The science lab was usually a place of logic for Catherine, but today, the periodic table on the wall felt like it was mocking her. She couldn't focus on the titration in front of her. Beside her, Kasey was staring blankly at his textbook, his dragon wings tucked so tight they looked painful.
The silence was broken by the sharp, rhythmic buzz of a phone on the lab bench.
Kasey grabbed it before the vibration even finished. His eyes scanned the screen, and his face went from pale to a ghostly white.
"It's Angelo,"
Angelo: Hey… Freddie left with some guy who looks like he's from a restricted military zone. I mean he's from our school, just being dramatic. Anyways—big wolf, same height as our bear friend. Freddie is terrified, but he's acting like he knows him. He mentioned something about "shadows." I'm following at a distance. Get to the lounge.
Catherine felt a chill that had nothing to do with the lab's air conditioning. "Shadows? Does that have to do with what Freddie mentioned about the 'city acting weird'?"
"I don't know who the wolf guy is, we'll have to find out."
Kasey said, his voice trembling as he stood up, ignoring the professor's look of disapproval.
"Angelo says there's a black sedan trailing them. If Freddie gets kidnapped in that car, or with that wolf... we might not get him back this time."
They didn't wait for their professor's dismissal. They grabbed their bags and bolted for the door, the weight of Angelo's text feeling like a ticking clock. As they sprinted across the quad toward the student lounge to meet Angelo.
"Sup, guys,"
Angelo's voice deceptively casual as he kept his eyes trained on the window. He didn't turn around, but the sharp flick of his coyote ears told them he'd been tracking their frantic approach the whole way.
Kasey and Catherine bent over, hands on their knees, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath. The sprint across the quad had left their lungs burning.
"Alright,"
Kasey managed to get out between gasps, wiping sweat from his forehead and looking at the back of Angelo's head.
"What are we going to do here? We can't just let them walk away."
Catherine straightened up, her face flushed from the run, her eyes darting from Angelo to the glass.
"Did they see you? Does that wolf guy know you're watching?"
"Doubt it,"
Angelo finally turning his head just enough to give them a grim look. He gestured toward the parking lot where the black sedan was beginning to crawl forward.
"But we're running out of time. If we're going to move, we move now. My car is right outside the side exit."
Angelo didn't waste a second. He knelt down and unzipped his backpack, pulling out three high-frequency, long-range walkie-talkies and a magnetic GPS tracker.
"Catherine, you're on radio duty,"
Angelo handing her one of the devices.
"You stay here at the base [near campus]. If the signal on the tracker starts moving too fast for us to follow, or if you see anything else weird happening on campus, you let us know immediately."
Kasey stared at the gear in Angelo's hands, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion. He looked from the professional-grade radio to the GPS unit, then back to the coyote.
"What the hell?"
Kasey was utterly in disbelief and suspicion.
"Why do you just have these? We're architecture and science students, man. Since when do you carry around tactical tracking gear in your bag?"
Angelo didn't even look up as he checked the battery levels on the handhelds.
"It's a hobby, bro. Some people collect stamps; I like being prepared for when reality decides to stop making sense. And considering our best friend just walked off with a scarred-up wolf while a government-style sedan stalks him, I'd say the 'hobby' is paying off."
He tossed a second radio to Kasey, who caught it clumsily against his chest.
"You know what… I'm not gonna question it."
"Good."
Angelo turned his face towards Catherine.
"Keep the channel open, alright?"
Catherine nods without question. Angelo now turns back towards Kasey.
"Alright, come with me. We need to get the tracker on that sedan's bumper before they clear the exit gate."
Catherine gripped the radio, her knuckles white. She looked out the window at Freddie's retreating back, feeling a heavy knot of dread in her stomach.
"Be careful, if that wolf sees you..."
Angelo shook his head then gestured.
"He won't, come on. Move!"
As they got ouside they saw the sedan, Angelo sneakily—successfully planted the tracker and waited. As one anthro comes in and takes the wheel, they start the car and keep driving, maintaining a slow, predatory pace behind the two figures. Through the windshield, they see Freddie and the "wolf" walking along the sidewalk, and as Kasey looks closely, he notices it's…. Riven?
"What?"
Kasey whispered in confusion.
"Wait, the wolf is… Riven? Doesn't he not like him?"
Angelo shrugged but didn't ask any further questions. It was time to follow.
They kept a careful distance, watching the scene unfold ahead of them. Freddie looked small, his shoulders hunched as he walked, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground. Beside him, Riven walked with a stiff, military precision, his head constantly scanning the surroundings. To anyone else, it might have looked like a tense walk between acquaintances, but from the perspective of the car following them, the dynamic was far more loaded.
