World of Paws: Balance of Heroes

Joining the Team!

The scene changes to a multitude of furries in the military base located ten miles outside of Coastal City. Aubrey is slowly eating the fairly portioned dinner provided by the UAA forces.
Aubrey: (sighs)
Veronica: "Aubrey? Are you okay sweetheart? You haven't eaten much, sweetie."
Aubrey: "Sorry Momma, I can't help but think of Sherman. What might be... happening out there."
Veronica: "You really care about him. Don't you?"
Aubrey: "It's more than that. Mommy, I love him, and I want to help him and his father on their mission to save others."
Veronica: "Honey..."
Aubrey: "You and Dad taught me that one with a pure heart is obligated to help. Well, I am a furry with a good heart and I wanna protect the one I love most."
Veronica: "You know you can't go off out there by yourself."
Aubrey: "Why not?"
Veronica: "Your father and I would be worried out of our minds if you got hurt."
Aubrey: "Please? Mommy, I am brave enough to fight."
Veronica: "No, Aubrey. You can't."
Aubrey: "But..."
Veronica: "No buts young lady."
Dasun: "Brought some more salads from the buffet area, but it won't last forever. Some of the soldiers are little overzealous when it comes to eating their fill. So... what are you two talking about?"
The rabbit man asks.
Veronica: "Dasun. Darling. Aubrey wants to leave and help Sherman."
Dasun: "What? No daughter of mine is going out there alone."
Aubrey: "My boyfriend is out there helping his father bring peace on a spiritual level. Yet all we do is sit here and hope for the best to happen!"
Dasun: "Don't raise your voice at me, Aubrey. Ever!"
Aubrey angrily walks back to her family's designated room with her dinner.
Aubrey: "I will show them that I can be a hero too. Or should I say... heroine. Heroine, Aubrey. Has a nice ring to it. But, I'll need a disguise for myself."
She looks at an old dusty helmet in the corner.
Aubrey: "It looks like one of those UA helmets. Hmm... I just need to find a very small sized uniform."
She looks outside of her quarters and notices a dwarf-sized soldier walking into a room that says 'Personnel Only.'
Aubrey: "That will work."
Minutes later, her parents return and comfort her.
Dasun: "Aubrey? Look at us. Just for a moment."
Aubrey: "Yes, Dad?"
Dasun: "Me and your mother are doing this for your own safety. This base situation is only temporary until the Task Force deems it safe to return. Understood?"
Aubrey: "Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry I yelled.
Dasun: "I'm sorry too. Believe me if you could go I would let you, but that means I failed a parent."
Aubrey: "I know. It's just so hard, feeling like I can't do anything to stop the enemy."
Veronica: "Mmmwwah. Listen, your life is precious. Please don't try leaving until we hear good news about home. Understood?"
Aubrey pouts and turns away from them and cries silently to herself. Later, at 11:00pm, Aubrey wakes up and grabs the helmet.
Aubrey: "Now to wash this helmet and snag a small sized uniform."
Aubrey scrubs the helmet until it's shiny and sneaks into the UAA's main locker room. She grabs an small size uniform and puts it on cautiously.
Aubrey: "Wow, this kinda looks fashionable. Hehehe. No, no, focus girl. It's time to go help your Shermie and stop that monster's army."
She manages to find a map and sneaks out of the building. Then Aubrey avoids the view of any soldiers on night patrol.
UAA Cadet 1: "Can't believe we stuck on the night shift while everyone gets to sleep. Ugh! I mean come on, those gangsters would have to be insane attempting an attack in the middle of the night."
UAA Cadet 2: "Yeah I hear you. These late shifts suck. I mean General Bayo and the lieutenants never do night shifts."
A bush rustles from outside the base perimeter.
UAA Cadet 1: "What was that?"
UAA Cadet 2: "Let's go check it out."
They raise their issued assault rifles and surround the bush that moved, only to find wild weasel scrounging in a hole.
UAA Cadet 2: "Ehh, nothing. It's just a wild one. Come on, let's go back on patrol."
UAA Cadet 1: "Yeah, got it."
Aubrey carries her lucky backpack and sneaks away to an open road leading in two directions.
Aubrey: "Okay, Arkson City here we go. I'm coming for you Sherman."
......Meanwhile in Arkson City.....
Jackson and Sherman reach the city, only to see most of it completely overrun by the Akosi Mob.
Sherman: "Uhm... Dad? What do we do now?"
Jackson: "Get some rest and stay hidden."
Sherman: "Then what?"
Jackson: "We diffuse the bombs at first light. Now get some sleep, son. You'll need all your energy for tomorrow."
Sherman: "Okay, Dad. Night."
Jackson stays up for one more hour before falling asleep himself.
Two and a half hours later, Sherman wakes up hears a small knock on the backseat door. He sees the strange but familiar figure with his exceptional night vision. Sherman then quietly opens the door.
Sherman: "Aubrey? Is that you?"
Aubrey: "Yes, Shermie. It's me."
She smiles at him even though she can barely see him in the darkness.
Sherman: "Why are you here? I thought you escaped during the evacuation with everyone else."
Aubrey: "I did. But... I want to help you. Do what you do and protect others."
They hear Jackson, shift in his slumber. Thus, making them lower their voices to a hushed whisper.
Sherman: "This is going to be a dangerous mission, Aubs. I can't see you get caught in someone's crosshairs."
Aubrey: "Sherman, please... I can fight too."
Sherman: "I'll figure out a way for you to help in the morning, but it takes more than an outfit and a helmet to fight enemies with power that matches mine and my Dad's. Okay?"
