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Triple Threat by 12 as SonicHowler Originally published October 11, 2008

Timba and Yama walked about Trentbriar at leisure. The next bombing, Jaden had told them, wasn't to begin until dusk. They had left their Navigator at Lake Sylian Park, and walked aimlessly toward the city. Nobody regarded them any differently than anyone else; seeing huskies in Trentbriar was like seeing tomatoes in a garden.

Neither of the pair had known a place like Trentbriar close-up. According to Jaden, their true parents had abandoned them on the day they were born, and the wolf's mysterious father, whom they had never met, had saved them and brought them to where they had lived for the past eighteen years: Jaden's underground fortress. They had been outside to play occasionally, but never had anybody besides each other to play with. Most of their time was spent indoors, where there were video games, jungle gyms, good food, and teachers to educate them. All their lives, their only friends had been Jaden's crewmembers, none of which were ever their age. One of the crewmembers had taught them how to drive when the time was right, but times were very scarce in which they were allowed into either of the two feuding cities. Needless to say, being able to walk freely through Trentbriar was quite a rare treat. Due to the bombings, of course, many businesses were closed down. Still, there were many furs in the area who decided to take advantage of the many businesses and attractions that remained open. Unlike many cities,

Yama was quite excited. "Ooh! Look, bro!" He bounced on his footpaws, pointing eagerly at a distant place. "What's that?"

Timba squinted in the direction of his brother's finger. He could faintly hear sounds of laughter and merriment, as well as a loud rumbling, and screaming. The rumbling was obviously from the long, strange vehicle that flew at blistering speeds on a steel track, elevated high above the ground. The huskies' sensitive noses picked up the smells of popcorn, hot dogs, and other tasty treats.

"Seems like one of those amusement parks Mr. Brightnik was talking about," said Timba thoughtfully.

Mr. Brightnik had been one of the brothers' teachers long ago, while they were still at elementary school level. He was an old, grizzly wolf, but so very full of life and humor. He cared deeply about the two pups, displaced and forced to grow up in such a hostile environment. The vast majority of the crew hailed from Danford, and thus, though some befriended the two or ignored them completely, many others had scorned, hated, or even abused them. If he caught evidence of such abuse, Jaden would deal severe punishment to those involved, but little was done otherwise, and the poor twins had frequently fallen victim to the loathsome kicks, shoves, and blows of the crewmembers. Not Mr. Brightnik, though. He had loved them like they were his own sons, and Timba and Yama found a father, friend, and confidante in him. Often, during lunchtime, he would entertain the two with stories of the world outside the fortress. Among these was the story of his first visit to an amusement park as a puppy.

"I'll always remember that place," he had said as the two munched on their sandwiches, eyes and ears alert to catch every word and gesture. "It was so happy a place. Furs could ride on the roller coasters, the best thrill ride ever to be invented. Oh, and there was the Ferris wheel, and all the good food. Of course, there's a lot more to it now: go-karts, bumper cars, all sorts of fun new games and things to win, scents to smell, sights to see! It's not easy to be sad in so happy and carefree a place. It was like an oasis in this whole angry feud."

"Wooow," the brothers had chorused in awe, their imaginations trying hard to formulate such a place. "I wish I could go to one," Yama had said wistfully. Timba agreed. "Yeah, it sounds like so much more fun than this dingy old place! Do you think Jaden would let us go?"

Mr. Brightnik had known that Jaden would never allow them into either of the cities unsupervised. Jaden was never one for fun and games. Never would he allow anybody in the fortress to waste time on such trivial things. Still, he couldn't tell the two hopeful little pups that.

"Maybe someday," he had said, stroking their heads fondly. "Business before pleasure, though. If you do well in your classes, maybe he'll let you come and see the wonders of a place like that. If not, maybe I'll just take you there myself! This is a promise!"

Mr. Brightnik, however, became unable to keep his promise. Information of the relationship between the old wolf and the twin huskies had drifted to the wrong ears. These were the furs that picked on Timba and Yama the most. One day, about a year later, the pups had come running to Mr. Brightnik's room, excited. They had gotten straight As on their report cards, and Jaden was finally going to allow the old wolf to take them to the amusement park. They had just gotten to the door and Yama was turning the handle, when suddenly there was a deafening bang. Stunned and confused by the sound, the youngsters had stood there, frozen, with Yama's paw still on the doorknob.

