Knock Knock Knock
"I...don't think anyone can hear that."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNO-KNOCK KNOCK
"That's more like it."
More silence met Knox and Piercer despite best efforts.
Every attempt and with every passing second ruled the possibility of drawing attention and ambushes. So Piercer had his bow's aim fixated on the door and an eye trained for the darkened forest behind them. But they had been at it for nearly two minutes and two minutes was far too long.
Piercer scratched the side of his face as his eyes slowly glazed over with the expression of irritation. The Archerat shot a hand out to his quiver and flicked out an arrow. The Archerat pressed himself against the cold, gray double doors and slipped the arrowhead through the crack. His ears twitched as he went to work.
"Ooooh, a little classic breaking-and-entering? I'm game." Knox said, narrowing his eyes deviously.
"Shhh. I'm concentrating." Piercer quietly responded. He closed his eyes and re-focused in on the miniature clicks and clanks that resonated in response to the sharp end of the arrow. However, the arrow in his hands snapped in half after adding an unintended amount of pressure.
"Dammit..." Piercer cursed under his breath as he started over with a fresh one out the bag.
Knox tapped his foot as his partner carried along on his quest for door domination. The human kept eyes on the world around the observatory, taking on Piercer's usual role as lookout. The night gave them a chance of concealment to their misdeeds, and though to some mutes the dark didn't matter, it still would have been a safer bet to have arrived at daytime.
A slow-stacking anxiety began to loom over Knox as he lowered a hand to his waist, finding nothing to grasp in return. His katana and scabbard were gone. The human was still not used to his sword being absent, but for what rewards lie in wait, he would have to suffice without it for the time being.
He would get his sword back. There was no question in his mind.
"Knox, it's unlocked."
Knox shot an excited look behind him to discover Piercer peering inside of the now-opened doors to the observatory. Knox rubbed his hands greedily as the rat mute gestured him over.
"The book will soon be mine, muahahaha!" Knox laughed, exaggerating an evil arm raise towards the sky.
Piercer rolled his eyes.
"You're acting extra goofy today." Piercer called out quietly as his loaded bow maneuvered around the inside of the building.
"Sorry. My modest attitude looses it's composure when I'm ahead of the game." Knox admitted. He drew out his knife and followed the rat mute inside.
Piercer took no time to waste. A plan quickly swam through his head. "We should look for an exit path. We can't get trapped in here and going back out the front door should be our last resort. Keep eyes peeled for any."
"Roger that."
The inside wasn't the brightest in illumination, but it was still just enough to get around with no trouble. Though with the Archerat mute's night vision eyes, it wouldn't be much of an issue...at least for him.
Right in front of them was another pair of doors that led to an unknown future.
"What if they're all...just waiting for us?" Knox pondered, tapping his knife against the flat of his palm.
Piercer stood to the side of the doors, ready to breach inside.
"Doesn't matter. Open it. I'll cover this time."
Knox took in a deep breath and stepped in front of the two doors. His lack of katana was starting to get to him and he didn't want to admit it to himself.
Taking in a swift breath, Knox pushed the two doors open as a mighty creak followed.
As the doors revealed the unknown, the two found themselves in their first section of the building. And it was enormous. A spherical projector occupied the center of the chamber and a long table resided nearby with a stage just ahead of it, curtains to accompany it.
All was quiet. All was silent. And more importantly...
There was still no one in sight.
"Let's not get our hopes up yet. There's still more rooms to check. On guard." Piercer reminded as he swiped his narrowed sights around in observance with his arrow pointed out and following his vision.
"No need to tell me..." Knox eyed an old pamphlet and barely made out the words and pictures still legible on it's cover. He wasn't sure if it counted as a "book", but he sure as all hell wasn't going to slip off the chance. He placed it in his bag and zipped it back up, gripping his knife tighter as he quickly rejoined his friend towards the stage.
Piercer pulled the curtains back and found nothing but various floating planets, stars and neutrons all floating up as fake props. But nothing else of interest.
"Getting a little nervous at the lack of science books." Knox relayed as he tapped the knife's end against his pants.
Lowering his bow's aim, Piercer joined in on Knox's outlook.
"Can't blame you. Only so many rooms left. Let's just clear the rest and find our resolution to this."
Piercer lead way further into the observatory alongside Knox. Every second and every step was filled with a dread they couldn't quite place. Not that they knew they shared it. Not that they knew if it really foretold anything.
As they reached the hallway, framed portraits caught their eyes. The recognition of who was framed inside slowly made the apprehension worse.
"Great...wolves. Just our luck." Knox muttered as his composure sullied down even further. He got closer and observed the line up of what was clearly a lineage of wolves. Wolves of science. Not what Knox expected.
And Knox couldn't place it...but they looked strangely...familiar?
"Billions and Billions...so that's their names? At least we know what to scream if we get caught." Knox quipped.
