{"submission_id":"80676","keywords":[{"keyword_id":"743","keyword_name":"adventure","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2920"},{"keyword_id":"631","keyword_name":"coyote","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"6142"},{"keyword_id":"860","keyword_name":"drugs","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"1211"},{"keyword_id":"10338","keyword_name":"explosions","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"75"},{"keyword_id":"123","keyword_name":"female","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"519771"},{"keyword_id":"3149","keyword_name":"guns","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"1115"},{"keyword_id":"174","keyword_name":"lion","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"22808"},{"keyword_id":"165","keyword_name":"male","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"639724"},{"keyword_id":"451","keyword_name":"skunk","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"17985"}],"hidden":"f","scraps":"f","favorite":"f","favorites_count":"1","create_datetime":"2011-03-05 20:53:27.510947+01","create_datetime_usertime":"05 Mar 2011 20:53 CET","last_file_update_datetime":"2011-03-05 20:46:17.385721+01","last_file_update_datetime_usertime":"05 Mar 2011 20:46 CET","username":"MicahWeil","user_id":"12771","user_icon_file_name":"5828_MicahWeil_micahcoon.gif","user_icon_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/5/5828_MicahWeil_micahcoon.gif","user_icon_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/5/5828_MicahWeil_micahcoon.gif","user_icon_url_small":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/5/5828_MicahWeil_micahcoon.gif","file_name":"105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","files":[{"file_id":"105722","file_name":"105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/105/105722_MicahWeil_graduation_day.doc","mimetype":"application/msword","submission_id":"80676","user_id":"12771","submission_file_order":"0","full_size_x":null,"full_size_y":null,"screen_size_x":null,"screen_size_y":null,"preview_size_x":null,"preview_size_y":null,"initial_file_md5":"9bf086e29c53dd49a8bcf5d5ace3a947","full_file_md5":"9bf086e29c53dd49a8bcf5d5ace3a947","large_file_md5":"","small_file_md5":"","thumbnail_md5":"","deleted":"f","create_datetime":"2011-03-05 20:46:17.385721+01","create_datetime_usertime":"05 Mar 2011 20:46 CET"}],"pools":[{"pool_id":"4558","name":"Hunters","description":"The Adventures of Jacob, Ashley, Taryn, Tabitha, Michael, and the rest.","count":"1"}],"description":"So I've decided to go and resurrect an old (read: 7 year old) group of characters and stories I have under my belt. I've gone ahead and generated some new blood and new concepts, weeded out extraneous characters and toys, and advanced the original plot several years into the future. There are a lot of stories to be had with this band of freaks, it's just a matter of getting them out.\n\nI present to you, Hunter: The Technecrotic Plague\n\nThis story introduces the series protagonist, Jacob. He's fresh out of training, having learned everything that he can, and is quickly thrown into his first mission - the investigation of a drug lab and acquisition of samples of a new, more potent compound that has been appearing on city streets. He's given very specific orders and sent on his way.\n\nA shame, of course, that nothing ever goes properly. ","description_bbcode_parsed":"So I've decided to go and resurrect an old (read: 7 year old) group of characters and stories I have under my belt. I've gone ahead and generated some new blood and new concepts, weeded out extraneous characters and toys, and advanced the original plot several years into the future. There are a lot of stories to be had with this band of freaks, it's just a matter of getting them out.

I present to you, Hunter: The Technecrotic Plague

This story introduces the series protagonist, Jacob. He's fresh out of training, having learned everything that he can, and is quickly thrown into his first mission - the investigation of a drug lab and acquisition of samples of a new, more potent compound that has been appearing on city streets. He's given very specific orders and sent on his way.

