Rough draft intro time. I've decided on 1st person personal furry POV. Because I don't think I can possibly get all Gloria characters thoughts right... I'll just do their actions.
The following fanfic has been rated R and the scene's contained therein may be violent, gorey, have borderline blasphemous content, explicit language, sexual inneuendo's, and may not be suitable for all readers.
Parental discrestion is advised...
"Reality Bytes"
A fanfiction by Ben "Rico" Allen
Based on the comic strip by Gloria Higginbottom
Life is full of ups and downs, left turns and right turns. Its a rollercoaster complete with loops, boosters, and brakes. Sometimes you hit that booster just right sending you into a adrenaline pumping looping spiral straight into the heavens. Then you reach the top, you feel like you're flying and nothing can stop you.
Then you slow to a stop at the peak. The sky spreading out around you, the clouds are the wings of angels gently floating through the air, the sun reflecting off them in a sea of sparkling beauty.
Then you start to move again, sloping down. Looking at the track falling beneath you you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. A disgusting gnawing feeling clawing up into your throat. Letting you know that what's coming.
That was the feeling I had seeing the cars, black and white spraying their aqua and crimson fury all over the neighborhood. The men in blue darted around like ants, the men in white carting out three gurney's. The feeling became dizzying spiral as I saw two of them go directly into the back of a waiting black vehicle with the word "Coroner" printed on bold white letters on the side. The spiral in my mind shifted into 5th gear speeding my sanity down. The air seemed as cold and stiff as a corpse, musty and stale as a grave. The only thing I could do to remain sane was think back, back to yesterday...
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See if the writing style is ok with ya gloria. I wanna get your opinion before starting to work on the first chapter.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-23 22:31 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-23 22:36 ]</font>
*Cracks his knuckles*
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Being the impatient vulpine that I am I didn't wait.
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Chapter 1: Fursdale
To make anything fit I have to go back, back to when I first remember having the dreams. I wasn't sure how it happened. What was a dream and what was real? But I had two lifes, science allowing or not I did. The how and why were a mystery but the cold hard fact was something was wrong. The feeling was deja vu, paranoia, and goosebumps all rolled into one package. It made me shiver to think about it so I didn't. One life was in knothole, my brother and my best friend always there for me. But the world was plagued with anarchy, pain, and suffering. A demented facist was the ruler, and most living creatures where fighting against him.
The other was in a place called Fursdale, that name standing out in my mind like a torch, to me it seemed the most likely candidate to be a dream. I wasn't sure how I lived there or even if I lived there. The first time I could remember Fursdale was several years back. It was foggy but the basic events were still there. I'd known I was homeless but that was about it. There was a blur like gap in fact I remember very little, most were scenes coated in a white haze. Some kid had offered to let me stay at his place for awhile and helped me get back on my feet. Not that I wasn't greatful but that kid made a tired two year old look pleasant to be around.
The past year or so was boring as hell. I'd become a sort of lone wolf, taking odd jobs that would make a nun's heart seize up. My employers where the low life scum of the city, anyone with a monkey on their back and not enough money to pay a professional would find my name somewhere. Not that I minded in the least, as long as I paid the rat his money he didn't care. The apartment was only a place to sleep for me.
In that city I lived from moment to moment, stale donuts and black coffee where the fuel behind me. Every so often the rat's friend would be around when I came in. He was some kinda weasel, name was some weird foreign one, but most people I saw just called him Xe. Bit of a romantic but a nice kid, we all need dreams. The only decent meals I'd had in the damned place were from him.
Not that the rat kid was all bad. He'd pulled me off the street and given me a bunk so I had to give credit where credit was due. Ciaran, an odd name for a stereotypical punk. He was the kind of person that you either felt sorry for or wanted to strangle. Of course my solution was the latter.
Various friends of theirs dropped by occasionally, most made me wanna beat them with a blunt object. Although Xe's apparent girlfriend wasn't that bad. A real bitch if you will, no sugar coating and she'd bludgeon a pizzaboy with a skillet rather than pay. My kind of girl. But as things wore on I started getting the impression I was only getting half of the picture. The other half was buried somewhere in the mess that had clouded over my brain year's ago.
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Chapter 1: Fursdale
To make anything fit I have to go back, back to when I first remember having the dreams. I wasn't sure how it happened. What was a dream and what was real? But I had two lifes, science allowing or not I did. The how and why were a mystery but the cold hard fact was something was wrong. The feeling was deja vu, paranoia, and goosebumps all rolled into one package. It made me shiver to think about it so I didn't. One life was in knothole, my brother and my best friend always there for me. But the world was plagued with anarchy, pain, and suffering. A demented facist was the ruler, and most living creatures where fighting against him.
The other was in a place called Fursdale, that name standing out in my mind like a torch, to me it seemed the most likely candidate to be a dream. I wasn't sure how I lived there or even if I lived there. The first time I could remember Fursdale was several years back. It was foggy but the basic events were still there. I'd known I was homeless but that was about it. There was a blur like gap in fact I remember very little, most were scenes coated in a white haze. Some kid had offered to let me stay at his place for awhile and helped me get back on my feet. Not that I wasn't greatful but that kid made a tired two year old look pleasant to be around.
