There's a time, when the moon
Reveals its face through the clouds
I let out a sigh, and want to cry out loud
But deep in my heart
I feel love so alive!
In the depths of my soul
I know we will survive!
And the ones they would break
In their greed and their pride!
But deep in my heart
I feel love so alive!
In the depths of my soul
I know we will survive!
CB6
Chapter 1: Mysterious Shadow
The City of Meridiana, Argentina. Built around a massive angel statue that was placed there by the colonists possibly as a Christian symbol it now stood more as a navigation point for those lost in the city streets. The city was remote and very "old world" not only in architecture but in technology: only around 100 people even owned a cell phone and if any of them were smart phones they were never seen out in the open; the local cell tower gave such terrible reception that pay phones were still common.
Being so isolated from the rest of the world is what made Meridiana ideal for clandestine acts, as several packages were being loaded into a truck under the supervision of a rotund man dressed in winter clothing but not at all bothered by the heat.
"Duh... hurry up," the man, named Frostbite, ushered the workers, "Load everything, fixed ideas."
The fixed ideas were almost two and a half meter tall muscular top-heavy humanoids with green skin, short-cut blonde hair, solid red eyes surrounded by a black mask of their skin and dressed in jeans and t-shirts. All four of them were loading heavy objects into a large armored truck.
On the roof next door, a meter tall figure stood on the roof in an open dark brown trench coat. He pushed the glasses up the bridge of his snout and smirked, speaking in a rough but level voice. "Found them. Good, time to get to work." He jumped down.
The sound of the figure hitting the nearby alley drew the attention of the fixed ideas and Frostbite, who pointed towards one of the fixed ideas, "Go check that noise, now."
The fixed idea grunted then dropped its box and stomped over to the alley. It stared dumbly at the upset pile of boxes and scratched its head.
"Surprise!" The low voice behind the fixed idea made it turn around as a large icicle shot from the figure's left hand through its torso. The fixed idea stumbled from the pain as the ice melted away and the figure jabbed all five of its fingers into the thing's skin around the wound, "Your sustenance is mine!" he drew back and with his hand came a stream of bright green liquid that flowed through the air and into the figure's mouth, which he gulped down until the fixed idea shriveled away to nothing with a puff of bright green gas. He felt his body brim with energy and sighed contentedly.
The truck was almost completely loaded while Frostbite tapped his foot, "Duh, where is he. You," he pointed at a fixed idea, "See what happened to the other one."
The fixed idea dropped the last box in the truck and marched around to the alley, finding the clothes of the last one lying in a pile. "Huh?" it picked up the clothes and stared for a moment.
"Over here."
The fixed idea looked up in time to see the figure charged at it and strike it hard in the gut. It stumbled for a moment then punched back which sent the figure flying.
"You killed brother!" The fixed idea charged as the figure managed to jump up and the fixed idea's fist slammed down where he had been a moment again. The figure swung its arm as the fixed idea charged again, a sheet of ice forming under its feet which made it slip and crash into the wall.
The figure took its chance and jabbed its right hand with five fingers into the fixed ideas back and sucked its sustenance out like before, "Wish I didn't have to waste energy on you, oh well." He pulled the liquid back and consumed it as the fixed idea dissolved.
Frostbite saw the glow from the stream of sustenance this time and ran to the truck's cab, "Hurry! Hurry!" He jumped in the passenger's seat as one of the two remaining fixed ideas hit the accelerator in the already started truck and they burst out of the warehouse.
The figure emerged from the alley, putting his glasses back on and glaring at the retreating truck, "Not this time, Cold Heart." He slapped the ground and sent out a large sheet of ice across the ground which flew out underneath the truck. Without even all-weather tires the truck started to spin out, as the driver tried to steer but didn't manage to stop before it rolled over and slid to a stop with a grating grind of steel on asphalt.
The two remaining fixed ideas climbed out, the second stopping to pull Frostbite free while the first looked around and spotted the figure disappearing down an alley and gave chase before Frostbite was free and able to stop it.