A shame, of course, that nothing ever goes properly. ","writing":"Graduation Day\n\nHunters: The Technecrotic Plague\n\nShortie by Micah Weil\n\n\tFive AM was the only safe time to wake up, Jacob figured. The sun had not had a chance to rise yet, meaning the air was still somewhat cool in this tropical hell hole. He'd also gotten enough sleep, something he wouldn't have been able to do an hour later. He sat up in the bed, still draped in the very light sheet the hotel had provided him, and stretched.\n\n\tHe'd completed the academy with good standing only a couple of weeks ago, so it was little surprise that he'd been sent out on assignment so quickly. Nobody went into their first mission without a massive knot of worry sitting in their stomach, but his was special. He hadn't time to relax from his finals.\n\n\tStill, he felt, there was nothing to worry about. Savannah was a part of this mission as well; her expertise with drugs - especially their quarry today, Rhye - would be needed.\n\n\tHe pulled himself from the comfortable bed and dragged himself over to the bathroom. With all that thick fur covering his body, including that bushy tail of his, he smelled like fresh roadkill. The shower would help, but wouldn't cure the problem. That was all he truly needed. The San Wanten weather was not going to be forgiving once they were out in the field. He rinsed the sweat from his fur and quickly got dressed.\n\n\tSix AM rolled around, prompting a beeping from his dataslate. He turned away from his task and picked it up. It was the scheduled time; his boss was on the other end of that beep. He tapped a few icons and let the video window pop up. \"Good morning, Evans,\" the digitized lupine face greeted when it appeared. \"I see you're already up. Very nice form.\"\n\n\t\"Thank you, Mr. D'Ketra,\" Jacob responded, his tail fluffing out a little out of instinct. \"The weather is unforgiving, and I wanted to get a shower in and clean Avalon before it became unfeasible.\"\n\n\t\"It's Michael and you know it,\" the wolf grumbled. \"I don't care what the rule book says, you can call me by my name. I fucking trained you, after all.\" Both men smirked as a map appeared on the tablet. \"We already discussed the logistic of this mission, so this is just a review for you. You'll be meeting Agent Savannah at the Phendura Bakery in an hour for breakfast and rendezvous. From there, you two will head out west. Our contact says there is a small Rhye field west that has been funneling its product into our area.\"\n\n\t\"Hence why Savannah is here.\"\n\n\t\"She wouldn't allow it otherwise. There is one complication, however.\"\n\n\t\"Hmm?\" He sat down on the foot of his bed, looking at the slate.\n\n\tAnother map promptly appeared, revealing the area they would be going into. It was clearly a field of some sort. A specific area, a building, would highlight itself. \"It's an Addison Cartel owned field, according to our source. There's only one building on premise, so we need you to check in on it. We don't know if it's a warehouse or if it's a lab. If it's a lab, they may be working on this new BlueRhye shit we keep hearing about. Get proof of it, if not an actual sample. Do NOT let Savannah destroy the evidence, or we'll have a hard time proving it and getting the governments involved.\"\n\n\t\"They won't get involved anyway. Addison's too big. They're scared.\"\n\n\t\"They'll be more scared of what a new, more potent strain of Rhye could do to their constituents. Just figure out what's in there before you guys start torching things.\" The maps disappeared into an icon on the tablet's screen. \"That's all there is to it. Acquire anything of value in that shack and level the place. Ashley and Tabitha are in the region on another mission. Should you need help, they may be able to provide the support.\"\n\n\t\"Will do, Michael.\" He set the tablet down on the bed and began to assemble his rifle.\n\n\t\"One more thing, Jacob. If that Merc bitch Providence should make an appearance, I'm holding you responsible. I don't want her involved.\"\n\n\tJacob sighed. \"I didn't call her and you know that. She shouldn't be showing up.\"\n\n\t\"Good. I don't want this operation being tainted.\" The wolf head faded away.\n\n\tJacob stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn't because of the black duster he wore, standard issue to everyone in the Hunters. With the release of the Technecrotic Plague, Hunter presence was more or less welcomed except in the seediest parts of the world. No, he was a mephit, a skunk who's colors were inverted. Black was white, white was black, and that made him easily recognizable. It was why he carried his rifle, Avalon, on his shoulder. It was an intimidating sight to behold; even to the best armed thug, the Hunter weapons were extremely dangerous.\n\n\t\"You know,\" a strong voice came from a table. \"You're going to get into some serious trouble walking around with that thing like that.\" Jacob's attention was drawn to the voice almost immediately. He smirked a little bit and moved to sit across from the lioness. \"You're not subtle like your sister.\"\n\n\t\"Nah. I'm a little bit tougher,\" he said as he set the rifle down next to him. The lioness across from him wore the same black coat that he did; it was how he knew she was a hunter. She wore a loose pair of cargo pants and a very loose tank top, disregarding how it made her look. That was the Savannah he knew, focused only one thing. \"Got an update from Michael. There's a shack on the property; they think it might be a Blue lab.\"\n\n\tA low, rolling growl escaped the feline. \"This isn't going to be a simple torch job, then. Dammit.\" She slammed her fist on the table, causing the silverware to rattle.\n\n\t\"I know you prefer a simple job when it comes to this sort of thing, but if we get anything on Blue, we'll be able to-\"\n\n\t\"Shut up, I know.\" She sighed and rested her cheek on her hand, staring at him. \"You're wanting to do this by the book, aren't you?\"\n\n\t\"Do you really want to piss Michael off?\"\n\n\t\"Not really.\" A waiter brought a pair of plates to the table, settling it before them. \"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered breakfast for ya.\"\n\n\t\"Nice and simple.\" He poked gently at the eggs and toast. \"Can't complain.