The past year or so was boring as hell. I'd become a sort of lone wolf, taking odd jobs that would make a nun's heart seize up. My employers where the low life scum of the city, anyone with a monkey on their back and not enough money to pay a professional would find my name somewhere. Not that I minded in the least, as long as I paid the rat his money he didn't care. The apartment was only a place to sleep for me.
In that city I lived from moment to moment, stale donuts and black coffee where the fuel behind me. Every so often the rat's friend would be around when I came in. He was some kinda weasel, name was some weird foreign one, but most people I saw just called him Xe. Bit of a romantic but a nice kid, we all need dreams. The only decent meals I'd had in the damned place were from him.
Not that the rat kid was all bad. He'd pulled me off the street and given me a bunk so I had to give credit where credit was due. Ciaran, an odd name for a stereotypical punk. He was the kind of person that you either felt sorry for or wanted to strangle. Of course my solution was the latter.
Various friends of theirs dropped by occasionally, most made me wanna beat them with a blunt object. Although Xe's apparent girlfriend wasn't that bad. A real bitch if you will, no sugar coating and she'd bludgeon a pizzaboy with a skillet rather than pay. My kind of girl. But as things wore on I started getting the impression I was only getting half of the picture. The other half was buried somewhere in the mess that had clouded over my brain year's ago.
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TwoDifferentSox
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Not long ago the clouds had started to lift. Thanks in part to Xe moving in with us for awhile. I think the moment that changed everything was the first night that Xe was there. The air outside was a sheet of snow, like all of hell had frozen over. I'd been taking the couch at night because it was never a sure thing when I'd be in. The point came when Xe had asked if he could have the couch. Ciaran was standing not far away obviously waiting for me to give a negative response, that quirky smirk on his face. I simply gave him a nod and said I'd bed down on the floor. The weasel had his usual smile on his face the whole time, youthful and innocent like a child. At my answer his eyebrows raised in surprise spouting out in a cracking voice, "Thank you". Turning to leave Ciaran's response was more amusing. He was standing with his mouth open, eyes wide as dinner plates. As I left the apartment Xe called out one more time, "Rico?" I couldn't help but look back, something I'd never done before. "Maybe when ya get back I could make ya some coffee or something." I tried to make a biting remark but nothing came, I just nodded and left. Walking away I could see back through the open door, Ciaran was waving his arms like little brat trying to get a new toy from his mother at Xe attempting to get the weasel to tell him how he'd managed to convince me to give up the couch. The confused look on the weasel's face mixed with the ratboy's hysteria was like a overly done parody of an after school special. They looked like a couple of kids in there. It was almost enough to... No.
I'd told myself I just did it to see his response, to get a reaction. I couldn't let myself care about anyone in this world, I didn't know how long I was going to be here. But it was too late... the thought had slipped in. I walked faster, out into the howling night air. I'd thought it'd clear my head, drive the warmth away. Unfortunately all it'd done was clear my head.
The wind bit through my coat, and my fur. Jack Frost was using me as a pincushion, jabbing me with pins and needles. Not far from the apartments I took a late night bus into town. As it took off my mind played back Xe's response in my head again. Someone offering to help... I felt something strange, something warm biting through the cold. I looked up thinking that bus's heater was working overtime, but the vents were closed. Lowering my head I saw something in the window that I'd not seen in a long time, my reflection. I was smiling... For the first time in a year I could see myself. Nothing out of the ordinary, average looking fox, orange fur and all. Noone special, noone that would attract attention, noone you could pick out of a lineup. My faded army parka seemed little protection against the blowing night wind. One of the small flags on the sides had ripped off long ago. Under it, tucked inside a small holster was my beretta. It moved rhythmically hitting my chest lightly. The bus stopped once on the outskirts of entering the city. The mystery of why Xe was being nice to me still plagued my mind as an eldery rabbit stepped onboard wearing a three piece suit.
Behind the bus was a black SUV, as had been promised by my current employers. It's headlights off, engine running and ready to go. As the rabbit turned and started down the aisle I rose reaching into my coat and pretending to scratch an itch as I made my way toward the front of the bus. The pistol's condensation was a nervous sweat as I pulled it free of its holster still concealing it under my coat. As planned I skillfully bumped into the old guy enough to knock him into a nearby seat, the bus's engine and passenger's covering the sound of a 9mm bullet entering his flesh. His eyes grew wide with fear, he stayed down clutching his chest in pain.
The only sound he made was a choking sound as his heart stopped. The bus's few passengers gathered thinking he was having a heart attack or the like. It would take a few minutes for the blood to become visible. By that time I was already out the door. The back door of the SUV opened for me and I stepped in.
The interior was all leather, I could tell by the smell. Other smells were alcohol.. and cigar smoke, enough to make you gag. Across from me sat two men, dressed up like secret agents. One spoke in a thickly laced New York accent, "Good job, Mistah Underwood. As always it tis a great pleasure to do the business wid ya. Eva thought of taking a more *permanate* position?" He nodded aside and his companion handed me a briefcase.
