by Tom Jones
The wolf stood up, and Arcades could still hear the chains of the restraints Jason wore, “I think I’m ready to get going again, mate.” Arcades looked at the cage which still encased the wolf’s genitals, “I can give you my shirt if you want to cover that up.” Jason considered the fox’s offer, but he had other things on his mind, “Can you shoot off these cuffs?” Arcades looked down at the thick metal which augmented the locking mechanism of the restraints, “That’s very risky. I wouldn’t be able to shoot the locksets because they’re too tough for one gunshot even at point blank range. I’d have to shoot the bows, and those would very likely fragment and become lodged in your body. I can’t afford to have you get sick due to infection out here given our situation. Also, even if that didn’t happen, you’d definitely get burned pretty bad by the hot gas coming out of the muzzle device of this weapon. I’ve seen hot gas like that blind a person before.” The fox looked at the XMP-1’s flash hider, and it visually appeared to be a mix between a birdcage flash hider and a quick detach suppressor mount which would be commonly seen on a MK-16 SCAR type rifle.
Jason frowned, for he knew that there was not anything Arcades could do at the current point and time. The fox reminded the wolf of his previously stated offer, “Like I said though, I’ll still give you my shirt to cover that up if you want. What do you say? It’s better than nothing.” Jason looked at the G4 combat shirt which Arcades wore, and he took a few seconds to think about the fox’s offer. The wolf finally replied, “I guess I’ll take the shirt. It’s better than being completely naked, after all.” Arcades nodded, and he placed the XMP-1 on the ground after unclipping the sling from around his body. The fox then removed the plate carrier by lifting up the center flap and unfastening the cumberbund which was attached with Velcro. Arcades sat the LV119 plate carrier on the ground, and he was being careful not to get too much dirt on the cumberbund; it would easily stick to Velcro, which was a great part of the vest itself. The fox then unzipped the combat shirt, and he loosened the Velcro wrist adjustments before he was able to lift it off of his body. Jason looked at Arcades’ shirtless body once again, but he was not forming any immoral thoughts in his head this time. Arcades knew that the elbows of the G4 Combat Shirt still held foam pads inside of the elbow pockets, but he decided that he would not remove them since he did not know where else he would keep the pads.
The fox moved over to Jason after removing the shirt, and he knew that he would have to wrap the shirt around the wolf’s waist since Jason would not be able to perform such an action himself with bound wrists. Arcades knelt down in front of the wolf, and Jason held up his bound wrists to allow for Arcades to wrap the shirt around his waist. As the fox continued to figure out the best way to wrap the shirt to provide the wolf’s lower region with the most coverage, Jason couldn’t help but think about how drastically things have seemingly changed in such a short period of time. The wolf knew that a mere week ago in the past, he would have been so very excited to see Arcades kneeling right in front of him, but after more recent events occurred, he was starting to change his mind due to a combined series of reasons. Jason would not become excited to see the fox in front of him now, and he was only waiting for the fox to finish providing him with something to wear rather than wearing absolutely nothing.
Arcades finally finished dressing the wolf, and he backed away before standing up to look at the improvised clothing from a distance, “Alright, that should be fine.” Jason looked down at the shirt which Arcades had wrapped around his waist. The fox asked, “Is that too tight for you? How does it feel?” The wolf took a couple steps in multiple directions before delivering his verdict to the fox, “This’ll be fine.” Arcades nodded, “That’s good to hear. Are you ready to get moving now?” The wolf replied, “Yeah, it’s just that these cuffs are starting to hurt my ankles.” The fox frowned, “Those are not designed to be worn for an extended period of time. I promise that I’ll have those off of you as soon as I can get something to remove them with.” The wolf still displayed a look of disappointment on his face. Arcades continued to speak after he donned the plate carrier, picked up the weapon, and continued walking with Jason, “I don’t think it’s right to make people wear restraints.” Jason replied, “Yet you put them on yourself sometimes?” Arcades then said, “The difference is that I chose to do that to myself. I wouldn’t make somebody else do that. I surely wouldn’t make somebody wear them for hours either.”