\"\n\n\tShe smirked and nodded. \"You'll do fine, kid. Just stay away from me when it's demolition time.\" She tipped her water to him and they dug in.\n\n\tThe weather was far less forgiving as they made their way through the jungle. The sun was high overhead, beating down on them. With their gear, they were quickly overheating. That was what he thought, anyway. Savannah was a lion, and where she grew up, heat was common. She had the upbringing and the genetic jackpot. All he had was a long overcoat and a predisposition for colder climates.\n\n\tShe made it easy on him, however. \"Easiest way around the suffering is a distraction,\" she said simply, and then proceeded to distract him with the exploits of the rest of their co-workers. It worked to a point; he didn't notice the heat all that much right around the time she told him about Michael's misadventures as a diplomat. It was almost good enough to draw his attention away from their deviation in path. \"Hey, Savannah,\" he said after a few minutes. \"We're a bit off course. Where are we going?\"\n\n\tShe smirked. \"Never go into these things alone,\" she said dryly. \"I know you're here, but really, you're still green. This is your first drug torch job. I called in someone to help us.\"\n\n\t\"Oh. Okay.\" This wasn't unusual. Michael actively encouraged hired help, and every member of the team had their own credit account to cover those costs. Of course, he didn't have very many contacts that would fall under that category, so he was eager to meet this person. \"Anyone I know?\"\n\n\t\"Yep.\" She pushed aside a few bushes to reveal the camp site she'd been leading them to. He felt his heart jump into his throat when he realized who it was. Sitting in what amounted to a lawn chair was a coyote. She wore a pair of camo pants, a pair of cowboy boots, and a loose, white tank top. She looked at him and offered up a canteen. \"Cold water?\" she asked simply. As soon as she asked, the heat came back to him. He grabbed the canteen, completely forgetting to be pissed off at Savannah. \"Nice to see you too, lil' bro.\"\n\n\t\"You're not supposed to be here,\" he said after a few sips. \"Michael said, specifically, that you were not to be involved.\" He looked at Savannah. \"Are you trying to get me in trouble?\"\n\n\t\"Providence is the only one I know that's as good at torching this shit as I am,\" the lion said. \"I'll tell him-\"\n\n\t\"He told me that he was holding me personally responsible if she was here.\" He frowned.\n\n\t\"Relax.\" Providence sat up, looking at the skunk. \"You're going to give yourself an aneurism.\" She shook her head. \"I'm only here to help torch the plants and watch your backs. I'm taking orders; Savannah made me promise.\"\n\n\t\"And I'm not telling anyone about it.\" Savannah looked at him. \"Michael says a lot of things, but ultimately, he just wants the job done. So long as we aren't drowning puppies, he'll forgive ya.\"\n\n\tHe sighed and took another sip of ice cold water. \"Okay.\" He sat down to catch his breath. \"There's a shack on the grounds, Providence. They want us to find out what's inside before we level the place.\"\n\n\t\"Understood. I'm sure you'll take care of that while I lay down charges with the kitty.\"\n\n\t\"Charges?\"\n\n\t\"Incendiary.\" She hefted a large metal disk onto her lap. \"Best way to kill plants. Got it set on a low flame, so as not to torch the surrounding jungle. \"We should be able to put one in the center and one towards each of the corners. Set everything ablaze.\"\n\n\tHe nodded. \"I haven't any better ideas, so we'll go with that. How far away are we?\"\n\n\t\"Ten minutes at a steady march. We'll be fine.\" She gave him another canteen. \"That should help.\"\n\n\t\"All right. Let's get going, then.\" He got up and brushed himself off. He didn't see Providence spring up and wrap her arms around him. \"HEY!\"\n\n\t\"Not without this, we aren't!\" She quickly ran her tongue up the side of his face. Both ladies giggled as the skunk had a spaz attack.\n\n\tThey cleared a hill and, just as Providence had promised, found themselves overlooking a field. It looked like any wheat farm he'd ever seen, with tall, stalky plants waving lightly in the wind. All of the training he had received screamed at him, telling him that he was looking at Rhye. He didn't need it, though; the way that Savannah puffed up at the sight not only warned him to the presence of the plant, but cued him into moving out of strangling distance. \"I take it I don't need to tell you two to go set up while I look around?\"\n\n\tSavannah's snarl gave her elbow room. \"Yeah, I'm thinking so, lil' bro,\" Providence would say, speaking for both. \"I'll make sure that she doesn't take her incendiary rounds to it before we set everything up.\"\n\n\t\"Right...gimme five minutes before you come on down. Providence, can ya keep me covered?\" He reached into his duster and pulled out a small face mask. With everything that could be floating in the air, he wished to take no chances. Once it was on, he started down towards the plantation.\n\n\t\"Be careful,\" Providence reminded him, setting up a rifle to watch the area with.\n\n\t\"Thanks.\" \n\n\tThe slope didn't provide him with too much hassle as he made his way to the small, metal hut by the field. The wheat-like stalks raised high into the air above him, releasing a rather sweet, pungent scent. It was enough to put him on edge. The Rhye he had been able to examine at the academy smelled sweet, but it was nothing like this. Maybe it was the sheer volume of it, he figured. Enough roses made a room smell like roses; it had to be the same principal. He was still worried. Something was not right and he knew it on a gut level. He turned his attention on the corrugated metal shack to his left. The answers were in there.\n\n\tThe first thing that he noticed was a pipe coming from the side, digging into the ground just before it got to the crop. It was the only thing about the building that didn't look completely decrepit. The door next to it, the only entrance he could find upon inspection, was held shot by a strong lock and a shoddy latch, something he easily broke off with the butt of Avalon. The door, barely held on, slid open once it was freed. \n\n\tHe poked his head in to take a look around. A crude lab had been set up in the dark room, complete with glass tubing, glass containers, and various chemical compounds placed in what appeared to be a spice rack. He quickly slid his camera out. \"Savannah, you would hate to see this,\" he said as he began taking pictures.