The fixed idea ran to the alley then stared dumbly and scratched its head when it saw nothing. The figure dropped down from above and struck the fixed idea on the head, managing to crack its skull. He was extracting the sustenance from the now dead fixed idea when the last one and Frostbite came around the corner.
Frostbite pointed at the figure as he stood up, with the green liquid still on his mouth, and shouted, "There! Duh, stop him! Get more!" The fixed idea charged at the figure but it jumped away as the big green fist smashed a garbage can.
"Chase him! Duh, I gotta tell the professor," Frostbite turned and scrambled away.
The figure jumped high enough to reach the roof tops and darted away out of the fixed idea's line of sight before he landed in an alley several blocks away. "Time to blend in," He took a deep breath and removed his glasses, which he stored in a pocket as his body began to shift.
His shoulders narrowed, his hips widened, his eyes changed from ice blue to green, his fur from brown to violet and two small lumps grew on his chest.
"Good," the figure now spoke in a feminine voice as she buttoned up the trench coat and stepped out into the rapidly darkening street as the clouds moved in. She waved at a teenage couple who were jogging home, a red fox and a two-toned blue raccoon.
One other thing that made Meridiana unique was that there was a large number of small anthropomorphic animals living there as the city was the port where the Care Bear Family had set sail in the Cloud Clipper before they arrived in the Kingdom of Caring. Sadly, Dark Heart had attacked before they had time to properly prepare so only three adults and a couple dozen cubs had been able to board before they had to set sail. After the attack there were only about 150 animals left of all ages and with nothing else to do, and no idea that the ship had survived, they settled into the city as citizens with little complaint. The Care Bear Family never came back as their caring meter setup always detected that there were more than enough Care Bears down there so it had become a massive blind spot for their system.
As such it was the only place someone like him/her could blend in.
The rain started suddenly, not a huge downpour but enough that anyone outside without an umbrella was soon sopping wet. The figure didn't mind, helped cover up her trail.
Before she could get home, she heard someone collapse nearby and soft crying even over the downpour.
"Help… please help…" a boy's voice rasped from the nearby alley. She couldn't ignore it and she stepped to find a teenaged yellow bear who had collapsed, his ragged clothes soaked through. "So thirsty," he tried and failed to catch some of the water in his mouth.
He suddenly felt himself propped up by a gentle hand and a hand pressed to his face, "Drink this," a kind woman's voice said as water pooled in her hand. He gratefully gulped down water for a full minute before he gasped for breath. "Feel better?"
"Thank you," he was crying as he looked up at the purple bear woman that stood over him. She lifted him as though he weighed no more than a feather and he clung to her. "Who are you?"
She smiled, "You can call me Soul Heart Bear. Do you have a name?"
"I was called Flash," he passed out in her arms.
"Can't leave you laying out here," Soul Heart smiled, "let's go."
OoOoO
Frostbite shook from nerves as he stood in a lavishly furnished office in front of a huge portrait on the wall which showed a man with blue skin, short white hair, a thin face, long pointed nose and a yellow-tinted monocle in his left eye with his eyes in shadow. The portrait flashed for a moment and was replaced by a video screen with the same man in the same pose who glared down at him.
"There's better be a good reason for this, Frostibite," the man's voice was icy and harsh.
Frostbite gulped. "Uh-uh Professor Cold Heart, duh I mean Doctor Von Reichter we were attacked and we lost the machines!"
"What?!" Von Reichter narrowed his gaze.
Frostbite flinched, "Three fixed ideas were killed and I saw a Care Bear drinking one's sustenance."
Von Reichter's eyes went wide then narrowed, "Did you get the printing equipment?"
"No uhh," Frostbite concentrated to remember, "No! The truck slipped and crashed and everything broke!"
"Slipped? On ice?" Von Reichter leaned towards the screen.
"Yes!" Frostbite nodded vigorously.
Von Reichter sat back, hands together in thought for a moment.
Frostbite waited for a couple minutes in silence before he spoke, "Duh, Professor?"
"Things have changed, I'm sending Jose to oversee the operation now. He will be there within the day."
"Jose?" Frostbite scratched his head through his toque.
