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Chapter 8 - A Warrior Born

As the elevator came to a soft halt, Matt looked around. Next to him stood Jake; the grey wolf stared straight ahead at the doors to the elevator. Matt suppressed a shiver as he regarded his friend. Jake seemed very powerful and strong, his manner was proud and fierce. This was accented by the combat fatigues and officer's cap he sported. He had the bearing of a proud warrior. Behind him stood Ethan, also dressed in a military uniform, matte-black in colour save for the two crossed sabres pinned to his collar and the four half inch stripes on his shoulders, denoting his rank as a colonel.

Just like Jake, Ethan's relaxed and humorous attitude was gone, replaced by the determined look of a fierce fighter who held no fear. Where Jake exuded power, Ethan radiated confidence and a calm determination. With a hiss of pressurised air the elevator doors opened. The room was dark and Matt could see nothing beyond the rectangle of light shining from the lights within the elevator.

The trio stepped off the elevator, Jake in the lead followed by Matt as Ethan brought up the rear. As they walked, large halogen lights began humming on; along the walls the faint glow and hum began to build as the light brightened. Looking around Matt realized they were in some kind of Command and Control center. The walls were covered in computer monitors showing different read outs and satellite images.

A number of strange monitors showed what looked like a figure standing upright with arms outstretched. As they drew near to the station, Ethan sat down. Taking a closer look Matt realized they were displays for some kind of suit. Indicators and data streamed by for each part of the suit, which to Matt's surprise looked strangely similar to the one he had seen in the door of the library.

"Is it ready?" Jake asked, breaking Matt's concentration on the screen.

"Yes sir, the techs have just finished installing the last system. All we have to do is run it through setup and the preliminary trials. Then it will be certified for field testing." said Ethan, his words short and clipped. Donning a headset he turned around. "Whenever you are ready sir. I'll be monitoring things from here."

With a nod of his head, Jake walked up to a door set next to the monitors. Motioning for Matt to follow, Jake walked toward the door, which opened with a hiss as he stepped toward it, entering the far room. The glare from the lights over head blinded Matt momentarily as he stepped through the door. As his eyes adjusted, he realized they were in a long rectangular room. Looking around he saw that every surface and wall had been painted white. Along each of the long walls were strange recesses; within each recess was one of the same mechanical suits Matt had seen before.

Walking along the line behind Jake, Matt noticed many of the suits were either missing or heavily damaged and in different states of repair. Finally they stopped before one of the suits. This one was pristine in condition; not a scratch or dent marred its matte-black finish. Matt slowly ran his paw along the arm of the suit in awe. It was incredible. Smooth to the touch, it looked incredibly heavy yet as though the wearer would be capable of incredible feats of agility.

"It's yours." Jake said quietly as he watched Matt admire the suit.

"Are you serious? That's incredible! How...What....Whoa!" said Matt, his maw gaping open in awe. "Can I put it on?"

Jake nodded. Matt smiled from ear to ear. Starting forward he halted. A thought occurred to him suddenly. Blushing, he turned to Jake. "Umm... how do I put it on?"

Jake stepped forward as a grin split his solemn look. "Off," Jake said motioning to Matt's clothes.

"What?" said Matt, blushing.

"You need to be naked when you put the suit on otherwise it won't fit right."

Matt was sure his blush could be seen through his fur as he began to strip out of his clothes. As the last of Matt's clothes hit the floor, Jake found himself distracted. Flashes of the young fox writhing in pleasure on top of him returned to his mind with mixed guilt and arousal. He was snapped out of his stupor by Ethan's voice over the PA. "Uh sir, not that I haven't been enjoying the view, but don't you think he's been naked long enough?"

Turning around, Matt saw a flash of anger cross Jake's eyes causing him to shiver in fright. "Ethan you will sit down and shut up! Get back to your station! That's an order!" Jake bellowed, his face flushing as he looked toward the camera. Matt could have sworn he heard a chuckle as the com went dead.