Aubrey: "I understand. Can I please stay with you, Shermie? Please...?"
Sherman: "I'll lead you inside the vehicle, but we need to be quiet."
Sherman takes Aubrey's left paw and slowly closes the car door behind her.
Aubrey: "It's locked right?"
Sherman: "Yeah, it's locked. Now let's get some sleep. It's 1:00am in the morning."
Aubrey: "Wait... can we uhm... cuddle? It's a bit chilly in here."
Sherman: "Come here."
They stay close to one another, sharing body heat to keep warm.
Aubrey: "Night, Shermie."
Sherman: "Goodnight."
Around 7:20am, Aubrey wakes up first to the rising sun and hears Sherman talking about her in his sleep. This makes her giggle and curiosity compels her to rouse him from his slumber.
Aubrey: "Shermie? Wake up. It's mission time."
Sherman: "You mean it's mission time for me and my Dad mostly. You need to stay hidden when things get too intense."
Aubrey: "I thought about what you said and I am going by what you told me years ago. Our team sticks together, regardless."
She inches closer and lays a passionate kiss on his lips.
Aubrey: (smiles) "Mwah! I love you and my heart is telling me to do what I think is right. That means having your back every step of the way."
Sherman: (sighs) "Okay, fine. But you are going to need something to defend yourself."
Aubrey: "Like a dart gun?"
Sherman: "Good thinking, but you might want to start with something less like a gun. Here's a little something my Dad gave me before we left Coastal City."
Aubrey: "Is this a taser?"
Sherman: "It's not just any taser, this is a modified version that can zap anyone from five meters away. Just press this button to activate it. Okay?"
Aubrey: "Thank you, Shermie."
Sherman: "You're welcome, Aubs."
The pair stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Jackson wakes up.
Jackson: "Ahem! Sherman? Why is she here?"
Sherman: "Dad, I can explain this. Aubrey is here because she wants to help us fight against Vakatarus' army. And... she was worried about me."
Jackson: "We're taking you back."
Aubrey: "Wait! Mr. Tontione! Please... I only wanted to be with Sherman while this goes down. I can protect him too."
Sherman: "Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, right?"
Moments later, Jackson changes his decision.
Jackson: "Hmm... fine. But if you slow us down. I am taking you back to the base. Understood?"
Aubrey: "Yes, sir. I promise I won't do anything to jeopardize this mission."
Jackson: "Good. First we have to sneak in find out where the Akosi are hiding the bombs."
Sherman: "What about those the patrols over there, Dad? They look like they are further from those larger groups."
Jackson: "Easier said than done. We'll need to go in on foot. Daravis, activate vehicle cloak mode."
Daravis AI Voice: "Cloak mode online."
The three get past several patrols and find a two Akosi mobsters shooting at windows for fun.
Akosi Mobster 1: "Haha! Good o'l target practice!"
Akosi Mobster 2: "Check to see if there's any stragglers."
Akosi Mobster 1: "Got it. Oh well, well, well. Looks like we got a big sacrifice today. Hehehe!"
Akosi Mobster 2: "I'm gonna enjoy this."
Elephant Furry: "Listen, we just want to leave. There's no need for anyone to get hurt here."
Akosi Mobster 1: "True. But..."
He smacks the elephant furry trunk and bops him in the stomach.
Elephant Furry: "Someone help!"
Akosi Mobster 2: "Yell all you want, fatso. Ain't no one coming here. Hit him again. It will kill some time until the bombs go off and light the those buildings sky high."
Elephant Furry: "No, stop!"
The elephant furry grabs one of them and throws him against the wall with his trunk.
Akosi Mobster 2: "Oh you're going to pay for that."
He begins to conjure dark energy from his paw tips and throws a blast at him. The elephant furry shouts, writhing with intense pain.
Akosi Mobster 2: "Say goodnight, Jumbo."
Just before the mobster was about to fire another dark energy blast; Jackson uses his energy shield to block the crook's move."
Akosi Mobster 2: "The so-called Shadow Dhole and his sidekick in one day? Hahaha! I'll be rewarded big time for this. Haa... Yaah!"
Jackson avoids the mobster's attack and knocks him flat.
Jackson: "Phew! Sherman! Patch the civilian up."
Sherman: "I got him, Dad."
Jackson: "Aubrey... make sure this guy's cohort stays down."
Aubrey uses the modded taser on the unconscious mobster.
Aubrey: "Still knocked out, Mr. Tontione."
Jackson: "Good. Now we can question this fool. See what he knows about the bomb locations."
Jackson pulls the second one against the wall slaps him awake.
Akosi Mobster 2: "What the...? Oh, it's you again."
Jackson: "Where are the bombs located?"
Akosi Mobster 2: "You think I'm going to tell you? Fat chance, dhole."
Jackson: "Okay, then."
Jackson punches the goon in the face and levitates him against the wall with his spirit power.
Jackson: "Feel like to talking now?"
He yells at him forcefully.
Akosi Mobster 2: "Okay, okay, stop. The bomb locations are... located in five places. The Mayor's Office, the Federal Courthouse, the Museum of Natural History, the WIA, and the Animalia Embassy."
Jackson: "You're hiding something else."
Akosi Mobster 2: "Grr... fine. We took some hostages too. Hehehe! But you'll never disarm them all. Not in time anyway. Hehehe!"
Jackson takes his phone and uses a hacking device to unlock it; revealing all the bomb locations and the distance between each building.
Elephant Furry: "Thank you. I thought that the it was over for me."
Sherman: "You're welcome. I would lay low for while."
Elephant Furry: "Good idea. Best of luck out there."
He barricades himself in the restroom close by.

Authors Note: "Get ready for the next chapter y'all, things may get heavy!"