FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Dante was waking down a cracked, but well maintained sidewalk wearing his flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of denim slacks. He kept his old boots, didn't really want to buy another pair anyway. His goal was a barber shop. Some liked getting the hair on their head trimmed, others liked the fur around their faces to look good.

And that was something Dante noticed for the first time since leaving Earth. Most animal people had hair just like humans. He rationalized it as being unimportant for his job, and therefore never really paid much attention. Still didn't, if you would ask him about it. Either way, this particular shop was frequented by the older folk, not the first to colonize the planet but not far off.

Dante walked in, heard the ringing bell, and fought every instinct to tense up and find cover, “Need a trim.” Two barbers were standing around and shooting the breeze with a handful of nearby residents, nearly as old as the barbers.

“Sure thing, take a seat. Need a shave too?” Dante hadn't shaved in a while, but that wasn't an issue. A little stubble was his usual look, “Either way, take a seat young man.”

“Young? Haven't been called that in a while.” Dante took a seat as the older barber, a ram nearing his 60's, draped a blanket over Dante's shoulders, “Just cut it short, I don't need anything stylish.”

“Well anyway, I told them that my father was one of the first people to set foot on this abandoned rock! Worked side by side with his worst enemy to build this town!” The other barber said to a gentleman reading a newspaper.

“Yeah? Well my father helped get a steady supply of equipment so your father could build anything!”

About three to four generations ago, soldiers tired of fighting wars, and refugees tired of being victims, got wind of this planet. They came in droves, old national enemies and bitter rivals worked tirelessly to get this place built and to make it a real home free of the chaos the galaxy offered. Different species made up this world, and no matter their past, anyone who came from the beginning to this very day had a clean slate. No crimes, no titles, no nothing. Just a man and his skill. The older folks liked to bicker about who's parent worked harder, but that was just something they did.

“Haven't seen you before. Where'd you come from? Merc company I bet. Rough work, couldn't stand it myself. Not steady, either.”

“You're not entirely wrong. Got a reputation for my work, had enough, so I fled here.”

“Mm, smart move. You still have a chance at a good life. Now, my old man, Gods rest his soul, didn't have that chance. After my mother died, he couldn't bear to leave her grave. Told me 'son, I haven't been the best man, nor the best father, but I only wanted a good life for you. Take this money, and the bag I have in my closet and leave. Live a good life.' I tell ya, he knew what he was talking about.” The barber showed Dante his scissors, “One of his gifts. A simple trade, but a good one. You gave any thought to what you want to do? Parents give you an idea?”

Dante sat still, “My... parents died long ago. War on my home world took them, and most everyone else. I got an education, but then I had to fight for my life. Merc company learned about me, worked with them for a while, and eventually wound up here. So no, haven't got much of an idea.” His hair fell to the floor.”

A man playing a version of chess with another looked up, “Never seen someone like you. Much have been a hell of a world to have your fur burnt off.” He chuckled, “But your story isn't all that uncommon.”

His partner nodded after moving a piece, “Yeah, I was in the Third Regiment, Fifteenth Division of the army. Killed six men then I got shot. Opened my eyes up.”

The other barber chimed in, “I was a smuggler, but I just couldn't take what I was doing anymore.”

“See, kid? You don't have that much to worry about.” The barber cut off the hair covering Dante's eyepatch, “Lost an eye? Bet you learned to keep your head low after that.”

“Since you're all being so open, I didn't lose this eye from an enemy bullet. This was from someone I trusted. Shot in the head point blank and left to die.”

“Mm, rough.” The barber started straightening up Dante's hair, “Betrayal is the worst.”

“After the tenth time, it's not so bad.”

The man reading the newspaper cleared his throat, “So, which company were you with? Just curious, I got a nephew with this Fallen Sky. Haven't heard from him recently.” Dante felt a jump in his chest. An odd feeling, one he barely remembered. It was one thing to kill, it was another to tell someone the truth about their child.

“Work with them for a while.”

“Ah, so is it any good?”

“Joined up with some independents and tore it to shreds before rebuilding it.” Dante wasn't going to lie, “Worked with them a little longer, got betrayed again. If your nephew is still alive, tell him to get as far away from them as possible.”

“You... know quite a bit, don't you?” Dante's barber nodded to the other, who prompted closed the blinds and locked the door, “What gets said here doesn't leave, that's our code.” One of the older gentlemen pulled out a bottle of brown liquor from behind the newspaper stand and a few shot glasses, “A lot of youngsters don't understand the galaxy. Are you a raider or a liar?”

Suspicious, but these men weren't a threat. No doubt they left out details of their brief pasts. Dante was handed a shot and downed it, “Name's Dante. You probably know more about me than you need to.”

“Bless My Bones, you can't be... THAT Dante?”

“Doesn't leave here, remember?”