The thought had crossed my mind at least a hundred times. But a permanate position meant enemies. Enemies meant someone was bound to find out were I was staying. Even I had morality, I couldn't let these thugs slaughter those two kids. So I simply shook my head and had the two mobsters drop me at the nearest all night coffee shop.
After downing cup after cup of what tasted like engine oil, the crazy thought entered my head. Maybe I should take the weasel up on his offer. If nothing else I'd get a decent cup of java. Paying the storeclerk I headed back out into the frozen city. Back to the apartments.
I'd told myself I just did it to see his response, to get a reaction. I couldn't let myself care about anyone in this world, I didn't know how long I was going to be here. But it was too late... the thought had slipped in. I walked faster, out into the howling night air. I'd thought it'd clear my head, drive the warmth away. Unfortunately all it'd done was clear my head.
The wind bit through my coat, and my fur. Jack Frost was using me as a pincushion, jabbing me with pins and needles. Not far from the apartments I took a late night bus into town. As it took off my mind played back Xe's response in my head again. Someone offering to help... I felt something strange, something warm biting through the cold. I looked up thinking that bus's heater was working overtime, but the vents were closed. Lowering my head I saw something in the window that I'd not seen in a long time, my reflection. I was smiling... For the first time in a year I could see myself. Nothing out of the ordinary, average looking fox, orange fur and all. Noone special, noone that would attract attention, noone you could pick out of a lineup. My faded army parka seemed little protection against the blowing night wind. One of the small flags on the sides had ripped off long ago. Under it, tucked inside a small holster was my beretta. It moved rhythmically hitting my chest lightly. The bus stopped once on the outskirts of entering the city. The mystery of why Xe was being nice to me still plagued my mind as an eldery rabbit stepped onboard wearing a three piece suit.
Behind the bus was a black SUV, as had been promised by my current employers. It's headlights off, engine running and ready to go. As the rabbit turned and started down the aisle I rose reaching into my coat and pretending to scratch an itch as I made my way toward the front of the bus. The pistol's condensation was a nervous sweat as I pulled it free of its holster still concealing it under my coat. As planned I skillfully bumped into the old guy enough to knock him into a nearby seat, the bus's engine and passenger's covering the sound of a 9mm bullet entering his flesh. His eyes grew wide with fear, he stayed down clutching his chest in pain.
The only sound he made was a choking sound as his heart stopped. The bus's few passengers gathered thinking he was having a heart attack or the like. It would take a few minutes for the blood to become visible. By that time I was already out the door. The back door of the SUV opened for me and I stepped in.
The interior was all leather, I could tell by the smell. Other smells were alcohol.. and cigar smoke, enough to make you gag. Across from me sat two men, dressed up like secret agents. One spoke in a thickly laced New York accent, "Good job, Mistah Underwood. As always it tis a great pleasure to do the business wid ya. Eva thought of taking a more *permanate* position?" He nodded aside and his companion handed me a briefcase.
The thought had crossed my mind at least a hundred times. But a permanate position meant enemies. Enemies meant someone was bound to find out were I was staying. Even I had morality, I couldn't let these thugs slaughter those two kids. So I simply shook my head and had the two mobsters drop me at the nearest all night coffee shop.
After downing cup after cup of what tasted like engine oil, the crazy thought entered my head. Maybe I should take the weasel up on his offer. If nothing else I'd get a decent cup of java. Paying the storeclerk I headed back out into the frozen city. Back to the apartments.
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Crash
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Good chapter! I like the character development, the contradiction of doing hits for the mob while being concerned about "the kids". I can vaguely see several directions this can go, and I'm intrigued.
But nothing exciting ever happens in Indiana.Hraxmeim said:
I always thought Fursdale was in the equivalent of Indiana
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TwoDifferentSox
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Good addition Mr Underwood, the different traits of the main character are interesting (a careing murderer).
I''m wondering, what made he have so many sympathies for Xe? Is it simply his innocent being as he describes it?
From Keer's reaction I assume Rico's not always that easily being nice to someone else.
I''m wondering, what made he have so many sympathies for Xe? Is it simply his innocent being as he describes it?
From Keer's reaction I assume Rico's not always that easily being nice to someone else.
Oh. One technical question. Um... is that Beretta (92, I'm assuming) supressed (silenced) Cause that's one LOUD bus to be covering the sounds of a gunshot... heh.
<img ALIGN=left SRC="http://untitled.keenspace.com/images/De ... pg">[b]Joe from Blue's Clues:[/b]I'm just a green, square loving wiggle master!
Untitled!-- It's a comic strip. No. Really!
And yes, I admit, I stole this sig code directly from Crash, with him standing here so if it doesn't work it's his fault.
Untitled!-- It's a comic strip. No. Really!
And yes, I admit, I stole this sig code directly from Crash, with him standing here so if it doesn't work it's his fault.
