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GAWD! 2 stories in one!!! I can't believe myself!
So, this is the first appearance of Jake*, the Arctic Fox assassin. This is his story, from the beginning, and soon to be given a second part, if I get around to it. By the way, I've made Arctic Foxes special, you'll find out why, but just realize, that in the stories present, they are few, or at least the ones from his village.
*Jake can be substituted with the name Mike, for those who are confused.
Enjoy!
Winter's Bite
Part 1: Winter's Bite
Jake lay in his bed, staring at the roof in his room of his parent's house. Being no more than 16, he was still with his parents, but it was OK, because life was great for an Arctic Fox like him. Schooling was going well, and the Arctics recently got the title deed to the reservation he was staying on as a permanent home, similar to the Foxtaurs. The agreement stated that if the Arctics kept the land clean and natural-looking, they could have it as a permanent home. Since it was northern Canada, there wasn't too much to worry about.
A knock at his door halted his thoughts. He sat up and asked, “Who is it?”
A female voice sounded behind the wall, “Who else would it be? There's only so many vixens that come to your house!”
“Gee thanks Sara! Good to know that my best friend won't hesitate to make fun of me!” Jake replied.
The door opened to reveal Sara, an Arctic Fox vixen who had special properties about her. Instead of an all white coat, she was given blue fur down her arms and stomach. Her green eyes matched his own. The two weren't dating, or related in any manner, but they looked after each other like family.
Sara sat down next to Jake as she said, “So, you're as bored as I am?”
“It appears that way...I was just sitting up here thinking.”
“You should do that more often. Oh, by the way, your parents are going on a hunting party.”
“Did they send you here to babysit me?”
“No, I was on my way over, and they said I could stay. Just don't do anything dirty!” Sara joked.
Jake laughed at the comment and pretended to reach for her chest. He received a light slap on the face. “Ok! I get it! But I must admit, I sure do love my melons!”
Sara looked at Jake with her mouth open. She blushed a little as she spoke, “Jake! Uhhh Thanks?!”
Jake raised his eyebrows, “Oh, I wasn't talking about you....” He got up and opened a small compartment under his bed. He pulled out two massive watermelons that he had been preserving from his last family vacation. “I was referring to these! You pervert!”
Sara laughed, “You had me going there for a minute!”
“Oh come on, Sis! You know my thoughts on that! I would hope you think of me as better than that!” Jake said accusingly as he cut one of the watermelons.
“Well, I do. But the hand motion made me think.”
“Fine, I guess that makes sense. So, hows Josh?”
“He's going on the same party as your parents. What about Micah?”
“She's going to a human school of Biochemistry. She said she'd be back this weekend, I'm so stoked!” After saying this, Jake handed a slice of watermelon to Sara.
“That's good!” Sara said as she took a huge bite of the fruit.
“Yeah I know, I've been keeping these forever! Mom told me to eat them before they freeze over.”
“I meant Micah coming in....”
“Oh...Yeah....I'm worried though...”
“For what? She's your girlfriend!” Sara said, eating another part.
“She might perform WEIRD experiments on me!”
Sara burst out laughing. “Oh my god Jake! That was funny....”
Jake smiled, “Hey is it me, or is that party taking longer than usual?”
Sara stopped eating and thought, “You know, now that you say it, you're right! Let's go inform the Elders.”
Jake nodded and put the scraps back in his compartment. He and Sara both got up and walked outside. It was a bit colder than inside, but bearable. The two walked up to the massive tent made of ice and canvas and walked inside.
Sara spoke to the receptionist, “We wish to speak to the Elders, it concerns the party.”
The receptionist smiled, “Sure, they're not busy right now! Go right on in!”
The two teens nodded and walked into the chamber doors. Inside was a massive court-like room. There was a central walkway, where the speaker would walk up to speak, surrounding that, was a wall with seats rising up behind it. The elders sat in those seats. There were 3 elders, and they each had their own advisor. The Alpha Elder sat on his chair and said, “Welcome, children of the Arctic. What seems to be the issue?” He spoke slowly, his voice calming to the most tense of nerves.
Jake and Sara bowed. As they rose, Jake said, “Teacher, our hunting party has not returned, we fear that they may be in trouble.”
The elders nodded and their advisors took note. The Alpha spoke again, “I see. Sara, will you go with these Elders and find them? Jake, I wish you to stay here.”
Both Jake and Sara said, “Yes, your eminence.” And Sara left with the other elders and advisors.
Jake stood in front of the Alpha Elder, also known as his Teacher of the Ancient Ways. According to Arctic Lore, there were powerful mages who specialized in the abilities of ice. They apparently created this village as a hideout to practice their ways, and to keep their powers a secret. The Elders of the village found this power, and taught it to the children of the village. Jake was very adept in these abilities, while Sara was not. She was good with mechanics.
The Alpha Elder stood up, and slowly descended as the hidden elevator went down to Jake's level. A door opened behind the Elder when his descent completed and he beckoned Jake inside.
The room that the two entered was like a massive arena. Surrounding the center platform were millions of books. The Elder walked onto the arena, and Jake followed. Upon Jake standing on one side of the platform, the Elder spoke. “Jake, I want to tell you something. The treaty was not a good one. In fact, that compromise was made to keep legalities out of it. I hate to be so frank, but the hunting parties probably overstepped the boundary and were captured. If any escape, they will inform the Elders that are with Sara.”
Jake's head lowered, “I see. But, why did you need me here, Teacher?”
“I have one last lesson for you. In the Lore that you know so well, you know of the mage's powers right?”
“Yes Teacher. The Magi all used the cold as an advantage.”
“Well, it turns out that they cast a spell upon this village that grants each fox here with the ability to tap into these powers. However, we kept this a secret so chaos doesn't ensue. But, I need to show you how. Close your eyes and focus....”
Sara walked with her favorite weapon in hand, a custom made rifle made out of a human gun with Arctic enhancements. Using a special CO2, the gun fired bullets twice as fast, with twice the punch. The gun had iron sights, and a feature to switch between auto and single shot. Auto was Sara's favorite. The elders had magical bows.
