Genesis
by Cyberwulfe

If outer space had air, the rumbling from Cyberwulfe's raging energy waves would have been carried for lightyears. He had been locked in combat for over half an hour and had totally ravaged his body to achieve a fighting power level that was almost godlike. With his body destroyed, the wolf floated in space as a being of pure energy, the flames of his energy shroud rippling out in waves as they churned around him. His fighting power had stopped close to twelve billion, and he was preparing to fire a massive blast of destruction towards the enemy he was fighting. The enemy was also made of pure energy, red in colour, and personified the rage and hate and pain that Cyberwulfe had carried inside himself for many years.

Cyberwulfe's trainer and best friend, RazorWolf, hovered nearby. His arm was up in front of his face, protecting him from the waves of energy that shot out from Cyberwulfe as he prepared to attack. Razor had been training Cyberwulfe for just over a year, but he never knew that the wolf had such a massive fighting power hidden deep inside him. Razor was both proud and scared. Proud that his pupil had achieved such a high level, and scared because his pupil was about to sacrifice his life in order to save the galaxy from his rage and hate.

The blue glowing form that made up Cyberwulfe's power turned towards RazorWolf for the last time," You're going to wish me back to life, right?"

"Of course I will. As soon as you're done with him," Razor nodded.

The two wolves had been fighting desperately against Hate for over an hour, when finally Cyberwulfe transformed and turned into an entity of pure energy. On par with Hate the two fought until finally Hate was reduced to a fraction of his once mighty power. Now Cyberwulfe was willing to channel all of his energy into a single blast that would destroy Hate and also kill himself. With the reassurance that his friend would bring him back to life, Cyberwulfe turned back towards Hate.

"Take care my friend," Razor whispered softly as he phase shifted through dimensions.

Hate had taken over Cyberwulfe's body and destroyed several cities while trying to get RazorWolf to fight him. RazorWolf transported all living things on Earth to another dimension and then destroyed Earth himself, leaving Hate with nothing but dead space to fight in. Hate finally exploded from Cyberwulfe's organic body, but Cyberwulfe's spirit entered Razor's mind and the wolf split in two to give Cyberwulfe a body again. Now RazorWolf phased to the dimension and awaited Cyberwulfe's final attack.

"Alright, Hate," Cyber began," You've had control over my life for long enough. Now I will finally be rid of you."

"Take your best shot. At least I'll know I took you down with me," Hate hissed back, his voice deep and maniacal.

Cyberwulfe raised his arm and aimed it at Hate. Energy crackled and hissed at the tips of his fingers, which changed colour to a bright purple colour. His entire body emanated this glowing radiance as Cyberwulfe prepared to fire his deadly blast. Hate floated not too far away, as if he didn't care that he was about to be put out of existence. Cyberwulfe looked around once more at the galaxy. He looked at life. He'd only be dead a short time, but he already missed being alive. But it had to be done, or else Hate would surely ravage the galaxy.

He fired his beam. It shot out as a bright purple beam of solid energy, but soon widened to a large spray of violent destruction. Hate caught the beam on his chest and screamed as it tore through him. Cyberwulfe poured more and more of his power into the blast, feeling his own body fall apart as his energy was drained with each second of the blast. Soon Cyberwulfe screamed out loud and dumped all of his energy into the blast. With a loud screech, Hate fell apart and was totally disintegrated. At the same time, Cyberwulfe's body burned to a bright orange colour and exploded in a tremendous super nova. The waves of energy annihilated Hate's leftover limbs and shot out through the galaxy, crashing through planets and moons, wreaking massive destruction. When the waves disappeared into the inky blackness of space nothing remained but some tiny bits of debris.

Moments passed, when a tiny speck of light flashed and RazorWolf appeared. He surveyed the area, looking for any possible sign that Cyberwulfe was still alive. But he knew, even before Cyberwulfe told him he was going to give his life, that there was no way for Cyberwulfe to regain his organic body after destroying it and becoming an energy wolf. RazorWolf sighed as a warm tear ran down his cheek. But he sniffed back his tears and reached into a pouch that he now carried with him. Inside the pouch were the magical Black Star Dragon Balls. These Dragon Balls were more powerful than the Earth's Dragon Balls, for they could grant any possible wish. The power of this dragon was almost unlimited. RazorWolf could have easily wished Cyberwulfe back to life, but in this case he'd have to restore the damage done in the battle as well.

RazorWolf summoned the dragon, and as it floated before him he asked him to grant his wish.

"I wish for you to bring Cyberwulfe back from the dead, let Hate burn in hell for all eternity, and restore the galaxy once again to a state it was in before Hate arrived," RazorWolf hoped his combination of several wishes would work.

"Your wish shall be granted," the dragon growled.

The Dragon Balls grouped together, rotating slowly as they floated above RazorWolf's head and then suddenly shot off to the far ends of the galaxy. Before RazorWolf's eyes the galaxy began to come back together. Planets reappeared. The Earth took shape as the white clouds covered the shining blue orb that RazorWolf called home. Soon the galaxy was back together. But where was Cyberwulfe? Panicking, RazorWolf shot towards Earth and quickly found Cyberwulfe's house. Running into the house he searched every room and found Cyberwulfe asleep in bed. Razor sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, softly stroking through the sleeping wolf's long black hair. Cyberwulfe stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes.

"Razor?" he blinked and yawned," What are you doing here?"

"Just coming to see you," Razor replied, thinking," He probably doesn't know what happened at all."

"Well it's a welcome surprise," Cyber sat up and yawned. Under the blankets he was completely naked, but didn't mind Razor seeing him this way. The two wolves were both gay, and close friends.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty much like a rock, except..." Cyber trailed off.

"What is it?"

"I had a nightmare. I was fighting someone and they beat me. Then I tried to fight him again and he just laughed and kicked me down. Then you came along and kicked his ass," Cyber looked away from Razor," You're so damn strong, Razor. I know you have trained me well but I know I'll never be as strong as you are."

