(WARNING!!!!! This Chapter contains RAMPANT blood and gore, as well as sex and nudity, and other adult scenes. Due to the IMMENSE significance to the story, it all goes into these chapter(s), and not a "0.5" chapter. It's still important, so PLEASE read!)

Minerva was looking over the later entries in the set of diaries. "Oh, I forgot about these."

"Which ones?"

"The ones where Ginny showed Leopard how to drive the Challenger 3985, and he was her fireman for a day."

Demetria looked at the pages. "Oh yes I remember these too! And Leopard told me later that it was thanks to Ginny showing him how to drive the Challenger that he knew how to more or less drive the Challenger's larger cousin, the Big Boy. So in a sense, she prepared him for his later work with the Battleship Express!"

"I still find that strange Dem. A Futa helping a US soldier learn something that's technically illegal to teach, only to have him later use those skills against the Futa Empire in open warfare!"

"Not as strange as Creamy Dream Ranch owner Sam Applegate hiring out her 6 males, including Leopard, to the crew that were building railroad tracks in that area in Kansas, with those same tracks being used later by the RWD and other US Forces to move quickly through the region! Sure, it was unintentional, but still a VERY strange irony that the Futas were sowing the seeds of their own destruction, or in this case, giving males all of the tools needed to lay the rails of the Futa's own destruction!"

Minerva shook her head. "Yeah, no kidding! And I know that he doesn't mention that in here due to it not happening yet, but can you read about him, Ginny, and the Challenger?"

"Sure thing!" Demetria then found her place again, and then began to read.

Demetria and Carla weren't the only ones that I spent time with during my stay in Vegas. Another Futa who was kind to me was Ginny Ryder, Demetria's personal engineer. It's a bit odd that she was kind, AND a Futa, but yet not all Futas were bad, just most of them!

One evening, I decided to go and see if I could actually get a chance to see Challenger 3985 up close. Demetria said that I could, as Ginny was out there working on the engine with the maintenance staff.

When I arrived at the engine house behind the Luxor, I saw that the doors were open on both ends, and I heard the sounds of work going on within. I then poked my head through the doors, and I saw a MASSIVE mountain of black metal in front of me. I then realized that it was Challenger 3985, and I was in awe of how big she was! The engine itself was raised up off the tracks slightly, and I then realized that those working on her were emptying her ash pans, and cleaning her firebox grates.

Suddenly though, a Futa with red hair, and wearing railroad work clothes looked up and saw me standing there. "Hey! You there! What are you doing here?!"

"Um....Empress Demetria said that I could come back and see the Challenger. She said to ask for someone named Ginny Ryder."

Ginny then looked a bit closer at me, and once she saw my wolf ears and tail, she then realized who I was.

"Oh, so I guess that we finally meet face to face Leopard. I'm Ginny Ryder, and you can come on in."

I nodded, and then stepped inside of the engine house. I then walked up to Ginny.

"Wow, I was wondering when I was going to get to meet you Leopard. But now I can say that I did!"

"Just as I can finally say that I met the Futa who drives Challenger 3985!"

"Yep! I drive her, Daisy Rands is her fireman, and Tonya Doyle is her brakeman. Together, we crew 3985, the engine that pulls the private train of Empress Demetria!"

"And how did she even get here? I thought that she was scrapped, or lost to one of the wars!"

"So did everyone else! I don't know what happened to her or why, but at some point, the Union Pacific Railroad lost control of her, and she wound up at a breaker yard in.......eh......what's the former US State just above Texas? Oldhadosa?"

"Oklahoma?"

"Yes! That's it. She was going to be scrapped, and was in line for it, however, just as she was the 3rd engine from the torch, Empress Demetria arrived at the breaker yard looking for a usable locomotive to turn into her private train. She found 3985 there, and once she saw that the engine was in fairly good condition, she bought her, and had her towed to the former Union Pacific Roundhouse in Cheyenne, Upper Mountains, where she was fully restored, and reconfigured to burn coal. She was then taken to Vegas, given a train, and has had steady work as Demetria's private train, and mode of long-distance transportation ever since. She's also been used to haul freight from time to time as well."

When I heard Ginny's story, I was SO thankful that Demetria had been able to save a valuable American treasure. I knew that 3985 was one of only 2 Challengers left in existence, and while her sister 3977 had been pulled to safety by the Americans, 3985 had gone missing, and was presumed lost forever. Now here she was in Vegas, fully restored, and being used. Her number was still "3985", and her black tender even still said "Union Pacific" in white letters.

"Wow. I'm so glad that Mom saved 3985 from being scrapped. She's one of only 2 Challenger locomotives left in existence."

"Yeah, and now she's the engine that pulls the private train of Empress Demetria herself!"

I then looked at 3985 again. "And any chance of getting a closer look at 3985?"

Ginny nodded. "Sure, I think that that can be arranged!" She then led the way further inside the engine house.

I was still in shock and awe when I saw 3985 up close. "Gosh. Even after all this time, 3985 is STILL quite the impressive steam engine! I mean, with her 4-6-6-4 wheel configuration, and her black and gray paint scheme, not to mention the fact that her tender still says 'Union Pacific' in white letters, she looks like she's ready for work on the Union Pacific Railroad."

"And I and the rest of those who take care of her make sure that she stays that way. A lot of the rail lines out here belonged to either the Union Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe, or the AT&SF, though now they're just called 'Railroad 7' or some other really generic name."

I sighed. "Well, as Mom said once, the Futas over there at the Department of the Interior are absolute SHIT when it comes to naming anything!"

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, I believe it! They can't give a good name to anything if their lives depended on it!" She then looked on as 3985 was lowered the rest of the way back onto the tracks. The ash-pans were now fully emptied, and the firebox grates were almost all clean as well.

"So, what happens after everything is cleaned?"

"Well, then we oil and grease all of the joints, bearings, and other moving parts, and then get her ready to go again. If you have the time, we need to make a maintenance run tonight, and I'd like to show you how 3985 works."

I was surprised. "Wait, do you really mean that?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course. You seem like a decent male Leopard, and Empress Demetria's had NOTHING but good things to say about you, (unlike certain OTHER blue-haired, mask-wearing brats I could mention!) so yes, I'd love to show you how it all works."

I nodded, and after checking in with Demetria again via radio, she allowed me to see 3985 in action up close and personal. I was up in the cab with Ginny, and her fireman Daisy Rands got 3985 ready for her maintenance run. She was going to be hauling a train of 7 empty gondolas and a caboose, for a total of 8 cars. The run was planned from the Luxor, out to the main line, a few laps around Vegas, and then back to the engine house. The time was close to 7:30pm, so the sun was starting to set, but there was still time for the run.

Once everything was ready, Ginny pulled 3985 out of the engine house, and over to an adjoining siding where the 7 gondolas and caboose were coupled up, and then the whole train began to pull away from the Luxor.

Once we were out on the mainline around Vegas, Ginny began to show me how all of the controls worked.

"It's actually pretty easy once you know what you're doing Leopard. Most of my job involves working with the throttle, as well as the brakes, with perhaps a few adjustments to valves, and checking gauges as well."

I nodded, and then she showed me the throttle, the brakes, the pressure gauges, the speedometer, the whistle, the bell, the directional control, and the train's cab radio. Daisy Rands also showed me the controls for the coal auger, the firebox door controls, water pressure gauges, valves for controlling steam, and the other controls used by the fireman. I copied what they did, and both of them commended me for my efforts.

"Wow, you're a fast learner Leopard. One day you might have to take over my job when I get too old!"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, maybe so Ginny! It's so cool to finally get to see how this all works. I mean, I've seen pictures of 3985's cab before, but those were just pictures, AND they were taken before WW3. That was back when 3985 still burned oil!"

"Just as it was my pleasure to show you Leopard. I'm glad that you appreciate it, and even more glad that you've taken the time to learn what Daisy and I have shown you."

"Yeah, I agree with Ginny. It's nice having you around Leopard. I'm also glad that you have combat skills."

I gave her a curious look. "Huh? And why's that Daisy?"

She gave me a curious look. "Wait, you mean that you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"All those stories about train robbers in this area."

I shook my head. "No, I haven't."

"Well, it's kind of a big deal. Resistance Groups, and even just plain Futa criminals have taken to robbing trains, killing the crew, and sometimes even stealing the train itself! It's getting pretty dangerous. Just last week train crews working for the Wells Fargo Shipping Company shot 5 train robbers dead, and injured at least 7 others to protect their trains!"

I was surprised. I had heard about the train robbers, but I thought that they were just made-up stories.

"Gosh, they're even going after trains with Wells Fargo?"

"Yeah. They want that mail, gold, and other valuables, and Wells Fargo has so far said 'DENIED!!!!!' loud and clear!"

I knew how serious that was. Stealing mail was already a federal offense, but targeting a mail train was an even worse crime. Most mail trains, and other trains carrying valuables such as gold, money, and other such items ran under the direction of the Wells Fargo Shipping Company after it was taken over by the Futas at the end of WW6, and they ran their trains on time, and in any kind of weather. Sure, they had guards on the trains, and those guards did protect what was on board, but it was still dangerous work.

"And......are we in any danger of facing train robbers tonight Ginny?" I asked her worriedly.

Ginny shrugged. "Eh, anything's possible Leopard. I mean, we ARE only hauling 7 empty gondolas, but yet 3985 IS the private engine of Empress Demetria, so we could be stopped, and held for ransom."

"Which means capture for you and Daisy, and most likely slavery for me."

Ginny pulled out her gun that she carried, while Daisy pulled out a shotgun. "Which we will NEVER let happen while we're still alive Leopard! They want to stop our train, then they're gonna have to get through US first!"

I nodded, but just then, from out of the Mojave Desert to our left, 4 Jeeps suddenly began to run alongside our train. All 4 of them were painted black, and those within were carrying guns, and their faces were covered by bandannas, ski masks, and even Halloween masks!

I spotted them first. "TRAIN ROBBERS!!!!" I yelled.

"Not on MY watch!" Daisy then pointed her shotgun out of her window, and began to blast away at those in the jeeps. She managed to hit the driver of the lead jeep, and the jeep flipped over following a collision with a boulder, but that still left 3 more jeeps.

Ginny then handed me an old Springfield rifle from the WW1-Era, (I think that it was a Springfield M1903) and I too helped defend the train. Both her and Daisy were shocked at my skills with the rifle, but then they remembered that I served in WW3-WW6 in the US Army, so that was understandable!

"Whoa! You can really shoot Leopard!"

I nodded as I reloaded my rifle. "Thanks Ginny. When one has spent as much time on the battlefield as I have, one tends to learn a thing or two about how to shoot a rifle!"

The train robbers did shoot back, but they were shooting from a speeding jeep at a moving train, and at 3 individuals who were constantly poking their heads up onto the left windowsill of the cab to shoot before ducking back down again. One by one the train robbers were picked off, until a lucky shot by Daisy blew out the radiator of the last jeep, and it stalled out. I was able to hit 2 more of the jeep's occupants, bringing the total number of enemy casualties up to 7 dead, 5 wounded, and at least 4 more probable kills. Only 3-5 escaped, and Ginny quickly radioed their location to the authorities, who quickly swooped down and snatched up 2 of the train robbers.

They turned out to be Futas who had rap sheets a mile long, and they soon turned in their 2 other surviving friends as well. All 4 of them were facing VERY serious charges, but at least they were now off the streets, and in prison where they belonged. 3985 would live to ride the rails again, Ginny and Daisy were just fine, as was I. We saved the engine, its empty cars, AND helped take a few more Futa criminals off the streets in just one night, so all in all, it was a job well done!

Demetria looked up from her diary reading. "And that's when I first realized that my Son was still skilled with his weapons. He helped save 3985 from those train robbers, and he helped keep Ginny and Daisy safe too."

Minerva nodded. "Yes, and it was VERY fortunate that the three of them were able to hold off the train robbers. In the end, I'm glad that they were able to do so, and even though there was no cargo to guard, there WAS Challenger 3985, which is still your private engine for your private train, so they helped to save that too."

"And it was because of that night, and the skills that my son Leopard showed that I began to consider him for 'Operation Dark Night'. He had the skills, and the loyalty to me, but yet a few more things had to be tested first."

"Like how far he was willing to go to keep you safe Dem?"

Demetria nodded. "Yes, as well as just how good his skills really were. And I would find out too."

"From his time in your court?"

"Yes, from his time in my court." Demetria then flipped through the diaries a bit until she found the new entries that she was looking for.

Close to the middle of the Palace Luxor was an area that most knew existed, but so few had ever seen. This area was none other than the Imperial Throne Room. It was here that Demetria ruled over the Futas, held her court, visited with dignitaries, and heard complaints from those below her.

