Author's Note: Hello Lads and Ladies

Almost done with Borderlands 3 after another obsessive episode and a very short trip to the down. 2 weeks moved by with minimal progress. Wrote the 700 words to end the chapter today. Just a bit sick of feeling like shit the last few days.

The chapter in many ways speaks for itself, although the fighting scene had to be written twice because it was a mess and probably still is but more acceptable now. The first one was jarring to read through as per I let another friend read through it first. I hope it's serviceable now, the second part will definitely be good, as it's me at my best. Character Drama and moments of Realization. Love you guys, have fun reading, sorry for the wait. And be nice to each other.

(Fun little extra notice. I have corona. I'm Vaccinated so I'm safe but I'm suffering from a pesky cough and this is very annoying. I hope you guys stay safe and enjoy the chapter)

Edited by: SuperAverageFoxyboy, Some random reader32

Enjoy!

-Portal

Chapter 30: A Deal for a Traitor

The blanket ran over her body as she stretched, the gray skies casting a gloomy atmosphere over the room as Juno started the day. She looked next to herself, the mat empty. She groggily raised herself into a seating position, the blanket falling off of her chest. Her head buzzed with the feeling of an oncoming headache, and her entire body felt exhausted, her lower half tingling with numbness.

She looked across from herself to the glassdoor. Legosi sat by the door, the open curtains not doing much to shine a light on the room. The weather was a miserable white sky overturning into tones of darker grays, a storm approaching soon enough.

He sat there in nothing but his bare fur, observing the outside with a melancholic stare. It seemed like his regular stare into the void, but this time he seemed truly aware of himself and the outside world.

He turned to her, a smile appearing on his face. She smiled back, the headache was starting but not in full roar yet. She heaved herself up, taking a minute to properly get onto her legs. She jitterily walked over, lowering herself onto the ground again.

"If I had known hangovers feel like this I wouldn't have drunk a single glass." Juno groaned, grabbing at her buzzing head. Legosi handed her a water bottle which she emptied in a few big gulps.

"Aaah, thank you." She leaned into his side, his arm wandered around her head. She leaned back for a moment, his muzzle coming towards hers. The kiss was almost as cool as the water itself.

"What did we do yesterday." She asked, leaning into his shoulder again.

"We came home and had a beautiful night…" Legosi answered, his voice being silent and just a notch above a murmur. She cooed as she nuzzled herself into his fur.

"Why are you up so early then? Come back to bed…" She groaned into him, her hand brushing over the fur on his chest. He chuckled that delightful way of a dry deep voice.

"I can't… Today's the day."

Juno raised herself up from his shoulder, looking the wolf in the eye, the buzz taking a back seat to the concern she felt now.

"It's today?" Her voice was dry, crackling in the back of her throat as the quiet inquiry left her. Her wolf nodded.

"Unfortunately…" He sighed. She leaned into his side again. Silently contemplating the day awaiting them.

They slipped into their clothes slowly and groggily, both feeling the effects of the night before. Their eyes hurt in the light, both blinking repeatedly. Thankfully the day was darker than usual, the occasional lightning strike thundering through the distance.

"Nurse's office first and then breakfast?" Juno asked, her boyfriend nodding with a groan. They wandered past a few students just walking between the common rooms, everybody's mood seeming a bit more sour than usual.

They reached the office and both asked for headache medicine, both getting aspirin and then both made their way to the cafeteria, halfway in a state between sleepwalking and falling over dead asleep on the ground at any minute.

They reached the cafeteria late and got their trays, the aspirin starting to kick into gear, elevating the pain slowly but surely. They both silently enjoyed their food, being nearly comatose for most of it.

"So today is the day?" Juno asked, getting ready for a last bite of bread. Legosi looked at her and seemed to instantly feel guilt, her worry speaking volumes.

"We have to do it. Otherwise, we won't be able to stop him in any way… either we lure him into the trap or he continues to kill others." Legosi felt his hand enclosed in Juno's, they locked eyes and she began to smile.

"If we don't protect them, no one will." They held hands for a while, just smiling at each other.

After breakfast, Legosi said goodbye with a kiss and then made off to the meeting point. The hallways to the projector room still were so eerily empty. And it didn't need long for Legosi to start feeling a bit unsettled. The darkness of the day seemed much more threatening when it accompanied the complete and utter quiet.