The wolf smiled slightly, “I bet you wouldn’t like where I’m from.” Arcades replied with something Jason was not expecting, “Yeah, I know those are illegal to own in Australia.” Jason’s eyebrows raised, “I didn’t expect you to know that.” The fox shrugged, “A lot of things I have would be illegal over there. I’ve been all around the world, but I never went there. Partially for that reason. I don’t want to deal with the hassle.” Jason replied, “Just because you can’t bring handcuffs in?” The fox shook his head, “Not just those. Almost everything I own is illegal over there.” Jason shrugged, “Well, you’re pretty much right.” Arcades continued to speak, “I can’t bring any of my guns, and I also can’t bring any of my plate carriers either. Armored vests are banned over there, too.” Jason began to smile again, “Kurt, you definitely have some strange priorities.” Arcades continued to lament on the laws of a country he did not live in, “I still never understood why airsoft replicas are banned over there either. I remember I used to handle those before I was old enough to purchase real firearms.” Jason commented on the fox again, “How many watchlists do you think you’re on?” The fox replied, “Probably a few at least. I mean, all you have to do is look at what I buy. However, I guess I’m kinda alright because I buy most of my stuff as Fox Security LLC, so that’s a bit different. An LLC is practically the only way to own a weapon such as this anyways.” Arcades held up the XMP-1 to provide an example to the wolf of what he was referring to.
As the two anthros continued, Arcades was beginning to see what appeared to be some buildings in the distance. The fox walked up a small vantage point after he asked Jason to remain concealed. Arcades looked out from the vantage point, and he could see some roads and buildings. The fox turned back around to face the wolf and traveled back down the vantage point before speaking, “There’s a city right in front of us.” Jason was surprised, “We found it?” The fox nodded, “Yeah, but I still don’t know where we are. I don’t want to abandon the rifle yet just in case Omega is looking for us around these parts.” Jason thought for a moment, “Are you sure Omega would be willing to show themselves out here in broad daylight?” Arcades was unsure, “No idea, but we definitely cannot go back.” The wolf wanted to climb up the vantage point, but the chain between his ankle shackles would prevent him from taking wide enough steps to keep his balance up the incline. Arcades spoke again, “We could go down there, but I dunno how far we’d get. I’d eventually have to acquire some sort of tools to remove those, of course,” the fox pointed towards the wolf’s restraints. Jason replied, “If you’re concerned about me being seen, then don’t be.” The fox was surprised Jason made the inference, “Are you sure you want to go down there?” Jason nodded, “If cops stop us, we should just tell them what happened.” Arcades was skeptical, “Why would they believe us? Why would they believe me? They’re most likely humans, and I’m a fox.”
The wolf tried to reassure the fox, “Don’t worry mate, I’ll back you up. After all, I’m the bloke who’s bound hand and foot. They’d probably listen to me at least.” Arcades exhaled, and he did understand what Jason was talking about, “You’re not going to feel embarrassed? I don’t want you to feel humiliated or anything.” The wolf shook his head, “Kurt, we’ve got bigger things to worry about right now. I promise you’re not making me feel any different.” Arcades nodded, but he appeared to still be reluctant, “Are you sure, Jason? I’d hate for you to feel humiliated.” The wolf began to start walking in the direction of the city, “Yeah, now come on, and let’s get going.” Arcades took a couple large
steps to catch back up with the wolf. Jason spoke as he continued, “I’d rather get caught by the cops than be taken back to the Foundation anyways.” Arcades had nothing else to say to the wolf as they both continued towards the city.
