Fort Haste: Winter

by Zencolour

Humanity has been swept clean by some unknown virus and the few survivors count themselves the unlucky ones. In a new world of mutant Pokémon, crippling winters, and a survivalist camp to run - Orion has plenty on his mind. But what if the true enemy are the deeds of his past? Rated T for violence and language.

8. Chapter 7

FH:WINTER

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"Fort Haste: WINTER" is a recount of a tale set within the Pokémon world - one in which everything has gone wrong. Here we meet the final survivors as they struggle to endure through hell and beyond. An unknown virus has wiped-out most of humanity, leaving behind children which seem to be less affected by the disease. In an attempt to preserve what remains of humanity, Fort Haste was bodged in the months following the pandemic. Even now, the settlement remains at the very heart of the ongoing apocalypse. For everything that has happened and all the trials humanity has faced - Fort Haste stands as a vision of hope.

Please note, this and following chapters will contain both narrative and speech in various dialects and languages. Anything said in Pokémon will be underlined as shown. Normal speech will remain unaffected, although italics and bold may be used for effect following standard rules. For whistle calls *…something like this…* will be used, unless it's illegible and "fweet" will be used instead. Any random flashbacks are marked with {''}. We're constrained by the laws of time, space, and limited fanfiction formatting. Pray for our mortal souls.

Fort Haste is a work of fiction written as a collaboration between ZenColour and Just-A-Reader0Love. Both are also very thankful for the additional help from Oblivion Wave Productions as our very own beta reader.

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AUTHOR NOTES

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Zen: This chapter adds a bit more humour than normal to the scenes of FH, and marks a major progression from the first attempt at this story. It acts as a first of a two-part finale to the first arc of the story, bringing together everything that has happened so far. As always, thanks for the amazing amount of views we're getting for this story, and feel free to drop a review if you see what you like. The team and I are aiming to get a chapter out monthly, so stay tuned. Enjoy!

R'Love: This chapter is going to both be fluff and action, no spoilers ! : ) Had a wonderful time working on this and also getting everything just right. Hope you like it!

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HAYS SNH Version 5 (0076 PA)

Forward written by I. K. Wyee [EXTRACT]

9000406227424 - Sinnoh Outreach Programme for Historical Preservation

Was the world prepared? Maybe more than one might expect. For decades, the Millennium Seed Bank project (funded by Malie Garden) had done its best to prepare for the worst. It's aim was to preserve twenty-five percent of the world's plant species, along with the genetic information of hundreds of Pokémon. We're rapidly learning about the dramatic effects the V-PPD has had on the nature of the region's ecosystem. Without the help of Malie, recovery from the biodiversity disaster may not have been quick enough to stop many species of plant and Pokémon from going extinct.

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CHAPTER 7

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An Extract from 'The Book of Hays'

Life itself becomes a triviality when faced with the immensity of space and time. Fort Haste was a speck of dust on which an immovable force met an unstoppable object.

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ORION's POV

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Settling in the new arrivals went exactly as you'd expect.

I'd left Megan with the Wildlings. She was doing an amazing job, slipping into her role as translator with surprising ease. As it turns out, talking to Pokémon was no different than talking to humans. They were generally more polite and reserved, if a little quick to judge. The Wildling herd (as the name roughly translated) were more civilized than your average gaggle of wild Pokémon. In total. twenty-two made the choice to move in with us Hasties. Many had belonged to human families before the epidemic.

Roan hadn't stopped by for long. The grand Sawsbuck was known for his itchy feet, voicing his concerns over Feral attacks as a genuine excuse. Wildlings were patrolling their territory hourly now, spotting more and more Ferals with each pass. It was quite amusing to see how impressed the Sawsbucks were when Matt explain the sentry duty system Fort Haste had. If I didn't know better, I'd say he might be stealing a few of our ideas for himself.

And of course there were my parents. Xenia and Jarn, my adopted mother and father respectively, had been members of the Wildlings for as long as I could remember. Whether their human owners knew about such things were beyond me. Much like any other vulpine, Leafeons made a habit of abusing their reputation of being free spirits. Roan was accepting of anyone however. Even freaks like me.

For the first hour there was chaos. It turns out that bringing in a bundle of cute Pokémon, from Furrets to Delcatty (and a lone Quilava) wasn't the best idea for a camp of young children. I didn't know who was more pleased with what turned out to be a mass petting session - the Pokémon or the group of under-tens. If it hadn't been so cold, I doubt we'd have broken up the party. The Quilava wasn't so lucky. Petting cute fire types achieves first-degree burns rather than friendly cuddles.

Clear cloudless skies did little to trap any heat. Although the FoodHall was a hive of activity, people had to wrap up and angle towards the wind to make leeway across the farmyard. Now and then, stray snowflakes flecked the strong breeze. Today was the coldest day of the autumn so far. A harsh wind from the west had swept in during the night, taking the leaves off the trees and adding a hint of icy rain into the air. Mike had gruffly announced that winter was here for good. Ever since, he'd been holed up in his shed, avoiding socializing.

Having spent the last two hours frantically getting everything in place, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was becoming increasingly aware that working on a couple of hours sleep was not a good idea. Standing in the middle of the yard with cattle sheds to each side, I tried to see everything through a fresh pair of eyes. Fort Haste had been home for so long now that it was easy to forget we were living in the shell of a farm. It was a fitting location for the end of the world.

'Orion!'

My ears perked up upon hearing my name. To my surprise, Megan ran over. I had to bend down and catch her before she crashed into me. Ice underfoot had turned the central yard into a skating rink.

'Orion! Hello!'

Megan hugged me tightly. I was a little abashed at the contact, before realizing her flailing arms were in truth an attempt to not slip over.

'Is everything alright?'

The little girl giggled, resorting back to that shy nature that she usually had.

'Uh huh. Yep…uh…'

'Really?'

'Well…' Megan trailed off, 'I think so. They're all settling in at the moment. I think it was a long trip.' The girl tucked her scarf into her coat. 'I didn't know your parents were here too?'

'Yeah. Well...' I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

'You don't seem too happy about the fact.' Megan pointed out a bit timidly, trying to hide a giggle behind the back of her hand.

'Eh. It's fine.'

'There you are Orion!'

I jumped out of my skin. Or out of my coat at least. Megan must have seen my adopted mother, Xenia , approach. Then again, maybe her unnecessary giggling should have been a clue. Turning round on the icy yard, I saw the small Leafeon padding over. Her beige coat was fluffed up to fight-off the cold. That didn't stop a warm smile from spreading over her face.

'Huh...Hi Xenia.' I greeted my mother. Her tail wagged gently from side to side, wafting the frozen air back and forth. 'I thought you were going to head back with Roan?'

'Jarn got the short straw.' The Leafeon referred to my adopted father, wiping her muzzle down a leg, 'I think he was going to hang around a bit before heading back this evening. What about everyone else?'

I was going to reply, before realizing my mother was in fact asking Megan. The young teenager shrugged, sniffing in what seemed to be the start of a cold.

'I'm surprised Roan didn't decide to stay longer…' I mentioned, turning my attention to the main gate which was just visible across the other end of the farm.

Xenia looked tired, though she always did this time of year. Grass types became lethargic with the shorter days and dimmer skies.

'Roan's worried. It's been a strange few months, what with Ferals wandering into the territory most nights. He's too proud to admit it, but he's used a few of your ideas. The last couple of weeks he's been organizing proper sentries with the rest of the Sawsbuck. Everyone is getting involved now. The Ferals have started to come in swarms, eating the dead.'

I shuddered. My adopted mother gave me a loving look as if to offer some comfort. It reminded me of just how long it had been since I last saw her.

'Thank the Gods you have these defenses. It makes the job of keeping them out a lot easier.' Xenia continued.

'And Orion!' Megan chipped in happily. 'He keeps us safe!'

Xenia practically beamed even as I pretended not to hear the comment. It was still strange hearing the girl speaking the Pokémon language so fluently.

My adopted mother had been an advisor to Roan for a few years now. It was likely from this reason alone that things had gone so well between the Sawsbuck and I. His continued support in the building and safekeeping of Fort Haste had been vital. Even now, the Wildlings acted as an extra layer of protection on our southern flank, standing between us and the steadily increasing concentration of Ferals in Viridian Forest. My position maintaining the peace in Fort Haste meant that Hauser saw me as an equal - something I still hadn't adjusted to. Roan viewed my leadership over the camp as equivalent to his position over the heard. I haven't had the balls to admit it was in fact a combination of Fenn, Bass, Mike, and Insley that kept Fort Haste running.

'I guess.' I shrugged-off Megan's praise. 'By the way...I've talked to Matt about organizing the Wildlings to help. Do you know how many can used ranged attacks?'

Xenia seemed to ponder the question for some time.

'You'll have to ask around. Many of us have only limited experience with battling...but we'll all lend a paw where it's needed. I can kick Feral butt myself if necessary.' She added with a little smirk.

'It was a peaceful time before all of this happened.' I sighed.

My mother nodded in agreement.

There were a few moments of awkward silence.

'Anyways.' I cleared my throat, 'Fenn sent me over to make sure everyone is settled in…And to say that we're going to have a movie night in the FoodHall.'

Megan's jaw dropped.

'What! A movie! I…' Her face hardened, 'I must tell everyone at once. This is the best news ever!'

'Yeah you do that.' I chuckled at her serious tone. 'Mike's setting it up now. We're planning to get it on at like six or something. Everybody will be in the Foodhall then anyway..'

Megan didn't hang around for more information, running as fast as she could across the icy yard. Meanwhile my adopted mother laughed openly, watching the girl go. Wagging her large tail, she turned to me with a twinkle in her eyes.

