A/N: I know I know! It's been forever! It's hard to write when thoughts of Rurouni Kenshin and finding Jinchuu arc manga scans (I'm too picky to settle for just the translated scripts) keep entering your mind. BTW, if anyone knows a good site with the Jinchuu arc translated scans that I can save to my computer, please e-mail me! I only need volumes 22-24 and volume 28. Thanx!
"Okay guys, Attention!" Sergeant Rico said as he stood before a neat line of soldiers. The soldiers responded to Rico's command by going from ease to attention in perfect unison with each other. "Right." Rico replied. The group of squirrels stood in a small base within a mountainside. It had been weeks since food rations had returned to the normal flow and the soldiers recovered from nearly starving to death. In that time one of the fractions of the Army had taken half of a base, while the Tediz occupied the other half. Neither side was willing to budge without a fight. Research of the fortress had revealed a flaw in the design. The fortress's sewer had a vent that can pump lethal chemical into the air, killing everything. Knowing that the Tediz had no problem using such methods of destorying their soldiers, the SHC ordered more troops to go over and take out the Tediz before they triggered the gas.
That is where Axel and Co. come in. They stood amoung the line up as Sergeant Rico briefed them on their newest mission. It appeared that a fail safe feature as locked onto each canister during testing to prevent a soldier from accidently using it on his own kind. The scientist who created this feature died before he could remove it and as it now stood, the only way to evade the problem of the fail safe feature was to steal the enemy's canister. Fortunatly for the Squirrels, the Tediz had the same problem with the fail safe feature on their canisters. It was all a matter of who stole and activated the canisters first. Sergeant Rico took out a pointer and tapped it on a map of the fortress and sewer sections to his right as he continued with the briefing. "Find a weapon and get yourself either defending this base, attacking the other base, or get the enemy's canister. Take canister to sewer area where you will find a place to insert the canister. Thereby you wanna make sure you find yourself either a gas mask or that central area, 'cos you don't wanna be outside! No sir! Any questions boys? No! Well, good luck. Atten…..tion!" As the soldiers turned and jogged off to fulfill their duties, Sergeant Rico looked on and mumbled to himself. "Great guys, everyone of 'em."
"Everyone else is being retarded so I guess it's up to us to come up with some sort of a structured plan." Riley said. He, Axel, San, and Hunter stood by the sewer entrance of the Squirrel fortress while the other soldiers sprinted off in different directions towards the enemy base. "I wouldn't say they were being retarded exactly. More like they just want to overwhelm the Tediz or somethin' like that." San replied.
"Who cares whether they're retarded or not. Let's just do something." Hunter broke in. "How many other guys are on our team anyway?"
"There were four guys that ran off, there's that one guy over there in the corner, and then there's Jones and his bitches but we already know we can't count on them." Riley said.
"Where'd those pansy assholes go anyway?" Hunter asked.
"Who cares. Let's hope the Tediz find them and use them as target practice. Anyway, I'm goin' over to the Tediz base to help the other guys out. San you come with me. Hunter guard the front ground and Axel, seeing as how you're a dead eye, you take the sniper tower."
The other three squirrels nodded as they accepted their missions from the new unofficial leader. Riley crossed his arms and scanned the area until he spotted the lone soldier in the corner who was loading his weapon. "Hey you over there!" he called causing the youth to look up. "Stay here and help guard the fort a bit, will ya?" The other soldier seemed to understand how vulnerable their base was and nodded his head in response. With each task assigned the soldiers took their positions and the battle begun.
Axel carefully crept into the dark sniper tower. Although his position as sniper would be a lot less hectic than the last battle he felt exteremely nervous and paranoid that a bullet would zoom at him out of nowhere without even making a sound. He unstrapped his sniper rifle from his back and slowly inched towards the window of the tower. The enemy's sniper tower could easily be seen but because it was so dark he couldn't tell if there was an enemy sniper in there. He gently pushed out air through his lips as he raised the scope of the rifle to his eye. He quickly zoomed into the enemy base to see if an enemy sniper was present. When the sniper tower appeared empty he zoomed out and stepped towards the window with confidence and courage. Below him he spotted two hills with a small wooden bridge connecting them as well as a path leading from the bases large metal doors. Running across these surroundings he spotted his allie Squirrels and enemy Tediz.
