopolis and Andrea Stewart © Copyright Goliath Thunderstep and Emerald Cistern and used with permission mail me and tell me what you think at [email protected]