'Yeah. I know you love kids Xenia.' I grumbled the mock accusation

'She's sweet. In fact, you all are! It will be nice getting to know everyone. Having Megan able to translate really makes things easier too. She's a natural with the Pokémon.'

'I'm surprised. She's normally so quiet.' I admitted softly, sticking my hands into my pockets.

'You were like that too once.' Xenia sighed to herself, 'You do know she's part Zorua?'

I froze. 'By your tone I'm guessing I should have known that….'

'Well...maybe her speech gives it away?' The Leafeon laughed warmly, 'I can sense her using her abilities but I can't guess what for.' She flicked her tail in what I thought of as a Pokémon shrug, apparently not overly concerned with Megan's behaviour. I cursed myself for being so thick. Of course it was that obvious! Then again, Zoruas have had a habit of hiding their true identities under fabricated illusions. It was possible that Megan could be doing just that. Hmm.

'How is everything with my son? You look like you've been sleeping well.' Xenia interrupted my internal dialogue

'Eh. Fenn thinks differently.'

'I'm asking you.' The Leafeon replied sternly, putting on her harsh mother tone. From experience, Xenia knew that it worked every time. She had a no-nonsense approach to most things she dealt with, but especially when it came to raising children. Even if I wasn't exactly a Pokémon, the Leafeon had a few ground rules even I was scared to break.

'Well...I guess things are going ok.'

'And by ok you mean not great...you haven't had another relapse haven't you?'

The pained expression in my eyes was all the response she needed. The Leafeon sighed, tilting her head to the side and mewing a worried tone.

'It's fine. We'll talk about it another time.'

'Well...you have got a film to watch after all!' She replied lightly. 'Is there anything I can help with?'

After confirming the rumour that there was indeed going to be a movie night to a number of boisterous teens, my mother and I got to work. It takes longer than you might expect hopping between the boys dormitories (which were simple a row a bunkrooms in the old grain shed) and a number of activity rooms in the far shed - not to mention Jeff and Matt out in K'field. The two were trying to plan out tactics on integrating Pokémon into Fort Haste's defences with a few very cold children in tow.

When we arrived in a rather manic Foodhall, Insley was throwing out profanities as she prepared dinner. Mike was cursing in a similar (but notably quieter) way as he set up an overhead projector. Scanning over the rather technical set up, I quickly realized I wasn't the best Umbreon for the job.

'Orion! It's the blue extension lead I need!' Mike shouted over as rummaged through a large cardboard box of supplies he'd dumped on one of the long tables. The mechanic was in the process of wiring up a new plug socket drilled into the concrete wall.

'This?' I called back, holding up a large reel of cable.

'Well that's the only blue extension lead.' Mike replied in exasperation, a pencil balanced precariously behind an ear. I carried it over, trying to think through the process of setting up Fort Haste's first cinema experience.

'Don't we need sunlight for the solar panels to work?' I queried, watching the teenager wire up a terminal box. He grunted, fiddling with a few wires as he kneeled on the hard concrete floor.

'That's why we've been charging a block of a dozen car batteries the past few days. Our current electricity consumption is just a couple of low wattage lamps. There's excess, so beyond a projector and a kettle, we've got electricity twenty-four-seven.' Mike sighed, running a hand through his red hair, 'Let's get this antique DVD player going. You can get the screen up right?'

'The sheet?' I clarified, having noticed roll of material already leant up in the corner. My adopted mother was presently sniffing round the fabric.

'Whatever.' Mike waved me away, 'I don't want you touching the rest of this.'

'Wha...why not?'

'Humph.' Was all Mike had to say in response. He fumbled in one of his many coat pockets for a number of cables. Insley however, took the quiet moment to shout across from the kitchens.

'It's because you thought that CD's go in upside down!' The girl mocked, followed by a large crash from a falling saucepan. Swearing loudly, Insley passed on the job of tidying up to her small cohort of helpers. 'Not to mention when you set your tail on fire trying to connect up the T20 battery!'

Mike grunted in agreement, a small smile punctuating his otherwise pensive look on concentration. He was in the process of hooking up DVD player which was in the process of repeatedly ejecting then consuming a disk over and over again. It appeared that within a few months of neglect, technology wasn't holding up as well as we hoped.

'Is that true?' Xenia mooched over, giving me a rather shrewd look. For some reason, my adopted mother had a small screwdriver in her mouth. Nudging at very much surprised Mike, she passed the tool over with an air of confidence.

'Uh...Thanks. These VGA connectors can be a real pain sometimes.'

Mike was normally shy around Pokémon, but seemed to pet at the Leafeon's head without understanding what he was doing. The teenager rather quickly returned to his work. It was only a few minutes later that Inlsey disturbed us, effectively kicking us out of the Foodhall whilst dinner places were being laid. Mike grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet, rubbing at his knees.

There was an electric feel in the air that evening.

The excitement was two fold. First of all was the introduction of Pokémon to dinner time, many squeezing in to sit on the laps of children befriended earlier in the day. The additional ruckus came from hearty chatter on the upcoming movie night. The fact that the white screen was already set up on the far wall of the barn only made the anticipation worse for the children.

Maybe it was for that reason alone that dinner took half the time it usually did. Plates were cleared away in a matter of seconds rather than minutes, and tables were being moved to make room before the large screen. Fenn said it reminded her of school assemblies. That got Jane and Bass happily discussing what seemed to be a mix of fond and hated memories of their junior years.

'Well. So much for starting the film after the sentry change.' Fenn grumbled as the last few carts were hastily pushed towards the kitchen area. 'I promised some of the older kids they'd be able to see it.'

'What time is it?' Hauser asked, lending a hand to move a couple of large benches against the sides of the barn. The old cattle feeding barriers were still in place, and the elderly Pokémon leant against them to catch his breath, 'Why not show the picture before and after the sentry change is over?'

'That's a good point.' Fenn mused as she rubbed at her chin,

'Hey!' one of the children called from across the Foodhall. 'Put it on already!'

'Give me a minute!' Mike called back. A number of benches had been dragged in front of the screen, with the year leaders aiding to roughly order tallest towards the back and smallest towards the front. Bass ran past with blankets which were spread out in front for the younger kids. Mike was warming up the projector, which steadily began to shine intensifying yellow light onto the wrinkled sheet.

'Did you decide on what to show?' Matt asked. He too had rushed off with Bass and had a large bundle of thick blankets bundles between his paws. 'You know. What film to watch?'

'It's the first Vetra movie.' Fenn answered softly,

'A Mew Hope?' The Leafeon-morph asked excitedly, 'You mean the one with the psyco-?'

'Shhh!' Insley demand for silence only acted to draw more attention to the possible spoiler, 'Don't ruin it! The Mudkip only turns to the dark side in the final one! '

Jane and Insley grabbed a bench at the back.

'You left some room at the back for a few more?'

All three of us jumped upon hearing Kim's small voice. The teenager must have sneaked into the back of the Foodhall at some point, still making a habit of wearing a leather jacket over a pink sweater. There were bags under her eyes that did little to taint the cheeky grin plastered across her face.

'Kim?!' I exclaimed but Fenn had a rather different response,

'About time. You almost missed the first viewing from Fort Haste's very own Odeon.'

Kim chuckled, adjusting her beret with extreme care. All I could do was raise my eyebrows in a silent query that she'd be ok mixing in with this many people. The secret Espeon-morph had been making a point of not being here for meals. Either my subtle question wasn't obvious enough, or the girl was making a habit of ignoring me completely. That was, until she grabbed my shoulder and nearly dragged me over to a bench.

'I thought you'd be freaking out.' Fenn mirrored my concerns, speaking under her breath as the opening credits started to roll. Kim shrugged off the worry, directing a thumb out towards me as she took her seat.

'Eh. Walking around with your pet Umbreon made we realize he creates his own little bubble of silence…' Kim was clearly a little giddy, something I put down to the crowd of over a hundred Hasties babbling away in front of us. 'But I can still...you know…' She wiggled her hands in the air in front of her. Fenn nodded in response. If the Espeon-Morph hadn't told me that Fenn knew of her situation, it would have been fairly obvious by now.

'It makes sense.' Hauser mused aloud, grabbing a seat on the other side of Fenn, 'You are a dark type after all, being a psychic type mean it would...'

Kim, of all people, shushed the greying Lucario. Hauser blanched, before simply winking in response. Whatever internal dialogue was going on between the two, Kim returned with a deathglare. I guess they'd already started their chat over the tomboy's difficulties. The fact that Hauser was making light of the morph's often prickly disposition was a good sign.

'There you are!' I had no time to prepare for a flash of beige fur. A moment later and my adopted mother had jumped up onto my lap. Massaging her paws in my knees, Xenia rested back on my chest at just the right angle so as the see the screen between the heads of Bass and Matt sat in front of us. The two had squeezed onto a row with the Fifteens which quickly stopped talking when the music started playing.

'Louder!' A younger voice cried and Mike grumbled, before bumping the volume up. He had pride of play sat next to the whirling projector.

'Didn't you want to sit a bit closer?' I asked my mother. She wrinkled her nose before putting on her strict motherly tone, 'It's fine...and no canoodling!'

Even I had to admit, Kim was getting a little too close for comfort. I didn't realize just being a dark-type had so much effect on the teenager.

My thoughts were disturbed by a short clip of the MGM Pyroar roaring across the screen. There was a tense few moments of silence before gold lettering exploded across the screen and the Vetra film began. I couldn't remember seeing a film in years and although the makeshift cinema consisted of uncomfortable wooden benches in a draughty barn, I was sucked into the action.