"What was that?" Yama had asked. Timba had only shrugged. Moments later, the door opened, the knob slipping out of Yama's paw, and out came Grey. He was a rather muscular wolf, and also the fur that struck the most fear into the hearts of Timba and Yama. They had been beaten and humiliated many times by him. He had stood there with the most horrifying smirk on his face, a pistol in his paw. The smell of gunpowder was strong, and dark smoke wafted gently from the barrel. Suddenly, he gave young Yama a swift boot to the gut, leaving the shocked pup reeling in pain and gasping for breath. Laughing, he slipped the pistol into his belt and walked off down the hall. Normally, Timba would have dropped everything to help his brother, but the sight inside the room had him so twisted up inside that he couldn't move. Mr. Brightnik was on the ground, unmoving, a dark pool expanding beneath him in the dim light from his incandescent reading lamp. The only fur that ever truly loved them was gone.

The two stood in the streets of Trentbriar, suddenly saddened. They stared at the ground, ears and tails drooping.

"He never did take us there, did he?" sighed Timba. Rubbing his suddenly aching stomach with one paw, Yama wiped the other across his eyes, sniffling slightly. "No... he didn't... poor Mr. Brightnik...."

The excitement of the moment was suddenly gone, the minds of both huskies on the one they considered to be their long-lost father. Their pace slowed considerably as they wandered forward. Before they knew it, the brothers found themselves standing at the entrance to the amusement park, staring up at its well-lit archway and sign, the fun and laughter inside, and the blue sky and Lake Sylian itself beyond. A minute or two passed before Yama finally voiced what both huskies were thinking.

"So... should we go in?"

Timba could not deny that he wanted to. However, they had a goal to accomplish. Neither husky took his eyes away from the amusement park as Timba answered.

"You remember what he said?" Yama nodded with a sigh, and he and his brother answered the question in unison. "Business before pleasure." With one last longing look at the amusement park, Timba and Yama separated as previously planned. Timba went left, and Yama went right, walking down the clean, white sidewalks of Trentbriar City.

Kanei leaned back contentedly against his seat. The day so far had been a long one. For hours, Dewey had Kanei had driven throughout Trentbriar, stopping at times to talk to passersby, looking for the elusive husky. The afternoon was a very nice one, however. The sun shone brightly in a cloudless blue sky, and though it was rather warm, the air was not humid. Unlike many cities, excluding Danford, Trentbriar's downtown area was always clean and well-kept, and, despite the long and increasingly tedious task at paw, and the still-clearing dust and smoke from the explosions in the outskirts of the city, the shade from the tall buildings and the comfortable climate made for a very enjoyable ride.

Kanei, Zack, and Dewey had known each other for a very long time, since early childhood. They had met Ace, Eddie, and Jerlon in middle school. Though all six of them were like brothers, Kanei, Zack, and Dewey had something special in their bond. They could understand each other much more easily, for instance, and could talk more deeply and comfortably with each other. This is why when Kanei looked at Dewey, despite the husky's quite normal behavior, Kanei could tell that something was bothering him.

"What's the matter, Dewster?" he asked. Dewey glanced at him, not wanting to take his eyes away from the road for too long.

"Well, I don't know. It's something about the guy we're trying to find, but I just can't put my paw on it."

"Oh. No worries, Dewey, we'll find everything out when we find him, right?"

Dewey shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on what he says. I can't explain it, but there's just something about him that I know I'm overlooking. I just don't know what."

Keina was silent for a moment. He hadn't noticed anything particularly strange about Dewey's doppelganger, besides, of course, the doppelganger bit. "The only thing I can say," he finally said, "is to keep looking for him, and listening for your cell phone to ring."

Lake Sylian park, meanwhile, had far fewer occupants than was usual on a nice summer day, thanks to the attacks on the city. This was a big help to Zack and Jerlon as the pair patrolled the park, as they had been since arriving that morning. Their paws were sore, but they kept looking, asking anyone who would listen about the one they were searching for. There were no leads so far, and while the day was nice for driving and relaxing in the park, walking for hours was definitely not the most fun thing to do. The Dalmatian and his rabbit friend were very tired, and had resorted to leaning against Jerlon's car, looking around as far as their eyes could see from there for the husky.

Meanwhile, at the mall, Ace and Eddie weren't having much more luck. They now knew where to find each and every vendor there. They too were quite tired, after walking around all day and describing the husky to all the small vendors in the walkways, should he happen to walk by. They slurped on smoothies from the mall's food court, keeping ever alert.

