The night was still and the air hung heavy and cold. Down within the crevices of a dusty canyon laid the jackal squad, all curled up and resting atop one another for both warmth and comfort. All of the jackals slept peacefully, all except one. Their leader. He laid there, eyes wide as he was afraid to slip back into slumber. Night after night for the past week he had this reoccuring nightmare. A black and red hedgehog would kick him to the dirt and proceeded to stomp on him, all the while he hissed out insults. The leader jackal remembered each one clearly.
"You're a worthless little rat." He would spit out as he yanked on his tail. "Not even worth killing."
The dreams all ended the same. If the hedgehog was met with any sort of resistance, he would stomp directly on his face, ending the dream. The jackal could've sworn he woke up with a bloody nose once.
Tonight was no different though. He laid there, awake and anxious. Any motion from his teammates startled him, and any noise he heard made him tense. Hell, most of the noises he heard were just figments of his imagination. Except, tonight was different.
Particularly heavy footsteps resounded within the canyon. The jackal boss blinked blearily, not even able to comprehend that these footsteps weren't just a trick of his mind. It wasn't until they sounded awfully close to the entrance of the hide out that he drew his bright red sword from it's sheath.
The steps stopped right in front of the exit, and there was a thick moment of silence. The jackal slowly slipped out from under his pack mates, standing amongst their sleeping forms. It was then that a figure slowly eased forward. He couldn't make anything out, but he did make eye contact with it. He could tell because it's bright red eye was staring at him.
He recognized the color and froze on the spot as his blood ran cold. This must've been the hedgehog that he saw in his dreams. He was finally here to kill him. He didn't waste another moment, and with a shout he charged forward. He startled his teammates awake with his shout, but he didn't stick around to apologize.
He ran out of the hide out, sword in hand and eyes searching for the figure. He saw the red eye slowly sink into the shadows, almost backing off from him. Perfect. With another shout he gave chase, sword gripped tightly within his hand as he ran. The figure noticably jumped and ran away from this sword wielding maniac. It seemed to be headed towards the safety of the top of the canyons. The jackal wouldn't allow it to escape.
He stayed hot on it's tail, following it up various inclines and rock pathways towards the surface. Once moonlight hit, he saw the figure a bit more closely… Sort of. It was difficult to see who this was, but it was certainly not a black hedgehog. In fact, he couldn't even tell if it was a hedgehog. There was a large sheet that draped over the figure, obscuring everything about them except their running legs. Regardless, he still swung his sword at its retreating back.
"Come back here you little cretin!" He ordered, but of course his order fell upon deaf ears. Once they began to tread along the tops of the canyon, the figure turned around.
It was then that the jackal realized that he had been chasing after the wrong hedgehog. This hedgehog may have had a red eye, but it was nothing like the one in his dreams. His running slowed, and he fell into a stagger. The hedgehog mimicked the motion and stood a good distance away from him. Both stood there, panting and locked in an intense stare down. The jackal pointed his sword at them.
"What on earth are you doing here?!" He called out. The hedgehog raised their hands up defensively.
"I was just on an evening stroll!" She responded. They both shared another tense moment of silence.
"Leave anything of value you may have and perhaps I'll let you live." He snapped. The hedgehog scoffed and lowered her hands.
"I don't have any treasures on me. Any sane person wouldn't carry anything valuable at this hour!"
"Yeah right, what's in your pockets?" He demanded to know. The hedgehog reached down and tugged up her sweater, showing off the lack of pockets. And, well, pants.
"Absolutely nothing." She snipped. The jackal snarled and stepped closer. He kept his sword at his side, surveying the young girl.
"Then you're useless to me. I should kill you where you stand." He pressed the sword up to where her throat was. The hedgehog didn't even flinch. She leveled a stare at him and raised a hand up to gently grasp his wrist.
"Do you think a kiss is valuable?" They shared yet another moment of silence. The jackal looked her over from head to toe. She was a pretty little number, but he still felt uneasy around her. He hated this sensation of wariness.
"It has no monetary value, so therefore it isn't."
"Oh come on, it's a sweet little peck from a mysterious girl under the moonlight! Any rational man wouldn't want to pass this up!"
"I don't want to lose my lips." He snarled. The hedgehog seemed to pout as she leaned closer. The jackal didn't budge and allowed the hedgehog to press her nose against his.
"You just have to take a chance. Life is full of surprises. Who knows, maybe you'll like it."
"Tell me your name first." The jackal ordered.
"Susie." She retorted without a second to waste. The jackal turned his head away, admittedly nervous about this strange girl and her odd offer.
