Part b of the second chapter of BHS and Napalm

   Blue dove to the side, pushing the wolf the other way. The dog tumbling clear as the pavement that he had only just occupied explodes from the blast of a laser cannon. Napalm takes his friends moment and uses it to carry him skyward, turning all his senes toward locating where the shot was fired from. Blue hopped up to his feet, counting roughly 15 cloaked figures advancing on him from back alleys and side streets all around him. The wolf now out of his range of vision he decided to concentrate on his own defense and only hope the wolf was holding his own against whatever had just fired upon them. The dog realized his best hope was to get in close and hope the Awardings troops would not be cold hearted enough to fire on their own. Tossing a mini-sun at the nearest group of hostile figures, he rushed them, clawing and kicking at any cloaked figure he came near. He executed a well practiced pounce, landing fully over on half blinded attacker, delivering a fatal blow the the throat, just as more arrived behind him, with full use of their visual skills.
   Not far overhead, the flame-colored wolf had gathered his strength and was launching an intense beam of unspeakable heat towards the lazer canon he had been looking for. The large gun melted under the ray in seconds, the pool of metal bubbling violently. The most obvious danger dealt with, Napalm dropped back down to ground level, appearing just as the last of the cloaked and hooded figures was advancing on his friend.
   They stopped short and opened fire into the melee, obviously not terribly concerned who they hit, friend of foe. Without hesitation he made a forceful slashing motion with both his arms, throwing a swirling gout of flame from the side, completely engulfing most of the group, but it was more than enough to disrupt thier attack. Blue, struggling up close with those still strong enough to fight, felt his paw rip into cloth instead of flesh. He looked over at his assailant, seeing clearly through the now shreaded hood the unmistakable face of a weasel, completely with the special dark glasses they needed to be about in daylight. All this happening in under a second, he did not hesitate to rip the glasses of his attacker's face a plunge a mini-sun directly into his eye socket. The weasel howled in fury and anguish, as the dog tossed him lightly aside, planting his foot squarely into the ribs of another advancing from his rear.The ancient wolf stayed back, disliking close combat, and knowing his companion was more than capable of finishing of those that remained. He looked on in amusement, noting the skill with which his young companion dealt with his oppenents. The style was crude yet, and unrefined, but he was young yet, and improving noticably.
   "ARG!" Napalm hissed in pain, his toughts interrupted, as a laser shot peirces his left shoulder. A rapid mood change sweeps over the normally calm lupine, more due to hatred of being interrupted mid-thought than from the pain of being shot. He slowly began to rise off the ground, a red aura growing about him, flame surrounding and enveloping him, taking shape, coalescing into the familiar and omminous form of a very angry phoenix. A very angry phoenix that was currently hovering directly over a quivering cloaked form. With lightning speed, a talon flies outward, passing unerringly between the figures neck and head, seperating the two permanently. Napalm, now somewhat sated turned slowly about, surveying the scene, noting that two other cannons were being rapidly set up on top of another rooftop. Only seconds remained before they followed their fellows to a fiery death.
   Suddenly a new voice cries out in sudden pain. Blue growls angrily, clutching with one paw at his side, while his other rakes along the gun arm that held the offending laser pistol. The weasel fell back away, clutching his horribly mangled arm, while 5 of his companions rush the injured dog. The blue canine falls easily under their weight, his vision only a blur of dark cloaks and beady red eyes. Suddenly, a great weight seems to be lifted from him and Blue catches sight of the very welcome sight of his good friend slamming two weasels into a building at high speed. The dog manages a well timed throw, tossing another weasel off his back and twisting out of the grasp of the other two. The three remaining gathered close, backs together so they could watch all angles of advance. However, they realize far too late that they also faced threats from above. Two of them looking up just in time to see a torrent of flame gout from a phoenix claw and wash over them.
   The great bird slowly sinks to the ground, straddling what few charred remains there were of the weasels, then the form began to rapidly shrink and return once more to his more discreet lupine form. Upon completion of his transformation, Napalm walked hurriedly over to his wounded friend.
   "How badly are you hurt?" Concern obvious in the ancient being's tone.
   "I'll live." The dog responded through teeth slightly clenched in pain. The wolf almost laughed with relief. Blue surveyed their surroundings again.