Despite the lack of positive results, the fervent search continued for a few more hours. Dewey had already lost hope for that day, and was just driving aimlessly around. The majority of open businesses had been alerted to keep on the lookout for a husky that looked just like Dewey. There wasn't much more they could do. This was confirmed when Dewey's phone finally rang, and he joined a three-way call with Zack's and Ace's phones.

"Hey, Dewey!" came Zack's voice. "Sorry, bud. We've been out here all day. We haven't found a trace of him, and we're exhausted."

"Yeah," said Eddie. "We haven't had any luck here either, but the good news is I got an awesome pair of shades for half off, so I got you a pair too!"

"Heh, thanks, dude. Hey, why don't you guys meet me at my place? We'll just call today a failure and plan something for next time."

"Sure," said Ace. "We'll be there soon. Eddie and I will bring some pizza along."

"See ya there!"

Dewey closed his cell phone, putting it down in his lap. "Good news, K. We're done for today."

Kanei nodded. "I heard. Sorry we didn't find him. If you want to look again tomorrow, I'll be happy to come with you."

He shrugged. "We'll see what happens."

Eddie, Ace, Jerlon, and Zack were much closer to Dewey's home than Dewey and Kanei were. Dewey saw the four getting out of their cars as he parked his in the garage. Eddie was holding four pizza boxes, sporting the new pair of sunglasses he'd gotten from the mall. He gave a toothy grin.

"Dewey, Kanei! Good to see ya, dude! Have a nice drive?"

Dewey smiled back feebly. "Heh, of course! Good call on the food. I'm starving!"

Ace nodded. "They're all cheese. C'mon, let's go in and watch TV or something. It's been a long day." Dewey agreed. He opened the front door. Laitan was sitting on the couch. Looking up from his book and putting his earphones aside, he greeted the six friends as they entered.

"Well, look who's back! Had a good day, you guys?"

"Sure did, Lai," lied Zack. "We came up with some riffs for our new song."

"Oh, great! I can't wait to hear them. Here, let me get out of your way. I'm almost done with this book. I'll just finish it in my room. Holler if you need anything, guys."

"Sure, thanks!" As Laitan retired to his bedroom, they quickly settled in on the couch or the floor, munching on pizza as they flipped through TV channels.

"So," said Ace after a few minutes of aimless channel surfing, "do you think we'll be seeing those helicopters again today?"

"Looking at how it's been so far," said Kanei, "I'd imagine so. For the past few days, they've come as soon as dusk fell."

"I bet they're from Danford," muttered Jerlon.

"I still don't see what they'd want with our friend," Zack sighed, referring to Dewey's lookalike. "A lot of things aren't connecting here."

Throughout all of this, Dewey remained quiet. He sat there with a vacant stare upon his face, his mind elsewhere. What was he overlooking in his twin? It didn't feel like it was anything bad, but Dewey knew it was something important. He just couldn't figure out what.

Suddenly, a throw pillow that seemed to have materialized out of absolutely nowhere collided with Dewey's face. With a yip and a start, Dewey snapped back to reality. The other five occupants of the room all stared at him.

"What?" he asked. "Never spaced out before?"

At that moment, the ground began to rumble. The picture on the television screen changed to an emergency broadcast from Channel Thirteen News.

"At this time, officials are declaring a Civil Defense emergency! The bombing helicopters have returned to Trentbriar. Please be sure all doors and windows are locked, and stay inside and away from those doors and windows from that point on until the all-clear is broadcast."

"Here we go again!" said Kanei.

"I'll get Laitan," said Dewey. He ran into Laitan's room. The older husky had dozed off, the book open and facedown on his chest.

"Lai!" said Dewey loudly, shaking his guardian. "Hey, wake up! Those 'copters are back!"

Laitan started at the sound of Dewey's voice. He yawned widely, rubbing his eyes. "The helicopters," he mumbled. "Okay, go to the basement. I'll be right there."

With a quick nod, Dewey headed back to the living room. "Okay, everybody into the basement! It should already be set up. Guess you were wrong about that dusk thing, K. It's not dusk yet." Kanei shrugged as he walked backwards toward the basement, answering Dewey. "That's how it was up until today. Hey, dude, is that a searchlight? That's new too! It's not even dark enough for one yet!"

Dewey turned and glanced out a window in the living room, which he had forgotten to close. Indeed, there was a helicopter above using a searchlight. "Hold on," he said. "Let me close this window really quick, before that light shines in." He ran to the window as Laitan walked out of his bedroom and toward the basement, carrying his book.