The throne room itself was shaped like a long hallway, and lined with Egyptian-styled columns. The floor was made of polished tile, and the walls were painted dark tan. On them were pictures of Demetria, as well as her mother, Empress Boudica, and her sister Natasha. Down the middle of the hallway ran a long red carpet, one that ended at the top of the steps of the throne itself. Windows way up close to the ceiling provided light and ventilation, although torches and pots of fire provided light at night. The doors to the throne room were made of gold, and had 2 winged lions on them. At each interval between the columns, as well as by the door, in front of the throne, and other places, some hidden from view entirely, stood Demetria's Royal Guards. Their job was to protect their Empress, their Goddess, at all costs. They wore black, breathable, skin-tight jumpsuits covered in dark purple armor. They held bayoneted guns, wore dark purple helmets, and carried shields with the symbol of the Futa Empire on them. (Most will tell you that the symbol of the Futas is a bright red cock and balls, but that's the symbol of the Futa Military. The REAL symbol of the Futa Empire is a bright red winged lion. The lion is in flight, and seems to be holding an ax in one paw).

At the very back of the room, (or the very front, take your pick) stood Demetria's throne itself, with the flag of the Futas behind it, (a black and dark purple flag with the same bright red winged lion on it). The red carpet led up a series of 6 marble steps leading up to it. The throne itself was made of gold, and covered with dark purple pillows, cushions, and other coverings. The throne itself was also shaped like a sort of a couch, so Demetria could either sit on it, or lie on it. Just behind the throne were Demetria's advisers, as well as her personal bodyguards, led by Minerva. They always stayed in the shadows unless they were needed to fight, unlike the advisers, who would often come forwards when their Empress desired to speak to them.

While court was in session, Demetria always wore her scarlet royal robes, had her long dark brown hair hanging down her back, and wore her golden crown on her head. She only wore this attire when she was in her court, or for very formal events. I would often be by her side, though I sat on a purple pillow on the platform that the throne sat on, and by Demetria's order held onto her leg. This was to show the other Futas that I did indeed know my place, and so that I would appear meek and timid. While I was with her in court, I almost always wore my usual dark brown smock. I also had a uniform, but it was only worn for formal events.

(Yes, I KNOW that it's a Nazi SS uniform! Demetria gave me this on purpose so that I would look intimidating standing next to her at formal events. And yes, it really did work!)

My role was simple. Sit there, do whatever Demetria needed me to do, and protect her if necessary. Sometimes Demetria would ask me to sit with her, sometimes she would lift up her robes just enough to allow me to slip underneath and give her a blowjob, sometimes I would sit on my usual pillow, and sometimes Demetria would cuddle me gently. I would often give her advice during court, and she would take my advice seriously.

For the most part, court would be really boring. A group of Futas from somewhere in the empire would enter, walk up to the steps leading to the throne, bow to Demetria, praise her and the Great Goddess, their servants would deliver the offerings that they brought for Demetria, Demetria would then bid them to rise, and once they'd done so, they'd state their names, where they'd come from, and what their business was. Things seldom deviated from this norm, but when they did, it would often get VERY interesting!

While most believed Demetria to be a living incarnation of the Great Goddess, and many who visited went out of their way to ALWAYS mind their P's and Q's so as to avoid Demetria's wrath, and were only there on peaceful business, there were those who came with less than pure intentions. While there were no assassins, (thank God!) some came to try and threaten Demetria if she didn't do what they wanted, or to intimidate her in some way.

For example, Lt. General Marcia Rendit once came in with a group of her cohorts, as well as 6 fierce looking dogs. The dogs were all black, had gray eyes, and seemed to be German Shepherds mixed with another type of combat dog. The dogs were growling, and seemed agitated.

Rendit came up to the throne, and while she did bow to Demetria, she quickly became quite irreverent. "How DARE YOU cut back on our Army budget Empress! The Americans are just WAITING to catch us with our pants down, and you cut our budget?!"

"I had no choice but to cut back on military spending this quarter General Rendit". Demetria calmly answered. "A number of transportation routes needed immediate repair/upgrades, and that's where the money went. Do not worry though, next quarter the money will be back in the Army.”

While this seemed like a perfectly reasonable answer, Rendit was upset, and not thinking straight. "No, you'll increase the budget NOW! I've got 6 of my subordinates here with me, AND 6 of our best attack dogs!" The dogs then began to bark angrily in addition to growling.

Demetria's guards then grabbed their weapons. They made no move to use them yet, but they would in the blink of an eye if their Empress was in danger.

I looked at the dogs, and then back at the Futas handling them. I could tell what was up, and how to quickly defuse the situation. I then looked at Rendit.

"General? May I be allowed to speak?"

She looked at me. "Is that a joke? No, you cannot! Males are NEVER allowed to speak in the presence of high-ranking Futas!"

"No, they're not allowed unless I SAY that they are!" Demetria corrected. "And I say that my Son shall speak. Go ahead Leopard."

"Thanks Mom." I then let go of Demetria's leg, and after standing up, I walked down to the base of the stairs where Rendit and her cohorts were.

"Now then, as I was trying to say, this situation REALLY needs to cool off before someone gets hurt! Like my Mom said General, the budget will be back next quarter, this is only a temporary setback." I then looked at the dogs. "And just so you know, your dogs aren't agitated, they're just extremely confused."

Rendit gave me a strange look. "Huh? What the hell does that mean? Of COURSE they're agitated! They're attack dogs!"

"Yes, but they can't understand you, as you don't speak their language!" I then turned to the 6 dogs, and said something in a strange language; the same language that I spoke to Radar in the night I was adopted by Demetria. Suddenly, the dogs all stopped barking, and immediately laid down. I then said something else, and the dogs got up, and quietly moved next to me before sitting down. I then pet them all gently, all while still whispering in that strange language.

Rendit was looking at me like I was a ghost or something, as were her other subordinates. "WITCHCRAFT!!!!" Rendit screamed. "HE USED WITCHCRAFT!!!!" She and her subordinates then fled for their lives from the throne room!

I laughed a bit. "Heh, silly Futas. They sure can talk the talk, but they REALLY have a hard time walking the walk!" I then walked back up to the throne, and sat down in front of Demetria, who was also looking at me in shock.

"Ok, what..........what just happened?! What was that language that you used to talk to the dogs, and why did they obey you?!"

I laughed softly, before leaning close to her. "The answer is actually VERY anti-climactic Mom. The truth is, those dogs used to be used by US Special Forces, and were most likely captured in WW6. And the language that I spoke to them in is the same language that I use with Radar every now and again. What I said earlier was correct. Those dogs weren't agitated, they were just extremely confused, as their masters weren't speaking their language. The honest truth is, these dogs only speak Dutch!"

Demetria was surprised. "Wait, they only speak Dutch?!"

I nodded. "Yes. Special Forces dogs like that were trained using Dutch phrases and codes so that the non-trained person can't just turn the dogs against others. The Dutch language is EXTREMELY complex, and even I myself only know enough phrases to communicate with dogs like these thanks to having comrades who trained these kinds of dogs for a living. Rendit and her cohorts obviously didn't realize that their dogs only spoke Dutch, hence the reason that they thought that the dogs were agitated, instead of confused."

"So......what does that mean for us now?" Demetria was still in a state of mild shock.

"Well, it means that now we have 6 more combat dogs, and as long as we have someone on hand who speaks Dutch, they can be trained to protect you as well. Although, for the sake of my reputation, could you PLEASE not tell anyone that I actually DON'T have 'witchcraft abilities'? It would be bad for discipline!"

Demetria laughed, but she did agree with me. Those 6 dogs were eventually trained for protecting Demetria, and they did their job faithfully. I'd saved Demetria from a tight spot before, but my REAL challenge was only just beginning.

One hot day at the end of July 2025, another group of military Futas arrived at Demetria's Court. This time they were led by Major General Patricia Tapper, a REAL Amazonian brute. She stood almost 7 feet tall, had muscles that could bend structural steel, dirty blonde hair that hung to her shoulders, and piercing gray eyes. EVERYONE who came into contact with her was afraid of her, and with good reason. She'd already killed at least 4 others whom she didn't like, so all others got out of her way!

When she and her 10 subordinates arrived, they were all wearing their usual black military uniforms, with Tapper standing head and shoulders above the rest. And if that wasn't enough to mark her as their leader, she was also wearing a tunic that appeared to be made from the full hide of a Snow Leopard; head, tail, paws and all! And unlike Rendit, none of them showed even the slightest respect for Demetria.

Tapper looked up at Demetria with disgust. "Psh, you call yourself an Empress, the Empress of the Futas even?! What a JOKE!!! You are NOT fit to be Empress!"

"Says who?" Demetria challenged. She knew how dangerous Tapper was, and her guards moved closer to protect her.

"Says ME! I'M the biggest, strongest and baddest Futa of them all! I should be the Empress of the Futas! I'm a REAL Futa, NOT a Herm! I'm ONLY into other Futas. I'm a bull-dyke, and proud of it! No one has EVER beaten me at anything, and nor will they EVER!!! So step aside, there's a NEW Empress in town!"

When the guards heard that, they immediately sprang to life to protect Demetria. They got between Tapper and Demetria, but they still seemed to be outmatched. Even I myself got ready to defend Demetria with my bare hands, as I wasn't allowed to carry a weapon! (I also had a guess that Tapper's claim to only be attracted to other Futas might have been false. I'd heard PLENTY of rumors that she might have actually been QUITE the sexual deviant, meaning that she had fetishes for males!)

I glared up at her as she tried to push through the guards. "Hey, Bitch! Back it up right now!"

Tapper looked around. "Who the f@#k said that?!"

"I did!"

Tapper then looked down and saw me. "You little whelp! Why I outta....!!!!!"

"You outta back the f@#k up before you get shot the f@#k up, and I knock the f@#k out of you! I will NEVER let you hurt Empress Demetria on my watch! Oh, and someone kinda DID beat you before Tapper! Remember the Battle of Sue Falls? When you and your forces, as well as Stacy and her forces, faced Firestorm Battalion? MY battalion? Yeah you do!"

I could see that Tapper was turning livid. She'd lost more of her troops in that battle than Stacy did, and the US/Futa kill ratio was 1:70,000+. For every guy we lost, they lost over 70,000. In the end, my 1,000 man battalion was destroyed, but the Futas lost an estimated 750,000 troops, and possibly even more. Tapper remembered her defeat there all too well, and I could tell that she remembered who I was as well.

"YOU!!!! Oh yes, I remember YOU!!!! If I had my way with it, you would have been killed, but oh no, you and whatever-the-f@#k-his-name-was just HAD to be kept alive for interrogation!"

"His name was Corporal Todd Davis, and he was one of the best soldiers I ever served with! May God protect him wherever he is right now." (I knew that Todd was still at the care center in Des Moines, but if Tapper knew that, then it would have been lights out for Todd).

Tapper glared at me. "'God' has nothing to do with this Whelp!" She then turned to Demetria. "Now then, are you gonna step down, or do I have to take the throne by force?"

I was starting to get REALLY angry now. NO ONE threatened my Mom and got away with it. I then stood up to my full height, and stared Tapper down. "Get the f@#k out of here Tapper! NO ONE wants you and your kind here! And THAT FUR belonged to a rare, and EXTREMELY endangered Snow Leopard! ILLEGAL to kill under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!"

Tapper then reached behind herself. I thought that she was pulling a gun, but instead she pulled out an officer's sword!

"F@#KING CUNT BITCH!!!! TODAY ALL OF YOU DIE FOR DARING TO DEFY ME!!!! AND I'M KEEPING THE FUR OF THE LEOPARD I KILLED!!!!!" She then slashed at the guards in front of her, killing 2, wounding at least 3 others, and knocking all of the others over. (To this day, I'm still fairly certain that Tapper was possibly Demon-possessed. No one, save those who have the favor of Satan, could have had the kind of inhuman strength, speed, and durability that Tapper was about to display).

I too leapt out of the way of Tapper's attack, and Demetria was grabbed by Minerva, and dragged to safety in what was called the "Glass Box", aka a special bullet-proof secret safe room located behind Demetria's throne used for just such an occasion.

Tapper may have thought that she won, but in reality, she was DEAD wrong! I landed to the right of the throne while facing the doors to the throne room, right next to a wall-mounted box containing a fire ax. Knowing what I had to do, I broke the glass and grabbed the ax. Then, after grabbing a helmet and armor from a dead Royal Guard, I then glanced behind the throne at Mom, and she nodded vigorously.

KILL HER LEOPARD!!!! SHOW HER WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DARE TO DEFY A GODDESS!!!! KILL HER AND SEND HER SOUL TO HELL!!!"

I nodded. "As you wish Mom." I then turned to Tapper and her goons. 3 of her goons were dead, and at least 4 others were injured, however 4 more Royal Guards were also dead, and the whole Throne Room was now in full lockdown. There was no way in or out until the all-clear was given, and that wasn't going to happen until the threats had been neutralized. (Demetria had locked down the throne room from the "Glass Box", preventing Tapper and her goons from escaping. She knew the risks that she was taking in doing so, but given the circumstances, she had no other choice).

I then turned to face Tapper in combat, and what happened that day may very well have helped to change the course of History.

I knew that there was a very real risk of me dying because I was about to do. However, if it meant that Tapper would be rotting in Hell, then it would all be worth it. I then turned to face her, and yelled out my challenge.