“So what are you doing here? I hear you killed over a hundred men. Even heard you liked it.”

Dante shook his head, “No real man likes killing. At first you may get a rush, but after a while you stop feeling that. You don't even feel regret. You don't feel anything. A hundred is low. I don't want to tell you the real numbers.”

His barber drank his shot, “My father was like that, said he didn't even care anymore. Few years after I left he... well.”

A man playing chess stood up and looked through the blinds, “So is it true? That battle on that old planet? Did that happen?” At that, the other men stopped in the tracks and looked at Dante.

“I was the front man, took it upon myself to do most of the damage. Left my unit out of it.”

Sirens started going off and a police car drove by the shop, “Hear that?”

Dante stood up and waved his wrist computer over the barber's credit chip, a common card used for transactions, “I have to go. That's automatic fire.”

“Woah kid, let the police handle this!”

Dante wasn't about to let that happen. He unlocked the door, “My hands are already stained, no reason for them to get bloody.” He ran out and towards his home a few blocks away, also in the direction of the gunfire. In a box, wrapped in a blanket, was his SBR-040. Silver base, black trim, and a retractile bayonet on the front. The stock was replaced with a dense black wood, outfitted with weights. Sere's pride and joy, it was the largest caliber of energy ammunition that had ever been worked into an automatic rifle. He had one magazine left, but that was enough.

He burst from his house and ran full speed towards the gunfire, finding that every other citizen in the area had a different idea. It was an alley, a dead end. The gangsters were corners, but the police were outgunned. Dante climbed a fire escape and found the officer in charge, although he was cowered behind a chimney, “AGH!” He scrambled for his pistol, a five round revolver, but dropped it.

Dante kneeled down, “Listen, you don't know what you're doing, but I do. How many men do you have and what sort of firepower?” He clutched his radio tightly, “I'm a registered mercenary, you agree to pay me and I can get you all out of this alive.” A rumble of thunder in the distance, no doubt mistaken for gunfire. It was instead a fast moving storm.

“Sir?! I'm pinned down! If he's gonna pay then pay him!”

“F-five officers... four pistols... one rifle...” Dante had seen an officer's rifle, it was stock at best.

Dante noticed that a bullet grazed his right arm, “Agree to pay me, quickly.”

“Wolfieee...” A long, drawn out, almost childish voice crackled through the radio, “I can't see themmmm...”

“Layla! Keep your head down! Randal! Pay him!”

The officer nodded, “How-how-how much?!” His voice cracked at the end.

“Doesn't matter. Not illegal if I get paid. Keep your radio on, all of you listen up. Storm's coming in, that is not a good thing. Who has the rifle?”

“I do...” The childish voice.

“They have a van black, they're using it for cover. When I tell you, shoot out the tires and all of the glass on the car. On the ground, are you bunched or...” He looked over the ledge and saw three of the officers pinned down by gunfire and one around a corner leading to a side alley, “You, around the corner, when I tell you, fire a few rounds towards the thugs. The rest of you scatter to the other side alley, your current position, and back behind your cruiser. Decide now. Ready?” They all chimed it, “Alright, on my mark.” Dante lined up his shot, “Mark!” The initial plan worked, “Rifle, now!”

Dante waited for the thugs to scramble behind their vehicle, but the storm was moving in too quickly, “Lighting!”

“Shit. Alright, rifle, you're the eyes. Report on any movement. Ground, alternate fire taking into account ammunition!”

“Wolfieee! Someone's coming!” A wolf with red fur turned just in time to see a thug try and rush her from behind. She was able to dispatch him quickly.

“Oh Gods...”

“Pick up his weapon and any spare ammunition you find.”

“Other alleyyy...” The officer, a canine of some sort, took the thug down and grabbed the machine gun.

“Those weapons are different, hell of a kick. Fire in one to two second bursts. If you lose control, release the trigger. You're holding those alleys. That's their only way out.” The rain started, “Fuck... rifle, keep an eye on movement and numbers. How many are left?”

“Uh.... six...”

“Fuck it.” Dante always wore his shielding, but kept it off. Without a reliable way to recharge, it would be a waste. It fit over his shoulders but under his clothing, the device was nearly undetectable. There was about two days worth of charge left, so he switched it on, “I'll show those bastards. Covering fire now!” He jumped off of the three story rooftop and landed with a roll. The rain was now blinding and heavy, it was almost like drowning. Dante rushed the van and ran behind it.

The officers heard the gunfire, the unknown sound of an energy weapon, and the dying scream, but what they would remember always was what they saw during a simple flash of lighting. Dante, with his rifle raised high and a thug holding up a hand. The thug's face was twisted with terror and fear, but Dante's face was nothing but pure anger. It wasn't normal, no man felt that much hate over a job. It would haunt their nightmares and drifting thoughts for years to come.

A shout echoed over the drenching downpour, “Get under some shelter!”