"I'll let you off the hook just this once." He stepped back. "Next time you step through these canyons, there will be a fine. Failure to pay up will result in a very slow and painful death."
"What if I pass through here while you're gone?" She sung and tucked her arms behind her back. The jackal sneered and pointed his sword up, pressing the tip under her chin.
"Then I'll hunt you down and murder you." He threatened as he leaned in and pressed their noses together. The hedgehog snickered softly, holding the stance for a while. It was then that she ducked down and pressed a smooch to his lips.
The jackal sputtered and staggered back, startled that she'd steal a kiss. That girl- how rude!… It was then that the jackal felt a wave of fatigue hit him. He held a hand up to his head, dismissing the sensation as sleep deprivation. That is, until he saw the devilish glint in the girl's eye. Something was wrong.
He drew his sword and pointed it at her, but it didn't deter her from drawing near. The closer she got, the weaker he felt. He stepped back, staggering as his hand shook.
"W-What did you do to me?!" He snapped, scared as to why he was reacting this way. The girl- Susie grabbed the hand that held the sword. He immediately dropped it at her touch. "What did you do?!" He was shrieking now. She laughed softly and pulled him closer.
"You're falling under the succubus' kiss." She gently ran her thumb against his cheek. He melted within her palm, his eyes locked with hers. He grit his teeth and tried to pull away, but found he was stuck fast.
"You monster." He hissed out. Susie leaned down to press another smooch to his lips. His heart fluttered painfully and his stomach filled with butterflies that made him sick. He tried to bring his hands up to strangle her, but they fell short and rested against her shoulders.
"Thank you!" She chirped and tucked one of the strands of white fluff back behind his ear. "You have wonderful eyes."
"So do you." He slurred, feeling his consciousness slipping away. She pressed her forehead against his, smiling at the results of her ever effective smooches. Though, she pulled away and stepped back when she heard the bustling footsteps coming up the side of the canyon.
Within a few moments, a cluster of jackals gathered up at the top of the canyon, all of their weapons drawn in case they needed to kick some ass.
"Boss!" One called out to the heterochromic jackal. He didn't respond, nor did he even look at them. He stared at the hedgehog, then started to shuffle closer. She grinned toothily and wrapped her arm around his shoulders once he got close enough. The other jackals gasped; they had never seen their boss so… Out of it!
"Well would you look at that! Someone has taken a liking to me!" She mocked.
"What did you do to him?!" Another jackal snapped as he adjusted his barret. The hedgehog shrugged her shoulders.
"I didn't do anything! I just walked by, he gave chase, and we wound up here!" She lied through her sharp teeth. The other jackals didn't buy it for one moment, but they didn't have the heart to charge with their boss in the way.
"She's fine." The lead jackal called as he slowly cuddled up to her, nestling his muzzle against her shoulder. The other jackals were taken aback by the statement. "Treat her as one of your own!"
Each pack mate stared at one another, confused as to why he would let in a complete stranger. Though, they didn't fight his words. Susie snickered softly and started to walk towards the group of mutts, watching as they all chattered and scattered.
"Let's go get some rest. I'm sure your little boss will have errands in the morning." She ordered. Though, the lead jackal took her hand and stepped forward, intending on leading her down by himself. She was surprised by the feat, as many under her spell weren't even able to stand on their own. This one had a lot of will.
Stone after stone the group of jackals all descended down the canyon. They then marched right back into their little hide out. The lead jackal sat the hedgehog down, then made quick work of using her as a pillow. She didn't object and watched the other jackals lie down, one by one, into their sleeping pile. She sighed softly and rested a hand against the jackal's head. Though, she noticed he wasn't nestling down to sleep like the others.
"Well? Aren't you going to get your rest?"
"How can I rest when you're here." He mumbled and grasped a bit of her hair to gently twirl around his finger. She snorted and shook her head, but she too didn't sleep.
Throughout the night the two looked at one another, gently touching each other's cheeks and hair, mumbling compliments and stealing kisses. You know, the works. However the thing that stood out to the hedgehog was how he wasn't slipping into a love struck daze. He was still fully conscious and able to make words; he wasn't throwing himself at her and smothering her like her usual victims did. He was a strong one.
When day eventually broke, the sun rose slowly. A bit of the sun's warmth hit the tip of the tail of one of the other jackals, and after some time he sat up and yawned. The jackal that laid against his chest also sat up and yawned, and shortly after another two jackals did the same. It was a domino effect, and the hedgehog couldn't help but laugh.