\n\n\t\"Chemicals?\" she would respond after a few moments.\n\n\t\"It's like that TV chef's kitchen,\" he said as he snapped off a few more shots, flash illuminating the room. \"This is definitely a BlueRhye farm.\" He turned his attention to where the pipe should have been going out into the fields. As he expected, it was tied into a basin of blueish liquid, which was being pumped into the field. \"Michael is gonna shit himself when he sees this.\" He took a picture of the whole apparatus.\n\n\t\"Well, hurry it up and get some samples. I wanna burn this place down.\"\n\n\t\"Right.\" He turned to the basin. The liquid had gone completely black. \"...shit.\" He looked around, ignoring the beeping for right now. \"Dammit!\"\n\n\t\"What's wrong, lil bro?\" Providence quickly responded.\n\n\t\"No samples of the chemicals going out to the field. It just decayed. Dark room, I should have known this stuff was photosensitive!\"\n\n\t\"It's okay, relax. You've got pictures and a general description of its reaction to light. I'm sure your lab boys can use that as a platform.\"\n\n\t\"You're right.\" He calmed down, finally noticing the sound. \"Do you girls hear that beeping?\"\n\n\t\"No.\"\n\n\t\"Huh...\" He turned towards the lab setup, hoping to at least get some of those chemicals to his lab boys when he saw it. It was a simple device, wires coming out of a couple of coffee cans and all centered on a single timer. The timer was counting down from 45 at a rapid pace.\n\n\tSavannah and Providence were surprised when Jacob came bolting out of the shack in a full panic. Providence sat up quickly and pulled out her binoculars. \"What is that crazy boy doing?\" She peered through them to see what was going on. \"He's...making gestures. Looks like he wants us to move further back.\"\n\n\t\"There's smoke coming out of the shack,\" Savannah was quick to point out. Indeed, smoke was billowing out of the front door, quickly filling the air. \"What could-?\"\n\n\t\"BOMB!\" Jacob had finally gotten within hearing distance, and the single word he was shouting at them. Both ladies looked at each other before grabbing their stuff and diving down the embankment they were hiding behind. It was just in time; seconds after they hit the ground, the area was rocked by a massive explosion. Debris began raining down just past where they were hunkered down.\n\n\t\"Son of a bitch.\" Providence waited for the debris to stop falling before jumping up and heading towards the field. The field was on fire; there was no need to do her part of the bargain. A sickly purple cloud billowed up into the air, forming a very unhappy skyline. Her concern, however, was on the crumple skunk that had been thrown to the base of the embankment. He was on his chest, sprawled out and not moving. \"Savannah! He's hurt!\"\n\n\t\"Go check on him. I'll call Ashley and Tabitha for backup.\"\n\n\t\"Roger.\" She wasted no time; as the lioness whipped out her tablet, she went skidding down to Jacob's position, the heels of her boots kicking up dirt and debris. She stopped just short of him and rolled him onto his back. \"Oh come on! This is your first soiree, lil bro. You can't die on us.\" She reached down and patted his cheeks. \"Wake up.\"\n\n\tHe groaned a little bit and held his head. \"This is why I followed in Ashley's footsteps and didn't go with demolitions.\" He slowly sat up and looked at the field. \"At least part of the mission's done, though.\" He chuckled a little bit.\n\n\tHe was promptly slapped across the face by a very irate coyote. \"Don't you EVER do that again! Check for these sorts of things before you go barging into strange buildings!\" With her warning made, she pulled him into a hug.\n\n\t\"Providence!\" He chuckled weakly and returned the act of kindness.\n\n\t\"Just shut up.\" She let go and sat with him, looking over the burning field.\n\n\t\"Report, Agent Evans.\" He was back at the hotel, just as planned. Ashley had bandaged up his chest and back, both having taken a few cuts from shrapnel and his tumbling due to the blast. He was looking at the image of the wolf, which was a bit more full body than earlier that morning. \"I see you've taken a few bruises.\"\n\n\t\"Cuts, actually,\" he reported. \"Nothing major. Whoever owned that crop wanted to make sure that nobody learned their secrets. I got some photos and learned some rather interesting things about the chemicals in that shed before it blew up.\"\n\n\t\"So you have no doubts in your mind about this shack?\"\n\n\t\"It was a BlueRhye lab. If not, then we've got a third strain to worry about.\"\n\n\t\"Good. Was Providence-?\"\n\n\t\"Providence was in the city on unrelated business and was too preoccupied to bother us. Ashley and Tabitha were only called in to help recover me after the shack went up.\" He touched the bandages. \"This sort of stuff happen a lot?\"\n\n\t\"Not on an everyday basis, no.\" He chuckled. \"Get the pictures and your notes to us at your convenience. You've earned some rest. I'll be in contact with Savannah to get her debriefing.\"\n\n\t\"Will do. I've got some time before the next plane out, so I'll probably catch a meal and see you later tonight. Jacob out.\" He turned the tablet off and sat down on the bed.\n\n\t\"You lied to him.\" Providence, who had been listening in on the conversation from the other room, slid in finally. \"You bald-face lied to his face.\"\n\n\t\"He didn't need to know you hung around while I got my striped ass blown up.\" He got up and slid on a light shirt. \"Now, what did you want to do for lunch?\"\n\n\tThe merc's cheeks flushed red. \"Are you taking me out on a date, Mr. Evans?\" She was playful as she slid up and wrapped her arms around his neck. \"Maybe...showing some interest in me?\"\n\n\t\"I'm too blowed up for a date, Providence. If we were going on a date, I'd be wearing far more uncomfortable clothing for my current state.\" He poked her nose. \"C'mon, let's go.\" She laughed and swatted his rump.\n\n\tHe twinged in pain.\n\nEnd\n\nJacob, Savannah, and Providence all belong to me.\n\nDo not Repost without permission.\n\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Graduation Day

