License To Hop

Preface

Ripples

The embrace of the ocean had always been his sanctuary, the place where waves could wash away the remnants of a life he’d left behind. A life he sometimes wished he’d never lived. Alas, he could not stay in this sanctuary forever as the salt was harmful to Anuran biology. So, he emerged from his solitude and rinsed himself off. Reaching for his towel, he wrapped it around his waist as the warmth of the sun dried the remainder of his scarred body. He closed his eyes, taking it all in.

I deserve this, he convinced himself. I earned this.

He walked along the beach in the direction of his cabin, kicking shells and observing the children playing along the way. He was satisfied with the day, he had no further wants or needs from it. But something–someone, caught his eye. Behind the counter of the beach bar he frequented, was a frog he’d never seen before. That was Krag’s bar and he knew for certain he’d never allow another soul to tend it. But Anura be praised, she was beautiful. She moved as if her life was in slow motion, pouring drinks and laughing with the bar's many patrons. She had the build of a shadow but the eyes of a fury. Oh Anura, that’s how he loved them.

Unable to resist this new temptation, he changed directions and approached the bar. He signaled the woman and she nodded, handing a patron his bill before smoothly walking to his side of the bar. She looked him up and down, undoubtedly taking note of his excellent physique. Just because he was retired, didn’t mean he stopped taking care of himself.

“What can I get you, mister?” she asked with a whisper of a flirt.

“Where is Krag?”

“Vacation,” she replied with a smile, “Are you going to order something or ask me pointless questions all day? Which, in that case, I will still require a tip.”

“Let’s start with your name and I’ll work my way up to the cocktail list,”

She laughed and held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Kira, and what should I call you?”

That was the opening he was waiting for. He gave her his signature smile as he answered her question. “ Call me Pond, James Pond.”

Her eyes flashed that fury fire once more and James felt his blood beginning to rush. However, her smile seemed off. The flirtatiousness had left and was replaced by something completely different. Was that–was that amusement?

“Told you I could do it,” she exclaimed to one of the patrons across the bar. The man, whose face was angled downward and concealed by an awful hat, begrudgingly threw a wad of cash onto the barrtop.

James cocked an eyebrow and instinctively took a step back.

“Oh relax,” the hatted Anuran said, “that does seem to be what you specialize in now. Isn’t that right? As opposed to…”

James flashed glances between the two of them and took another step backward. He peered over his shoulder and found that the parents of the playing children were now just fifteen feet behind him. They stood with their hands clasped before them, earpieces now clearly visible.

“Fucks sake,” James exclaimed, “Do you guys rent children now? Or worse, you’re recruiting out of daycares?”

The man sitting at the bar removed his hat and revealed, as James expected, Martavious Croak: Deputy Director of the Anuran Intelligence Agency.

“You may be surprised to know that they are actually the agents' children. Some folks do that sort of thing. Start a family, live a life of fulfillment…” He paused, scanning the sun as it began to duck under the horizon. “It truly is beautiful here, though. This must be why all of these agents were so eager to volunteer.”

James rolled his eyes. “Yeah well, the AIA really is slipping without me. Your lookouts were visible from the rear end of Svarga and her,” he pointed to Kira, “she has academy written all over her.”

Kira snorted, “Oh please, the only thing written all over me was your eyes.”

“I was looking for a wire.”

“Sure.”

“Children, please.” Croak interjected, “James, you know why we’re here.”

“I do, and the answer has not changed.”

“I know, I know,” Croak said, approaching James and placing a hand on his shoulder. “The answer is no. Completely and unequivocally, NO.”

“Glad we are still at an understanding, then why have you wasted agency resources bringing all of these agents here?”

“I thought there was something you might want to know.”

“Well you couldn’t have just sent a fucking letter?”

Croak lowered his head and shook it, “No my friend, not for this.”

James grew impatient, “What is this about, Marti?”

Croak took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly before producing a picture from his jacket pocket. “It’s about your team.” He handed the picture to James, who immediately recognized all of the Anurans in it. Blitz, Rodge, Aria, Lathraia, and himself. The members of the AIA’s BZ-RK task force. The one he’d created and led for a number of years. This team was largely responsible for the containment and neutralization of the dangerous compound.

“Why are you showing me this?”

“Because,” Croak began before pausing again, “Because all but two of you are dead. Someone has discovered your identities.”

