[OLD] Fast Food Furries Book 1

Chapter 2: The Advisor

This one's a little longer than the last, but still pretty short. Keep in mind this is all a first draft anyway. The final version will be nice and beefed up.

Recap of "The Aftermath":

(Flashback) Ned harasses her mom, Alba, with her scooter.

(Present) Ned and Sonic team up and are rescued from the debris by Combine, a friend of Sonic's.

(Flashback) The Furry CEOs arrived at Stinky's Sandwich Shop. Alba references some terrible evil from which she wishes to protect Ned.

(Present) Ned formally meets Combine and they team up. They find a place to stay with a wolf furry. Combine and Sonic discuss their big secret.

(Flashback) Ned and her dad, Damien, try to survive the Furry Takeover. Her mom comes home but succumbs to Furry Madness and tries to kill her.

(Present) The wolf goes outside because there's so much smoke inside.

(Flashback) Damien protects Ned from Alba. Absolute furry chaos breaks out.

♦️    ♦️    ♦️

Combine awoke to a bright laser of sunlight skillfully maneuvering across time and space, a path 150 million kilometres long, through the dilapidated city, and into the ruined building just to stab his retinas. Probably revenge for what he did a couple years ago, so it was only fair. Still annoying, but fair.

He clambered to his feet and stretched his back, taking a deep breath, and immediately regretting it as he coughed up a wad of dust. It appeared that wolf girl had left at some point in the night. Oh well, not his problem.

Sonic had also woken already, and was standing in the doorway to appreciate the sunrise. Combine sauntered over and stood next to him. Without a word, Sonic motioned to the street, where a fire escape had torn itself off the face of a building and crushed the wolf girl in her sleep.

"We should hide the body," Sonic said quietly.

"What? Why?" asked Combine. "She's gonna see dead people eventually. We can't coddle her."

Sonic retorted, "like hell, we can't."

"If you're so desperate, go for it," Combine dismissed. "Don't expect any help."

He turned and walked back in as Sonic went over to drag the body to a more discreet location.

He awoke Ned and they walked out onto the street just as the hedgehog was emerging from an alleyway.

"What were you just doing?" she asked.

Sonic hesitated for a moment, before settling on "drugs."

Combine gritted his teeth. Was this Sonic's idea of helping Ned? Lying to her at every chance?

"Okay," he said, bringing himself back to the present, "we still need to find Candy."

"You know him best," Sonic deferred. "Where would he be?"

Combine pondered for a moment. Candy loved scratch tickets—it was honestly becoming a problem—so he might've gone to a gas station. Or, is that a stupid theory? Combine wasn't sure, but he shared it anyway. "Candy loved scratch tickets—it was honestly becoming a problem—so he might've gone to a gas station."

"Where's the nearest gas station? We need food too." asked Ned.

Combine looked around to get his bearings and remember where in the city he was. "There's one down the street! It's the gas station slash mechanic shop combo."