"They're all probably a bunch of nerds. Keep up." Piercer told him, paying no mind to the electric tesla coil encased behind a steel cage fenced in the wall nearby as he passed.
Knox looked on in wonder as electricity sparked about the cage.
"So you're just going to ignore the electricity thing?"
The next room had a clear label in blue words above it's entrance. It read 'Telescope Room'.
As Piercer gripped the door, he looked to Knox for a wordless acknowledgment of his preparedness. The human nodded back as he raised his blade up in front of him. Piercer nodded back.
The door swung open and Piercer met either sides with his loaded arrow. Knox stepped inside and came to the same conclusion as Piercer.
No one.
But by the rat gods, were there books. Loads and loads of books. They all lay up for grabs on the multiple bookshelves. A warm feeling passed through Knox. "We found it, Piercer. Mr. Devland is going to be super pissed."
Just before the two could relax, a muffled cry sounded off nearby, causing the trespassers to jolt back into alertness. Right in the corner to their left was a weasel mute, tied up and gagged leaving it unable to verbalize. It continued to squirm and struggle as Piercer nudged Knox's shoulder.
"Not good. Hurry and pick out a book. I'll get some answers." Piercer pulled out his dagger as he approached the subdued weasel.
Knox ran up to the nearest book and pulled it out of it's place, reviewing it's title.
"'Of Stars And Things: A Beginner's Guide To Astronomy'...got it, Piercer." Knox bagged the astronomy book as he rejoined Piercer and the weasel.
"So what's the deal?" Knox asked just as Piercer removed the gag from the weasel's mouth. The bound mutes' bloodshot eyes bulged as it yearned to speak and now it's wishes were granted.
"You need to get out of here, now! They're going to kill you!" the weasel claimed in a shivering panic. "Untie me, we need to leave now! The four-eyed one is insane!" the weasel claimed aggressively.
"Four-eyed wolves? That doesn't sound too pleasing." Knox clenched and unclenched his hand. "Let's get o-"
Piercer's ears twitched as his pink eyes grew wide in an instant.
"No time, hide now!" Piercer ordered, racing towards the close cluster of branches that jutted out of the ground and hiding behind it. Knox followed unquestioningly, leaving the weasel mute to fend for himself.
Voices faintly arose from outside the Telescope Room and became clearer with every step.
Knock knock knock knock
"Ooooh weasel? We're hoooome." a mockingly singsong voice announced through the door.
The weasel began cursing in hysterics as Knox and Piercer looked on in hiding. The door slowly creaked open and in stepped four different wolves. All sporting blazers and turtlenecks, two were alike in looks but the other two ahead of them stood out distinctly.
One wore a black blazer and had dark gray fur, and the second wore a white blazer and with golden, round glasses rested between it's snout. This one in particular raised it's nose and lowered it's eyes in silent scorn at the poor weasel before him.
"Oh dear...Mark? How did you ungag yourself? We know you're a crafty little thing, but this is rather impressive!" the bifolcaled mute wolf slowly stepped up to the weasel as he locked eyes deeply into his capture's.
"But still...seems a bit strange." the wolf continued, leaving a pondering thumb and pointer finger on it's chin. "We tied that gag pretty securely...and the cloth that kept your mouth shut seems to have been easily ripped with what seems to have been a sharp tool, not chewed off..."
Knox and Piercer didn't like where this was going.
"And if my assumptions are correct..." the wolf corrected his glasses and smiled. "...the culprits are still in this room."
Knox's heart began to race faster. They were definitely toying with them. If anything, the racing pulses within their chests had already given them away the moment they walked in. He gripped his knife tightly.
The mute wolf straightened his turtleneck and took off his glasses. Eying the black-blazered wolf beside him, he motioned his head towards the petrified weasel mute before rubbing small specs of degrees debris out of his focal lens.
"Brother Billions, please showcase an example of what could befall our unwelcome guests, should they continue to test our patience."
The wolf pulled on his black blazer and narrowed his magenta eyes with murderous hunger.
"With pleasure."
The weasel shook and rocked in a final bid for his life, but in the end it was all but fruitful.
"No, no! W-wait! Wai-AGHH!"
The wolf shot forward it's jaw and with an iron grip, latched it around the weasel's throat. Within seconds, the mute's body ceased in its struggles. The wolf released the weasel and turned around with blood-covered teeth and fur, eyes fixated directly towards the telescope structure.
"Now...for our new prey. I believe it is evaluation time." the white blazered wolf exclaimed excitedly, the light from the outside moon glinting against his glasses.
"And don't make us count. Coming out now would do you a whooole lot better. Trust me." the black-blazered mute wolf warned as he rubbed away at the blood-stained fur of his chin.
The jig was up.
They'd been caught. And no amount of waiting would change that. So Piercer chose to reveal himself first, arrow trained between the four wolves that blocked their only chance of escape. Knox joined suit soon after.
