Prologue-ish thing
December 18, 2020
People say that first impressions are everything. What a lot of people don't think about is that their first impression could be wrong. Impressions are just guesses, what we think another person is like. Yet so many people hold that impression as the truth. They couldn't be farther from the truth. Thinking back to that day, I was once one of those people. Things are different now that I know better. Friends may be enemies, and enemies may be friends. The people I was fighting against turned out to be the people I thought I was fighting for. Let's back up a bit. You'll need to hear the entire story first.
Chapter 1-First Encounter
A small, malnourished bear cub sat in front of a circular metal can, rummaging through its contents. He stood alone in a dark alley, surrounded on each side by a wall. Behind him, the wall of a building rose up. Currently, he was in the alcove used to store the building's trash. A narrow path stretched off in both directions. His matted green fur stuck up all over the place, and his slitted eyes darted around, searching for anyone who might catch him. A little ways off, shuffling footsteps resonated off of the pavement. The bear cub ducked behind the can, peering around the edge slightly to see who was approaching. A large gray and white eagle clad in the uniform of The Patrol, the oppressive police force of the town, walked slowly by, the beam from his flashlight drifting over the ground and the walls of the alley. The bear drew his knees in tighter, praying that the eagle wouldn't spot him. To be caught by The Patrol would mean that he would go to jail.
Suddenly, from behind the eagle came a loud explosion. The eagle spun around just as a laser beam cut through him. The eagle crumpled to the ground, his own laser pistol clattering on the cobblestone. A small creature darted over to the eagle's body, pawing at his clothing to check for anything worth stealing. Upon closer inspection, the cub could see that it was a gray and black striped cat. The cat had on a dark gray uniform, an array of weapons strapped to her body. The cub drew in a breath.
This cat was a member of the crime syndicate, Nomad. The name came from the fact that their syndicate rarely ever met together, and that their members were nomads that worked alone. The cub had heard rumors about them. They would meet with the leader once, receive their assigned city, and then steal anything they could gather. The Patrol, their worst enemy, sent out reports daily about the Nomads. The Patrol, while they could be oppressive, also served as protection against the Nomad. The only thing worse than getting caught by The Patrol was facing death at the hands of a Nomad.
Turning his attention back to the cat, the cub watched as it removed a slip of paper from the eagle's pocket. The cat skimmed the paper, then shoved it into a pouch on its belt. Just then, a lone pebble clattered to the ground. The cat whirled around, and the cub craned his neck to see what was there. It was a hooded figure dressed in a similar uniform, standing atop the roof of the building that made up one wall of the alley.
What's going on? I thought Nomads worked alone…the cub thought.
"Oh it's just you," The cat hissed, the voice sounding feminine.
"Just me? I'm here to save your butt. There's someone else here." A gruff voice responded from beneath the hood. The bear cub gulped, praying he wouldn't be found.
"What? Where?" The cat shrieked, trying to maintain a whisper.
"Over there," The hooded creature gestured towards the cub's hiding spot behind the trash can.
"Shoot! I didn't even think to check back there!" The cat's voice rose in panic. "Come help me check. What if it's another Patrol goon?"
With a sigh, the hooded Nomad leapt off of the rooftop, landing on both feet. A long gray-white snout protruded from the hood, two gleaming fangs poking out. The cub whimpered a little, nervous of his fate. The hooded one raised a foot and kicked the can over, revealing the cubs hiding spot. The cub held his hands over his body¸ preparing himself.
"Pah! Just a street urchin. Nothin' to worry about." The guy growled. Up close, the cub could now see that he was a wolf.
"But he saw my face!" The cat wailed.
"Who cares? You won't say anything to anyone, right?" The wolf leaned in towards the cub's face, his mouth turned up in a snarl.
"Uhh..N-no. I w-won't," The cub stammered.
"Good boy. See, we've got nothing to worry about Lolly. You're always being paranoid," The wolf chuckled.
"Let's just get out of here before we get-"
"FREEZE. Put your hands in the air and turn around slowly." A voice from behind them growled.