Nakusa the Misfit

Hey Guys!

I'm back with another stirring tale by Mercenary Blade!   If you like anthro action and classic pulp thrills, then this is exactly what you've been looking for!  In an alternate universe set in the 1930s, mercenary hero Captain Sphinx has rescued and recruited a band of genetically engineered anthro warriors!  Together, the Misfit Squadron devote themselves to fighting crime and oppression wherever they rear their ugly heads!  So fasten your seatbelt as we follow the day's doings of one Nakusa the She-Wolf as she and her pals hand down some comeuppance to a pack of hard-boiled thugs!

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Nakusa planted her feet in the sand as she readied her spear. She was a dark gray furred wolf. All around, the crowd cheered her on, while steely eyed human guards kept their rifles at the ready. Her opponent, a grizzled bobcat hissed at her as he lunged with his own spear. Nakusa stepped forward deflecting the spear with the shaft of her own weapon and then countered by bringing the blunt side of the spear into the bobcat’s midsection. Nakusa’s opponent doubled over yowling in pain.

The she wolf tried to follow up by bringing the shaft into the side of her opponent’s shoulder but the bobcat blocked the blow and shoved her away. He growled as he went back on the attack. The she wolf’s fur bristled, she bared her teeth as she was forced back on the defensive.

Nakusa moved to the side as the bobcat lunged for her again, the spearhead slashed across her left shoulder and sent fiery pain down her arm. But Nakusa didn’t waver, she had become accustomed to pain. Snarling, she drove her spear down and into the cat’s thigh.
The bobcat screeched in pain as Nakusa kicked him away and freed her spearhead.

Her foe lay sprawled out in the sand beneath her, Nakusa could hear the crowd go wild. She didn’t look at them; even as she felt eyes on her waiting for her to do what was expected of her and end things. High in his balcony Dr. Morgan watched his creations fight through cold gray calculating eyes. They meant nothing to him, just stepping stones towards his end goal. Nakusa hated the man. She refused to acknowledge him as their creator. But she had no choice but to do as was expected, a show of defiance in the arena would just have her picked off by a rifleman.

She drove her spear down in a killing blow.

Nakusa opened her eyes leaving the memory of the arena behind, it was still dark and she lay atop her mattress. She still couldn’t get over how soft it was after a lifetime of sleeping on straw and jungle ground.

“Grah,” The wolf groaned as she sat up, she flattened her ears and put a clawed hand to her muzzle. Nakusa took in her surroundings, it was still dark, probably just before dawn.

She saw no point in trying to go back to sleep; memories of her past had ruined the chance for a decent rest. Quickly the lupine female arose from her bed and crossed to her closet.

She paused to study her right shoulder, she still bore a scar from that duel, light gray fur showed where the wound had been. Her body was covered in similar patches from blades and gunshot wounds, a notable scar was across her throat. It had served as a reminder of the naiveté she had once had. The same flaw that had earned her the name Nakusa: unwanted.

She pulled on her clothes, something else she was still getting used to, they hadn’t worn clothing on the island as they were nothing but animals to Dr. Morgan and his hunters. She remembered her clothes were called fatigues, which didn’t make sense to her because fatigue was also a word for tired. Perhaps it was because they were a drab color and therefore boring? Humans were so odd.

Nakusa was no longer under a mad scientist’s heel, she had escaped the gladiator ring and found others like herself, she and they fought against the creator and his hunters. But spears and knives against firearms were a poor matchup even for beastfolk such as herself who were physically superior to humans. They didn’t make any real progress, then he showed up.

He’d come from the sky, a human named Sphinx, a pilot. He’d crashed his prop plane in a storm, and found himself among Nakusa and her allies. She had almost killed him on sight, humans were not to be trusted. But somehow she’d stayed her hand with the insistence of her friends, it turned out to be the best decision she’d made.

Sphinx was the leader of the Misfit squadron; he knew how to fight like the enemy and how to counter them. He was just as formidable a fighter on the ground as he was in the air, and knew a thing about strategy. He’d evened the score by showing the beastfolk how to handle guns, more recruits flocked to them and soon the rebels had overthrown the mad scientist who Sphinx called a knock-off Dr. Moreau.