RazorWolf just smiled and placed a paw on his friend's shoulder," Cyberwulfe, you are my friend. You are my best pupil. Of course you are not as strong as I am, but that is because you are just coming along with your training. Your fighting power is only one million, but I know that deep down inside you is an enormous fighting power. One day you'll find a way to unlock your potential."

Cyber smiled," Oh Razor, thank you," he hugged his white furred friend tightly," You always find ways to make me feel better. Do you really think I'll become powerful?"

"Yes of course I do. One day you will surpass all of us."

RazorWolf just smiled warmly as he hugged his friend, keeping the secret from him. One day Cyberwulfe would become a powerful fighter, but until then there were many days of training ahead. Many battles to be fought. But right now, everything was at peace.

"Come on, Cyber," Razor called as he leapt through the air," You're not trying hard enough!"

"Can we take a break," Cyberwulfe flew up in front of Razor, face stained with blood," I need to take five minutes."

"Alright fine," Razor landed on the ground and charged down his power level. The flames bursting around him disappeared and he stood calmly, watching Cyberwulfe.

The wounded gray wolf landed softly and stumbled to his knees, panting heavily. Finally he gained his breath and stood slowly. He limped over to a small table that held a jug of water and two glasses. One was completely dry while the other was wet from Cyber's other breaks. RazorWolf was a hard trainer to fight under, but his lessons were justified. Razor, his white fur blowing in the breeze, approached. In his training ground, a clear field littered with large rocks and other debris, he had trained many fighters. Cyberwulfe was his newest pupil, having been discovered just over a year ago. Early in his training, Cyberwulfe won a match against a wolf named Mirage, who was actually a morphing dragon. When the battle was over, Cyberwulfe finished with a fighting power of four-hundred twenty thousand. Now Cyberwulfe had a power level of just over one million.

"I can't keep going easy on you, Cyber," RazorWolf finally filled his own glass," You can't call time out during a serious fight."

"I know," Cyber took a sip," But you work me so hard, Razor. I know you want me to become strong, but do you really have to beat me down?"

Razor sighed," Cyber, I care about you. If I were to leave and you were here alone, and suddenly someone strong came alone, I don't know how I'd take having you get killed. I'd blame myself for not being hard enough on you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, master," Cyber looked at his feet.

"Alright. Well I suppose that's enough for today. Take tomorrow off and we'll see you on Friday," Razor smiled a little.

"Thank you!" Cyber exclaimed and then shot through the air on his way home.

RazorWolf sighed and walked out of his training ground. He loved the planet Earth and all living things. But he knew that he would leave soon on a quest that would take him far away from the planet he loved. The Black Star Dragon Balls were not only special, but deadly. Razor hadn't thought of the consequences of using them until afterwards, but now he regretted his actions. Once the Dragon Balls were used and spread all over the galaxy, they must be collected and brought to God's lookout tower on Earth within one year. After the year passed the Earth would explode. It had been two weeks, and RazorWolf's ship, the Forever, was almost ready for flight. He would leave Cyberwulfe to train by himself as he traveled the galaxy in search of the Dragon Balls, then come back once he was done. At the very least he'd be gone for eleven months, but just thinking about leaving made him sad.

He loved Cyberwulfe very much. Unfortunately Cyberwulfe was currently mated to a beautiful brown wolf, making him unavailable. Razor hid his feelings inside, choosing to continue as Cyberwulfe's friend and trainer But if the opportunity ever arose he would certainly propose to Cyberwulfe. But that would have to wait for a year at least. His spaceship, the Forever, was being prepared for takeoff in just a few days. He'd be gone, and Cyberwulfe would be left alone to train, but Razor hoped to return to find his pupil as a powerful warrior.

RazorWolf sighed and flew off towards his home.

The sun rose the next day and woke Cyberwulfe, who was sleeping in his bed at home. His muscles ached from training the previous day and he stumbled to the bathroom to take a long hot soothing bath. As the water ran, Cyber thought about RazorWolf and his own fighting power. RazorWolf had a fighting power close to sixty million, which was why it was hard to fight him during training. Cyber's power was a mere one million, but he often dreamed of the day he'd be powerful enough to defeat Razor during a sparring match. Razor had never beaten him up too horribly, and had respected his wishes to call it quits when he was done.

"At least Chris can give me a nice massage later," Cyber smiled, thinking of his mate.

The two wolves lived separately, but not too far apart. They had been together for almost a year now, and Cyberwulfe was sure they shared something special. He'd never been in a relationship before, but the fact that Chris had been with many other males didn't bother him. Chris had been hired at a new job lately and was often out of town on business, but this week he was in town. He'd been getting rather distant and acting strangely towards Cyberwulfe, but Cyber knew that the new job was probably stressing out his lover and he'd be happy to have some time at home. With him. He cherished the time they spent together, which was becoming less and less as time went by.

Cyber slid out of his pajamas and filled the tub with hot water. Testing the temperature with his foot he eventually dipped into the tub and sighed happily as he sank into the hot water. Resting his arms over the edge of the tub he hummed a cheery love song and relaxed. He had a whole day off to recover before his next training session and he wanted to take Chris out to a nice restaurant and then maybe back to his place for a movie and a nice intimate night together. Cyber murred softly at the thought of holding his lover and scritched his own chest. He didn't consider himself a very attractive fur, being a simple gray wolf with no special or distinctive markings. But Chris was a beautiful brown and tawny wolf. A patchwork quilt of mixed colours and tones, with a black tip on his tail and a cute white muzzle. The cherry on top was his radiant blue eyes. But there must have been something special about Cyberwulfe or Chris never would have asked him to be his mate. Cyber was very flattered and happily accepted. But that was many months ago.