"Yes, if I'm right things are going to get more dangerous soon." Von Reichter closed the video feed and hunched over in a massive laboratory, "It can't be one of the Fuzzy Wuzzies, but maybe…" he swiveled in his chair, "Jose."
In the shadows stood a young boy, less than a meter tall with light reflecting off his large round glasses, "Yes father?"
OoOoO
Flash Heart Bear slowly woke up, feeling warm and cozy bedding instead of cold hard concrete. He sat up, throwing the blanket back and looking around at the small room. He remembered being scooped up by another bear then carefully flopped back, sighing happily as he pulled the covers back up to his neck as he let the warmth seep in.
He opened his eyes when the bedroom door opened and saw the same bear that had picked him up last night, albeit now dressed in a simple faded turquoise and white dress, "Good, you're awake." She breathed a sigh of relief, "I was worried you might not wake up."
"So you did save me," Flash Heart sat up on the bed, "is this your house?"
"My apartment, not much but it's home. Are you hungry?" Soul Heart stayed by the door.
Flash Heart felt his stomach rumble and nodded, "Yes."
"Then let's get you breakfast, hurry up now," she motioned for Flash to exit which got him to slide out of bed and into the main room.
Soul Heart Bear's apartment was small, other than the bedroom there was just a bathroom and the main room which was a kitchen and living room combined. Other than the fridge, cupboards, counters and stove the only other pieces of furniture were an old couch and an old tube TV that looked to be on its last legs, if it worked at all.
Breakfast wasn't much, just a glass of water and some canned baked beans but Flash Heart practically inhaled it, grateful to have something warm and filling in him for once. He saw Soul Heart drinking a glass of water and set it down by the sink.
"Where's your breakfast?" Flash Heart noticed other than a couple more cans of beans in an open cupboard there didn't appear to be any food in the kitchen.
"Oh, well I don't need to eat, I mean…" Soul Heart's reflexive answer made her gulp slightly. "Anyway, we need to get going."
Flash Heart tensed up in his chair, "Where are you taking me?"
Soul Heart saw his nerves but answered honestly, "To my job, I don't want to leave you home alone all day."
"I'm 16, I can handle it," Flash folded his arms.
"Well there's not much to do here, unless you like to read," she walked over to the TV and pulled the power knob, and nothing happened, "And the TV is broken too… also I don't have an extra key so you'd have to stay inside all day. I guess I could get more books at work."
"Where do you work?" Flash relaxed slightly.
"The library," Soul Heart said, heading for the door, "I promise I'll get more for the apartment later but I'd rather keep you nearby for now."
Flash Heart sighed and slid out of the chair, still wearing the worn our clothes he'd had on the previous night. "Fine…" he grumbled as he followed Soul Heart out, letting her lock the door before they headed out.
Soul Heart looked at Flash Heart, who was only a head shorter than her, as they walked down the sidewalk, eventually he noticed and turned to her, "What?"
"Why were you living on the street?" Soul Heart showed genuine concern, which startled Flash.
"Well… I had a foster family but I hated it there. Ran away three years ago and did my best to just survive but…" he stopped, "I had a bad month I guess and after that strange accident a couple weeks ago a lot of the water tasted nasty, like poison."
"I remember," Soul Heart averted her eyes from Flash as they started walking again, "At least the tap water is fine."
"Yeah," Flash Heart smiled slightly, "thanks, for helping me last night but what are we going to do now?"
"Well I have to work and you can hang around the library as long as you don't bother anyone until we can go home," Soul Heart said.
"We? Home?" Flash Heart stopped from the shock.
"I mean, if you want to live with me, I'll need help getting groceries and I should get you some clothes that aren't in pieces." Soul Heart didn't notice he had stopped and Flash had to jog to catch up.
"I'd like that," Flash Heart smiled.
OoOoO
Frostbite paced anxiously in front of the in front of the portrait communication screen when the door to the office burst open. He gulped as a fixed idea entered, this one wearing a white and red striped shirt.
"Jose?" Frostbite looked up at the fixed idea as it approached.
