When Destiny Calls
Gathering of Allies: The Winter Warrior
By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)
Summary: Well, Gray Wolf has entered into the Searchers lives. Now it's up to him to save the quintet from Moo's evil Dinos. Of, course the question still remains as to why HE'S there in the first place.
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher in any way shape or form. If you try to sue me for using it, you'll get nothing but bus change. Do not use this story without my permission and do not change it for the same. Oh, and since I don't know all the names and attacks of the monsters, I may have to make some up. Please read and review, but be forwarned, any and all rude comments will be misread and warped to whatever my imagination can come up with. Enjoy
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"Vengeance is a dish best served ice cold."
-Mr. Freeze, "Batman: The Animated Series"
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Gray Wolf dove for Captain Dino, his claws forward and his jaws open as he struck the large green dinosaur squarely in the chest. Beside him, both Daton and Datonare had taken flight, striking two more of the dinos. As soon as the captain landed on his back, Gray Wolf hopped off, firing a lightening bolt at the two other dinos as they tried to come to their captain's aid. His attack sent both dinos flying, a trip that only ended when they slammed into the stone outcropping Gray Wolf had started from. With out a second to spare, Gray Wolf turned to deal with the captain again, who had righted himself and was now prepared to launch a fireball at the wolf. Gray Wolf launched himself at the dinosaur attempting to gore him with his horns. Captain Dino spotted his actions and moved to the side just fast enough to keep Gray Wolf from hitting anything vital. Not that the twin horns in his gullet were any less painful. The large dino screamed as he fell to his knees, Gray Wolf pulling out to keep from going down with him.
"Not so ready for a fight now, are you lizard lips," Gray Wolf said, electricity on his bloody horns and a snarl on his lips.
"This isn't possible, we are Moo's Dino Troops. No one can beat us," Captain Dino said, the two holes in his belly oozing blood slowly.
"Then just call me No One," Gray Wolf said sending another lightening bolt at the captain. Suddenly, one of the two he had hit before jumped in front of his target, taking the attack in her leader's stead. The dino screamed as the electricity flash fried her and her body converted into a lost disk. "Stupid fool, throwing her life away like that," Gray Wolf said spitting on the still warm lost disk. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the tail of the second dino coming heading for him, sending him rolling along the ground. In an instant, Daton and Datonare were at his side, ready to fend off any further attacks on their leader.
"Stupid cur, I'll make you pay for what you did to my sister," the dino yelled, as he stamped his foot on the ground, preparing to charge.
"No Jared. We've lost this battle," Captain Dino said. Then he glared at Gray Wolf, "But make no mistake about it, we will be back." So saying, Captain Dino shot out a fireball that exploded in front of all eight people, hiding the remaining four dinos from view.
"You're welcome to try, hand bag. We'll always be ready." Gray Wolf got back to his feet and turned, ready to leave with his friends.
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Genki found himself staring as he watched the three tiger types go, not even bothering to say good by. All three had risked their lives to save the boy and his friends, and hadn't even bothered to stay for a thank you. And they had all looked absolutely marvelous in battle, especially the gray wolf that had lead the trio. A large hand came to rest on the boy's shoulder, and Genki looked up to see Joshua staring down at him.
"So that's the legendary Wild Pack," Joshua said, his eyes squinting as he glared at where the three had been.
"Who are the Wild Pack?" Genki asked.
"They're a group of monsters that either ran away or were abandoned by their trainers," Pink Eye said. "They claim they don't need trainers and they've been living out here as bandits, robbing innocent travelers."
"But they helped us, chi," Mocchi said, confusion in his voice.
"I'm not really sure why they helped us, Mocchi."
"Well, maybe we should find out," Genki said.
"What," both Pink Eye and Joshua said in unison.
"Bandits or not, they risked their lives to save us. At the very least we owe them a thank you. And you saw how tough they were. What if we were able to get even one of them to join us in finding the Phoenix? They obviously have no love for Moo, and we could use their help." Before anyone could voice an objection, Genki began to head off, in the direction the trio of wolves had left in.
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Meanwhile, at the lair of the Wild Pack, Gray Wolf, Daton, and Datonare are just arriving. The place appears to be deserted until two hare hounds land from out of nowhere, their bushy tails crossing each other as they bar the way.
"No one may pass without the password," they say in unison.
"Thrix, Thrax you dummies, its us," Datonare said, obviously annoyed at being blocked from his home.
"We don't know that for sure," the wolf called Thrix said. His brother Thrax also chimed in.
"Yeah, you could be impostors sent to steal our treasures."
"What treasures," Daton asked, almost laughing at how absurd this situation was. "The only thing we have in there is the bones of that deer we had for dinner last night."
"And what do you mean we could be impostors. We left not but two hours ago. You twits were the ones who saw us off," Datonare said, his voice rising as he began to yell.
"Oh this is getting us nowhere," Gray Wolf growled. "Thrix, Thrax, if you don't let me by this instant I swear I'll freeze you both into popsicles for the cubs." At this, Gray Wolf opened his mouth preparing a blast and both the hare hounds backed away in fright. Inside the lair were five more tiger types; two adult females, one male with a bandage over his leg and a missing horn, and two cubs roughhousing with a small leather ball. The pups stopped their play when they noticed Gray Wolf enter and immediately ran to the elder wolf. Both were cabalos by breed, though their eyes lacked any of the hardened hatred that always seemed to be present in the adults of the species.
"Gray Wolf, Gray Wolf, Gray Wolf!!" the pups yelled in unison, bounding around the silver wolf as he sank onto his bed with a grunt. "Didja bring us anything?"
"Sorry, but the pickings were pretty slim today. The only group we came across got bushwhacked by Moo-spawn before we could make a move."
"Not that it mattered. They looked more like a group of hobos than actual travelers," Datonare said, snorting in disgust.
"Shows what you know snake skin, if they were really poor, you think they'd actually have monsters with them?" Daton said. Datonare growled at the pink and yellow wolf, which was answered by a raspberry. The young cabalos both began to giggle at the antics of the two adults. Suddenly Thrix came bounding in, his agitation clearly showing by the fur that stood on end.
"Boss, boss. We got intruders..." Gray Wolf bolted up, growl on his lips.
"How many Thrix?"
"Well it looked like a single human boy, so we were getting ready to give him a 'friendly' warning to play somewhere else, when he was joined by four others; another human, a golem, a suezo, and some pink thing I can't even recognize."
"Sound familiar Gray?" Datonare said, mimicking his leader's aggressive stance. "I told ya we shoulda taken care of them."
"Not now Datonare..." came Gray Wolf's harsh reply as he bolted out of the cave, followed closely by Thrix, Daton, and Datonare. It wasn't long before they found Thrax, laying down on a cliff overlooking their "guests."
"Boss, glad to see you," Thrax said, favoring Gray Wolf with a smile.
"Stow the pleasantries, Thrax, I don't want to let them know we're here." Gray Wolf poked his head over the cliff's edge. Sure enough, the five intruders were the same group he'd saved from the dinos earlier. Gray Wolf began to whisper to his comrades. "Looks like we get another shot at them. Spread out and surround them, Thrix, Thrax, you stay hidden till I call. No point tipping our hand till it's in our favor. Now move." The wolves broke up silently.
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Meanwhile, the Searchers were engaged in their own conversation.
"You'd think we'd have found some trace of their lair by now," Pink Eye whined. "If you ask me, this is all a big waste of time."
"Well no one's asking you, okay Pink," Genki said, wiping his forehead of sweat.
"No need to bite his head of kid. But you've gotta admit, we do seem to be going to extreme simply to say thank you," Joshua said, scanning the rocks for any sign of the wolfpack.
"Well, their leader obviously doesn't like Moo. And at the very least he might know something about the guy. And it wouldn't hurt to have a friend out here."
"You seem to be forgetting that these wolves make their livings as bandits, robbing and sometimes even killing anyone they come across out here," Pink Eye chimed in.
"Look, just give me another hour. If we can't find them by then, we can turn around," Genki said.
"I guarantee it will be the shortest hour you four have ever agreed to," came a rough voice. All five looked ahead to find Gray Wolf blocking the road. "You know, most people go out of their way to avoid me, kid. At least the smart ones do anyway." As if on cue, Daton and Datonare dropped down behind the Genki and his friends, and both were in fighting stances.
"We're not here for a fight," Genki said, though his body did tense in preparation. Behind him, Golem had positioned himself between his friends and the two wolves.
"Well then, that makes my job a whole lot easier, and improves your chances of leaving alive. You see, those dinos may have been dumb as dirt, but they did seem interested in you. So why don't you hand over whatever it is THEY were after, and we can all get on with our merry lives." At these words, Joshua reflexively placed his hand over the Magic Stone which dangled from his neck, an action which was not lost on Gray Wolf.
"Don't even think about it pup," Joshua said, glaring a the silver lupine. Genki too went into a fighting stance, as did Pink Eye and Mocchi.