Suddenly, the searchlight froze on a figure that was standing in the middle of the street, not too far down the road. Dewey froze, watching as the figure began to run. Unfortunately, the searchlight followed it, and there was the sound of gunfire, muted slightly by the noise of the helicopter's motor and the sharp whipping of its blades through the warm evening air. The figure ran faster. Dewey stared hard at it as it got closer and closer.

"Dewey! Come on!" Laitan's voice came from behind him. "Get away from that window! Now! Let's go!Hey!_Where're you going? _Get back here!"

Dewey had just run out the front door despite Laitan's orders, closing it behind him. He huddled down in the shadows, waiting. He knew who that figure was. Even if he didn't, he couldn't just let someone lose his life like that.

Laitan was running toward the front door. Dewey could hear him. There was no doubt that Laitan would pull him back in. Dewey waited, his eyes on the figure, his ears listening to what was happening behind him.

The door's handle turned. It was now or never. Dewey darted from his hiding place and began running, full-speed, as hard as he could. The other fur, panting wearily as he ran for his life, didn't even appear to notice him. Finally, as he approached the intersection of the house's walkway and the sidewalk, he took a flying leap forward, colliding with the other fur's side, knocking him clear of the searchlight. Immediately, the searchlight changed direction, trying to spot them, but Dewey started to crawl, pushing his stunned charge forward to a hiding place behind someone's bushes.

Panting, the two stayed there as the searchlight roamed up and down the street for what seemed like hours. Finally, however, it moved elsewhere. Dewey stood up, brushing himself off. He held a paw out, and the fur, Dewey's elusive twin, accepted it, allowing himself to be helped to his footpaws.

"Th-thanks," he panted. "I thought I was a goner there!"

Dewey nodded. "To tell the truth, so did I! Come on, my house is right across the street." He and his double quickly strode across to Dewey's house.

When Dewey re-entered, Laitan was livid. "Dewey Raiden!" he shouted. "Have you lost your mind? You could have been killed out there!"

Dewey folded his ears back. "Sorry, Lai. I just wanted to help him." He pointed at the other husky. The faces of Dewey's friends appeared curiously at the door to the basement stairs as Laitan's relieved anger became surprise and confusion.

"Um... what's going on?" he asked. Dewey shrugged.

"I have no idea. We've been looking for this guy all day. We met at the park, but I didn't want to tell you, in case we couldn't find him."

Suddenly, the unknown husky's eyes widened. "O-oh no! Please! You've got to help! My brother's still out there somewhere!"

"Your brother?!" The words came from not only Dewey and Laitan, but the other five furs gathered at the basement door.

He nodded quickly. "Yes, my brother! He looks just like me, and I don't know where he is! He was supposed to call my cell phone, but he hasn't yet!"

"What's his name?" asked Ace. "And come to think of it, what's yours?"

"I'm Timba," he said, "and his name's Yama."

The silence was so tense, it was almost audible. Laitan's and Dewey's jaws dropped.

"I know who you are too," said Timba, looking at Dewey. "You're Dewey, our brother."

Dewey said nothing. He seemed capable of nothing more than staring at his brother. He knew all along that he'd been overlooking something, but something as big as this? Things were now starting to make sense! Timba and Dewey, except for a difference in hairstyle, looked exactly alike! There was no way that they could be anything but brothers! The ground rumbled as a bomb dropped on the outside of the city. Dewey could neither hear nor feel it. It was Laitan who finally broke his trance. Laitan Somerson, the guy who, eighteen years ago, tried to save the lives of three newborn pups; who mourned so hard as he heard countless times on the TV and from the police that Timba and Yama had not been found; who had spent the past eighteen years rearing and supporting the one he thought to be the only surviving pup from that incident, was weeping. He could not suppress his tears of what could only be joy. After eighteen long years, Timba and Yama were alive!

Timba had expected a reaction like this, but right now wasn't the time. He looked impatiently from his brother to Laitan until finally, Dewey snapped back to reality. "Right! I'll help you, bro! The rest of you, stick to the basement! We've gotta find our other brother!" With restored drive and energy, Dewey raced to the garage, calling back over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Lai, we'll be careful!" Timba followed quickly, fiddling with his cell phone. In seconds, Dewey was off, racing down the street.

"You'd better be," sniffed Laitan. He watched through the window as Dewey, his adopted son, sped off toward the setting sun with one of his true brothers, for the first time, hoping that the brothers would return safely as one reunited trio.

To Be Continued...