Hunters: The Technecrotic Plague

Shortie by Micah Weil

\tFive AM was the only safe time to wake up, Jacob figured. The sun had not had a chance to rise yet, meaning the air was still somewhat cool in this tropical hell hole. He'd also gotten enough sleep, something he wouldn't have been able to do an hour later. He sat up in the bed, still draped in the very light sheet the hotel had provided him, and stretched.

\tHe'd completed the academy with good standing only a couple of weeks ago, so it was little surprise that he'd been sent out on assignment so quickly. Nobody went into their first mission without a massive knot of worry sitting in their stomach, but his was special. He hadn't time to relax from his finals.

\tStill, he felt, there was nothing to worry about. Savannah was a part of this mission as well; her expertise with drugs - especially their quarry today, Rhye - would be needed.

\tHe pulled himself from the comfortable bed and dragged himself over to the bathroom. With all that thick fur covering his body, including that bushy tail of his, he smelled like fresh roadkill. The shower would help, but wouldn't cure the problem. That was all he truly needed. The San Wanten weather was not going to be forgiving once they were out in the field. He rinsed the sweat from his fur and quickly got dressed.

\tSix AM rolled around, prompting a beeping from his dataslate. He turned away from his task and picked it up. It was the scheduled time; his boss was on the other end of that beep. He tapped a few icons and let the video window pop up. "Good morning, Evans," the digitized lupine face greeted when it appeared. "I see you're already up. Very nice form."

\t"Thank you, Mr. D'Ketra," Jacob responded, his tail fluffing out a little out of instinct. "The weather is unforgiving, and I wanted to get a shower in and clean Avalon before it became unfeasible."

\t"It's Michael and you know it," the wolf grumbled. "I don't care what the rule book says, you can call me by my name. I fucking trained you, after all." Both men smirked as a map appeared on the tablet. "We already discussed the logistic of this mission, so this is just a review for you. You'll be meeting Agent Savannah at the Phendura Bakery in an hour for breakfast and rendezvous. From there, you two will head out west. Our contact says there is a small Rhye field west that has been funneling its product into our area."

\t"Hence why Savannah is here."