Sara scouted ahead onto the Arctic Valley, she crept forward until she heard a scream. She ran towards the sound as fast as possible. As she arrived, she saw Micah, Jake's girlfriend. Sara looked at her head and saw a round hole through it. “Snipers? SNIPERS! RU....” She was silenced by a dart to the leg.
Jake breathed in and back out. For the millionth time, he clasped his hands together. This time, something new happened. His eyes changed from green to ice blue. A similarly colored energy enveloped his hands. “SNOWSWORD!” He yelled as he thrust his hands forward. A large spike made of ice shot from his hands, impaling the dummy.
The Alpha Elder clapped. “Good. Now show me the shield.”
Jake nodded. He closed his eyes and brought his right hand up to the sky. An icicle fell from the roof to impale him. As the icicle neared Jake, a sheet of solid ice stopped it. The elder clapped again and the icicle disappeared. “I would teach you the last one, but that depends on you.” Suddenly, the Elder fell to the ground, “The others! We're under attack! Run, Jake! Run! Go NOW!”
Before Jake could protest, snow surrounded him and he disappeared from the room. The Elder stood back up and walked out side. He raised his arm and a large sword of ice appeared. “It was only a matter of time.....”
Jake appeared outside of screaming. He found Sara's gun in front of him. It was jammed on single shot. Jake was a good shot anyway, and was glad he took extra care for distance class. He couldn't find his village anywhere. In fact, he hadn't the slightest clue what to do. Jake sat down and cried.
Four Years Later
Jake sat on the rooftop of the square building. He checked the time, “5:09, It's go time...” He said quietly. He grabbed the rifle he had held on to for so long and loaded it. He poked himself off the ledge and looked. His target was in the opposing office. The target stood up, his head lining up with the sights. Jake fired. The man fell down at the gunshot. Jake picked up his radio, “Simo to Base, Target eliminated! Request distraction and evac.”
“Base to Simo, well done. Requests approved. Stay on the rooftop and wait for helicopter.”
“Good. That's another piece of rep and 2500 for me. God I love this job.” Jake said as he lay on the ground, hidden from everything but the sky. After he joined the mercenary group Green Root, he gave himself the nickname Simo Hayha, based off of the infamous Sniper of the Winter War. A helicopter rode over him and dispersed a ladder. He quickly climbed up and closed the door. A canine morph with a military jacket nodded as he sat down. “That's impressive. You have a 110% success rate, with matching accuracy.”
“110?” Jake asked.
“It means that you do more than your asked. You waited on that building for the past 18 hours. You only saw your target for half of a second, and killed him. Even on your first mission, you didn't even throw up! How do you do it?!”
“It's a story I'd rather not tell.....”
“Oh come on Jake, we've known each other for three years! I remember when I found you! You had that very gun. And you were doing government jobs for free! Why can't I ever know?”
“Tell me Ralph, how many Arctic Foxes do you see now a days?”
Ralph thought for a moment. “You know, I don't think I've seen more than two in my life...come to think of it.”
Jake looked back out the window, “Exactly.”
The rest of the ride was quiet as the helicopter landed at the HQ. Jake and Ralph got out and split up. Jake went to the mission counter and put a card on the table. The receptionist put a COMPLETED stamp on it and said, “Damn, Jake. That's 525 confirmed kills! You're a cold heart.....”
“Shut it. I'll take my pay tomorrow. Bring any mail to my box. I'm checking in for the night.” Jake interrupted him. He walked out of the room and into a hallway full of rooms. He went to the one with SIMO on the door and noticed a single letter inside. He picked up the letter and saw that it was sealed with clay. The design on the clay was a rose, pitch black amongst the red clay. On the back was his full name. Jake walked into his room and closed the door. He took out his pocket knife and opened up the seal. In side was a letter written in a fancy cursive. Jake wasn't accustomed to seeing this particular style of writing, so he struggled to read the text. After reviewing it, he finally realized what the letter said:
Jake Tel'lichar Snowblade,
We here at the Black Rose society have taken a particular interest in your abilities. At exactly 4:40 PM, stand at the intersection of Jessimine and Roe. We will wait for you for exactly 30 seconds. If you are not there, we will make sure you never saw this letter. Take nothing, and come alone. Do not let anyone stand in your way. Thank you for your co-operation.
--The Black Rose Society
Jake looked at his watch. He had exactly 24 hours to consider. Not like he had much of a choice anyway. Who ever wrote this was obviously watching him with incredible stealth. “Well, it's not like I have anything better to do.” He said as he put the letter in his trash can. As soon as it hit the ground, the letter burst into flame. The fire did not give off heat, or catch onto anything else. The letter quickly dissipated into ashes. Jake raised his eyebrows and closed his eyes, “I guess I should really go....”
Jake woke up to a banging on his door. “Hello?”
“Jake! Dude, it's like 4:00! What are you doing?” A male voice said.
Jake looked at his watch, it read 3:56, 'SHIT! That society is going to kill me!' he thought to himself. He got dressed in his street clothes and grabbed his gun. He walked out of his room to see Ralph, “Dude, we got to go! Dinner with the ladies!”
“Sorry man, I have other arrangements at 4:30 sharp. I got to be there.”
“What?! We never have to be anywhere on Wednesdays!”
“Sorry, but this time I do. Can you drop me off at the corner of Jessimine and Roe?”
“Sure.....but you owe me!”
“We'll see” Jake said as the two walked out to the car they frequently used. As they drove, Jake looked at his watch, 4:15, he had 15 minutes to be there. He had time.
“So what's the big event?” Ralph asked.
“It's personal.”
“Like what? A wedding?”
“Look, don't worry about it. I have to be at the corner in 10 minutes.”
“Ok, fine...”
Jake got out of the car at the corner and said to Ralph, “Thanks for the lift. My other ride will be here soon.”