"GENERAL TAPPER!!!!"

"WHAT?!?!?!" She screamed back as she turned to face me. She then saw my armor, and the ax. "The f@#k do you think that YOU'RE doing?!"

"I hereby challenge you to a duel to the death! No one will EVER be taking the throne away from Demetria while I still draw breath! Face me if you dare! If you think that you're FUTA enough!"

By this point, Tapper had seemingly lost all rational control. She pulled out her sword from the corpse of a Royal Guard, and raised it over her head. "In the name of the Great Goddess, DIE YOU F@#KING SON OF A F@#KING WHORE-BITCH!!!!!!" She then charged at me with her gray eyes blazing, and her full fury on display.

Still to this day, I've NEVER faced another opponent like Tapper. I knew that she was dangerous, but up until then I never knew just HOW dangerous she really was. To this day, I still say that she could have even given Stacy and Jasmine a run for their money!

It was like David going up against Goliath. My skills were more with guns, not axes. Sure, I used to have my trusty fire-ax that I would carry into combat, but I'd put that in my foot locker, and then had that shipped away from Sue Falls on the last transport truck out of there, heading for the Eastern side of the Mississippi River. I'd heard that the truck reached Fort Knox, Kentucky, and that most likely my ax was still there. Tapper meanwhile was seemingly right at home with using her officer's sword, and she also had the advantages of size, strength, speed, and endurance. The only things that I had going for me were agility, and even faster reflexes. But still though, would it be enough?

Tapper slashed left, and I tried to deflect the slash, only to have her blade skid off my ax, and cut into my shoulder between my armor! "Augh!" I grunted a bit.

Tapper seem to take delight at the sight. "Ah, fresh blood!" She tried to follow up on her attack, but I blocked it. I knew that I needed another weapon, so from a fallen Royal Guard, I was able to grab a metal baton. Now I had something that could block Tapper's blows slightly better than my ax could, especially since it was made of steel, and didn't retract.

By this point, the last of Demetria's guards had subdued Tapper's remaining cohorts, and assuming that Tapper lost, they would face execution on charges of high treason. Demetria and Minerva watched from the Glass Box. They were still cheering me on, but yet they could see that I was possibly running out of steam.

"Come on Leopard, you HAVE to win this!"

"All he's really gotta do is catch Tapper off guard, get inside of her defenses, and then slash her with that ax he's got. If he cuts deep enough, he might be able to kill her, as remember, Tapper usually doesn't wear any armor!"

Demetria thought about that. "You know, you might be right Minerva!" Demetria then grabbed a small radio that was in the Glass Box, and dialed it in to the channel that the radios in the helmets that the Royal Guards used.

"Leopard? Leopard! Can you hear me?"

"Mom? Is that you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, it's me Leopard, and I'm fine. However, you HAVE to listen to me! Minerva just told me that Tapper might not be wearing any armor. What you need to do to win this fight is catch her off guard, get inside of her defenses, and then slash her with that ax with all of your might! You might cut her deep enough to incapacitate her, which will then allow you to kill her! Do you think that you can do that?"

There was silence for a few moments. Finally I said, "I don't know if I can Mom, but that may be the only shot that I've got right now. If this fight keeps going much longer, I'm just going to be another decoration on Tapper's wall, as will you once she gets in there! I'll take your advice Mom. Tell Minerva I said thanks!"

I will Leopard!" The fight then continued.

Back and forth across the throne room the battle raged. It almost seemed like I was in retreat, but in reality, I was leading Tapper around, trying to get her to waste energy. I knew that I was going to have to wear her down just enough, then taunt her a bit, hopefully causing her to snap, and attempt to retaliate, thus giving me the chance to get inside her defenses.

"What do you hope to gain by this Leopard?!" Tapper asked me as we continued to trade blows. "Keeping Demetria on the throne for another number of years? She's a weak pacifist! She's NOT fit to rule!"

"Says YOU!" I retorted. "If she wasn't capable, then I HIGHLY doubt that Empress Boudica, her own mother, would have chosen her to rule!"

"Maybe she was at one time, but over time she's grown weak! F@#king slut whore!"

That was it, I knew that my time had come. In that one moment of distraction, I threw my baton straight into Tapper's face. It slammed into her hard, and I heard what I thought were bones cracking. Due to the amount of bleeding, I knew that I broke her nose, and hopefully cracked a few other facial bones around it too.

"EEEEEEAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!" She screamed in both agony and rage. "YOU'LL NEVER LIVE TO REGRET THAT YOU SICK LITTLE DEMON SHIT!!!!! DIE FLAMING IN HELL YOU F@#KING LITTLE........!!!!!" Tapper then said a long string of words in some language that I'd never heard before. It sounded like it might have been Russian, but Demetria later told me that it wasn't. Still to this day no one is quite sure what language Tapper was speaking in, but anyone could tell that it was the deepest, darkest, most profane curse that she could pronounce upon me. (Based on my later research, I now believe that she may have been speaking a Celtic dialect).

However, that curse backfired. Due to her only being able to see red, (both blood and her own rage) Tapper failed to see me charging with my ax. In one moment of rage, I prayed to God to give me the strength needed to take Tapper down, and He answered my prayer. I brought my ax back, and in a leaping motion, I jumped up, before slashing down with my ax. Blood splattered everywhere, so I knew that my aim was true, but now the question was, how seriously was Tapper hurt?

I landed on the ground again, still splattered with Tapper's blood, and she just stood there for a few moments longer. She had a look of confusion on her face, and was turning pale. "What the.......what....?????" Then, her entire lower torso split open, and her intestines all flowed out, followed by a geyser of blood! Tapper then fell to the floor on her back. I then picked up my ax, and walked over to her. I HAD to make sure that she was dead!

When I saw her face, I could tell that she was still breathing somehow, but that she was also choking on blood. She then looked at me. "H-h-how.......?" She asked faintly. "How......d-did you........defeat me?"

I started down at her. "There is one rule that you NEVER break Tapper, and that rule is NEVER.....EVER try and take the throne from a reigning Empress without just cause. Not liking an Empress is NOT just cause to overthrow her."

She then gave me a glare. "F-f-f@#k....y-you!!!" She then spit a glob of blood at me.

I sighed. "Alright, suit yourself." I then grabbed my ax again, and in one final motion, brought it down on Tapper's chest. Her entire torso seemingly split open like a coconut, and blood, organ pieces, and bone fragments splattered everywhere.

General Tapper died that day for her high treason against Empress Demetria, and the rest of the Futa Empire. She thought that she could take the throne by force, and she was proven otherwise. A total of 7 Royal Guards also died that day, as did 5 of Tapper's cohorts. The other 5 were put on trial, where 3 more were found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to death. The remaining 2 were found guilty of lesser crimes, and put to work on a chain gang out in the Mojave Desert.

Once the battle was over, I told Demetria that it was safe to come out. "You can come on out Mom. Tapper's dead, and her remaining cohorts are in custody."

Demetria did so, although she had to wrap one of her sleeves around her mouth and nose, due to the horrid smells of blood and guts. I then removed the blood-stained Royal Guard armor that I'd been wearing, and Demetria hugged me.

"T-thank you Leopard......so...so much. You saved my life, and the lives of so many others. Thank you!"

I hugged her back. "You don't even have to thank me Mom. I just......I just did what I had to do to protect you. It's my duty to do so after all."

"Yes, and now Tapper's burning in Hell where she belongs! She'll NEVER be causing any trouble ever again for me, OR my empire!"

"No, no she won't."

Demetria then smiled a bit. "Now then, let's get out of here so that they can clean this mess up, and how about we relax for a while?"

"Sure, if you want to do that Mom, we can do that." We then left the throne room, followed by Minerva, and the rest of the remaining Royal Guards. As I left the throne room though, I picked up Tapper's Snow Leopard cloak that she'd discarded just before the battle, and I claimed it as a trophy.

Demetria looked up from the diaries. "That was the scariest day of my entire life up to that point Minerva. If Leopard hadn't beaten Tapper, I shudder to think of what might have happened."

Minerva was a bit pale too. "Yes. If Tapper was Empress, no doubt the rest of the Royal Family, and anyone who disagreed with her, she would have killed, and then restarted WW6 right then and there. Goddess only knows how that would have played out."

"But yet, it didn't. As we later learned from Tapper's diaries, she did indeed try to make a deal with the Devil for the power and abilities that she had, and it worked, but the deal was seemingly crooked. Leopard, a male smaller and weaker than her, not to mention less skilled in combat, killed her, and her soul was then dragged down to Hell as payment for the Devil."

Minerva was surprised. "She made a deal with the Devil?! You don't make a deal with the Devil, he's a BAD person! He's not even a person, he's........a Monster!"

"Just like Tapper's "father'?" Demetria joked. (Tapper's 'dad', Brenda Tapper, was a Futa. She too was cruel and evil, and some think that she died because of a deal that she made with the Devil).

"Yes!" Minerva laughed.

Demetria then sighed again. “Yeah. However, in the aftermath of Tapper's death, the whole throne room had to be sealed off. The Hazmat Team was called in to deal with the remains, as well as the remains of the others who died. The bodies of my Royal Guards were returned to their families for burial, and Tapper's body, as well as the bodies of her cohorts were burned, and the ashes scattered over the Mojave Desert somewhere. Then another 2 weeks was spent by them cleaning up the mess, and making the throne room usable again."

"Yeah, that was really painful, and it was scary too, as there was always the risk of a disease outbreak because of all the blood, and the insects that were attracted to it. Thankfully nothing like that happened, but still, very scary. And now that I think about it, what happened to the armor that Leopard wore, as well as that ax? I know that he took the Snow Leopard cloak and wore it with his formal uniform, both of which are on display close to your own quarters to this day, but what happened to the weapons and the armor?"

"Those I had made safe, before putting them into storage. I was going to have them put on display, but never got around to it due to WW6 being a priority. However, now that we're here in New Vegas, I had them put on display outside of the throne room, still with the blood from Tapper on them. The blood's been dry for a long time, but it's all still there. I keep those on display there as a warning to any other would-be throne snatchers."

"So Leopard's original US Army uniform and weapons are on display, as are his formal uniform and Snow Leopard cloak, and his armor and ax?"

Demetria nodded. "Yes. I keep them on display in his memory. May he rest in peace."

"Yes, may he rest in peace." Minerva then thought of something else. "Hey, remember those mechanical cat things that he tried to build to protect you?"

"Oh yes! Simba and Tigress, the mechanical lion and tiger! I mean sure, they failed, but they were still pretty awesome! Let me find that entry." Demetria then flipped through the diary again.

In the aftermath of Tapper's attempted coup, I still greatly worried for Demetria's safety. I knew that her Royal Guards were good, but that something more was needed. I then thought to myself, "What if I was able to build a sort of robot to protect Mom, Carla, and anyone else that I choose? Or better yet, what if I built a pair of them?"

Later that day, I began to sketch out a set of blueprints. Please bear in mind that I was NOT an engineer, or an architect, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing! The blueprints were crude, but I was able to draw out a mechanical tiger, and a mechanical lion. Now the second phase could begin; building them.

This proved to be a bit of a challenge. Not only did I have to scavenge my own parts, but I also had to scrounge up tools, a welding torch, safety gear, and a lot of handbooks on how to build key features, such as movable limbs, delicate wiring, tough armor, a voice box, and most importantly, the computer brain that kept the unit running, and did all of the calculations.

Over the course of the next 2 weeks, 2 cat-like bodies began to take shape. I built more and more, testing everything as I went along. I didn't run into any real problems until I started building the inner components. While I knew how to build most things, I was only good at working with hardware, NOT things like wiring, computer brains, photo-receptors, (aka robot eyes) voice boxes, damage sensors, activation switches, voice command speakers, etc. I did what I could, but I didn't ask for help when I probably should have. Why? Because this project was top-secret, and I REALLY didn't want any Futas knowing about it.

Eventually, I finished both units. On August 15th, 2025, I unveiled my creations to Demetria, Carla, Minerva, and Demetria's advisers.

"And now, I present to all of you, the latest advancement in security technology, Simba, and Tigress!" I then pulled the sheets that I'd had covering them off, thus revealing them to the world.

Everyone was shocked.

"Whoa! Those things are huge! What do they do Babe?"

I smiled. "Well Carla, Simba and Tigress here are advanced security robots. They can protect all of us, and take care of those who we deem enemies." I then turned to the robots. "Now then, both of you come online please!"

Both of them began to power up. Their eyes began to glow yellow (Simba) and blue (Tigress), and they slowly stood up. While they had been crouching before, now both of them stood easily 6 feet tall! They first looked at each other, and then they turned their heads towards me. Both of them seemed to almost be growling.

"Now then, who am I?"

Both of them seemed to scan me. Once they recognized me as their Admin/Creator, they both sat back on their haunches, and seemed to be a lot more friendly.

"Very good. Both of you are so good!" I began to rub their metal exteriors gently, getting mechanical purrs as a response.

"And what can they do to defend?" Demetria asked.