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Rico Underwood
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All good contract killers have a suppressor. o.o
[edit]
And you're right TDS, I keep forgetting you guys no nothing about Rico. I'll try to arrange more text on his personality. The next chapter is dealing with the other reality/dream so I'll be able to give more in depth descriptions on Rico there.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-26 09:34 ]</font>
[edit]
And you're right TDS, I keep forgetting you guys no nothing about Rico. I'll try to arrange more text on his personality. The next chapter is dealing with the other reality/dream so I'll be able to give more in depth descriptions on Rico there.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-26 09:34 ]</font>
![http://untitled.keenspace.com/images/De ... pg">[b]Joe](http://untitled.keenspace.com/images/Devon/avatar.jpg%22%3E%5Bb%5DJoe){kind=link}
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Rico Underwood
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The room was hot... too hot... I tried to quickin my pace to get to the door but the handle melted in my hand. The room began to melt, my feet burning through my shoes. The steam was so hot I couldn't see, the room did a fade... to black.
In what seemed like an instant I could feel someone nudging me. My name sounding like a distant echo, steadily getting closer. "Rico... Rick?" The voice was oddly familiar. Soon light penetrated my eyelids dragging me back to a conscious state. The room was dimly lit, a projector screen glowed with schematics of some kinda robot, a snarling brown female squirrel stood to the head of the table. I was back in Knothole again.
Beside me sat a gerbil in his mid teens wearing a grim smirk on his grey furred face, "You were snoring Rick." I could feel my skin burning with embarassment under my fur, the leader of the little sit-in was still snarling at me. "Rico, If I'm boring you go outside. Now lets get back to the briefing." She whirled around bluntly and went back chattering about something called a Unit 808 series HK robot. Something newly cooked up by Robotnik was my guess. Her voice trailed off, I was dozing again. "Rick." That voice brought me back, the gerbil jabbed my side while he was hissing my name. Finally I turned, annoyed, and answered, "Whaddya want Adi?" The gerbil's face looked pale as he continued, "You didn't hear her did you?" My only reply was a quick shake of my head, and he looked too scared to continue.
"Any questions?" The squirrel asked after finishing her speal. A female rabbit closer to front raised her hand. "What kindah ahmor do these things have on 'em?" The squirrel shook her head, "We don't know. There's simply not enough info too tell on these blueprints." A walrus in a baseball cap took the floor, "Even if these things ARE invisible, shouldn't we be able to see them on infrared?" Again the female shook her head, "Thats the truely scary thing about these. They have what is called a 'phasing stealth generator' Tails can explain more."
On that cue a young fox walked up and looked around nervously before speaking, "Uh... yeah. According to what we've found this thing works by literally keeping the robot in a prolonged state of phasing. Phasing as in reality, its like it stays outside of this space and in another until its ready to strike and..." An abrupt stop was put in the explaination by a blue hedgehog saying, "Yeah, yeah, big guy thats enough, all we gotta do is wait till we know its around then fry the area. Invisible or not it'll be gone." The fox cub cleared his throat looking somewhat annoyed, "But Sonic you can't. As long as 808 is in stealth mode it can't be touched, and I mean that literally. It's not in this space."
Beside me Adi finally got his senses back and stood up, "You mean that theres NO way to tell its around? Is it armed?" Tails shook his head, "We don't think so. We've recovered one and it wasn't carrying ordnance." Adi still looked a little white as he spoke again, "But this 808 could be anywhere, and not leave any trances behind?" The foxcub nodded. Adi rubbed the back of his head sitting back down and leaning against me, "This is bad Rick... real bad."
"You need some caffine bud, you're still lookin shakey." My own voice startled me. The gerbil nodded slowly, "Coffee might help... It's late but it might settle my nerves enough to sleep. L...Lets head back home and maybe I'll make ya some too." At the comment the back of my mind did this bright flash and events from Fursdale poured in, I had coffee waiting there too.
In what seemed like an instant I could feel someone nudging me. My name sounding like a distant echo, steadily getting closer. "Rico... Rick?" The voice was oddly familiar. Soon light penetrated my eyelids dragging me back to a conscious state. The room was dimly lit, a projector screen glowed with schematics of some kinda robot, a snarling brown female squirrel stood to the head of the table. I was back in Knothole again.
Beside me sat a gerbil in his mid teens wearing a grim smirk on his grey furred face, "You were snoring Rick." I could feel my skin burning with embarassment under my fur, the leader of the little sit-in was still snarling at me. "Rico, If I'm boring you go outside. Now lets get back to the briefing." She whirled around bluntly and went back chattering about something called a Unit 808 series HK robot. Something newly cooked up by Robotnik was my guess. Her voice trailed off, I was dozing again. "Rick." That voice brought me back, the gerbil jabbed my side while he was hissing my name. Finally I turned, annoyed, and answered, "Whaddya want Adi?" The gerbil's face looked pale as he continued, "You didn't hear her did you?" My only reply was a quick shake of my head, and he looked too scared to continue.
"Any questions?" The squirrel asked after finishing her speal. A female rabbit closer to front raised her hand. "What kindah ahmor do these things have on 'em?" The squirrel shook her head, "We don't know. There's simply not enough info too tell on these blueprints." A walrus in a baseball cap took the floor, "Even if these things ARE invisible, shouldn't we be able to see them on infrared?" Again the female shook her head, "Thats the truely scary thing about these. They have what is called a 'phasing stealth generator' Tails can explain more."
