Chapter 3: Sanctuary
“Yeah yeah…alright dad…I promise…I got it.”
Jack rolls his eyes while holding the phone to his ear and slumps back into his sofa.
“Wow! If she knew you were using the c-word she’d have your hide, but yes she’s still my partner… Good lord dad! JUST my partner.”
A blush comes across the white shepherd’s face as he rubs his cheek dot, his dad’s comments making him aggravated as he paces around his apartment.
“Ok, that’s enough of that. Bye Dad…bye…yep, bye. Love you.”
Jack hangs up the phone and closes his eyes as he rubs his temples in consternation. When he opens his eyes they meet the sun-bleached posters on his wall. One is his old World of Titans poster, the other is a recruitment poster featuring his dad. The poster depicts the big bear, posing valiantly, brandishing his chisel, and in full D.A.V.D. gear. The tagline at the bottom reads, “Be Grand, Be a D.A.V.D.”
Jack huffs and says under his breath “Crazy ol’ coot.”
The shepherd walks out to his deck and leans on the railing. It’s almost dusk and Jack has an amazing view of Sanctuary from the 160th floor. Clouds as high up as his apartment building slowly float past on both sides as he lets out a sigh.
-“Be careful pup…”-
His dad’s words resonate in his head. The shepherd gazes over the ledge and sees the beautiful floating city he’s so proud of sprawled out in front of him. Being on one of the tallest buildings in Sanctuary, Jack can easily see the clusters of densely packed skyscrapers. The structures are all different styles and shapes, providing quite a beautiful mosaic of architecture representing the different regions the inhabitants have been pulled from. Off in the distance, he can see the tell-tale comforting blue streaks of D.A.V.D.’s flying in formation for some sort of training exercise.
Jack had always known his father had left Sanctuary on less than stellar terms, but never really had an inkling as to why until today. He pulls out his phone and starts to type out a text message, but pauses. Taking a moment to look at what he’s trying to send, slight signs of tears start to well up in his eyes. He promptly erases the text and slips the phone back into his pocket with a huff. He snatches his keys off the kitchen counter and leaves.
The elevator takes a good 2-3 minutes to arrive, a small price to pay for living in such a prestigious building. Being the son of a renowned D.A.V.D. pilot didn’t hurt when Jack was trying to join the brigade and in turn, find a suitable residence. On the way down, Jack browses the internet for any news about Sanctuary, reading the headlines:
– Docking with Port Arthur today! Come tour the city that started it all! –
– Sanctuary’s window washer’s union clamoring for the use of D.A.V.D. gear –
– Applying for residency to Sanctuary? 5 new skyscrapers slated to start construction this year! –
– New Shocking pictures of last month’s attack finally unveiled –
Ding
The elevator’s chime snaps Jack’s attention away from his phone as a well-dressed snow leopard enters the cab.
The feline gives a slight nod and nonchalantly greets the shep, “Jack”.
Jack distractedly nods and gets back to browsing his phone. The pair ride in silence for a few floors and then Jack’s brow furrows.
“Hey Derek, um… you moved here like a year ago, right?”
The leopard adjusts his small round glasses and turns to face the shepherd. “Yeah… yeah, I think it has been about a year since that attack.”
Jack tilts his head only slightly “Why didn’t you go back home after the evacuation was over? I mean why did you stay in Sanctuary?”
The snow leopard smiles, his tone quickly changing, “I mean who wouldn’t? And of course, being offered a job as soon as I stepped on this floating marvel didn’t hurt either. It’s not like the pile of rubble that was my lab was going to be cutting me anymore checks.” Derek smugly boasts as his tail begins twitching happily.
Jack’s eyes narrow slightly “Huh… that quickly? Guess you’re like world renowned n’shit.”
Derek raises an eyebrow and smirks, “Well let’s not go that far, I’ll never be as famous as you guys. I guess my pearl shard research must have gotten around to the right people. I mean heck, I wasn’t even published. Honestly, it felt like destiny brought me here.”