"I'll show you Mom, just as soon as these two are imprinted on all of you." I then ordered Simba and Tigress to walk over to the small crowd, and scan all of them. Once they did, I inputted into their brains who everyone was, and that they were to be protected. Carla was the Aux-Admin (ie secondary Admin), Demetria was Priority Protection 1 (ie, their primary target to protect), Minerva was Security Chief, (ie, their primary boss) and the advisers were seen as Civilians (ie, normal people). Other guards were inputted as Fellow Protectors, servants were inputted as Servants, Stacy, Jasmine, and Face were marked for Surveillance, and all others were to be scanned first before an assessment was made.

"And what can these things do to protect?" Demetria asked again.

"Well, they have their claws, heavy armor, teeth, tails, large size and weight, and inside of their mouths, I also installed a series of small saws. Basically, if those are activated, and they bite you in just the right spot, they'll be able to gut you like I gutted Tapper!"

"And these things are safe......right?"

I sighed, before admitting the truth. "The truth is Mom.......these things are prototypes. They still have a few quirks, bugs and other minor issues to be worked on, but I'm working on it. They'll be ready before too long, I hope."

I meant every word of what I said to Demetria. I was NOT going to allow the 2 "Cat-Drones" to enter service before I was absolutely convinced that there wasn't anything wrong with them.

As more time passed though, and I tested the Cat-Drones more and more, the more worried and concerned I became. Sure, they performed as expected, but they seemed to lack the ability to take down a suspect without turning them into ground up meat. During testing, they would turn a mannequin into plastic shards, despite DIRECT ORDERS from me to take down the suspect alive. They would also seem to hold "grudges" against those whom they didn't like. It was obvious that their computer brains were learning, and were possibly reaching AI levels of intelligence, but yet, it didn't really matter if they couldn't follow orders.

"It was a great idea Carla, but I just don't think that it's going to work." I told her at dinner one night. "These things are just too dangerous for everyday use."

She looked over at me. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, they work too well. Every take-down is lethal, they keep seeming overzealously taking over from the Royal Guards, but most worrying of all, their computer brains, the same ones responsible for scanning and assessing threats, keep glitching. They see me, you, and Mom ok, and as non-threats, but the same can't be said for others. Their brains are too powerful, too prone to glitching, and the risks associated with them are too great. I'm going to end the project tonight."

"And how are you going to do that? Just remove their fusion power cores before placing them in storage?"

I shook my head. "No, even that's too dangerous. If they were found, then someone else could bring them online, and use them to kill. Yes, the cores will be removed, but I will also seize up their joints, thus preventing them from moving."

"And how.....how will they react to that?"

"If I can seize up even 2 of their limbs, then I'll be ok. Plus, they're incapable of feeling pain, so they won't know what I'm doing to them. All I have to do is spray their limbs down with a mixture of salt water and other corrosive chemicals, power them down, remove their power cores, and then weld their joints together. Once they've been permanently rendered harmless, then they can be moved to storage."

Carla wished me luck, and after dinner was over, I went down to the workshop where the robots were kept. When I arrived, both of them were sitting on their charging platforms. They both activated when I walked into the room, though they quickly relaxed when they realized that it was only me. On my back, I had a tank full of the solutions that would seize up their joints. I held the nozzle of a hose in my hand, but I didn't use it yet.

"Simba, Tigress, come here please." Both of them got off their charging platforms, and walked over to me before sitting down. "I know that this is going to be hard for you both to hear, but........your missions are complete. You are no longer needed to protect the Empress."

They both looked at each other, and then up at me. They seemed to be confused.

"Empress Demetria has ordered me to tell you that you two have completed your missions to protect her, and that the time has come for you two to be retired. It's not my order, it was hers."

Both of them whimpered, and tried to move away from me. They both knew that I was going to deactivate them.

I sighed. "Yes, I am here to deactivate you both, but this won't last forever. You'll both just be placed in cold storage. What this means is that you'll both be perfectly preserved, frozen in time until you're needed again. You'll both be perfectly intact, and ready to go again. So.....can both of you power down please?" I was hoping that they would power themselves down, so that they wouldn't have to see what I was going to do to them.

They both looked at each other, gently nuzzled each other as if to say goodbye, and then they both stood up in their default positions, and powered down. Once they were powered off, I quickly opened them both up, and removed their fusion power cores, as well as their backup power cores. I then closed them up again, before gently hosing down their limbs with the corrosive material deluded by the salt water with the hose, and once they were dry again, I welded their joints together.

"I'm sorry Simba and Tigress. I'm so.....so sorry. I tried to build you guys right, but I just.....couldn't do it. I'm a soldier, not an engineer."

Once they were all welded up, using a ceiling winch, I then picked them both up, put them in 2 metal crates, locked the crates up tight, marked them as Bay-Light 1 and Bay-Light 2, and then had the crates moved to storage underneath the Palace Luxor Armory where they would be kept safe.

"And kept safe they would be. Sure, we had to move the crates when Vegas came under attack, but they and their contents survived. They're still underneath the new Palace Luxor Armory to this day."

"Yeah. And I'm glad that he saved those 2 cat-things Dem. Sure, they didn't work, but they were sure nice to look at. I just wish that he painted that tiger one with actual tiger stripes, instead of leaving it gray, but he was probably trying to fix all of the mechanical problems first."

Demetria looked at her. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that you're right Minerva. His design drawings of them did show them both painted, but he only painted the lion, and even then he painted the whole thing that golden color. I know that if he had gotten them working then he would have given them proper coats of paint, but sadly he never got that far."

"Well, those cats might not have worked, but 'Operation Dark Night' sure did!"

Demetria smirked darkly. "Yes, yes it did Mini. Thanks to the 'Vegas Shotgun Slinger' and 'Foxy', all those who stood against my rule were brought low, and shown the error of their ways! I gave them all of the chances that I had to stop usurping my authority, and trying to make up their own rules, but they didn't listen, and my patience finally ran out."

"I'm surprised that he talks about it in his diary at all, ESPECIALLY when suspicion was cast on him."

"Well, he did, but he did it in such a way so as to make it appear that he was talking about the exploits of the Vegas Shotgun Slinger as if it was someone else, so as to avert suspicion." Demetria then flipped to those entries from the most important 3 months in the last quarter of 2025; the reign of terror of the Vegas Shotgun Slinger, and Foxy.

On September 15th, Demetria suddenly called Carla and I up to her office. It was almost Midnight, so both of us were wondering why she needed us.

"I wonder what Mom needs."

"I don't know Carla, but I know that we'll find out soon."

When we arrived at Mom's office, we opened the door, and walked inside. Demetria was standing behind her desk, looking out of the large windows at the city below her. The lights were off in her office, with the only lights coming from outside, the moon, and a few lamps.

She half-turned to look at us when we walked in. "Close the door, and lock it. What I'm about to tell you is for your ears alone."

Both Carla and I looked at each other. If Mom said that, then that meant that whatever she was going to tell us was VERY serious. We did so, and Demetria bade us to come over, and have a seat in front of her desk. Once we were sitting down, she came over and sat down as well. She looked at us, and both of us could see the extreme look of seriousness on her face.

"The reason that I called you both here tonight is because I have to talk to you about something that is of the UTMOST importance. I know that General Tapper is gone, but yet there are still threats to my rule here in Vegas."

"What.....do you mean Mom?" I asked her nervously.

"I mean that there are those who disobey Futa Laws, even direct orders from me, and who go unpunished! Those who are protected by a bureaucracy that only seeks to further its own agenda. Those who abuse and hurt males DESPITE all of the massive legislation passed to protect them! There are those out there tonight who seek to undermine me, and expect no retaliation because of it, and the time has come to act!"

Both Carla and I knew how serious this was. ANYONE who dared to defy Futa Laws, even other Futas, HAD to be punished!

"So what do you plan on doing Mom?" I asked her.

She looked back up at us. "What I plan on doing.........is taking care of the problem once and for all. The ones ultimately responsible for this are Director Miranda Carson of CICI, (Counter Intelligence, Counter Insurgency, basically the Futa's version of the FBI and the CIA) and her subordinates, but under her come other military officials, (mostly minor officers, though a few high-ranking ones), and of course, a LOT of the Futas over at the MREA. I don't think I need to say why that is, do I?"

I shook my head. The MREA, or the Male Rape Enforcement Agency, was the Futa Police Force. They enforced Futa Laws, arrested offenders, jailed them, put them before a judge, and rescued males from abusive Futas. However, they were corrupt, and seldom, (if ever) did their jobs properly. Once Demetria passed the Male Protection Act, the Cohabitation Clause, the Transparency Act, and other pro-male legislation, the MREA was renamed the Male RIGHTS Enforcement Agency, and some within their ranks were arrested, and charged with the crimes that they committed. However, many more went unpunished. The MREA answered ultimately to Director Miranda of CICI, but they were broken down into their various precincts, MREA Training Academies, and of course, the MREA Headquarters.

"Within Las Vegas are 25 MREA properties, including 3 training academies, 18 precincts, their HQ, their head offices in the CICI Building, and 2 prisons; one for Futa and Herm offenders, and the other for males, females, terrorists, insurgents, and others who tried to commit acts of violence against the Futa Empire as a whole. Now I know that there are a few good eggs in the MREA, but the vast majority are corrupt, disloyal, self-serving pigs. I can name 5 precincts that need to be left alone, but the rest need to be hit, as does the CICI building, the MREA Headquarters, and a few other military targets as well, and when I say 'military targets', I mean fuel and ammo dumps."

"Wow, so this is your plan; take out the crooked MREA officers, and other crooked Futas who are disloyal?"

Demetria nodded. "Yes Carla, that's the overview of the plan anyway. Overall, I call it 'Operation Dark Night', but that's where I need you two. The thing is, someone's going to have to go in there, and do what has to be done. I would just have my guards do it, but if I did, then the MREA officials, and those at CICI would try to paint it as a 'hostile takeover', and turn my subjects against me. I would then possibly be removed from power, and someone much worse than me would become Empress, and I CANNOT let that happen!"

In my head, the pieces came together. "Oh, so your plan is to put together a black ops team to go in, splat some brains, blow some stuff up, cause mass panic, show how helpless the MREA is to restore order, and then have the masses turn on THEM instead?"

"Yes, precisely Leopard! And we then reform the MREA to be what it's supposed to be, and let this serve as a warning to all of the other MREA officers and other officials in the Futa Empire. Either learn from the mistakes of the Vegas corrupted and reform your ranks, or have this happen to you. For these missions, I'm authorizing you, and others that I pick to do this on my behalf, basically meaning that you have a licence to kill or be killed. Now of course, no such documentation of anything will exist for obvious reasons, and no one else will know about these black ops teams, but that's how it will be."

"And you want Carla and I to lead one of these teams?"

"No, I want you and Carla to become the first team. I want the two of you to be the first to strike, just to get the ball rolling. Then, once the other teams are fully formed, then all of you will begin to carry out my missions. And if all goes successfully, this whole affair will last no longer than 4 months."

For many more hours that night, Demetria, Carla and I talked more about our mission, how we were going to pull it off, what kinds of weapons we would be using, what we would be wearing, and ultimately, what we were going to call ourselves. Interestingly enough, we were just going to be called Black 1 and Black 2, and then we would let the media name us. Boy did THAT ever turn out to be a great idea!

2 nights later, a maintenance van pulled up to MREA Precinct 7. Precinct 7 was a precinct on the West side of Vegas, within sight of the neighboring town of Henderson, Nevada. It was often a first assignment for rookie MREA officers fresh out of the academy, as well as old-timers who were on their way out. Of course, there were regular officers too, and some of these were even SWAT officers, but thankfully the regulars were few, and the SWAT's were even fewer!

From the van, 2 figures in dark coveralls, work boots, and dark blue hats stepped out. They seemed to be maintenance and cleaning personnel from the local Fix n' Clean Company there to perform their nightly cleaning and maintenance of the precinct. One of the figures was a Herm with her name tag saying "Allison Pendle" on it, and the other was a male with his name tag saying "Tom Connor". From the back of the van, the 2 of them unloaded a cart full of cleaning supplies, and once they rolled up to the front door, they knocked before being buzzed inside.

Once we'd made it in, I began to mop the floors while Carla went to take care of the phone lines, as well as the vehicles in the motor pool. She had to make sure that no calls got out of the precinct, or that we could be chased after the mission, so when she went back outside, she first found the phone boxes, and after opening them up, she placed explosives in them. After this, she went around to the various vehicles in the motor pool, and planted explosives underneath them as well. These would all be detonated by remote control once we were ready for the mission to start.

Meanwhile, I was mopping the floors in the front lobby. I was fully expecting anyone to see right through my disguise, but no one did.

"This is so weird", I thought. "No one's checking any ID's, no one's checking any credentials, no one's even batting an eye when 2 maintenance workers that they've never seen before show up. All we had to do was knock, and they let us in! Have all of the Futas really gotten THAT complacent?!"

In fact, the only real trouble that I had was with Sophie Lane, the Night Watch Commander. "Hey! You!" She yelled at me.