"Ah, and here I thought you weren't gonna be trouble." Gray Wolf gave a sharp whistle Genki was sure could cause deafness, and from out of nowhere, Thrix and Thrax appeared and went to work. One barreled into the back of Joshua's legs as the other tackled the big man's chest, biting at the pendent as they went down. Joshua was quick to recover, grabbing the hound's hind leg and throwing him into a rock. A large fist met with the jaw of the other hare hound, who jumped back to his brother for a new assault. Not far away, Daton charged at Golem, firing several torpedo attacks. Though they did little damage, Golem had to constantly move to keep the attacks from threatening his friends. Suddenly, a green blur raced up Golem's arm. Datonare, had used the stone giant's own body as a spring board to attack Joshua as well. His strategy was interrupted however, when Mocchi, curled up like a ball, struck him in the mouth. Datonare landed on the ground, his jaw aching and his anger rising.
"You stupid pink powderpuff! I'll fry you for that! Lightening!" Green energy pulsed from the wolf's horns, striking Mocchi who yelped in pain. A second bolt connected as well, knocking the young monster unconscious.
"Mocchi!" Genki yelled as he raced to his friend. A roar sounded from behind the boy, a huge gust of wind destroyed his balance as Gray Wolf jumped ahead of him, his hind legs kicking the boy in the face. Genki quickly regained his footing and gave chase, intent on preventing Gray Wolf from causing any damage. The boy attempted to jump kick his supposedly unsuspecting opponent, only to find Gray Wolf was far from unready. The silver lupine did a complete turn around and jumped over Genki's outstretched leg, slamming into his chest. As they both landed, it was Gray Wolf on who was on top, pinning Genki's chest with one paw while the other's claws rested almost tenderly on the Monster Champion's throat.
"You're a brave boy, kid, and ya got some talent for fighting. But the game is over and you have LOST," Gray Wolf whispered to his captive. "Wild Pack, HALT!" Almost immediately, all four wolves stopped what they were doing, as did the four searchers. "Good, now that I have your attention, I'd like you to notice my little friend here. As you can notice, a mere flick of my wrist will end his life. I don't really want to kill him, but I will unless your friend surrenders the rock." Left with no choice, Joshua undid the string that held the stone, holding it out to the nearest hare hound. Suddenly, a large pink tongue wrapped itself around Genki's leg. Gray Wolf, startled at the new development, looked up to find Pink Eye grinning at him.
"Teleport," Pink Eye called before Gray Wolf had time to react, and both boy and eye disappeared, only to reappear behind Golem. Joshua quickly jerked his hand back only to fins the other hare hound biting his wrist hard and forcing him to let go. The stone fell into the waiting jaws of the first hare hound who tossed the prize to his leader.
"Seems we got what we wanted anyway. Wild Pack, scatter, we'll meet up at the lair." So saying, all the wolves disappeared as though never there to begin with. The danger past, Genki walked up to Joshua, followed closely by Pink Eye.
"Are you all right?" Pink Eye asked, grabbing the big man's hand to inspect the bite. The teeth had gone deep, but compared to Joshua's thick arms, it did not seem to have done much damage.
"I'm fine Pink Eye. Just need to get a bandage on this," was Joshua's reply.
"Joshua, I'm sorry about this," Genki said. Mocchi walked up to Genki, remaining silent.
"Not your fault kid. Besides there's nothing we can do about it now."
"Yes it is my fault, I'm the one that brought us to Gray Wolf. If not for me we wouldn't have been ambushed."
"What are we gonna do now, chi?" Mocchi asked, worry evident in the child's ebony eyes.
"We can't go on without the Magic Stone, Mocchi, so we'll just have to find this lair they've headed for."
"You sure we can do this? I mean, I don't want to sound like a doomsayer, but they kinda mopped the floor with us."
"We have no choice Pink Eye," Joshua answered.
"And this time, we'll have the advantage," Genki stated, regaining some of his former Bravado.
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"We decked 'em really good, eh Thrix."
"You can say that again Thrax."
The two hare hounds were bending over backwards to pat each other on the back over their successful mission. Neither was really paying attention to where they were going, instead letting instinct guide them home.
"Did you see the way I knocked that giant down."
"Hey, I knocked him down, you just hit his..." That was when Thrix stopped, an action his brother copied. "Isn't Carl supposed to be guarding the lair?"
"Yeah, so?" Thrax replied.
"So, we're here. Where's Carl?"
"Ah, that old barker is probably sleeping under the shade somewhere. I'm hungry, let's go see if there's any of that dear left." Both hare hounds moved onward, not noticing the shadows that had begun to follow them.
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The Magic Stone hung almost serenely from Gray Wolf's paw as he trotted back to his home. For the life of him he couldn't understand why Moo wanted the little trinket, but the fact that Moo wanted it was enough of a reason to keep it from him. It wasn't long before the silver wolf was caught up to by his two friends, Daton and Datonare.
"So what do you think those dinos want that stone for?" The green wolf asked.
"No idea whatsoever. Daton, when we get back to the lair, I trust you'll find some way to unlock this stone's secrets."
"Of course, I'll..."
"Hold it," Datonare said, stopping his compatriots. They had finally arrived at the cavernous entrance to their lair, but what really bothered Datonare was the presence of two lost disks at the cave's mouth. Gray Wolf sniffed the air, and a growl came to his lips.
"There's something wrong here." Gray Wolf ran into the cave, Daton and Datonare hot on his heels. What they saw inside stopped them in their tracks. Five lost disks littered the floor. One of them stood next to a long cloth bandage, while nearby, almost hidden in the shadows, stood two much smaller disks. Rage showed in Gray Wolf's eyes as he snarled a low "No." He ran out of the cave, sniffing the air and ground, trying desperately to find some trace of the attackers trail as his two friends joined him. Suddenly, twelve fireballs came flying out from behind the rocks, aimed straight for the trio. Datonare and Gray Wolf both jumped, completely avoiding the fiery attacks, but the slower Daton was unable to escape before the flames singed his paw. As all three landed, twelve dinos came out of hiding surrounding the pack and lead by a familiar face.
"So we meet again Gray Wolf," Captain Dino said, sneering as he did so.
"You hurt my friends, Moo-spawn. I swear you'll die for this."
"Big talk from a fur coat." Suddenly, a thick scaly tail slammed into Gray Wolf, sending him flying towards the rocks. Gray Wolf quickly righted himself and used the rocks to jump back into the fray. Before he could strike his attacker, another dino rammed into him, sending flying into the captain's arms. For their parts, Daton and Datonare were fairing little better. Seeing his wounded paw, two of the big lizards converged on Daton, ready for a some payback. A cloud of dust was the only warning given as scaled leg connected with the pink and yellow wolf, sending him flying into the jaws of the other, who bit down hard. Daton screamed as he felt ribs break and flesh tear. Blindly he struck at the lizard with his paw, connecting with the dino's face by pure luck. It was a severely injured Daton that landed, so injured in fact that he was unable to move. The last thing Daton saw were two balls of flame before an unending blackness enveloped him.
Datonare was not aware of his friend's death. Not that it would have mattered, since at present he was busy trying to fend off four more of the dino troopers. Torpedo attacks repeatedly fired from the scaled wolf's horns, but the dinos were ready for them and dodged quickly. All four launched a simultaneous fireball, but this was also dodged. Datonare then attempted a charge, aiming his horns at for a dino's heart. The dino saw him and swatted him away like a fly. As soon as he landed, Datonare was greeted by a tail that hit him hard, sending him to the waiting jaws of another. The plan failed this time, as Datonare sent a lightening bolt directly at the Dino, frying him. He was unable to correct himself in time to avoid the rocks however and hit them full on. He landed in a crumpled heap, his shoulder broken from the impact. Powerful jaws snapped up his hind legs, crushing the bones before Datonare could react. He closed his eyes in pain, so he did not see the green foot come down on his neck, crushing him to death.
"Looks like it's just you pup," Captain Dino said. That was when he noticed the glint of a jewel on Gray Wolf's foot. "Welly, welly well. It looks like you took care of our business with the Searchers for us. I'll take that." A very quick claw grabbed the silvery captive's treasure. Gray Wolf made a futile swipe, an attempt to reclaim the stone as Captain Dino simply sneers at him. "Since you were so kind to help the warriors of Moo with this most excellent contribution, you deserve a reward. Kill him quickly boys." The eleven dinos smiled before opening their mouths, ready to barbecue the renegade wolf.
*I can't let it end like this,* Gray wolf thought as he struggled to get to his feet. His injured body, however, refused to move. Gray Wolf glared at Captain Dino as an orange ball formed in his mouth. Suddenly, a blue and brown blur blasted through the dinos' ranks. It was Genki. The boy grabbed Gray Wolf as he lost consciousness from pain and raced away.
"After hi...," the Captain stopped in mid-command as he remembered the Magic Stone in his hand. *What do I need that rotten wolf for? Moo'll reward me well for this little trinket.* He turned back to his troops, a smile on his lips. "Let the brat go, boys, we got what we want. Dino Troops... MOVE OUT!!"
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Night had fallen and the rebels had been forced to make camp. Near the fire, being tended to by Joshua, sat the still sleeping Gray Wolf. His wounds had been bandaged and much of the bleeding had stopped, but he still seemed to wince every time Joshua touched him. By the fire sat the rest of the searchers, eating a small dinner as they watched Joshua work.
"So tell me again why we're botherin' ta help this guy," Pink Eye said, his gaze falling on Genki.
"Well, he did help us against those dinos before," Genki replied.