On that cue a young fox walked up and looked around nervously before speaking, "Uh... yeah. According to what we've found this thing works by literally keeping the robot in a prolonged state of phasing. Phasing as in reality, its like it stays outside of this space and in another until its ready to strike and..." An abrupt stop was put in the explaination by a blue hedgehog saying, "Yeah, yeah, big guy thats enough, all we gotta do is wait till we know its around then fry the area. Invisible or not it'll be gone." The fox cub cleared his throat looking somewhat annoyed, "But Sonic you can't. As long as 808 is in stealth mode it can't be touched, and I mean that literally. It's not in this space."
Beside me Adi finally got his senses back and stood up, "You mean that theres NO way to tell its around? Is it armed?" Tails shook his head, "We don't think so. We've recovered one and it wasn't carrying ordnance." Adi still looked a little white as he spoke again, "But this 808 could be anywhere, and not leave any trances behind?" The foxcub nodded. Adi rubbed the back of his head sitting back down and leaning against me, "This is bad Rick... real bad."
"You need some caffine bud, you're still lookin shakey." My own voice startled me. The gerbil nodded slowly, "Coffee might help... It's late but it might settle my nerves enough to sleep. L...Lets head back home and maybe I'll make ya some too." At the comment the back of my mind did this bright flash and events from Fursdale poured in, I had coffee waiting there too.
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Rico Underwood
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The hut was perfectly clean when we staggered in. Adi was not only a good friend but he kept the place overly clean. No sooner where we inside than he was already starting to fix some coffee. I'd have helped but my body felt like it'd gained 400 pounds since I left Fursdale. Plopping down in a chair I put my head down on folded arms and tried to rest.
No sooner had sleep come then the light came again, white cold florescent light. I knew I had to open my eyes, but exhaustion was telling me otherwise. I knew where I was, opening my eyes only confirmed it. The cup of coffee in front of me was stale and cold, it'd been sitting for a few hours. The coffee shop... It was as if I'd never left. Looking down my watch told the news, 4 am, way past time to head back. I doubted there'd be any coffee waiting at this hour.
As I stood I heard my name again, the tone of it almost made me sit back down to wait and wake up elsewhere. But the voice was oddly familiar, "I found him, Keer!" Cheerful and tired at the same time I could tell it was Xe's voice. The scrawny weasel came charging through the door stopping beside me with his hands on his hips, "Where were you? I was worried." Behind him the ratboy came in sighing, "Xe can we go home now? I told you he was fine." The weasel was unmoving and put a hand on my shoulder, faster than he could blink I jerked away. Keer sighed in frustration, "He doesn't want you bothering him Xe. Leave the grump alone and lets go home."
Xe still was unwaving, becoming more persistant. "Rick, you don't hafta to like it, but come home. The news is reporting a big storm coming in and I don't want you stranded out here or anything." I didn't... no, I couldn't answer. Stranger's were never nice to me, it was confusing. I had my own way of dealing with confusion... Sending it away. Standing up slowly I turned to both of the friends, "Go away. I don't want your damn help, I can take care of myself." Even with that the weasel was still trying, taking my hand and starting to tug a little.
I swear if I'd have known he was that light I wouldn't have pushed him so hard, but it was too late. I gave the weasel a shove to back him off and sent him to the ground. The return stroke was an inflamed rodent's fist to my face. It wasn't the hardest hit I'd taken but it hurt the most. Unfortunately the pain made its own response and before I had time to think I felt Ciaran's nose hit my fist. Sending the rodent staggering backward holding his muzzle. My brain didn't catch up until I heard the ratboy yell back as they left, "Fuck off Underwood."
No sooner had sleep come then the light came again, white cold florescent light. I knew I had to open my eyes, but exhaustion was telling me otherwise. I knew where I was, opening my eyes only confirmed it. The cup of coffee in front of me was stale and cold, it'd been sitting for a few hours. The coffee shop... It was as if I'd never left. Looking down my watch told the news, 4 am, way past time to head back. I doubted there'd be any coffee waiting at this hour.
As I stood I heard my name again, the tone of it almost made me sit back down to wait and wake up elsewhere. But the voice was oddly familiar, "I found him, Keer!" Cheerful and tired at the same time I could tell it was Xe's voice. The scrawny weasel came charging through the door stopping beside me with his hands on his hips, "Where were you? I was worried." Behind him the ratboy came in sighing, "Xe can we go home now? I told you he was fine." The weasel was unmoving and put a hand on my shoulder, faster than he could blink I jerked away. Keer sighed in frustration, "He doesn't want you bothering him Xe. Leave the grump alone and lets go home."
Xe still was unwaving, becoming more persistant. "Rick, you don't hafta to like it, but come home. The news is reporting a big storm coming in and I don't want you stranded out here or anything." I didn't... no, I couldn't answer. Stranger's were never nice to me, it was confusing. I had my own way of dealing with confusion... Sending it away. Standing up slowly I turned to both of the friends, "Go away. I don't want your damn help, I can take care of myself." Even with that the weasel was still trying, taking my hand and starting to tug a little.
