FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Dewey by 12 as SonicHowler Originally published March 9, 2007

Eighteen-year-old Dewey Raiden smiled as he triumphantly waved his new diploma at his guardian. Laitan Somerson smiled back and greeted him with a big hug. "Congratulations, Dewey! Your long journey's over!"

Dewey smiled as he hugged the fur he'd known as a father for as long as he could remember. "Not quite, Lai! I still wanna become a video game designer, so I've got to go to college!"

Laitan rolled his eyes. "Heh, every teen's ambition. Come on! We've got furs coming over to celebrate."

Laitan had raised Dewey since "the incident" as his own son. He never married, and never had any kids of his own--Dewey was enough. He was a headstrong boy who had always done his best in school, despite a rough patch in his elementary years when he first learned what had happened to his parents and his brothers. Nobody from even the combined forces of Trentbriar and Danford had ever been able to find Timba and Yama.

Just like his father had been, Dewey was on a variety of teams. He was very athletic and liked to work out. Laitan often found himself spending a fortune on exercise and sport equipment, as well as various video games. Dewey even_looked_ just like Rejan had, though unlike his father, Dewey did not have a girlfriend.

Exercise equipment and entertainment weren't the only things Laitan had spent a fortune on. He smiled at the pure delight on Dewey's face as he tossed him the keys to a shiny, blue, brand-new Nissan 350Z convertible, his reward for doing a great job in school and for being a great kid. Dewey could hardly contain his excitement. The whole time the graduation party had been going on, he had been told that the car belonged to a guest. Apparently, that meant the guest of honor! Once he calmed down, he grabbed Laitan's paw.

"We've got to go for a drive in it, Lai! Come with me! Pleeeease?"

Laitan chuckled. "Alright, but you'd better not floor it or you might flip me right out of the car!" Of course, he knew that would be the first thing Dewey would do anyway after lowering the top. Sure enough, Dewey sat behind the wheel, hit the clutch and turned the car on, and, after marveling at the welcoming hum of the new engine, buckled up, put down the top, put it in gear, and put the pedal right to the floor. Laitan hung on for dear life as the car shot out of the driveway and across the street. He had to laugh afterward.

"Okay, okay, that was fun!" he grinned as Dewey leveled out his speed. Dewey had never even ridden in a convertible before, never mind owned one, and a high-end one at that! Together, they drove through miles of city to the outskirts of town, over an interstate lined with greenery that glowed golden with as the shimmering sun started its decent over the horizon. Laitan looked over at Dewey. The wind was blowing through his fur and he was allowed to drive over seventy-five miles an hour in his very own sports convertible. He no longer had to drive the rickety old Escort he had been given as a starter vehicle. Laitan smiled, his heart lifted at seeing the smile on Dewey's face. The young canine was having the time of his life. Then again, so was Laitan.

After about an hour, Laitan began to feel tired. He stretched and yawned, reclining his seat a bit.

"Hey, Dewey, shouldn't you turn back now? You're getting a lot of miles on this thing for your first go! Aren't you tired?"

Dewey's blue eyes were bright with energy. "No way, Lai! I could do this all night! Oh, this is the best! Did I thank you already?Thank you!"

Lai grinned and rolled his eyes. "Only a billion times! C'mon, I'm tired. Turn back, okay?"

"Oh, alright," Dewey sighed. At least he'd still get to drive for one more hour before they arrived at home.

All of a sudden, there was a huge explosion about a mile away from where they were. Thick, black smoke penetrable only by the gigantic flames that licked at the sky interrupted the majesty of the setting sun. Startled, Dewey swerved, and Laitan bolted upright. More explosions began happening in a circle that went all the way around the city as the roar of helicopters came overhead. All of them were completely black and completely unmarked. Dewey watched in horror as a door opened on the one over his head, and machine guns began to fire.

"Turn around!" Laitan shouted. "We've got to get out of here right_now!_"

Dewey didn't bother to search for a turning lane. He slowed down and wrenched the steering wheel to the left. With a squeal of tires, the car swung around, almost drifting to the other side of the road. As soon as he was positioned opposite the way he was going originally, Dewey floored it once again.

"Lai, what's going on?" asked Dewey. "Is it the wolves?"

"I have no idea! All I know is that we've got to keep moving! Head toward home, but don't go there until this is over! We don't want anyone finding out where we live and making us a target!"

All of a sudden, another helicopter burst out of nowhere, roaring overhead, sending huge gusts of machine-driven wind down to the ground. Dewey yelped and kept going, hoping the helicopter wouldn't follow. Unfortunately, it did. Dewey wondered vaguely if it was specifically following him and Lai or just heading the same way.

"Dewey, turn on the headlights! It's getting dark!" shouted Laitan. Dewey obliged, grinning at the orange glow in the gauge cluster momentarily, and then staring out at the road. His eyes began to widen.

"No... way...."

"What? What is it?! Is it more gunfurs?"

"I don't believe it...."

"Dewey! Tell me!"

