Well, here is the next chapter. Big, big, BIG thanks to Hippie Vampire who helped me out with mistakes and everything else that could make this story almost as awesome as Prussia (:P)! I also thank everybody for reviewing, placing this story on their Alert list or just plain reading it. You have no idea how giddy I am to simply know that there are people who like my story. So lets not keep you waiting and get on with the chapter.

20 years later...

It had only taken two decades for the whole world to go spiraling downwards. It had all started exactly nineteen years before hand, when those belonging to the Government financed project, HOMOANIMA had escaped from their 'school'. This had sent the whole state in an uproar, and later on the entire world was completely lost. For centuries humans had been on top of the food-chain, having power over every creature's life, either directly or indirectly. Humans had the possibility to annihilate an entire race with just a flick of a finger but now, they could very well become the prey.

They had created a whole knew being that surpassed them in every aspect, with the sole purpose of making them their own personal slaves. They had believed that they could control them, they had thought that their creation wouldn't turn against them. They had never been more wrong.

Like when Nature turned itself against humanity to remind them just who had the power, the HOMOANIMAs had shown them just who was stronger, in one swift move that had left everybody speechless.

To know that seven year-old kids -even if there were thousands of them- had been able to escape from a place that was believed to be the 'perfect prison' so easily scared them. This sent the Government on high alert, even going as far as appearing on TV, where they explained their people the situation.

Voices had then risen. Some were furious that the Government had done something so disgusting, and wanted nothing more than to talk things over with them. After all, even if they were half-animals they were still humans, and reflected and felt like everybody else. Others, on their part, considered those kids as a danger that had to be eliminated. They were so young and already able to cause so much chaos and destruction, who knew what they would do next. They couldn't let such a powerful race to spread like a disease.

The Government wanted nothing more than to get rid of (as they called it) their mistake. Using a formidable weapon to have the population by their side, they started influencing the schools. Those of the youngest generation found themselves listening to the dangers that new race represented, and little by little they learnt how to fear them. Their parents weren't better off, for propaganda had also made its appeareance. One couldn't walk outside from their home without seeing posters and slogans warning them of the dangers.

Rumors also started increasing. There were tales about whole villages nobody had ever heard about burnt down, about how cattle kept on disappearing, how those new creatures killed people without mercy, for that was what they were trained to do. Many couldn't help but fear them, and those who didn't, never dared to voice their own opinions, for they would then be accused of fraternity with the enemy.

To face such problems, a new kind of army was created. They were called the Specialized Army, or the SA, in which young men and women were trained specifically to fight against the Hybrids, the name that had been given to that race. They were genetically modified, their senses, strenght and speed pushed to the maximum. They were almost inhuman, and were the only ones who could match against the new problem.

The hunt had then begun.

The SA searched everywhere for them, looking in every nook and cranny; most of the time their prey lived in the woods, or in any other natural area they could find. At first things were easier. Their prey was young, inexperienced, and like any newborn and youngling, they made mistakes. Mistakes that cost them their lives.

But things got harder. As time passed, they grew up, learnt how to live in different environments and survive. Their human mind also helped matters, making them cunning and far more intelligent than their hunters. The Hybrids then started moving, spreading towards other places, making themselves a nuisance to other countries and places.

The problem had turned international.

They were hunted everywhere, but they learnt how to survive. If there was one thing they had gained from humans, it was very well their uncanny ability to move past any obstacle. Like humans who were able to raise to their feet after a natural catastrophe, Hybrids had gained that same talent. They were able to spread and increase in numbers, finding a partner between themselves or even from a human who didn't share the beliefs of the rest of the world.

That didn't mean the hunting ever stopped.

Alfred F. Jones was a simple kid. Six years of age, little Alfred had beautiful blond hair and sky blue eyes that proved themselves useful whenever he wanted something. When he was born, his mother had passed away, leaving behind her baby and her husband. At the beginning, it was only Alfred and his dad, until, a fateful day two years ago, Mr. Jones met the lovely Mrs. Williams. They had started dating and Mrs. Williams' son, Matthew, got along with Alfred. In fact, both looked very much alike, to the point were nobody wouldn't belive they weren't twins.

After the marriage, the new Mrs. Jones and her son moved with her new husband and his own son, which had happened a year ago. Since then, Alfred and Matthew considered themsleves as real brothers, and they wouldn't listen otherwise, even if little Mattie had kept his father's name.

They lived in a little house that was a bit far from the city, with a forest nearby. The happy family sometimes had picnics in a clearing not too far inside the forest, but never dared wander further. After all, the place could be infested by wild animals and Hybrids.

Alfred was a little boy whose greatest hero was no other than one of the top heads of the SA, Hans Beilschmidt. Hans' father had been one of the men that had worked on the HOMOANIMA project, and was also widely known for his skills in battle. He wasn't one of the men that had actually participated on a fight, but he had interfered whenever one of the Hybrids went berserk and won defending his fellow soldiers. This and his tactical genius had easily risen him up to becoming one of the Captains of the squads, and the one rumored to become General later on in his career.

Alfred admired him greatly, and even went as far as to declare, the very first day of kindergarten, that he would join the SA once he had the age. His greatest dream was to be considered a hero by those around him, become an idol for little kids just like Hans had become his.