A strange feeling overcame Axel at that moment. They all seemed so vulnerable. They were his for the picking. He could take out anyone of them, friend or foe, and they would never know what had hit them. Yet at the same time, he was just as vulnerable to an enemy sniper or to a sneak attack from a silent Tedi on foot armed with only a knife. He didn't know what he could make of this and had he not been in the middle of a battle he would've spent more time pondering it. His friends needed him and that was all he needed on his mind.
As a few squirrels ran over the bridge towards the enemy base, a group of Tediz made their way towards the Squirrel base using the path. However, a group of squirrels stood along the path ready to greet the enemy. San and Riley were among that group and each one of them looked ready to fight to the death. Axel felt tempted to watch the fight and help out in anyway he could, but he needed to keep an eye out for stray Tediz trying to sneak in a cheap shot or two as well as snipers. He spotted such a Tediz crawling along one of the hills as the battle raged below. In his filthy paws he held a bottle grenade. A small grin appeared on Axel's face as he got the Tediz's head right in his crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. "Filthy cheap ass," he mumbled as the bullet spewed out of his rifle and the Tediz's 'brains' were left spilling all over the grass. A few seconds later, the grenade went off and left the dead Tedi as an even bigger mess.
Out of the corner of his eye, Axel saw another Tedi running along the ground. He was heading towards the sewer entrance and obviously had the intentions of sneaking to the Squirrels base by sewer. The Tedi did make it to the hole but as he fell his head scattered in pieces over the ground. After checking again for an enemy sniper, Axel turned his attention to the battle below him. It seemed as though the Tediz had been banking on that surprise attack with the bottle grenade. Despite the blood that soaked into the soil and the poor young squirrel that lay dead and gutted on the ground, the small brawl was turning in favor of the Squirrels. The Tediz were being pushed back and were finally forced to retreat with the squirrels in hot pursuit. No wonder the Tediz had been so hard to beat before. They live off of cheap shots and tricks. Take that away and they're not any tougher than we are. Axel continued to obserb the events below until something caught his attention. He lowered the rifle slightly to spot whatever had caught his eye.
Axel's jaw dropped when he spotted a Tedi starring at him from the wooden bridge. This Tedi just happened to have a rather deadly looking bazooka in its hands and saw the young squirrel perfectly through the scope. Axel knew that he didn't have enough time to get the Tedi in his sights before it fired on him so he back peddled in response just as the Tedi launched a missile at the tower. Axel hit the floor just before the missile came crashing into the tower. After the shaking stopped, he slowly crawled towards the edge of the window. He stayed frozen for several minutes until he decided it was safe to take a quick look.
He peeked over the edge of the window and saw that the Tedi had disappeared. Looking at the area infront of the Tediz base he noticed that the battle had intensified. The Tediz back ups had come out of hiding but the Squirrels were doing fine. That's when his sharp eyes caught movement again. The Tedi had moved off the bridge, but it still toted that bazooka with it and it had its sights on Axel once again. "Oh shit," he whimpered as the missiles were sent flying again. Axel dove to the back of the tower and covered his head as the missiles collided with the tower. The room shook violently as large pieces of concrete were broken off. Axel stayed completely frozen until the attack stopped after a few seconds. "I'm getting sick of this!" he said as he slowly pushed himself off the floor.