Ralph shrugged and drove off. Jake looked at his watch again, 4:27, that van will be here shortly. Jake waited around and sighed. “Damn....how much longer could this take? It's only 1 minute!”
Jake waited at the four-way intersection until something strange happened. At three ends of the road, car accidents occurred nearly at the same time. He looked at his watch, it read 4:30. A solid black van pulled up behind him. The side door opened up and grabbed him by his jacket collar. The door shut and the van drove off.
Jake couldn't see anything, he was blindfolded, but still in the van. There were four voices. Mostly male. Or they were masking their voices. What they were saying was largely unintelligible. One finally spoke clearly, “Jake, we are asking one thing. You're complete co-operation. Regardless of what happens, we need you to work with us.”
“What happens if I don't?” Jake asked.
“You die. Like the others.” The voice replied.
Jake breathed heavily, “I see. What's going to happen then.”
“You'll figure it out sooner or later.”
The last thing Jake remembered was a needle entering his arm.
Sometime in the Future
Markus looked at Jack, his superior and asked, “How much does that dragon want this kid? He put him in Intensive care for the last 400 or so years?! What's so special about this one person, other than the fact he's handy with a gun?”
Jack sighed, “If Tiladon took this much care on this one, he must be damn special. And 'handy' is the wrong word to use. That Fox has killed nearly 530 people in a span of 3 years. He never missed.”
Markus nodded. “I see. Well, thawing phase A is in transition to phase B. So far, no side effects from freezing. In fact, subject's body seems to be largely intact. Wait, that doesn't make any sense! All of our subjects so far has had thawing sickness!”
Jack rolled his eyes, “Markus, tell me the species of the subject.”
“Arctic Fox sir, of the village Tel'lichar. Why?”
“What makes an Arctic Fox so much different from a standard one?”
“They can withstand supercool temperatures, and the ones of his village are specially trained to further that trait.”
“Now how do you cryogenically transport someone through time?”
“One would use a cryo-tube to sup....oh....I see....”
As the conversation ensued, a large tan dragon, easily over 6 feet tall strolled by. He was wearing the Black Rose Trench coat. “Good to know Black Rose has the best and the brightest handling my precious subject.” It spoke.
“Tiladon!” Jack said as he stood at attention.
“How fares he?”
“Subject Jake is in the completion stage of Phase A. The only issue is, his body is retaining the cold. We're not sure why, but he won't be able to be revived with all of that ice inside of him.”
Tiladon frowned, Jake was proving to be difficult, even when frozen. During the Gene Wars, Black Rose was forced to secretly move their cryo labs to it's current location in fear of attack. Jake's pod was nowhere to be found, and turned up buried under 20 lbs of steel. To add to his troubles, during primary thawing phase, his life signs began dropping due to the heat.
“Dammit!” Markus yelled at his terminal screen.
Tiladon looked at him, “What now?!”
“We have to wait for the ice to melt manually! His body refuses temperature increase! It's threatening flat lining if we add more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit!”
“GOD DAMMIT!” Tiladon yelled. He began to doubt weather Jake was worth it. Luckily, Markus quickly resolved the issue with an “Oh shit....”
Markus looked at Tiladon, “He's been alive for the past hour, he totally skipped through half of the thaw. It seems that the ice inside of him is natural.....Our sincerest apologies. He'll be up soon.”
Tiladon sighed, it was the first bit of good news since he had arrived at HQ. He watched as Jake's pod slipped down into the viewing chamber. He calmly walked down into the chamber and watched as the pod's top hatch opened.
'Hot....it's really hot. And bright, bright and hot. Am I on the sun? Am I in hell?! Where the fuck did I go? Maybe I passed out on the corner of Jessimine and Roe and now I'm in a warming cell.....' Jake thought. He couldn't move, or breathe all that well. A scaled touch however, got his senses back. Instinctively, he reached for his back, but instead of a gun, he found cushion. “What the fuck?” He asked to no one in particular.
“That was fast....” Tiladon said, his calm voice counter-acting the shocked scientists.
“Why is it so goddamn hot up in this bitch? I can't see shit, and it's hot as hell! What kind of hospital is this?” Jake complained.
“This isn't a hospital, fox. It's your new life.” Tiladon replied.
Jake opened his eyes to see Tiladon above him, with another fox morph and a human surrounding him. “Oh god!” He said at the sight of Tiladon.
“Welcome to Black Rose. We have chosen you for your exceptional skills with this weapon.” The fox said, pointing to the gun that Jake got from his village.
Jake looked at the fox's name tag, it read: Markus, Cryo. “Markus right? Mind telling me where I am?”
Tiladon spoke, “You are about 400 years in the future. We had you frozen through the Gene Wars. As it turns out, your village was frozen over, and we didn't want you dying to try and revive it. It's safe now, but we have some things to go over.”
Jake nodded, “Can I get into a cooler environment first? I think I'm going to pass out soon.”
Tiladon closed the hatch and turned the tube on. The temperature dropped and Jake gave a thumbs up. The speakers in the tube spoke, “Ok, we're going to send you to the briefing room, I have a specialized room set up for us to talk in.”
After a neat ride in the cold tube, Jake found himself in a divided room with two chairs on either side. In the center of the room, a river divided the room in half. On Jake's half, was solid ice, and artificial snow, but it made him feel at home. The other side, however, had lava flowing about it, ash fell from the ceiling as Tiladon sat down in the wooden chair. “So, is it cold enough?”
Jake nodded, “Yes, I like this environment, thank you. Now what did we need to talk about?”
Tiladon sighed as he spoke, “After the Gene Wars ended, morphs like us got equal rights. Because you're an arctic, you really just lived on your own terms, like the Foxtaurs, but my ancestors in your time were tortured for who they were. Well, finally, the war ended and everyone was happy, except for those who started the war. There are humans, willing to do anything to keep humanity on top.”
“This has to do with me being a sniper how?”
“As your initiation assignment, we want you to eliminate a whole organization in Russia. We need you specifically because they will be striking a critical point on the coldest day, so you can pack lightly.”
