Final Fight
Chapter 1
Origionally titled A FIN FIGHT I found it needed a helping had...Rewritten.
Slash Ripster/T-Bone
Streex/Rox
Don't like it don't read it...
As always reviews are lovely.
I knew the moment that this had happened to us that this would be the end of us. I am happy to say that I was wrong. What has become of us has made us stronger. I will stand tall, and I shall protect them, if even from themselves. I have promised them that I will continue. I will find our father; I shall not rest until he is found.
"Rip?" I blink, pulled from my reverie. as Turning to glance over my shoulder; one of my younger brothers Jab stands behind me a few meters.
"Yea bro?" I turn fully to face him. "What is it?" Folding my arms across my torso I lift my Cigarette to my mouth and inhale slowly looking at him still as the smoke vents out my nostrils.
"We're ready" With a slow nod I motion him away turning to drop the cigarette butt in a small canister we've set out on the roof. "We'll see you inside." Hearing the door close behind me I sigh looking up into the night sky."God…if you're out there." This sounds so stupid. "Watch over us…please…"
The briefing was going to start soon, for a mission not all of us would return from. Our friends and allies have gathered…tonight the genes-slammed go to war.
Something was getting at my gills about all this but I cannot place what it is that I am feeling. I compose myself quickly and turn back the few meters to the double doors. As I pass through them, I raise my hands speaking loud enough to silence the large gathering."All right Guys…It looks like Lena and Bendz have a plan for us." I wait for everyone to settle; some sitting down, others standing. T-Bone moves firmly to stand to my Left, Lena to my right.
"He's the plan." Lena smirked "I need everyone to listen carefully to me, your assignments will be very important. You must follow the direction that I give you perfectly or we will not be successful in our mission to rescue Dr. Bolton." Everyone nodded in the room, she had their undivided attention. "Bullseye, you are our way in."
"How so?" He stood in the back flexing his wings slowly. Making his way forward he waited at the end of the table to be addressed.
"This is a federal facility, they have very good air cover, you will be dodging a lot of bullets and things, you will have to fly extremely carefully to make a proper distraction, without being hit." She looked up to him "We have flash grenades that shouldn't hurt anyone but you'll be dropping them onto the base itself."
"I'll outfit you with a bullet proof vest and it should help." Bendz said standing now to join the conversation.
"Ok," He nodded turning back to Lena. "Who am I making a distraction for?"
"The five sharks." Lena said softly. "The brothers will swim right under the doors. Rox will be with them too." Stepping forward I move the map to the main view screen behind Bendz on the opposite wall.
Taking to my part I speak. "After the five of us are in and we take down the guards the rest of you…will follow us in on foot." I motion to the facilities walls. "T-Bone, Stegz, and Spike will be holding the main door. No one gets in..and no one gets out until we are ready to go."
T-Bone nodded slowly "Affirmative.." He looked around. "What happens if someone goes down?"
I sigh "Bullseye will get out the wounded if he can….like I said there's a lot of holes in this plan but I think it will work." He sighed "If we get separated you know to head back here…"
"Perfect." Lena looks around "Bendz and I will be providing ground support from his van a good distance away. We'll have satellite images of what's going on at all times of course this will only be aerial views of what's going on outside on the ground."
"That's the plan my friends." There's a quiet optimism spreading with the murmers of my brothers and their friends. I look around "Two hours and we head out guys…so …make sure you use the time wisely." I turn heading back outside. I need to be alone.
There's a four hour wait before we go to bust out our father. I wonder if I've failed him, if I've gone astray. "You want to talk about it?" T-bone walks up beside me and turns to face me. "Ya don't have to suffer like this Rip." He is the only one who seems to see my suffering, and if he's not; he's the only one who voices he knows.
"I know." I sigh "But it's the way of things…I'm the Oldest, the leader, the suffrage falls to me." I look away from him and he slides closer his tail coming around the back of my legs to curl under my knees. "T…" I shake my head holding up my hand but it does not stop him.
"It's going to be fine." He says firmly. Leaning his back against the rooftop ledge he looks at me as I lean forward looking out at the city. "We're going to get him out." The dinosaur sighs taking the time to think over his words. I've know T-bone and his team for a few years now. He tends to speak without thinking but now it seems these words are too important not to think over. "Ripster." Shifting his arm he grasps my hand in his pulling it down between us.
Looking up to him I can't hide the sorrow in my eyes. "T-Bone…" It's all I manage I cannot say more. I squeeze his hand and his snout lowers and I press my head to his. I'm so tired of all the fighting and running. I sigh ans find his free hand reaches up to grasp the back of my neck. His fingers rub at the base of the dorsal fin on my head.
His eyes open and he smiles "Yeah Ripster?" He waits patiently. My Shark tail is twitching back and forth now, I'm nervous. I can feel his heart beat.
"Thanks." It's all I can find to say to him right now. I'm too distracted by my instincts to say more.