It was only ten minutes in that Hauser spluttered his first interruption.

'That's ridiculous! That would lea ...'

'Shut Up!' Kim's rapid response jolted the ambiance of the cinema. A few kids responded with a returning 'Shusssshh!' whilst the tom-boy gave the Lucario a rather pointed look. Hauser grumble quietly, reverted to dropping the speech directly into my mind.

'You're seeing this Orion? That Lucario just used Ancient Power! Impossible!'

I ignored the complaint. In truth I was trying to decipher why the main character (a rather handsome-looking Shinx) was actively trying to hunt down the Legendary Dogs in Unova. Geography didn't really make sense. Then again, the growing romance between the Shinx and a pretty Mareep was becoming too emotional. Couldn't they see it was impossible to stay together with the threat of Yveltal returning to the world of the living? The plotline was outrageous.

'That's what they think Vetra do?' Hauser interrupted a few minutes later. This was in response to a particular adrenaline-fueled scene of a Zoroark in a motorbike chase through a collapsing skyscraper. 'If we got caught causing that much damage we'd be worse than dead. Vetra keep the peace! Not...not this…'

I was too focused on the storyline to continue.

'Hey.' Fenn elbowed me in the ribs a second later, 'You mind trying not to glow?'

A couple of the over-fourteens were glaring at me from a bench in front and I grinned sheepishly. To their side Matt was clearly trying to snuggle closer to Bass sat by his side. The morph's leaf-like tail was wagging gently, though it appeared to subconsciously be curling up around the girl. Bass didn't seem to notice or mind. Kim took the liberty to point out the tentative couple as well, nudging me in the arm. Xenia however, took this motion as a step too far and growled threateningly at the teenager. It took Fenn a few moments of frantic arm waving to diffuse the situation - during which the whole bench nearly toppled over.

'Orion! No canoodling…' She trailed off before giggling lightly, 'Though I must admit those two are such a cute couple. Reminds me of me and your father.' I sniffed and returned my attention to the movie.

The first showing ended at the precise moment that the bell went for the sentry change over. With the end of the day watch, almost a third of the children in the Foodhall got out of their seats with a grumble. Some were kicked out by the wave of kids coming in to take their place. These were the lucky ones, with what was left of dinner dished out into warm bowls on their laps.

'So...You wanna watch it again?' Mike asked the cluster of us at the back as he returned to the DVD player.

'Why not?' Fenn replied lightly, earning a chuckle from Kim 'It's not like I have anything better to do.'

'Any objections?' The mechanic continued, 'Like getting the young ones to bed?'

The last comment was directed at Bass. The small girl, having moved closer and closer towards the Leafeon Morph during the progression of the film, shrugged. Matt nearly had his large leaf-like tail around his companion, acting as an extra blanket. The evening air was starting to grow cold even inside the Foodhall.

'Meh.' Was all Bass replied with, 'Though have we seen Megan?'

'I think she was talking to the resident Zigzagoons over in the back corner by the Kitchens.' Inlsey chipped in, covering a yawn with a fist, 'Uh...I guess they were watching the film too. Sometimes they come out from the rafters to help out. Shy little buggers.'

'Well. I guess the film's P-rated so it's fine.' Mike added, firing up the opening credits of the film once more. There was a small cheer from the new group of kids (though the remainder had stayed to watch the second showing of the evening

Squinting up at the rafters, I could just make out the small form of the girl. She waved widely as if to announce her presence, almost toppling off in the process.

'You OK Orion?' Fenn asked under her breath and I nodded.

Maybe the ending of the film would be different the second time around.

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MIKE's POV

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Having Kim moving into our makeshift flat pissed me off. It was a slice of Fort Haste Haley and I had built by ourselves for ourselves. It's not that I didn't like Kim, don't get me wrong! It's just her presence invaded our privacy. The old granary-come-garage-come-workshop had been my home and my safe-space. Now it felt like some shared student flat. At least Kim was happy sleeping on the sofa at the other end of our makeshift bedroom. In fact, she seemed very keen to be as far away from us as possible. After watching the same movie twice in a row, I was too tired to care.

Haley was out like a light as soon as she hit the mattress. The poor girl worked herself too hard...and also took up way too much of the bed! How was I supposed to fit on comfortably with her starfishing under the blankets?

'Night Kim.' I called across the workshop.

There was no response. Maybe the tomboy was already asleep?

With a sigh, I climbed under the relative warmth of the sheets. All it took was a small wriggle to get myself comfortable. Haley only mumbled lightly as I wrapped my arms around her and promptly dozed off. Her jet black hair tumbled across the pillow.

I fell into a deep sleep, snoring gently.

'Mike…!' Somebody hissed my name, 'Mike!'

I must have been dreaming of something nice because even a gentle shove from Haley failed to wake me. Rolling onto my side, I grumbled at her to leave me alone. The alarm hadn't gone off yet. For a few seconds of blissful comfort I thought that my girlfriend had heeded the request. That was until she slapped me across the face.

'Get up you fookin' Tauros!'

If that wasn't enough, Haley then pushed me off the mattress.

'What the hell is going on?' I demanded, catching myself and rolling onto my feet. Blinking, I tried to calm the sleepy rage building in my chest aimed at my girlfriend. Only it wasn't Haley...it was Kim. A very very freaked-out looking Kim. The teenager was literally trembling in her night clothes, eyes darting about like she had the Houndoom's of hell on her tail. The girl was crouched by the double bed like some kind of animal. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt like the middle of the night. Maybe it was through tiredness that I failed to notice that Kim's hazel eyes were glowing with a diffuse lilac light.

'Kim! What…' It was a struggle to keep my voice down. Halley was still snoring gently in bed.

'There's something outside! Haven't you got like...like a gun or anything?'

I rubbed my eyes, groggily trying to make top and tail of the situation. 'Those are kept in the armory. What's his face...Derrick nicked most of them and Orion has a funny thing about anything not from the fifteenth cent….'

'MIKE! I'm being serious.'

'...scared shiteless of guns in fact.' I continued to mumble. 'Wait. Since when did you get ears like….'

Only then did the world decide to implode.

BAAAM! The long side of the garage shook violently, BAAAAM BAAAAMM BAAAM

It was like someone was taking a sledgehammer to the exterior boards. The wooden frame creaked, and eventually started to buckle under the constant barrage.

BAAAM BAAAM BAAAM

Someone or something was trying to get inside. Unlike last time, this wasn't a prank. My collection of tools danced on their hooks, the sound of rattling making up my lack of vision in the darkness. Fumbling for a candle to light, I was almost knocked over when a huge CRASH punctured the night. The window by the door shattered loudly, sending glass bouncing across the concrete floor.

It was then that Haley screamed.

'GET SOMETHING!' Kim wailed, 'I CAN'T HOLD IT FOR LONG.'

'Whatdya mean…'

'MIKE!' This time it was Haley who shouted, ripping the covers off the bed. 'WHAT'S GOING ON?'

The shouting, mixed with the splintering of wood in the pitch black was terrifying. My heart was in my throat as my sleep-addled brain failed to rationalize the situation. It was from muscle memory that I found my way across the workshop.

'I can't hold...hold on for long…' Kim sounded like she was in pain.

There was a flash of light. It wasn't much brighter than a dull candle, but the contrast stained my eyes as I fumbled around anything that could act as a weapon. What the hell was going on?

A lone whistle call had erupted in the background, barely audible above our own personal warzone. The sound was like a shot to the stomach.

Ferals.

BADDUMMM BADDUMMM

The thumping was getting heavier, as if hitting against brick rather than wood. My eyes twitched to make sense of the faint purple glow that seemed to be emanating from the wall. Sparks of some strange energy had diffused into the structure, holding the attacked back with invisible steel. Heavy panting could be heard from outside as the thumping grew louder and louder. Everything shook like a haunted house. A glass rolled off my desk and smashed even as a set of wrenches cascaded off a shelf. Haley was struggling to find something, but it was our third flatmate that seemed to be doing the brunt of the work.

Kim stood stoically in the middle of the storm. She was balanced on the toes of her feet, apparently leaning against the strange purple force field. Her hands were lifted up with her palms outwards, radiating the energy outwards in meandering purple streams. Her petite body shook with sheer exertion, energy spilling across her arms and down to the tip of her tail. Wait…? Kim had a Tail?! It stuck out the back of her jeans, stuck out awkwardly from under her leather jacket. Kim had a long purple tail rolling out from under her jacket. The smooth fur split into two prongs at the tip. Both were wiggling in unison as she maintained the psychic force field. It seemed painful, given how Kim gritted teeth and narrowed her eyes...not to mention the soft lilac ears pulled back harshly against her head. So that's what she had been hiding under her beret?

'Stop Looking at my ARSE and GRAB something!'

'I was looking at your tail!' I argued, jumping into action.

'MIKE!' Halley threw something and I fumbled before catching it. 'GRAB THE BAZOOKA!'

For a second I simply stared at the bundle of fireworks in my hand. It was a good thing I'd been working on what can only be described as an insane idea...concocted out of boredom as much as inspiration. I picked up the rocket launcher from where it lay on the workbench and loaded the barrel without thought. A pack of multi shot fireworks slid neatly down the Stovepipe. Each firework had been adapted with additional blackpowder - turning a pretty explosion of colour into a lethal blast of high powered explosive.

BADDUMMMMM BADDUMMM

I lifted the weapon up onto my shoulder, lighting the propane blowtorch which acted as a crude trigger.

'GET DOWN!' was all I had to yell before lighting the rockets a second latter.