\t"She wouldn't allow it otherwise. There is one complication, however."

\t"Hmm?" He sat down on the foot of his bed, looking at the slate.

\tAnother map promptly appeared, revealing the area they would be going into. It was clearly a field of some sort. A specific area, a building, would highlight itself. "It's an Addison Cartel owned field, according to our source. There's only one building on premise, so we need you to check in on it. We don't know if it's a warehouse or if it's a lab. If it's a lab, they may be working on this new BlueRhye shit we keep hearing about. Get proof of it, if not an actual sample. Do NOT let Savannah destroy the evidence, or we'll have a hard time proving it and getting the governments involved."

\t"They won't get involved anyway. Addison's too big. They're scared."

\t"They'll be more scared of what a new, more potent strain of Rhye could do to their constituents. Just figure out what's in there before you guys start torching things." The maps disappeared into an icon on the tablet's screen. "That's all there is to it. Acquire anything of value in that shack and level the place. Ashley and Tabitha are in the region on another mission. Should you need help, they may be able to provide the support."

\t"Will do, Michael." He set the tablet down on the bed and began to assemble his rifle.

\t"One more thing, Jacob. If that Merc bitch Providence should make an appearance, I'm holding you responsible. I don't want her involved."

\tJacob sighed. "I didn't call her and you know that. She shouldn't be showing up."

\t"Good. I don't want this operation being tainted." The wolf head faded away.

\tJacob stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn't because of the black duster he wore, standard issue to everyone in the Hunters. With the release of the Technecrotic Plague, Hunter presence was more or less welcomed except in the seediest parts of the world. No, he was a mephit, a skunk who's colors were inverted. Black was white, white was black, and that made him easily recognizable. It was why he carried his rifle, Avalon, on his shoulder. It was an intimidating sight to behold; even to the best armed thug, the Hunter weapons were extremely dangerous.

\t"You know," a strong voice came from a table. "You're going to get into some serious trouble walking around with that thing like that." Jacob's attention was drawn to the voice almost immediately. He smirked a little bit and moved to sit across from the lioness. "You're not subtle like your sister."

\t"Nah. I'm a little bit tougher," he said as he set the rifle down next to him. The lioness across from him wore the same black coat that he did; it was how he knew she was a hunter. She wore a loose pair of cargo pants and a very loose tank top, disregarding how it made her look. That was the Savannah he knew, focused only one thing. "Got an update from Michael. There's a shack on the property; they think it might be a Blue lab."

\tA low, rolling growl escaped the feline. "This isn't going to be a simple torch job, then. Dammit." She slammed her fist on the table, causing the silverware to rattle.

\t"I know you prefer a simple job when it comes to this sort of thing, but if we get anything on Blue, we'll be able to-"

\t"Shut up, I know." She sighed and rested her cheek on her hand, staring at him. "You're wanting to do this by the book, aren't you?"

\t"Do you really want to piss Michael off?"

\t"Not really." A waiter brought a pair of plates to the table, settling it before them. "I hope you don't mind, but I ordered breakfast for ya."

\t"Nice and simple." He poked gently at the eggs and toast. "Can't complain."

\tShe smirked and nodded. "You'll do fine, kid. Just stay away from me when it's demolition time." She tipped her water to him and they dug in.

\tThe weather was far less forgiving as they made their way through the jungle. The sun was high overhead, beating down on them. With their gear, they were quickly overheating. That was what he thought, anyway. Savannah was a lion, and where she grew up, heat was common. She had the upbringing and the genetic jackpot. All he had was a long overcoat and a predisposition for colder climates.

\tShe made it easy on him, however. "Easiest way around the suffering is a distraction," she said simply, and then proceeded to distract him with the exploits of the rest of their co-workers. It worked to a point; he didn't notice the heat all that much right around the time she told him about Michael's misadventures as a diplomat. It was almost good enough to draw his attention away from their deviation in path. "Hey, Savannah," he said after a few minutes. "We're a bit off course. Where are we going?"

\tShe smirked. "Never go into these things alone," she said dryly. "I know you're here, but really, you're still green. This is your first drug torch job. I called in someone to help us."

\t"Oh. Okay." This wasn't unusual. Michael actively encouraged hired help, and every member of the team had their own credit account to cover those costs. Of course, he didn't have very many contacts that would fall under that category, so he was eager to meet this person. "Anyone I know?"

\t"Yep." She pushed aside a few bushes to reveal the camp site she'd been leading them to. He felt his heart jump into his throat when he realized who it was. Sitting in what amounted to a lawn chair was a coyote. She wore a pair of camo pants, a pair of cowboy boots, and a loose, white tank top. She looked at him and offered up a canteen. "Cold water?" she asked simply. As soon as she asked, the heat came back to him. He grabbed the canteen, completely forgetting to be pissed off at Savannah. "Nice to see you too, lil' bro."