"He also robbed us. If ya ask me, ya shoulda grabbed the stone and left the wolf."
"That... would have... been... smarter," came a low, struggling voice. Joshua stood up so the others could see that Gray Wolf was awake, though not in the best of shape. "You should have... taken the stone. Now Moo will have it..."
"We can find them. Those dinos have to stop somewhere to eat. And I'm sure the six of us can..."
"Don't drag me into this kid," Gray Wolf said. Genki looked back at the bandaged monster, a gaze followed by the rest.
"You're kidding me," Pink Eye said. "Those guys just killed your friends. Don't you at least wanna pay them back."
"Yes, but I'll do it on my terms, not yours." Gray Wolf tried to get up to leave, but was only able to make it halfway before falling, landing in Joshua's hands.
"You're not well enough to move on your own. Give yourself some time."
"I don't need your help!!" Gray Wolf yelled.
"Looks like a different story to me!!" Genki yelled back. Gray Wolf seemed to ignore the boy, resting his head on his front paws. Joshua left the wolf, heading over to the fire to eat his own dinner.
"Genki all right, chi?" asked Mocchi, seeing his trainer upset by the wolf's action turned to the boy, who's fists were balled and his mouth clenched in anger. The pink monster touched his friend's hand, causing Genki to finally realize Mocchi was talking.
"I'm sorry Mocch, what'd you say?" Genki asked, a small smile on his face.
"I asked if Genki is all right. You look really angry." Mocchi said.
"I'm fine Mocchi," Genki answered. Before he could look back to Gray Wolf though, Mocchi grabbed his other arm and began pulling him over to play. Soon the rest of the rebels began to get ready for bed. Joshua handed a plate of food to Genki.
"Genki, mind giving this to Gray Wolf over there. He hasn't had anything to eat all day, and I would rather not seem him die of hunger."
"All right."
"Oh, and please change his bandages for me. It would be a big help." Genki nodded his head as he carried the plate over to where the silver lupine lay. It almost looked like Gray Wolf was already asleep, but Genki could see how his muscles were tensed, as if expecting an attack. Genki placed the food in front of Gray Wolf's nose and, as expected, ice blue eyes opened without any trouble.
"You need to eat," Genki said as he began to unwrap the dirty bandages.
"Thank you." Genki almost did a double take as he realized what Gray Wolf had said.
"Well, you're welcome."
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I wasn't thinking."
"So then why'd you say it?"
"I've had a lousy day. You were really the first prey we had all day, and the only thing we took from you, the pack gets killed over," Gray Wolf suddenly seemed to remember something. "Of course I also didn't expect to get another shot at your group, either. Why were you going through our territory?"
"We were actually looking for you."
"Hmm... I don't have a fan club so I gotta wonder why you'd want to see a bandit."
"When you helped us against the Dinos, you called them Moo spawn, like you had something against Moo. We're on a quest to stop Moo, and we thought you might join us."
"You... Stop Moo. No offense kid, but how can you expect a group of three monsters and two humans to beat one of the most powerful monsters to ever exist." Gray Wolf yelped a little as Genki yanked his bandages tighter.
"We're not exactly helpless you know. Besides, when we find the Phoenix, it's going to be able to kick Moo's tail back to where ever her came from."
"You're very optimistic that you can even find the Phoenix kid. Not that I doubt you could take down a few of Moo's best, but face it, you're no match for him."
"So what do you think we should do, settle down into some lives as bandits and just destroy any 'Moo spawn' we come across?"
"There are worse lives you know. Heroes don't exactly live long in a world of villains."
"You say that like you know it's true."
"The heroes I've met always wound up dead... or missing." At this, Gray Wolf turned his head from the light and stared into the night, lost in thought.
"Who do you mean?"
"His name was Tiger of the Wind, probably the most powerful monster I ever knew. He was also my older brother. Taught me almost everything I know. We were inseparable, even as pups. Our first master was a cruel one always punishing us for every little mistake we made. Tiger was always there, always taking the punishments in my place. When we finally escaped, he helped me to survive the wilds, even brought together other tiger-types to form the original Wild Pack."
"So what happened?"
"Moo happened," Gray Wolf said, his eyes narrowing. "We were traveling through a snow covered forest in search of food. We found ourselves blocked by a horde of monsters lead by a giant in golden armor who could only be Moo. No warning was given before the other monsters attacked. They were all strong, and our pack was not really prepared for a fight. But we did. Tiger was the one who went in the hardest, and I was right behind him, blasting away with all our might. Then Moo entered the battle. With one attack he took out FIFTEEN of our pack mates. I watched it as they died, never having a chance to defend themselves. I couldn't take it. And neither could Tiger, we attacked him together, biting and clawing, using our electric and cold attacks to get through that damned armor of his. It took only a swipe of his arm to send us both to the ground."
"I was the first to recover, and I still remember how much I ached from that ONE blow. That's how strong he is. His hand actually wrapped around my body, holding me like a vice as he began to walk away, taking me with him. I struggled, trying to get away from my would-be kidnapper, but I could. Moo must of notice because he began to force feed my body with energy that made me want to scream. My eyes were closing and, for the first time since my childhood, I was afraid. Suddenly, I heard Tiger's howl. He was up and not happy. He bit Moo's hand and the giant was forced to let me go. Unfortunately, he threw me to the ground, and almost broke my ribs doing it. Moo sent a ray of black energy at Tiger and I heard my brother's battle cry turn into a cry or anguish before he became unconscious. I looked up to see Moo grab him, the same way he'd grabbed me. I tried my best to get up, to help him as he helped me, but I just couldn't. In the end, I was forced to watch as Moo and his army left with my brother held captive. I haven't seen him since." After finishing, Gray Wolf closed his eyes as he let Genki digest his story. A tear rolled down the boy's cheek as he thought.
"That's so sad. But if you just give up, Moo wins."
"You don't understand. Moo beat me when he stole my family. All I'm good for is giving Moo the occasional headache over loosing troops."
"So you won't join us?"
"I'm sorry," Gray Wolf answered. "And I'd advise you not to go either kid. Go home, grow up, find a nice girl and raise a family, Genki. No one should have to waste their life on a futile quest."
"My father once told me that you must do what you know is right, or the world can only get worse. If Moo conquers the world, I doubt it'll be a safe place to have kids. If I can do something to stop him, then I can't just stand aside." With those words, Genki got up and left Gray Wolf alone with his thoughts.
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"He's gone." Was the yell that awoke Genki the next morning.
"Who's gone?" Genki said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand as he reached down to make sure Mocchi was still next to him with the other. Thankfully he was.
"That *%#^ wolf left during the night. After all we did for him he left."
"Pink Eye watch your language!!" Joshua yelled.
"The least he could have said was good-bye," Pink Eye continued.
"Gray Wolf left?"
"He did say good-bye," came Golem's rumbling voice. "I was awake when he left."
"And you didn't stop him??" asked Pink Eye.
"It was not my place to stop him," Golem said. "He said he wished us luck on our quest but he also hoped you'd understand why he couldn't join us Genki." At this, Pink Eye turned around to look at the boy in question, as did Joshua and the now awake Mocchi. Genki's face went down as he looked down, mulling over this new information.
"Genki..." Mocchi said.
"What'd ya say ta him kid?"
"It doesn't matter, Pink. Right now lets just concentrate on finding those Dinos with the Magic Stone." The answer seemed to satisfy the suezo/pixie, who closed his eye, concentrating on the dinos and the Magic Stone.
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A few hours later found the twelve dinos causing chaos in a quiet village, laughing as the people fled in terror at their presence. One man tried to stop them swinging a two-by-four like a club, only to be knocked away by a tail. Captain Dino looked upon the works of his cohorts and found it good. Or at least he did until his stomach reminded him of the reason they'd come to this village. The Captain spied a butcher shop not far away, it's delicious aromas and tender looking wares making his stomach growl even more. In front of the shop stood a short man with brown hair and a cheesy brown mustache, trying to hide from the monsters in broad daylight. A smile came to Captain Dino's face as he sauntered up to the butcher, the Magic Stone still in his hand.
"Human, today's you're lucky day. I'm gonna help you get rid of some of your wares."
"Please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you want," the butcher cried in a frightened heavily accented voice Captain Dino thought sounded familiar. The butcher cowered just inside his door as the helmeted Dino stepped closer to him.
"Ah, at last, a smart human. All right little skin bag, my men need meat to make the journey back to our master, so why don't you just shimmy on into your shop and bring out everything you have. Then maybe we'll leave your little store standing."
"Yes, yes, of course, just please don't hurt me." The little man scurried into the shop as Captain Dino called his troops to him for the meal. Spying a smoked turkey hanging near the door, the evil lizard snatched it up just as the little man reappeared, his arms loaded down with meat. He dropped it on the ground in front of the group, rushing in to fetch more food as the dinos ate greedily. It didn't take long for the dozen ravenous dinos to deplete the butcher shop's resources. Captain Dino looked up at the shop keeper, a piece of meat still hanging from his mouth.
"Very good. (burp) But unfortunately, I think I want to tear this whole town apart, including your pathetic shop."
"W... Well then, I guess I'm gonna have to take payment for all the meat you ate... You gluttonous pigs!!" At this last part, the butcher's voice lost all trace of its former accent as he quickly reached out, snatching the Magic Stone from the dino's hand.