“Do you have any information?”
“None other than the day they will strike. The organization consists of hundreds of members. Rumor says that they have slaves, so if you see any, free them. And, as always, failure means death.”
“Success means??”
“If you succeed in taking down the whole group, then you will be given a name, a marking, and enough hospitality within Black Rose for you to live damn near forever.”
“I assume declining means death as well.”
“You're a quick learner. I like that. You have this week to get settled. Pack whatever you think you need.” Tiladon said as he rose and left. When the door closed, the room changed into a normal square room, with a podium and screen.
Jake got up, and felt something in his pockets, he reached in and unrolled a piece of paper that was in there, it was a map of where he needed to go. He walked down multiple hallways, until one turned into where he needed to go. This hallway was named: TEMP STORAGE. “Beautiful, in case I die, they just get rid of my stuff and find another person....amazing.” Jake said to himself.
Eventually, he found his room, which was number 6277. He opened the door and looked inside. It was like one of those hotels you find on the shore. Massive windows, with an equally massive bed, suited for any race. Since Jake was a moderately well built Arctic Fox, the bed nearly swallowed him in comfort as he lay in it. There were brief cases all around, each having an airport sticker that had the same design as the clay on the letter he got.
The next morning, Jake woke up in the comfortable bed he fell asleep in, as opposed to the cryo tube. He sat up and looked at the clock next to him, “10:45 AM. That's the latest I've slept in awhile.”
“And the most amount of sleep you'll get for awhile.” A female voice said.
Jake looked at the source of the voice. A tall, thin feline morph with blue eyes and a solid white coat stood next to him. “I'm your room-mate, and I'm also going with you on the Russia mission. My name is Rachel, I'm computer ops/comms officer. You must be the sniper that Tiladon wanted so bad.” Rachel let her hand out.
Jake shook her hand as he said, “I'm Jake, and yes, apparently I'm the sniper everyone seems to know about. What brings a....” Jake was cut off as she slapped him, “Oh my god, don't tell me it's another sex crazed loser!”
Jake rubbed his face, “No......I was about to say what brings a comms officer with a sniper? Though now that you mention it, I assume rooms are co-ed?”
“Oh...I guess you're one of the few percentages of people who actually look at my eyes...though with you, it's hard to tell.” Rachel said, staring at Jake.
“Well, I'm going to be honest here, you're very pretty....even if that gives me another slap, just have to say that. Second, allow me to get up, so I can actually look into your eyes uninterrupted...” Jake got up, cringing.
“I won't slap you for being honest. Unless you make an 'honest' sex joke like the guys before. And yes, these rooms are co-ed. Black Rose could care less what we did, because as far as they're concerned, we're expendable. They can pretty easily find replacements for us. Except you, because you're an Arctic.”
“You know, at first, I thought you were an Arctic as well, until I saw your tail.”
“Most people do. One time, I made a fake fox tail, and wrapped my own around it, and everyone asked if my last name was Tel'lichar.”
“Hey! That's my last name! It's also my village name!” Jake said.
“That's what that means? Oooooh...I get it now! So, what are you taking for the trip?”
“I was considering that. I probably only need two pairs of clothes, and maybe some winter camo, in case it doesn't snow hard enough.....my gun. Lots of ammo, and maybe some food.”
“Two??! Are you crazy? It's going to be damn near -45 out there!!!”
“Meh....sounds breezy. I may dare to bring a sleeved shirt!”
“Are all Arctics that much resistant?”
“I believe so...but, at a cost. The reason it's chilly in here for you, is because Arctics have a low heat tolerance. Russia is a spring day for me.”
Rachel nodded, “I see. Well. I'm packing winter clothes, and lots of food supplies. I'll also bring some equipment. Other than that, I think I'll be set. Are you stoked?”
“I need to practice....and I'm honestly nervous and a little disappointed.”
“Why is that?”
“Nothing wrong with you as a person, but I work alone. I mean, I'm sure you'll be useful, but I don't want to have you do some stupid hero shit and I have to save you....”
Rachel laughed, “I'm going to be in the fort you're protecting. My job, is to keep their satellites down, as well as direct troops. The only reason I'll have your contact is to keep your vitals updated, and to make sure you know where that barrel is pointing.”
Jake nodded, “Makes sense. At least your not another sniper....”
“Why? Are you afraid that a cat is going to take all of your kills.”
“No, I was betrayed by a fellow sniper.” Jake said.
402 approx. Years ago
“Sitting here, in the middle of fucking nowhere, doing what?” The comm spoke
“We're waiting for the target van to drive by this church. Be careful, your gun is sticking out a bit.” Jake replied.
“Thanks. Last I heard from base, the van was supposed to show up ten minutes ago.”
“Well, they may have an idea where we're at.”
The van drove by as the comm on the other end spoke. “Holocause to base, Simo is down. I repeat, Simo was shot and killed. Aborting mission.”
“Wait, what? I'm still here!”
“Not for long. Goodbye, Arctic.”
A gunshot roared through the sky. Jake ducked low, and was glad that he didn't use telescopic sights. The bullet whizzed past his eye, and cut part of it.
“Oh come on........”
Jake looked, and saw the gun of his former ally. He raised his rifle and fired twice. There was a buzz on the radio to indicate he died. Jake jumped back on the rooftop of the church and took careful aim through his iron sights. He fired once. The van slowed to a crawl and Jake ran up to it. Ten minutes later, Jake went back to the church and grabbed the comm. “Simo to base! Simo to base!”
“Roger Simo, Didn't you die? Where's Holocause?”
“Holocause has betrayed the mission and the team. I have a wounded eye, and mission is complete. The only evidence left behind was a skid, and some ice over it.”
“Nice cover Simo, you just got a promotion...”
“And that's what happened. The scar kinda faded, but the fur doesn't grow back right where the bullet grazed my face.” Jake said
Rachel took a closer look and nodded, “I see. That sucks.....is that why you work alone?”
“Yep....so, you stoked on shipping out?”
“Oh yeah...”