A short boy goose-stepped out from behind the fixed idea with his hands behind his back. He had tanned skin and wore huge round orange tinted glasses, a blue polo shirt, red necktie, dark green shorts, brown shoes and black hair that was long on his left and shaved around his ear on his right.
He glared up at Frostbite and shouted while jabbing a thumb at himself, "I'm Jose!"
"Huh?" Frostibite leaned over as if he couldn't believe what he heard.
Jose grabbed Frostbite's collar and pulled him into his face with surprising strength, "From now on you will sit in my presence!" he shoved Frostbite back onto his rear then goose-stepped over to the desk, hopped up and pulled himself to stand on top of the desk then folded his arms. "I'm running things now."
Frostbite nodded dumbly, "Duh, ok. So now what?"
Jose grinned, "Simple, instead of stealing the machines, we kidnap the people who made them."
OoOoO
Spending the day inside surrounded by people not trying to shoo him off or order him around gave Flash Heart Bear the best day of his life. While Soul Heart worked at the front desk, sorting through book returns and check-outs, Flash Heart spent the whole day reading whatever he could find, mostly whatever comic strip collection books he could find.
It was close to lunch when a tall blonde muscular man in a large coat entered the library. He stared at Soul Heart for a moment before he spoke, "Hi, miss umm…"
"Soul Heart Bear," Soul Heart smiled, "I'm the librarian on duty right now, can I help you?"
"Right sorry, I," the man turned to look around the main library room seeing Flash Heart, an adult brown lynx and a dark blue bear the same age as Flash Heart, "I'm still not used to seeing people like you around."
"Anthros and I get it. Can I help you?" Soul Heart did her best to steer the subject back to her job.
"Yes, I'm Lucas Amato. I just moved here and I need some book for the science class I'm going to teach at school," Lucas pulled out a hand-written list from his coat pocket.
Soul Heart read the list and nodded, "New school year same budget problems. I know these ones, here I'll show you." She stepped from behind the desk to show him to a section the library had set aside for school reference books.
Once Lucas was picking through the books for his job, Soul Heart tapped Flash on the shoulder. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, actually," Flash closed the book he was reading, "What do you have?"
"Well… nothing but I can get you some fast food, I think there's a burger place nearby," Soul Heart gave a short nervous laugh but Flash didn't seem to notice.
"Alright!" Flash set the book aside and headed for the door while Soul Heart took a moment to put his book back where it belonged before following after him.
The place in question didn't even have an entrance door or front wall, just a long open restaurant and Flash Heart sat down to devour his lunch at an outdoor table. He was halfway through his meal before he noticed that Soul Heart was just drinking from a cup of water.
"Not hungry?" he swallowed after asking.
"On, no just thirsty," Soul Heart wasn't fond of the smell of fast food but it was all she could give him right now. "We'll get something better for supper after work."
Flash Heart just shrugged and finished his supper before they returned to the library.
After work Soul Heart had to all but drag Flash Heart to the only mall in town, still active compared to such places in richer nations. After finding a few sets of clothes for Flash, just discount t-shirts a couple pairs of shorts and jeans, she headed for the grocery store and stocked up on what she could convincingly carry: a jug of milk, box of cereal, bread, a jar of peanut butter and some grape jelly, a few cans of beans and some sausages.
"These will have to do for now," Soul Heart said as she opened her apartment door, "I'm not used to buying this much food."
Flash Heart was wearing a blue t-shirt and black shorts as he entered, a bag of groceries in his hands, "Thanks, for everything. But what should I do?" He yawned.
"I can make you some supper, or you can go to bed. We'll have to get you a library card tomorrow," Soul Heart started putting the groceries away.
"So, I can stay?" Flash Heart almost dropped his bag.
"If you want to," Soul Heart smiled, "I'm not going to just toss you out."
Flash Heart let out a huge sigh of relief, then stretched and yawned, "I think, eeuuurg, I want to sleep. Just so tired…"
"Alright, good night," Soul Heart waited until the bedroom door shut before she put everything else away.
As the sun set, Soul Heart stood in the living room and stared out the open window.