"Why you worthless piece of scum, get back here." Captain Dino reached out to grab at the butcher's retreating head, but, to his surprise, came back with the guys mustache. The face became instantly recognizable. "YOU!!!"
"That's right," said Genki as he skated backwards, sticking out his tongue at the irate Captain. The dino leader charged the boy only to be hit back by the Mocchi ball which shot out of the shop. Nearby a building collapsed as Golem came out, ready to fight with Pink Eye on his shoulder. One of the villagers the dinos had been terrorizing earlier removed his mask to reveal Joshua.
"It's an ambush. Dinos to the ready!!" Captain Dino yelled. Behind him came the sounds of retching as each dino held his gut.
"Captain, I don't feel so well," said one of the dinos, a sentiment that was echoed by his comrades. Even Captain Dino had to admit he wasn't feeling his best.
"Oh that reminds me. We need to thank the real owner of this shop. It was sure nice of him to just give us all that rancid meat instead of throwing it out." Captain Dino looked up, horrified.
"We'll do that kid, but the first thing is for you to take a bath. You stink."
"Stink, chi," Mocchi giggled.
"Hey don't you twerps dare make plans yet. You haven't finished with us yet," Captain Dino said, kicking those of his troops that were lying on the ground, moaning in pain. "Get up you twits. Master Moo doesn't pay you to lay there moaning."
"He doesn't pay us at all," one of the ailing dinos moaned. All of them did manage to get up and strike a fearsome pose. They charged at the group, specifically targeting Genki as they did so. Golem intercepted three of them, swatting them away as if they were the merest of bugs, while Joshua plunged his dagger into the heart of another. Genki and Mocchi met the charge with one of their own, head-butting a dino each simultaneously. Pink Eye's tongue landed on the head of a seventh dino, all in all leaving some gapping holes in Captain Dinos lines. Those that hadn't died were in too much pain from food poisoning to get back up and become a problem.
"Surrender now Captain, your troops are in no condition to continue this fight," Joshua yelled.
"The warriors of Moo don't surrender to worthless humans, for no reason."
"That's suicide," Genki cried.
"Only for you." The Captain launched a fireball, which Genki quickly sidestepped. He had not been the target, however. Mocchi went flying backward, and into a wall, where he slid to the ground. Genki raced over to his friend, checking him for injuries.
"You okay Mocch?" Mocchi's rubbery body had absorbed most of the force, resulting in him simply being stunned.
"Mocchi okay." Genki smiled, a smile that was short lived as a dino foot slammed into his back, pinning him to the ground. Likewise, Captain Dino grabbed Mocchi by the leg, lifting him into the air. The others tried to race forward but could not escape their own personal battles.
"Well, boy, it seems you're little ruse has backfired. And since your little banquet of decay has upset my delicate tummy, I think it only fair that your little friend help me settle. And I'll even let you watch," Captain Dino said lifting the pink monster over his head as he prepared to eat him.
"NOOO!!!" Genki yelled, struggling even harder to escape his captors grip to save his friend and Mocchi screamed as he tried to wiggle free.
"Say good-bye, sweet cake."
"PUT HIM DOWN!!" A voice roared with the force of thunder. Genki, the dinos, everyone looked over to see the still bandaged Gray Wolf standing not but a few feet away from Captain Dino, electric energy circling around his horns.
"What is this, the attack of the mummy wolf?" Captain Dino said, trying to act as though Gray Wolf's appearance meant nothing. A lightening bolt convinced him otherwise. Yelling as the electric energy raced through his arm, the giant lizard threw Mocchi out of harms way, cradling his wounded appendage. "Get that mongrel!" He yelled. The four dinos, including the Captain, charged Gray Wolf, who jumped out of the way, his bandages breaking off at the sudden movement. The lupine landed in the center of the dinos, a fact that brought a wicked smile to Captain Dino's face.
"I'll give you one chance to surrender, lizard-lips," Gray Wolf growled.
"You land in the perfect place for us to attack, and you want us to surrender? Don't make me laugh." At his words the dinos all began to laugh.
"I'm not surprised a weakling like you didn't see my attack. Don't worry though, it should catch up to us right about... now."
"SONIC MOVE," came a disembodied voice. Suddenly, the three dinos that had been fighting with their captain fell down, dead from the great holes that were drilled into their chests. Just as quickly, the Gray Wolf that stood before the now frightened Captain Dino faded from existence, an after image created by a super fast move. Captain Dino looked up to see Gray Wolf almost hovering in midair far above the battlefield.
"Retreat," called Captain Dino to his troops as he ran for cover. The other dinos, not wanting to be left behind, also began to run.
"Oh no, Captain Dino. I told you I'd make you pay for what you did to my friends. Now feel the fury of the Winter Warrior... ARCTIC BLAST." As soon as he yelled this, a snow white and ice blue beam of energy erupted from his mouth. The beam struck the terrified Captain Dino, whose body flashed for an instant before he was completely covered in a solid block of ice. The same thing happened to everything the beam touched, and it touched a lot of things as Gray Wolf moved it to each of the dinos in turn. The wolf landed as he trapped the last one, closing his mouth in satisfaction. It took only a minute for cracks to develop on the frozen dinos and they shattered completely, transforming into lost disks as they died. The others were stunned.
"I don't believe it," was Joshua's response.
"What a radical attack," said Pink Eye, surveying the field which had been full of warm life only a few seconds ago.
"Gray Wolf strong," Mocchi said, while Golem could only gasp as Genki walked up to Gray Wolf, almost stumbling as he did so.
"You okay kid?" Was the only acknowledgment Genki got from the lone wolf.
"Um... I guess so. I thought you..."
"I can heal fast Genki, and it takes more then a few scratches to lay me up."
"No... You left... and you came back."
"Oh that... I thought about what you said last night. You said we gotta do what we know is right. I was running away, and I knew it wasn't right. No one's gonna be safe until Moo's stopped, and that's something I want to be a part of. If that offer to join you is still good, I'd like to take it. I figure you're gonna need someone tough to watch your backs."
"Then welcome to the team, Gray Wolf. We're glad to have you." Genki stuck out his hand and shook the wolf's paw. The rest of the searchers moved forward to welcome in Gray Wolf, save for Golem who simply looked between the silver wolf and the now dead field of flowers. Gray Wolf stared back at the rock monster, neither one saying a word. Genki broke away from the group, drawing their attention back to their quest.
"All right everybody, lets go find the Phoenix." Suddenly, a chubby hand grabbed the boy's shoulder and turned him around.
"Not so fast, young man," said a gruff voice. It was the butcher whose shop they'd used to trick the dinos. "There is still the matter of settling your bill."
"But you said we could have that old meat free of charge!" Genki protested.
"True, mister Genki, but that large dino with the helmet also ate one of my fresh twenty-five pound turkeys. Now, I assume you have the forty coppers, or two golds, that bird cost." At this news, all six searchers fell over, eyes wide as they realized what had happened.
"Of course we have the money," Joshua said, a false laugh hiding his embarrassment. "Pink Eye, go ahead and pay the man." The pink suezo fished out a coin purse from his travel bag.
"Here you go." Pink Eye placed twenty silvers and a gold into the butcher's hands, quietly adding, "You ungrateful shyster." The six beat a hasty retreat from the village, hoping to escape before even more bills could be handed to them.
"I hope this kind of thing isn't a common occurrence for you guys, or else I'm gonna die of hunger," Gray Wolf snidely remarked.
"You know you can always leave if you're so worried... puppy," Pink Eye replied. Gray Wolf stopped in his tracks.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?!?" Gray Wolf howled. Sensing danger was immanent, Pink Eye took off, Gray Wolf hot on his heels firing small torpedo blasts at the suezo-type's heels as the others chased after them.
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Epilogue
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Aboard the Flying Castle, Captain Weed shivered in anticipatory fear as he scooted into the presence of his lord and master.
"S... S... Sir? I'm sorry to interrupt but..." Weed lost his voice as Moo turned to face him. No matter how much he tried to ignore, Weed couldn't help but notice the immense size difference between him self and the titan. The plant/naga hybrid's whole body would probably fit in Moo's hand, with plenty of room to spare. And those muscles looked quite capable of sending the purple plant through a wall, something he was likely to do considering the new Captain Weed had. Master Moo did not take bad news well, and was known to often shoot the messenger if he couldn't get the sender.
"Well, spit it out Weed!" Moo bellowed, his blood red eyes narrowing in irritation.
"Dino troop thirty-two was destroyed before they could deliver the Magic Stone to you I'm sorry," Weed said, backing away to avoid any flying fists. Moo's eyes shined very brightly as he heard the news.
"WHAT!?"
"The searchers killed them all and took back the stone."
"This is intolerable!! I should... How dare they... GET OUT!!!"
"W... what?"
"Get out now if you value your life. Summon the members of the Big Bad Four to me at once... GO!!!" Captain Weed did not need to be told three times as he scurried away, leaving Moo alone to brood.
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Well there you go, Gray Wolf has joined the Searchers, and that leaves only one more spot to fill. Be here next time when Hare makes his premier in "Tricks of the Trade." See ya.