I looked up, thinking that I'd been discovered. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" She came walking over to me. I saw that she was wearing the typical blue police uniform of the MREA, although she was wearing pants instead of the usual skirt. (Having a skirt made it easier to "punish males with your penis" as most MREA officer's said!)

What's your name?" She grabbed the part of my coveralls where my name tag was. "Tom? Tom, you need to get these floors done faster! You've got a LONG way to go!" She then left me alone.

"Right away Ma'am!" I then began to mop faster.

As I reached some of the back areas, I overheard a few of the rookie MREA officers talking about their jobs.

"Yeah, being in the MREA is gonna be SOOOO easy Macy! I mean, who in their right minds would EVER try and hurt an MREA officer?"

"Yeah, no kidding Kim. Plus, we get to have all of the sex that we want with those males in the Pens!"

I felt my stomach heave when Macy said that. The "Pens" as they were called, were the holding cells in police stations where those who were just arrested were held. They're kept there while awaiting trial, and then are either moved to prison, or a local jail, depending on their crimes. Most males who wind up in there are raped, and treated as toys by MREA officers.

"Not for much longer", I thought. I then kept mopping. All the while though, as a foreshadowing of doom, I began to hum "Pumped up Kicks", by "Foster the People". None of the other Futas even batted an eye when I passed by, most likely indicating that they had no idea what song that I was humming, or if they did, they had no idea what it really meant.

"And what kind of a person would attack an MREA Precinct?" I suddenly heard Kim ask as I was making my way back to the front of the building.

"A VERY stupid one, that's for sure!" Macy answered. "There's 80 cops in this building alone, and some of those guys are SWAT officers! No one would EVER succeed in doing so, right Janitor-Guy?"

"Huh?" I looked up. "Oh....uh......I don't think so. They'd have to have some REALLY mad-skills to pull it off, and don't most males seem to lack those skills?"

"Yes! Males are SO much weaker than Futas! Except for that one guy, Leopard. However, he has the favor of Empress Demetria, and she gave him some of her powers. Why the f@#k she would is anyone's guess though. If I were the Great Goddess, I would have struck her dead for it!"

Up until Macy questioned why Demetria gave me some of her "powers", I was wondering why I had to kill her, as she seemed like a nice girl. However, after she started talking shit about Demetria, and wishing that she could strike her dead, I didn't feel bad that I was about to kill her. If that's the kind of thing that these kids were being taught in the MREA Academy, to talk trash about the same Empress that you believed was a physical representation of a Goddess, then it was time to bust a cap, if you know what I'm saying!

A little while later, I met up with Carla again. The time for our mission was growing near, and both of us were getting nervous. We walked back to our van, and sat in it for a bit. We were both eating some sandwiches and donuts that we brought, as well as drinking some soda.

"Did you take care of the phone lines Carla?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. I placed explosives inside of the phone boxes, and I'll detonate them once the mission begins. I also planted C4 under all of the vehicles in the motor pool, and chained up and locked all of the side and back doors from the outside. How about you?"

"Well, aside from mopping the floors, I took care of the radios by making sure that they'll play all of the usual chatter on a loop, and I also got exact numbers of cops, the location of their arsenals, where the Pens are, and the best places for breaking open gas lines for when we burn Precinct 7 to the ground!"

Carla nodded. "Great work Leopard."

I then looked at my watch. The time was just after 10pm, and our mission would begin at 10:30. One last time before we got ready, we called Mom on a secured line.

"Everything's in place Mom. We're all ready."

"Ok, that's good. And both of you promise to PLEASE come home to me safely! I couldn't STAND to lose you! I know that this mission is dangerous, but PLEASE come home safely!"

"I will Mom, and so will Carla. Both of us are as skilled, and highly-trained as they come. We're up against 80 cops sure, but only 10 of them are SWAT officers. 25 are regular cops, and the rest are either oldies almost to their retirement, or rookie kids fresh from the academy who think that they're invincible! It might not be the easiest thing I've ever done, but it won't be the hardest either."

"Yes, and we'll have each other's back's Mom, every step of the way. We'll make it through this together."

"Ok, and I'll be watching those body cams that you guys have with you for ANY updates of what's happening, so make it good over there!"

Carla and I nodded. "We will Mom. Goodbye." We then hung up, finished our food, and then went to the back of the van again.

This time, from under a false floor in the back, we pulled out the gear that we were going to need. We pulled out body armor, before covering our chests, torsos, backs, butts, groins, arms, legs, knees, elbows, necks, shoulders, hips, and the tops of our hands. We then covered our armor with our coveralls, and pulled out the rest of our gear. We pulled out helmets, gloves, hoods that attached to our coveralls, and the masks that we were going to wear. We put on the helmets and gloves, and then pulled the hoods on over our heads, but we left the masks out a little bit longer. I had a wolf mask, and Carla had a tiger one.

Then, we pulled out the weapons that we were going to be using. We had a HUGE arsenal of weapons hidden in the van, as well as enough ammunition to supply a small militia force! We both had M16 rifles, I had a hunting rifle, Carla had an Uzi, we both had Glock 9mm's, and PLENTY of ammo for all of our guns. We also both had flash-bangs, a number of grenades, Bowie knives, pipe bombs, and several packages of C4. All of this was stored in the pockets of our coveralls, though we carried our guns either on our shoulders, or in holsters attached to our coveralls as well. (I'd meant to bring a shotgun, but for some reason, It slipped my mind to do so. I was hoping to find one inside once we started our rampage).

I looked at Carla one last time. "You ready for this Babe?"

"As ready as I'll ever be Leopard. If we die tonight, then we both died fighting the good fight."

"We won't die tonight Carla. We'll both live to die another day. Precinct 7 will fall, and all those inside, (except the males in the Pens if there are any) will burn with it!"

We then kissed one last time, before putting on special goggles to protect our eyes, I grabbed the wolf mask, she grabbed the tiger mask, we put them on, pulled our hoods over our heads again, locked and loaded all of our guns, turned on the body cams that we brought with us so that Demetria would be able to watch us live, hid all of our gear that we weren't going to be taking with us, locked up the van again, and then proceeded towards Precinct 7, and into the history books.

At this same time, Macy and Kim were outside the front steps of the Precinct, eating some snacks that they bought from a vending machine. Little did they suspect though that that was going to be their last meal in life. They saw Carla and I walk by, but even though we were holding weapons and wearing masks, they thought that we were playing a prank on them.

"Wow, cool costumes, but Halloween ain't for another month!"

"Yeah! Come on Leah and Melissa, we know that that's you under there! You guys aren't scary!"

I turned to them. "Are we?"

Macy looked at me weirdly. "Of course we're not scared. We know that it's really you!"

"No. I mean are we REALLY Leah and Melissa?"

"Well, who else would you be? You two are the biggest pranksters here at Precinct 7!"

I pulled my hunting rifle up to a firing position, finger on the trigger. "Wrong. We're your worst nightmares!" I then shot both of them in the throat, killing them instantly. I then nodded to Carla, and we proceeded to the front doors.

Once we were there, I placed some of our pipe-bombs on the front doors to blow them in, as they'd locked since we'd gone outside, and we weren't going to be getting in dressed like masked murderers! Once I was ready, I lit the bomb's intertwined fuses, and with a loud *BOOM!!!!!* the doors blew inwards! At this same instant, Carla also detonated the C4 that she attached to the building's phone boxes, thus knocking out the precinct's ability to call for help. We then walked through the hole where the front doors used to be. The doors had buckled inwards, and all of the glass in them had been blown straight into the front desk. One MREA officer there was now dead, hit by flying glass shards.

I looked around. "Knock knock! Anyone home?" There was no answer. Carla and I then rigged up a C4 booby trap. Now anyone who either tried to come through the front doors on the outside, or go out through the front doors on the inside would be blown into hamburger, and the front entrance would hopefully collapse, thus rendering it unable to be used. Now though, it was time to kill.

Carla and I had the time of our lives as we roamed through the halls of Precinct 7. Carla would scare up some MREA rookies, and then chase them towards me so that I could mow them down.

I was also singing as I shot up Precinct 7, and the song fit perfectly. "Robert's got a quick hand. He'll look around the room, won't tell you his plan, he's got a rolled cigarette hangin' out his mouth he's a cowboy-kid, found a 6-shooter gun......"

And then of course came everyone's favorite chorus. Carla would help me with it. "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better run better run, outrun my gun! All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better run, better run, faster than my bullet!"

Sometimes though, I changed up the lyrics, and actually shot with them. "All you little shits with your f@#ked up views better RUN better RUN, OUTRUN my GUN!!!! All you little shits with your f@#ked up views better RUN better RUN, FASTER than my BULLETS!!!!"

Soon, the whole precinct was in chaos. There was smoke everywhere, blood and other dead bodies littered the floor, stuff was getting knocked over, Carla and I would light the contents of trashcans on fire, we shot at anything that moved that wasn't each other, and we just smashed the place up with some tools like hammers, wrenches, and crowbars from our toolboxes that we left inside the building for just this purpose.

The Futas that we killed were falling like flies left and right. At one point, Sophie the Night Watch Commander was standing on the second floor with an MREA officer named Mary when I rounded the corner. Mary ran immediately, but Sophie was frozen where she was. She did turn to run, only to have me put 3 rounds into her back with my Glock. Carla also put a round into the back of Mary's head. Both of them were now dead, and bleeding out on the floor.

At one point though, we ran into serious trouble. I was reloading while Carla was covering me, when all of a sudden, 8 of those SWAT officers found us!

"OH SHIT!!!!" I jumped to the side, but Carla got hit! The bullet only hit her armor, so she was ok, but was still knocked backwards. She landed next to a dead MREA officer, who just so happened to still be holding a shotgun.

"BABE!!!" Carla yelled. I turned to look at her. "CATCH!!!!" She then tossed me the shotgun. In the blink of an eye, I worked the shotgun faster than the eye could detect. In less than 5 seconds, all 8 of those SWAT officers were dead. Sure, my shotgun was empty, but they were all dead!

Carla was shocked. "Holy.......!!!! How the hell did you do that Babe?!"

I was equally shocked. “Honestly......I have no idea Black 2." (For our own safety, we couldn't use names on this mission). "But what I CAN tell you is that I'm TOTALLY keeping this shotgun! Sure, it's a bit older, and the pump and stock are wooden, but it's capable of killing SWAT officers!"

I was also able to reload it with a box of 12 gauge ammunition that I found fallen on the floor, and after reloading the shotgun, we kept going.

Eventually, we reached a sort of computer lab where we found a number of MREA officers hiding. Most of them seemed to be rookies, and they were all hiding under desks, and behind chairs. As we walked into the room, I saw to my horror that one of them was on her cellphone!

"Hey! Calls only during normal business hours!" I yelled as I took her head off with my shotgun. I also shot her phone for good measure.

Carla and I then began to make our way around the room, shooting under the desks, and killing the MREA officers who just a few hours ago believed themselves to be invincible, but now had done little more than cower, and piss themselves. Most of them died easily enough. Occasionally though, we did have a bit of a screamer, or a kicker in one case. Carla killed the kicker, and then I made my way over to the blonde girl hiding under the desk next to her.

I looked under the desk and saw her. "Peekaboo!" I then pumped my shotgun, and shot her with it. Unfortunately though, I didn't have a very good shoulder grip on the butt of the shotgun, and at that close range, the butt slipped off my shoulder when I fired, and then hit me in the face! The butt first knocked my mask off, and then it hit my nose. I wasn't sure at the time if my nose was broken, or just bleeding really bad. I assumed that it was broken, and stuffed several Kleenexes into my nose, both to stop the bleeding, and to hold my nose together.

Just as I got back to my feet though, I looked behind me, and I saw another MREA rookie hiding behind a chair. She had light brown hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and the standard MREA uniform. She was almost crying, and for once, I made no moves to kill her. I was still pissed off though at having just f@#ked up my face.

"The f@#k you lookin' at Bitch?!"

She didn't say anything.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, NOTHIN'!" I then picked up my mask again. However, before I could put it back on, Carla looked out the window of the computer lab.

"Oh shit! Black 1, we've got company!"

I looked first at her, and them back at the officer in front of me. "I'll be right back." I then put my mask back on. "You stay there!" I then walked over to join Carla, leaving the officer where she was.

"What kind of company?"

She pointed out the window. "2 cop cars just pulled up with lights and sirens on! I think that they know something's up!"

"Well, if they go through the front, they're gonna get blown away by that C4 trap!"

Suddenly, we heard people get out of the cars, followed moments later by a massive explosion that rocked the entire precinct. In fact, the explosion knocked both of us off our feet for a moment!

I looked over at Carla. "See? Nothing to worry about! They just blew themselves up, and probably blocked up the front entrance!"

I then took the stock of my hunting rifle that I was still carrying, and I used it to smash the window. I then looked out of it at the stunned MREA officers below.

"See? The doors are rigged to blow! Get the f@#k out of here!"

"SHOOTER!!!!" One of them screamed. I jumped back from the window just as a hail of bullets came flying up towards me!