I swear if I'd have known he was that light I wouldn't have pushed him so hard, but it was too late. I gave the weasel a shove to back him off and sent him to the ground. The return stroke was an inflamed rodent's fist to my face. It wasn't the hardest hit I'd taken but it hurt the most. Unfortunately the pain made its own response and before I had time to think I felt Ciaran's nose hit my fist. Sending the rodent staggering backward holding his muzzle. My brain didn't catch up until I heard the ratboy yell back as they left, "Fuck off Underwood."
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TwoDifferentSox
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Good work Mr Underwood. 
So Ricos agressiv tenseness is based on the fact that he's spending half the time in an alternate reality that happens to be in some sort of war, hmmm...
Makes me curious how he's phasing between this two worlds, and how does it appear to the other persons in the world?
Does he really vanishes or more changes only with his mind?
It sounded to me in the text that he changed after falling asleep...and noone minded that in the caf
So Ricos agressiv tenseness is based on the fact that he's spending half the time in an alternate reality that happens to be in some sort of war, hmmm...
Makes me curious how he's phasing between this two worlds, and how does it appear to the other persons in the world?
Does he really vanishes or more changes only with his mind?
It sounded to me in the text that he changed after falling asleep...and noone minded that in the caf
-
Rico Underwood
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 296
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: OKC, OK
- Contact:
-
Rico Underwood
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 296
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: OKC, OK
- Contact:
3: Pain that Heals
I'd wanted to stop them, I wanted to say something. But my mouth, like the rest of my body was dead weight. I plopped back down and downed the last of the coffee, afraid to sleep, afraid to go back to the apartment, just afraid. Eventually the cold caffine wore off and the sandman attacked like a rabid dog, forcing me back to sleep.
Seconds pounded by, the clock was a heartbeat, rhythmic and consistant. The heartbeat grew louder, and soon was right next to me. I could feel it in synch with mine, and then I opened my eyes. I could only guess Adi had moved me into bed, because I never remembered walking there. The room was dark a lone candle flickering dimly in the breeze from an open window. Something bumped me playing on my fear and sending a thousand reasons as to what is was through my brain like wild fire, making me jump in shock. Looking down all the horrid images that had crowded into my mind in that moment faded as I saw the little rabbit trying to snuggle down closer. My brother, Tobias, had slipped into bed with me. It wasn't a rare thing, with all the bad things happening in this world I felt better knowing I could watch him.
Thoughts invaded my head, pointless ones dwelling on the unfairness of life and the evil inherent in people. But through all the futility of saying it, it wasn't fair in any shape or form of the word. Why should a ten year old kid like Tobe have to deal with this? Why should he have to grow up in the middle of a war? On a more grand scale why did he deserve his birth? My bastard of a father had had a short fling with a waitress, and the result was a hybrid, a rabbit/fox, a freak. In probably the only good thing he ever did my father had had his 'mistake' covered up with surgery, money, and threats. No record of Tobias being born was going to be found.
As the story played back in my head like it'd done a hundred times before I took a second to try to sort things out. The second did last long because none of it made sense. And that one second I'd taken to think was same second my brain had taken to betray me once again.
The trip was the same, I niether saw nor felt anything. I just was there once again staring at an empty cup of coffee. My watch said it'd been a few hours, it hadn't seemed like it. Of course time flys when you're not dodging bullets. It'd seemed like I was only with my brother for a few moments, but it was enough to knock so sense into my head. Reguardless of what I'd been brooding about the fact was that without Xe and Keer I was homeless again, another fact that dug at my brain like an icepick was the mobsters that I'd done in the rabbit for earlier, their voices still ringing in my head, the shark smiles hiding all kinds of hidden agenda's. Hidden agenda's like following my back the apartment and giving me 'reasons' to pull jobs for them and them alone.
I was starting to stand, ready to make amends, ready to confront people instead of shoving them away. But my self righteous inner monologue was cut short by the door busting open, the figure was unmistakeable. The bright orange hair, white coat, and .45 gripped firmly in her paws. The difference was her face. The usual sly grimace had been replaced with a look of sheer terror. Her skin was white under her fur, eyes widened, stammering as she spoke, "Rico? There was a shooting at the apartments were Xe and Keer live. We're headed over to see if they're ok."
In the few meetings I'd had with her I'd never seen a hint of fear, or uncertainty. Twap obviously wore the pants in the relationship, I guess that left Xe with the tutu. But now her face was sickly, a combo of anxiety and fear. It was obvious she wanted me to follow, whether it was to have a second gun around or not I wasn't stalling. We burst outside, the wind ripping it us like daggers as we scrambled to get into a waiting car. I'd seen the driver only once, a tall brown colored rabbit, seemed the silent type. Beside him was a cute girl fox, Xe had mentioned something about her boyfriend so I usually ignored her as well. My eyes drifted across the streets, snow covering the cars, the sky dark and ominous. The buildings flew past, all closed, their awnings drooping with the weight of the falling snow.
The air in the car was deathly quiet, snow flying at the windshield with enough intensity to blind an eskimo. The drive seemed to take hours, rage building in me every minute. Rage against myself for attacking Ciaran, for being an uncaring ass. Rage against the world for letting this happen. Rage against my life, thoughts, and feeling. All of it smouldering in my mind like embers.