Shaking his head, a look of disgust on his muzzle, Jake walked up to the recess and hit one of the many buttons. With a hydraulic hiss, the frame around the suit relaxed, allowing Jake to pull it from it's frame. As he did so a platform rose out of the floor. Jake expertly took apart the suit placing each armoured section on the table.

Once he had finished Jake was left holding a body glove which he offered to Matt, who slipped it on and fed his tail through the hole and into the dedicated sleeve. After he had zipped up the suit and buttoned the collar, Jake reached over and pulled the hood over his head. Matt gasped as the suit hissed and suddenly clamped onto his body, manipulating itself to conform to his features.

"The bodysuit is made up of a material stronger and more durable than kevlar. It has memory technology built in, which is what allows it to form to your body." Jake explained. Lifting Matt's arm he continued. "When you move or raise your arm or leg the suit shifts along with you, always keeping perfect contact. It has nanite technology as well. Any rip or tear can be instantly repaired to ensure the bodysuit maintains the atmosphere around your body."

"The nanites also interact with your body itself. They connect to your nerve groupings. In doing so they give you greater and faster control of your suit. You don't just wear the suit, you become the suit."

Jake then had Matt climb into a thicker body suit. "This is what will protect you from any kinetic bruising if anything hits the plates. It also seals the joints of your suit and provides an extra layer of protection. It interfaces between your body suit and the armour."

Jake grunted as he picked up the chest plate. "The armour itself is made up of a composite material, combining sheets of titanium, depleted uranium, steel and carbon nanotubes. It is incredibly strong, incredibly durable, and has a very high weight to protection ratio."

Matt's head was buzzing from all of the information. He nearly toppled over as the chest plate bonded to his suit. Thankfully he was able to hold up long enough for Jake to connect the back piece. "The back of the suit is bulky but not like the earlier versions. It contains a small plasma generator that is actually very stable and very powerful. It is able to run the suit and keep all of its systems for weeks on end without need of maintenance. This ensures that we can send troops out into the field without an extensive train of supplies."

Next, Jake clamped on the upper and lower leg plates followed by the boots. As the upper and lower arm plates clamped into place, gloves enclosed his paws. "The boots can be magnetized to adhere to metal surfaces and allow you to climb walls. The gloves can interface with any weapon you are holding and provide you with a crosshair on your HUD, or Heads Up Display. The suit has nutrient packages installed, as well as a water circulation system that prevents dehydration and malnutrition."

"What does it circulate?" Matt asked warily.

"Well there is a built in water supply, however as the mission continues any bodily fluids secreted are cleaned and recycled into the system. This ensures the water and nutrient supply remain high enough for a soldier to remain efficient in the field."

"Ever drink your own piss Foxy?" Ethan asked over the PA.

"Eww" Matt said cringing at the thought.

"It's not so bad really...lemony!" Ethan responded, grinning to himself.

Jake rolled his eyes, "You don't actually drink your urine. Water is extracted from the urine as well as any minerals and nutrients. They are treated by the system and fed back into the suit's water supply."

"So if you ever have to go, just go" Ethan laughed over the PA.

"Along with this is a small medical system that disinfects wounds, and can administer either shots of adrenaline, relaxants or anesthetics"

Slipping the helmet on Matt's head, Jake turned it until there was a faint click and hiss before he continued with his explanation and instruction. "Now that the helmet is on the environment within the suit is sealed. There is both an air supply and air filtration system. You should feel a slight pinch." Jake said. "That is the suit interfacing with your nervous system."

Matt yelped and whimpered as he felt a burning sensation at the back of his neck. An electrical shudder ran through his body. With a low rumble the suits generator turned itself on he felt power coursing through it. His fur tingled as the suit began to warm then cool as it attempted to match his body temperature. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes

Before his eyes the visor lit up, displaying his body temperature, the suits systems, their level of function, and a barrage of other information that would take him ages to understand. Suddenly he realized he couldn't feel the suit anymore. It felt as though he was standing on the concrete floor in his bare feet again.