So, this is the first appearance of Jake*, the Arctic Fox assassin. This is his story, from the beginning, and soon to be given a second part, if I get around to it. By the way, I've made Arctic Foxes special, you'll find out why, but just realize, that in the stories present, they are few, or at least the ones from his village.
*Jake can be substituted with the name Mike, for those who are confused.
Enjoy!
Winter's Bite
Part 1: Winter's Bite
Jake lay in his bed, staring at the roof in his room of his parent's house. Being no more than 16, he was still with his parents, but it was OK, because life was great for an Arctic Fox like him. Schooling was going well, and the Arctics recently got the title deed to the reservation he was staying on as a permanent home, similar to the Foxtaurs. The agreement stated that if the Arctics kept the land clean and natural-looking, they could have it as a permanent home. Since it was northern Canada, there wasn't too much to worry about.
A knock at his door halted his thoughts. He sat up and asked, “Who is it?”
A female voice sounded behind the wall, “Who else would it be? There's only so many vixens that come to your house!”
“Gee thanks Sara! Good to know that my best friend won't hesitate to make fun of me!” Jake replied.
The door opened to reveal Sara, an Arctic Fox vixen who had special properties about her. Instead of an all white coat, she was given blue fur down her arms and stomach. Her green eyes matched his own. The two weren't dating, or related in any manner, but they looked after each other like family.
Sara sat down next to Jake as she said, “So, you're as bored as I am?”
“It appears that way...I was just sitting up here thinking.”
“You should do that more often. Oh, by the way, your parents are going on a hunting party.”
“Did they send you here to babysit me?”
“No, I was on my way over, and they said I could stay. Just don't do anything dirty!” Sara joked.
Jake laughed at the comment and pretended to reach for her chest. He received a light slap on the face. “Ok! I get it! But I must admit, I sure do love my melons!”
Sara looked at Jake with her mouth open. She blushed a little as she spoke, “Jake! Uhhh Thanks?!”
Jake raised his eyebrows, “Oh, I wasn't talking about you....” He got up and opened a small compartment under his bed. He pulled out two massive watermelons that he had been preserving from his last family vacation. “I was referring to these! You pervert!”
Sara laughed, “You had me going there for a minute!”
“Oh come on, Sis! You know my thoughts on that! I would hope you think of me as better than that!” Jake said accusingly as he cut one of the watermelons.
“Well, I do. But the hand motion made me think.”
“Fine, I guess that makes sense. So, hows Josh?”
“He's going on the same party as your parents. What about Micah?”
“She's going to a human school of Biochemistry. She said she'd be back this weekend, I'm so stoked!” After saying this, Jake handed a slice of watermelon to Sara.
“That's good!” Sara said as she took a huge bite of the fruit.
“Yeah I know, I've been keeping these forever! Mom told me to eat them before they freeze over.”
“I meant Micah coming in....”
“Oh...Yeah....I'm worried though...”
“For what? She's your girlfriend!” Sara said, eating another part.
“She might perform WEIRD experiments on me!”
Sara burst out laughing. “Oh my god Jake! That was funny....”
Jake smiled, “Hey is it me, or is that party taking longer than usual?”
Sara stopped eating and thought, “You know, now that you say it, you're right! Let's go inform the Elders.”
Jake nodded and put the scraps back in his compartment. He and Sara both got up and walked outside. It was a bit colder than inside, but bearable. The two walked up to the massive tent made of ice and canvas and walked inside.
Sara spoke to the receptionist, “We wish to speak to the Elders, it concerns the party.”
The receptionist smiled, “Sure, they're not busy right now! Go right on in!”
The two teens nodded and walked into the chamber doors. Inside was a massive court-like room. There was a central walkway, where the speaker would walk up to speak, surrounding that, was a wall with seats rising up behind it. The elders sat in those seats. There were 3 elders, and they each had their own advisor. The Alpha Elder sat on his chair and said, “Welcome, children of the Arctic. What seems to be the issue?” He spoke slowly, his voice calming to the most tense of nerves.
Jake and Sara bowed. As they rose, Jake said, “Teacher, our hunting party has not returned, we fear that they may be in trouble.”
The elders nodded and their advisors took note. The Alpha spoke again, “I see. Sara, will you go with these Elders and find them? Jake, I wish you to stay here.”
Both Jake and Sara said, “Yes, your eminence.” And Sara left with the other elders and advisors.
Jake stood in front of the Alpha Elder, also known as his Teacher of the Ancient Ways. According to Arctic Lore, there were powerful mages who specialized in the abilities of ice. They apparently created this village as a hideout to practice their ways, and to keep their powers a secret. The Elders of the village found this power, and taught it to the children of the village. Jake was very adept in these abilities, while Sara was not. She was good with mechanics.
The Alpha Elder stood up, and slowly descended as the hidden elevator went down to Jake's level. A door opened behind the Elder when his descent completed and he beckoned Jake inside.
The room that the two entered was like a massive arena. Surrounding the center platform were millions of books. The Elder walked onto the arena, and Jake followed. Upon Jake standing on one side of the platform, the Elder spoke. “Jake, I want to tell you something. The treaty was not a good one. In fact, that compromise was made to keep legalities out of it. I hate to be so frank, but the hunting parties probably overstepped the boundary and were captured. If any escape, they will inform the Elders that are with Sara.”
Jake's head lowered, “I see. But, why did you need me here, Teacher?”
“I have one last lesson for you. In the Lore that you know so well, you know of the mage's powers right?”
“Yes Teacher. The Magi all used the cold as an advantage.”
“Well, it turns out that they cast a spell upon this village that grants each fox here with the ability to tap into these powers. However, we kept this a secret so chaos doesn't ensue. But, I need to show you how. Close your eyes and focus....”
Sara walked with her favorite weapon in hand, a custom made rifle made out of a human gun with Arctic enhancements. Using a special CO2, the gun fired bullets twice as fast, with twice the punch. The gun had iron sights, and a feature to switch between auto and single shot. Auto was Sara's favorite. The elders had magical bows.