\t"You're not supposed to be here," he said after a few sips. "Michael said, specifically, that you were not to be involved." He looked at Savannah. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

\t"Providence is the only one I know that's as good at torching this shit as I am," the lion said. "I'll tell him-"

\t"He told me that he was holding me personally responsible if she was here." He frowned.

\t"Relax." Providence sat up, looking at the skunk. "You're going to give yourself an aneurism." She shook her head. "I'm only here to help torch the plants and watch your backs. I'm taking orders; Savannah made me promise."

\t"And I'm not telling anyone about it." Savannah looked at him. "Michael says a lot of things, but ultimately, he just wants the job done. So long as we aren't drowning puppies, he'll forgive ya."

\tHe sighed and took another sip of ice cold water. "Okay." He sat down to catch his breath. "There's a shack on the grounds, Providence. They want us to find out what's inside before we level the place."

\t"Understood. I'm sure you'll take care of that while I lay down charges with the kitty."

\t"Charges?"

\t"Incendiary." She hefted a large metal disk onto her lap. "Best way to kill plants. Got it set on a low flame, so as not to torch the surrounding jungle. "We should be able to put one in the center and one towards each of the corners. Set everything ablaze."

\tHe nodded. "I haven't any better ideas, so we'll go with that. How far away are we?"

\t"Ten minutes at a steady march. We'll be fine." She gave him another canteen. "That should help."

\t"All right. Let's get going, then." He got up and brushed himself off. He didn't see Providence spring up and wrap her arms around him. "HEY!"

\t"Not without this, we aren't!" She quickly ran her tongue up the side of his face. Both ladies giggled as the skunk had a spaz attack.

\tThey cleared a hill and, just as Providence had promised, found themselves overlooking a field. It looked like any wheat farm he'd ever seen, with tall, stalky plants waving lightly in the wind. All of the training he had received screamed at him, telling him that he was looking at Rhye. He didn't need it, though; the way that Savannah puffed up at the sight not only warned him to the presence of the plant, but cued him into moving out of strangling distance. "I take it I don't need to tell you two to go set up while I look around?"

\tSavannah's snarl gave her elbow room. "Yeah, I'm thinking so, lil' bro," Providence would say, speaking for both. "I'll make sure that she doesn't take her incendiary rounds to it before we set everything up."

\t"Right...gimme five minutes before you come on down. Providence, can ya keep me covered?" He reached into his duster and pulled out a small face mask. With everything that could be floating in the air, he wished to take no chances. Once it was on, he started down towards the plantation.

\t"Be careful," Providence reminded him, setting up a rifle to watch the area with.

\t"Thanks."

\tThe slope didn't provide him with too much hassle as he made his way to the small, metal hut by the field. The wheat-like stalks raised high into the air above him, releasing a rather sweet, pungent scent. It was enough to put him on edge. The Rhye he had been able to examine at the academy smelled sweet, but it was nothing like this. Maybe it was the sheer volume of it, he figured. Enough roses made a room smell like roses; it had to be the same principal. He was still worried. Something was not right and he knew it on a gut level. He turned his attention on the corrugated metal shack to his left. The answers were in there.

\tThe first thing that he noticed was a pipe coming from the side, digging into the ground just before it got to the crop. It was the only thing about the building that didn't look completely decrepit. The door next to it, the only entrance he could find upon inspection, was held shot by a strong lock and a shoddy latch, something he easily broke off with the butt of Avalon. The door, barely held on, slid open once it was freed.

\tHe poked his head in to take a look around. A crude lab had been set up in the dark room, complete with glass tubing, glass containers, and various chemical compounds placed in what appeared to be a spice rack. He quickly slid his camera out. "Savannah, you would hate to see this," he said as he began taking pictures.

\t"Chemicals?" she would respond after a few moments.

\t"It's like that TV chef's kitchen," he said as he snapped off a few more shots, flash illuminating the room. "This is definitely a BlueRhye farm." He turned his attention to where the pipe should have been going out into the fields. As he expected, it was tied into a basin of blueish liquid, which was being pumped into the field. "Michael is gonna shit himself when he sees this." He took a picture of the whole apparatus.

\t"Well, hurry it up and get some samples. I wanna burn this place down."

\t"Right." He turned to the basin. The liquid had gone completely black. "...shit." He looked around, ignoring the beeping for right now. "Dammit!"

\t"What's wrong, lil bro?" Providence quickly responded.

\t"No samples of the chemicals going out to the field. It just decayed. Dark room, I should have known this stuff was photosensitive!"