Jack looks aside “Heh, destiny.”
Jack walks aimlessly around the city, paws in his pockets, slouched deep in thought. He visits various favorite spots he’s come to love over the years living in Sanctuary, but they don’t elicit the same feeling of pride they used to bring. He finally ends up at the Lance monument. The statue stands 3 stories tall with a lizard clad in medieval armor holding a broken lance up to the sky. The monument is perched on the nose of Sanctuary seemingly always guiding the massive city toward its destination. The symbol of hope that turned the tide against the juggernaut scourge so many years ago now seemed to be devoid of the awe and glory it once had to the shep.
Jack walks over to the railing that lines the sheer drop-off that denotes the edge of Sanctuary. He peers down to the city of Port Arthur miles below as it slowly moves under Sanctuary.
BWEE BWEE
Jack’s ears perk up as the city-wide siren blares. The sound was unmistakable. Jack dashes to a line of parked cabs and gets in the back of one of them.
“Hey! You hear th-” The tiger at the wheel starts asking before getting interrupted by Jack.
“Yes! I need to get to D.A.V.D. HQ immediately, please!” he pulls out his ID badge showing his face and rank, pressing it against the glass partition.
“Woah! Holy crap! OK!” The tiger almost smiles looking quite excited. “Yes, sir!”
The pair speed off into the thick of the city. Jack stares off out the window, as his father’s words creep into his head again.
-” Sanctuary knows”-
After a few minutes into the ride, Jack snaps back to attention when the tiger asks “I tell ya, it’s an honor ta be helpin’ out someone as yerself. How long’ve ya been in the fight?”
“This will be my 5th time out if the locals don’t dispatch it” Jack replies.
“5th time out?! That’s a little greener than I thought the D.A.V.D.’s on Sanctuary were, damn!”
“Heh… well, long story” Jack leans back and nervously rubs his cheek dot.
Roughly 20 minutes later the car screeches to a halt in front of D.A.V.D. HQ, a large building in the center of Sanctuary adorned with a glass-mirrored sphere at the very top.
“You fuggin’ get that Motherjugger alright kid?!” The tiger gives Jack a big thumbs-up and an even bigger smile as the shepherd exits the cab. Jack pushes through several other pilots and researchers rushing into the facility all heeding the call of the alarm blaring through the city.
Jack bursts into the busy locker room. After rushing past several pilots in various degrees of dress he arrives at his locker. With his body suit half on, he spies his partner round the corner. The sergal approaches him, completely suited up in her D.A.V.D. gear and ready for battle.
“You were ten minutes late Jack,” Jolie says coldly. Her single eye calm but at the same time serious.
“Sorry Jol’, I had to hail a cab since the call came out while I was in the city.” The shepherd continues to get geared up as he speaks.
The sergal huffs and picks up his grapple claw, turning it so Jack can slip his paw in. Upon noticing the help, the shepherd shoots her a determined and confident smile.
Jack watches the sergal secure his gear and asks, “So, whatchya know about the new baddie?”
“The reports so far indicate the Juggernaut is about 30 minutes out. It’s a lion this time and apparently, a category two, one pearl on the backside of its paw, the other on its shoulder. Oh! And this one? It can apparently emit lightning from its tail?”
“What?! A category two? Are you sure?” Jack’s ears perk up.
“Yeah, it’s bizarre, a cat two usually can’t do anything like that.” Jolie looks the shepherd up and down with her piercing eye. “So, you were late because you were in the city? Hot date? A little vino?”
Jack finally closes his locker and zips his last zipper up “Jesus Jolie, you’re as bad as my dad. I’m at one-hundred and ten percent, I promise” The shepherd reassures the sergal with a wink and a smirk.
“You better be, kiddo. C’mon.” The sergal responds with a toothy grin.
As the pair exits the locker room the sergal snatches the lit cigarette from a fellow pilot smoking outside.
“HEY!” the calico hollers.
Jolie flicks the butt away ignoring the feline and looks directly at Jack arching an eyebrow.