It was Halley who had the imagination to kick open the door as I did so. For some reason she had a modified scope pressed over her face, a Silph-Devon collab she'd designed for spotting Ferals. With a hefty kick the old garage door swung upwards. The steel supports grinded from the shove just as the bazooka fired. Whatever the attacker was expecting as it hammered at the shed wall, I bet it didn't think we'd actually open up. Nor would it have dreamed up a barrage of adapted fireworks barreling towards it through the darkness.

The night lit up in a flurry of explosions.

Only once the sound had subsided could I hear Kim shout,

'You think it's fookin dead?'

I grimaced, seeing what was left of the gaping hole where my front door used to be.

Haley's mouth dropped open before her eyes hardened.

'You weren't supposed to blow the frickin' door off!'

---

INSLEY's POV

---

Why was I working late in the Kitchens? Well...the real question to ask is why am I working so early! Somebody has to prepare breakfast and guess who was stuck doing that this morning? Me. I was sacrificing my precious beauty sleep to feed just under two hundred kids with a mix of porridge and canned peaches. Was I a genius for coming up with that idea? Maybe. Did that make the food tasty? Absolutely not.

Although I liked to complain about the early mornings, I did kinda enjoy them. Fort Haste has a different vibe at night. Or early morning I guess? Shite. Even I was getting confused now.

For a start it's nearly empty. Only the continual patrol of sentries back and forth along the palisade disturbs the silence. We're living in the apocalypse, so there was no longer anything to break the silence of the night. Each and every sound I made in the Foodhall echoed throughout the large barn with mirroring responses. You could hear a child snore in the shed opposite if you listened hard enough. At night, a beautiful calm falls over the farmstead. It was like a snow that muffled all sound.

Not to mention, I didn't get any stupid kids bothering me. I could enjoy my work even if my eyelids refused to stay open. It was the low lighting. All I had to work with was an oil lamp cast dancing shadows across the kitchen. After a yawn, I started to get things ready.

The layout of the Kitchens is fairly simple - everything is grouped around two Rayburn ovens at the back. Water had already been left to boil as I tried to half (and even quarter portion sizes) between the correct number of children. It made you realize just how much food we wasted back before all this shite. If my parents could see me now! Sure I might have lost a stone or two but this was the apocalypse! There was no such thing as a fussy eater anymore. Kids literally licked the plates for that those extra calories.

Just thinking about my old home raised a strange feeling in my chest. It hadn't even been a year and yet those days seemed like a lifetime ago.

The oil lamp spluttered briefly.

Click….Click….Click...Click...click...click

I froze midway between opening a porridge sack. Either it was my sleepy-ass brain hearing things again, or I just heard somebody tapping. It had been a strangely metallic noise like hitting slate with a biro. Or perhaps claws on concrete?

A Feral in the Foodhall? Ha! The Sentries would have picked up on something way before that happened.

I ripped the bag of porridge open and weighed out portion sizes carefully, not dropping a crumb as each oat flake was transferred to a saucepan. Only a hastily written recipe scribbled down in my notebook guided my actions. The cookbook needed a funny name, something like Hasty Cooking or another groan-worthy play on word. It was too early to think up any puns. Breakfast started to be made from muscle memory rather than conscious effort.

Yawning loudly, I smeared flour across my cheeks in an attempt to cover my mouth.

Click….Click….Click….

There is was again! I wasn't imagining it.

Click….Click….

It was getting louder. Either that or my heart was beating so loud I was starting to hear it.

The oil lamp was doing fook all to illuminate the Foodhall. Fumbling for my flashlight, the plastic casing slipped out of my hands and slammed into the kitchen worktop. There was a burst of light as the batteries connected before the case cracked loudly. Swearing, I pawed at the broken flashlight as it rolled across the kitchen worktop. It was difficult to see as I blinked away the after-image burnt into my retina.

A strangely deformed lizard-like outline danced across my eyeballs.

'FWEEEEEEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!' A whistle call shattered the silence of the night.

I had to remind myself to breathe.

Ah fook it

No matter how crazy the situation appeared to be, I was pretty sure that there was a Feral in the Foodhall. Either that or I had gone batshite crazy. My mind was too addled to understand what the whistle call announced, but the urgency in the tone was worrisome enough.

Click….Click….

Whatever was hiding in the darkness, it was getting closer.

Sitting around waiting for something to happen wasn't the best idea. I don't want to brag or anything, but I can be a badass when I need to be. I truth I was scared shiteless.. There was a Feral in the Foodhall that could have been a hundred feet, or a single swipe away was my face. In situations like this you need to defend yourself. So here's my solution...and no it's not a rolling pin.

I had an oil lamp sat on the table in front of me. I was also in a kitchen with all sorts of crazy chemicals. Things like flour and sugar. But you might be thinking hey Insley, that sounds like food rather than anything dangerous...but you'd be wrong. In Fact, you'd be amazed what you can do with a little forward thinking.

I grabbed the oil lamp and shortened the wick as far it would go.

Click….Click….Click….

OK I needed to work faster. That sounded really close! Was a Feral honestly trying to sneak up on me? Is that what they did now? Grabbing a bag of sugar as a projectile was all I needed for preparation. It might have been a waste, but I value my life more than food at this point.

It was with trepidation that I very slowly and very carefully picked up my faulty flashlight.

The series of events that followed happened in quick succession, so keep up.

First of all I turned on my flashlight. Clever right? For a brief moment before the battery finally failed on me, another flash of illumination turned night into day. There it was! An oddly reptilian Feral was like a Sawsbuck in the headlights and froze. White eyes locked on mine. But it was too late. At the same moment I lobbed my oil lamp at the creature with as much force as I could. Only a split second later and I did the same with a kilo bag of sugar.

I was surprised at the power behind the resultant explosion.

The oil lamp landed just short of the creature, shattering in a small fireball as ignited oil splashed outwards. Flames only reached a few inches in height but it was enough. My bag of sugar had gone high. A few seconds earlier I'd ripped the top off so that the super-fine brown sugar spread like snow. It formed a thick cloud that smothered the creature like a case of bad dandruff. I wasn't aware of just how big the cloud was until the sugar caught fire.

BOOOOOOOMMMMM

SCREEECCCKKKKK!

The Foodhall shook with the explosion. However, the last shriek of the ignited Feral was even louder.

'Fook YEAH!' I cheered. 'One nill dickweasle.'

---

MATT's POV

---

Nightmares.

It was always nightmares when I slept. I'd be dreaming normally but minute by minute things would turn darker and darker. It was like my mind twisted reality to revisit the same situation over and over again. Repeatedly in the same night I'd be pulled through the same bush by a pack of Ferals, fighting for dear life as my companion Pokémon sacrificed themselves again and again. It was too much. No matter how much I fought it, the pain was always there waiting to rise to the surface.

But it did not end there. Oh no! That would be too easy. After all, you couldn't forget the carnage and corpses that were left behind. The frenzied fight for life. The bloodied knife in my hands. Teeth sinking into my arm even as the last Feral received a blade to the throat.

Not dreams. Memories. Each night was the same. The definition of insanity - that same damn dream over and over expecting things to change. You couldn't change the past - only relive it.

Getting out of bed was a struggle. Only the offer of sweet UV rays could overcome the desire to curl up under the warm blankets. I'd have to lie shivering under my new SAD lamp until warmth became a greater priority. Hmm. Or I could just drag the lamp over to my bed! Then I could just stick my tail out and angle it correctly, meaning I could sleep soundly with my inbuilt solar panel charging up in the meantime. Genius!

Crawling out from under the covers, I rubbed at my damp nose and blinked sleep out of my eyes. The latter could see fairly well in the dark. However, that didn't stop me stumbling over to the extension cable to figure out how to turn the lamp back on. Something must have been wrong. I tried plugging and unplugging the cable numerous times to no effect - bearing in mind I had to use stubby paws instead of workable hands. It was no easy feat.

Shite.

Itching at the puff of fur on my bare chest, I tried to figure out what was wrong.

Either the lamp was broken or the electricity supply was? We had used up a lot of fuel running the projector for three solid hours, so the latter was indeed possible. But that didn't make accepting the idea any easier. Why wouldn't the lamp work and everything go right in my life for a change?

The rational answer was to go back to bed.

However, my Pokémon side had other plans. , the tired sun-deprived Leafeon inside me wasn't entirely sane and refused to let go of the promise of extra UV. It was too easy to get lost in the mindset. Shite, it had already happened multiple times since the start of this stupid transformation. I'd learnt it was easier to just give my new body what is needed - lest the Leafeon get cranky and decide to feed itself. Every cell in my body was demanding for light.

So I dressed quickly, slipped on my shoes, and headed out.

The farmhouse was dead silent. My ears were like small satellite dishes twitching and turning to pick up any sounds. Each and every step sounded deafening to my heightened hearing. I was scared of waking the occupants of the farmhouse as I squeaked down the stairs. Being so focused on treading lightly, I tripped over the bump at the foot of the stairwell. An eerie golden light flickered across the hallway and I froze, trying to identify what the hell was going on.

I almost trod on Orion before my sleep-deprived mind identified the sleeping man. Although his Pokémon features weren't as obvious as my own , his mannerisms and habits were much more reflective of his species. The morph was curled up like his namesake, almost blocking the door to the girl's room with his sleeping form. I was surprised he was sleeping at all. In fact, orion almost seemed comfortable on the hard tiled floor.

I crept past, opening the front door in tiny increments. It creaked with every minuscule push. Shutting it evenly more slowly, I stepped away and breathed a sigh of relief. Objective one complete - best not to wake up the most important members of Fort Haste at four in the morning.

