Jada Pinkett Smith as #Felicitywww.thecruxseries.com
From The Crux
Chapter 21: In Hot Water
“And who is this Felicity?” Penance adds.
“She is a Werebeing, an ancient species of Manitou,” I explain. “They were brought here by the Elementals to be used as guardians, cosmic bodyguards from a remote realm. Most died in the Elemental Wars, used for combat in their true beast form. The rest fled to the Fleshworld to escape the bondage of their oppressors after the conflict had ended. The mere handful that remain are living in immortal seclusion in the outlying forest and mountainous regions of the earth. They are almost all male, so
breeding has been forfeited. The only female is Felicity, and she, at first, returned to the Crux, to exact revenge against her Elemental oppressors. I was the one that discovered her plan and enacted her arrest. She did a decade in the Super Max and another one in the complex we laid waste to.”
“Now she’s a Marshall!” Penance gasps.
“Yes, as inconceivable and irrational as that may sound,” I affirm.
“And the reason for that is…” Penance presses.
“I befriended her during her time served,” I elaborate. “Her entire subspecies was wiped out by the Shadow Masters while serving as warriors for the Stone Masters. They were battle cats, huge predatory felines, up to twenty feet long and wearing a ton or more of bone, muscle, and fur. The Stone Masters actually rode them into battle. They are so powerful their claws can slice through marble like it is soft serve left out in the sun. One bite can crush steel as if it was dried leaves. They can leap up to fifty feet in lengths and height. So, you can imagine a line of these creatures charging forward like some nightmarish cavalry can be incredibly intimidating and disarming even for the most ruthless and seasoned of infantries. The Shadow Masters had ensnared and subjugated their own Werebeasts, equally as ferocious and barbaric and when these monsters met the carnage was unspeakable. In the end, their corpses layered the battlefield almost three high as far as the eyes could see. The flowing blood from their splayed veins created small ponds and lakes that stagnated with the stench of death and despair in the aftermath of the conflict. Felicity, the youngest of her pride, was the only one to limp away from the havoc.”
“So how did she enact her revenge?” Penance interrupts. “Who was her target?”
“Kalos, of course,” I quickly answer, “and she damn near killed him when she finally caught up with him without even Werebeasting out.” “I found out about her plan from an informant and got there just in time. Come to think of it, that was Sasha’s first real assignment as well.”
“Why didn’t you just let her rip his worthless throat out?” Penance scoffs.
“Because she didn’t have permission to, that’s why,” I retort. “It was an unauthorized assault, unqualified attempted murder and she wasn’t ashamed of it. In fact, she proclaimed it loudly during the trial proceedings. Her defense consisted only of the regret she had in her inability to finish him off. It was then I realized that this chick had spunk.”
“Spunk!” Feast chides.
“We all have a bit of the beast in us, you and Penance of all people, should know that.” I proceed. “Felicity literally has a full serving in her belly. In fact, she was more comfortable in her wild form than as a humanoid hybrid, remaining utterly feral for half of her term. Her sense of justice and inhuman strength and agility intrigued me; it made her a perfect candidate for Marshall, especially against some of the baddies we face. So I convinced the Controller, through Grace, of course, to give me the opportunity to rehabilitate her. He reluctantly gave me a limited amount of time, and with any and all resources I could muster spent every nanosecond of it trying to help her. It was a long, arduous, and frustrating journey. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to throw my hands up and quit but I stuck with her and my persistence and her patience finally paid off. She began to find her humanity and a determined focus, renewed purpose, something other than cleaning her claws with Kalos’ stripped flesh.”
“After time served, I gave her a job, administrative at first, and then she slowly moved up to the minor crimes division. She proved her quality time and time again but remained on probation because of the fear that she might give into the beast, even though there was no recent evidence to indicate it. She is a Cracker Jack investigator, with an amazingly complex mind, a genuine ability to think abstractly. Not to mention, her phenomenal sensory aptitudes make her an unequaled tracker. When things get hairy, pardon the pun, she can “get her cat on” and wipe out whatever is in her way, be it opponent or obstacle.”
“Is she in league with Dugan?” Penance challenges.
“There isn’t a corruptible bone in her caracal body!” I adamantly object. “I would stake my life on it. I put my reputation and freedom on the line for her from the start, and I have no intention of revoking it now!”
“Alright, relax Ronin,” Penance recoils, “I just never took you for much of a cat lover!” “You strike me as more of a dog person!”
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