"This... thing... has... H... I... D's! Oh,_this is _sooo awesome!" Sure enough, the High Intensity Discharge headlights were giving off a bright, bluish-white light.

"DEWEY! NOT NOW!"

The sound of gunshot reinforced Laitan's yell.

"On second thought, turn off the headlights until they go!" said Laitan. "We don't want them to be able to single us out!"

Dewey sped past home and kept going. Soon, the helicopters had left the outer ends of the city and were more towards the center. Dewey flicked on the headlights once again, still drooling silently over the HID headlights, and headed back home.

Ecstatic about being able to put the extra space in the two-car garage to use, Dewey parked his shiny new pride and joy, put the top up, and raced inside. The two huskies did not turn on a single electric light. Using only a couple of LED flashlights, they gathered some supplies. Laitan went to the kitchen to grab some snacks, while Dewey grabbed some blankets and pillows, and, holding his flashlight in his mouth, grabbed a long TV cable from the garage and ran it from a wall to the basement. He came back for Laitan's thirteen-inch television, hooked it up, and turned it to the news as Laitan joined him with fruit, cereal, and chips. They didn't know how long the attackers planned to stay over or in their city, but they were preparing to be there for at least the rest of the night.

"We apologize for interrupting scheduled programming," said a news reporter. Fire was blazing behind her on one half of the screen, while the other was showing scenes of the damage caused by the furs in the helicopters. "The mayor has declared a civil defense emergency. The city of Trentbriar is currently under attack by unknown furs in black, unmarked helicopters. Officials have flown up to try and bring them down, but have so far been unsuccessful. Nobody outside the helicopters has been able to obtain the reason for this attack, but you can see behind me the kind of damage it's causing. This is where a bomb of some sort was dropped; you can see how it made a large crater-like hole, and the whole place is just ablaze. Firefighters are trying hard to take care of each scene, but there are just not enough of them, and the fires will not stay inside their craters for long. If you are willing to help them, carefully make your way to a local fire station. Otherwise, it is_mandatory_ that you turn off all lights to avoid being singled out by the attackers, and stay away from all windows and doors. If you can, move to a basement or some other shelter for the time being. We'll keep you posted throughout the night, so stay tuned to Channel Fourteen News."

Dewey stared hard at the screen as a live broadcast of the helicopters was shown again. A door on the biggest helicopter was open, and, standing fearlessly right where the door should be, a confident smirk on his face, stood a timber wolf. He had a silver earring in the end of his left ear, and wore a black, unbuttoned trench coat with a white dress shirt left untucked over white jeans that were supported by a black belt. Paws in the pockets of the coat, the bottom of which was flowing in the wind, he seemed to be the dark overseer of the chaos that was occurring below.

Dewey couldn't see this, but the wolf whispered one sentence: "I'm coming for you, number three."

It was morning before the helicopters finally left. Weary police officers, tired of trying to keep the helicopters from landing and trying to figure out why this was happening or even who was making it happen, went to their homes for well-deserved sleep to let the day crew take over. The only damage that had been done was from the bombs just outside the city. The firefighters and their volunteers were all exhausted and covered in soot. Inside the city, birds sang above the dew-covered trees and the sun shone brightly as if nothing had ever happened.

Dewey groaned, the somewhat musty scent of the basement reaching his nose. Laitan had already gone to work, but he had left a note for Dewey:

Dewey:

The all-clear came this morning. You may go out, but be very alert in case those helicopters return. I made breakfast for you; it's in the oven. Be careful, and don't rev the car too hard--that's not good for it! Have fun!

_ Lai_

Dewey grinned. There was no more school to worry about, at least until college started. There was no homework, no helicopters, and he had the whole day to himself and a shiny new sport convertible with HID headlights and a black leather interior in his garage. He took the TV back to Laitan's room, threw out the empty snack bags and wrappers, rolled up his sleeping bag, and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and groom himself.

After wolfing down his breakfast, taking a shower, getting dressed, and spraying on his favorite scent of AXE, he ran to the garage. He grabbed his CD case on the way. He hopped into the drivers' seat and started the car, inhaling deeply as the air conditioner blew a blast of cold air into his face.

"Mmm, I love this new car smell!" He smiled and leaned over to the center console.

"OH YES!" Next to the word "Nissan" was the word "Bose." This car was the_best!_ He popped in his CD and turned up the volume, enjoying the rich bass as he put down the top and backed out of the garage. He grinned happily, putting on a pair of sleek, sporty sunglasses. His blue T-shirt and black jeans perfectly complimented the colors of his new pride and joy as he drove several blocks away to the home of his best friend, a tiger called Kanei. He smirked at how Kanei's face would look at the sight of his car. Just to surprise him, he parked two houses down. Without bothering to put the top back up, he ran over to Kanei's home, ringing the doorbell excitedly. Kanei answered, rubbing his eyes.

"Dewey?" he yawned. "It's the morning after graduation. Why are you up at eleven o'clock in the morning? It's an unwritten law that you're supposed to get up at two."