Sara scouted ahead onto the Arctic Valley, she crept forward until she heard a scream. She ran towards the sound as fast as possible. As she arrived, she saw Micah, Jake's girlfriend. Sara looked at her head and saw a round hole through it. “Snipers? SNIPERS! RU....” She was silenced by a dart to the leg.
Jake breathed in and back out. For the millionth time, he clasped his hands together. This time, something new happened. His eyes changed from green to ice blue. A similarly colored energy enveloped his hands. “SNOWSWORD!” He yelled as he thrust his hands forward. A large spike made of ice shot from his hands, impaling the dummy.
The Alpha Elder clapped. “Good. Now show me the shield.”
Jake nodded. He closed his eyes and brought his right hand up to the sky. An icicle fell from the roof to impale him. As the icicle neared Jake, a sheet of solid ice stopped it. The elder clapped again and the icicle disappeared. “I would teach you the last one, but that depends on you.” Suddenly, the Elder fell to the ground, “The others! We're under attack! Run, Jake! Run! Go NOW!”
Before Jake could protest, snow surrounded him and he disappeared from the room. The Elder stood back up and walked out side. He raised his arm and a large sword of ice appeared. “It was only a matter of time.....”
Jake appeared outside of screaming. He found Sara's gun in front of him. It was jammed on single shot. Jake was a good shot anyway, and was glad he took extra care for distance class. He couldn't find his village anywhere. In fact, he hadn't the slightest clue what to do. Jake sat down and cried.
Four Years Later
Jake sat on the rooftop of the square building. He checked the time, “5:09, It's go time...” He said quietly. He grabbed the rifle he had held on to for so long and loaded it. He poked himself off the ledge and looked. His target was in the opposing office. The target stood up, his head lining up with the sights. Jake fired. The man fell down at the gunshot. Jake picked up his radio, “Simo to Base, Target eliminated! Request distraction and evac.”
“Base to Simo, well done. Requests approved. Stay on the rooftop and wait for helicopter.”
“Good. That's another piece of rep and 2500 for me. God I love this job.” Jake said as he lay on the ground, hidden from everything but the sky. After he joined the mercenary group Green Root, he gave himself the nickname Simo Hayha, based off of the infamous Sniper of the Winter War. A helicopter rode over him and dispersed a ladder. He quickly climbed up and closed the door. A canine morph with a military jacket nodded as he sat down. “That's impressive. You have a 110% success rate, with matching accuracy.”
“110?” Jake asked.
“It means that you do more than your asked. You waited on that building for the past 18 hours. You only saw your target for half of a second, and killed him. Even on your first mission, you didn't even throw up! How do you do it?!”
“It's a story I'd rather not tell.....”
“Oh come on Jake, we've known each other for three years! I remember when I found you! You had that very gun. And you were doing government jobs for free! Why can't I ever know?”
“Tell me Ralph, how many Arctic Foxes do you see now a days?”
Ralph thought for a moment. “You know, I don't think I've seen more than two in my life...come to think of it.”
Jake looked back out the window, “Exactly.”
The rest of the ride was quiet as the helicopter landed at the HQ. Jake and Ralph got out and split up. Jake went to the mission counter and put a card on the table. The receptionist put a COMPLETED stamp on it and said, “Damn, Jake. That's 525 confirmed kills! You're a cold heart.....”
“Shut it. I'll take my pay tomorrow. Bring any mail to my box. I'm checking in for the night.” Jake interrupted him. He walked out of the room and into a hallway full of rooms. He went to the one with SIMO on the door and noticed a single letter inside. He picked up the letter and saw that it was sealed with clay. The design on the clay was a rose, pitch black amongst the red clay. On the back was his full name. Jake walked into his room and closed the door. He took out his pocket knife and opened up the seal. In side was a letter written in a fancy cursive. Jake wasn't accustomed to seeing this particular style of writing, so he struggled to read the text. After reviewing it, he finally realized what the letter said:
Jake Tel'lichar Snowblade,
We here at the Black Rose society have taken a particular interest in your abilities. At exactly 4:40 PM, stand at the intersection of Jessimine and Roe. We will wait for you for exactly 30 seconds. If you are not there, we will make sure you never saw this letter. Take nothing, and come alone. Do not let anyone stand in your way. Thank you for your co-operation.
--The Black Rose Society
Jake looked at his watch. He had exactly 24 hours to consider. Not like he had much of a choice anyway. Who ever wrote this was obviously watching him with incredible stealth. “Well, it's not like I have anything better to do.” He said as he put the letter in his trash can. As soon as it hit the ground, the letter burst into flame. The fire did not give off heat, or catch onto anything else. The letter quickly dissipated into ashes. Jake raised his eyebrows and closed his eyes, “I guess I should really go....”
Jake woke up to a banging on his door. “Hello?”
“Jake! Dude, it's like 4:00! What are you doing?” A male voice said.
Jake looked at his watch, it read 3:56, 'SHIT! That society is going to kill me!' he thought to himself. He got dressed in his street clothes and grabbed his gun. He walked out of his room to see Ralph, “Dude, we got to go! Dinner with the ladies!”
“Sorry man, I have other arrangements at 4:30 sharp. I got to be there.”
“What?! We never have to be anywhere on Wednesdays!”
“Sorry, but this time I do. Can you drop me off at the corner of Jessimine and Roe?”
“Sure.....but you owe me!”
“We'll see” Jake said as the two walked out to the car they frequently used. As they drove, Jake looked at his watch, 4:15, he had 15 minutes to be there. He had time.
“So what's the big event?” Ralph asked.
“It's personal.”
“Like what? A wedding?”
“Look, don't worry about it. I have to be at the corner in 10 minutes.”
“Ok, fine...”
Jake got out of the car at the corner and said to Ralph, “Thanks for the lift. My other ride will be here soon.”
Ralph shrugged and drove off. Jake looked at his watch again, 4:27, that van will be here shortly. Jake waited around and sighed. “Damn....how much longer could this take? It's only 1 minute!”