The pre-dawn air was cold but refreshing. Scratching at my ears, felt rather than saw my tail naturally try to find any stray sunshine. When you're body is built to pick up sunlight, instinct develops a dependable body-clock. In the summer that would have been fine. Now winter was upon us, dawn wouldn't be for another three hours.

OK. I was outside. What next? Either I could try and find Mike...but at this time of night? Maybe I could check out the Foodhall. There was an electricity cable in there too! Perhaps that was working? It was worth a shot.

In the few minutes of indecision I heard the door close behind me. Wait. What?

I turned sharply.

'Morning Matt.' Bass yawned, stepping out of the porch. I hadn't even made it past the front gate. So my amazing plan of not waking everyone had failed miserable. Great. Bass was now stood out in the front garden in nothing but her night clothes. Even with messy hair and eyes mere slits from tiredness, there was a strange graceful beauty to her form.

'What are you doing awake?' The short girl asked, rubbing at her eyes, 'Shouldn't you…' She yawned loudly, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. I took the pause to explain myself. Albeit a little shamefaced

'Uh...the electricity isn't working.'

'So you decided to stomp downstairs and wake everyone in the process?'

I couldn't help but grin, embarrassed that I'd done exactly that. Bass just sighed,

'Mike had the battery pack set up on the top of the rickyard. Let's check the juice.' She mumbled, 'Insley leaving woke me up anyway. Don't sweat it.'

'I… I can do it.' I stuttered, getting tongue tied for some reason, 'You don't need to….'

I was interrupted by another loud yawn.

'Come on Leafy. The sooner we do this, the sooner you're back in bed. And me too for that matter'

Not wanting to argue, I let Bass lead the way round the back of the farmhouse and towards the rickyard. Bass had her flashlight stuffed into the pocket of her dressing gown. Plucking it out and turning on the tight beam, she illuminated the way up through the back garden. The showerblock was empty this time of night and acted to cast strange shadows across the top shed. A lone tap dripped slowly.

Without Bass' torch to guide the way, I was amazed at just how dark it was.

'They're tucked under here for now.' Bass opened small gate at the top of the garden before leading me through. At the foot of the post was a bundle of tarp covering up a large stack of black car batteries. 'I think...yeah. Mike left a voltage gauge hooked up.'

With Bass holding the flashlight I eyed the mass of cables. Bending down onto my knees, I fiddled with the wires with my stubby paws in an attempt to find just what the gauge was linked up to. Although Mike was a brilliant engineer, he wasn't the most tidy of people.

'Right…Where do we…'

'MATTT!'

Bass screamed. For a normal person it would have hurt. But for a Leafeon? I physically yelped in pain. How could somebody be that loud?! Spinning around as fast as I could wasn't quick enough. Even as my eyes frantically tried to see in the darkness, my stomach dropped. Bass had stumbled and was already falling onto her backside, her limbs scrambling her towards the garden gate. Everything happened so quickly. Her flashlight hit the floor heavily, rolling across the loose stone to illuminate the tufts of frosty grass. Everything else disappeared into the pitch black.

'F...Feral…' the teenager stifled out between short breaths.

It was through sound rather than sight that I identified the creature before us. My ears rose as high as they would cone, craning forward to snatch any information possible from the still breeze. My nose twitched, identifying the unusual lack of scent. It was as if there was a hole in my senses where the shadowy creature stood.

The white eyes of the approaching Feral glowed.

I was on my feet in an instant. Although my legs were shaking from fear, another emotion welled up deep inside. A foreign strength flowed into my body unlike anything I'd experienced before. Even as my mind yelled at me to run, I took a step forward. And then another. This wasn't Matt in control anymore. I could only watch as my stance widened and my tail rose. My ears twitched as Bass scrambled onto her feet. I was more scared for the girl than my own safety, unable to shake off the defenseless image of Bass in just a dressing gown.

The glowing eyes were closer.

I wasn't sure how close, but I could hear each small scrape and crack as the beast adjusted it's footing on the loose stones. I took a step closer, nose lifting into the air. My tail curled around me as if poised to strike. So much tension was tightly bound in my small frame that I struggled to break.

A growl tickled my throat and then grew louder and louder.

Baring my teeth was the obvious next step.

'MATT!?' Bass was hysterical. 'Matt what are you doing?'

Even with the teenager freaking out behind me and the threat of an approaching near-invisible Feral - there was a cold confidence in my movements. Adrenaline shot through my arteries and with it a strange energy seeping into my hands and feet. However, most of this strange feeling seemed to sink down into my tail. The huge green array flicked back and forth, slicing through the frigid night air.

I felt the movement on my fur as the creature attacked. My brain snapped into fifth gear as the white eyes lurched. There was no time for thought. Instinct drove the parry.

There was a flash of green light as I spun and tumbled, my huge tail carving upwards through the air. Large cell-like filaments inside the appendage were glowing a hot green light, almost blinding as I danced into a head-on collision.

The impact shattered down my spine as I twisted, whipping my backside up and around. I don't know why I chose the strange move but it felt more natural than breathing. My body responded, swinging my tail across at a low angle and carrying the momentum forward into a roll.

Moisture speckled the air as my tail ran through something with the texture of warm butter.

The friction caught me off guard. Overshooting the motion of my tail and I stumbled. It was sheer luck rather than skill that I dodged the dead weight of the Feral as it collapsed into the space I once occupied. I tumbled and fell onto all four paws. My pads crushed in the gravel.

'Le...Lea...Hhhwat…?' I gulped, 'Bass!?'

The burst of energy had woken the rational human emotions lurking inside. The fight no longer mattered as much as it once did. What was I even fighting? Was Bass hurt?There were so many questions and my tongue felt too wide to speak. Instinct yelled to get back onto my feet and keep fighting.

'Bass? Is it…it…'

My stuttering was cut short by the sudden boom of an explosion puncturing the air. I squeaked in surprise, covering my ears even as a shrill call cut through the night.

'FWEEEEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!'

'It's a Feral attack! Matt we need…' Bass choked, 'We better...before more come…'

She grabbed her flashlight, hitting it against her knee before the bulb flickered to life. Bass was panting but not as much as I was. Both of us were a wreck. Before I could stop her, Bass directed the torching to illuminate the decapitated body. I looked away sharply, not wanting to see yet more nightmare material. The small girl just sniffed.

I only needed to smell the blood to comprehend what I'd done.

The Feral twitched

---

ORION's POV

---

It was the small kick to my side that woke me. Not a light tap, but a boot into my ribs that ripped me out of sleep. I did my best to ignore it. Within the half-doze state of sleep, I was numb to everything but the noise of my own thoughts crashing between my ears. Nonetheless, the sharp pain came again closer to my stomach. It was a continual nudging that forced me out of the blood soaked nightmares.

'Orion?'

I groaned, turning over in my sleep. There was no doubting the fact that I was awake now. The air was cold and I fought the feeling, curling up tighter. No matter how much I rejected it, reality crept up on me.

'Ugh seriously? Orion!'

That was Fenn's voice. Knowing her temper, it was best not ignore her harsh voice any longer. So with a grumble I pushed myself up onto my hands, shook off, and rolled a crick out of my back. Blinking slowly, I strained my neck to see Fenn standing over me.

'Heh...Morning…?'

Fenn had her hands on her hips, and a dressing gown wrapped around herself tightly. It was only looking upwards towards her face that I noticed that she had a rather large chin.

'Is there any reason why you're sleeping outside my door at like...five in the morning?'

Fenn didn't look the most pleased, though her eyes were almost too tired to frown. She was shivering slightly in the cold, a warm fluffy pair of socks pulled up as high as they would go around her ankles. With her hair a tangled mess, the teenager looked like she had only just woken up. I was slowly becoming aware that such an observation wasn't far from the truth.

What was going on? I was sleeping in the hallway for some reason. Not only that, but I was downstairs and pressed up tightly against the door to the girls' room. Sniffing at myself, it was more from scent than sight that I noticed I was still dressed in my outdoor clothes. A damp rain jacket clung to the fur on my arms, apparently at the expense of my missing socks.

'Sorry Fenn…I…'

Scrambling up onto my bare feet, I had to lean against the wall for support. My legs felt like static rather than flesh. She stared at me, emotionless. I pawed at my neck.

'I'm going now.'

Well I said that. In fact, my legs felt like jelly. It was hard to walk when your feet felt like they belonged on a different body. With a small yelp my knees buckles and I fell against the wall, yelping again. What the hell was wrong with me?

'I'm sure it's not healthy sleeping in a ball.' Fenn put an arm around my side gently, 'Too much pressure on the nerves.'

I didn't know what was going on. For a second my vision went wide and then very narrow. Unable to focus, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Having Fenn there to help me felt good. Just having her at my side offered a warm feeling of protection. Then again, I had in fact woken her.

'Fenn…I'm fine. Just go…'

I realized what was happening all too late.

'I'm sorry Orion. I can't understand you when you speak like that.' Fenn interrupted somewhat angrily. It didn't help the situation much, now that I realized I was gradually losing control. Up to that point, I hadn't noticed that I was speaking in the Pokémon language. The tongue came so naturally that I had to concentrate, forcing the words out through my teeth.

'Umm...I'll bre ok.' I spoke quickly, 'I think it's somebreon to do with bre Wildlings yesterday. I...I dunno. My instincts are kicking in again...'

'To hell with that. I've just been woken by blinding golden light only to find you curled outside my door. Not only that but you were muttering in your sleep! Something's wrong. Is this another spell?'

She held me tightly though it had more to help me stay upright.