\t"It's okay, relax. You've got pictures and a general description of its reaction to light. I'm sure your lab boys can use that as a platform."

\t"You're right." He calmed down, finally noticing the sound. "Do you girls hear that beeping?"

\t"No."

\t"Huh..." He turned towards the lab setup, hoping to at least get some of those chemicals to his lab boys when he saw it. It was a simple device, wires coming out of a couple of coffee cans and all centered on a single timer. The timer was counting down from 45 at a rapid pace.

\tSavannah and Providence were surprised when Jacob came bolting out of the shack in a full panic. Providence sat up quickly and pulled out her binoculars. "What is that crazy boy doing?" She peered through them to see what was going on. "He's...making gestures. Looks like he wants us to move further back."

\t"There's smoke coming out of the shack," Savannah was quick to point out. Indeed, smoke was billowing out of the front door, quickly filling the air. "What could-?"

\t"BOMB!" Jacob had finally gotten within hearing distance, and the single word he was shouting at them. Both ladies looked at each other before grabbing their stuff and diving down the embankment they were hiding behind. It was just in time; seconds after they hit the ground, the area was rocked by a massive explosion. Debris began raining down just past where they were hunkered down.

\t"Son of a bitch." Providence waited for the debris to stop falling before jumping up and heading towards the field. The field was on fire; there was no need to do her part of the bargain. A sickly purple cloud billowed up into the air, forming a very unhappy skyline. Her concern, however, was on the crumple skunk that had been thrown to the base of the embankment. He was on his chest, sprawled out and not moving. "Savannah! He's hurt!"

\t"Go check on him. I'll call Ashley and Tabitha for backup."

\t"Roger." She wasted no time; as the lioness whipped out her tablet, she went skidding down to Jacob's position, the heels of her boots kicking up dirt and debris. She stopped just short of him and rolled him onto his back. "Oh come on! This is your first soiree, lil bro. You can't die on us." She reached down and patted his cheeks. "Wake up."

\tHe groaned a little bit and held his head. "This is why I followed in Ashley's footsteps and didn't go with demolitions." He slowly sat up and looked at the field. "At least part of the mission's done, though." He chuckled a little bit.

\tHe was promptly slapped across the face by a very irate coyote. "Don't you EVER do that again! Check for these sorts of things before you go barging into strange buildings!" With her warning made, she pulled him into a hug.

\t"Providence!" He chuckled weakly and returned the act of kindness.

\t"Just shut up." She let go and sat with him, looking over the burning field.

\t"Report, Agent Evans." He was back at the hotel, just as planned. Ashley had bandaged up his chest and back, both having taken a few cuts from shrapnel and his tumbling due to the blast. He was looking at the image of the wolf, which was a bit more full body than earlier that morning. "I see you've taken a few bruises."

\t"Cuts, actually," he reported. "Nothing major. Whoever owned that crop wanted to make sure that nobody learned their secrets. I got some photos and learned some rather interesting things about the chemicals in that shed before it blew up."

\t"So you have no doubts in your mind about this shack?"

\t"It was a BlueRhye lab. If not, then we've got a third strain to worry about."

\t"Good. Was Providence-?"

\t"Providence was in the city on unrelated business and was too preoccupied to bother us. Ashley and Tabitha were only called in to help recover me after the shack went up." He touched the bandages. "This sort of stuff happen a lot?"

\t"Not on an everyday basis, no." He chuckled. "Get the pictures and your notes to us at your convenience. You've earned some rest. I'll be in contact with Savannah to get her debriefing."

\t"Will do. I've got some time before the next plane out, so I'll probably catch a meal and see you later tonight. Jacob out." He turned the tablet off and sat down on the bed.

\t"You lied to him." Providence, who had been listening in on the conversation from the other room, slid in finally. "You bald-face lied to his face."

\t"He didn't need to know you hung around while I got my striped ass blown up." He got up and slid on a light shirt. "Now, what did you want to do for lunch?"

\tThe merc's cheeks flushed red. "Are you taking me out on a date, Mr. Evans?" She was playful as she slid up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Maybe...showing some interest in me?"

\t"I'm too blowed up for a date, Providence. If we were going on a date, I'd be wearing far more uncomfortable clothing for my current state." He poked her nose. "C'mon, let's go." She laughed and swatted his rump.

\tHe twinged in pain.

End

Jacob, Savannah, and Providence all belong to me.

Do not Repost without permission.

","pools_count":1,"title":"Hunters - Graduation Day","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"application/msword","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"1","rating_name":"Mature","ratings":[{"content_tag_id":"3","name":"Violence","description":"Mild violence","rating_id":"1"}],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"t","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"0","views":"52","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}