"That is adorable!" She called, startling the group. They had forgotten she was even there for a bit. Plus, no one is ever that awake in the morning. "Absolutely precious. It's hard to believe you guys are even thieves." She purred. The other jackals took great offense to that. Their leader slowly stood up and grabbed at the empty sheath. He looked down, not sure where his sword went. It was then that one of the jackals approached him and handed it over. He leaned in to whisper some words to his boss before stepping back. The leader nodded and pointed his sword forward.
"To find our riches for the day!" He bellowed. The other jackals all leapt up and sprinted out of the hide out, yelping and yipping all the way through the canyon. The leader gripped hard onto the hedgehog's wrist and charged forward.
This wasn't right.
This wasn't right by any means.
Her kisses were meant to incapacitate any being. Why the hell wasn't it properly working on him?!
The various jackals all ran through the canyon, and one by one they exited out into the dusty desert. It seemed that these guys had a set destination to go to that this girl didn't quite know about. Though, she continued on. What's the worst that could happen?
They ran for what felt like miles before they came across this tiny little desert village of what looked like coyotes. The inhabitants all screamed as the jackal squad descended upon them. They looted every house, snatched purses, and even tore the necklaces off of some of the men and women there. Their leader however didn't take part. He stood there, holding onto the hedgehog's wrist.
She tried to tug away, but each tug was met with the tightening of his hand. He turned slowly, his face curled into a sneer. It seemed like he was snapping out of the daze.
She knew it. This really wasn't right. He was far too strong to fall for her antics.
She leaned in and gently pressed her lips to his, effectively soothing him. His grip loosened enough for her to slip her hand away. She tugged back her glove and eyed up the leader.
"You have such beautiful quills in the sunlight." He mumbled. Those words sounded pained. She brushed her hair back and reached out for his hand.
"Let's go get you some water." She then began to tug him towards the village's crops. Near by there was a small well that dug down into an underground stream. The bucket was down within the well, sloshing around and full of water. She released the jackal's hand and gripped onto the rope. Though, it wasn't long until he wrapped his arms around her waist. She couldn't help but tense, knowing that he was one of the few that was capable of snapping out of the lovey haze. She grunted with each tug until she eventually pulled the bucket up onto the rim of the well. She hoisted it up and set it down onto the floor.
"Step back." She ordered, and the jackal quickly did so. She stood at one end of the bucket, chewing over her thoughts. That sword looked mighty dangerous, and he was a fast one too. She squinted down at her reflection in the bucket. In a flash, she dipped both of her hands into the bucket, cupped them, and splashed water onto the jackal.
He staggered back and shielded his face with an arm, practically dripping wet. There was a tense moment of silence between both of them, spare the white noise of the other jackals wreaking havoc within the village. The lead jackal slowly pulled his arm down and snarled at the hedgehog. She grinned in response and slowly stepped back.
"You little slut!" He called out and charged. He waved his sword about wildly as he ran after the hedgehog's retreating form. She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. That was always the best part!
"I'll kill you where you stand! I'll slaughter you like the whore you are!" He shouted after her. Once he saw he was gaining on her, he swung his sword down at her back.
Though, he missed, and alerted the girl to how close he was. Her wings stretched outward and with a few harsh flaps she was up in the air. Dust surrounded both the jackal and the hedgehog, and from the safety of the sky she looked down at him. Luckily for her, he was awe struck.
"Oooh come on, you loved every single moment of it!" She sung. She continued to flap higher and higher.
The other jackals all stopped their tirade to join their boss, and each of them laid their eyes on the flying hedgehog.
"A harpy?" One questioned.
"No no, she's a bat!"
"More like a vulture." One sneered.
"She's a demon!" The leader snarled out. Susie laughed out and pointed at the heterochromic jackal.
"He's right! Bingo was his name-o! What a good boy!" She cooed.
"You slut! You harlot! Come down here and fight you coward!" He ordered, but her wings didn't stop flapping.
"Why should I? I kinda want to live you know!" She sung.
"Why do you think you should live?! You're nothing but a lowly little whore who gets around by sleeping with others!"
"Not true! I just wanted to see if my magic would work on you!"
"Why?! Too much of a weakling to work your way up the ranks, or too cowardly to actually fight for your goods?!"
"Nope! I just wanted to see your reaction! Your face is priceless!"
With a snarl, the jackal crouched and leaped up. He swung his sword at her stomach and managed to knick her across said stomach, tearing through her sweater in the process. She yelled and fluttered back, hand over the superficial wound.
"Don't you dare show your face around these parts ever again! I'll slit your throat!" He shouted as he pointed his sword at her. She sneered at him and took to the skies. He was a fiesty little guy! She liked his spunk, but not when it actually hurt her!