The black sedan loomed behind them like a shark in shallow water, never pulling too close but never letting them out of its sight. It followed every turn Freddie and Riven made, its dark windows reflecting the passing buildings like cold, empty eyes.
"How's it going, copy?"
Catherine's voice crackled over the radio, her tone laced with worry. Angelo replied back to the radio.
"We planted the tracker on the car, now they're moving—we're slowly following behind."
Angelo's hands steady on the wheel—continuously moving behind. His eyes gazes at Riven and Freddie.
"Riven knows it's there, too. Look at how he's positioning himself."
Indeed, Riven had shifted his stride, placing his massive frame directly between the sedan and Freddie, acting as a physical shield while they continued toward the edge of the district.
As Riven notices the sedan, he quickly steers Freddie toward a narrower path, trying to lose them in the tight corners of the district.
Seeing the opening, Angelo smirks and hits the gas, softly but deliberately clipping the rear of the sedan. The impact is enough to cause a sickening crunch of metal, forcing the black car to jolt to a halt as Angelo blocks their path.
Two anthros get out immediately. They aren't just random drivers; they are buff, professional-looking henchmen—tigers with cold eyes and suits that look far too expensive for a fender bender.
Both Angelo and Kasey exchange glances. The realization hits them instantly: this wasn't just a tail; these guys are dangerous. Despite the fear rising in their chests, they quickly get out of the car to face the situation. Out of the corner of his eye, Angelo sees a final glimpse of Riven and Freddie disappearing into the shadows of an alleyway.
It may have been a success—Freddie is safe for the moment—but as the two tigers fix their aggressive gaze on the boys, it's clear they have a much bigger problem right in front of them.
The lead tiger doesn't even look at his damaged bumper. He walks toward them, his tail lashing with irritation.
"You have any idea whose day you just ruined, kid?"
Kasey's dragon wings give a nervous twitch, his heart hammering against his ribs. He grips his walkie-talkie tight, realizing that Catherine is probably hearing everything on the other end.
The lead tiger's gaze dropped to the radio clutched in Kasey's hand, then flicked back to the alleyway where Freddie had vanished. A low, guttural growl vibrated in his chest, his upper lip curling to reveal teeth that meant business.
"Radio? Coordinated tail?"
His partner stepping out to flank the boys.
"You kids aren't just bad drivers. You're interference."
Angelo felt the adrenaline spike, a sharp, electric hum in his veins. He'd always been a bit too bold for his own good, and seeing these guys underestimate them brought a shark-like grin to his face. This is going to be fun, he thought, shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet. He wasn't just a coyote with a hobby; he was fast, and he knew exactly how to use a tiger's weight against them.
Beside him, Kasey surprised everyone. The dragon-anthro didn't back down. His wings flared out, not in a nervous twitch this time, but in a wide, intimidating span that caught the sunlight. His jaw was set, his eyes burning with a sudden, fierce protectiveness for the friend they'd almost lost once before. He was tired of being afraid, tired of his friends getting hurt—if he had to go through these two to keep Freddie safe, so be it.
"You aren't getting past us, ya cunts!"
The lead tiger got pissed by Kasey's comment. He didn't wait for a second warning. He lunged forward with a roar, a massive paw swinging in a lethal arc.
The fight was on.
Angelo moved like a blur, diving low beneath the first strike and delivering a sharp, stinging kick to the back of the tiger's knee. Meanwhile, Kasey used the strength in his wings to push off the ground, vaulting over the second henchman's head. The air in the industrial district was suddenly filled with the sounds of scuffling boots, heavy impacts, and the frantic crackle of Catherine's voice over the radio, demanding to know what was happening.
The fight was a desperate scramble of fur, scales, and asphalt. Angelo didn't wait for the tigers to move first; he used his momentum to slide under the first tiger's reach, popping up behind him and delivering a stinging double-kick to the back of the henchman's knee. The tiger buckled with a grunt, but his partner was already lunging at Kasey.
Angelo saw the ambush, he barked at Kasey from the attack.
"Look out!"
Kasey snapped his wings open. The sudden six-foot span of leathery membrane acted like a sail, catching the wind and allowing him to pivot mid-air. He swung his tail in a wide arc, catching the second tiger across the snout. It wasn't enough to knock the massive guard out, but the surprise of the impact bought them precious seconds.
The lead tiger recovered quickly, spinning around with a snarl. He swung a heavy fist that whistled through the air. Angelo ducked, the wind of the punch ruffling his fur. He counters with a flurry of strikes to the tiger's ribs, his smaller paws moving like a blur. For every three hits Angelo landed, the tiger only needed one to connect.
Suddenly, a massive paw caught Angelo in the shoulder, throwing him back against the sedan's hood with a sickening thud.