When he came around to the last corner, overlooking the hallway of the flowers and mural to Tem, a tiger was waiting by the corner.

"Good morning" Legosi greeted in a friendly tone, Bill merely answering in a stoic nod. The way he stood by the wall made him look like an assassin waiting for his target. Legosi positioned himself beside him, both now neatly standing, leaning against the wall.

Legosi didn't even try to start small talk. Judging by the expression of the tiger he was short of bursting a vein in his head. Legosi decided to bide his time with his own thoughts while they both waited for Riz to make a long-awaited appearance.

The plan was to give him an ultimatum, a chance to prove himself before they would report him to the police. He in his desperation would take any chance of freedom he could get, following their conditions of a meeting place. Where they would coax a confession out of him while Louis was recording from a safe hiding place. Then they would call the police and present them with the confession.

Legosi thought the plan to be relatively solid, yet the margin for error was extremely small. Desperation made animals unpredictable and act without any pretenses of dignity or morals in the hopes of pure survival. And with an animal such as Riz, it seemed that getting him desperate would be akin to shedding all semblances of civilization from the shallow structure that Riz presented to the world as himself.

Courage, Legosi. Mother's voice was no longer cause for fear but more a cause for concentration within. Courage and self-esteem are what you need.

"Yes mother," He said under his breath, quiet enough that Bill didn't hear it. He leaned against the wall and felt himself become someone else, something stronger. His breathing turned warmer, his claws faintly tapping against the wall. He felt heat run through his veins, his muscles pulsating with energy.

"Here he comes," Bill whispered. The steps from the large bear were the first thing one heard as he approached. The hulking frame lumbering through the hallways. But today Riz's walking pattern was a concentrated strut forward directly to the mural on the wall instead of the dream-like stumble he normally walked with.

The two peeked out from behind the corner, Riz plainly standing in front of the mural, his shoulders rising and lowering themselves with each breath.

Bill looked at Legosi, nodding affirmatively. The wolf and the tiger marched beside each other into the open hallway, Bill's face steaming with anger. The bear before them didn't seem to truly notice the two behind himself; he didn't acknowledge them anyhow.

The silence between the parties was deafening, the breathing of Bill being the only sound Legosi could hear. Legosi himself noticed the warmth of the adrenaline nestled deeply in his arms and legs, feeling the strength with every pulse. There was no more fear, just survival.

"Oh, hey guys." The bear had turned around, playing the role of a harmless teddy bear like a professional actor. Legosi thought it surprising that he hadn't joined the acting team in his talent of conjuring up a different persona in the blink of an eye.

"Now!" Bill said loudly and clearly, bordering on a shout. Both of them threw themselves forwards, the bear crashing into the wall, not putting up much pushback.

"What are you doing?" The bear wiggled against the grasps of both Legosi and Bill. He seemed most uncomfortable in the present moment, his face pulled into complete dismay over the circumstance.

"Now you want to be let go huh? How did you react when they begged you for mercy?" Bill taunted Riz, an insane glimmer in the tiger's eye. Legosi simply held his stance keeping Riz firmly pressed against the wall.

"What?" His disbelief was tangible yet noticeably fake. Riz shifted his arm under the hold of the two earning himself a growl from Legosi, exposing his teeth in response. He looked utterly uncomfortable but yet oddly calm, with no fear in his features.

"You are making a mistake, I don't-"

"Shut up you savage monster and listen to us!" Bill's quip resulted in immediate silence from Riz who took on a blank stare, still discomfort lingering in his face.

"We could tell them you know? Waltz up to Strightman and whisper him your little secret, but we have better plans than that. You are a traitor to us, to every one of your classmates." A seething rumble emitted from Riz's throat, the blank stare now showing signs of anger. Bill chuckled

"Don't like that huh? Well, I'll tell you something you definitely won't like. There is a train bridge by the docks, a large chain-linked area under it. We'll give you a week, Halloween sounds like a good day to end this, doesn't it? if you don't show up or perhaps get the brilliant idea to kill another then we'll tell the police everything. One last chance to prove yourself. Or perhaps you might even turn yourself in, cowar-" Bill and Legosi stumbled backward as the large arms launched them forward, knocking Riz free.

A quiet guttural growl phased through the two catching their footing again. Bill felt himself be snatched by a powerful hand grappling his throat, the snarling brown face blowing hot breath into his face. The rage overtaking him, he violently clawed into Riz's muscled arm, a trickle of warm blood running through his finger. The beast that once had been Riz simply snarled in anger, creeping closer to his face.