"SHIT!!!!" I hit the floor, as did Carla, and the bullets tore into the room all around us!

Once they stopped though, we killed the 3 of the last 4 MREA officers in the room, before taking the time to reload our guns again. Then, after taking out the lights in the room, I removed my mask, and slowly rose up in front of the window again. I then took my hunting rifle, and slowly took care of the MREA officers on the ground. I counted 4 kills, with 3 more probable. However, I could also see smoke rising from the floors below us.

"Oh no. Black 2, we've got fire!"

"What? Fire?"

"Yeah! The C4 explosion down on the first floor must have started a fire, or one of our earlier trashcan burnings must have started something. In either case, we HAVE to get the hell outta Dodge! Both before we burn to death, or get shot to death!"

"Right!" We were about to leave, but then we saw the MREA officer that I spared again.

I looked down at her. "Now then, what to do about you, Officer........", I looked at her badge. "Officer Brittney. Normally we'd just kill you, however, this time we need someone to tell the outside world about what happened here tonight. So we're going to let you live!"

She looked at us, completely shocked. "Wh-what? Really?"

"Yes. So get up, and leave. Now!"

She still didn't move.

"RUN, NOW!!!! GIRL YOU'D BETTER START RUNNING BEFORE WE CHANGE OUR MINDS!!!!" I then started reloading my shotgun. "1......2......3..!!!!!!"

That was all it took. Once I started counting, Brittney was out from under that desk, and running for her life.

I looked at Carla. "Well, that was easy."

"Yeah, it was. Now she runs away and tells the rest of the world about what happened here, and then we get the heck out of here, this place either burns down or explodes, we drive away, and report back to Mom."

"Yeah, so let's do it." We then began to evacuate the building.

As we were running, we did have to fight a few more holdouts, but once we started smelling a gas leak, we knew that the end was nigh. We ran to a side window, knocked out the glass with the butts of our guns, climbed through it, and not a moment too soon. Just after we started running, the whole precinct blew up. The force of the explosion knocked us forwards, and we landed hard in the parking lot on that side of the building. We both looked back, and the whole building was going up in flames. It was clear that Precinct 7 was gone, and that even if the fires were put out, the building was still a total loss. We also heard sirens getting closer, so we hightailed it to our van, unlocked it, threw all of our gear inside, got inside ourselves, and then after Carla blew up the C4 that she'd planted under all of the vehicles in the motor pool earlier just as the emergency crews arrived, we escaped in the confusion. We did have to take the long way back to the Luxor, but in the end, it was all worth it.

That night, a total of 89 MREA officers were killed; 79 from Precinct 7, 4 from our booby trapped front door, and 5 more from being sniped. We did search the Pens just before the building blew, but they were all empty that night. The lone survivor of the entire debacle was Brittney Mullen, the officer I spared. She told her story to the media, and they ate it up.

"It was so horrible. The shooting........it never seemed to stop! It was like a GAME to these guys! They killed all my friends, and they only let me live so that I could talk about them!"

"And who were they?" Someone asked.

"I don't know. One was most likely a male, and the other was either a Herm, or a Futa. The female was quite a foxy looking girl, and the male had pale skin, and blue eyes. Yes, even though his mask came off, he was still wearing a hood, and I was so teary-eyed that I really couldn't see him too well, and he only had his mask off for less than 10 seconds. But one thing I can tell you, he had to have been some kind of a gunslinger. The way he worked that shotgun was........unnatural!"

From these reports, the media began to call the two individuals who had attacked Precinct 7 "The Vegas Shotgun-Slinger", and "Foxy". A MASSIVE manhunt was out for them, but they still hadn't even been identified. However, 2 pictures of them were released to the public.

Mom was so proud of us for what we'd done. Sure, I did have to have my broken nose taken care of, but I was happy with the outcome too, as was Carla. We'd taken down one of the precincts, and even though there was more work to be done, the public was already starting to voice their opinions about this. They were surprised that the MREA was seemingly unable to even identify the culprits behind it, and it wasn't long before they struck again.

Just 3 nights later, Precinct 11, a precinct known for its K9 units, was also hit. It was just like Precinct 7, although this time, instead of just the phones and radio going out, we also dimmed the lights. From one end of the facility to the other we wiped out the 100 cop and 30 dog precinct, blew it up, wrecked all of the vehicles outside, and then fled once again.

This time, a picture surfaced online from the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger. It was his clear warning to the rest of the intended targets.

But now the question was WHO was next? No one knew, and the MREA STILL hadn't identified anyone as the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger, or his partner Foxy!

Around this same time, Demetria's other teams were also put into the field, for a total of 4 teams, including Carla and I. The other teams had 4 people in them, but they would attack in pairs so that they could look like the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger and Foxy, so as to keep causing a panic.

Precinct 5 was lost, then Precinct 12, one of the training academies was firebombed, and the survivors picked off as they tried to escape, an FNG (Futa National Guard) ammo dump was blown up, while on the same night a nearby FNG armory was robbed, the prison that held males, females, terrorists, and insurgents came under siege, and a number of prisoners were able to escape. The Futa bodies kept piling up, while the number of targets hit and the amount of damage done kept right on climbing.

Demetria kept appearing on TV telling her subjects how "shocked and appalled" she was at these heinous crimes. "This has gone on long enough! For nearly a month and a half now these crimes have gone unchecked! I INSIST that the MREA find the ones responsible for this and EXECUTE THEM!!!!" Behind closed doors though, she, Minerva, Carla, myself and the others involved with the crimes were laughing hysterically about it.

Stacy herself, accompanied by Face and Jasmine, also vowed to bring the ones responsible to justice. However, on the 2 month anniversary of the crime spree of the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger and Foxy, a video appeared online from the same source as the "YOU'RE NEXT!!!!" picture. The video was a summary of the attacks on the precincts, all put to appropriate music.

The same night the video went viral, there was a HUGE explosion at the Army Fuel Depot No.1, one of three in the Vegas Area. All of the fuel tanks were destroyed, as were a lot of the oil tanks, and a number of vehicles as well.

By this point, a lot of Futas and Herms were almost rioting in the streets, and they were protesting in front of the remaining MREA precincts. They were DEMANDING action from the MREA, and ESPECIALLY from the Counter Intelligence Counter Insurgency Agency. Director Miranda Carson INSISTED that those at CICI were doing everything that they possibly could about the problem, but that due to the MREA not being able to identify anyone, and the lack of survivors of these attacks who might have known something about the attackers, was telling. Brittney was one of only 5 survivors of these attacks, and she was the only one who's wounds were to her psyche. The other 4 were all critically wounded, and half would be crippled for life.

However, as dark as it all had been so far, the end was coming soon. The pinnacle of it all would mark the retirement of the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger and Foxy. There were only 2 more targets to hit; the MREA headquarters, and the CICI building, and both of those had their days numbered!

On November 9th, 2025, the date was set for the attack on the MREA Headquarters. Carla and I would be going in first, although one of the other teams would be backing us up. At this same time, the other 2 teams were on standby, just in case they had to bail us out if anything went wrong.

The building itself was a large 4 story structure located close to the Vegas Strip. It had been rebuilt from a collapsed hotel following the first half of WW6, and it was where the MREA had their headquarters for the entire Nevada area. (The largest city in each former US State that the Futas captured contained the MREA headquarters for the entire state. 24 such buildings exist in the former Western US; 22 in the Continental US, one in Hawaii, and one in Alaska). It was located across the street from the CICI Building, and surprisingly, it wasn't the largest MREA headquarters in the Futa Empire. It was only the 4th largest behind the one in California (largest population), Alaska (largest state), and the largest one was the original one located in the Futa's old capital city of Tomsk in what used to be Russia. Tonight though, that building, and everyone inside who was a Futa, would have to be wiped out. Any males inside would be rescued, but the Futas would all die.

We knew that we would first have to take out the radios and the phones, and then the building's power supply, before we hit it from the outside, and work our way in. Unlike the first time, where we got in with a maintenance vehicle, in light of the other attacks, no one trusted maintenance personnel anymore. Now all of these places were heavily patrolled, so we would have to try something else. Enter our newest tactic; Impersonating medical personnel.

Yes, you read that right. They didn't trust any maintenance workers, but they sure let an ambulance right on in without checking any ID's or credentials, even with a male driving it! Futa stupidity, even in times of severe crisis, seemed to truly know no boundaries.

But yes, Carla and I disguised ourselves as EMT's, and we smuggled in everything that we needed, (guns, ammo, our protective gear, masks, bombs, grenades, and other tools) in the back of the ambulance. Once we were outside of the MREA HQ Building, we pulled into a parking spot in the back, got out of the ambulance, and then after looking around a bit, we pretended to talk into our radios, and then stood next to the ambulance for a little bit longer. Soon, an MREA cop car pulled up, and 2 "officers" got out. We recognized them as Black 3 and Black 4, the other team who would be helping us with the MREA HQ. Once we talked for a minute or so, they walked over to the phone boxes, as well as the building's exterior power generators, and while "inspecting them", planted the C4 that they would remote-detonate to destroy them.

Meanwhile, Carla and I got our weapons ready, as well as our masks. All of the teams had identical masks so that it would look like the same 2 people committing all of the crimes, when in reality, there were 12 of us. Black 3 and Black 4 would radio us when they were finished, head to the back door, detonate the explosives, and then storm the building. Then, in the chaos, Carla and I would turn on the ambulance's lights and sirens, race around to the front, and then head inside with our weapons to back them up. (Some may point out that this may look a little suspicious with the ambulance arriving so fast, but please remember that in a number of other attacks, there was an ambulance behind the building that raced to the front when the attack started. Most of the time these were actual Futa EMT's, so now we were employing that same tactic).

As we sat in the ambulance, waiting for the signal from Black 3 and 4, aka Team 2, we radioed Mom one last time.

"Yes, we're all in position now Mom. Team 2 is finishing up planting the C4, and then they'll head in first. Once there's a panic, we'll head to the front, and then head in ourselves."

"And then the MREA HQ falls, and then we plan for our final target, the attack on the CICI building. And yes, Teams 3 and 4 are on standby just in case you need them."

"Ok, thanks Mom. And are our body cams working?"

"Yes, they're working just fine Leopard."

I nodded. "Ok, thanks Mom."

"And good luck tonight."

"Thanks Mom, we'll need it. We're up against some of the best of the best now, and even these pale in comparison to those at the CICI Building."

I heard Mom sigh. "Yes, and that's why all of you HAVE to be EXTREMELY careful! Watch each other's backs, as well as the backs of Team 2. I haven't lost any of you yet, and I do NOT plan on starting now!"

"Ok, roger that Mom." Carla then pointed to Team 2, who were giving the signal that they were ready. "Ok, Team 2's ready now. Here we go."

"Good luck. See you when you get back. Mom out."

Carla and I then gave Team 2 the signal that we were ready when they were, and after donning their masks, they pulled out their guns, and proceeded to the back doors. Once the doors were opened, they walked in, stabbed the 2 MREA officers who opened the doors, lobbed some smoke grenades down the hall in front of them, and then they detonated the C4 explosives.

The generators and phone lines exploded, and the building soon went dark. However, the emergency lights did come on, although these were dull red. Once the shooting began, I drove the ambulance around to the front, lights and siren wailing, and once we were at the front, I grabbed my shotgun, hunting rifle, Glock, and other guns, while Carla grabbed her M16, Glock, Uzi, and a tactical shotgun. We then got out of the ambulance, and while still keeping our guns hidden, we began to walk towards the front. We did see people trying to get out of the building, and we promptly offed them. We then pulled down our masks, locked and loaded our guns again, and then we headed into the building as well.

Just like I'd previously predicted, clearing the MREA HQ was proving to be a LOT harder than I previously anticipated. There were hardened veteran cops inside, SWAT officers, and even MP's; and there were a LOT of them!

"Damn! This is proving to be a LOT more than what I was expecting!"

"Yeah, no kidding Foxy!" I pumped my shotgun a few more times, killing at least 2 SWAT officers. "However, this IS the MREA Headquarters, so that's to be expected!" I then tossed a grenade behind us, and it killed 5 officers trying to sneak up on us.

"Yeah, but at the same time, they just think that we're amateur terrorists, and NOT hardened combat veterans!" Carla then used her M16 to take down several more officers, including a Watch Commander, and an MREA Captain!

"Yes. And each kill is at LEAST one abused male avenged. Most likely though, each kill is DOZENS of males avenged! DIE YOU SICK F@#KS!!!!" I then lobbed a flash-bang around the next corner, and as soon as it went off, I leapt around the corner, and quickly cleared it.

At this same time, Carla got a radio call from Team 2 that they were up on the 3rd floor sniping MREA, National Guard, and even CICI reinforcements on the ground!

"They're starting to come in faster than we can shoot them! You guys HAVE to take some of the pressure off of us!"

"We're trying!" Carla then had an idea. "Wait, do you guys have any rockets up there? I have an idea."

"Yeah, we've got some, as well as a launcher. Why?"