Dewey laughed. "Are you _serious,_K? Come on! It feels great out here!"

"It's summer. It's hot outside."

"So? The sky's all clear, and it's not humid! Come to the park with me! I'll call the other guys while you get ready."

Kanei yawned again. "Okay. I'll be out in a bit."

Dewey nodded as his friend went to get ready. In the meantime, he grabbed his cell phone and began to call some more of his friends, standing in the driveway so he could keep an eye on his new car.

It was half an hour before Kanei came out, wearing a red T-shirt with white sleeves and a pair of white basketball shorts.

"So, Dewey," he teased, "why am I cursed with your presence this morning, hmm?"

Dewey grinned and shoved him playfully. "Silly cat. Come on, let's go!"

"Hey, wait a minute, where's your car?"

"Over there," said Dewey.

Kanei didn't see the old, rickety, burgundy Ford Escort he was used to seeing Dewey drive. He was stunned when Dewey hopped into the driver's seat of a convertible that had its top down.

"Dewey! You're gonna get in trouble! Get out of there!"

"No, of course I'm not!" He started his car, laughing at the astonished look on his friend's face. "Haha, get in!"

"Whoa!" Kanei slowly got into the passenger's seat. "This thing's yours?" Dewey nodded. "That's so awesome! I've always wanted to ride in one of these!"

Dewey grinned as he cranked up the music and drove to the park, where a bunch of his friends promised they would meet him and Kanei.

Lake Sylian Park was the largest and cleanest park in Trentbriar and Danford combined. Lake Sylian itself was in the center of the park. A good two miles in any direction from where lake became land was host to grassy fields, basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, a huge recreational field dotted with small hills and trees, and even a big swimming pool. Around the perimeter of the park, a wide walkway surrounded by tall pine trees with benches strategically placed at the best parts was perfect for nature-walkers and bikers.

Dewey parked his car in the parking lot, where his friends were already waiting for him. They marveled at his new set of wheels.

"Yowza! Dewey, where'd you get that?!" asked a German Shepherd, who was affectionately called Ace.

Dewey grinned. "Lai gave it to me for a graduation present."

"Well let me tell you," said a Dalmatian called Zack, "Lai rocks!"

Dewey nodded in agreement. "That, he does!"

"Not too good for us now, are ya, Dew?"

"'Course not!"

"Good!" said a German Shepherd. "'Cause DAZE needs ya!"

DAZE was the band Dewey was in. They played all kinds of music, but rock was their favorite to play. DAZE was an acronym for Dewey, Ace, Zack, and Eddie (Eddie being the Doberman).

"So!" said Ace. "You call us here just to show off?"

Dewey smirked. "Of course! Wouldn't you do that?"

"Eh, good point."

"Nah," continued Dewey, "actually I just wanted to hang out. That helicopter thing was nutso last night!"

Kanei nodded. "Seriously. Everyone was wondering if we needed a bomb shelter. I'm surprised they're letting us out of our homes today!"

Jerlon, a rabbit that was listening quietly, suddenly pointed toward the lake. "Hey, that dude over there looks just like Dewey!"

Dewey tilted his head as Jerlon bounded off. He squinted at the husky in question as they all watched Jerlon converse with him.

"Hard to tell from here," he said. "Oh, they're coming over here."

Jerlon grinned when he came back. "C'mere, Dewey. You two stand next to each other."

Dewey shrugged and got out of the car, as did Kanei, and the tiger and the others all studied the two huskies closely. They only differences they could see were in the hairstyles that the two had.

"Hmm," said Eddie thoughtfully, "they don't look exactly alike, but they definitely look similar, especially around the markings and the eyes."

Dewey and his double looked at each other. "Maybe," they chorused in unison. "What's your name?"

"That's insane!" laughed Zack.

Suddenly, the honk of a car horn interrupted them. A black Lincoln Navigator with heavily-tinted windows had pulled up behind Dewey's car.

"Sorry, guys, that's my ride," said the unknown husky. "I'll see you around!" Without another word, he hopped into the passenger seat of the Navigator and the SUV roared off down the road, leaving the furs standing there.

"That was crazy," chuckled Ace. "The world can only handle one Dewey!"

Dewey grinned and shoved Ace playfully. "That's right, 'cause the world can only handle so much pretty!"

Jerlon laughed. "Modest, aren't we?"

Kanei grinned. "Nah, he _is_pretty, alright! Pretty dumb!"

Dewey smirked and pounced on the tiger, wrestling him to the ground. Kanei, having been caught off-guard, was pinned quickly.

The husky in the Navigator grinned at his brother. "Found him!"

"Awesome! Daddy's gonna be happy with that!"

"You bet! I can't believe we found him!"

"I know! I'm so excited! You think he'll do what Daddy says?"

"I hope so, Yama. I don't want him to get hurt...."

"Same here, Timba. Let's just hope he cooperates."

To Be Continued...