"Hey...you're..." one of the other mute wolves started. They paused for a moment's thought before she snapped a finger and growled. "I knew your scents were familiar. You're both part of that posse we chased awhile back!"
Something clicked in Knox's head. And as he looked to his rat companion, he could tell that he wasn't the only one that felt the familiar pull of remembrance.
Back in the heavy downpour.
Not long after they had found their old hideout had burned down by unknown means.
The wolves that chased them through the blinding rain before managing to evade their sights.
Knox had choked on his words, but Piercer made up plenty in his place.
"Let us through, or two of you isn't going to make it out of this room alive. Three if I have an extra second."
Piercer's threat was elaborated by the drawback of his bowstring, arrow at the ready. It cycled amongst the four turtlenecked wolves.
One of the wolves growled lowly, resisting the urge to move forward and out of line of her alpha.
"I'd like to see you try, ratboy."
"Enough, Megan." the wolf in the white blazer took a step forward but halted as Piercer mirrored his step. The wolf raised an eyebrow as the rat mute glowered him on. "I implore you to stand down. I really wouldn't bet on believing we're the only wolves here."
After keeping the wolf's unfaltering gaze, Piercer slowly lowered his bow.
"Absolutely splendid! Now...let us introduce ourselves..."
The two standout wolves grew in closer with wide smirks plastered on their faces.
"I'm Good Billions." the first wolf revealed, straightening his glasses again through habit.
"And I'm Bad Billions." the second mute gave out.
"And we're..." they both said in unison.
There was a brief pause before Bad Billions broke it.
"Ha! Did ya expect us to finish it together? We're the Newton Wolves..." Bad Billions clasped his hands together as his eyes hungrily observed his cornered guests. "Now...explain why the hell the prey we've been chasing popped up inside of our observatory."
Knox didn't hesitate to step forward. He caught the growls of the other Newton Wolves as he zipped open and reached inside his backpack. "Oh, calm down..." he told them as he pulled out a book. "We came here for this...a book of science."
Good and Bad Billions looked at each other and wordlessly. Bad Billions approached and snatched the book from Knox's hands. He scanned the cover. "Of Stars And Things...huh...forgot that one was back here."
Good Billions snapped to one of the Newton lackeys and pointed out the door. "I need you to bring back some restraints for our science thieves here. Rope will do just fine."
"This is all your fault." Knox said to Piercer as he tried again in vain to free himself from the ropes that bound his wrists.
Piercer looked at him incredulously.
"How!?"
"I dunno. Just is."
"Quiet, you two." Good Billions ordered. He stood in front of them with his arms behind his back. "We have a test for you. Normally, we'd just eat you and call it a day. Maybe experiment a bit before...but you seem to be creatures in the pursuit of knowledge. And well...that's the only reason you both are still breathing."
"So...the test?" Knox smiled nervously as the two Billions store down at him with a knowing look.
"You have ten seconds to give us ten things of interest that you know." Good Billions said as he revealed a worn-down timer in his hands. "You surpass the time limit, and my fellow pack will eat you both alive where you are."
Knox took in a deep, unconcentrated breath and readied himself for failure. What kind of 'things of interest' did he need to say? What if it wasn't enough? Did it have to be science-related? He had no time to answer these questions as Good Billions clicked the timer button. The ticking began.
"Start." Bad Billions said simply.
Knox swam for ideas in his head. The first one came out.
"Um...there are more ways to arrange a deck of cards than there are atoms on Earth?" Knox told the wolves, yearning for some kind of evaluation. The two Billions nodded their heads.
The ticks of the timer came and went, and through the encouraging motivation to not die a horrible death, Knox barreled through distant remembrance of intriguing facts like a knife through cake.
"...and bubble gum does NOT stay in your stomach for several years after you swallow it, that's just a myth!" Knox finished just as the timer went out.
"My, my. Impressive. Death can be quite the motivator...shame though. I was going to take my time with you." Good Billions had somewhat of a disappointed look on his face as he and his brother turned to Piercer.
"You're turn, you little lab rat." Bad Billions spoke with a smirk.
Piercer growled and snapped his teeth at the Newton wolf. "What'd you call me, star boy?"
Unflinching, Bad Billions motioned for the timer and started it himself.
"Ten seconds, rat nose."
Knox looked worriedly at the Archerat as he continued to glare into Bad Billions' eyes defiantly.
"This is f-cking stupid." Piercer said out loud as the Billions' sharp teeth began to show.
"Eight seconds." Bad Billions said with a sneer.
Knox widened his eyes. "Dude, now's not the time for pettiness! If you don't do this, we're dead! We're not beating them!"
"Six seconds, ha ha." Billions was salivating through his teeth.
"Dude!" Knox shouted, still unsuccessful at gaining the rat's attention.