"I need you guys to target the generators of the CICI building across the street, and then send some rockets into some of the visible offices. I'm about to call in Teams 3 and 4, and tell them to hit the CICI Building. THAT should take some of the pressure off of us, and once we finish up here, we head over there and join them!"

"Right! We can do that!" Black 3 then grabbed the rocket launcher, loaded a rocket into it, and while Black 4 covered her, she aimed for the generators at the CICI building, and took them out. Then, she quickly followed up that shot with 7 more, all directed at various windows of the building, and then Black 4 used the last 2 rockets to take out targets on the ground. The CICI Building had visible flames, and now the ground was in chaos, but yet snipers in the CICI building were starting to shoot back, so Black 3 and Black 4 had to hit the ground fast!

"Damn! Snipers!"

"Black 2, this is Black 3! We've hit the building, but now the snipers are on us! Tell Teams 3 and 4 to hit the CICI Building now!"

"Roger that!" Carla then got on the radio with Minerva, and explained the whole situation to her. Minerva and her 3 partners, as well as Team 4, then got into position outside of the CICI building, and once they were ready, they slipped inside of the building undetected, and attacked!

At this same time, I was raiding the MREA armory underneath the building, and I was able to locate a Browning 50cal. machine gun, which I dragged upstairs all by myself, got into position on the second floor, and then went back for ammo. Once I had the ammo, I loaded up the gun, and told Black 3 and Black 4 to get ready to make a run for the 4th floor, finish clearing it, and then make it back down to the second floor.

"Yeah, but the snipers!"

"I'LL take care of the snipers! I'll also help you guys out with those pesky ground forces! Just standby for the firing to stop!" I then put down my radio, and after taking aim at the CICI Building, I pulled the triggers on the machine gun, and let the building have it!

I'll admit, it had been quite a while since I'd last fired a Browning 50cal machine gun, but boy did it sure make me happy! I was raining lead into the building, taking out a number of the snipers, their partners, and others in the building as well. Windows were shattering right and left, and masonry was also falling off the building! Luckily, Team 3 and Team 4 knew what was coming and they took cover!

Once the building went silent, even if only for a while, I told Black 3 and Black 4 to get going, and while they thanked me, I got to work on the ground forces. Sure, they had armor, but I had armor-piercing bullets! The streets of Vegas flowed with blood, and no one was able to get too much fire up at me. Once I'd used up all of the ammo, I quickly reloaded the gun, and continued firing. However, eventually I did run out of ammo.

"Oh shit, out of ammo!"

An ammo box landed next to me. "Not anymore you're not!"

I turned around, and there stood Carla! "Oh, thanks Babe!"

"Don't mention it. You just saved Blacks 3 and 4, and allowed them to clear the rest of the building. You also neutralized a lot of snipers in the CICI Building, as well as forces on the ground. Yes, you didn't tell me what you were doing, but at the same time, you did what you had to do, so I can overlook it!"

I would have hugged Carla, but I was still trying to reload the gun. "Thanks Babe, you're the best!"

"Yeah, I know Babe, you say that a lot!"

Soon, I had the gun reloaded, and with Carla helping me, we continued to lay waste to the ground forces below us, as well as those in the CICI Building.

Eventually, we did have the building completely cleared, and we knew that the time to reinforce Teams 3 and 4 as they stormed the CICI Building had come. We then packed up all of our weapons, and after setting the building on fire, we exited through the front doors, and made our way out onto the streets. However, when we did so, the streets were in chaos.

Word got out fast that the MREA Headquarters was under attack by the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger and his partner Foxy, and a LOT of other Futas formed vigilante groups, and headed for the MREA HQ. At this same time, other MREA officers, SWAT officers, CICI Agents, National Guard soldiers, and even Futa Army troops were moving in to deal with the situation. News choppers circled overhead, and the story was being broadcasted on EVERY channel in the Futa Empire! Heck, we later learned that even those in the US, Australia, and Europe saw what happened in Vegas that night!

However, there was so much chaos because no one knew who the enemy was. The MREA officers were trying to talk down the vigilante groups, the CICI Agents were trying to storm their own building, the National Guard and other troops were trying to back up those trying to storm both the CICI Building, and the MREA Headquarters, while the vigilante groups themselves were shooting at anything that moved.

Predictably, the Futas ended up turning on each other due to all of the chaos, and more blood began to flow because of it. Meanwhile, the 4 of us from Teams 1 and 2 slipped through all of the chaos, and into the CICI building. However, there was soon a problem. By this point, Minerva told us that the building was on fire, and that the fire was threatening a HUGE stockpile of ammunition!

"ALL OF YOU GET OUT OF THE BUILDING!!!! THAT STOCKPILE COULD BLOW AT ANY SECOND!!!"

"But what about you Black 5?!"

"We'll be fine! We're already on our way out! We're all piling out the back now! Just get clear of the building!"

"Right! You heard the boss, let's get out of here before we get blown up, and then burned alive!" We all then ran for our lives.

Sure enough, Minerva was right. Moments after we escaped the building, as we started running down the street away from it, the stockpile of ammo caught fire, and when that blew, the whole building seemed to go with it. A MASSIVE fireball rocketed through the building, blowing out windows, shattering walls, cracking floors, and rattling the building's frames loose. The fire suppression sprinklers in the building tried to engage, but due to the explosion damaging water lines, it didn't help very much. And because of the building's VERY weakened condition, once the explosion was over, the building burned for another hour or so, and finally, once most of the main supports had been compromised, the massive building toppled over. It fell across the street, landing on top of the still-burning MREA HQ, flattening it! Both buildings were still on fire, and now the fires were threatening to spread to other nearby buildings.

With the loss of the CICI Building went the loss of most CICI Agents, their director Miranda Carson, their ENTIRE databases on terrorist groups, and their ability to effectively counter any intelligence, or insurgency. Sure, CICI was still around, but they now lacked a central base of operations, and a database of information. Now groups like those in charge of the Wabash Cannonball, and later those of us behind the creation of the Battleship Express, were allowed to exist. Yes, I unknowingly ensured that the Battleship Express would come into existence because I helped destroy the CICI Building! Ins't that wild?

And for the MREA, without their HQ, and a LOT of their precincts, the public turned on them. Sure, the military and National Guard took a LOT of criticism too, but not nearly as hard as the MREA. That night marked their largest downfall pre-second half of WW6, and they would NEVER recover from it. More and more of their crimes against the Futa Empire were exposed, and those responsible fried for it. After this, the MREA was reshuffled, restructured, and put to work on doing what they were supposed to do, which was policing the Futa Empire, upholding Futa Law, and rescuing males from abusive Futas.

After that night, no one ever heard from the Vegas Shotgun-Slinger, or his partner Foxy, ever again. Most assumed that they were killed in the explosion of the CICI Building, though their bodies were never found. Sure, there were massive manhunts for them, but most baffling of all, neither of them were EVER caught, or even identified! Still to this day no one knows who they really were, but yet most Futas were actually thankful for them. If they hadn't done what they did, the MREA's crimes would have still been unpunished, and selfish bureaucrats like Miranda Carson would still roam free, threatening the stability of Demetria's rule, and going after those who they didn't like. Now they no longer had an outlet to do that, and it was all thanks to a guy with a mask and a shotgun, a partner with a mask and a gun, and both with a vendetta against the MREA.

When Demetria finished those entries, both she and Minerva sat in shock for a while. That whole event was a really defining moment in their lives, and even they had a hard time believing that it was all real.

"Operation Dark Night was probably the greatest success story that the Futa Empire ever had. Your mom would have been proud of you Dem."

Demetria sighed. "Would she have though? My Mom was QUITE old-school if you recall. I think that she would have been quite upset actually."

"Upset? Why would she have been upset?"

"Because she ALWAYS led by example. She would be upset with me for not doing it myself!"

Both she and Minerva laughed a bit, but then Demetria seemed to be rather sad.

"Wait, what's wrong Dem?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that there's only 5 more major entries left in his final diary. We're nearing the end of his time in Vegas."

From her bed next to Demetria's desk, Radar rose to her feet again. She then sat down next to Demetria, and began to rub against her gently.

"Yes, I know Radar. He mentions you in these last few entries. He talks about the night he proposed to Carla, their hasty little wedding the night before, and the start of the 'official' wedding."

"And those are the last entries?"

Demetria nodded. "I'll read them now. I HAVE to remember, no matter how painful it is."

She then began to read again.

On December 26th, the day after Christmas, I was up in Carla's room that night. She was out at the moment, but I was doing a fun cam-show. Nothing sexual, but I was raising money to try and help not only the Amur Leopards, but also the Snow Leopards. The breeding program at the Vegas zoo had produced 8 more Amur Leopards, bringing their total numbers up to 11, but that was still MILES too low. Plus, once I heard how callously Tapper had talked about killing a critically endangered Snow Leopard for its hide, I had to do something. I was now doing a few cam-shows to help raise money for the breeding programs in the Vegas Zoo for these amazing creatures.

Basically, I got all dolled up to make myself look like a cute Anime wolf-girl, and I'd do the Nyan-Dance on camera. I'd memorized all of the words, and I knew the dance, and Futas would pay a LOT of money to see me do it! Right now I was in the middle of a show.

"Nyan, nyan, nyan, nyan
Ni hao nyan
Goujasu Derishasu
Dekaruchaa!"

I would keep doing this for an hour straight each time, and then the show would end. I'd done 5 of these shows so far, and I had planned to do a total of 10. However, right as I was in the middle of a show, the door behind me suddenly opened.

"Hey Babe, I was going to do another one of my Kitsune cam-shows tonight. Do you want to......" Then she looked up and saw me standing in front of my computer-camera. I was dressed like an Anime wolf-girl, and I was frozen there staring at her like a deer in the headlights while the music continued to play on around me from the sound system.

Carla was wearing a pair of red, furry fox ears with black tips, and black fur on the insides, a red fox tail with a black tip, and a Kitsune-style Japanese kimono. I could tell that she was nude underneath her kimono, and I also saw that she was holding a Kitsune mask.

She blushed a bit, but then she smiled. "Oh, I see that you've already started a show without me. Was it another one of your 'Nyan-Dance’ shows?"

I nodded. "Yeah.......it is."

"Mind if I join you? Together, we might make twice as much money!"

I nodded. "Sure, if you want to."

Carla then joined me, and we did the Nyan-Dance together. Just as Carla predicted, once word hit the web that we were doing a show together, the fans came clamoring in by the dozens, paid their small entry fee, and were allowed to view our show. We kept it going for another half hour or so, and then we took our bow. However, I had one last surprise in store for the night.

"Wait, hold on everyone! Don't go just yet! It's time for the big finale!"

"What big finale Babe?" Carla asked me.

"Just a sec." I removed my Anime wolf-girl costume, leaving only my real wolf ears and tail, and a pair of black shorts. I then walked back over to Carla, and gently held her hands in my own.

"Carla? Ever since the first time we met, I always loved you. I may not have realized it at first, but you were my one true soulmate. I felt a love for you that I hadn't felt in a LONG time, and you proved that you were more than worthy of my love. You've been by my side since Day 1, and we've shared SO MANY fun memories together. I mean yes, you ARE 4 years older than me, but in love, age IS just a number! Anyway, I guess that all I have left to say is this." I then reached into my pocket for something, and once I had it in my hand, I got down on one knee, and proposed to Carla live during our cam-show. "Carla, will you marry me?"

When Carla saw that the box contained the same rubber gasket that I'd used to propose to her with the last time, and that the box itself was a small chocolate box, all she could do was roll her eyes a bit.

"Oh Leopard, what am I EVER going to do with you? Besides loving you, caring for you, and never leaving you that is? Come here." She then pulled me to my feet, and hugged me. I hugged her back.

"Mmm, I love you, my Sweet, Ginger Herm!"

"I know. I love you too, my Spotted, Wolfy Man-Beast!" We both then sighed, and kissed deeply.

Our audience who were still watching by that point were clapping and cheering for us, and they offered us their congratulations. Many agreed that it was high time that the stigmas about males and Herms were broken, and they were happy to see us so happy together. It was now official; Carla and I were engaged!

The date for our wedding was set for January 11th, 2026, which was in just 16 short days. However, there was a slight cause for concern. A number of Futas were saying that they would NEVER accept an Empress who had a male husband. They accepted Demetria because she hadn't married, but they wouldn't accept Carla because she was going to marry me. Some of them even went so far as to say that they would accept Stacy as their Empress, as she'd married Jasmine, who was another Futa.

However, their logic met a large number of major fails. Firstly, many of them seemed to have forgotten that their first Empress, Boudica, had a male husband named Michael. Secondly, although Stacy had married Jasmine, she also had a male husband, Face, even though he did not refer to himself as such. And yes, while Demetria never had married, she readily admitted that it was the biggest mistake that she had ever made. Nevertheless, with threats being made against the upcoming wedding, Demetria knew that she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

On the night of January 10th, she told Carla and I to wear literally anything, and to come to the upstairs meeting hall. She told us that we were going to be having a private wedding early, just in case something happened at the main one.