"The suit will have interfaced with your body and can react to your nerve impulses now. It is just as fast as you are...faster, with the improvements made to it. You can jump and leap farther than you could without it, and lift much more. The coating on the suit absorbs light aiding you in becoming invisible during the night. It can also be set to mimic the colour scheme of your environment. While you won't be invisible you will be harder to see. The visor allows for increased zoom functions allowing you to see further."

"Whenever you're ready, take a slow step forward off the platform," said Ethan, his voice crackling through the suit's com system.

Taking a slow step forward Matt was amazed at the feeling of barely controlled power. It was as though the suit wanted to leap across the room, not take a small step. He felt very nervous with Jake so close. The movement of the suit was incredibly fast, and he would have to take things slowly lest he hurt someone.

Flashing Matt a quick smile he motioned for the suit encased fox to follow him. Leading Matt down to the far end of the room, Jake waited before opening yet another door. Matt felt so nervous in the suit, he felt the need to keep looking down, forgetting he was wearing it. Before him Jake stood waiting next to a firing range. Large booths, each at least ten feet long by at least half that wide, were set up each separated from its neighbour by thick steel partition. At the far end of the range a series of target dummies stood silently waiting for the next hail of led to fly their way.

Each was roughly the same size as he was in his suit, Matt noted. What was strange was that each and every suit was both armoured and armed. While he had never been to a firing range himself Matt did not see the point of arming practice dummies.

Shaking his head he stepped into the nearest booth were Jake waited. Once Matt was inside the booth, Jake hit a button and a panel in the side of the booth opened up revealing an array of impressive weaponry. A number of oversized pistols lay next to assault rifles of every size and calibre. One that peaked Matt's interest was a long sniper rifle. It looked like two rectangles set on top of one another with the barrel of the gun set between them. It was massive and easily as long as he was tall; the stock alone was at least a foot long. He couldn't see how anyone could fire the thing.

"Ah I see you're admiring our latest creation," said Ethan, his voice crackling on through the suits com system. "Sir, you feel like showing our young trainee here how the AEG works?"

"AEG? What's that?" asked Matt as he stared at the incredible weapon.

"'Anti-Everything Gun'. It's a fur portable Mass Accelerator Cannon, or as Ethan so fondly refers to it: the 'Anti-Everything gun'"

"How does it work?" asked Matt, his maw dropping open as far as the helmet would allow.

"Basically it makes everything your bitch!" Ethan chimed.

With a grunt, Jake picked up the gun and set it on the platform pointing down range. Flicking a switch on the gun, Matt heard a low hum building as the weapon charged. Taking out a clip of shells, each easily twice the size of Matt's fist, Jake slammed the clip home and racked the gun to load a shell into the breach.

"It fires a shell at ten miles a second; each shell is reinforced with depleted uranium and has sensors to detect changes in mass. Once it hits a target, not only do you have the kinetic energy shredding the target but the shell itself explodes."

Looking down the sight, Jake zeroed in on one of the armoured targets down range. As Jake squeezed the trigger, Matt was suddenly blinded by a blue flash of electricity and nearly deafened by a supersonic boom. At almost the same instant, the target down range was completely destroyed.

Matt stood in awe as bits of metal and cloth rained down where the target had stood, now nothing more than a black smear. Matt could hear Ethan cheering over the ringing in his ears.

Suddenly a large panel opened up in the floor and an M1 Bradley rose up from the opening. Taking aim at the Armoured Personnel Carrier, Jake opened fire again. With another flash of light and sonic boom the round took off down range. A hundredth of a second later the Bradley exploded, its turret flying high into the air trailing fire. With a boom it crashed down to the ground.

A second elevator rose up, this time carrying the unmistakable form of an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. Once more, Jake drew a bead on the tank, aiming between its turret and hull. Squeezing the trigger they were both blinded and deafened by the flash of electrical discharge and sonic boom. Much like the Bradley, the turret of the Abrams flew into the air, the tank ablaze.

"And that," Jake said as he stood back up, gun resting against his shoulder. "Is why we call it the Anti-everything gun." Behind him the turret of the Abrams came down with a crash and shower of sparks.