"Five...fou-"
"The term "archery" comes from the human Latin word "arcus", which means bow. We rats as a species have been proven to have great memory. A "moonbow" is a rainbow that happens at night. When a person dies, their sense of hearing is the final thing to go. Lightning can in fact strike the same place twice. You can't die of 'old age', only from diseases brought on by old age. "I Am" is the shortest complete sentence in the the English language. Hummingbirds are the only animals able to fly backward. Earth is the only place in the known universe confirmed to host life. A year on Earth lasts just over 365 days. And wolves can't climb worth shit." Piercer finished rapid-fire succession.
"...Zero..." Bad Billions muttered silently just as Piercer finished, glowering at the rat in frustration. "Show off..."
"That last one wasn't exactly a fact..." Good Billions said through gritted teeth.
"Still got the other ten, didn't I?"
Silence followed Piercer mocking words as the two Billions circled the double trespassers.
Knox twisted his wrists inside the ropes that tied them together, eying the hungry-looking mute wolves as they grew in uncomfortably close. "So, uh...about your end of the deal? Since we did what you asked?"
Billions and Billions laughed as they gripped the ropes around their captives' bound hands and began cutting them free.
"Relax...we're aren't just wolves of science. We're also wolves of our word." Good Billions ensured as the wolves freed them.
Knox stretched out his wrists and gave the two co-alphas a long look.
"Our weapons, too?" Knox asked.
"Of course...you're going to need them out there...probably sooner than you think." Bad Billions gave Knox a look that he really didn't like. Even in the heat of the current situation, it felt...off.
Knox grabbed his knife from one of the many other Newton Wolves that surrounded them. One mute wolf gave Piercer his bow. As Piercer reached for his quiver full of arrows, Bad Billions stepped in between and picked it up himself. Before Piercer could say anything, the wolf snapped one of them in half.
"You know...I know we've met before on much more discreet terms...back in the rainstorm. But your scents seem...oddly familiar to something a certain something given us to compare with." Bad Billions told the two as he took out a second bow, snapping it as well.
"The hell are you on about now? Stop snapping my arrows and let us be on our-" Piercer was cut off by a sharp snap of Bad Billion's jaw just in front of Piercer's snout. He continued with a sadistic grin.
"This 'something'...I'm sure it looks familiar." the gray-furred alpha claimed as he reached into his inner coat pocket and slowly revealed a sharp object from underneath.
Knox's eyes widened as he caught it's full form, but straightened his face soon after. But it was too late. The two Billions had already caught the expression.
"This knife was used to pierce the neck of a poor ol' double-headed flamingo back at a place called Ratland.
You know anything about that?" Good Billions imputed. The looks the two wolves were giving Knox and Piercer made it abundantly clear that this wasn't just a question. It was a test.
Knox exhaled and clenched his knife tightly.
"It belongs to my friend. Those flamingos attacked us first, and our friend had every right to defend herself."
Knox told the Billions' in a low tone as he hovered the knife in front of them. "And that friend is a long, long ways from here. So you're not rolling anymore dice with us."
Good Billions nodded to one the Newton lackeys. "Nova...please open the front doors for our guests."
The Newton wolf wordlessly passed by Knox and Piercer, but not before Knox caught the heterochromia in the mute's eyes. One was a distinct aqua blue as opposed to the other's original magenta. The human couldn't help but notice them before the mute met the doors and gripped the handles, pulling them out to reveal potential freedom.
But of course, he and Piercer knew it was going to be far from that simple. Not after what the Billions' had just revealed.
"The only reason we're not dragging you off to Scarlemange right now is our fairness. Your interests and acknowledgments in the sciences hasn't gone unnoticed...so we're giving you a head start to run. And when we catch you...we'll make you tell us everything you know about your...friend." Good Billions' voice was clear and concise, but it was clearer that he was struggling to hold himself back.
But there it was again.
The name that was following Knox from a distance, haunting them ever since they entered the Las Vistas district. Only now, the name was right at their doorstep. A name that Piercer was all too familiar with.
"You take me to Scarlemange, and I'll put that dagger right where it rightfully belongs." the Archerat seethed through his teeth.
"Oh?" Bad Billions met with Piercer nose-to-nose. "And where would that be?"
Piercer smiled briefly before his face grew darker with a deep frown.
"In that filthy monkey's cranium." Piercer concluded.
The Newton wolves all growled dangerously at the rat and human as Bad Billions back-stepped slowly away from Piercer with a sly smile snaking across his face. "You have ten seconds to run. You both better prey you're just as fast as your answers." he told Knox and Piercer as they began backing up.
"Ten." Good Billions started.
Knox and Piercer had already turned and sprinted towards the door that led back into the dark of the night.
They got what they needed. All they had to do was make it back to Lensvile.
Every step wasted was a step that led them closer to both failure and a painful demise.