Gathering of Allies: The Winter Warrior
By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)
Summary: Well, Gray Wolf has entered into the Searchers lives. Now it's up to him to save the quintet from Moo's evil Dinos. Of, course the question still remains as to why HE'S there in the first place.
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher in any way shape or form. If you try to sue me for using it, you'll get nothing but bus change. Do not use this story without my permission and do not change it for the same. Oh, and since I don't know all the names and attacks of the monsters, I may have to make some up. Please read and review, but be forwarned, any and all rude comments will be misread and warped to whatever my imagination can come up with. Enjoy
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"Vengeance is a dish best served ice cold."
-Mr. Freeze, "Batman: The Animated Series"
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Gray Wolf dove for Captain Dino, his claws forward and his jaws open as he struck the large green dinosaur squarely in the chest. Beside him, both Daton and Datonare had taken flight, striking two more of the dinos. As soon as the captain landed on his back, Gray Wolf hopped off, firing a lightening bolt at the two other dinos as they tried to come to their captain's aid. His attack sent both dinos flying, a trip that only ended when they slammed into the stone outcropping Gray Wolf had started from. With out a second to spare, Gray Wolf turned to deal with the captain again, who had righted himself and was now prepared to launch a fireball at the wolf. Gray Wolf launched himself at the dinosaur attempting to gore him with his horns. Captain Dino spotted his actions and moved to the side just fast enough to keep Gray Wolf from hitting anything vital. Not that the twin horns in his gullet were any less painful. The large dino screamed as he fell to his knees, Gray Wolf pulling out to keep from going down with him.
"Not so ready for a fight now, are you lizard lips," Gray Wolf said, electricity on his bloody horns and a snarl on his lips.
"This isn't possible, we are Moo's Dino Troops. No one can beat us," Captain Dino said, the two holes in his belly oozing blood slowly.
"Then just call me No One," Gray Wolf said sending another lightening bolt at the captain. Suddenly, one of the two he had hit before jumped in front of his target, taking the attack in her leader's stead. The dino screamed as the electricity flash fried her and her body converted into a lost disk. "Stupid fool, throwing her life away like that," Gray Wolf said spitting on the still warm lost disk. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the tail of the second dino coming heading for him, sending him rolling along the ground. In an instant, Daton and Datonare were at his side, ready to fend off any further attacks on their leader.
"Stupid cur, I'll make you pay for what you did to my sister," the dino yelled, as he stamped his foot on the ground, preparing to charge.
"No Jared. We've lost this battle," Captain Dino said. Then he glared at Gray Wolf, "But make no mistake about it, we will be back." So saying, Captain Dino shot out a fireball that exploded in front of all eight people, hiding the remaining four dinos from view.
"You're welcome to try, hand bag. We'll always be ready." Gray Wolf got back to his feet and turned, ready to leave with his friends.
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Genki found himself staring as he watched the three tiger types go, not even bothering to say good by. All three had risked their lives to save the boy and his friends, and hadn't even bothered to stay for a thank you. And they had all looked absolutely marvelous in battle, especially the gray wolf that had lead the trio. A large hand came to rest on the boy's shoulder, and Genki looked up to see Joshua staring down at him.
"So that's the legendary Wild Pack," Joshua said, his eyes squinting as he glared at where the three had been.
"Who are the Wild Pack?" Genki asked.
"They're a group of monsters that either ran away or were abandoned by their trainers," Pink Eye said. "They claim they don't need trainers and they've been living out here as bandits, robbing innocent travelers."
"But they helped us, chi," Mocchi said, confusion in his voice.
"I'm not really sure why they helped us, Mocchi."
"Well, maybe we should find out," Genki said.
"What," both Pink Eye and Joshua said in unison.
"Bandits or not, they risked their lives to save us. At the very least we owe them a thank you. And you saw how tough they were. What if we were able to get even one of them to join us in finding the Phoenix? They obviously have no love for Moo, and we could use their help." Before anyone could voice an objection, Genki began to head off, in the direction the trio of wolves had left in.
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Meanwhile, at the lair of the Wild Pack, Gray Wolf, Daton, and Datonare are just arriving. The place appears to be deserted until two hare hounds land from out of nowhere, their bushy tails crossing each other as they bar the way.
"No one may pass without the password," they say in unison.
"Thrix, Thrax you dummies, its us," Datonare said, obviously annoyed at being blocked from his home.
"We don't know that for sure," the wolf called Thrix said. His brother Thrax also chimed in.
"Yeah, you could be impostors sent to steal our treasures."
"What treasures," Daton asked, almost laughing at how absurd this situation was. "The only thing we have in there is the bones of that deer we had for dinner last night."
"And what do you mean we could be impostors. We left not but two hours ago. You twits were the ones who saw us off," Datonare said, his voice rising as he began to yell.
"Oh this is getting us nowhere," Gray Wolf growled. "Thrix, Thrax, if you don't let me by this instant I swear I'll freeze you both into popsicles for the cubs." At this, Gray Wolf opened his mouth preparing a blast and both the hare hounds backed away in fright. Inside the lair were five more tiger types; two adult females, one male with a bandage over his leg and a missing horn, and two cubs roughhousing with a small leather ball. The pups stopped their play when they noticed Gray Wolf enter and immediately ran to the elder wolf. Both were cabalos by breed, though their eyes lacked any of the hardened hatred that always seemed to be present in the adults of the species.
"Gray Wolf, Gray Wolf, Gray Wolf!!" the pups yelled in unison, bounding around the silver wolf as he sank onto his bed with a grunt. "Didja bring us anything?"
"Sorry, but the pickings were pretty slim today. The only group we came across got bushwhacked by Moo-spawn before we could make a move."
"Not that it mattered. They looked more like a group of hobos than actual travelers," Datonare said, snorting in disgust.
"Shows what you know snake skin, if they were really poor, you think they'd actually have monsters with them?" Daton said. Datonare growled at the pink and yellow wolf, which was answered by a raspberry. The young cabalos both began to giggle at the antics of the two adults. Suddenly Thrix came bounding in, his agitation clearly showing by the fur that stood on end.
"Boss, boss. We got intruders..." Gray Wolf bolted up, growl on his lips.
"How many Thrix?"
"Well it looked like a single human boy, so we were getting ready to give him a 'friendly' warning to play somewhere else, when he was joined by four others; another human, a golem, a suezo, and some pink thing I can't even recognize."
"Sound familiar Gray?" Datonare said, mimicking his leader's aggressive stance. "I told ya we shoulda taken care of them."
"Not now Datonare..." came Gray Wolf's harsh reply as he bolted out of the cave, followed closely by Thrix, Daton, and Datonare. It wasn't long before they found Thrax, laying down on a cliff overlooking their "guests."
"Boss, glad to see you," Thrax said, favoring Gray Wolf with a smile.
"Stow the pleasantries, Thrax, I don't want to let them know we're here." Gray Wolf poked his head over the cliff's edge. Sure enough, the five intruders were the same group he'd saved from the dinos earlier. Gray Wolf began to whisper to his comrades. "Looks like we get another shot at them. Spread out and surround them, Thrix, Thrax, you stay hidden till I call. No point tipping our hand till it's in our favor. Now move." The wolves broke up silently.
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Meanwhile, the Searchers were engaged in their own conversation.
"You'd think we'd have found some trace of their lair by now," Pink Eye whined. "If you ask me, this is all a big waste of time."
"Well no one's asking you, okay Pink," Genki said, wiping his forehead of sweat.
"No need to bite his head of kid. But you've gotta admit, we do seem to be going to extreme simply to say thank you," Joshua said, scanning the rocks for any sign of the wolfpack.
"Well, their leader obviously doesn't like Moo. And at the very least he might know something about the guy. And it wouldn't hurt to have a friend out here."
"You seem to be forgetting that these wolves make their livings as bandits, robbing and sometimes even killing anyone they come across out here," Pink Eye chimed in.
"Look, just give me another hour. If we can't find them by then, we can turn around," Genki said.
"I guarantee it will be the shortest hour you four have ever agreed to," came a rough voice. All five looked ahead to find Gray Wolf blocking the road. "You know, most people go out of their way to avoid me, kid. At least the smart ones do anyway." As if on cue, Daton and Datonare dropped down behind the Genki and his friends, and both were in fighting stances.
"We're not here for a fight," Genki said, though his body did tense in preparation. Behind him, Golem had positioned himself between his friends and the two wolves.
"Well then, that makes my job a whole lot easier, and improves your chances of leaving alive. You see, those dinos may have been dumb as dirt, but they did seem interested in you. So why don't you hand over whatever it is THEY were after, and we can all get on with our merry lives." At these words, Joshua reflexively placed his hand over the Magic Stone which dangled from his neck, an action which was not lost on Gray Wolf.
"Don't even think about it pup," Joshua said, glaring a the silver lupine. Genki too went into a fighting stance, as did Pink Eye and Mocchi.