“And both of them were able to escape,” Alpha 1 reported to Zero. Zero replied, “How hard is it to keep one fox? I’m already getting some reports from Facility Sixteen and Facility Eight that CDI have already managed to obtain their locations. Both of them were attacked, and they did not have the manpower to repel the attacks. I’ve heard from some people who are afraid that evidence in some of these facilities can tie in some large corporations and important names with the Omega Foundation. We cannot let a leak like that happen.” The Overseer paused for a moment before speaking again, “Why am I not talking to One right now? He was the one responsible for keeping that fox in the Foundation!” Alpha 1 replied, “Sir, he was injured when the fox escaped. It looks as if he was bludgeoned with a blunt object.” Zero spoke again, “Right now, I cannot consider any facility to be safe. I want everything important to be sent to Facility Zero. I know you know where that is?”
Alpha 1 then asked, “Sir, you’re sending us to the Arctic?” Zero replied, “Yes, I am. I want all green-tiered anthros there as well. We CANNOT afford to sustain any more losses.” Alpha 1 was curious, “Sir, what about the lower tiered anthros at the other facilities? They’re not going to the Arctic, are they?” Zero was quick to reply, “Kill them all. Burn all of the facilities to the ground. Too much has been compromised already, and we absolutely cannot afford for the public to discover who has ties with the Foundation.” Alpha 1 had another question, “Sir, what if they find out where Facility Zero is?” Zero replied, “When, we’re not going down without a fight. We still have the Dreadnought in the hangar, and it is almost completely combat operational from what I’ve been told.” Alpha 1 was surprised Zero mentioned the vehicle, “The XVP-1? Are you sure you’re willing to use it? Word about that thing will surely spread far.” Zero was confident in what he was doing, “We’re going to use that to make sure nobody escapes alive. We’ll rebuild the Foundation, and we’ll start cloning anthros to replace the ISG like we’ve been planning.” Zero continued after a moment, “I want all green-tiered anthros and all Foundation personnel to report Facility Zero immediately. We need to make sure the existence of the XVP-1 remains a secret.”
Alpha 1 still had a few more questions, “Sir, what about the fox?” Zero had a noticeably angry tone in his voice, “You find that fox? Bring him directly to me, and make sure he cannot escape again. I’ll make sure he won’t be able to recognize himself when I’m done with him.” Alpha 1 was not quite sure what Zero had exactly in mind, but he did not decide to question him on the matter. Alpha 1 then remembered something else important, “How about Facility Eleven? We don’t have a human ISG there, and we surely cannot let those anthros leave. Too many words would spread.” Zero had a solution for the facility, “We’ve already have a failsafe method that’ll burn it down with all of the anthros still inside. In fact, you guys should burn down Facility One after you get the green-tiered anthros out. It’ll save you some munitions so you don’t need to kill the lower-tiered anthros yourself.” Alpha 1’s eyebrows raised due to The Overseer’s idea, but Zero could not see Alpha 1 since he was not transmitting a video feed. Alpha 1 replied, “Yes sir, it will be done.” Zero restated his orders, “Good. Burn Facility One and non green-tiered anthros. All human personnel go to Facility Zero. Understood?” Alpha 1 nodded, but Zero could not see him nod, “Affirmative, sir.” Alpha 1 disconnected from the call.
Arcades and Jason were now approaching the road, and the fox could already tell that the humans in the vicinity were alerted to their presence. The fox notified Jason of the current situation, “They’ve spotted us.” Jason could also see a few humans drawing their phones to call the authorities, “You think they’re calling the cops?” Arcades and Jason made it to the sidewalk, and the fox looked around with concern, “Yeah, I think it’s over for us.” Jason replied as he looked down at his restraints, “Maybe the cops will be able to take these off.” The fox shook his head, “Not without cutting them off. Those locksets have restricted keyways. Every key is unique for those, and Omega has the keys somewhere. I’m really sorry I couldn’t find them.” Jason grunted, “Oh well, maybe they can finally cut them off.” The fox unbuckled the sling from his XMP-1, and he placed the rifle on the ground. As the fox began to remove the rest of the tactical gear he was carrying, Jason asked, “Kurt, what are you doing?” The fox replied as he removed his plate carrier and placed it on the ground as well, “I’m an armed fox, and that’s someone I don’t want to be when the cops show up.” Jason watched as Arcades placed the rest of his gear in the pile, “Are you scared, Kurt?” The fox did not give a response.