Axel stayed as low as possible as he crept towards the edge of the window. He knew that if he tried to get another look he'd be fired at again. He did the only thing he could think off. He snatched a grenade from his belt and ripped out the pin with his teeth. The hill was a pretty good distance from the tower and he didn't know if he was strong enough to throw it that far, but it was worth a try. He remembered the location of the Tedi when he last saw him about to fire. Toting around a large weapon like a bazooka was going to slow him down without a doubt. As he visualized where the Tedi had been standing he heard the battle rage on from the ground. It sounded as though a few Tediz had made it over to their base. However he didn't have the time to worry about that what with there being a ticking grenade in his paw. He swung his arm out the window and launched the grenade towards the hill with all this strength. A few seconds later his sharp ears were greeted by the sound of a small explosion and the splattering of moist innards on the grass. "Bull's eye." He said in a quiet and almost evil sounding voice.
A sudden hissing from his radio jarred him from his state. Axel reached for it and listened as Hunter's voice came through. "Thanks for that, Axel. That Tedi was givin' me one hell of a time!" A large sweatdrop appeared on Axel's forehead as an awkward smile forced its way onto his face. "Wrong Tedi," he mumbled to himself in between gentle fits of annoyed chuckles. "The guys are gonna need me for a bit so you and that one guy are on your own. I'll be back to help as soon as I can." Hunter said. A crackle buzzed from the radio as the conversation ended and Hunter ran to the enemy base. "Great, just what I need." Axel sighed as he latched the radio back to his belt. He braved a quick glance out the window to have a look at what was going on. The first place he checked was the hill where the bazooka toting Tedi had been. He was hoping to catch him in his sights first this time, but he was gone. "This can't be good." Axel mumbled as he slipped back into the darkness of the tower.
A sudden explosion from within the Squirrel base sent a charge up his spine. "Ah shit!" Axel grunted. He grabbed his sniper rifle and bolted out of the tower. As he passed through the doorway he skidded to a stop and caught a glimpse of his unknown allie running in frantic circles. The Tedi with the bazooka had made its way to their base and was having a bit of target practice with the nameless soldier. Axel felt his body temperature rise with rage as he charged at the Tedi. He had no idea what he was doing but he wouldn't allow himself to stop. He reached for a throwing knife from his belt and launched it at the Tedi. The knife hit the Tedi right in the leg, causing the bioandroid to reel back and cuss.
"Go! Go!" Axel shouted at the other soldier as he pointed frantically towards the sewer entrance. The soldier looked between him and the sewer quickly with an uncertain look on his face. "But what about…"
"Just move!" Axel interrupted. The soldier hesitated for a second but then sprinted towards the sewer. Axel took off toward the sewer himself. Although it meant leaving the base completely unprotected it seemed as though this particular Tedi was more interested in blowing up squirrels than retreving the canister. His fur began to stand on end as he felt the Tedi from behind him rise with its deadly weapon. He supressed the urge to look over his shoulder and forced his body to go faster.
However he couldn't quite make it. There was an ear-piercing explosion as Axel was sent flying head over heals into the air. Small drops of spit and air spurted out of his mouth when his back collided roughly with the hard floor upon his ungraceful landing. The back of his head erupted with pain as his helmet wasn't all that shock absorbant. He tilted his head back slightly a bit to see the Tedi taking aim again. He quickly pushed himself to his feet and made a mad dash towards the sewer. The uneasy feeling that his enemy was right on his back reached him again and caused him to push himself to go faster.
As Axel reached the first turn of the sewer, he had to sort of skid as he turned in order to stop himself from colliding with the wall. The mud was rather slippery and it was difficult for him to keep his footing. Just as he turned the corner, another RPG from the Tedi's bazooka smashed into the wall and caused a loud explosion. The force pushed Axel forward and the loud sound from the explosion rang painfully in his ears. He felt the intense heat from the missile press against his back as he struggled not to loose his footing on the slick ground.
He pressed his body to maintain a decent speed as the blood rushed through him. He felt at any minute blood would force its way out of his body just by the force his heart was pounding. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling too well at the moment. He felt his throat tighten when he noticed a strange green glow just down the tunnel and slowly heading towards him. His boots failed to get a decent grip on the muddy ground as he tried to skid to a stop. This was just what he needed. First evil teddy bears and now wierd glowing ghost monster things. He didn't know what that green glowing thing was, but he was sure it was trouble and something to be destroyed upon sight. As he reached for his gun, his radio let out another hiss.