The jackal on the other hand snarled at her distancing form. He eventually shouted out and tossed his sword down onto the floor. He yelled out curses and cusses, stomped his feet, and finally screamed. The village went dead silent, and so did the rest of his team.
One brave little soul stepped forward and gently placed a hand onto his shoulder. He tensed and glowered back at them.
"Are you alright boss?" He said firmly. The lead jackal let out a sigh and relaxed. He placed a hand to his own forehead and rubbed.
"I'm going to kill that girl when I get a chance, just you wait." He swore under his breath. The other jackal member leaned in and gently lapped at his cheek.
"Let's clean this place out, maybe it'll get you in better spirits!" He said, oozing hope. The leader smirked and snatched his sword back up, and the squad returned to ransacking the village.
3 MONTHS LATER
The sun was just beginning to set, and a certain someone was surveying the city. There was talk of a masked assailant that was striking fear into cities around the world. Word had arrived by mouth that said attacker was somewhere within a nearby city, so she had to go check it out.
After flying for some distance, she landed onto the top of an apartment. Pieces of rubble were strewn about, the sounds of screaming citizens could be heard for miles, and the figures of adults and children alike could be seen running for cover. It was a strange sight indeed.
She hopped down from her perch into the center of the city and snatched up the arm of a young blond hedgehog, similar to herself. When the child stared up at her with fear filled eyes, she loosened her grip.
"What's going on?" She asked the child. It was then that a shadow covered both hedgehogs. The child broke eye contact and looked up at the source of the shadow, then pointed a shakey hand up at it. Susie followed the direction she pointed in and saw him.
"My my my, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" The being purred, then adjusted his mask ever so slightly.
The younger hedgehog pulled away from the demon and booked it towards the safety of a building. Susie turned her head and tried to call out to them, but turned back when the villain in this situation appeared right beside her. She winced and stepped away from the creature.
"Who the hell are you?" She spat.
"You may call me Infinite." He placed a hand over the front of his mask. The hedgehog squinted slightly.
"I swear I've heard that voice before but… God I can't put a name to it." She tucked a claw under her chin as she thought. She gave him a look over, then recognized the stripes along his sides. "You're the little jackal boy I kissed!" She chirped. In an instant Infinite had his hand wrapped around her throat. She gasped out in shock before her windpipe was forcibly closed.
"Your memory serves you well. I hope you remember the vow I made about the next time I saw you." She reached up to try and claw his hands away, but it was no use. She was stuck fast. Infinite stared at her struggling form for quite some time. He found plenty of entertainment within her panicked flailing, but knew that he wouldn't feel too fufilled if he ended it now. He released her throat and wound his fingers within her hair, allowing her to gasp out for air.
"Though, I realize now that I'm not being true to my vow." He tilted her head back and ran a claw along the front of her throat. "I did say after all that I wanted to slit your throat. It'd be a crime to not follow my threat to a T." He watched her face, taking great joy in her fear. He chuckled lowly and pressed the point of his mask to the side of her head. "Your fear smells delicious."
She reached forward and shoved at him, staggering back in fear. He released her rather easily, content with playing with his food.
Susie held a hand to her throat before shouting out a "I didn't think you were being serious!" A nervous chuckle fluttered out of her. It was obvious that her bravado was somewhat wounded given his speed, but she still stuck through it. Infinite laughed at her response before leaning back.
"I was intending on following through with it, but I found that you're much more entertaining than the citizens fleeing." He tucked a hand behind his back and bowed. "For that, I'll give you a sample as to what I'm capable of."
She snorted, some of her bravado returning at the thought of a fight. She took up a defensive stance, calling out a "I'll take whatever you've got and return it ten-fold!"
It was then that everything went red and fuzzy. She staggered back with a yell as her surroundings seemed to vibrate and glitch. Then everything seemed to go back to normal. Infinite was still bowed, the city was still burning, and people were still screaming. She didn't know what occurred.
Infinite then stood and stepped closer towards her. She didn't budge, not even when he gently took her hand which was completely at odds with the threats he made. He pressed the bottom of his mask to the back of her hand, imitating a kiss.
"You have such beautiful quills in the sunlight." He commented as he looked up at her. She smiled and ducked her head slightly.
"Aw shucks, thank you! I-" She paused before squinting at him. "Heeey, what are you planning? You're buttering me up!"
"I'm not planning anything. I just want you to see the real me." He gripped the edge of his mask. "The me that loves you very dearly." Her brows raised as she watched him slowly tilt his mask up. Perhaps he had a change of heart?
No he didn't.
