The rain was pouring, the air crackled with lightning, and Griffin was hot on the trail of a very injured, "young" kraken. He stared down from the cliff edge, watching as the wildlife in the area, a crowbill sloth, finished the creature off, putting out of it's misery, so to speak. Griffin sighed, taking his hat off, wiping the sweat and freshly hitting rain from his brow. He'd gained a lot of distance compared to the other three with him, they'd be with him soon enough, and he'd report it to them that the beast they hunted was dead.
His ears perked up as he listened out for a weak growl behind him- a blitzleopard cub, whined and growled in pain, the Kraken must have passed by and attacked earlier, the cub's pack dead. He raised his gun, aiming down at the poor thing, ready to put it out of its misery, when a large hand thudded on Griffin's shoulder. Griff's head turned slowly to check behind him, his gun lowered.
"Don't you fuckin' dare, Hallsey."
Hyde growled, a dark expression spread across his face. His hand grasped Griffin's shoulder firmly. Griff lowered his gun respectively to Hyde's order. Hyde released his grasp from Griffin's shoulder. Caira and Hank caught up to them, observing the situation. Hyde approached the blitzer cub, scooping it up into his arms and cradling it gently. He muttered to it, petting it, careful not to harm it further.
"Ho-ly-shit." Hank's jaw dropped, cigar falling out of his mouth. "Shit-" he grunted as it fell, he continued from where he paused "I'll be damned, Hyde has feelings.". Hyde turned on the spot, hissing. "Shut the fuck up! 'Course I have fuckin' feelings you prat! Get the fucking ship, we're headin' out." Hyde grunted, seemingly taking control of the group of hunters he'd been paired with.
The team took the safest route back to the landing area, Hyde still caring for the blitzer cub, a stern look across his face, staring straight forward. Caira jogged up ahead to walk by his side, eyeing the cub and Hyde, but mostly the cub.
"Uh, say, Hyde..." Caira began. Hyde turned his head, staring at her briefly, his eyebrow raised, lower eyelid lifted.
"What?" He grunted. He continued his strong stride towards the landing zone, the ship in sight now. Caira observed the cub, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Do you uh, think it's a good idea bringing that thing on board? I mean, it's a wild animal and-"
"Daisy were a wild animal once. What's your point?" He butted in, staring ahead with a frown across his face. Caira nodded once in agreement.
"Well, you're not wrong, however, Daisy was well, uh, trained? I suppose? Blitzleopards are a lot more aggressive and alert.. You can't keep it as a pet, it'll tear you apa-"
"And whose gonna stop me? I'll bloody teach it myself." Hyde grunted again, seeming to hide his soft side due to the events from earlier. The blitzer licked at it's front left leg, wounded and whimpering. Hyde avoided looking, trying to look as if he didn't care, but it was obvious something had triggered him, there were many blitzleopards on Shear, but for some reason this time it was different- perhaps seeing an innocent helpless cub played a role in it.
The team boarded the ship, on board, the rest of the crew awaited them. The ship took off into orbit, headed to an outpost, close by.
As the ship landed by the outpost, the team settled down inside, rooms were arranged for each individual, and there was a bar and small café in the vicinity- a cosy place, the outpost was. A group of the hunters- Griffin, Markov, Parnell and Bucket gathered around to revel in another victory, another monster dead. Caira, Val, Cabot, Ðorde and Abe sat around a table, discussing more about the Lazarus men and their special trinkets. Hank stood alone against a pillar, smoking a freshly lit cigar in the corner. Hyde stared across the room of hunters, still clutching the cub, which by now had been fixed up by Caira, after agreeing that Hyde would be okay with keeping it.
Maggie stood behind him, her arms folded. Daisy sniffed and licked at Hyde's boot, looking up at him, tongue stuck out. He turned around and narrowed his eye at Maggie.
"It's a carnivore." She uttered. He stared at her, flaring his nostrils. She chuckled at him. "You don't even know how to take care of it, do you? You just picked it up and took it away from it's home." Her expression was like stone, her eyes narrow now. "Respect it. If it dies because of you, I swear-"
"I get it, bloody 'ell Mags..." Hyde stared back at her, obviously intimidated from her threats. Maggie nudged Daisy, nodding at her before the two walked away.
Hyde looked down at the sleeping cub, sighing. He muttered to it, despite it probably not listening nor understanding.
"I 'ad a creature kinda like you when I was a lad. Didn't last long, though." He continued to stare, grunting. "I'm gonna put you back when we're ready to go out again. Then yer on yer own. You'll be a'ight. I brought you outta pity, not 'cause I like ye." He told himself and the creature.