'That bre point!' I replied hoarsely. The last thing I could remember was the movie last night but after that...nothing! Beyond mocking Hauser and...and that was it. My memories stopped there. It had all the signs of a relapse. Blank memory, waking up less than human, and now unable to focus on up from down! What the hell had happened?!

Jane had talked to me about this! Damn it. Tears stung my eyes but I forced myself to concentrate. With my head spinning, I rubbed at my face before continuing to run my hands through my hair.

Deep breaths Orion.

'Don't breon Fenn. Eon lost focus. It's ok.'

'Stop saying that! We need to get you checked out. You're sweating like crazy. Did you catch something from the Pokémon? Are you ill?'

I shook my head, 'Its...its just a spell.'

How could I explain that my body was reverting into it's more natural form? That for some reason I was in fight or flight mode, prepared for a fight that wasn't coming. Alarm bells were ringing in my head but there was nothing wrong. My heart was beating as if I was running a marathon standing still. In this anxious state all I could do was breathe.

'Eon just need some fresh air. I'll see Jane in bre morning.'

'What were you even doing last night?' Fenn wasn't having any of this. 'You look like you've been pulled through a hedge backwards!' She wasn't doing much to keep her voice down. Fenn looked concerned, more than she had any right to be. Losing my memories was one thing, but being able to convince Fenn that I couldn't remember anything was a completely different matter. The teenager wouldn't take I don't know as an answer.

{'You promised yourself that you'd start telling the truth to her'}

'I…I…can't remember. Go back to Breon. I just need some air.'

Fenn rubbed at her eyes.

'I'm up now. Let's just go for a walk then.' She yawned loudly, 'We can grab a drink from the kitchen after and have a chat. Insley will be there anyways, she's already out there and could use a hand...and Bass is out too by the look of things.'

'Honestly its…'

Fenn gave me an evil look which stopped my tongue quicker than I could. Crossing her arms to fight off the chill. It had the combined effect of holding together her dressing gown. Tiredness still clung to her features but her voice cut through the silence. Still in a whisper, I was surprised at how commanding she could be at times.

'If you say that again I'll make sure you're not fine!' I cut off a whimper. 'Get yourself ready and wait for me, I'm going to chuck some clothes on.'

Fenn returned to her room quietly and I awkwardly in gloom waiting for her to return. A diffuse golden glow was still clinging to my rings, along with a nervous energy bubbling in my stomach. It was becoming increasingly difficult to understand why I was so on-edge all the time. My body was tensing as if in preparation for something. My thoughts were torn between disturbing Fenn and having her beside me. The fight was that of an animal demanding comfort and attention, an Umbreon nature consuming my actions. By the time Fenn returned dressed, I was surprised she hadn't just gone back to bed.

I was impatient to get outside. I couldn't put my finger on the reason why, but my hackles tickled the collar of my shirt. There was an electricity hanging in the air like I was in the middle of a thunderstorm. It was a weird and somewhat foreboding feeling.

'Let's get going then.' Fenn slid into her wellies.

I opened the door for her, and with it a rush of frigid air.

It was still dark outside.

Ice clung to everything, refracting the small amount of starlight to give everything a blurred outline. Beyond the front garden, which had been left as a scrap of grass with long dead flowerbeds, Fort Haste loomed as dark outlines. Stars twinkled in a clear black sky over the farm which was almost completely silent. The only other light was the torches along the palisade. These faced inwards so as not to distort the contrast beyond. Anything could have been hiding in that darkness. My ears could pick up the footfalls of changing sentries...but that was all. The world was silent without even the call of a Hoothoot to break the ambiance. The moon was low and waning, a slim crescent that cast long shadows parallel to the scaffolding recently erected to clad the cattle sheds.

Everything seemed to be concealed in the night, shadows within shadows.

'Can you see alright?' I asked Fenn quietly. My rings glowed faintly, brought to life in the moonlight. Pitching my ears forward, I heard rather than saw Fenn fumbling in her pockets. Swearing lightly, the teenager froze.

'Shite. I knew I'd forgotten something. Damn Flashlight. I'll need to go back.'

'I can lead you, if not…well…Heh.'

Clearing my throat gently and I pointed at my ears...only to remember she couldn't actually see the movement! Grumbling to myself, I focused my awareness on the glowing fur. It was a strange feeling at first. There was some nostalgia there too however. The appendages grew cold as the glow intensified, reaching a merry golden light. The contrasts in Fenn's face seemed to amplify in the illumination.

'Ugh…thanks. But I don't think that's going to work.'

'Fine.' I mumbled under my breath, pulling out my own flashlight and handing it over, 'Have mine.'

Feeling a little embarrassed, I dimmed the flow of energy towards my fur. The mere act of controlling such a basic function brought a sense of calm over me. Being outside during such a beautiful night was slowly starting to bring my heartbeat back to normal. Heaving in a deep breath, I exhaled slowly. Moonlight, no matter how dim, was like honey running through my veins. Such an experience is hard to put into words. I imagine that Matt would feel the same with sunlight.

My tail was wagging on its own accord. The golden ring left trails like some giant sparkler.

'We'll have to remember that for bonfire night...given that it's tomorrow.' Fenn pointed out tiredly though with some jest, 'Guess we forgot about that.'

Fenn seemed to find my silence amusing

My tail didn't wag so much then.

'I can on…'

Fenn was cut off by a flash of light from the palisade. There was a loud yell piercing through the night. A moment of silence before CRACK! The sound of wood being shattered ruptured the night. For a split second, as fast as you could blink, a small section of palisade was illuminated. Only in the afterimage did I see the roughly-hewn stakes of the exterior wall had been blasted inwards. Everything happened so fast that it was almost unreal.

For a moment two glowing white eyes seemed to hang by the wreckage. Blink and they were gone.

'Shite! What the hell was that?!'

Perking up my ears, I could immediately pick out the groan of the timbre of the palisade. Fenn was breathing heavily and with a twitch of my ears I could even hear her heartbeat. Trying harder and I could hear those up the palisade. Their footsteps crunched the ice and echoed slightly around the concrete walls of the sheds to our right. Focusing further and it was almost as if the very air vibrated. I could feel the vibrations of each molecule across my fur as I squeezed my eyes shut. It was only by remaining utterly still that I heard the noise I was after.

'Orion?'

I was too focused on the night to shush the girl. My ears flicked round, honing in on the slow scraping and click of something on concrete. Another set of footsteps joined in more loudly. The two at odds with each other, harmonics clashing as I struggled to deduct one from the other. Sniffing the air gently, it was difficult to pick up a scent when the cold itself made your nose sting.

'Somebreon's not right.' I murmured,

'Are you…'

Something moved in the darkness.

'Get behind breon.' I interrupted her without meaning to. 'Um..Umbreon!'

Fenn was also scanning the darkness, but in a much greater state of panic. I could smell the emotion on her. Fear was pungent, cloaking the frozen air as my instincts fought to take control. Even as I strained to turn darkness into clarity, I knew it was no use. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

A small whine of frustration escaped my throat.'Nothing…yet. Sorry breon that.' I sighed, almost talking to myself. Experience told me that you should listen to your gut, but that was before I started losing my mind. My own instincts were specifically tuned for a life of perpetual fighting - not living in a quiet farmstead like these cheesy action flicks. Is that what Fenn called them? Living the life of a movie plot.

Still, something itched at the back of my mind. It was a feeling I knew I shouldn't ignore.

'I think we need to check it out.'

'Definitely. Didn't you see...?' I trailed off, knowing full-well that Fenn might not have seen the damage to the palisade. Then again. She'd seen the flash right? The natural haze of the nighttime air acted to smother all sound. My head was a twist of emotions as I struggled to focus on my senses.

'Let's head over. Quietly.' I emphasized, nodding in the correct direction. Surely the sentries would have picked up something amiss? It was getting difficult to differentiate between what was real and imaginary. Surely I haven't lost my mind yet!

Rotations of the sentries took place down the length of the palisade. In total there were twelve different posts with a sentry change every ten minutes or so. Although it might take that long for any accidents to be noticed, the next sentry down the line would change in only five minutes, given our designed spacing. If anything happened within only a few minutes a whistle call would raise the alarm. Within ten minutes the whole camp would be called to arms. Not to mention a rather grumpy Jeff this time in the morning.

I was amazed at just how silently we could approach the location of the flash. Fenn (in her thick rubber wellies) trod as quietly as myself as we halved the distance across the front of the farmhouse. The loose stone and grass was moist under our feet. It was only just cold enough for frost. Moving across the gentle breeze and the only scents I recognized were those of the farm. It was through sheer luck that the breeze twisted and blew in the opposite direction. A whiff of something shot up my nostrils and I froze. There was no mistaking it. Blood. Fenn let out a short yelp at my sudden twitching motion as I honed in on the scent.

'Uh...Orion? There's a…'

'Shhh!' I needed to protect Fenn. She was in danger. Speaking would only draw attention to ourselves. I could hear the footfall of some creature...a creature able to hide itself amongst the shadows even from myself.

'There's a...a...body here.' Fenn whispered hoarsely upon reaching the palisade. 'You got your whistle…uh…? ORION!'

The second-in-command lifted her flashlight in an attempt to illuminate the darkness. However, the torch light quickly dispersed and was consumed by the night. It failed to reach the two white orbs floating in the darkness. Even from this distance I could make them out as eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. They blinked, and then moved closer and to the side. Blood was pounding in my ears. The creature had spotted us and was now on the move.

Everything screamed in silence. I was torn between protecting Fenn and confronting the attacker. Through this indecision I floated, adrift on a surge of emotion that reminded me of only one thing.