James dropped the picture in shock and watched as it soundlessly hit the sand beneath him. “How could this be? The records were destroyed, Croak!” In his shock and anger, he turned and grabbed Martavius by his throat and shoved him against one of the bars’ support columns. “What the hell have you done?!”

The agents nearby all took a step forward but Croak waved them off with his free hand. “The council kept backups. They didn’t tell us James, I swear to Anura the agency had no clue.”

James released him and took a step back, “For your sake, you better hope that’s true.”

“I am truly sorry,” Croak croaked, massaging his throat, “That’s the two reasons we’re here. We wanted to warn you and—we need you. You were the best of us, the very heart of this agency. We both know I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in if it wasn’t for you and for that I am eternally grateful. I wanted nothing more but to let you sail off into the sunset. Anura know’s you earned it. But this…something sinister is at play and whether you like it or not, it involves you. Use our resources, get to the bottom of this. I beg you.”

James thought for a long moment, he looked at the picture again. The wind had nearly covered it with sand already. He bent over and picked it up, waving the intrusive sand away and studying it once more.

“You said there’s only two of us left. Me and who?”

“Lathraia,” the director responded.

“Does she know?”

“No. Not yet, she was on mission when this all began. She works with the Joint Orders Forces now and despite my connections, reaching her has been near impossible.”

James nodded, unsurprised. Lathraia wasn’t one to stop fighting. She’d never end up somewhere like this beach. Not like him. He sighed heavily. “I’ll do it, but on my terms. There’s something I need first.”

“Of course, whatever you need.” Croak said, relieved, “What is it?”

James turned to Kira, who still stood anxiously behind the bar.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll have that drink now.”

Pond and the Priestess

The night was as dense as the fog that encompassed it. Although he’d only recently been unretired, James Pond felt right at home again. He stood quietly, enveloped by the shadow of the great tower of Svarga: The grandiose structure that housed the High Council of Anuran Priestesses. His mission was simple: infiltrate the council chambers and obtain any information or clues as to why the council kept records of his squads identities and activities. And more importantly: who had access to said records.

“We’re all set,” Kira announced through his earpiece, “The changing of the guard is happening now, this is your chance.”

“Affirmative,” Pond replied, “See you on the other side.”

“Good luck. And remember, if you’re caught: The AIA will deny any affiliation with you.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence…and the support…”

“My pleasure! Don’t forget the holographic disguise emitter I packed for you, could come in handy. Anyway, I'm shutting down, not much else I can do from here and the drones are closing in.”

James nodded, even though she could not currently see him, and clicked off his comm unit.

“Once more into the fray,” he whispered, pulling down his NV goggles and adjusting his eyes to their green hue. He’d need to scale the tower and reach its upper levels, all while avoiding the armed guards, surveillance drones, and the several cameras that occupied the towers’ extremities. It was really no big deal.

Patiently, he waited for the current guards to be relieved by their replacements and then made his move. Expertly staying out of eyesight, he made it to the hallowed walls of the tower and began his ascent. Anurans were natural climbers, but due to this, the outer walls of the tower were sprayed with a slippery compound to deter any would-be intruders. But Pond was prepared, his magnetic gloves were perfectly suited to the task and were unbothered by the substance. He climbed for what felt like hours, avoiding detection at all costs. Finally, he’d reached an upper balcony where he could make his entrance. He grabbed the rail and flipped himself over it, disengaging his gloves as he landed on the surface. After allowing a moment for his arms to rest, he moved to enter the tower. But before he could do so, his comm buzzed back to life. It was Kira.

“James.”

He tapped his ear, “Kira? I thought you were gone.”

“I am. Was. Whatever. Something didn’t feel right so I swung back around.”

“Okay…So what is it?” he glanced over at the door that led to his balcony and saw the locking mechanism beginning to close. “My window is closing here, literally.”

“The upper chambers should be empty at this time of night. But they aren’t. I see lights and a lot of movement on the scope.”

“Shit.”

The way James saw it, he could either ignore this warning and likely be caught OR delay his incursion on the tower and potentially be too late to discover the identities of those who killed his friends. And, if patterns held, would likely attempt to kill him and Lathraia. The choice however unwise, was simple.

“Thanks for the heads up,” he said. “I’m going in.”

“Wait! James! That is NOT a good ide—” he ripped his earpiece out before she could finish and tossed it over the balcony. Then, deftly entered the door before it completed its automated locking cycle.