Riz roared when a gray fist crashed into the side of his face, releasing his grip. Bill sagged to the ground, taking a needed breath of air as Legosi stood before him in an attack stance. The wolf's fingers were curved, presenting the sharp claws to his opponent. Riz observed the moment for a second before lunging forward, his hand grabbing for Legosi's throat. Legosi felt the claw whip air past the fur on his neck as he jumped out of the way.

Narrowly missing the wolf, Riz instead swung his arm around into the wolf's midsection. Legosi stumbled backward, his air practically knocked out of him. The bear smiled a crooked smile and began to raise himself. Legosi thought that Riz began to look more like a zombie than an actual person the more savage his attacks had gotten. An orange fist landed on his side, the brown beast stumbling forward holding said side. A loud roar accompanied the swift movement with which Bill found himself yanked and thrown into the wall.

Sharp wet teeth in clean rows looked upon him, Bill's arms and throat pinned under the behemoth's right arm.

"Oh no…" He could barely mutter under the lack of oxygen.

Riz bit down on Bill's head, the tiger screaming in pain. He felt Riz's fangs burrowing themselves deeper into his skin, puncturing flesh. The pressure on his head felt unbearable, Bill throwing punch after punch into Riz's chest, wordlessly begging to be let go from the terrible choke-hold. Just as the pressure increased and Bill was sure that his skull was about to crack open like glass, the hold released with a roar.

Legosi had jumped onto Riz's back and bit with all his force into his exposed neck, the bear instantly reacting to the sudden pain that spread through his entire neck like fire. His arms grabbed the wolf and yanked once, roaring in absolute agony. On the second failed attempt of removing the wolf from his back, the roar sounded more like cries of pain and desperation. Bill thought to himself that he would never ever judge a herbivore for being fearful of a carnivore, his head hurting immensely, fine holes on the side of his head where Riz's fangs had been before.

On the third try, Riz finally dislodged the wolf's hold of his neck and threw him forward with all his might. Legosi felt nothing but satisfaction during his flight, the sweet feeling of revenge going through his mind. Missed but never forgotten Tem.

Legosi crashed through the doors of the projector room, flying down the flight of stairs. He tumbled and turned the stairs like a barrel rolling down a hill until his foot clipped the edge of a step. His entire body weight was held up by his shoe, his nose an inch above the ground.

His hands placed on a step he heaved himself to a stable position. Once in a straight position, he realized where he currently was. The one thing that had never been released in any of the reports that they were drip-fed slowly over the weeks after Tem's death was the place they found most of the blood and the clothes that had been left behind when Riz finished his first meal.

Hot gorge entered Legosi's mouth, but he quickly swallowed again, the sour taste of vomit reminiscing in the back of his throat. The pure thought of Riz leaning down on Tem as he delicately consumed every piece of his friend without leaving a single thing behind caused overwhelming disgust. But the curious thing was that the first thing renovated in the projector room was the carpet floor under the teacher's desk. Everyone knew by then. It ends where it started…

A roar sounded through the room as Riz fell to his knees, Bill biting into the spot where Legosi had done the same. The desperate cries of pain sounded almost pity-inducing, yet no single bit of sympathy was left in Legosi. He ran up the stairs to see the Bear clawing at Bill to let go, violently pulling the tiger away from himself.

After Riz finally managed to dislodge Bill from his neck, Legosi didn't have much time to dwell on the details. All he saw was savagery, pure red anger thrusting itself into a shape as violently as possible. Even Riz's huge body did not seem to be able to fit all the violent power of anger, his frame expanding. Muscles bulged even further than before, hair stood up in rows like tiny shoulders marching and freakiest of all the eyes of Riz seemed to expand in their socket. And a moment later Bill was thundering towards him.

In a moment of adrenaline-fueled hyper lucidity, Legosi leaned forward in blind faith. Bill's weight fell into the wolf's hands who had leaned forward with all his strength, his body in its entirety stiffening up to the density of a wooden board. And to his own short-lived surprise, it managed to keep both of them on their feet.

They both in an instant after catching themselves reverted back to battle stance. Riz was about to lunge forward, but upon seeing the two carnivores side by side he stopped. Bill spoke a hushed "Thank you" under his breath which went unanswered by Legosi. Speaking seemed like a task that was utterly unimportant in the current moment.