Jack scoffs, “I ain’t my dad ya worry wort, cool your jets.”
Jolie sniffs him and narrows her eyes at her teammate.
—– 30 minutes later —–
**This is Sanctuary Central Command. Current status: 1st pearl shattered, local forces rendered inoperable. Category 2 juggernaut has been attacking the city for 20 minutes without interference. One pearl remains, located on the left shoulder. Confirmed ability: Lightning from tail with only moderate accuracy.**
“You get all that Jack?” The sergal confirms with Jack over their personal com system.
“Yes, sir!”
Jack and Jolie careen toward the Juggernaut over a mile away. Block after block is utterly destroyed around the gigantic lion. All the pair can see from this distance are the lion’s cream colored torso and enormous golden mane flailing about. The bottom half of the juggernaut is obscured by the dust being kicked up around it as it rampages through downtown. It seems fixated on bashing the buildings on the block it’s on for the moment.
“Damn! He’s a big one. I can see the pearl. That’ll be easy to land on Jol, it’s huge!” Jack says excitedly.
Jolie responds over the com “Hrmm, wait for our turn. Let’s circle him. See what he does to the first wave.”
The duo maintains a distance a quarter mile away as they watch 6 blue streaks fly toward the Juggernaut. The D.A.V.D.’s fly past the massive lion and instantly get its attention. The Juggernaut stops its rampage and follows them with its pupil-less eyes. The D.A.V.D.s turn for another pass, a few streaking past its massive paws as it swipes at them, another pilot connects a hammer blow to its head forcing the Juggernaut to stumble. The lion roars, brings its tail up and a bright light forms at the tail tip. Lightning crackles toward the pilot that just landed a blow, barely missing him and hitting the surrounding buildings.
“Jesus! That shit is no joke!” The white shepherd yells over the thunder into his headset as they fly. Jolie watches as another pair of D.A.V.D.s go in for a strike but pull off at the last minute when the Juggernaut notices their approach.
“Ok, we can do this, it’s distracted. HQ, Team Juliet is going in.” Jolie says calmly.
“Now? Like now, now?” Jack pipes up.
“Yes, now!”
Jack readies his chisel and checks his visor data making sure it’s locked onto the pearl on the lion’s shoulder. He dives toward the rampaging Juggernaut. “Alright! Making an attack run!”
“Following your approach… and please don’t s-“
“BOW WOOOOW” Jack hollers as he barrels toward the beast.
The juggernaut’s gaze is following the last pair of D.A.V.D’s and doesn’t notice Jack’s approach. Jack opens his clawed glove and readies his chisel as he prepares to land on the lion’s pearl.
-“careful pup… sanctuary knows”-
His father’s words suddenly echo in his head again. Jack loses his focus just as he makes contact with the pearl. The white shepherd misses his grapple, hitting the lion’s shoulder and sliding off into the thick mane of the gigantic lion.
“Aborting!” the sergal yells as she changes course suddenly “Jack! You okay?”
Jack is holding on to long tufts of fur as the Juggernaut continues to pursue other D.A.V.Ds. Jack looks up but all he can see is more of the thick fur, he can’t even see the sky. The only sound that isn’t muffled in the forest of fur he landed in is the com system in his helmet.
After an aggravated sigh, Jack utters “Yeah Jol, sorry. I fucked up. I’m O.K.” he reaches to rub his cheek dot but is stopped by his helmet.
**This is Sanctuary Central Command: Juliet’s strike was aborted. Team Sierra prepare for approach **
“They are going in for another approach. I’ve lost track of you, are you clear of the pearl??” Jolie yells.
Jack tries to start his D.A.V.D. gear as he hears his teammate and Central Command in his ears. The Lion’s mane surrounds him on every side and clogs the blue jets from taking form. “Shit um… I will be!”