"Why did I take him in?" Soul Heart started to pace, "I've seen others who need help, am I growing a conscience? Is this why he killed the rest of us." Soul Heart began to undress.
Flash Heart had more trouble falling asleep than he thought so he got up and headed out for a glass of water, opening the door slowly just in time to see Soul Heart shed her dress to the floor.
Flash Heart had to cover his mouth to stop from gasping, then stared as he saw that Soul Heart's body was featureless, much like a child's doll. As she walked over to a coat closet her body shifted, lumps on her chest meant to be breasts smoothed down, her hips narrowed as her shoulder broadened and her fur changed from purple to brown. Now appearing completely male save for the lack of features, Soul Heart opened the closet and began to dress, speaking in a now masculine voice.
"But I can't let it interfere with my mission, I'll just have to try even harder," he finished dressing and pulled out his trench coat, "No matter what, I can't let them get away with things." He smoothed the open front of the coat and picked up a pair of glasses with clear plastic lenses. He closed his eyes then put the glasses on as his eye color shifted to icy blue. "I'll make it work."
Flash Heart had been leaning closer to get a better look but slipped and fell forwards right as Soul Heart stepped to the window. He turned in time to see Flash Heart getting up.
"Flash Heart?!" he stared.
"Soul Heart?" Flash stared back, "What are you? Who are you? Am I dreaming?"
Soul Heart bit his lip then walked over and helped Flash to his feet, "It's a long and complicated story, I promise I'll tell you more when I'm done. Go back to bed and I'll see you in the morning." He carefully pushed Flash back towards the bedroom.
"But-"
"No buts," Soul Heart stopped once Flash was inside the bedroom, "Just stay here until I get back." He turned and headed for the window then jumped out without a second look. Flash Heart ran over to the window and peered out in time to see Soul Heart hit the ground then jump away without even flinching.
Like most teenagers Flash Heart wasn't prone to listening to his elders and he bolted for the front door, slamming it behind him and running for the entrance so he could follow after her… him… whatever Soul Heart was.
OoOoO
In another warehouse near the river, Jose stood in front of a fixed idea that held up two adult men by their clothes.
"Are you sure these plates will work?" Jose inspected the plate, a print for the local currency.
One of the men tried to gulp then nodded, "Yes, they're the exact same ones I made for the mint!"
"Good," Jose tossed it to Frostbite who juggled it for a moment before managing to catch it, "Get everything ready, we'll be making out own money now. Now take them outside and dispose of them!" Jose pointed to the open door.
"What? No! We did what you asked!" the other man struggled in vain to be free.
"And you won't tell anyone else about this. Get the truck loaded up!" Jose pointed at the other fixed ideas then goose stepped towards the truck's cabin.
Soul Heart landed next to the warehouse just in time to hear Jose's order to dispose of the two men.
"Just in time," he muttered as he saw the fixed idea step outside with the two men held aloft and heading for the water's edge.
The fixed idea didn't see or hear anything until it was too late and a sickening crack broke its skull open and it collapsed, dropping the two.
"What?" one of the men stood up only to see the brown bear standing over the thing's body.
"Hurry! Run!" the bear whispered as loud as he could.
Grateful for the rescue, both men took of at a run without questioning it, not stopping to look back as their saviour drew the sustenance out of the fixed idea's body and drank it down. Both almost tripped over Flash Heart as he arrived, panting from having just barely kept up with the brown bear and just in time to see him drink the sustenance from the fixed idea.
Flash Heart had to cover his mouth but couldn't look away as the bear stood up from the now dead creature and headed for the inside of the warehouse. Flash Heart followed and watched through the window.
Frostbite was helping load the truck when he saw the brown bear jump up to the ceiling. "What?" He stared where he had been a moment ago then walked over to search.
"What are you wasting your time on?!" Jose scowled at Frostbite from the driver's seat of the truck as he looked around.
Frostbite waved his arms frantically, "It's here!"
"What's here?!" Jose hopped down and goose stepped over to Frostbite before he grabbed him by the coat, "What are you babbling about?"
"Duh… there!" Frostbite pointed up in time for the bear to jump down on top of one of the fixed ideas, flattening it before turning and punching another next to it.