"Ah, and here I thought you weren't gonna be trouble." Gray Wolf gave a sharp whistle Genki was sure could cause deafness, and from out of nowhere, Thrix and Thrax appeared and went to work. One barreled into the back of Joshua's legs as the other tackled the big man's chest, biting at the pendent as they went down. Joshua was quick to recover, grabbing the hound's hind leg and throwing him into a rock. A large fist met with the jaw of the other hare hound, who jumped back to his brother for a new assault. Not far away, Daton charged at Golem, firing several torpedo attacks. Though they did little damage, Golem had to constantly move to keep the attacks from threatening his friends. Suddenly, a green blur raced up Golem's arm. Datonare, had used the stone giant's own body as a spring board to attack Joshua as well. His strategy was interrupted however, when Mocchi, curled up like a ball, struck him in the mouth. Datonare landed on the ground, his jaw aching and his anger rising.
"You stupid pink powderpuff! I'll fry you for that! Lightening!" Green energy pulsed from the wolf's horns, striking Mocchi who yelped in pain. A second bolt connected as well, knocking the young monster unconscious.
"Mocchi!" Genki yelled as he raced to his friend. A roar sounded from behind the boy, a huge gust of wind destroyed his balance as Gray Wolf jumped ahead of him, his hind legs kicking the boy in the face. Genki quickly regained his footing and gave chase, intent on preventing Gray Wolf from causing any damage. The boy attempted to jump kick his supposedly unsuspecting opponent, only to find Gray Wolf was far from unready. The silver lupine did a complete turn around and jumped over Genki's outstretched leg, slamming into his chest. As they both landed, it was Gray Wolf on who was on top, pinning Genki's chest with one paw while the other's claws rested almost tenderly on the Monster Champion's throat.
"You're a brave boy, kid, and ya got some talent for fighting. But the game is over and you have LOST," Gray Wolf whispered to his captive. "Wild Pack, HALT!" Almost immediately, all four wolves stopped what they were doing, as did the four searchers. "Good, now that I have your attention, I'd like you to notice my little friend here. As you can notice, a mere flick of my wrist will end his life. I don't really want to kill him, but I will unless your friend surrenders the rock." Left with no choice, Joshua undid the string that held the stone, holding it out to the nearest hare hound. Suddenly, a large pink tongue wrapped itself around Genki's leg. Gray Wolf, startled at the new development, looked up to find Pink Eye grinning at him.
"Teleport," Pink Eye called before Gray Wolf had time to react, and both boy and eye disappeared, only to reappear behind Golem. Joshua quickly jerked his hand back only to fins the other hare hound biting his wrist hard and forcing him to let go. The stone fell into the waiting jaws of the first hare hound who tossed the prize to his leader.
"Seems we got what we wanted anyway. Wild Pack, scatter, we'll meet up at the lair." So saying, all the wolves disappeared as though never there to begin with. The danger past, Genki walked up to Joshua, followed closely by Pink Eye.
"Are you all right?" Pink Eye asked, grabbing the big man's hand to inspect the bite. The teeth had gone deep, but compared to Joshua's thick arms, it did not seem to have done much damage.
"I'm fine Pink Eye. Just need to get a bandage on this," was Joshua's reply.
"Joshua, I'm sorry about this," Genki said. Mocchi walked up to Genki, remaining silent.
"Not your fault kid. Besides there's nothing we can do about it now."
"Yes it is my fault, I'm the one that brought us to Gray Wolf. If not for me we wouldn't have been ambushed."
"What are we gonna do now, chi?" Mocchi asked, worry evident in the child's ebony eyes.
"We can't go on without the Magic Stone, Mocchi, so we'll just have to find this lair they've headed for."
"You sure we can do this? I mean, I don't want to sound like a doomsayer, but they kinda mopped the floor with us."
"We have no choice Pink Eye," Joshua answered.
"And this time, we'll have the advantage," Genki stated, regaining some of his former Bravado.
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"We decked 'em really good, eh Thrix."
"You can say that again Thrax."
The two hare hounds were bending over backwards to pat each other on the back over their successful mission. Neither was really paying attention to where they were going, instead letting instinct guide them home.
"Did you see the way I knocked that giant down."
"Hey, I knocked him down, you just hit his..." That was when Thrix stopped, an action his brother copied. "Isn't Carl supposed to be guarding the lair?"
"Yeah, so?" Thrax replied.
"So, we're here. Where's Carl?"
"Ah, that old barker is probably sleeping under the shade somewhere. I'm hungry, let's go see if there's any of that dear left." Both hare hounds moved onward, not noticing the shadows that had begun to follow them.
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The Magic Stone hung almost serenely from Gray Wolf's paw as he trotted back to his home. For the life of him he couldn't understand why Moo wanted the little trinket, but the fact that Moo wanted it was enough of a reason to keep it from him. It wasn't long before the silver wolf was caught up to by his two friends, Daton and Datonare.
"So what do you think those dinos want that stone for?" The green wolf asked.
"No idea whatsoever. Daton, when we get back to the lair, I trust you'll find some way to unlock this stone's secrets."
"Of course, I'll..."
"Hold it," Datonare said, stopping his compatriots. They had finally arrived at the cavernous entrance to their lair, but what really bothered Datonare was the presence of two lost disks at the cave's mouth. Gray Wolf sniffed the air, and a growl came to his lips.
"There's something wrong here." Gray Wolf ran into the cave, Daton and Datonare hot on his heels. What they saw inside stopped them in their tracks. Five lost disks littered the floor. One of them stood next to a long cloth bandage, while nearby, almost hidden in the shadows, stood two much smaller disks. Rage showed in Gray Wolf's eyes as he snarled a low "No." He ran out of the cave, sniffing the air and ground, trying desperately to find some trace of the attackers trail as his two friends joined him. Suddenly, twelve fireballs came flying out from behind the rocks, aimed straight for the trio. Datonare and Gray Wolf both jumped, completely avoiding the fiery attacks, but the slower Daton was unable to escape before the flames singed his paw. As all three landed, twelve dinos came out of hiding surrounding the pack and lead by a familiar face.
"So we meet again Gray Wolf," Captain Dino said, sneering as he did so.
"You hurt my friends, Moo-spawn. I swear you'll die for this."
"Big talk from a fur coat." Suddenly, a thick scaly tail slammed into Gray Wolf, sending him flying towards the rocks. Gray Wolf quickly righted himself and used the rocks to jump back into the fray. Before he could strike his attacker, another dino rammed into him, sending flying into the captain's arms. For their parts, Daton and Datonare were fairing little better. Seeing his wounded paw, two of the big lizards converged on Daton, ready for a some payback. A cloud of dust was the only warning given as scaled leg connected with the pink and yellow wolf, sending him flying into the jaws of the other, who bit down hard. Daton screamed as he felt ribs break and flesh tear. Blindly he struck at the lizard with his paw, connecting with the dino's face by pure luck. It was a severely injured Daton that landed, so injured in fact that he was unable to move. The last thing Daton saw were two balls of flame before an unending blackness enveloped him.
Datonare was not aware of his friend's death. Not that it would have mattered, since at present he was busy trying to fend off four more of the dino troopers. Torpedo attacks repeatedly fired from the scaled wolf's horns, but the dinos were ready for them and dodged quickly. All four launched a simultaneous fireball, but this was also dodged. Datonare then attempted a charge, aiming his horns at for a dino's heart. The dino saw him and swatted him away like a fly. As soon as he landed, Datonare was greeted by a tail that hit him hard, sending him to the waiting jaws of another. The plan failed this time, as Datonare sent a lightening bolt directly at the Dino, frying him. He was unable to correct himself in time to avoid the rocks however and hit them full on. He landed in a crumpled heap, his shoulder broken from the impact. Powerful jaws snapped up his hind legs, crushing the bones before Datonare could react. He closed his eyes in pain, so he did not see the green foot come down on his neck, crushing him to death.
"Looks like it's just you pup," Captain Dino said. That was when he noticed the glint of a jewel on Gray Wolf's foot. "Welly, welly well. It looks like you took care of our business with the Searchers for us. I'll take that." A very quick claw grabbed the silvery captive's treasure. Gray Wolf made a futile swipe, an attempt to reclaim the stone as Captain Dino simply sneers at him. "Since you were so kind to help the warriors of Moo with this most excellent contribution, you deserve a reward. Kill him quickly boys." The eleven dinos smiled before opening their mouths, ready to barbecue the renegade wolf.
*I can't let it end like this,* Gray wolf thought as he struggled to get to his feet. His injured body, however, refused to move. Gray Wolf glared at Captain Dino as an orange ball formed in his mouth. Suddenly, a blue and brown blur blasted through the dinos' ranks. It was Genki. The boy grabbed Gray Wolf as he lost consciousness from pain and raced away.
"After hi...," the Captain stopped in mid-command as he remembered the Magic Stone in his hand. *What do I need that rotten wolf for? Moo'll reward me well for this little trinket.* He turned back to his troops, a smile on his lips. "Let the brat go, boys, we got what we want. Dino Troops... MOVE OUT!!"
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Night had fallen and the rebels had been forced to make camp. Near the fire, being tended to by Joshua, sat the still sleeping Gray Wolf. His wounds had been bandaged and much of the bleeding had stopped, but he still seemed to wince every time Joshua touched him. By the fire sat the rest of the searchers, eating a small dinner as they watched Joshua work.
"So tell me again why we're botherin' ta help this guy," Pink Eye said, his gaze falling on Genki.
"Well, he did help us against those dinos before," Genki replied.