"Comin' through!" Axel recognized the sound of another squirrel flowing from the radio speaker. "Hey hey! You comin' or are you just gonna stand there all day?" Axel shook his head as if he had just been released from a spell and looked before him. The nameless soldier from before was waving him over to the main sewer chamber while another squirrel was carrying a canister that pulsed a green glow. Axel blinked for a few seconds before he was able to free his body from a frozen state. He didn't know how they'd gotten the canister, but he didn't really care.
He jetted towards the central area just as the squirrel carrying the canister inserted it into the plug. His feet met with the wooden floor of the area and allowed him to regain some bit of balance. All three squirrels moved towards the center of the room as the metal doors began to close and sirens filled the air. Axel just hoped his friends would be able to get gas masks in time. The doors met with the moist ground and the poisonous gas loomed through the air outside, making a hissing noise as it slithered through the battlefield. Just beyound the doors the sound of bodies banging on the metal and falling to the mud stung Axel's ears. They could be Tediz out there, or they could be Squirrels. Axel hoped it was the former as the sirens began to die down, indicating that the natural air would soon be safe to breathe once again.
The metal doors opened again and revealed several brown figures lying face down in the mud. "I think what's left of the Tediz army is in their base. Let's cut 'em off and take 'em all out once and for all." The squirrel with the canister suggested. Axel shrugged and the nameless squirrel from before nodded in agreement. They both assumed that the bazooka Tedi had expired, what with him not being able to reach a gas mask point in time. That would explain the silence.
A lighting bolt shot down Axel's spine and caused his muscles to tense. Silence. There was silence all around them. His sharp ears couldn't pick up the sounds of battle he had heard just a few minutes ago. Something was not right. Holy shit! What if they're all dead?! His mind screamed as he rushed past the two squirrels and towards the enemy base. Riley, Hunter, and San could be dead along with the rest of the team. What if he and the other two were the only ones left alive? Sure that would mean the Teidz had been defeated and the fortress was theirs, but he couldn't imagine himself moving on without his friends there to fight by his side. He heard the other two following behind him. It was hard for either of them to get a confident grip on the slick ground, but Axel continued his climb of the sewers without the slightest slowdown. His ears scanned his surroundings like sonar, trying to pick up any sound that would indicate that he and the other two weren't the only ones left alive. And he did hear such a sound.
BANG
The sound caused Axel's organs to leap in his body from surprised and fear. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder as the other two stumbed a bit from the shock. Somehow or another, a Tedi had managed to sneak into the central area. Either that or the poison air had no effect on it for some reason. Whatever had caused the Tedi to survive didn't spend too much time in Axel's mind. It had a deadly weapon, a hand cannon to be precise. A weapon so deadly it would kill anyone, no matter where they were hit, with one shot. Axel's legs begged him to allow them to go into superdash mode, but he refused them to do so when he noticed his struggling allies. Going on auto pilot, he grabbed the hand of the nearest squirrel and hot tailed it out of there. "Move it!" he yelled over his shoulder at the other squirrel, as well as the one he was dragging behind him. That was about all he could do, and was willing to do at the moment.
Axel was not stupid. The enemy already had his weapon drawn. If he were to draw his own gun he would become the target in an instant and would most likely be shot before he could even get the enemy in his sights. That wouldn't be a very smart move at all. He had to let the other guy rely on himself while he pulled the other one out of there. The way he saw it, no one was saving his ass. He wasn't a super hero, after all.
The loud shots continued to echo through the sewer tunnel. For the moment only the walls and ground had felt the wrath of the hand cannon. That was until Axel nearly lost his lunch. The sound of organs splattering and the feel of warm blood and brain bits on the back of his neck caused his stomach to lurch. The soldier he was dragging behind seemed to collaspe under his own weight. Assuming he had been the one to take the bullet to the head, Axel reluctantly let go of his arm and continued running forward without looking back.