"And what do you mean by 'anything' Mom?" Carla asked.

"I mean something casual. Whatever you wish Carla; just make it something memorable!"

And Carla and I did just that. I decided to just use my favorite brown smock with the "Gent" logo on it, as well as a pair of slippers, while Carla pulled on her Kitsune kimono, as well as her fox ears and fox tail again. She also created a sort of "veil" for herself from her Kitsune mask. She also decided that her best friend Mona, the girl who helped take care of her horses and cow, would be her Maid of Honor, and since I lacked a Best Man, I went with the next best thing, and had my faithful dog Radar fill that role! (Why would I ask Face to do it? This was a SECRET wedding, and he can't keep his mouth shut! Plus, I hated him!)

Attending the wedding were myself, Carla, Radar, Mona, Demetria, Minerva and 6 other guards. Someone ran to the Palace garden to give Carla a wedding bouquet, and someone else had the royal bakers bake a small wedding cake. Demetria herself would be presiding over the ceremony, and Minerva and the 6 guards would act as witnesses, with one of the guards taking photos, and another videoing with a video camera. No one else was present, and no one else knew.

The meeting hall itself had its long table moved to one side, and a carpet was laid down to mark where the "aisle" was. The guards stood on both sides, and Demetria had a portable podium moved in to act as an altar. A flowered arbor was hastily put together with a mixture of wood scraps, wires and flowers, and someone else had their laptop attached to a speaker to softly play "Here Comes the Bride" when Carla walked in.

At exactly 11pm, the wedding began. The doors to the meeting hall opened, and Radar and I walked in. She trotted along by my side as we made our way up to the front where Demetria was. She was wearing her usual casual robes, and her long brown hair was hanging down her back. Then, at the next cue, the doors opened again, and once "Here Comes the Bride" started to play, Carla and Mona walked in. Mona was still wearing her riding clothes, and Carla was wearing her full Kitsune outfit, though she was using her Kitsune mask to act as her veil, and was wearing it like a normal mask! The doors to the room were then closed, and locked. 2 guards moved in to guard the outside of the door, and 6 more and Minerva were inside. Once Carla joined me at the sort of altar in front of Demetria, it was time to begin.

Carla and I then turned to face each other, and Demetria looked at us. "Now then, are you two ready to begin?"

I nodded. "Yep, I'm ready Mom."

"So am I Mom."

"Ready for what? Your wedding, or your night together?"

We were both confused, but then Demetria continued. "I mean, you've both got some pretty big 'pre-wedding stiffies'!"

We both looked at each other, and to our surprise, and slight embarrassment, both of us were hard! We'd both popped a big-ass stiffy at our own wedding!

Demetria just laughed though. "No need for modesty, we're all family here! And I know that you're ready to begin, so let's get the ball rolling."

She then had Minerva bring up the rings; 2 more rubber gaskets, and hold them while she continued. She then turned to Carla. “Now then, my Dearest Daughter, do you, take my Son to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully until the bitter end no matter what, in spite of any controversy?"

I could tell that Carla was blushing, but she took my hand, and slid my ring onto it. "Yes, I do Mom. I take you Leopard, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully until the bitter end no matter what, in spite of any controversy!"

Demetria then turned to me. "Now then, do you, my Son, take my Daughter, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully until the bitter end no matter what, in spite of any controversy?"

I nodded, slipping my ring onto Carla's finger. "Yes, I do Mom. I take you Carla, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully until the bitter end no matter what, in spite of any controversy!"

Demetria then looked out to the tiny crowd. "Now then, do any of you have any objections to this union? If so, speak now, or forever hold your peace!"

Of course, no one said anything. Except Mona.

"Well, I personally don't object, but if Stacy, Jasmine, or even Freaky-Face (another of Face's nicknames!) were here, they would TOTALLY be objecting right now!"

Demetria laughed a bit, as did the rest of us. "Well, they're not, so I don't care!" She then looked at us again. "And by the power vested in me as Empress of the Futas, and as presider over this wedding union, I now pronounce you both Husband and Wife! You may kiss the bride Leopard!"

I then gently lifted up Carla's Kitsune mask, and after taking it off her head entirely, I gave it to Demetria to hold. Then Carla leapt into my arms, wrapped her legs around my waist, and gave me a DEEP French-kiss, which I happily returned.

"AWWW!!!!!!" The crowd cooed, and Radar barked in agreement.

We then fed each other a bit of cake, danced a bit to a few songs, and then we all had to put the room back in order, before going to bed as we had a LONG day ahead of us! Carla and I were now happily married, no matter what happened the next day.

Demetria was close to tears now. "Yes.......n-no matter what happened the next day."

"And, is that where the diaries end?"

"N-no. He wrote one final entry just before the wedding downstairs started. This is what he wrote on January 11th, 2026, at 3:55pm, just before the wedding started. 'Well, this is it! Even though I'm already married to Carla, and have been for about 15 hours now, we have to have our public wedding too. I just hope that it doesn't take too long, as Carla and I REALLY want to get out to our honeymoon at Demetria's cabin on Lake Mead! It won't be too much longer now! Oh, that's the music starting now, so I'd better go! Goodbye for now!' And that's it. That was his last entry."

Minerva seemed to be close to crying as well. "We searched everywhere within a hundred miles too, but we never found him, just as we also never caught the masterminds behind the coup. All we ever learned was that he was sold to those slaver-thugs from Bandit-Club, and from there he was trucked out of Nevada, and all the way to Nebraska where he was auctioned off at that one farm auction, before winding up at Creamy Dream Ranch."

"Yes, and there he helped build the Battleship Express, and then fight the rest of WW6, until he disappeared during the Battle of Vegas." Demetria then pulled out a picture of me from her desk. It was taken of my in my RWD field uniform in Arizona in early 2029, and was the last one that Demetria had of me.

She held the picture close to her chest. "Why?!" She asked through her tears. "Why can't I EVER know what happened to him?! It's been 5 years Mini, 5!!!! And he's STILL missing without a TRACE!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM AFTER VEGAS?!?!?!?!" She then started sobbing, Radar was sobbing, and even Minerva had to sit down so that she could shed a few tears. She too really wanted to know what happened to me, as it had been 5 years, and there was still no trace of me. What really had happened to me? And better still, what had happened to the rest of the Battleship Express and her crew?

Meanwhile, on the other side of Equus, I was sitting alone at my desk in my office in Dash's house. I thought that everyone was asleep, and I was looking through a few old photos of Carla, as well as the 2 of us together. Suddenly though, in the dark room in front of me, I saw movement. The only light in the room came from my lamp, but when the movement in the shadows came into the light, I saw that it was only Spitfire. She looked tired, her mane was hanging down her shoulders, and she was wearing only her pink bathrobe that left her swollen belly showing.

I looked first at my desk clock, and then up at her. "What are you still doing up Spitsy? It's almost 4am!"

"I could ask you the same question Stud. And I can't sleep because Blazie won't sleep!"

I sighed, and then motioned for her to come over and sit on my lap, which she gratefully did. Once she was all snuggled in my lap, Blazie seemed to stop moving around.

"Mmm, now THAT'S better Stud!" She then noticed the pictures that I was holding. "What are you looking at Stud?"

I sighed again. "Memories of the past. These are the last pictures of Carla that I have, and I was just looking through them again."

Spitfire then asked me a very serious question. "Stud? If I may ask you.........what was that last day with Carla and Demetria like? Before you were taken away from them, and sold to Creamy Dream Ranch?"

I growled a bit. "It was Hell. On. Earth! The only reason that they got me was because I didn't have a gun! The wedding started right on time at 4pm on January 11th, 2026. We were all in the main hall, and it was getting to the vows, when all of a sudden, there came a blast from just outside of the wedding hall....."

"Now then, my Daughter, do you, take my Son to be......" Suddenly, Demetria was very rudely interrupted. From just outside of the wedding hall, there suddenly came the blast from a bomb! The doors of the hall were blown open, and smoke began to fill the room. Everyone was panicking, sirens began to wail, and it was clear what was happening.

"IT'S THE BLACK DOVES!!!" Demetria screamed to her loyal guards and soldiers. Our hearts almost stopped. The "Black Doves", as they called themselves, were a group of Futa and Herm extremists who sought to overthrow Demetria, and replace her with a "real" Empress. They apparently didn't like the idea of Carla marrying me, and had picked that day to start their attempted coup. All hands were at battle stations, the wedding hall was being evacuated, and Demetria's forces, as well as those loyal to her met the Black Doves head on.

In the chaos as we were being led to safety, I got separated from Carla and Demetria. There was smoke and explosions all around, and in the chaos, I got confused just for an instant, and that was all it took. Suddenly, the ceiling above me exploded, and a lot of debris came crashing down on me. I tried to jump clear, but I got hit by some of the debris, and knocked to the floor hard. I then blacked out as the battle continued to rage.

When I woke up, my head felt like it was going to explode, my vision was all blurry, and there was the loudest ringing in my ears. I was being dragged somewhere, and I could faintly hear voices, but I had no idea who's they were. I then felt myself get picked up, and placed on a cart of some kind, and I then felt the cart start moving. My vision was still blurry, and my ears were still ringing, so I had no idea what was happening. However, once my vision cleared, and the ringing stopped, I then realized that I was in big trouble. I was no longer inside of the Luxor; I was outside on the streets of Vegas, tied up in a cage in a cart with other males, in the hands of the Black Doves! I tried to struggle, but my limbs were tied, and my mouth was gagged. We were then drug away from the palace, and off to a nearby warehouse.

Once inside, I realized that I was now in the hands of a group of slavers that I recognized as Bandit-Club; the most famous, infamous, and deadliest slavers in all of the Vegas area. The Bandit-Club Slavers then looked all of us over, before paying the Black Doves what looked to be a LOT of money for all of us. Then, once the Black Doves left, they drug us out of our cage, stripped us of all clothing, and anything else that could have marked us as someone's property, blacked in all tattoos before removing them with some kind of powerful laser (this didn’t work on my tattoos for some reason. Thank you Apex Industries for creating unremovable tattoos!), checked us all again, before placing us on various trucks. I was thrown into a truck with 9 others, and the 10 of us were then locked inside, and the truck left the warehouse, bound for location unknown.

I had no clue of what was about to happen to me, but I knew one thing for sure; I knew that I was probably NEVER going to see Las Vegas again.

"....And that was the honest truth Spitsy. I never really did see Las Vegas ever again. Well, I did, but that was outside of the city during that final battle!"

Spitfire was very quiet after I told her that. She'd never heard that story from me before, and it really shocked and scared her.

"W-wha.....what happened the rest of that day?"

"Well, as you've heard me say before, Demetria's forces prevailed, and the Black Doves were all but wholly wiped out. Most of them were killed for their treason in combat, while others killed themselves to avoid capture. A token few were taken alive, and a number of others were also taken into custody in the the coming weeks. I'm pretty sure that any remaining Black Doves died in WW6, as did most other terrorist groups.

I also later learned that Mom and Carla had search parties looking EVERYWHERE for me. They got to Bandit-Club, but they vehemently insisted that they'd never seen me. They wouldn't tell Demetria's soldiers anything, and that cost them their lives. They never kept any records of the males that they'd kidnapped anyway, so if they wouldn't talk, it was easier to just kill them."

I then paused for a bit. "Carla......" I said softly. I then looked at her picture again. "Why Carla, why?! Why can't I EVER know what happened to you?! Did you die in Vegas, or do you still live?! WHY CAN'T I EVER KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?!?!?!" I then fell forwards onto my desk, hit it with my fist a few times out of angered frustration, and then began to cry my eyes out.

Spitfire tried to comfort me, but yet, there was very little comfort to be had. I would never be able to put my troubled mind at ease until I FINALLY knew what really happened to Carla, Demetria, their followers, and most of all, Carla and I's son, Leo. What had really happened to all of them? Had they escaped from Vegas? Or had they all died? I didn't know, and that hurt me more than anything.

And here it is, Chapter 29 Part 3 FINALLY!!!!! It's about damn time, am I right, or am I right?!

I'm SO SORRY that this took over 2 months to complete, but I've had almost ZERO time to write recently! My job was killing me with 60+ hours a week, and then I had commitments at home, writers block, work on the floors had to be done here at home, extreme exhaustion, brain fatigue, loss of internet, and this chapter ending up being SO MUCH LONGER than I originally intended for it to be! But at any rate, here it is, before Thanksgiving, and it's the LAST chapter before the HUGE finale in Chapter 30!

I hope that you're all hyped for that, because I sure am!

In Chapter 30, EVERYTHING finishes coming together. Tensions are built, celebrations happen, and our small worlds get even smaller. EVERYTHING in "Beyond the Express" has been building to this HUGE finale, so don't you dare miss it! (And don't worry, it won't be NEARLY as long as this chapter was, and I'll be SURE to try and not to take so long to write it!)

In the meantime though, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story, are ALWAYS appreciated, I once again REALLY hope that you enjoyed Chapter 29 Part 3, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 30 for the HUGE finale!

ScarFox out for now!