The car slid to a halt and we piled out onto the streets. Snow still falling from the sky's being backlit by red and blue lights racing around and dancing on the police uniforms. Paramedics standing by and cops hiding behind their squad car doors. "A standoff." The fox girl's voice spoke the cold truth. Beside her the rabbit sighed his face stoic, "We should go." At his words Twap spun around glaring, "Apollo? Are you insane? We can't leave Xe in there." The rabbit apparently named Apollo gritted his teeth flattening his ears back against his head, "No, I'm not. We'll just get in the way if we stay." Twap snarled balling her paws into fists, "But Xe and Keer could die if we don't help." The rabbit turned for his car, "And they probably will die if we go barging in, along with us."
I'd had enough, as the rabbit turn to leave the world seemed to fog a little as if dream-like. Drawing my gun from my hip and firing a single shot, loud, and straight into the rabbit's tire. Apollo jumped and stood silent watching the tire deflate to the tune of a low hissing noise. He looked back with uncertain eyes, have expecting the next shot to be at him. For the first time in a long time I spoke firmly, "We're not leaving. Twap get your gun ready and follow me. You two stay here and change the tire." All three faces were dumbfounded as I turned and broke into a half run for the side of the building.
Charging across the snow I felt a kind of feral rage in myself, instead of the icy feeling when I was pulling a job for some mobster. Adrenaline started pumping through my aching body, emotion fueling my mad dash for the apartment fire escape. Just before darting around the corner a noise catch my ear, a thud. I'd heard the sound a hundred times in a thousand different places, but one of them meant anything good. Skidding to a stop I pressed my back against the snow dusted wall of the complex. A quick look confirmed what my gut had already told me.
"Damn pig nearly winged me." The punk stood up dusting snow off his suit, the voice made my skin crawl. "Quit worrying eh? We got one of tha punk's, if'n Underwood don't get tha message now we'll just hafta come back and do the other one too." The second voice was the nail and the coffin, burying my morality. The same mobster's I'd just been paid off by, the money was still in my pockets. The other suit laughed morbidly, "Don't think we'll need to, stupid rat, gotta give him credit doh. He put up a fight after we capped the fairy." This was my fault, I'd killed one of those kids as sure as if I'd but a gun to their gun and pulled the trigger. The second suit kicked the dead cop and took his gun, "Maybe Underwood's not as good as we thought, I mean what self respecting professional rooms with kids like that. Yech, I mean we caught 'em sleeping on the couch together." That last comment sent something through me, a wave of something, I couldn't explain it save that it did.. something. My mind had never been so clear, and I knew what I had to do. The first step was to pulled my second gun from its hidden holster inside my coat, it got easy after that. I stepped into the open.
The jerks had just dumped gasoline on the ember's smouldering in my mind. The flames igniting the form of a hail of bullets from my guns, screaming nine millimeter death eating the falling snow like a thousand pirahana's and hitting the killers. The result was as gruesome as it was vendicating, sprays of blood flying from the bodies as they jerked like bad break dancers before collasping on the snow.
I watched for a minute through the smoke rising from my weapons, the snow below them melting from the heated blood oozing out onto it. Finally I hit the release buttons on my guns and loaded in the only extra clips I had and climbed the fire escape before the cops came running.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-31 11:41 ]</font>
I'd wanted to stop them, I wanted to say something. But my mouth, like the rest of my body was dead weight. I plopped back down and downed the last of the coffee, afraid to sleep, afraid to go back to the apartment, just afraid. Eventually the cold caffine wore off and the sandman attacked like a rabid dog, forcing me back to sleep.
Seconds pounded by, the clock was a heartbeat, rhythmic and consistant. The heartbeat grew louder, and soon was right next to me. I could feel it in synch with mine, and then I opened my eyes. I could only guess Adi had moved me into bed, because I never remembered walking there. The room was dark a lone candle flickering dimly in the breeze from an open window. Something bumped me playing on my fear and sending a thousand reasons as to what is was through my brain like wild fire, making me jump in shock. Looking down all the horrid images that had crowded into my mind in that moment faded as I saw the little rabbit trying to snuggle down closer. My brother, Tobias, had slipped into bed with me. It wasn't a rare thing, with all the bad things happening in this world I felt better knowing I could watch him.
Thoughts invaded my head, pointless ones dwelling on the unfairness of life and the evil inherent in people. But through all the futility of saying it, it wasn't fair in any shape or form of the word. Why should a ten year old kid like Tobe have to deal with this? Why should he have to grow up in the middle of a war? On a more grand scale why did he deserve his birth? My bastard of a father had had a short fling with a waitress, and the result was a hybrid, a rabbit/fox, a freak. In probably the only good thing he ever did my father had had his 'mistake' covered up with surgery, money, and threats. No record of Tobias being born was going to be found.
As the story played back in my head like it'd done a hundred times before I took a second to try to sort things out. The second did last long because none of it made sense. And that one second I'd taken to think was same second my brain had taken to betray me once again.