He felt a bullet whiz past his shoulder and quickened his pace. Through the chaos he heard another pair of feet slamming against the mud. He just hoped that the other guy would make it as well. He skidded to an ungraceful turn as he rounded a corner and dashed towards the opening to the Tediz fortress. Once on solid ground he dashed to the side of the wall and crouched down. He gripped the handle of his uzi like a childhood plush toy as he aimed the deadly weapon at the empty space in front of him. It was only a matter of time, he hoped, before the enemy soldier filled that space. He heard the footsteps of his surviving ally slop through the mud and dash out the sewer. He recognized it as the youth from the beginning of the mission.
Get down! Axel's mind screamed. But before the words could reach his mouth, the other squirrel had already dropped to the floor. The loud gun shots now echoed through the base. The other squirrel squirmed on the floor as he tried to get out of harm's way. Axel remained still and gritted his teeth. His grip on the gun tightened. Any mintue now. The other squirrel continued his struggle to remove his own weapon. Bullets erupted on the floor around him. What the hell is he doing? Axel's mind whispered. He was rather frustrated. He could feel the blood from the other soldier dripping down his back. His muscles tensed as he could feel the same fate the other soldier suffered about to befall his only remaining comrade. Don't move, don't move! Don't try anything! His mind yelled at him.
The other squirrel had finally released his gun from the grip of his belt and held it in shaking hands. Axel still couldn't see the enemy soldier, but he knew he was near and closing in. The squirrel stared wide-eyed into the sewer as he pointed his gun out in front of him. He trembled as he released a stream of bullets into the mouth of the sewer. Even as the Tedi was being fired upon, his accuracy had not let up. The soldier let out a small yell as a bullet smashed into the floor by his shoulder. Don't let up! Just don't let up! Axel's mind whispered as he slowly rose to his feet. The sudden cry of the enemy soldier made him jump slightly. What was followed by the sound of splattering mud and deep gulps for air caused slight comfort the stressed soldier. One more immediate danger was no longer plauging either of the squirrels. For the moment they were safe. "I got 'em." The other squirrel had said repeatively in between gasps.
Axel would have been relieved if it wasn't for the fact that his back was still covered in blood and his friends were missing. They were gone and the whole place was empty. "Empty?" Axel mumbled as his sharp eyes continued to scan the enemy base. There were no bodies lying around the base at all. If the gas had gotten them, surely the floor would be littered with bodies of squirrels and Tediz alike. But he knew that the gas had spread outside of the central area. There were dead Tediz in the sewers to prove that. So if no one had been killed off by the gas, where were they?
"I don't like this," Axel said as he walked through the base. His eyes were narrow and his fists rested at his sides. "I don't like this at all." He stopped for a moment, planting the bottoms of his combat boots to the floor, and froze in vigilance. His ears twitched unconsciously under his helmet. The faint sounds of battle reached his ears. His fists became even tighter as he snapped his head from side to side. Without lifting his feet from the ground, he twisted his body and stared down the dark jaws of the sewer. His eyes penetrated the darkness with a hard stare. The sound seemed to be floating up through the very floor he was standing on. Soon he was surrounded in the faint noise like heat waves from flames just underneath him. "The battle is….underground?" Axel mumbled. His voice was soft and his eyes lost their intense glare. With his lips parted slightly and his eyes relaxed, his face had transformed to a look of curiousity and confusion. "But how?"
A gasp had forced its way through his chest as the spiralling silver object landed right where his foot had been. Axel stumbled back a few paces as he stared at the throwing knife that was now planted in the ground. His reactions were cat-like and his eyes had caught the sight of the blade sailing through the air. Before he could even think his body had kicked in a moved itself out of harm's way. If it weren't for that, he would've had a large hole in his foot and a lot of pain to deal with. He gritted his teeth as he looked around for the knife-throwing culprit. He felt his body tense as the sinster laugh of the Tediz filled the air from all directions.