"S'Not a problem not at all." His smirk eases my unreast He slides back from me releasing my neck and stands there looking at me, his tail still wrapped around the backs of my legs. "We'll get your father out of that mess…I assure you. No thanks needed."
The door opens and we snap apart. Withdrawing his tail T-Bone turns to look over the balcony behind us. Bullseye didn't see, and I turn to him as he looks around for us. "We're over here Bullseye." I say stepping away from T-Bone a few meters. "What's going on?"
"Food….Lena bought a massive amount of humongo-burgers for you guys…and salads For Spike, Steggz and I." His wings stretch out in the open. "There's Salsa T-bone." He speaks to his leader's back. T-Bone lifts his head marginally and nods.
"Yeah uh…we'll be there in a minute." I nod to Bullseye letting him know we will indeed be in soon. The flier vanishes quickly through the door from which he came. "Ripster…if we live through this…" The dinosaur starts to speak.
"We will." I put a hand on his shoulder leaning down to look in his eyes. "We will." My statement is firm. It reestablishes what we have known all along. That there is more between T-Bone and I than either one of us are able yet to admit.
T-bone rises up and nods to me slowly "Come on Lets play a game of Pool or something." He knows how to get my attention; Looking down I distractedly kick a small clod of dirt off my boot and nod. "I'm not hungry anyway."
"Alright; that sounds …nice." I give him a sly smile as I look up; one that he returns. "Come on I'll smear you across the table." I say in my usual chipper tone breaking out of our lull.
Taking two steps away from him I head in the direction of the door. "Promise?" There's a tone to his voice, and it's lustful. I stop in my tracks and smirk to myself; my back to him.
"Come on T-Bone." I call for him and grab the doors pulling them back entering our base with the Saurian hot on my heels. Maybe after all this is over he and I can actually talk about us, but not now there are more important things at hand.
Entering our lair through the steam tunnels under the building; I watch as my Streex and Rox slip away slowly hand in hand. They are open about their relationship here; they don't hide it from us. Just the real world; where they fear it will affect Rox's superstardom.
"Streex?" I call out before he can vanish out of reach. He turns slowly; Rox smiles to him and releases his hand allowing him to look back at me. Streex takes two steps toward me and I hold up my hand; that he doesn't need to come over. "One hour…ok?"
"Yeah gotcha bro." He gives me a thumb up before turning back to Rox, taking the larger shark's hand. I sacrifice my own happiness for them. Turning to look at the Pool table T-bone is setting up our game making sure everything is perfect; just the way I like it. He's very considerate of my wants and needs.
Before I can step up to the table I'm drawn behind me to look at the form of my brother leaned up against the wall. My youngest brother, who turns out is the largest of us all.
His form is lither as of late, and his mood has been dipping down ever slowly. Jab and I struggle to keep his hopes up but tonight's battle will be the truest test of our brother hood, of our faith. Faith in each other, and faith that our father still lives, no matter in what form.
"Slammu why don't ya join us?" I can't help the smile on my face, part my species, and part my love of my youngest brother.
"Nah ...thanks Rip I'm ok." He says with a sigh. I tilt my head waiting knowing he's not done speaking. "But I'll watch if you'll let me."
T-Bone steps up handing me my personal queue. "Sure kid." T-Bone smiles "Come on…Pull up a stool." We gather to play out the last hour before the dawn of our battle.
The roads are slick with rain we had not anticipated. Mud covers the ground and Bullseye is struggling to stay in flight. After a few lightning strikes he comes back down landing on the back of T-Bone's Motorcycle to Ride with him to my left. It's raining so hard I can't even have a smoke.
"I can't Stay in the Air" Bullseye called out to me. I nod and motion everyone off the side of the road. The rain slicks down my leathery skin as I pull up to Lena's van.
"What's wrong?" Lena asks as I kill my engine so she can hear me.
"Lightning …Bullseye can't stay in the air…we need to call this off….we'll try again in a few days." I hate doing this, after we've worked so hard to plan this, but without Bullseye in the air we cannot make a stand. "We're going to be sitting ducks out there Lena….we just are if we attempt this now."
Lena lifts up her phone and does a few checks "Looks like this will clear within the hour….let's find a spot and wait for now." She says to me. "It's better to post pone a bit than call this off…"
"Agreed." I look up to a road sign pointing back the way we came. "Forest reserve…."
"What are you thinking Ripster?" T-Bone rides up beside me. Bullseye has his arms wrapped around the Rex and I find myself with a twinge of jealousy. Bullseye is the youngest of them, and he has always looked to T-Bone for help and support. I cannot be jealous of their bond; however, I am jealous the flyer gets to touch him so openly.
I smirk "We're going to head back to that reserve and hold camp for an hour…Lena says this should pass over us." I groan "Let's hope she's right we've planned too well for this to end here." Looking down in my jacket pocket I note my metal case is fine. I really want a smoke, I hope this reserve has somewhere dry I can light up at.