Please...please don't let this be happening to me.

'Orion! There's...the...'

Fenn was becoming hysterical. Her flashlight flailed wildly before slipping out of her hand. It hit the ground with a thud before going dark. The sudden loss of light only seemed to make the white eyes shine brighter as the night shrouded all contrast and tone. Not even my rings were glowing. It was as my body was attempting to sink into the darkness, to embrace it.

It was hypnotising. The white eyes floated and swayed without a sound to indicate whatever they belonged to. Pale, colourless, and always watching. Eyes that were getting larger, approaching.

'Get back.' I waved Fenn behind me, not realizing that I myself had taken a step forward.

My peripheral vision had shrunk to a tunnel, all sense of control slipping between my twitching fingers. Even as everything feral, Umbreon-like, and animalistic bubbled up to the surface - I tried to reject it. This was something I could no longer be, something I didn't want to be! To have come this far only to be trapped in the same cycle. I was only proving my own insecurities correct - that all my attempts to escape my past were futile . I was more than this killing machine. More than this...this abomination.

{'Focus! Who's to say they'll only be one target Orion?'}

I had to protect her.

{'This is what you were DESIGNED to do!'}

Time slowed like a stopwatch ticking backwards, the air turning to water as I felt each and every vibration dancing across the fur of my ears and tail. Breathing to my right, light but still present. Fenn behind with her hands shaking, A sentry change was occurring a hundred paces away behind the farmhouse. Two beasts coming from both sides. One from the palisade and other concealed around the corner of a building. Two. Strong enough to burst through the palisade but deathly silent. They were working together. Clever.

Fenn's heartbeat was fast. Mine had slowed to a steady rhythm that seemed to crescendo. My hands were on the solid concrete before I knew it. The icy touch of the frozen ground lost through the shear adrenaline running through me.

The eyes were toying with me.

Snarling fiercely, I bared my teeth as a warning. Give them a chance to retreat might appear sporting, but it was a deeply seated instinct in avoiding the unnecessary dangers of fighting. A few feet away, the eyes seemed to take jest in what they were seeing. Why couldn't I make out what they belonged to? It was as if the creature was invisible. Barely a scent, barely a sound. It was like fighting a shadow. Even ghost-types were identifiable to a dark-type like myself.

'Orion.' My ears perked up at my name, hyper-focusing on the sudden distraction, 'I think there's two...Shite. Just uh...Protect us!'

The command registered into my brain. With the barest of nods, I felt my legs slip back into a more natural position. The single purpose to protect the teenager had been installed into my awareness and now every fibre of my body fought to achieve that goal.

Hissing loudly, I barked a warning.

There were two sets of eyes now. Maybe a few metres apart and a few paces away...it was hard to tell. They were closing in slowly, moving with the wind masking all and any scents. It was instinct that controlled my actions now. Instincts which coursed through the virally-enhanced muscles rippling across my back. There was no thought. I was a mere machine playing through the coding I'd learnt from hundreds upon thousands of the same simulated battles again and again. There was no room for error.

I had to protect her.

The Feral lunged, rushing forward to attack just as it's companion bounded in from my left side. The sudden change of tactics caught me off-guard. Often for close fights the contestants would circle each other judging the opposition's strengths and weaknesses. But it was with lurid confidence that they attacked. My legs tensed and with an explosive motion I launched myself blindly in defense. The pairs of eyes appeared to move in mid-air, one dodging left and the other right.

They were fast but it was already too late. Power surged through me. A black potent power that rushed to my fingertips even as I fought away the urge to embrace it. Reluctantly I settled down into a trim routine that I'd performed countless times.

Frame by frame I watched the world tumble by. The colourless eyes opened wide in fright when they realized there was a mutant Umbreon flying through the air towards them.

My claws caught nothing but air.

No matter how fast I was, the Ferals were faster. They flickered faster than I could blink as if bending the rules of physics itself, diving for cover. Where before my Umbreon-senses had honed in on the outline of a reptilian monster, now only the cold ground rushed towards me. It was as if they had teleported.

I grunted from the impact, taking it on my shoulder before rolling cleanly back on my feet. With all four paws on the rubble I bellowed a challenge.

They came at me from both sides. It was as if the Ferals were made out of air itself - undetectable apart from the glistening of its eyeballs which seemed to float adrift in the darkness. Panting at the effort of uncovering my old talents, I tore apart the black energy encapsulating my core and forced it to my rings. For a second my body vibrated as megawatts of power coursed through the golden fur, momentarily illuminating the entire front of the farmstead in a blinding yellow light.

'FWEEEEEEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!' A whistle call shattered the silence. Fenn had raised the alarm, blasting the whistle as loud as she could.

The Feral's faltered as they were momentarily blinded. This time I made the first move, launching myself towards the closest creature. Without thinking of the consequences, I grimly extended my claws. With a controlled rage I ducked and swung out at the closest creature. Purple shadow-shrouded talons swept across the chest of the reptile, cutting through flesh and scales like butter.

I carried my momentum forward, skirting around a flailing attempt at a suckerpunch and slid across the gravel. On the loose surface I overcompensated, struggling to maintain my balance. That was all the second beast needed to headbutt me in the side. In an instant all the wind was knocked out of me. The impact of scaly cranium against my spleen sent me sprawling as I attempted to maintain my footing. Flinging myself over top of the lizard and I struck out with my claws again, gouging out parallel lines down the back of the creature. Green blood sprayed from the wounds.

'BEHIND YOU!'

Fenn's command set my body into motion instantaneously, instincts throwing myself to the ground as I felt the surge of air clip my ears. The creature toppled over me and splatted against the ground behind. In the darkness it was difficult to tell what was going on. Until my glowing rings recharged I was practically fighting blind.

Wait...there were more?

Pulling at the frothing black energy inside, I focused the cold rage towards my palms. With my fur stood on end, bones tingling with exuberance of the dark force spiraling into my clenched fists, I launched a Shadow Ball. The bubble of ebony was utterly invisible in the night.

There was a moment of silence before the shadow imploded upon contact with the beast.

A moment later there was another bang, and then another. It sounded too far away however, my ears turning to lock onto the sound. Was that...was that fireworks? It did little to block out the wail of pain from the injured Feral.

'FWEEEEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!' Fenn's whistle howled even louder as the girl panicked, 'FWEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!'

Fort Haste was waking up to an attack. My stomach dropped. They weren't just attacking here!?

Where before there had been anger now burnt a cold fury.

It became a dance.

The Ferals, if that was what the shadow-like lizard were, fought with clean efficiency and alarming speed. However, each twitch and turn of their claws was set on a death strike. But their attacks weren't just physical. It was a tangle of Fake Outs to the face and blinding Psybeams aimed at my throat. Hastily crafted slashes came flying from all angles towards chest even as I parried with Quick Attacks and lone Dark Pulses. Somehow my streams of moves had no effect on the lizards, with bone shattering Paybacks bouncing off their hide like rain. I was forced to duck and dive, not to mention throwing up weak Protects when a particularly lethal slash was launched from behind.

'WATCH YOUR LEFT!' Fenn shouted and without thinking I dived right, rolling across the frigid ground with a Giga Impact already building in my chest. The energy spiraled out through my arms once more as I swung in with a punch. Golden energy suffused through my knuckles as they connected with the bone of the lizards shoulder. The contact shattered the creatures side, sending the shadow lizard flying backwards into one of its companions.

But even with two dazed, there was always the third. This Feral sprung at me in the void of the impact, surging in for a lethal strike. The Dizzy Punch materialized in it's deformed claws before I had a chance to respond. It caught my chin, bouncing my head backwards even as I attempted to fall with the impact. Any attempt at a block was useless as I struggled wildly. Suddenly disoriented, I shook my head to remove the confusion.

It was the inbuilt mechanics of training rather than thought that defined my next move. Even as the three Ferals swarmed me I waited in anticipation for the killing blow.

No attack ever came. The ground disappeared, or rather I did. Feint attack. The dark-type move involved merging with the abundant shadows in decorating the morning gloom. It wasn't a painless transition however. I had to stop myself from screaming as I decayed into nothing but energy, and then reassembled again out of the night. It felt like a million red-hot needles searing through my flesh as reality blended in two. My vision turned red from the pain but it was enough. The Feint Attack gave me the upper hand I needed. In the blink of an eye I was behind the beast, Shadow Claws extended and dripping purple haze. Before I could even stop myself, I was slashing furiously. Only by embedding the claws through the neck of the lizard did it finally stop struggling.

Only then did I realize I was yelling. Or maybe howling? It wasn't loud enough to cover the gurgling wail of the dying lizard however.

The pain of the Feint Attack had awoken a primal instinct inside of me as I panted. The move embodied everything it means to be a dark-type Pokémon. It awakened a hunger inside. But there was no time to rest. Within a heartbeat another of the Ferals was upon me. Out of exhaustion, I powered up another flash and blinded the beast even as it bounced off my shoulder. I wasn't given a chance to recover as the second lizard swept through me with a Shadow Sneak. A foot impacted my chest and suddenly a hundred kilogram weight was squeezing the air from my lungs.

'ORION LOOK OUT!'

Fenn's warning came a moment too late. I wasn't expecting the suckerpunch from behind straight into my diaphram. There was a fatigue hidden in the contact however as a clawed paw cut rivets across my chest. My ribs reverberated like a glockenspiel as I choked for air. It wasn't enough for the beasts. Whilst one was putting an increasing amount of force upon my chest, a Foul Play came surging in from the side. Only red wispy energy to the move suggested the darker forces at play. The black force-field erupted a mere inch from my head, sending up a chute of rubble and frost.