There were about ten Tediz staring down at the two squirrels from the second floor of the base. Axel was about to question how they had survived the gas until he noticed each of them held a gas mask in their filthy paws. He scanned over the bears slowly as they each looked at one another with an evil grin plastered on their faces. It was obvious that he and the other squirrel were indeed surrounded, but the Tediz were not heavily armed. Strangely enough, only one of them had an M-16. The others were armed with knives and katanas. Never the less, they were out numbered at the odds looked in favor for the Tediz.
Axel was ready to draw his uzi at a moments notice, but decided to hold off for now. Even though most of the Tediz were armed with sharp objects rather than fire arms, he'd be taken out immeadiatly if he were to draw. The scratchy voices of the Tediz peirced his ears as they began speaking with one another in their own language. He gulped at just the sound of the sinister laughter that accompanied their speech. He continued to scan each and every one of them from his position on the ground. He could feel his insides tremble at the life-less gazes he was receiving. They were ready to attack him and the other squirrel, that much was certain. However it was hard for Axel to determine just when they would be jumped and by the sounds of the laughter, their deaths were not going to be easy ones.
The first attack had caught him off guard. As Axel studied a suspiscious pair of bears talking to one another, two fuzzy brown figures jumped from the second floor and immediately overwhelemed the other squirrel. Axel whipped around towards the sound of rodent pummeling only to catch the sight of another brown figure to his side. He turned on heel and felt a jolt run through his system when the edge of a katana missed his face by mere inches. Rather than becoming more afraid than he already was, Axel felt rage rise in his body as he tore his uzi from his belt and aimed it right at the Tedi's face. His ears awaited the satisfying sound of bullets ripping another plush enemy's face to shreds. However the only things his ears picked up were rapid clicks and the sound of his own voice. "Oh shit," His uzi was empty and he was out of clips.
The Tedi's grin widened as it took another swipe at the squirrel. Axel had already discarded his now useless uzi and for the moment had nothing on his mind except putting a bit of distance between him and the bear. After several swings and misses the Tedi was getting, to say the list, a tad frustrated. The evil smirk Tediz usually wore had disappeared from the face of this one and was replaced by an annoyed snear. Its soft plushy paws gripped the hilt as tightly as they could as it raised the blade over its head and shoulder. A ferocious scream escaped its artificial lungs as it launched itself forward with the intent of slashing the youth diagonally across his chest. Now's my chance. Axel's mind whispered. He had noticed that the Tediz couldn't grip the ground as well as the squirrels could what with their plush feet and all. Even as this Tedi ran towards him he could see its feet practically slipping out from underneath it as it continued to launch itself forward.
Yet he knew that the Tediz were smarter than they looked. They're robots his mind reminded him. They have no emotions, they could see right through me. Axel took a few steps back as Tedi continued to charge. No, there is one. The Tedi's face was contorted as it drew closer to its target. Anger. They were programmed to get angry, but this is different. He allowed his body to tremble under the mass amounts of adreniline rushing through his veins. His fists tightened and he took another step back. They aren't blinded.
Another fierce screamed was released through the Tedi's stitched mouth as it was now in striking range. If he misses, he'll be vulnerable. The Tedi's grip tightened. The squirrel's eyes narrowed. But can I evade it? With the consent of the Tedi's paws, the blade cut through the air. Axel's body shook as he forced his muscles into action. He twisted his body in such a way as if to turn sideways while begging his entire body would clear the path of the blade. As the Tedi brought the sword diagonaly down from his left, Axel moved to the right in hopes of clearing the path of the blade before it had the chance to drink upon his blood. A silver arc rushed past his face and shoulder with a gleaming shine. He reached for his belt with his left hand and grabbed hold of his trusty combat knife.
Having received the knife from the right side of his body, Axel easily snapped his arm outwards and back to the left, cutting the Tedi's head clear off in the process. Nine to go. However, it seemed that six out of those nine had no interest in him at all, but rather in his nameless companion. They had engulfed the squirrel, despite his best efforts, and he was completely overwhelemed. It wasn't a quick gory death that the Tediz were delivering either, but rather a beating. All six kicking and punching, laughing as the squirrel could do nothing to defend himself. Nothing.