   "I think we killed most of them." Napalm said, his usual tone of voice and personality reaserting itself. "The odd thing is I don't think they were all weasels. Can you stand?"
   Blue nodded, hopping up as though he had never been injured, though some pain showed in his face. "I'm surprised I never smelled them coming, the weasels or any others." He continued.Napalm carefully placing his arms around the dog, lifted him up to the rooftop where the decapatated body remained. Upon arriving it took a few moments to realize that something was not quite right. It only took a moment to realize it was the lack of any blood around the body. However, only a moment after that the dog recalled who his companion was, and a quick glance at the body showed why. The wound have been fully cautorized when the talon had passed through, making it much less messy to examine the corpse.
   "What is it?" He asked.
   Napalm kicked the head over revealing a very reptilain face. "I'm not sure, a lizard of some sort. Never seen one quite like it though. Hmm, I wonder...." The wolf quickly bent down over the body and began to rifle through the cloak. After a short search he produced several small devices.
   While waiting, Blue had picked up the head, looking at it, memorizing it, then tosses it to the side.
   The wolf began sorting through the devices, setting down two as obvious weapons. Then next appeared to be some form of communications device. Noticing it seemed to fold in half he was about to open it, when it abruptl began to beep. Without hesitation the wolf flipped it open and (out of habit) answered it like a telephone.
   "Hello?" There was a pause. "Sure, just a moment." He extended the device nonchalantly toward Blue. "It's for you."
   The dog took it as Napalm went back to looking over his remaining trinkets. "Hello?" He waited a few moments, then continued in a louder voice. "Hello?!"
   "You have done well to beat these puny ones, SunFire." It was the same voice they had heard in the office speaking. "However, do not get your hopes up. This was just a test. You ARE stronger than your fath...." The last word cut off as Blue crushed the communicator in his paw. Without a second look he tossed it aside.
   "Wrong number."
   Napalm continued to play with the gadgets not looking up as he spoke to the dog.   "I think you just crushed our best source of information. Though I could be mistaken."
   "No, I didn't destroy anything useful to me."
   "Ok, if you say so, but I'll take the incoming calls from now on. Here this is an interesting trinket."
   "Whatever, lets go. I need to get back to the inn."
   Napalm stands back up and walks over to the dog, handing him a small device with a needle to the dog for his inspection.
   "If I'm not mistaken this contains a chemical that can temporarily lower the body temperature of the other creatures to that of room temperature. It is not perfect camoflauge. They still show a difference in heat, but it does make it more difficult, even now that I know what to look for."
   "Ahhh, but what about the smell?"
   "I'm not sure. This technology is new to me but I recognize the properties of this chemical. One of these other devices could mask odor, though it appears to be only partly effective."
   "Yea, whatever."
   The wolf seemed only slightly put off by his companions apparent lack of interest in, what he felt, was a fairly important discovery. "I suppose that is all we can learn here, the inn is looking good about now. And you need time to heal."
   "NO!" If the angry determination was not clear in the eyes he turned on the firey wolf, there was no mistaking it in his voice. Even Napalm knew argueing with him in this state was a lost cause.
   "We are just stopping for food and messages, that's it, then we're out and going to their house here in town."
   "You want to assualt their town house? I will assure you if they can give us this much of a fight here, in the middle of the city, they will give us much more of one there."
   "Not Assualt." There was a calmer, more calculating tone to the young canine's voice now.
   "What then?"
   "He won't be there, too close. He'll be out at the compound." There was obvious detachment in his manner. His mind working several steps ahead of the immediate problem.
   "Yes, but be that as it may, I don't think the welcome mat will be out when we get there just the same. They arn't just going to let us in without a fight, unless it's a trap, of course."
   "It will be a trap, not a big trap, but it won't be easy. I don't think any of it will be easy."
   "No, we couldn't have that now could we. Well, if thats the plan the let's get going."
   "Fly us back then."
   Nodding in agreement, the wolf carefully looped his arm around the dogs waist. Blue wincing only slightly, as his wound is disturbed, though already in the process of mending itself.The wolf felt the slight wince, and glances sideways at the dog, shaking his head.
   "You should not be going to a battle in this condition."