For that reason, Alfred would constantly put himself in situations that -he believed- would permit him to become a great soldier one day. Sometimes he would help old ladies, at school he constantly protected his peers from bullying and he sometimes fought whenever he believed the moment was right (which usually was when somebody mocked him about becoming a hero). He was a very charming boy, very sweet, and constantly he was able to get out of serious trouble.

His only weakness was his irrational fear for ghost and the supernatural. He was easily afraid of ghost stories, he didn't like sneaking out of his room during the night and for that reason, he slept with his alien plushie, Tony at night. He insisted Tony scared away the ghost and spirits that came to hunt him. That little toy was his favorite, and never left his side.

That night, as little Alfred prepared himself to sleep, he noticed something, or rather someone was missing. Searching through his whole room, he couldn't find Tony, and quickly started panicking. Running outside to his brother's room, he walked inside, where Mattie was already in his bed and waiting for his mother to come to sing him a lullaby.

"Have you seen Tony?" he rushed to the bed, looking around at the same time in case his toy was around.

"No," Matthew shook his head, making his little curl that defied gravity shake alongside.

"Where could I have left it?"

"Maybe you left it in the forest? 'Cause I remember you brought Tony with us to the picnic but I don't remember seeing him on the way back," his brother said in his usual, soft voice.

"Oh God, you are right!" Alfred looked absolutely horrified. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't played with Tony when they had come back to the house, and he remembered clearly that he had left him leaning against a tree, but not when he picked him up. "I have to go and find him!"

"You are joking! It's already very late, you can't go to the forest!"

But as usual, Alfred didn't even listen. He was already out of the room, running down the stairs and going out to their backyard, that also opened to the forest. He didn't pay attention to his father and his new mother that had seen him run, but hadn't been able to stop him.

Before he knew it, he was already inside the forest, but with no idea of where he was. At day, he was proud to say that he could find his way through the forest, but at night things seemed to change. Everything seemed bigger, he couldn't make out any colours and everything looked the same. He couldn't see the trail that his family took to walk towards the clearing, he couldn't see anything. His breathing quickened and when he heard the sound of leaves been stept on, he ran.

He didn't know where he was going and he was probably loosing himself more. As he ran, things seemed to darken and he realized that he was entering the deeper part of the forest, the one his parents had told him to never go in. He didn't know where to go, he couldn't see anything in front of him and for that reason, he tripped over a root.

He fell down, hurting his knee and creating scratches on his arms. Sitting up, Alfred looking around himself. He didn't know what direction he should take, the trees seemed to approach him, circling him. He felt trapped and he admitted to himself that he was scared. The sound of the tree branches moving with the wind, the rustle of leaves sent shiver down his spine. He tried to pay attention, in case he heard something. Something that could hurt hurt him, kill him.

He couldn't tell how much time he passed like that. Minutes or hours, it didn't matter, time seemed to have stopped for him. It only continued its pace when he heard something.

It was very soft at first, so soft he had believed it was simply the wind. But the sound grew and he soon distiguished footsteps. Somebody was running, and fast.

Whatever else was also in the forest was rushing towards his general direction. Soon after he heard shouts, that followed the person (for they were a person) and he could tell they were ordering them to stop. The footsteps were so near by then, the person couldn't be further than a few meters. Alfred hoped that they wouldn't come to his direction, but his hopes were proven fruitless. They were definitely going to pass by him.

As answering his thoughts, the person stopped right in front of him. The man (he could tell they were a man even if the light wasn't the best) turned his head towards him. He couldn't tell very well in the dark, but he thought that the person had dark hair. He was tall and well-built, his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest, as if holding something. He was extremely careful with his package, as if afraid to brake whatever he held so dearly.

The shouts grew louder, the man turned his head slightly, as if to listen closely and thats when Alfred saw them, poking outside the man's hair. Wolf ears. Open mouthed, Alfred stretched his neck to see behind the man. He saw the tail that stiffened, sensing danger. Eyes wide open, Alfred opened his mouth to scream, but the Hybrid had then cought him by the collar of his pyjamas. He fought to escape, kicked the air and attempted to punch the male. The other one didn't seem the least bit bothered, but simply used his other arm to hold his little package firmly.

It was the that the SA squad appeared. They were all armed and ready to fire, but hesitated for two seconds, seeing the young human boy under the Hybrid's firm hold. It was more than enough time for the Wolf-Hybrid.

Throwing the six year-old to one of the surprised SA members, he turned around and ran, knowing that now he held a significant advantage over his hunters.

The squad knew that as well. Dropping their equipment, they turned to the little boy, who was clrealy scared out of his mind. Calming him as best as they could, they then turned around and began their walk to the boy's house, holding his hand along the way, always attentive to any suspicious disturbance.

There was none.

It was that night, while his parents shouted at him and embraced him tightly against them, thanking the SA members over and over again, that Alfred wanted more than ever to become a Specialized Army soldier. He wanted to safe people from those creatures that will hunt his nightmares for a long time, remembering that powerful and deadly grip on his shirt, the force in which he had been thrown.

They were dangerous, frightening and... he was going to hunt them down.

So there you go! I hoped you liked it. Again, I want to thank HV for helping me in my moments of greatest need (I feel like I'm participating on a beauty pageant when I say things like that) and review if you have anything to say! If you don't... you can still review, just to tell me how awesome my chapter was (joking!).

Well, I'm off to work, so better get ready for the next chapter.