Her blood ran cold and her heart almost stopped at the horrific scene before her. Infinite had no face. He had no muzzle, no eyes, nothing. He did however have a gaping maw that was full of serrated teeth. He let his mask clang painfully onto the asphalt. Drool seemed to slip down the open mouth, and a low hiss could be heard.
Susie stepped back, terrified of this shape shifting beast. Once she was at a good enough distance, Infinite ran right after her. She shrieked and ran away from him. She booked it up a nearby road, fearing for her own life. The screams of the citizens all seemed to disappear and her ears rung with Infinite's heavy breathing.
She looked over her shoulder to see if Infinite was still behind her. Surely enough he was, and he was gaining on her. She screamed again and tried to run faster. She turned the corner and ran for as far as she could. When she looked over her shoulder again, he was gone. She slowed down and turned, eying up the corner, expecting his disgusting form to come staggering around it. When Infinite didn't show up, Susie looked at her surroundings. She noticed a small bakery with a nice glass view inside and there were people inside, acting like nothing was wrong. She ran up to it and tried the door. The door was locked, so she ran to the glass and began banging on it.
"Hello?! For fucks sake, open up!" She shrieked, but no one paid her any mind. This went on for a while, until she saw her reflection. Behind her she saw Infinite's gaping wide maw. Her heart sunk, but she wasn't ready to turn around. Instead she curled her hand up into a fist and swung at Infinite, decking him in the side of the head. He grunted in pain and staggered back, allowing her to run off.
She continued up the road, running despite the burning sensation in her legs. Why didn't those people react?! Why was everything so quiet?! Where the FUCK was Infinite's face?! Thoughts of that nature floated through her head so quickly that she didn't even realize where she was headed. She was tuned out, trying to find her own answers that she didn't notice the child she had stopped earlier up ahead.
When the child waved to her, she snapped out of her thinking daze. She gazed up at them and smiled, then ran for them. Oh they were such a wonderful sight! She was just so happy that she could just cry-
Just as she ran past an alley, an arm reached out and snatched one of her wrists. Due to her speed, and the angle that the grab came from, her arm was properly popped out of it's socket. It was a disgusting noise that would have shaken anyone near by. It even shook her. The hand released her arm and she collasped and rolled down onto the floor due to her momentum, not even able to process what happened.
After a deafening moment of silence, a blood curdling scream left her lips as tears welled up in her eyes. The pain was excruciating, it felt like someone had poured molten lava into the socket where her arm should've been. She eased up onto her knees and surveyed the damage. Her arm was torn out of it's socket and twisted in a way that she thought wasn't possible. It was useless to her now.
She then heard footsteps behind her, and when she turned she saw Infinite's disgusting mouth once more. She shrieked and fell back. She dug her heels into the asphalt and dragged herself away from Infinite's slowly approaching form.
Yet, he was far too fast, even at his staggering pace. It didn't take long for him to loom over her and toss his weight onto her, effectively pinning her to the ground. He pressed the heels of his palms to both shoulders, further pinning her down. She shrieked out in pain when she felt him squeeze the shoulder that lacked an arm within it's socket.
More and more tears trailed down her cheeks as she struggled against him. The tears blinded her enough for her to not notice the glitching of Infinite's face. Soon enough, the mask covered the maw behind it, and he brought a hand up to gingerly cup her chin.
"Your fear is absolutely delicious." He purred, then began stroking the side of her head. Her wails calmed and was replaced with a rather violent and persistent shudder.
"W-Why?" She hissed out, her voice cracking as she struggled not to cry out again.
"I just wanted to see your reaction. Your face is priceless." He purred and leaned down to press the point of his mask into her cheek.
She sobbed pitifully as she turned her head away from him. Her eyes began to survey the area around them, and she found that they ended up just as where they started. Yet, when she tried to move her twisted arm, it was still busted up. That- That didn't make any sense! She didn't run in a circle! How was this-
"I hope this teaches you to not mess with anyone elses' minds." He spoke suddenly, then gently pressed a finger to her lips. "You may never know who will mess with yours if you do."
She was at a loss for words. She laid there, shivering like it was the coldest winter she had ever experienced in her short life. Infinite slowly raised himself up and off of her, but wasn't quite done with her.
He leaned down and, with a bit of force, used his claws to trim a few strands of hair off of her head. He took the long strands and wrapped them around one of his fingers. She watched this, absolutely confused as to why he'd do that.
"I believe I found something of value from you after all. Your quills truly are beautiful in the sunlight, especially during sunset." He laughed rather darkly as he turned and walked off, leaving her to lay there with a broken arm and shattered courage.
Poor little Susie.