The trip was the same, I niether saw nor felt anything. I just was there once again staring at an empty cup of coffee. My watch said it'd been a few hours, it hadn't seemed like it. Of course time flys when you're not dodging bullets. It'd seemed like I was only with my brother for a few moments, but it was enough to knock so sense into my head. Reguardless of what I'd been brooding about the fact was that without Xe and Keer I was homeless again, another fact that dug at my brain like an icepick was the mobsters that I'd done in the rabbit for earlier, their voices still ringing in my head, the shark smiles hiding all kinds of hidden agenda's. Hidden agenda's like following my back the apartment and giving me 'reasons' to pull jobs for them and them alone.
I was starting to stand, ready to make amends, ready to confront people instead of shoving them away. But my self righteous inner monologue was cut short by the door busting open, the figure was unmistakeable. The bright orange hair, white coat, and .45 gripped firmly in her paws. The difference was her face. The usual sly grimace had been replaced with a look of sheer terror. Her skin was white under her fur, eyes widened, stammering as she spoke, "Rico? There was a shooting at the apartments were Xe and Keer live. We're headed over to see if they're ok."
In the few meetings I'd had with her I'd never seen a hint of fear, or uncertainty. Twap obviously wore the pants in the relationship, I guess that left Xe with the tutu. But now her face was sickly, a combo of anxiety and fear. It was obvious she wanted me to follow, whether it was to have a second gun around or not I wasn't stalling. We burst outside, the wind ripping it us like daggers as we scrambled to get into a waiting car. I'd seen the driver only once, a tall brown colored rabbit, seemed the silent type. Beside him was a cute girl fox, Xe had mentioned something about her boyfriend so I usually ignored her as well. My eyes drifted across the streets, snow covering the cars, the sky dark and ominous. The buildings flew past, all closed, their awnings drooping with the weight of the falling snow.
The air in the car was deathly quiet, snow flying at the windshield with enough intensity to blind an eskimo. The drive seemed to take hours, rage building in me every minute. Rage against myself for attacking Ciaran, for being an uncaring ass. Rage against the world for letting this happen. Rage against my life, thoughts, and feeling. All of it smouldering in my mind like embers.
The car slid to a halt and we piled out onto the streets. Snow still falling from the sky's being backlit by red and blue lights racing around and dancing on the police uniforms. Paramedics standing by and cops hiding behind their squad car doors. "A standoff." The fox girl's voice spoke the cold truth. Beside her the rabbit sighed his face stoic, "We should go." At his words Twap spun around glaring, "Apollo? Are you insane? We can't leave Xe in there." The rabbit apparently named Apollo gritted his teeth flattening his ears back against his head, "No, I'm not. We'll just get in the way if we stay." Twap snarled balling her paws into fists, "But Xe and Keer could die if we don't help." The rabbit turned for his car, "And they probably will die if we go barging in, along with us."
I'd had enough, as the rabbit turn to leave the world seemed to fog a little as if dream-like. Drawing my gun from my hip and firing a single shot, loud, and straight into the rabbit's tire. Apollo jumped and stood silent watching the tire deflate to the tune of a low hissing noise. He looked back with uncertain eyes, have expecting the next shot to be at him. For the first time in a long time I spoke firmly, "We're not leaving. Twap get your gun ready and follow me. You two stay here and change the tire." All three faces were dumbfounded as I turned and broke into a half run for the side of the building.
Charging across the snow I felt a kind of feral rage in myself, instead of the icy feeling when I was pulling a job for some mobster. Adrenaline started pumping through my aching body, emotion fueling my mad dash for the apartment fire escape. Just before darting around the corner a noise catch my ear, a thud. I'd heard the sound a hundred times in a thousand different places, but one of them meant anything good. Skidding to a stop I pressed my back against the snow dusted wall of the complex. A quick look confirmed what my gut had already told me.
"Damn pig nearly winged me." The punk stood up dusting snow off his suit, the voice made my skin crawl. "Quit worrying eh? We got one of tha punk's, if'n Underwood don't get tha message now we'll just hafta come back and do the other one too." The second voice was the nail and the coffin, burying my morality. The same mobster's I'd just been paid off by, the money was still in my pockets. The other suit laughed morbidly, "Don't think we'll need to, stupid rat, gotta give him credit doh. He put up a fight after we capped the fairy." This was my fault, I'd killed one of those kids as sure as if I'd but a gun to their gun and pulled the trigger. The second suit kicked the dead cop and took his gun, "Maybe Underwood's not as good as we thought, I mean what self respecting professional rooms with kids like that. Yech, I mean we caught 'em sleeping on the couch together." That last comment sent something through me, a wave of something, I couldn't explain it save that it did.. something. My mind had never been so clear, and I knew what I had to do. The first step was to pulled my second gun from its hidden holster inside my coat, it got easy after that. I stepped into the open.
The jerks had just dumped gasoline on the ember's smouldering in my mind. The flames igniting the form of a hail of bullets from my guns, screaming nine millimeter death eating the falling snow like a thousand pirahana's and hitting the killers. The result was as gruesome as it was vendicating, sprays of blood flying from the bodies as they jerked like bad break dancers before collasping on the snow.
I watched for a minute through the smoke rising from my weapons, the snow below them melting from the heated blood oozing out onto it. Finally I hit the release buttons on my guns and loaded in the only extra clips I had and climbed the fire escape before the cops came running.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Rico Underwood on 2002-03-31 11:41 ]</font>