He found himself in a massive, dark, domed room. It was largely empty save some furniture and decorative sculptures that lined its walls. The half-spherical ceiling held murals of Anura and her early miracles. A beautiful history. It was at least evident that whatever lights and movement Kira was seeing was not happening at this level of the tower, and for that he was grateful. He located the exit and began to move toward it, he’d need to find a stairwell to ascend further from here. However, as he crossed the centerpoint of the room, its many lights energized. He reeled as the burst of light nearly blinded him with his NV goggles still active. He ripped them off and tossed them to the ground. Before he could blink away the spots in his vision, he was struck across the face. Hard.

He fell backwards but regained his footing, drawing the dagger from this boot and slashing at the sound of the incoming attacker. He could not see it, but he felt it. The familiar feeling of a throat being opened. Blood pooled around the shadow that now lay dead at his feet. He steadied himself and scanned the room as his vision began to return, immediately finding that despite his kill, he was still not alone.

“Well done, Mr. Pond. Well done indeed,” a feminine voice projected through the dome.

“What the hell is this?” he asked. Internally, he pondered how he could have possibly been ambushed here. No one could have known he’d be here in this specific room on this specific night, for all anyone knew he was dead or still off the grid. Everyone except–

“Yes, I see it in your eyes,” The voice continued. “You’re putting it all together. Realizing what and who led you here. I must say, it really is quite a sad ending. If it’s any consolation, Croak refused to do it himself. He is but a tortured man clinging onto what little conscience he has left. In the end it is no matter, I prefer to see things through myself anyhow.”

Martavius Croak. A frog James considered a friend, family even. This betrayal stung deep and found itself compounding with the loss of his friends. Despite his best efforts, Pond fell to his knees. His dagger fell from his limp fingers and clattered to the floor beside him. The voice, the figure that spoke to him, approached. Her long priestess robes dragged eloquently behind her.

“Do not be ashamed, Mr. Pond. It is ok to be broken. It is a burden many face and luckily for you, it is a burden I will free you from. I can release you just as I did your friends.” She paused for a moment and contemplated, “Perhaps I should not take credit. The truth of it is: you killed them. Don’t you find that to be true? After all, it was you that created the task force. It was you that abandoned them at its apex. If you had stayed, do you think they’d still be alive? Could you have protected them?” She ignited the orb that hovered beside her, it glowed with a fiery rage and swirled around her in a display of power. “Likely not.”

James just sat, allowing her words to sink in like poison through the skin. The weight of his friends' lives hung on his shoulder and he felt as if he may collapse through the floor. The priestess slowly circled him like a serpent would its prey.

“Did you really think you could just ruin everything and then retire? Live a life of relaxation and tranquility?” She laughed, “People like you don’t get to retire. You get retired. BZ-RK was my life's work and you burnt it to the ground because you didn’t understand it. This time, it will be different. I cannot afford to have Anurans such as yourself trifling in my affairs again, not this time.”

She reached into her robe and produced an intricate dagger, one likely used for ceremony or ritual. James saw it, but still did not move.

The priestess raised the knife and hissed, “I release you, broken creature.”

She swung the blade in an arc that would slit his throat from ear to ear, and still, James did not move. Her blade struck, but she felt no ripping or tearing of the skin. No slicing. No death. Instead, the blade moved completely through James Pond. The holographic image of him flickered as her blade finished passing through it and realization dawned on her as quickly as the blade that suddenly erupted from her chest.

Her eyes went wide and her orb began to move angrily. But he knew she’d have to choose.

“Which will it be?” He hissed into her ear from behind, “Will you heal yourself or will you kill me? You do not have the power for both.” She made a noise that may have well been a reply, but the blood curdling in her throat made it hard to decipher.

“I will make the decision easier for you, but before I do. A piece of advice. Next time, skip the bullshit monologue.”

James Pond pulled the knife free from the Priestess and spun her to face him, he had only a fraction of a moment to see the rage welling in her eyes before he thrust the dagger up into the bottom of her chin. She fell to the ground in synchronicity with her orb, James watched as it slowly rolled toward the wall of the room. A small flame yet flickering within. The Priestesses body wretched one last time as it battered against the wall, and then, both lights went out.

James wiped the blood from his dagger with the Priestesses robe and sheathed it before moving back to the balcony door. He didn’t even know her name, and didn’t care to. But there was one name he did know, one that should have known better.

I’m coming for you, Martavius Croak