Now they were free. She was free. After she was dressed Nakusa left her quarters and set out for the messhall, her thoughts stayed on everything that had come to pass as she traveled there. After the beastfolk had earned their freedom they’d been presented with something they’d never had before; a choice. Stay on the island or come to Reach City, a place for people who just didn’t fit in anywhere else. There was a reason Sphinx’s band of freelancers was called Misfit Squadron.

Now within the messhall and holding a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage, Nakusa found an empty seat. The hall was practically deserted, a group of human mechanics in greasy overalls sat together at one table, and a raccoon beastman sat near them, he was dressed for a morning run.

The messhall was decorated with flags, pictures and pieces of aircraft. Trophies of the Misfit's battles.

Nakusa paused stopping herself from just shoveling the food in her mouth, table manners was another new concept she’d been introduced to. She grabbed the utensils and dug in. As she ate she felt a presense sit across from her and a cheery voice say.

“Hey beautiful,”

The wolf swiveled an ear back as she looked up at her sudden dining companion. He was a red and white fox dressed in aviator style clothing. A leather jacket, goggles, and black boots.

“Renard. You always call me that. I always think you’re being sar… uh… sar…

“Sarcastic? No, you should know by now I’m sincere.”

Renard had always been the smartest of the rebels, he’d taught himself to read and had a much wider vocabulary than most, though he didn’t always get things right.

“How’s flight school going?” Nakusa asked.

Renard flashed a toothy grin, “Wondrous! Soon I’ll be ready for my solo flight.”

“I don’t see how you can possibly want to fly in one of those contraptions.” Nakusa muttered.

“Less dangerous than fighting hunters,” Renard shrugged.

He was determined to be the first beastman pilot, ever since he’d seen a pair of P36’s bomb and strafe the doctor’s facility he’d been fascinated by airplanes.

“So doll, maybe when I’m done with training today we can have some fun?”

Nakusa flattened her ears, “Like what,” She growled.

“I’ve been learning some card games, I could teach you. Or maybe some billiards, that’s fun.”

Nakusa sighed, “I’ll think about it,”

Renard started to say more when there was the sound of running feet and a human stopped
at Nakusa’s table.

“Uh, Squad leader Nakusa?” He nervously inquired.

“Yes,” She responded flatly.

“Thank God I found you. Captain Sphinx needs you to report for a briefing immediately.”

“Uh-oh. What did you do?” Renard asked.

“Quiet Renard,” Nakusa growled her fur bristling slightly.

“His office, hurry.” The messenger said as he came to attention and then fled out of the messhall.

Nakusa growled to herself, not in anger or frustration but in pondering.

Sphinx himself was waiting for her when she arrived, “Ah, good. Nakusa, let’s get to the armory, I’ll brief you on the way.”

Sphinx was dressed in his usual attire, aviator clothes like Renard. A M1911 was on his hip and a .38 revolver in a shoulder holster. Originally Misfit squadron had just been
Sphinx and a handful of pilots and ground crew, now his operation had expanded to a small ground force which Nakusa was now part of. Sphinx still considered himself a pilot first though, even though he was just as dangerous on the ground.

One could have underestimated Sphinx easily, he only had a runners build and a youthful face. Nakusa knew better.

“What’s going on?” She asked as they went to the armory.

“We got an anonymous tip. Some gunrunners are going to be arriving in the port before
dawn, drop off some illicit goods and then leave. Either my source thinks the police will be outgunned or they’re afraid of corruption. Either way this is our operation till the jobs done.”

The armorer nodded to Sphinx as he handed up a trenchgun, Sphinx inspected the shotgun before nodding. “Aces,”

Nakusa received a BAR or Browining Automatic Rifle. Most humans found the weapon heavy and cumbersome but not the shewolf, she wielded it as easily as a rifle. The two were joined by two human riflemen with SMLE’s and a lioness with a Thompson. Nakusa had fought with her, Sphinx had named her Buttercup and the name had stuck. A red cross was bound around her arm; she was something of a medic.

“Will five of us be enough?” Nakusa asked.

“I’ve had worse odds. Surprise will be our advantage, we’ll risk losing that if we bring anymore along.”

Nakusa nodded, she trusted Sphinx’s strategies. A short drive later and they were at the docks of the city, the sky was just beginning to show color but the world was still in darkness. Sphinx and his two beastfolk allies crouched behind shipping crates, the two riflemen were down a ways. There was no sign of the smugglers though.