Jake waited at the four-way intersection until something strange happened. At three ends of the road, car accidents occurred nearly at the same time. He looked at his watch, it read 4:30. A solid black van pulled up behind him. The side door opened up and grabbed him by his jacket collar. The door shut and the van drove off.
Jake couldn't see anything, he was blindfolded, but still in the van. There were four voices. Mostly male. Or they were masking their voices. What they were saying was largely unintelligible. One finally spoke clearly, “Jake, we are asking one thing. You're complete co-operation. Regardless of what happens, we need you to work with us.”
“What happens if I don't?” Jake asked.
“You die. Like the others.” The voice replied.
Jake breathed heavily, “I see. What's going to happen then.”
“You'll figure it out sooner or later.”
The last thing Jake remembered was a needle entering his arm.
Sometime in the Future
Markus looked at Jack, his superior and asked, “How much does that dragon want this kid? He put him in Intensive care for the last 400 or so years?! What's so special about this one person, other than the fact he's handy with a gun?”
Jack sighed, “If Tiladon took this much care on this one, he must be damn special. And 'handy' is the wrong word to use. That Fox has killed nearly 530 people in a span of 3 years. He never missed.”
Markus nodded. “I see. Well, thawing phase A is in transition to phase B. So far, no side effects from freezing. In fact, subject's body seems to be largely intact. Wait, that doesn't make any sense! All of our subjects so far has had thawing sickness!”
Jack rolled his eyes, “Markus, tell me the species of the subject.”
“Arctic Fox sir, of the village Tel'lichar. Why?”
“What makes an Arctic Fox so much different from a standard one?”
“They can withstand supercool temperatures, and the ones of his village are specially trained to further that trait.”
“Now how do you cryogenically transport someone through time?”
“One would use a cryo-tube to sup....oh....I see....”
As the conversation ensued, a large tan dragon, easily over 6 feet tall strolled by. He was wearing the Black Rose Trench coat. “Good to know Black Rose has the best and the brightest handling my precious subject.” It spoke.
“Tiladon!” Jack said as he stood at attention.
“How fares he?”
“Subject Jake is in the completion stage of Phase A. The only issue is, his body is retaining the cold. We're not sure why, but he won't be able to be revived with all of that ice inside of him.”
Tiladon frowned, Jake was proving to be difficult, even when frozen. During the Gene Wars, Black Rose was forced to secretly move their cryo labs to it's current location in fear of attack. Jake's pod was nowhere to be found, and turned up buried under 20 lbs of steel. To add to his troubles, during primary thawing phase, his life signs began dropping due to the heat.
“Dammit!” Markus yelled at his terminal screen.
Tiladon looked at him, “What now?!”
“We have to wait for the ice to melt manually! His body refuses temperature increase! It's threatening flat lining if we add more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit!”
“GOD DAMMIT!” Tiladon yelled. He began to doubt weather Jake was worth it. Luckily, Markus quickly resolved the issue with an “Oh shit....”
Markus looked at Tiladon, “He's been alive for the past hour, he totally skipped through half of the thaw. It seems that the ice inside of him is natural.....Our sincerest apologies. He'll be up soon.”
Tiladon sighed, it was the first bit of good news since he had arrived at HQ. He watched as Jake's pod slipped down into the viewing chamber. He calmly walked down into the chamber and watched as the pod's top hatch opened.
'Hot....it's really hot. And bright, bright and hot. Am I on the sun? Am I in hell?! Where the fuck did I go? Maybe I passed out on the corner of Jessimine and Roe and now I'm in a warming cell.....' Jake thought. He couldn't move, or breathe all that well. A scaled touch however, got his senses back. Instinctively, he reached for his back, but instead of a gun, he found cushion. “What the fuck?” He asked to no one in particular.
“That was fast....” Tiladon said, his calm voice counter-acting the shocked scientists.
“Why is it so goddamn hot up in this bitch? I can't see shit, and it's hot as hell! What kind of hospital is this?” Jake complained.
“This isn't a hospital, fox. It's your new life.” Tiladon replied.
Jake opened his eyes to see Tiladon above him, with another fox morph and a human surrounding him. “Oh god!” He said at the sight of Tiladon.
“Welcome to Black Rose. We have chosen you for your exceptional skills with this weapon.” The fox said, pointing to the gun that Jake got from his village.
Jake looked at the fox's name tag, it read: Markus, Cryo. “Markus right? Mind telling me where I am?”
Tiladon spoke, “You are about 400 years in the future. We had you frozen through the Gene Wars. As it turns out, your village was frozen over, and we didn't want you dying to try and revive it. It's safe now, but we have some things to go over.”
Jake nodded, “Can I get into a cooler environment first? I think I'm going to pass out soon.”
Tiladon closed the hatch and turned the tube on. The temperature dropped and Jake gave a thumbs up. The speakers in the tube spoke, “Ok, we're going to send you to the briefing room, I have a specialized room set up for us to talk in.”
After a neat ride in the cold tube, Jake found himself in a divided room with two chairs on either side. In the center of the room, a river divided the room in half. On Jake's half, was solid ice, and artificial snow, but it made him feel at home. The other side, however, had lava flowing about it, ash fell from the ceiling as Tiladon sat down in the wooden chair. “So, is it cold enough?”
Jake nodded, “Yes, I like this environment, thank you. Now what did we need to talk about?”
Tiladon sighed as he spoke, “After the Gene Wars ended, morphs like us got equal rights. Because you're an arctic, you really just lived on your own terms, like the Foxtaurs, but my ancestors in your time were tortured for who they were. Well, finally, the war ended and everyone was happy, except for those who started the war. There are humans, willing to do anything to keep humanity on top.”
“This has to do with me being a sniper how?”
“As your initiation assignment, we want you to eliminate a whole organization in Russia. We need you specifically because they will be striking a critical point on the coldest day, so you can pack lightly.”
“Do you have any information?”