Cyberwulfe reached back and massaged his neck, kneading out a few kinks. He tilted his head to each side, cracking the vertebrae and relaxing as the kinks disappeared. His neck was no longer sore. After another forty minutes in the tub, Cyberwulfe toweled off and dressed himself in his usual assortment of clothes. He wore a pair of dark gray baggy khaki pants with a gray t-shirt. He slipped a pair of brown leather sandals on his feet as he left his house, locking the door behind him. Cyber was happy, and he had to resist the urge to skip down the street toward his boyfriend's house. Finally the white house with green trim appeared in his range of sight, and he exploded down the street, sending a cloud of dust up behind him. Stopping to catch his breath, Cyber then climbed the steps and knocked on the door. Several moments passed before Chris' familiar shape appeared behind the frosted window in the front door. It opened.

"Oh, hi Cyber," Chris smiled.

"It's beautiful today, isn't it?" Cyber glanced at the sky and then back at his mate.

"Yeah. Got anything planned for the day?"

"Just some things with you, hon," Cyberwulfe smiled.

Chris visibly blushed," I don't deserve such attention."

"Of course you do. Now get your things, lunch is on me."

The two wolves sat munching on a pizza outside a downtown restaurant. Each wolf had a chocolate milk shake, with Chris enjoying a side-order salad. Cyberwulfe had taken Chris here many times. They both enjoyed the food here and when the weather was nice the restaurant's patio was the perfect place to share a lunch together. They often talked about their lives together, and lately Chris had filled Cyber in on the details of his job. But today he was less talkative than usual.

"So, I see RazorWolf's been giving you the once over, huh?" Chris ran a paw along Cyber's face.

"Yeah. He's hard on me sometimes but I can take it," Cyber winced as Chris' paw ran across a scab.

"You know you can quit any time you want to. You don't owe him anything. I like you the way you are and you don't need to become the most powerful person in the galaxy."

"I know. It's a competition thing I suppose. Before I met you I had always tried hard to become as strong as Razor, and I'm still obsessed with making him eat my fist for once," Cyber smiled," But I suppose now that I'm getting ready to settle down with you I don't need to worry about getting stronger. I'm strong enough right now."

"Yeah. It's nice to have someone like you around," Chris smiled a little and took another bite of his pizza slice. He picked up a fork and poked at his salad.

"Is something wrong, Chris?" Cyber prodded," You seem kinda quiet today."

"No. Nothing wrong, really. I'm just a little depressed," Chris stabbed his salad with the fork.

"Is your job going well? Is it anything I've done?" Cyber kept prodding.

Chris closed his eyes for a long time and then looked up sadly at Cyberwulfe. A tear ran down his face and he visibly shuddered. Dropping the fork, Chris reached for Cyber's paw and gripped it tightly.

"My job is going well, hon. So well in fact that they want to transfer me to another location. Far away. All expenses paid, and they'll even get me settled into a house until I earn some money," Chris sobbed as he explained the situation.

"Oh hon, that's nothing to cry about. I'm glad they have such trust in you," Cyber smiled, but he somehow knew where Chris was going with this.

"They're transferring me to Dallas, hon. I don't think I can stay with you after I move. I'm so sorry, I accepted the damn position. I didn't think... not until afterwards," Chris gripped Cyber's paw with both paws now, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Oh..." was all Cyber was able to say," So you want to break up with me?"

"I'm so sorry, dear. I love you so much. It's just that... I don't think things can work out this way. The time we had together was so special to me, and I will miss you terribly," Chris was openly crying now.

"It's aright, hon. I understand. And I feel the same way about you. You're very special to me," Cyber fought hard to keep back the tears," But we'll still be friends, right?"

"Always. I don't ever want to lose you completely. I'll write to you from Dallas if you'd like?" Chris smiled a little bit, sniffing back his tears.

"Yes. I'd like that very much, hon."

The two sat silently for several moments, not looking at one another. Cyberwulfe stared down at the pizza where only three slices remained. The fork, lettuce impaled upon it, lay over the edge of the bowl. Dressing dripped down its shaft and onto the table. Finally Cyberwulfe picked it up and lay it gently in the bowl.

"You dropped your fork," he said.

Chris chuckled and sobbed," Thanks. I'll get a napkin for that."

He slowly mopped up the small puddle of dressing with his napkin and crumpled the paper into a small ball before tossing it onto the table. Their eyes met, and Cyber could see that Chris' were red from crying. His own face reflected sadness and pain, but the tears never came. He was hurting inside, but something in his personality never allowed him to cry, even during the most painful moments in his life. He just smiled a little and rubbed Chris' paw gently.

"May I walk you home?" he asked softly.

"Please," Chris smiled back, wiping his eyes and dropping a few dollars on the table.

The two left the restaurant, walking down the street and holding paws for the last time. When they got back to Chris' house, Cyber kissed his friend on the cheek before turning and walking away, hanging his head down. Once he got home he kicked off his sandals, stripped down to his underwear, and flopped onto his bed. The tears still didn't come. He lay there hugging his pillow, just thinking about Chris. The face he once enjoyed seeing almost every day was now foggy. A blurred memory in his head. It seemed as if everything they ever did together was a dream, as if it never happened. Eventually Cyberwulfe fell asleep, naked, hugging his pillow. It was a cold lonely night.

As promised, Cyberwulfe showed up in the morning to train with RazorWolf. It had been a long night and he hadn't slept very well. But despite his tired state of mind he showed up for practice. He hadn't bothered to shower or dress properly, simply pulling on the clothes he had worn the previous day. He didn't care. He walked into the training ground and waited as RazorWolf approached.

"Good morning," he said, cheerily," I hope you enjoyed your day of rest. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Ready for today's training?"

"Oh God, Razor," Cyber thought," Shut the fuck up."

Cyber just nodded his head and followed Razor out into the middle of the training ground. They practiced for a few hours while creating larger and larger energy balls. Razor trained Cyberwulfe how to control the flow and direction of his attacks even after they had left his paw. Cyber's energy balls flew off in odd directions but he was starting to catch on to what he was being taught. Slowly.

After a quick break and some food they began sparring. Cyberwulfe, not feeling completely alright mentally, wasn't doing his best physically either. RazorWolf easily broke through his defenses of light blocks and maneuvering, laying blow after blow to punish the slower wolf. As the intensity of their sparring increased, the blows became harder. Finally RazorWolf hit Cyber hard from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. Cyber lay in a small crater, curled up into a ball. He didn't want to fight anymore. RazorWolf floated down from the air and approached the crater.