Neither of the remaining beasts were expecting the Double Team in retaliation.

In the moment of confusion I wriggled out from under the Feral, wiping green blood away from my eyes. The illusions had been cast in desperation and although they gave the cover I needed, the multiple copies of myself quickly faded. Of the lizard bellow a warning and I felt a surge of hatred power into my veins. Ever hair stood on end as I balanced on all fours. Only my golden rings acted to illuminate the night.

'THEY'RE KECLEON!' Fenn shouted through the sound of blood pounding in my ears, 'They had COLOUR CHANGE ability! Hit them with…'

There was no lull in the battle to heed my trainer's advice. I ducked a fury swipe from one Kecelon, followed by a Shadow Claw by another. One would dive into range to swipe before bouncing away, leaving it's companion to attack. The barrage of moves was endless as I ducked and swerved out of each attempt at my jugular. When I couldn't doge I was forced to hold back furious slashes with my own claws. Each step and parry took me around and around as the three of us circled each other.

I could barely focus on Fenn's voice,

'Dark then ghost! Dark Pulse!'

In the depths of battle I wasn't able to consider how Fenn knew I was able to perform that move. There was no understanding as I reacted on instinct, taking a hit across my shoulder as I prepared. Pain blossomed down one arm and I howled in frustration. This quickly turned to anger as I retaliated.

Dark Pulse, unlike my other moves, was directed into the ground. Power was released like an internalised explosion of energy which rippled outwards, consuming my two foes in a blanket of darkness. One of the Kecleons flinched at the contact with the wave of negative emotion, white eyes narrowing. The other, now consumed in a blanket of dark fire, seemed completely unaffected. It spun forward with alarming speed, a fountain of metal and claw, a whirlwind that parried every blow only to come back with a hundred more. Fenn was screaming something. Her voice became startling apparent when I found myself nearly stumbling over the girl after missing a thrust from the creature. Panting, it was a struggle to fathom what was happening, even in the adrenaline fueled lenses which I saw the world through.

'SHADOW BALL.'

My body responded, taking a wildly thrown punch to the ribs even as the air in front of me imploded. At point-blank range there was nothing the beast could do. The ghost-type move vapourised the air instantly, searing my vision as I yelped in pain.

The beast shrieked. It was a frantic cry for aid even as it crumbled. The Kecleon never reached the ground. Instead, it was left hanging on purple claws punctured through it's sputtering throat. The response had been automatic as the dead-weight of the Feral slid off my ghostly claws. Only one Feral remained and it tore through the body of it's comrade, uncaringly slashing green ooze everywhere in an attempt to reach me.

'LEFT!' Fenn yelled even as dodged, 'RIGHT! NOW, AGAIN.'

The Feral was one step ahead again. They were too fast!

With an animalistic bellow, the last Kecleon landed a Power-Up Punch which crunched into my chest. The fighting type move was super effective, sending me crunching into the earth.

'ORION!'

The taste of blood stung my tongue as I flailed to catch myself. I crumbled onto the loose stone and mud, vision flickering to black for a second. Instinct guided my weak defense as the Kecleon lunged forward. I was left with no choice but to power my remaining strength into a weak Protect. It barely held off the onslaught of the rampaging Kecleon. The forcefield buckled under a barrage of slashes towards my face. Each was diffused with the fighting type energy as it struck blow after blow. The shield crackled, almost failing as it absorbed whatever energy I had remaining to keep it in place.

The Kecleon was so close that I could count it's teeth. It was missing quite a few of them. The lizard was scrabbling at me without strategy in a frantic attempt to end the fight. Lying with my back against the dirt, I had the entire weight of the beast pressing down on my arms. There was nothing I could do but growl and snarl in return. Each became more desperate than the last. It was then that the shield broke.

Slobber splashed against my face as the Kecleon went for the kill. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see my own demise.

A lone whistle screamed through the air and there was a loud thud.

One moment the Kecleon was clawing at my neck, the next moment there was nothing. I forced my eyes open to see the carnage of what had just occurred. A single shaft ran through the beast's face from ear to ear. White feathers seemed to glow in the low golden light of my own rings as another arrow sunk through the head of the beast. There was a stinging in my ear but I was too tired to recognize the pain for what it really was.

'BREON!' I yelled more out of relief than triumph ad I forced the beast off me. Even as the muscles in my arms shook with exhaustion, I crawled out from under the Feral. My breath was ragged as the world trembled.

'Orion are you…Orion!'

'Stay back!' I snarled. Panting heavily, I pushed myself onto my hands and knees. Blood was dripping down my arms and mixed in with the green gunk from the Ferals. The stench of sweat, adrenaline, fear, and blood blended into one as my stomach heaved.

'Stayy...st…st' I struggled to regain control of my speech. 'Stay breon! Back!' I choked at last, eyes narrowing upon Fenn.

'Orion…'

'It's um Feral…eon has the virus…' I explained poorly, pushing myself onto my feet with a wobble. The body of the Kecleon was twitching, now filled with three arrows quickly becoming a pin-cushion. It was shock that I realized most of the illumination of the blood-soaked scene was from my own golden rings. Fenn's eyes were wide as her vision flicked between me and something behind. Turning around, I saw two kids with bows stood next to a rather bedraggled Jeff. One of the kids was in the process of throwing up.

'You're bleeding Orion!'

My tongue felt heavy but I managed to mumble 'Infected.'

Fenn's voice was there but it was like I couldn't see her. Fighting the darkness, I felt the hands on my shoulders. Growling weakly, I tried to push them away but my arms wouldn't pay attention. The virus passed from direct contact…If they touched any of…of the blood.

{'Protect your own'}

Nothing responded. It was like I was locked in my own body.

'Virusss!' Was all I could hiss. It felt ironic somehow.

'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?' Jeff stepped into view before I could snarl. The teenager had a rather pained look on his face as he reviewed the scene before him, all the while avoiding my glare. Three semi-decapitated lizard-like Ferals steamed in the chill air.

'MMmm...More?' I questioned, tail waving frantically as I tried to calm myself. My arms shook as I struggled into a seated position. Green grunk was starting to congeal between my fingers.

'Something went down in the Kitchen.' Jeff reported steadily, shifting his focus towards Fenn. He had a remarkably calm exterior even if his eyes told a different story. 'Insley's ok. She took care of the bloody thing by setting it on fire or summin'...she's more pissed about scorch marks on the tables.'

'So there were more then?'

My ears perked up at the addition voices, neck twisting the side in a frantic motion. The stray beam of a torch flickered over me and I squinted through the harsh orange light.

'Mike...and Kim?' Fenn's voice had a strange tone to it.

'Kim? Since when...when did you look like...you know…' Jeff sounded confused but Kim shut down his awkward questioning with an icy tone.

'Fook off Jeff. Is that all of them?'

'No idea.' Fenn murmured, although there was a hint of hysteria to her voice. If it wasn't for the other Hasties gathered around, I doubted she would be holding herself together this well. Her voice snapped with the sharp tone of authority, Skirt around camp and check for casualties and any more Ferals. I want all the guns out and loaded. Make sure all the sentries are accounted for. There...there was one up near 4B that didn't make it.'

'I'll do what I can.' Jeff went as far to salute, before turning to the two sentries. 'You two make sure the rifles are out and loaded. And get yourself cleaned up! Blood to blood contact's not a fookin' joke.'

'I'll join him.' Mike announced. He had a strange shiny contraption on his shoulder that looked blackened in the low golden light.

It was only then that I became aware of the fact I was still on the ground. With the members of the chain talking above and way too close to the dead Ferals for my liking, I pushed myself to my feet. Or at least I tried. There was a throbbing pain in my chest as heaved for breath.

'Bre...I'll he…'

'You'll do no such thing!' Fenn snapped. She didn't go as far to push me back down to the ground, but I could see the temptation in her face. 'We need to get Jane. I don't know what the hell happened but you nearly fookin' died. Sit. Down!'

I whined loudly but obliged, eyeing both Fenn and Kim now stood over me. There two teenagers were stood a few paces away, but there was enough light to see their expressions. Kim was lacking anything to cover her obvious Espeon features. Purple ears poked out of her faintly lavender hair. I could even see a forked tail twitching behind her ripped jeans.

'He doesn't look in too bad a shape.' Kim commented, her hazel eyes were glowing with a diffuse lilac light. 'Did pretty good without a firework bazooka.'

'So that's what it was.' Fenn rubbed at her eyes, growing serious. 'Fook this shite. How can we defend against things like this? They almost...they almost killed him! I couldn't even see them? How...'

'Bows and arrows against the fookin' lighting.' Kim spat. 'Worlds bloody got arse-up. Anyhow I'll get Jane. Ain't she going to love seeing me wake her up this morning…If she didn't hear Mike blow the side off his shed…'

'FWEEEEEEEEEET FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET FWE FWE FWE FWEEET!'

A solo whistle call sounded across Fort Haste. I was too dazed to pick up the meaning but the hackles on my neck rose slowly. The sound had made Kim jump, her furred tail flicking back and forth anxiously as she turned to the teenager beside her.

'More?'

Fenn shook her head grimly.

'Casualties. Infected Casualties.'

---

XXX

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[3.09] Frank Sinatra - That's life (1966)

Many times I thought of cuttin' out but my heart won't buy it

But if there's nothin' shakin' come this here July

I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die

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Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any events, location, and/or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. The views expressed by the characters and/or the narratives do not necessarily reflect the author's views. This fiction is rated T and may be unsuitable for young audiences. 'Fort Haste' is a fictional concept that is owned and regulated by ZenColour.