"Angelo!"
Without a thought, he simply dove from the air, tucking his wings and slamming his entire body weight into the tiger's back.
The two tumbled onto the gritty road. The tiger rolled, pinning Kasey down with a forearm that felt like a steel beam across his throat. Kasey gasped for air, his wings scratching frantically against the pavement. Just as the tiger raised a fist to finish it, a blur of gray slammed into the guard's side.
Angelo had recovered, his eyes wild and his teeth bared. He tackled the tiger off Kasey, and the four of them descended into a chaotic brawl. It was a war of attrition. The boys were faster, fueled by a panicked protectiveness for Freddie, but the tigers were tanks.
They fought for what felt like an eternity. Angelo was limping now, his left side bruised, while Kasey's right wing hung slightly lopsided. Yet, the tigers were starting to heave, their movements becoming sluggish. The lead tiger wiped blood from his lip, his yellow eyes showing a flicker of respect—and genuine irritation. They were winning. They were actually wearing the giants down.
Then, the air suddenly went cold.
"You've done well… but, not well enough…"
The voice was like a razor blade—smooth, sharp, and chillingly calm. It didn't come from the tigers.
Before Angelo could even turn his head, a faint phut-phut sound echoed in the alley. A sharp, icy sting bloomed in the back of his neck. He reached back, his fingers brushing against a small, feathered dart.
"I... feel…"
Angelo's voice trailed off into a slur. His knees didn't just bend; they gave out completely. He hit the ground face-first, his vision instantly turning into a kaleidoscope of gray and black.
Kasey felt the second dart hit a moment later. The adrenaline that had been keeping him upright vanished, replaced by a heavy, suffocating lethality. He slumped against the wheel of the sedan, his wings dragging in the oil-slicked puddles.
As the darkness rushed in to claim him, Kasey saw a figure step out from behind a stack of rusted crates. This wasn't a powerhouse like the tigers. This figure was slim, wrapped in a lean, dark tactical suit that seemed to swallow the light. They moved with a predatory grace, stepping over Angelo's unconscious form without a sound.
The stranger knelt down, their gloved fingers reaching for the radio Kasey had dropped.
Through the haze of his fading consciousness, Kasey saw the figure begin to fidget with the frequency dial. From the speaker, Catherine's voice was a tinny, terrified scream:
"Angelo? Kasey? Talk to me! What's happening?!"
The figure held the radio up to their obscured face, listening to her panic with a terrifying, silent stillness. Kasey's eyes finally drifted shut, the last thing he saw being the stranger's thumb hovering over the transmit button.
The slim figure held the radio up, the green light of the receiver casting a sickly glow over their gloved hand. From the small speaker, Catherine's voice was breaking, her breaths coming in sharp, jagged hitches.
"Are you guys there? Hello? Please, someone answer me! I heard the crash, I heard... I heard shouting. If this is a joke, it's not funny. Answer me!"
The stranger didn't respond immediately. They leaned their head to the side, listening to the cadence of her fear with an almost clinical interest. Finally, they pressed the transmit button. Their voice was a low, synthesized hum—distorted and impossible to identify.
"They fought well, but they are sleeping now. You, you should've abandoned them… and now… you fell into an unconventional trap."
"Who is this? What did you do to them?!"
Catherine's voice rose to a terrified scream, the sound of her chair scraping against the floor echoing through the transmission.
The stranger didn't answer. Instead, they signaled to the two tigers. The massive henchmen grunted, grabbing Angelo by the arms and Kasey by his tattered wings, dragging their limp bodies toward the open trunk of the sedan like heavy sacks of grain. The sound of boots scuffing on the gravel and the heavy thump of the boys being loaded into the car carried clearly over the airwaves.
On the other end, Catherine was sobbing, the sound of her frantic typing and ruffling papers audible.
"I'm calling the police—"
Suddenly, the audio on the stranger's end changed. There was a sharp crack from Katherine's side—the sound of a door being kicked off its hinges—followed by a short, stifled gasp. A heavy thud echoed through the speaker, and then... silence. The line went dead.
The slim figure looked down at the radio in their hand. The signal from the lounge had been severed. Katherine was no longer on the line; she had been collected.
The stranger dropped the radio onto the asphalt. With a slow, deliberate motion, they brought their heavy tactical boot down on the device, crushing the plastic and circuitry into a mess of wires and glass. They looked toward the sedan, where the tigers were closing the trunk, then toward the alley where Freddie and Riven had disappeared.
"Intervening will not be tolerated, anyone will suffer the consequences."
A cold, dark amusement radiated from the figure as they stepped into the passenger seat of the car.
"This… will be a fun game!"