"Cyberwulfe, you're not even trying today. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Cyber sat up and rubbed his chin," I'm fine. Let's go again."

"Something is wrong. I'm not even fighting at five-hundred thousand. You should be wiping the floor with me. Tell me?"

Cyber just looked away. He wanted to leave. He wanted to run away and never come back. Chris was gone, he was too weak to fight anymore, and his dream of beating RazorWolf didn't seem so important anymore. He ran. After running for about a minute he was stopped by RazorWolf as the white wolf flew in front of him and caught him.

"Please tell me what's wrong?" Razor asked.

"Get away!" Cyber swung his fist and caught Razor solidly on the jaw. The white wolf flew into a tree and slumped to the ground," Oh God!" Cyber began crying and just ran even further.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Razor grabbed Cyberwulfe and pushed him down.

After picking Cyberwulfe up and brushing him off, Razor looked at him sternly. Cyber had stopped crying but kept his eyes averted from him. He was dirty and ragged and smelled like he'd slept for three days in the same set of clothes. His usually clean and shimmering fur was dirty and oily from needed washing.

"Now tell me why you're crying and why you hit me," Razor finally said," I'm not letting you run anymore."

Cyber looked up at him finally, tears welling in his eyes as he fell upon Razor and started bawling, the tears from the previous night finally flowing like rivers from his eyes as he held Razor tightly and cried. Razor smiled and little and held Cyberwulfe tightly, rubbing his back softly as he comforted his friend.

"Chris and I broke up," Cyber said in between sobs.

Razor's eyes widened," Oh no, Cyber. I'm so sorry about that."

He gripped the shuddering wolf tighter, scritching his claws along his back and nuzzling his cheek. Cyber just held him close, crying and sobbing, his shaking body rocking RazorWolf as well.

"He's being transferred to Dallas and there's no way we could maintain the relationship like that. So we broke up. He's gone, Raze. Chris is gone," Cyber sobbed again, gripping Razor even tighter now.

"Now now, there. It's okay. Maybe things weren't meant to be. I've told you about my past mates. One of them was with me for three years before we broke up," Razor tried to comfort Cyber," Maybe Chris just wasn't the wolf for you?"

"Chris was perfect. I don't think I could ever be with anyone else."

"I know. I think that way sometimes too. But I always found someone else," Razor replied.

"It's not fair. We had all these special plans. How could he accept that job? I hate him for it now! I just hate him so damn much!"

"Shh," Razor rubbed the back of Cyberwulfe's head," Don't blame him. He had a wonderful opportunity and he took it. Can you honestly say you'd pass by something like that?"

"Yes I would. I wanted to stay with him forever," Cyber sobbed.

"I know you did. Just calm down a little, okay?"

Cyber nodded softly and let go of Razor. He sniffled a little and looked up into Razor's blue eyes. His white fur was wet from Cyberwulfe's tears, as was his red tunic. But Razor didn't seem to mind. He had a sad friend to take care of.

"Forget training for today. How about you and I spend a lazy day together. We can cover some theory if you'd like, but no more physical training, okay?" Razor smiled a little, rubbing the tears from Cyber's face.

"Alright. I just want to get my mind off things for a while, okay?" Cyber sniffed and nodded.

"Sure thing. Let's go back to my house then."

The two wolves flew off to Razor's house. It was a large dome shaped hut on the outskirts of town. it kept Razor close to nature, but also close to his friends in the city. Behind the small house was a large building that housed some of his important training gear as well as his ship, the Forever. Cyberwulfe and RazorWolf had built two identical ships, and named them Always and Forever. Something they hoped their friendship would always be. Both were small star cruisers. They were built around a large gravity training room that had the ability to create an environment that simulated one-thousand times Earth's normal gravity. This room was the size of a tennis court. The rest of the ship was accommodations. Four bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen, plus bathrooms.

The back end of the ship was mostly engines with a small weapon's cluster. It was extremely fast for a ship of it's designation, but was also weakly shielded and armoured. The ship relied on speed for protection. It also had a vast array of electronic countermeasures. Sensor jamming, communications, scramblers, plus many other electronic devices. Razor had been trying to develop a stealth shield with no luck. For protection the ship was armed with several particle disruptors, forward and aft firing, as well as three proton torpedo launchers. The ship could also carry several types of anti-starfighter missiles. Cyberwulfe's ship, the Always, was slightly smaller. Both were painted white with a black wolf decal running along both sides of the ship.

Cyberwulfe smiled a little. RazorWolf's home was rather fun. It smelled nice all the time and there were many things to do while they were there. Razor often held parties and dances, and Cyberwulfe loved to dance to loud music. But today all he wanted to do was sit around and eat something. He was feeling very sad and hungry. RazorWolf happily provided some munchies for him to snack on, but as soon as he started eating his hunger disappeared. He hung his head with his paws in his lap and sighed deeply, shuddering.

"Come on, Cyber," RazorWolf whined softly," Don't take it so hard. Shit happens. I don't like seeing you sad like this."

"I'll go home then. I won't bother you anymore," Cyber mumbled sadly.

"That's not what I meant. It hurts me more than you know."

"Why? I'm not that special, Razor. But thank you. I know it hurts now but I'll start to feel better soon. At least Chris and I are still friends."

"And I'll always be your friend. I'll always be here for you," Razor smiled.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know why you put up with a wolf like me."

Razor considered expressing his feelings towards Cyberwulfe, but at the moment it would have been a bad idea. He chose a more subtle topic," Because I want to see you reach your full potential. One day you'll be stronger than me. I want to be there when it happens. Maybe even side by side in the heat of battle."

"Yeah. One day I might, but for now I don't care about that anymore. It's not that important," Cyber fumbled with his fingers.