"He also robbed us. If ya ask me, ya shoulda grabbed the stone and left the wolf."
"That... would have... been... smarter," came a low, struggling voice. Joshua stood up so the others could see that Gray Wolf was awake, though not in the best of shape. "You should have... taken the stone. Now Moo will have it..."
"We can find them. Those dinos have to stop somewhere to eat. And I'm sure the six of us can..."
"Don't drag me into this kid," Gray Wolf said. Genki looked back at the bandaged monster, a gaze followed by the rest.
"You're kidding me," Pink Eye said. "Those guys just killed your friends. Don't you at least wanna pay them back."
"Yes, but I'll do it on my terms, not yours." Gray Wolf tried to get up to leave, but was only able to make it halfway before falling, landing in Joshua's hands.
"You're not well enough to move on your own. Give yourself some time."
"I don't need your help!!" Gray Wolf yelled.
"Looks like a different story to me!!" Genki yelled back. Gray Wolf seemed to ignore the boy, resting his head on his front paws. Joshua left the wolf, heading over to the fire to eat his own dinner.
"Genki all right, chi?" asked Mocchi, seeing his trainer upset by the wolf's action turned to the boy, who's fists were balled and his mouth clenched in anger. The pink monster touched his friend's hand, causing Genki to finally realize Mocchi was talking.
"I'm sorry Mocch, what'd you say?" Genki asked, a small smile on his face.
"I asked if Genki is all right. You look really angry." Mocchi said.
"I'm fine Mocchi," Genki answered. Before he could look back to Gray Wolf though, Mocchi grabbed his other arm and began pulling him over to play. Soon the rest of the rebels began to get ready for bed. Joshua handed a plate of food to Genki.
"Genki, mind giving this to Gray Wolf over there. He hasn't had anything to eat all day, and I would rather not seem him die of hunger."
"All right."
"Oh, and please change his bandages for me. It would be a big help." Genki nodded his head as he carried the plate over to where the silver lupine lay. It almost looked like Gray Wolf was already asleep, but Genki could see how his muscles were tensed, as if expecting an attack. Genki placed the food in front of Gray Wolf's nose and, as expected, ice blue eyes opened without any trouble.
"You need to eat," Genki said as he began to unwrap the dirty bandages.
"Thank you." Genki almost did a double take as he realized what Gray Wolf had said.
"Well, you're welcome."
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I wasn't thinking."
"So then why'd you say it?"
"I've had a lousy day. You were really the first prey we had all day, and the only thing we took from you, the pack gets killed over," Gray Wolf suddenly seemed to remember something. "Of course I also didn't expect to get another shot at your group, either. Why were you going through our territory?"
"We were actually looking for you."
"Hmm... I don't have a fan club so I gotta wonder why you'd want to see a bandit."
"When you helped us against the Dinos, you called them Moo spawn, like you had something against Moo. We're on a quest to stop Moo, and we thought you might join us."
"You... Stop Moo. No offense kid, but how can you expect a group of three monsters and two humans to beat one of the most powerful monsters to ever exist." Gray Wolf yelped a little as Genki yanked his bandages tighter.
"We're not exactly helpless you know. Besides, when we find the Phoenix, it's going to be able to kick Moo's tail back to where ever her came from."
"You're very optimistic that you can even find the Phoenix kid. Not that I doubt you could take down a few of Moo's best, but face it, you're no match for him."
"So what do you think we should do, settle down into some lives as bandits and just destroy any 'Moo spawn' we come across?"
"There are worse lives you know. Heroes don't exactly live long in a world of villains."
"You say that like you know it's true."
"The heroes I've met always wound up dead... or missing." At this, Gray Wolf turned his head from the light and stared into the night, lost in thought.
"Who do you mean?"
"His name was Tiger of the Wind, probably the most powerful monster I ever knew. He was also my older brother. Taught me almost everything I know. We were inseparable, even as pups. Our first master was a cruel one always punishing us for every little mistake we made. Tiger was always there, always taking the punishments in my place. When we finally escaped, he helped me to survive the wilds, even brought together other tiger-types to form the original Wild Pack."
"So what happened?"
"Moo happened," Gray Wolf said, his eyes narrowing. "We were traveling through a snow covered forest in search of food. We found ourselves blocked by a horde of monsters lead by a giant in golden armor who could only be Moo. No warning was given before the other monsters attacked. They were all strong, and our pack was not really prepared for a fight. But we did. Tiger was the one who went in the hardest, and I was right behind him, blasting away with all our might. Then Moo entered the battle. With one attack he took out FIFTEEN of our pack mates. I watched it as they died, never having a chance to defend themselves. I couldn't take it. And neither could Tiger, we attacked him together, biting and clawing, using our electric and cold attacks to get through that damned armor of his. It took only a swipe of his arm to send us both to the ground."
"I was the first to recover, and I still remember how much I ached from that ONE blow. That's how strong he is. His hand actually wrapped around my body, holding me like a vice as he began to walk away, taking me with him. I struggled, trying to get away from my would-be kidnapper, but I could. Moo must of notice because he began to force feed my body with energy that made me want to scream. My eyes were closing and, for the first time since my childhood, I was afraid. Suddenly, I heard Tiger's howl. He was up and not happy. He bit Moo's hand and the giant was forced to let me go. Unfortunately, he threw me to the ground, and almost broke my ribs doing it. Moo sent a ray of black energy at Tiger and I heard my brother's battle cry turn into a cry or anguish before he became unconscious. I looked up to see Moo grab him, the same way he'd grabbed me. I tried my best to get up, to help him as he helped me, but I just couldn't. In the end, I was forced to watch as Moo and his army left with my brother held captive. I haven't seen him since." After finishing, Gray Wolf closed his eyes as he let Genki digest his story. A tear rolled down the boy's cheek as he thought.
"That's so sad. But if you just give up, Moo wins."
"You don't understand. Moo beat me when he stole my family. All I'm good for is giving Moo the occasional headache over loosing troops."
"So you won't join us?"
"I'm sorry," Gray Wolf answered. "And I'd advise you not to go either kid. Go home, grow up, find a nice girl and raise a family, Genki. No one should have to waste their life on a futile quest."
"My father once told me that you must do what you know is right, or the world can only get worse. If Moo conquers the world, I doubt it'll be a safe place to have kids. If I can do something to stop him, then I can't just stand aside." With those words, Genki got up and left Gray Wolf alone with his thoughts.
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"He's gone." Was the yell that awoke Genki the next morning.
"Who's gone?" Genki said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand as he reached down to make sure Mocchi was still next to him with the other. Thankfully he was.
"That *%#^ wolf left during the night. After all we did for him he left."
"Pink Eye watch your language!!" Joshua yelled.
"The least he could have said was good-bye," Pink Eye continued.
"Gray Wolf left?"
"He did say good-bye," came Golem's rumbling voice. "I was awake when he left."
"And you didn't stop him??" asked Pink Eye.
"It was not my place to stop him," Golem said. "He said he wished us luck on our quest but he also hoped you'd understand why he couldn't join us Genki." At this, Pink Eye turned around to look at the boy in question, as did Joshua and the now awake Mocchi. Genki's face went down as he looked down, mulling over this new information.
"Genki..." Mocchi said.
"What'd ya say ta him kid?"
"It doesn't matter, Pink. Right now lets just concentrate on finding those Dinos with the Magic Stone." The answer seemed to satisfy the suezo/pixie, who closed his eye, concentrating on the dinos and the Magic Stone.
*************************************
A few hours later found the twelve dinos causing chaos in a quiet village, laughing as the people fled in terror at their presence. One man tried to stop them swinging a two-by-four like a club, only to be knocked away by a tail. Captain Dino looked upon the works of his cohorts and found it good. Or at least he did until his stomach reminded him of the reason they'd come to this village. The Captain spied a butcher shop not far away, it's delicious aromas and tender looking wares making his stomach growl even more. In front of the shop stood a short man with brown hair and a cheesy brown mustache, trying to hide from the monsters in broad daylight. A smile came to Captain Dino's face as he sauntered up to the butcher, the Magic Stone still in his hand.
"Human, today's you're lucky day. I'm gonna help you get rid of some of your wares."
"Please don't hurt me, I'll do whatever you want," the butcher cried in a frightened heavily accented voice Captain Dino thought sounded familiar. The butcher cowered just inside his door as the helmeted Dino stepped closer to him.
"Ah, at last, a smart human. All right little skin bag, my men need meat to make the journey back to our master, so why don't you just shimmy on into your shop and bring out everything you have. Then maybe we'll leave your little store standing."
"Yes, yes, of course, just please don't hurt me." The little man scurried into the shop as Captain Dino called his troops to him for the meal. Spying a smoked turkey hanging near the door, the evil lizard snatched it up just as the little man reappeared, his arms loaded down with meat. He dropped it on the ground in front of the group, rushing in to fetch more food as the dinos ate greedily. It didn't take long for the dozen ravenous dinos to deplete the butcher shop's resources. Captain Dino looked up at the shop keeper, a piece of meat still hanging from his mouth.
"Very good. (burp) But unfortunately, I think I want to tear this whole town apart, including your pathetic shop."