Over the next several, hours Jake and Ethan carefully began teaching Matt how to correctly load, aim and fire each of the weapons on the table. As the hours went on, Matt became quicker and quicker. He was soon able to fire an entire clip into over a dozen targets (each set of shots in a cluster no larger than an egg), reload and continue firing in a matter of seconds.

Never having handled a weapon before, Matt was both incredibly impressed and amazed with himself...and rather frightened. Standing up as he emptied a final clip, Matt looked around for more targets. He realized there were none. All the targets that had been standing at the far end of the range were now nothing more than piles of bullet riddled armour.

"Good, good," said Jake, a strange smile on his face, clearly impressed with how fast Matt had taken to the guns. "Now let's see how you do when the targets shoot back."

Pressing a button Jake stepped back behind a thick wall of bullet proof glass. Turning around Matt watched as the platform before him lowered as more raised up at random intervals between him and the end of the range. Confused and somewhat frightened, Matt watched, unsure what he was supposed to do. He felt his new found confidence slipping away.

Turning around he was about to ask Jake what he was supposed to do, only to realize he was alone. With a quiet whimper he looked around for Jake. He was alone and sealed within the firing range.

"Ethan! Where's Jake?! What am I supposed to do?! What's going on?!" demanded Matt as he felt his panic rising.

Only static greeted him, suddenly he heard the lifts that had raised the previous targets up, whirling. Turning around he saw that five new dummies were standing at the far end of the range. They looked much like the others, yet as he watched he realized something was different. As he looked he saw that unlike the other targets these had their guns held at the ready. Their helmeted heads looked towards him.

He yelped in fear as they stepped forward as one, his new found courage and personal trust gone. He watched as they scanned the room. Suddenly, they spotted him. Like a well drilled team the dummies sprinted forward to the first barrier. Suddenly they opened fire. Matt screamed and dove behind the barrier in front of him as the wall where he had stood not a minute before disintegrated in a shower of concrete.

Matt screamed and curled into a ball as more bullets flew overhead as the dummies attempted to keep him suppressed, working their way towards his position.

"Jake...Jake!" Matt screamed, tears rolling down his muzzle. "Where are you Jake?! What am I supposed to do?!"

Sobbing he crawled along the barrier slowly. Propping himself against it he leaned slowly around the corner trying to figure out where the dummies, or what he had thought were dummies were.

"Jake isn't here," said a cold metallic voice. "He's left you all alone...helpless...weak."

"No he's here, he has to be," Matt sobbed, as another hail of bullets forced him to duck back behind the barrier. "This isn't funny, I'm not ready for this!" "Ha! He's left you all alone to die. He doesn't care about you, he's just using you" said the metallic voice.

"No...No, that's not true! He hasn't left me alone! He cares about me, he loves me!"

"Where is he then? I don't see him do you?" the voice said with a snarl. "He doesn't love you! Why would anyone love you? You're a worthless little tail-raiser, why would anyone like Jake even give you a second thought?!"

"Shut up!" Matt yelled suddenly. Still sobbing, he felt anger building in his chest as the voice taunted him. "Shut up!"

He was angry but part of him started to fear it might be true. Was that all Jake thought of him? A worthless little tail-raiser... no Jake cared about him. Jake didn't care that he was gay...right? Matt thought to himself. Jake had even said he didn't care, that Matt was his best friend.

"Face it you're worthless." The voice said with another peal of laughter.

"Get up," another voice said.

"Wha...What?" Matt whimpered.

"Get up," said the second voice again. "It's ok Matt, it's going to be alright, I'm still here."

"J...Jake? What's going on? Where are you? What am I supposed to do?" Matt sobbed, partially in relief, partially in fear.

"Fight,"

"What?" Matt sobbed.

"Get up and fight," Jake said calmly. "Fight Matt, you can do it. I'm right here, don't listen to them Matt. They're trying to beat you, trying to get in your head. You can't let them. You have to fight!"

Jake's voice was like a soothing balm on his terror and fear. Taking a deep breath, Matt slowly felt himself calming as he imagined Jake standing before him, his strong arms wrapped tightly around the small arctic fox.