Razor knew how much Chris meant to Cyberwulfe, but he didn't think it would get this bad. Cyber didn't want to train anymore? He hoped it would be better in a few days and they could get back to sparring, but at the moment Razor didn't want to press Cyberwulfe any further.

"That's fine. But please don't forget your lessons. You can work at your own pace now, I won't force you. Okay?" Razor smiled.

"Alright. Maybe we can start again a little later. Right now I'm kinda bummed."

"Of course. Under the circumstances you deserve a break. I'll be around if you need me, but for now just take it easy," Razor rested a paw on his friend's shoulder," And I have sensed a great power inside you. One day you will surpass us all my friend."

Cyber just hugged RazorWolf tightly, scritching his back. Looking at a clock on the wall, Cyber saw that it was much later than he thought. He decided to bid farewell to Razor and head home. After giving RazorWolf another hug before leaving, Cyberwulfe soared into the sky and off to home, feeling somewhat better but still lonely.

Cyberwulfe enjoyed the next two days off from training. He did a little drawing and painting around the house, sketching anything he found. Nothing seemed to take his mind off Chris, for everything in the house was something Chris had touched at one point or another. The gifts Chris had bought him were carefully packed away in boxes and put in the attic. It wasn't that Cyberwulfe didn't want them anymore, just that seeing them was painful. He promised himself to take them out again after he was feeling better.

He also cleaned his house. For the first time in a long time he scrubbed down every inch of the place. He even dusted the furniture and washed the ceilings. Cleaning took all day, but when he was done he felt satisfied knowing he'd spent almost an entire day without thinking about Chris. It seemed that only when he was sitting alone and not keeping busy when Chris crept into his mind. Once the job was done and the cleaning utensils put away, Cyberwulfe sat outside on the front porch with a cola and enjoyed the cool evening air. For the first time in the past two days he was content. The bright orange sky lit up the horizon for miles as the sun set. Cyber smiled and watched as it faded to red and purple, and ultimately darkness. As the stars appeared, Cyberwulfe went back inside and prepared a quick dinner. He spent the rest of the night watching some videos before going to bed.

Chris phoned the next day before he left for Dallas. Cyberwulfe was cheery on the phone, and Chris seemed to be feeling better as well. The two met at the airport as Chris checked in his baggage and walked with Cyberwulfe to the terminal where his flight was about to depart. The two wolves stood looking at each other for several moments before hugging tightly.

"I'll write to you of course," Chris patted Cyber's back.

"I know. And I'll write back for sure," Cyber rubbed his friend's back in return.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker that Chris' flight was departing, and the two wolves released each other. Chris held onto Cyber's paw and rubbed it softly with his thumb, smiling up at Cyberwulfe, who smiled back. Their friendship was still strong.

"I'll miss you, Cyber," Chris winked.

"I'm going to miss you too, Chris," Cyber cocked his head to one side.

"I'll visit sometime, okay?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

Chris released Cyber's paw and turned slowly Without looking back Chris walked down the hallway towards the jet plane. Cyber lost view of him as he rounded a slight bend. He stood watching for several moments, hoping Chris might come back, but he didn't. Sighing softly, Cyberwulfe turned and headed back to his car.

Cyber awoke late the next morning to a loud knocking at his door. Opening it he was surprised to find RazorWolf standing there, carrying a few sacks with him. They were very bulky. Smiling, Cyberwulfe greeted his friend.

"Good morning," he said," What's up?"

"I have to talk to you," Razor replied, stepping inside the house.

"Sure. What's going on?"

RazorWolf went into the living room and sat down on one of Cyber's soft chairs. He put his things on the floor by his feet and leaned back into the soft cushions. Cyber took a nearby chair and looked toward his friend. Razor seemed to be considering his words carefully and took a few moments to speak.

"I have to leave, Cyber," he began.

"Leave? Where are you going?" Cyber asked.

"Do you remember the stories I told you about the Black Star Dragon Balls?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

"Somebody used them and now they have been scattered around the galaxy. I'm going on a quest to find them and I might be gone for a long time," Razor continued.

"Oh. What about my training? Can I come with you?"

"No, it's too dangerous. I don't want to risk your life as well. I want you to stay here and train until I get back."

"I want to go with you," Cyber argued," I can gain more experience fighting with you. You know we can do anything as a team. Don't forget what happened last year with those aliens that attacked Earth."

"Yes, but where I'm going it will make those aliens look like cream puffs," Razor's voice was very stern," Trust me, you don't want to come along."

"Dammit, Raze. I can't sit here on my tail and let you go off on some great adventure! I'm not a puppy, let me come! Please!" Cyber pleaded.

"No, I'm sorry. I can't risk you getting hurt. I agree it's not fair, but you are more important than the Dragon Balls."

Cyber lowered his ears," I understand. Will you bring me a gift from space?"

"Actually I'll send you each Dragon Ball as I find them. How does that sound?" Razor smiled.

"Great! I'll keep them safe until you get back. How long do you think it will take?"

"It doesn't matter," Razor replied," If I don't find them in less than a year the Earth will explode. But the Forever is a fast ship, and I think I can find them all within one year."

"Good. When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

Steam hissed from the vents on RazorWolf's starship. The Forever was prepped, fueled, and ready to go. All of his provisions had been loaded on board, as had his special long distance Dragon radar. Various pieces of armour and weapons had been loaded on board as well, for Razor was certain he'd have to fight someone once in a while. Space was a dangerous place to be hanging around, especially now that the Dragon Balls were openly available.

Cyber helped Razor carry the last of his bags on board. Standing at the bottom of the boarding ramp, the wolves hugged each other. Cyberwulfe felt strange as a feeling of de ja vu swept over him. He had done the same thing just two days earlier. The wolves scritched each other's back as Cyberwulfe closed his eyes, knowing he'd miss his friend and trainer terribly. Finally Razor broke the hug and pushed Cyber at arms length.

"I have a small gift for you before I leave," he said.

"Really?" Cyber asked," What is it?"

"Just stand still for a moment."