“None other than the day they will strike. The organization consists of hundreds of members. Rumor says that they have slaves, so if you see any, free them. And, as always, failure means death.”
“Success means??”
“If you succeed in taking down the whole group, then you will be given a name, a marking, and enough hospitality within Black Rose for you to live damn near forever.”
“I assume declining means death as well.”
“You're a quick learner. I like that. You have this week to get settled. Pack whatever you think you need.” Tiladon said as he rose and left. When the door closed, the room changed into a normal square room, with a podium and screen.
Jake got up, and felt something in his pockets, he reached in and unrolled a piece of paper that was in there, it was a map of where he needed to go. He walked down multiple hallways, until one turned into where he needed to go. This hallway was named: TEMP STORAGE. “Beautiful, in case I die, they just get rid of my stuff and find another person....amazing.” Jake said to himself.
Eventually, he found his room, which was number 6277. He opened the door and looked inside. It was like one of those hotels you find on the shore. Massive windows, with an equally massive bed, suited for any race. Since Jake was a moderately well built Arctic Fox, the bed nearly swallowed him in comfort as he lay in it. There were brief cases all around, each having an airport sticker that had the same design as the clay on the letter he got.
The next morning, Jake woke up in the comfortable bed he fell asleep in, as opposed to the cryo tube. He sat up and looked at the clock next to him, “10:45 AM. That's the latest I've slept in awhile.”
“And the most amount of sleep you'll get for awhile.” A female voice said.
Jake looked at the source of the voice. A tall, thin feline morph with blue eyes and a solid white coat stood next to him. “I'm your room-mate, and I'm also going with you on the Russia mission. My name is Rachel, I'm computer ops/comms officer. You must be the sniper that Tiladon wanted so bad.” Rachel let her hand out.
Jake shook her hand as he said, “I'm Jake, and yes, apparently I'm the sniper everyone seems to know about. What brings a....” Jake was cut off as she slapped him, “Oh my god, don't tell me it's another sex crazed loser!”
Jake rubbed his face, “No......I was about to say what brings a comms officer with a sniper? Though now that you mention it, I assume rooms are co-ed?”
“Oh...I guess you're one of the few percentages of people who actually look at my eyes...though with you, it's hard to tell.” Rachel said, staring at Jake.
“Well, I'm going to be honest here, you're very pretty....even if that gives me another slap, just have to say that. Second, allow me to get up, so I can actually look into your eyes uninterrupted...” Jake got up, cringing.
“I won't slap you for being honest. Unless you make an 'honest' sex joke like the guys before. And yes, these rooms are co-ed. Black Rose could care less what we did, because as far as they're concerned, we're expendable. They can pretty easily find replacements for us. Except you, because you're an Arctic.”
“You know, at first, I thought you were an Arctic as well, until I saw your tail.”
“Most people do. One time, I made a fake fox tail, and wrapped my own around it, and everyone asked if my last name was Tel'lichar.”
“Hey! That's my last name! It's also my village name!” Jake said.
“That's what that means? Oooooh...I get it now! So, what are you taking for the trip?”
“I was considering that. I probably only need two pairs of clothes, and maybe some winter camo, in case it doesn't snow hard enough.....my gun. Lots of ammo, and maybe some food.”
“Two??! Are you crazy? It's going to be damn near -45 out there!!!”
“Meh....sounds breezy. I may dare to bring a sleeved shirt!”
“Are all Arctics that much resistant?”
“I believe so...but, at a cost. The reason it's chilly in here for you, is because Arctics have a low heat tolerance. Russia is a spring day for me.”
Rachel nodded, “I see. Well. I'm packing winter clothes, and lots of food supplies. I'll also bring some equipment. Other than that, I think I'll be set. Are you stoked?”
“I need to practice....and I'm honestly nervous and a little disappointed.”
“Why is that?”
“Nothing wrong with you as a person, but I work alone. I mean, I'm sure you'll be useful, but I don't want to have you do some stupid hero shit and I have to save you....”
Rachel laughed, “I'm going to be in the fort you're protecting. My job, is to keep their satellites down, as well as direct troops. The only reason I'll have your contact is to keep your vitals updated, and to make sure you know where that barrel is pointing.”
Jake nodded, “Makes sense. At least your not another sniper....”
“Why? Are you afraid that a cat is going to take all of your kills.”
“No, I was betrayed by a fellow sniper.” Jake said.
402 approx. Years ago
“Sitting here, in the middle of fucking nowhere, doing what?” The comm spoke
“We're waiting for the target van to drive by this church. Be careful, your gun is sticking out a bit.” Jake replied.
“Thanks. Last I heard from base, the van was supposed to show up ten minutes ago.”
“Well, they may have an idea where we're at.”
The van drove by as the comm on the other end spoke. “Holocause to base, Simo is down. I repeat, Simo was shot and killed. Aborting mission.”
“Wait, what? I'm still here!”
“Not for long. Goodbye, Arctic.”
A gunshot roared through the sky. Jake ducked low, and was glad that he didn't use telescopic sights. The bullet whizzed past his eye, and cut part of it.
“Oh come on........”
Jake looked, and saw the gun of his former ally. He raised his rifle and fired twice. There was a buzz on the radio to indicate he died. Jake jumped back on the rooftop of the church and took careful aim through his iron sights. He fired once. The van slowed to a crawl and Jake ran up to it. Ten minutes later, Jake went back to the church and grabbed the comm. “Simo to base! Simo to base!”
“Roger Simo, Didn't you die? Where's Holocause?”
“Holocause has betrayed the mission and the team. I have a wounded eye, and mission is complete. The only evidence left behind was a skid, and some ice over it.”
“Nice cover Simo, you just got a promotion...”
“And that's what happened. The scar kinda faded, but the fur doesn't grow back right where the bullet grazed my face.” Jake said
Rachel took a closer look and nodded, “I see. That sucks.....is that why you work alone?”
“Yep....so, you stoked on shipping out?”
“Oh yeah...”
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 74 x 120px
File Size 165 kB
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