"Why you…! Get him!" Jose pointed angrily at the bear, "Get that bear!"
"Fat chance, kid," the bear smirked and jumped up as two fixed ideas charged and smacked right into each other. He landed on one's back and fired a long spike of ice right through both of them, killing them instantly.
Flash Heart gasped from the window and Jose stomped his feet in rage. "I'm not a kid! I'm Jose, son of Von Reichter! Who and what are you?!" he pointed a quivering hand at the bear as the last three fixed ideas surrounded him.
The bear smirked and pushed up his glasses with his left hand, "You should know, your father created me," He pulled back his left sleeve as he pulled the arm sideways, revealing a tattoo that said CB6 on his right forearm, as no fur could grow over it
"A CB?" Jose stared, "No, father destroyed all of you!"
"Guess he missed one," CB6 suddenly darted into one of the remaining fixed ideas and punched it straight in the gut.
"Hurry! Get the stuff out of here!" Jose shouted, no one noticing as Flash Heart ran past, getting to the truck cab before anyone else.
Flash Heart jumped in and pulled the key from the ignition then turned and grinned, "Can't get away without these!" he dangled them up to draw everyone's attention.
"What?!" CB6 turned to see Flash Heart grinning as he dangled the keys.
"Give those back!" Jose jabbed his finger at Flash Heart.
"Come and get them, kid!" Flash Heart took off at a run.
Jose stamped a foot, "I'm not a kid! Frostbite, get him!"
"Got it!" Frostbite ran after Flash Heart and tried to grab him, only to miss as the yellow bear dodged aside, far nimbler than his rotund pursuer, and ran outside.
"Grrr, the rest of you get him!" Jose turned only to see the last of the fixed ideas fall to CB6's blows. "why you…!"
"Not tonight, Jose," CB6 smirked then ran outside with Jose running after him.
Flash Heart was too tired to keep up too much and Frostbite managed to dive and grab him around the ankles. As he fell, Flash Heart hurled the keys out into the ocean.
"NO!" Jose tried to jump and grab the keys, but missed and fell flat on his face as the key fell into the water with a quiet splash.
"Ha!" Flash Heart laughed from where he was face down as CB6 pulled Frostbite off him and tossed him away.
"I'll be back! I'll be back!" Jose shouted as he ran off, Frostbite stumbling to his feet and following after his boss.
Soul Heart breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Flash Heart as he stood up, "What were you thinking, Flash?" his voice softened but CB6's glare showed his frustration.
Flash looked up at CB6, even in this form he was barely a head taller than Flash, "I had to follow you, and I just… I mean, are you some kind of super hero, Soul Heart?"
CB6 sighed and pressed his forehead with his index and middle finger, "You can call me CB6 when I'm like this, and not exactly. Excuse me for a moment." He turned and marched back into the warehouse. Flash could resist and followed to watch the brown bear draw the green sustenance out of the fallen fixed ideas, their bodies dissolving as he drank it in and sighed as he felt the energy coursing through is body.
"Good return on things today," CB6 turned to Flash Heart, who had been staring the whole time, "You have a lot of questions, I know."
Flash Heart nodded, then yawned.
CB6 couldn't help but smile, "I'll tell you later, let's go home." He motioned for Flash to follow him and casually shapeshifted back into Soul Heart, removing the glasses in the process.
"How do you do that?" Flash Heart had to jog slightly to fall in step with her.
"It's a long story, but I don't want to risk anyone listening in. I'll tell you at home," Soul Heart kept walking forwards but stopped every time Flash Heart seemed to be falling behind.
OoOoO
"Are you certain, Jose?" Von Reichter looked down at his son from the massive portrait on the wall.
"Yes, father," Jose held up his left arm and pointed to his forearm, "He had the tattoo right there."
Von Reichter stayed silent for a moment, "Keep the operation going, I will be in contact with you." Then hung up.
Von Reichter sat for a moment then stood up and walked through his laboratory, "So CB6 is still alive and here." He paused as a flash of electricity arced between two machines, "My greatest failure."