Then Nakusa’s ear twitched as she heard something sliding through water and a slight creaking sound.

“I hear something,” She muttered.

Buttercup peered over the crates and flicked her tail, “There’s a boat coming to the dock.”

Sphinx smiled, “That’s what I like about you, I still don’t see or hear anything.”

They counted down the seconds, now even Sphinx could make the faint outline of a vessel coming alongside the dock.

“Now!” He shouted as he flipped on the spotlight they’d set up. “Surrender, and prepare to be boarded!” Sphinx shouted.

The craft was visible now, it’s triangular profile and dark hull gave it the appearance that it had once been a patrolboat of some kind. There were shouts from the deck and a smuggler opened fire with a submachine gun aiming for the light. He fell to the deck as one of the riflemen shot him.

Two more of the smugglers ran to the bow of the boat, Buttercup and Sphinx fired on them and one staggered to the deck. The second reached the bow though, and tore back a piece of canvas revealing a Maxim machinegun.

“Down,” Sphinx shouted as the machingun spat lead and fire at them, bullets raked the
cargo crates and the spotlight shattered into shards of glass. The barrel swept over to where the two riflemen were and pinned them down with a barrage of fire.

Nakusa’s fur bristled as she stood up and leaned the barrel of her BAR on the crates. She sighted down at the machine-gunner and fired a burst just as he was sweeping the barrel back around. The man went down but Nakusa didn’t stop there; she fired on the machinegun itself her bullets tearing through the barrel jacket and the ammunition belt. She’d wrecked the gun to uselessness. Sphinx, Buttercup and the riflemen were firing on the pilothouse, a flash of red showed one of them had killed the helmsman.

“Come on,” Sphinx shouted firing his last round of buckshot into the boat and sprinting for the vessel.

Nakusa and Buttercup ran alongside him as he leapt aboard. A smuggler freed a pistol and tried to aim for him but Sphinx drove the butt of his shotgun into the man’s sternum and felled him. Nakusa slung the BAR over her shoulder as a second gunrunner attacked. The man tried to bludgeon her with a crowbar, but the skilled fighter caught his arm and twisted it back. The crook howled in pain as his weapon fell.

Nakusa snarled and bared her teeth.

“The Hell are you?” The man stammered.

The shewolf grabbed him by the collar and tossed him over the side into the sea. Sphinx had dropped his shotgun and had his sidearm out, the riflemen had joined them on deck by then too, with fixed bayonets. The remaining crew dropped their weapons and held their hands up in surrender.

“Nice work,” Sphinx grunted.

As the sun began to rise more of the Misfits had arrived as well as police. The boat was full to the brim with weapons and ammunition. One of the smugglers was being led away when he passed Sphinx and his allies.

“How can you work with those… monsters?” He asked.

Nakusa growled, Buttercup flattened her ears.

“You want your throat torn out? Don’t call them monsters.” Sphinx cautioned.

Nakusa sighed and went to the starboard side of the boat, she stared across the waters of the harbor and out to sea.

She twitched an ear as she heard Sphinx come next to her.

“You look pretty glum; we just stopped these smugglers from arming the gangs with military weapons. Lord knows that would have been bad.”
 
Nakusa shrugged, “I don’t know why I’m glum. Still adjusting I guess, this is so different from what I’m used to. I can’t help wondering; will we ever really fit in? Or are we even meant to be among humans? Actually I guess we aren’t even supposed to exist at all, we came out of a lab.”

Sphinx sighed, “I’m not going to lie to you. There’s always going to be close minded fools. Even in Reach nothing is perfect, but it’s a lot better than the rest of the world. In other parts of the world there’s signs barring people with a different skin color from using the latrine, for God’s sake.”

Nakusa sighed. “You’re not doing too well helping me,”

“Because I’m not finished. Dr. Morgan made all of you with the end goal of creating supersoldiers for an even crazier individual who wants to rule the world. But you rebelled against him, there are those of you who didn’t come from a lab, who were born just like I was. My point is, you might have fur, tails, and snouts but you’re just as human as me. You belong here just as much as anyone else.”

Nakusa chuckled,as she ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Oh you. Always making speeches."

Sphinx didn’t seem to appreciate the attention but he smiled anyway.

“Come on Nakusa, the day’s only beginning.”

Nakusa grinned a toothy grin, she couldn’t wait to brag to a certain fox about what she did.
 
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