"Stop it," Axel heard himself whisper. He and the other three Tediz watched the beating being delivered and paid each other no mind. While this was a pure opportunity for Axel to take the three out and vise versa, he couldn't bring himself to take his gaze away. He couldn't because he saw…
"Stop it,"
A group of eleven year old rodents, ranging from mice to squirrels to chipmunks,
"Stop it,"
kicking, punching, and laughing
"Stop it,"
as one small and thin grey squirrel could do nothing to protect himself.
"Stop it,"
Nothing.
"Stop it,"
A kick to the guts.
"Stop it,"
A punch to the face.
"Stop it,"
The pain was coming,
"Stop it,"
The pain was coming back.
"STOP IT!!!!!"
Axel's cry was loud and fierce. All attention was turned to him as he fumed and gritted his teeth. His breath was ragged and his eyes had changed. The squirrel looked on as Axel's trembling body held a pair of the most feral and frightening eyes he had seen. The Tediz seemed unphased, yet could not bring themselves to move. If the Tediz possesed the ability to fear, there is no doubt they would've been to paralyzed to move. Yet, it was more curiosity that froze them in their place. Just what did that squirrel think he was trying to do anyway?
In the blink of an eye Axel was rushing towards them. On the way he had picked up the dead Tedi's katana but his speed was unbelievable. Before the Tediz could register what was going on, three had already been decapitated. A roar of unheard ferocity rose from Axel's lungs as he took out the remaining Tediz just as they drawed for their weapons. The katana cut through the air with such speed that it sent yellow blood splattering across the walls of the base.
The other squirrel took a few steps back. His eyes were wide and watering with what he had witnessed. Never before had he seen such anger and fire. Axel's body shook as he gripped the weapon tightly with both hands. His breath was heavy and rapid almost as if his rage refused to let him breath comfortably. Both he and the nameless squirrel ducked when a bullet buried itself into the ground by their feet. Axel growled as his feral eyes shifted towards the Tedi who had fired at them. Pushing himself off the ground, he launched himself towards the remaining Tediz with blinding speed. The force of his boots hitting the ground as he accelerated little by little echoed through the base. With each step the squirrel sent himself flying through the air before gravity called him back to earth, and with each step he flew faster and farther.
Axel's steadily increasing speed proved too quick to allow the gun weilding Tedi to get him into its cross hairs again before its head was sent flying. Even during the act of decapitation Axel's speed continued to accelerate, little by little, as breath swam in and out of his body. One by one the remaining Tediz fell as yellow blood and plush limbs flew about the room. With no remaining bears to slay, Axel skidded to a stop that would've been comical (given the speed he was going) if it weren't for the events that had taken place and the frightening flare within his eyes. The yellow puddle rippled as he stood within it, breathing wildly. Though the act of slaying the enemy had somewhat taken away his rage, the fire in his brain was burning and refused to let him be.
The other squirrel watched as Axel's eyes scanned the room. If he were closer he would've sworn that Axel was foaming at the mouth with rage. The anger he felt all those years ago, and now as well with the death of his comrades, had broken the dam and sent sanity and reason into the deeper regions of his brain and would only let them resurface when his anger was satisfied. "Is he, looking for something else to kill?" the squirrel mumbled ever so quietly. Knowing that if that were the case, and that he was the only other thing left alive in the room, he decided that it would be best to leave undetected. However, he was unfortunate enough to not know of Axel's inborn ability to hear things better than most squirrels, and his footsteps were not quiet enough to escape his ears.
To Be Continued…
Yes I'm still alive, no I'm not giving up on this fic. I had originally planned on this chapter to be a bit longer, but at eleven pages I think it's long enough and I thought it would be eviller (sp?) to end it here. Don't worry, I'm not cutting anything out and I will continue with what was originally to be the end of this chapter in the next one. I know I'm a lazy bum (forgive me!) but I hope you'll find it in your hearts to review! ^_~