Jack struggles to navigate away from the pearl, pushing through the long fur as if it were a dense cornfield. Seconds later Jack hears a sharp clang, followed by what sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
“Ha-ha! Yes!” A huge grin grows on the shepherd’s muzzle. His ears perk up and seconds later an earth-shattering sound of breaking glass fills the air. Jack pumps his paws in the air and hollers “bow woooo….” but is quickly cut off when he topples due to the massive beast still moving under him.
“Why is it still there? We got the 2nd pearl! Fan out! Find that other pearl! Jack get out of there, now!” Jolie commands rather sharply over the com. Upon hearing this, Jack puts his ears back and tries firing up his gear again. Just like before the lion’s golden mane envelops him and the gear so tightly the jet trails won’t take form. As the canine pilot struggles to get out of the forest of fur, a sliver of red catches his eye. Between a couple of large tufts of matted fur, he sees a pearl nestled in a small clearing under the thick mane.
“The third pearl! It’s under his mane! I can see it!” Jack yells into his com.
“What? Where? Where are you, Jack?” Jolie responds
“Um… shit! Hell if I know! All I can see is fur and this goddamn pearl!!”
“Alright Jack, I’m circling. I’ll find you!”
Jack pushes through the thick fur and gets on the pearl. The long fur surrounds the red globe, leaving a space large enough for him to walk freely. He slams his claw down and points his arm mounted chisel at the enormous pearl.
“In position! Ready when you are Jol!” The shep yells into his headset.
“I still do not see you, Jack!”
“Hold on!” Jack looks up and only sees a tiny bit of sky above him through the thick canopy. He puts his ears back and emits a muffled “wrff” as he looks around for anything to indicate where he is. All Jack can see is fur bouncing about as the monster lumbers around no doubt destroying more of the city.
“Just fly out Jack! We can land again after you show us where the pearl is!” Jolie shrieks over the comm.
“Ghhh Goddamnit… OK!” Jack reluctantly kicks on his D.A.V.D. gear to notice that the flame trails are blowing back the mane. “Holy shit! Check this out Jol! Can ya see me now?!”
The large blue flame trails weave out of the lion’s mane. “You’re on the back of the neck! I’m comin’ pup!”
Jack sports a huge grin after hearing his comrade. He turns up the D.A.V.D gear to full throttle, blowing the mane back even more and exposing the hidden pearl. With the D.A.V.D gear at full throttle but nowhere to go, the force tears at the shepherd’s armor, ripping it to shreds off his body.
Jack yells as his clawed hand slowly falls apart and loses its grip, his other arm shaking and barely managing to keep the chisel aimed at the pearl.
CRACK
Seconds later, Jack is falling through black ash, gear gone, armored suit in tatters. Dazed and clutching his arm that had the chisel mounted to it only moments ago, he sees a familiar blue streak coming toward him.
His partner scoops him up and lands on one of the few buildings not destroyed by the Juggernaut. Jolie props him up against a chimney.
The sergal pulls off her helmet and cradles the shepherds muzzle in her paws. “Jack…are you ok?”
“I.. heh… I can’t believe that worked” Jack’s says all loopy like and then winces as he reaches up for his partner.
“Are you okay!?” The sergal repeats, her piercing eye darts around her wounded teammate.
Jack gives a pained slight smirk and raises his obviously broken paw droopily, “Yeah… although I think you could work on your hammer swing there Jol.”
Jolie doesn’t respond but sighs and looks at him with an expression that can only be described as a mixture of annoyance and relief. Jack leans forward suddenly and hugs the sergal, wincing as he moves his arm. “Thanks, Cheesehead.”
Jolie, caught by surprise is tense at first but then hugs back.
Jack looks over Jolie’s shoulder during the embrace. The city is devastated, brightly colored police beacons and pillars of smoke dot the landscape amid the endless rubble.
“Jol?” Jack leans back and looks the sergal in the eye.
“Hm?”
“How can Sanctuary let something like this happen? It took us an hour to get here and I mean just look.”
“Oh… he told you about that, huh?”
“You” Jack coughs, “You knew? How… I mean, why still fight?”
“What other choice do we have?”
Shiuk