"Get up!" Jake roared suddenly, the iron back in his voice. "Get up and fight! Show that bastard who the worthless one is!"

Suddenly Matt felt his anger that had been smothered by his fear roar into a blazing fire as he was coaxed and cheered on by Jake. With a feral howl he leapt up gun blazing eager to prove his worth.

Swinging the barrel of his gun up he sent a burst of led flying towards the first target. Not bothering to watch it's torso explode in a shower of sparks, he sent a second and third burst flying towards two more targets. As fast as he could take them out they kept coming, more and more dummies arriving via the lifts.

"Matt you have to stop them." Jake said over the com system.

"How?!" Matt yelled as he took out another target. He felt his despair rising to the fore again. "I can't do it Jake! I can't"

"Yes you can Matt, I believe in you."

Matt sobbed in despair as more targets marched towards him. Suddenly he felt bullets impact his armour sending him sprawling. With a groan he felt himself blacking out; he could taste blood in his mouth. Was he dying? With a wracking sob, Matt looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed in his face, held by one of the targets. As he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, he heard someone calling his name, not through the com but next to him.

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With a groan Matt's eyes fluttered open. He shut them again tightly against the bright light hanging over head. Carefully, he allowed them to take in the light one at a time. He realized he was in the hospital wing. Jake sat next to him, his face ashen. Matt tried to sit up, but was immediately met with pain in his ribs.

"Don't get up," Jake warned.

"What happened?" Matt groaned. He felt like he'd been hit by a car.

"During your last training exercise, you took some pretty heavy fire. The live training dummies don't use ammunition strong enough to penetrate armor, but you were dinged up pretty bad...I'm sorry." Jake muttered, his face falling, holding back his anger at himself.

"Training exercise? But that all seemed so real!" Matt yelled, wincing at a sharp pain in his sides.

"It was a test...You needed to be able to resist enemy propaganda and temptations. But we pushed you too far too fast; it's just that we need everyone ready to fight when the time comes. I'm so sorry, Matt!"

Matt was surprised at his friend's concern. Jake had been protective of him before, but never had Matt seen him beat himself up like this. He reached out a paw to caress Jake's muzzle.

"I forgive you...and I get what you were trying to do," he assured the wolf.

"But it's my fault you're hurt! I pushed you too hard! We never put new recruits against combat dummies so early, and that's my r-" Jake was cut off in the middle rant by Matt's lips planted firmly against his. His ears fell back as he relaxed unwillingly at the affection. Just as his tail started to sway, Matt pulled away, and the guilt and confusion came back. He was not supposed to get that much enjoyment from kissing Matt.

"Better?" Matt breathed.

"I...I...am speechless I'll give you that," Jake teased weakly. Matt's ears drooped at the words and Jake immediately realized it had been the wrong thing to say. He cared about Matt a lot, but only as a friend. Yet, he hated seeing Matt this way, and a nagging desire lay buried deep within him telling him exactly how to make everything better.

Wrong! No! That is not an option and I know it! I cannot possibly give him what he wants! He's my best friend, and I'm not gay, Jake scolded internally.

"It's ok, I'll get it next time," Matt said with a weak smile.

Jake could hear the hurt in Matt's voice and he felt like he'd done more harm than good just by being here. The two sat in silence next to each other, neither of them wanting to be the first to speak. Finally, it was Matt who broke the quiet.

"How bad of shape am I in?"

"Some bruised ribs but nothing too serious. When you panicked the suit couldn't respond to your medical needs, so you got hurt," Jake explained, still not looking at Matt. "You'll be out of here in no time."

"Good, 'cause I'm going to get strong enough to kick your ass as payback for this!" Matt teased, immediately lightening the mood.

"I'm looking forward to it." Jake half smiled at Matt who smiled warmly back. He had thought Matt would be furious with him, that he would never speak to him again. Knowing that he had not lost his best friend, Jake felt a wave of relief wash over him. He gently hugged Matt, and ruffled his head fur.

"I have to go oversee repairs to your suit with Ethan. Get better soon," Jake said, turning to leave his friend to rest.