Jason looked over the fox, and he could see that Arcades was now only wearing a pair of blue Crye Precision G4 Combat Pants which were obviously far too large for him in the waist but far too short in the inseam. Jason looked down at himself, and he was wearing the G4 Combat Shirt to cover up his caged genitals. The wolf began to wonder how the police would react when they discovered the device. He also knew that Arcades was still wearing one as well, but Jason could obviously tell that the fox had more on his mind. Jason looked on the other side of the road, and he could see that a human was looking directly at the two of them while still on the phone. He assumed that the human was still on the phone with the emergency services operator. Jason spoke to Arcades again, “Kurt, you should calm down. You’ve already surrendered your weapon.” Arcades replied while he looked up and down the road to see which direction a police car would be coming from, “That doesn’t change the fact I’m still a fox.”
Jason tapped the fox’s shoulder with his bound hands in order to get Arcades’ attention. When Arcades looked at the wolf, Jason said, “How about you let me do the talking? I’ll talk to them first. Will that be better for you?” Arcades nodded, “Yeah, they’re probably gonna believe a wolf over a fox.” Jason tried to calm the fox down, “Kurt, they’re not gonna hurt you. Come on, now.” The wolf placed his hands on Arcades’ shoulders again in order to try and get him to stay calm. Jason continued, “I’m the one who’s locked up. They’ll listen to me.” Arcades took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down, “Make sure you let them know that I’m not the one who did it to you.” Jason shook the fox by the shoulders for a bit, “Mate, just calm down. Don’t make them any more frightened than they are already. They’re already responding to reports of a fox with a gun.” Arcades frowned, “That description doesn’t really help, you know.” The fox’s ears perked up when he heard a vehicle incoming. Arcades looked, and he could see that it was indeed a police vehicle.
A white Ford Police Interceptor slowly pulled up in front of the two anthros, and Arcades read the side of the vehicle. The text on the side of the vehicle read ‘Sheriff - Pennington County’. A human wearing a khaki police shirt stepped out of the vehicle, and he looked at the two anthros before walking up to them. As the human walked up to Arcades and Jason, he said, “What’s going on here?” Jason was the first to speak, “Hey, we both had been kidnapped, and we managed to somewhat escape.” The officer looked at the wolf before looking at the fox. Arcades did not say anything to the officer, but the officer asked, “Where did you two come from?” Arcades replied, “We don’t even know where we are right now.” The officer replied to the anthros, “You’re in Rapid City, South Dakota.” Arcades was somewhat surprised and spoke primarily to the wolf, “The Foundation is pretty close to the city.” The officer was confused, “Foundation? What are you talking about?” Jason replied for the fox, “The group that kidnapped us call themselves the Foundation.” The officer picked up the XMP-1 from the pile of gear, and he inspected the weapon, “Where did all of this come from?” Arcades replied, “I took that stuff while I was escaping.” The officer shook his head while he looked at the XMP-1, “I ain’t never seen nothin’ like
this thing. You got this from this Foundation?” Arcades nodded, “Yes, along with everything else in that pile there.” Another police vehicle arrived at the scene; it was a Chevrolet Tahoe.
The second officer looked at what was happening, and he asked the same question the first officer did, “What’s the deal here?” The first officer replied, “These two anthros say that they’ve been kidnapped by some sort of organization called the Foundation. The fox says that he found this equipment during his escape.” The second officer looked at Arcades, “Do you have any identification on you?” Arcades replied with the truth, “No, all of our belongings were taken from us before we were captured.” The second officer could tell that Arcades obviously did not fit in the pants he was wearing, “Even those pants?” Arcades shook his head, “I procured these during our escape. We both came in completely naked.” Both the human police officers were rather surprised due to the situation. One of the officers inspected the restraints Jason was wearing. The officer spoke to his fellow officer, “Have you ever seen any cuffs like these?”