Razor placed his paw on Cyber's forehead and closed his eyes. A warm blue glow emanated from RazorWolf and seemed to flow over Cyberwulfe. A bright purple wave rippled over both of them. Cyberwulfe could feel power surging through him. His eyes widened as he felt himself filled with power like he'd never felt before. After a few moments Razor stopped and lowered his arm. Cyberwulfe flexed his arms and could still feel the strange sensation all over his body.

"What... what did you do to me?" he asked.

"I gave you some of my power. It should help you in training. Now you should have a fighting power of five million, rather than one million," Razor replied.

"Oh thank you Raze! I'll train well and use this new power to become strong!" Cyber exclaimed.

"I know you will. Now it's time for me to go. You take care of yourself," Razor smiled and turned to walk up the ramp.

Cyber wanted to say more, but he had said all that could be said. Razor had made up his mind and and the fate of the world now rested in his paws. He was leaving. Razor turned and looked at Cyberwulfe once more before waving at him and closing the hatch. Within minutes the engines were humming and soon the ship lifted off. After flying off and looping back over Razor's house, the ship dipped a wing in farewell and then soared off into space.

Cyberwulfe once again stood and watched as a friend of his disappeared out of sight. He closed his eyes as a warm wet tear ran down his face. Now he was alone. He'd have to crack down and start training again soon. Without RazorWolf he'd have to keep his own schedule, something he was never good at doing. But he'd promised Razor that he would train hard and become powerful, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

Cyber rode his car home, taking his time and thinking of Chris and Razor and everything that had happened over the past week. It was an awful lot to digest all at once, and Cyber found himself at home sooner than he thought. After having a few drinks and watching the late night news, he tucked himself into bed and soon fell asleep. It was the beginning of a new stage in his life. He would become powerful and impress RazorWolf when he returned. Whenever that might be.

Cyberwulfe decided to go to the market the next day to buy some fresh food. He walked into downtown where the market was located and started picking out some ripe fruit and other foods to take home for dinner. As he was looking at some ribs he sensed a large power level growing not too far away. He held his bags tightly and ran towards it, rounding a corner to find a short stumpy man charging up, apparently ready to engage a scaly dragon. All around them were other men dressed in red clothes with black bandannas. Cyberwulfe had heard about this gang, a group called the Red Rippers. They had been on a killing spree for weeks. Now this dragon had challenged them.

"I'll teach you a lesson for causing trouble here," the dragon said in a raspy voice.

"You gotta be alive to do that!" the man cried out, leaping towards the dragon.

The dragon easily sidestepped the attack, as well as the other men as they threw themselves at him. He was obviously well trained, but Cyber could tell he was overwhelmed. He had a moderately low fighting power. It wasn't long before the dragon was sitting on the ground after taking several hard beatings. Cyber decided to step in and help.

"Excuse me," he began," Can any of you help me find the new pizza place around here?"

"Fuck off! This isn't any of your business," one of the men shouted at him.

"Woah, easy there. Just that I'd hate to see my friend here beaten to a pulp. If you really want to kill someone why don't you try your luck with me?" Cyber grinned.

"Have it your way," one of the thugs came at Cyber with his fist. Without even moving, Cyber blocked the punch and laid out the bandit within a second. He lay on the ground gripping his broken arm.

"Get him!" the leader of the gang shouted.

Cyber's eyes flashed as he charged up, the energy waves from his power shooting out and knocking all of the thugs off their feet. Before they even hit the ground, Cyberwulfe shot forward and delivered hard blows to each one. When they did hit the ground they were all unconscious. Cyber charged down and stepped towards the dragon.

"Feeling alright?" Cyber offered his paw to the dragon.

"Yeah, they just got the jump on me," the dragon smiled a little and took Cyber's paw.

Cyber pulled him to his feet," It's always a good idea to have some backup in a fight."

"Yeah, thanks. By the way, I'm Ozymandis. Pleased to meet you."

"No problem. I'm Cyberwulfe," Cyber now shook the dragon's scaly hand," Pleased to meet you, Ozymandis."

"Oh, call me Ozy. It's easier," the dragon smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure. And just to be fair you can call me Cyber. Come on, I'll buy you a drink or something," Cyberwulfe turned towards a nearby restaurant.

"Sounds good to me," Ozy followed after Cyberwulfe," By the way, how the hell did you learn to fight like that?"

Cyberwulfe found himself to be an easier trainer than RazorWolf. Rather than beating Ozymandis down into the dirt every opportunity he got, he helped Ozy to develop his skills as a fighter. After a few days he noticed a significant improvement in Ozy's fighting ability. The young dragon was becoming more powerful every day, and Cyberwulfe knew that some day he'd be a strong fighter. But Cyber also made sure that his own fighting power was helped along by their training sessions.

"Alright, I need a break," Ozy called out.

"Sounds good to me," Cyber replied.

The two flew down to the edge of RazorWolf's training area and caught their breath. Many craters and broken trees were testament to the rigorous training that went on during the training sessions here. Cyberwulfe taught Ozymandis everything he knew. Hand to hand fighting, energy attacks, even the deadly Kamehame-ha. Ozy was a quick learner and very eager to learn more each day.

"I think we should take a few days off. I was planning on calling RazorWolf in space tomorrow and telling him about you," Cyber said.

"Sounds cool. I look forward to meeting him," Ozy replied, leaning against a tree stump.

"He's a great guy. I really miss him, but I manage to keep busy."

"Yeah. I must be a real chore to take care of, huh?" Ozy grinned and flicked his tail.

"Naw. You can take care of yourself. And soon you'll be able to do just that," Cyber grinned back and winked at Ozy.

"Will I ever be as strong as RazorWolf?"

"I often asked myself that question," Cyber continued to give Ozy one of Razor's speeches," You are growing in strength, Ozymandis. One day you'll be very powerful and defeat even me someday. Perhaps RazorWolf. But for now, keep training."

Ozy smiled," How about we go at it again, shall we?"