"W... Well then, I guess I'm gonna have to take payment for all the meat you ate... You gluttonous pigs!!" At this last part, the butcher's voice lost all trace of its former accent as he quickly reached out, snatching the Magic Stone from the dino's hand.
"Why you worthless piece of scum, get back here." Captain Dino reached out to grab at the butcher's retreating head, but, to his surprise, came back with the guys mustache. The face became instantly recognizable. "YOU!!!"
"That's right," said Genki as he skated backwards, sticking out his tongue at the irate Captain. The dino leader charged the boy only to be hit back by the Mocchi ball which shot out of the shop. Nearby a building collapsed as Golem came out, ready to fight with Pink Eye on his shoulder. One of the villagers the dinos had been terrorizing earlier removed his mask to reveal Joshua.
"It's an ambush. Dinos to the ready!!" Captain Dino yelled. Behind him came the sounds of retching as each dino held his gut.
"Captain, I don't feel so well," said one of the dinos, a sentiment that was echoed by his comrades. Even Captain Dino had to admit he wasn't feeling his best.
"Oh that reminds me. We need to thank the real owner of this shop. It was sure nice of him to just give us all that rancid meat instead of throwing it out." Captain Dino looked up, horrified.
"We'll do that kid, but the first thing is for you to take a bath. You stink."
"Stink, chi," Mocchi giggled.
"Hey don't you twerps dare make plans yet. You haven't finished with us yet," Captain Dino said, kicking those of his troops that were lying on the ground, moaning in pain. "Get up you twits. Master Moo doesn't pay you to lay there moaning."
"He doesn't pay us at all," one of the ailing dinos moaned. All of them did manage to get up and strike a fearsome pose. They charged at the group, specifically targeting Genki as they did so. Golem intercepted three of them, swatting them away as if they were the merest of bugs, while Joshua plunged his dagger into the heart of another. Genki and Mocchi met the charge with one of their own, head-butting a dino each simultaneously. Pink Eye's tongue landed on the head of a seventh dino, all in all leaving some gapping holes in Captain Dinos lines. Those that hadn't died were in too much pain from food poisoning to get back up and become a problem.
"Surrender now Captain, your troops are in no condition to continue this fight," Joshua yelled.
"The warriors of Moo don't surrender to worthless humans, for no reason."
"That's suicide," Genki cried.
"Only for you." The Captain launched a fireball, which Genki quickly sidestepped. He had not been the target, however. Mocchi went flying backward, and into a wall, where he slid to the ground. Genki raced over to his friend, checking him for injuries.
"You okay Mocch?" Mocchi's rubbery body had absorbed most of the force, resulting in him simply being stunned.
"Mocchi okay." Genki smiled, a smile that was short lived as a dino foot slammed into his back, pinning him to the ground. Likewise, Captain Dino grabbed Mocchi by the leg, lifting him into the air. The others tried to race forward but could not escape their own personal battles.
"Well, boy, it seems you're little ruse has backfired. And since your little banquet of decay has upset my delicate tummy, I think it only fair that your little friend help me settle. And I'll even let you watch," Captain Dino said lifting the pink monster over his head as he prepared to eat him.
"NOOO!!!" Genki yelled, struggling even harder to escape his captors grip to save his friend and Mocchi screamed as he tried to wiggle free.
"Say good-bye, sweet cake."
"PUT HIM DOWN!!" A voice roared with the force of thunder. Genki, the dinos, everyone looked over to see the still bandaged Gray Wolf standing not but a few feet away from Captain Dino, electric energy circling around his horns.
"What is this, the attack of the mummy wolf?" Captain Dino said, trying to act as though Gray Wolf's appearance meant nothing. A lightening bolt convinced him otherwise. Yelling as the electric energy raced through his arm, the giant lizard threw Mocchi out of harms way, cradling his wounded appendage. "Get that mongrel!" He yelled. The four dinos, including the Captain, charged Gray Wolf, who jumped out of the way, his bandages breaking off at the sudden movement. The lupine landed in the center of the dinos, a fact that brought a wicked smile to Captain Dino's face.
"I'll give you one chance to surrender, lizard-lips," Gray Wolf growled.
"You land in the perfect place for us to attack, and you want us to surrender? Don't make me laugh." At his words the dinos all began to laugh.
"I'm not surprised a weakling like you didn't see my attack. Don't worry though, it should catch up to us right about... now."
"SONIC MOVE," came a disembodied voice. Suddenly, the three dinos that had been fighting with their captain fell down, dead from the great holes that were drilled into their chests. Just as quickly, the Gray Wolf that stood before the now frightened Captain Dino faded from existence, an after image created by a super fast move. Captain Dino looked up to see Gray Wolf almost hovering in midair far above the battlefield.
"Retreat," called Captain Dino to his troops as he ran for cover. The other dinos, not wanting to be left behind, also began to run.
"Oh no, Captain Dino. I told you I'd make you pay for what you did to my friends. Now feel the fury of the Winter Warrior... ARCTIC BLAST." As soon as he yelled this, a snow white and ice blue beam of energy erupted from his mouth. The beam struck the terrified Captain Dino, whose body flashed for an instant before he was completely covered in a solid block of ice. The same thing happened to everything the beam touched, and it touched a lot of things as Gray Wolf moved it to each of the dinos in turn. The wolf landed as he trapped the last one, closing his mouth in satisfaction. It took only a minute for cracks to develop on the frozen dinos and they shattered completely, transforming into lost disks as they died. The others were stunned.
"I don't believe it," was Joshua's response.
"What a radical attack," said Pink Eye, surveying the field which had been full of warm life only a few seconds ago.
"Gray Wolf strong," Mocchi said, while Golem could only gasp as Genki walked up to Gray Wolf, almost stumbling as he did so.
"You okay kid?" Was the only acknowledgment Genki got from the lone wolf.
"Um... I guess so. I thought you..."
"I can heal fast Genki, and it takes more then a few scratches to lay me up."
"No... You left... and you came back."
"Oh that... I thought about what you said last night. You said we gotta do what we know is right. I was running away, and I knew it wasn't right. No one's gonna be safe until Moo's stopped, and that's something I want to be a part of. If that offer to join you is still good, I'd like to take it. I figure you're gonna need someone tough to watch your backs."
"Then welcome to the team, Gray Wolf. We're glad to have you." Genki stuck out his hand and shook the wolf's paw. The rest of the searchers moved forward to welcome in Gray Wolf, save for Golem who simply looked between the silver wolf and the now dead field of flowers. Gray Wolf stared back at the rock monster, neither one saying a word. Genki broke away from the group, drawing their attention back to their quest.
"All right everybody, lets go find the Phoenix." Suddenly, a chubby hand grabbed the boy's shoulder and turned him around.
"Not so fast, young man," said a gruff voice. It was the butcher whose shop they'd used to trick the dinos. "There is still the matter of settling your bill."
"But you said we could have that old meat free of charge!" Genki protested.
"True, mister Genki, but that large dino with the helmet also ate one of my fresh twenty-five pound turkeys. Now, I assume you have the forty coppers, or two golds, that bird cost." At this news, all six searchers fell over, eyes wide as they realized what had happened.
"Of course we have the money," Joshua said, a false laugh hiding his embarrassment. "Pink Eye, go ahead and pay the man." The pink suezo fished out a coin purse from his travel bag.
"Here you go." Pink Eye placed twenty silvers and a gold into the butcher's hands, quietly adding, "You ungrateful shyster." The six beat a hasty retreat from the village, hoping to escape before even more bills could be handed to them.
"I hope this kind of thing isn't a common occurrence for you guys, or else I'm gonna die of hunger," Gray Wolf snidely remarked.
"You know you can always leave if you're so worried... puppy," Pink Eye replied. Gray Wolf stopped in his tracks.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?!?" Gray Wolf howled. Sensing danger was immanent, Pink Eye took off, Gray Wolf hot on his heels firing small torpedo blasts at the suezo-type's heels as the others chased after them.
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Epilogue
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Aboard the Flying Castle, Captain Weed shivered in anticipatory fear as he scooted into the presence of his lord and master.
"S... S... Sir? I'm sorry to interrupt but..." Weed lost his voice as Moo turned to face him. No matter how much he tried to ignore, Weed couldn't help but notice the immense size difference between him self and the titan. The plant/naga hybrid's whole body would probably fit in Moo's hand, with plenty of room to spare. And those muscles looked quite capable of sending the purple plant through a wall, something he was likely to do considering the new Captain Weed had. Master Moo did not take bad news well, and was known to often shoot the messenger if he couldn't get the sender.
"Well, spit it out Weed!" Moo bellowed, his blood red eyes narrowing in irritation.
"Dino troop thirty-two was destroyed before they could deliver the Magic Stone to you I'm sorry," Weed said, backing away to avoid any flying fists. Moo's eyes shined very brightly as he heard the news.
"WHAT!?"
"The searchers killed them all and took back the stone."
"This is intolerable!! I should... How dare they... GET OUT!!!"
"W... what?"
"Get out now if you value your life. Summon the members of the Big Bad Four to me at once... GO!!!" Captain Weed did not need to be told three times as he scurried away, leaving Moo alone to brood.
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Well there you go, Gray Wolf has joined the Searchers, and that leaves only one more spot to fill. Be here next time when Hare makes his premier in "Tricks of the Trade." See ya.