I speak, motioning my hand, as I start my bike up. "Let's Roll Bros" Streex smirks and moves to the side of the road diving into the soft earth he plans to swim over. "You all can swim if you want but stay off the asphalt!" I call out. "We don't want to leave any swim trails here…"
Jab smirks and jumps from Lena and Bendz' van diving in after Streex. Rox pulls up beside me on his Black and silver bike. "Let's go Rip."
"Alright." I smirk and look to T-Bone "Stay close."
The Rex takes a breath puffing up his chest. "I always do." The rain patters off his golden scales and he almost glitters as the drops slip over him. "Ripster?" I am pulled out of my reverie and say nothing pulling ahead to make my way to the reverse where no doubt Streex and Jab await us.
The Reserve is deserted. Spike discovered a picnic pavilion with no tables and we pull all of our bikes below it. The hour will be a quiet long tense hour. Beyond the Pavillion is a lake, Jab and Slammu swim, as sharks we are drawn to the water. We feel at peace in it. Rox and Streex head down to swim in the rain. Leaving me, the dinosaurs and the humans to wait.
"You should go with them." T-Bone steps in front of me. "They need their brother."
"I can't play right now T-Bone I have too much on my mind." I smile, only because I cannot prevent it. I turn and sigh closing my eyes for a moment and discover this was a bad idea. Taking a drag off my much needed smoke I let breath out through my nostrils.
I am picked up before I can fight him off. "T-BONE PUT ME DOWN!" I growl at him dropping my cigarette to the ground "T-BONE!"
"No..." He looks down and squishes my smoke with his boot to put it out. "I have other plans for you." He says moving out from under the pavilion to the dock that's only a few feet away. "HEY GUYS!" He calls out to my brothers stepping up onto the dock.
Turning slightly I can see my brothers looking at T-Bone holding me over his shoulder fireman carry style. "ONE MORE!" He calls out. Against my protests I'm cast into the water without a care as to whether I want to be there or not.
My gills fill with water and my lungs go dormant. My instincts kick in and I swim slowly around the late. Closing my eyes I swim by fields. I have always been able to swim by electrical fields, ever since I was gene-slammed. Every living creature has one. I swim around objects but find myself grazed by the pier post. The contact of my body with the post gives off a small field and I swim back around it to surface.
Coming above water, I fill my lungs once more and look around slowly. "T-Bone?" I look up; he sits with a smug smile looking down at me from the dock's edge. "Why did you do that?"
"Because sometimes Ripster. You need to relax more." He smiles motioning me out into the lake. "Go on …swim…go be with your brothers…" He intends to sit there and watch. He raises his head watching slammu toss Jab across the water scaring the fish considerably. I can feel the heart beat of everything in the water. The water magnifies them.
I laugh softly as I tread water beneath my feet watching my brother's play. I wish dad could see us like this. I smirk looking up as Lena takes pictures with her cell phone. Bendz holda his jacket over her to keep her out of the rain; I have an idea now. "Say T?" I look up.
"What?" Returning his gaze to me he shrugs. He's content to sit there and just watch me.
I shake my head jumping up out of the water grabbing his leg I pull him down into the drink with me. "Gotcha…" I laugh swinging myself away from him. I dive away from him trying to stay out of his reach.. I suppose I've underestimated his speed in the water, I feel him grab my ankle and pull me down. My gills flare and I look him in the eyes in the dark water. "What?" I ask gills flaring.
He says nothing because he cannot, not down here. I can exist in both worlds but he cannot exist here with me. He makes a decision, his heart rate has increased. Reaching out, he pulls me forward and kisses me firmly. Holding his breath becomes difficult as our mouths part for the kiss and he releases some of his air. His heart beat increases again and I know he needs to breathe and I break the kiss pushing him up to the surface. "Air…go…" I insist.
Coming to the surface he is turned away from me coughing. He's swallowed a good amount of lake water. "T-Bone you ok man?" Streex swims up near us.
"Yeah." He coughs again "I'm Fine…" he grumbles and shakes his head.
"T…" I reach out my hand to lie on his shoulder but he swims away from me.
"We should be going." His voice is serious as he turns 5 feet from me to face me. "Don't do anything stupid…" he says firmly with as much emotion as I have ever seen from him. "I mean it."
I nod in understanding."Of course not." He swims away from me, our first kiss in a lake, underwater; he could have drowned. I follow after him to the dock and pull myself up on it to sit. Looking at my brothers who are also coming out of the water, I smile. Rox leans back to let Streex ring out his long hair.
"It's gonna be matted." Streex frowns at him. Clawed fingers moving through the black mass of hair.
"S'alright..you can comb it out for me later…if it's too awful I'll cut it." He smirks softly, turning to Streex they kiss. I feel warmth quell in my chest and look away to prevent myself from staring. They are in love, and i am envious.
To Be Continued...