Cyberwulfe excitedly pulled the chair out from the communicator at RazorWolf's house and slid into it, rolling his legs under the control console. After turning on the communicator and adjusting the proper settings for communications in outer space he dialed up RazorWolf's ship. After a few seconds the familiar white furred face appeared on the screen.

"Hello Cyberwulfe," Razor smiled warmly.

"Hi there. I've got a lot of news for you," Cyberwulfe replied.

"Really? Well I have some news for you as well."

"What's that?"

Razor reached down and pulled up a small glowing sphere.

"A Dragon Ball! You got one so soon?" Cyber exclaimed, smiling broadly.

"Yeah. It was fairly easy to get too. It was hanging on a necklace that I found in a store somewhere. Weird," Razor shrugged his shoulders.

"Now you just need six more."

"Actually, I'm sending this one to you tomorrow. It should arrive in the evening. Keep it safe for me, okay?"

"Really? Sounds good to me. I'll put it in my security bunker," Cyber rubbed his paws together.

"Make sure no one else knows about it. I'm on the trail of another one and I should arrive in a day or two. Then I can send you the second one."

"You're quick. At this rate we'll have all of them soon," Cyber rested his arms on the console.

"Well I have a year. I might take a vacation while I'm up here," RazorWolf teased," But as long as we get them to God's lookout tower then we'll prevent the Earth from exploding."

"Yeah, that would suck," Cyber scritched his left ear.

"But I won't fail in my journey. And we'll be able to get back to training soon."

"But I have been training. I met a young dragon with excellent potential and we've been training for about three days now."

"Hmm, replaced me already, eh? Don't need an old wolf like me hanging around," Razor grinned.

"Oh hush. He's a good pupil and has a nasty left hook," Cyber rubbed his chin," But one day he'll be powerful."

"Is he loyal and honest? He's not just after the power you can give him?" Razor changed to a serious tone of voice.

"Of course. I gave him your lecture on how the power comes with a responsibility. Absolute power..."

"Corrupts absolutely," RazorWolf finished Cyber's sentence for him.

"Exactly. He's cool with it. And I'm still much stronger than he is. If he tries to take over the world I can stop him no problem."

"That's good. There are a lot of badass guys out here in space, but I'm avoiding them quite nicely. I'll get home in one piece, I promise," Razor continued.

"If not we'll have to get some nurses to take care of you," Cyber giggled.

"Only if they were male nurses in naughty outfits," RazorWolf chuckled.

"Of course. Well I should go. I've got plans for tonight," Cyber added.

"Well have fun. It was nice of you to call."

"Good to see you again."

"Goodnight."

"Take care now, Cyber."

The screen flickered and the white face of RazorWolf disappeared. Cyber switched off the communicator and rolled the chair back from the console. He sighed and stood up, rubbing his back a little before turning and walking out of RazorWolf's complex. After activating the security system he got in his car and drove home.

As promised, the Dragon Ball arrived the next evening. Cyberwulfe admired it for a while and then polished it's shine and placed it in his high security bunker which was buried several meters below his home. It was reinforced with titanium and protected by six layers of shielding. Anyone would have a better chance of getting into Fort Knox than his bunker.

The next two days were uneventful. Cyberwulfe decided to take Ozymandis out to a few places, including his favorite clubs. His opinion of dragons had been scaly creatures who couldn't dance well because their tails got in the way. Ozy's dancing style changed Cyber's mind as his friend used his tail in various loops, arcs, and spins. He even hovered above the dance floor on his wings. It was a very fun two days, and Cyberwulfe found himself staying out late and sleeping in as well. Once again he was starting to enjoy life.

Each evening he'd sit on his back deck and sense deep into outer space. Although his range was limited, he could even touch RazorWolf's mind sometimes, and the two would hold deep conversations with each other. Sometimes Razor's fighting power would peak a little and Cyberwulfe could tell he was fighting someone, but the feeling soon disappeared. It was his only physical connection with his friend. The mental connection they had created many months earlier was cheaper and far more personal than a simple call on the communicator.

One evening, a few days after Razor's last communication, Cyberwulfe was outside enjoying the cool night air when a sudden spark of energy caught him to attention. His senses probed deep into space and touched Razor's mind. He was in pain. His power level was skyrocketing towards levels he'd never felt before. A large fight was going on. Along with Razor's fighting power, Cyberwulfe could sense many others. Some of them small, others large. Among them was a tremendous power.

"What the hell?" Cyber whispered. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

One by one the smaller fighting powers disappeared as RazorWolf's increased in magnitude. Finally the only two powers remaining were Razor's and the other huge power. The two powers clashed over and over. Time passed, and soon an hour had gone by. Cyberwulfe concentrated on the fight, not missing a single blow being delivered between the two powers. Then he sensed RazorWolf generating a massive attack. His power level grew higher and higher, reaching levels that Cyberwulfe had never felt before in his life.

Then suddenly there was a massive spike in the magnitude of the power level. Cyber's eyes flew open as he was hit hard by the sensations. Waves of energy ripped through space as a massive explosion shot out from where RazorWolf's power had once been. Cyber winced and collapsed to the floor, holding his head as the feelings crashed into him. Finally they faded, and Cyber stood up slowly. After shaking his head he sensed into space once more, but he couldn't feel anything. Concentrating harder he tried again, and again. He called to RazorWolf over and over. No response.

"Razor? Where are you?" he whispered.

Suddenly a cold feeling came over Cyberwulfe. He shivered and felt the fur on the back of his neck prick up. Was it a suicide attack? A massive explosion created by the build-up of all the body's energy with the hope of destroying one's foe? RazorWolf would never do that, he was the strongest.

"You're not dead," Cyber spoke softly," You're the strongest. You're the strongest!"

Cyber shouted to the sky over and over. But after many attempts at finding his friend's mind he stopped. If RazorWolf was alive, or even unconscious, he'd be able to feel him. Touch his mind. But all he could sense was emptiness. He slumped to his knees, resting his paws on the wooden boards of his deck. The stars shone brightly and the moon radiated light down upon him. But he looked down at the deck, at his paws.