   "FLY!" The dog commanded impatiently of his friend. "It'll be quicker. I have something back in the room that will help me." Still unconvinced of his companion's condition, he slowly took flight, acceleration slowly to avoid straining his blue colored burden. They arrived shortly, landing just outside the entrance, temporarily unconcerned about attracting attention.
   The dog walked in making great effort not to let his injury show. While he arrived at the front desk and requested a check for any messages, the wolf leaned against the back wall of the lobby, the crimson hood of his robe pulled up, covering all but the tip of his muzzle. As a report of no messages was returned, Blue requested lunch to be sent to the room, then headed off in that direction, his much older companion only a few steps behind him.
   "You eat. I'm not in the mood right now." Blue stated, pulling a flask out of the box that still rested on his bed. He expertly removes the cork and drinks it down, shaking his head a bit and making a bit of a face.
   Unusually quiet, Napalm stares absently out the window, lost in some thought. Something he was apt to do on occasion.
   "Come in." Blue said, hearing the knock at the door. The dog took the food from the bell hop, tipped him and brought it in. Despite his previous comment, he eagerly devoured his portion of the meal.
   The wolf showed a notable lack of interest to the entire exchange, never taking his eyes from staring off among the clouds.Finishing he meal, Blue looked over to at the statue-like wolf.
   "You ready?" He asked in a slightly irritated tone.
   "Once I'm sure you are. You will let me make sure you are fit to travel." The wolf looked down, "I'm not ready to lose another friend today."
   "I'm fine now. The potion you saw me drink, its a healing agent, extremely powerful."
   Obviously unconvinced, Napalm proceeded to look the dog over anyway, examining the places where his injuries were the worst. After some scrutiny, the phoenix/wolf sighed. "Yes, I think you are ok, but lets be careful." He paused a moment, then contintued in a more carefree tone. "I'm ready." With that he hopped off the bed and walked out the door, waiting only long enough for the dog to follow him.
   "I'm fine with that healing potion."
   "I can see that now." Napalm stated, matter of factly, walking just ahead of the dog into the lobby, before turing to him. "How shall we travel?"
   The dog pauses a moment, then turns to the desk clerk, asking some quick directions. He then walks out of the hotel, calling for a taxi.
   "A taxi?" The wolf showed obvious dislike of the idea.
   "Yes, it'll get us there very inconspicuously."
   "Do we plan on driving up to their front door and knocking?"
   Napalm said, a slight smirk on his face.
   "Well, close." The two of them enter the cab on opposites sides, Blue instructing the driver and then sits back.
   The ancient wolf looks around the taxi interior, liking the inside even less than the outside. A interesting sight does catch his eye, however, providing him some distraction from the overall lack of comfort. He smiles at his own actions, realizing he had buckled his seat belt without even realizing it.In a quiet voice, intended to reach only those in the back seat, the wolf says, "I should be more careful, I'm starting to pick up mortal habits." The dog glanced over at him, following his eyes to the buckled safety belt around the wolf's waist, he chuckled softly. His eyes then returning to the window, watching the city go by.
   Napalm looks to his own window as the seat belt novelty quickly wears off. Tapping his claws lightly against the arm rest, he commented to his friend. "I forget how slow these cars are." He pauses a moment, then continued. "Oh well, I suppose its a necesary evil."
   The dog bats the wolf, lightly. "Quiet. I happen to think of this as a normal way of doing things."
   Napalm grumbles something under his breath. The dog thinks it sounds like something to the effect of, "Makes one of us." Napalm then turns, smiling at the dog broadly. Blue returns a cold glare at his friend.
   "I don't come into town very often."
    Napalm raises an eyebrow. "Do you think I've been here all that much more?"
   "For the last seven years I've lived on my own, out in the wilds."
   "Yes, the city has little to offer. I myself find very little appeal to it."
   "It offers the leaders of this country."
   "And what would one such as I need with....ufff!" The wolf's sentance cut off as the driver slams on the breaks, pressing both passangers against their restraints.
   "Hey! watch it!" The dog says, then realizing they had arrived, reluctantly pays the cab driver and hops out. Napalm makes another comment under his breath to the effect that he would prove a better driver, even lacking the use of his paws, but not quite loud enough for the driver to catch it.
   "It's this way." The dog starts walking.