All six officers took cover in the two cruisers they had, while Dante ran under an overhang for a poorly designed housing complex. They stared in awe at the waterlogged human, but he was more interested in making sure that the van didn't start up. A cruiser door opened and the red wolf shouted, “Get it!”

Dante took one last look in the distance before dashing into the cruiser, “Gods above! Who are you?! That was incredible! How did you survive the drop?!” The lizard in the drivers seat couldn't contain his excitement, while a blue wolf stared in awe. Dante knew from the beginning that she was just a bit off in the head. The red wolf was calmer, almost looked like a twin. Long black hair on both of them.

Radio contact from the other car, “Listen up, I... I owe you everything. Name your price and it's yours.” It was the commanding officer.

The lizard held up the car radio, “A bar. Let me drink 'til I'm done and we'll call it even.”

“So much paperwork... but they'll understand. I'm going to call this in, afterwards we'll head to Moriarty's. Drinks are on-”

“All of us.” The rest chimed in. After a few minutes of relative quiet, interrupted by the relentless rain, two police vans rolled up and gave the commanding officer the go-ahead to leave.

They drove silently, no doubt the commanding officer was reporting in to the station. When they arrived, the parking lot was only half full but the pub sounded packed. The relentless rain was a factor to be sure. The officers dashed inside, but Dante took his time.

Just as he entered, the ram shouted, “Table for six!” More restaurant than bar, but close enough.

The waitress sat them down and the commanding officer mumbled, “Just... a few bottles of whatever is strongest...”

Dante sat, dripping wet, “Been too long since I was around people like this.” He missed Zero Unit, but without him there, they wouldn't have to kill.

The red wolf spoke up over the ambient noise, “I'm Tilly. She's Layla. Appreciate the help, but how did you get there?”

“Ran from the barber shop.”

The ram slapped the table, stood up, and leaned over in disbelief, “That's a couple miles!”

“I'm a mercenary. That's nothing.”

“Okay, okay. Lizard boy is Paul, our dear leader is Dickson, horny is Carl, and the dog that doesn't talk much is Sal. So, where'd you get that weapon? Never seen one like it.”

“Energy weapons are common outside of this planet. This is a custom rig by the most talented engineer in the galaxy.” He pointed to his rifle, which was slung over his back with an old belt used as a strap. He got some looks, but because he was with police nobody said anything, “Only have twenty three shots left though.”

“I need one of those!” Paul shouted out, “You got one in a pistol form though?” He was slender, not that strong.

“Sorry, this planet is fine the way it is. You don't need this tech. If it spreads, an arms race will start, then all-out war. Can't let that happen.” Dante leaned back as the waitress placed six drinking glasses on the table and four bottles of brown liquor, “Thank you. Do you have a menu?”

“Of course! Take your time, cutie.” She placed a few menus down, not enough for everyone.

“Wolfieeee... I want a good rifle.”

“I know, Layla, I know.” Tilly was like a caretaker, or maybe a sister, to the blue wolf. Dante had heard that fur dyes were like socially accepted tattoos, and this was the proof, “So, one-eye, where'd you learn to order people around like that?”

“Order? This was elementary. A child could have directed that gunfight. I've handled wars before.” He poured until his glass was full and chugged half of it down, “Don't worry about me. You're safe on this planet, save for the occasional punk. All you need to do is outsmart your opponent.”

Layla's mouth was open, but Tilly spoke, “Okay, so, that doesn't' answer much. You're a mercenary, so have you been into space? Flew around to places I can't even imagine? Why are you even here? It's boring here.”

“Boring is good.” Dante scanned the menu, “Killing is not. The galaxy isn't as grand as you might think.”

“I don't know, flying around with the stars all around. Seems romantic. I'd like to do that someday.”

“Excuse me, sir.” A waitress whispered, “But... you wouldn't happen to be Dante, would you? A lady from space said that she was looking for you.”

Dante leaned back, “What was her name?”

“I believe, hold on.” The waitress retreated to a back room and came out again moments later, “Zed.”

“Figures.” Dante poured himself a drink, “Tell her to bring Yami to Moriarty's. She won't cause trouble.” He downed a full glass, “Oh, and this burger. Bring me one of those.” He pointed to the menu and the waitress skipped off.

“Zed?” Dickson questioned.

Dante nodded while pouring another glass, “Friend of sorts. They've been looking for me for a long while. Told my neighbor to contact someone if she was low on credits. Guess she did.”

For the police, this was not a good or relaxed thing. Dante had some enemies and they may be coming to a restaurant, “Uh... we need to radio this in...”

Sal shook his head, “You stupid? He said they wouldn't cause trouble.” The quiet canine sounded more knowledgeable than his age would lead you to believe, “Just relax.”

Dickson collapsed into his hands, “This day couldn't possibly get any worse...”