"No, it's not true," Cyberwulfe shot into the air and soared towards RazorWolf's house. Arriving quickly he ran into the communications room and tried desperately to call Razor's ship, the Forever. No response. He tried over and over. But it was as futile as sensing him. Cyberwulfe turned off the console and walked outside, soon finding himself deep in the woods. As he arrived at the training area he looked around. It was here where RazorWolf had trained him. Shown him that he was the strongest. He couldn't be dead.

"Not him. Not Razor," Cyber snarled," I won't believe it."

But soon a warm tear ran down his face. He shuddered and sobbed, gripping his fists tightly as he leaned forward against a tree, supporting his weight with one arm.

"Nooo!!" he screamed.

Cyber gripped the tree trunk with the arm and ripped its roots out, tossing it through the air and clear across the training field. He punched clear through a second tree and leveled a third with a strong kick. He stumbled on a root but steadied himself, his feet apart and shoulders flexed as he cried hard. Tears flowed down his face and dripped on the ground below.

"Augghh! He's gone!" Cyber cried out.

With a mournful howl, Cyber's energy began to swirl around him. Flames shot forth and crashed against the woods, knocking down more trees. The howl turned into a scream as his flames turned bright blue in colour, exploding out more violently as his sadness and rage exploded forth in a cascade of energy. A powerful shock wave flared outward, sending trees and other debris flying away from the centre of the blast. Cyberwulfe's eyes glowed red, his fists tightly clenched as the energy and pain was released in one final burst. Bright shafts of light shot out of his body and into the sky, lighting up the night and penetrating the clouds above.

Finally the flames died down and Cyberwulfe collapsed to his knees, paws on the ground in front of him as he just sobbed and cried for over twenty minutes. Finally he closed his eyes and covered his head with his arms. Soon he fell asleep.

Cyberwulfe awoke late into the next morning. He slowly forced himself to his knees and looked around. The trees surrounding the training area had all been blown out for several miles. Looking towards the structure that was RazorWolf's house he could see clear through the woods. A large black scar had been ripped across the facing wall, as if a huge wave of energy had crashed against it. Groaning out loud, Cyberwulfe forced himself to his feet and stumbled towards the house. Then he remembered what had happened last night and sighed. A tear ran down his cheek, but he had finished crying. An emotionless expression came across his face as he approached the house, reaching out and resting a paw on its cold surface. He scraped his claws across the concrete, leaving light scratches in the wall. RazorWolf was dead.

Without his car, Cyberwulfe would have to either walk or fly home. He didn't feel like he had the strength for either, so he entered Razor's house and crawled into his friend's bed, pulling the blankets tightly around him as he shuddered. Soon he fell asleep again.

He was awakened shortly afterwards by a pair of scaly hands. He looked up at Ozymandis, who was shaking him awake.

"There you are. I've been looking for you all day. We were supposed to go to the arcade today," Ozy said.

"Yeah. Sorry," Cyberwulfe replied bluntly.

"What's up? Why did you sleep here last night?"

"I didn't. I slept out in the woods," Cyber rolled over in bed.

"I saw the trees," Ozy pointed towards the woods," What happened there?"

"RazorWolf's dead. He was killed last night in space. I don't know how but all I know is he's dead," Cyber spoke softly.

"Oh my God. Cyberwulfe I'm so sorry," Ozy rested a hand on Cyber's shoulder, but the wolf just shrugged it off.

"I'll be fine. I'm getting used to losing people I care about."

"I take it you exploded in the woods, huh?"

Cyberwulfe just nodded.

"That's horrible. What are you going to do?" Ozy asked.

"You mean before I kill myself?"

Ozy gasped," I won't let you do that."

"Could you stop me?"

"Don't play games with me," Ozy exclaimed," We could use the Dragon Balls to wish him back to life or something."

"I'm tired Ozy. I'm tired of fighting and training to become the strongest. I thought RazorWolf was the best, and now he's dead. It helped me to realize how useless I am," Cyberwulfe sighed deeply.

"And what does that make me? I'm even weaker than you are."

Cyber didn't reply.

"Fine then. Cry in bed all you want. But you can't cry forever. Especially since the earth is going to explode in a year unless someone gets those Dragon Balls."

Cyber turned his head sharply," Damn!" He sat up and punched his fist through the wall," Damn damn damn! I forgot all about that! If someone doesn't find the other six Dragon Balls we'll all be killed!"

"Six?" Ozy puzzled.

"RazorWolf found one and sent it to me. I've got it safely hidden in my bunker," then Cyber's eyes widened and he looked up at his dragon companion," Ozy, we need to find those Dragon Balls. It's up to us now. No one else knows, no one else can do it."

"I knew you'd say something like that, Cyber," Ozy grinned.

"Get your stuff ready. We leave immediately."

"Got your spunk back, huh?"

"I've got more than that," Cyber replied, hopping out of bed," I've got the lives of billions of people to save. That's more important than me."

"Aww, you're my hero, Cyb," Ozy made a girly face.

"Shaddup and get packing."

Three hours later a large pile of equipment, food, and other type of traveling gear lay at the base of the starship Always. Although smaller than RazorWolf's ship, they were both configured the same and were each powered by the same engines. They were extremely fast ships, and Cyberwulfe knew that they could catch up to RazorWolf's last position within a week. They had enough food and supplies packed for several weeks in space. Each would have his own room on the ship, a comfortable life in space. Finally the check list was double checked and everything was ready to go.

"Alright, Ozy," Cyber called," Ready for your first trip through space?"

"Yeah, let's go," Ozy leapt up the boarding ramp as the supplies were lifted into the ship's hold on a hydraulic platform.

"Goodbye Earth," Cyber waved to the trees and the sky, the planet he loved and protected," I'll be back within a year. Don't blow up on me."

He turned and entered the ship. Soon afterwards the engines roared to life and the ship lifted off the ground. Within moments the ship flew off into the sky and disappeared, traveling towards a great adventure.

The End

Cyberwulfe, RazorWolf, Ozymandis
© their players