The maw of the brown-furred fury opened to reveal the rows of teeth, a mixture of blood and drool falling off the side. The drool wasn't out of hunger or appetite. It was out of blood lust. The creature before them laughed in a terrifyingly deep voice and died down into a low hum of a voice that was just so barely noticeable.

"You think you got it all figured out don't you?" The beast that once was Riz spoke in guttural bursts of breath, drawing out the ending of the sentence. "You think that being friends with herbivores makes you something better, something that you're not." Drool fell through the gap of his fangs. The black eyes staring at them seemed soulless in the darkness as he continued.

"All these herbivore friends around you while you're lying to yourself. You will never be the same. They will always be inferior, and you will always crave their flesh." The veins in his arm visibly pumped anger throughout the muscle mass. He stood hunched, his back arching and looking as if his body was begging for him to get on all fours and run as they had many million years ago. He held up his arm and observed his claws dully. "You think you're in control?"

Riz suddenly sized both of them up, standing up straight. Legosi and Bill remained completely quiet, waiting for his next attack. Riz's face widened into a crooked smile, the same smile he had given the panicked and forgotten carnivores under the bridge.

"Why wait for Halloween…" His smile was wider than it should be. "I want blood now!"

Riz darted out of the door down the hallway, leaving Legosi and Bill barely a second to react. Before they could even look at each other they began to follow the bear down the hallway. They ran like they never had before in their lives. Faster and quicker than they ever had before, their legs carrying them over the floor at the maximum speed both animals would ever reach. This was the crowning jewel of the killer's reign, this was the last stand. They ran faster than they ever would because both knew that lives depended on it.


Louis felt the picture in his hand and felt a strange mix of feelings. Fear was at the forefront of things. The fear of responsibility perhaps, or more likely the fear of never reaching the potential and maturity that his child would need. Someone to look up to.

Secondly came almost giddy excitement of what was to come in his future. The question of what his child would look like was a prominent one of course, but it was sidetracked by the pure realization of the opportunity. He had reached a goal in life that he thought he would potentially never reach. Hybrid births were a thing if Legosi himself was an example to go by, but the overall percentage of Hybrids was incredibly low. At least in Edobutsu.

And in the reaches of worry and curiosity, he came to accept that after all, he would have to try his best and give his kin the best life it could have. There was of course fear, but Louis had found himself to be grateful more than he was not. His child was going to be loved, protected, and cherished. Everything that Louis had thought he lacked just a half a year prior.

"We are here, Master Louis." The driver of the limousine looked into the rearview mirror directly at him.

"Thank you, Avon. Wait for me outside please."

"Of course, Sir." With the respectful confirmation of Avon, Louis stepped out of the car. The robust facade of Horn Manor looked down on the defiler of kin. Louis decided that when everything was said and done he would burn the house down himself, and build a giant pillar in its place. He would engrave every name of every hate crime victim In the city on it. Carnivore, Herbivore, and hybrid, he didn't care what the species was. Everyone who had been wronged had the right to be remembered.

The Pillar of mistakes was an idea that had popped up quite a bit in Louis's mind. It probably stemmed from the fact that he never wanted to live in the manor as an adult. Its wooden structure, its history, and its distinctive smell of age didn't sit well with him. Even if it was simply him evading memories he didn't want this place to taint his existence when he finally reached full adulthood in two years. He never again wanted to see the house in any form again. If he looked long enough he was sure the house itself had started sporting antlers, and the windows and doors collected themselves to an arrangement of a minimalistic face. Just enough features to give off the endless disappointment.

He went up the stairs and walked along the last corridor before the end of the expedition to the place he was forced to call home for so long. The heart of a house was supposed to be the room that was used most often by the dwellers of the living place. The more he thought about that sentence the more he thought that Horn Manor was actually dead. No soul entering the vast halls decided to ever stay in a place more than the absolute amount they had to. If it was by courtesy to someone else, or out of requirement. But no one that Louis knew enjoyed staying here for long. Like the host of the house, the colors of it had drained and left life on the backlog of its responsibilities. Keeping up appearances was an equally important task after all.

Yet standing in front of Father's door was a feeling that today wasn't alone with itself. The feeling of unease today was accompanied by not an insubstantial amount of hope. Oguma had acted strangely, and he had proven in more ways than one that he did care about Louis more than just a gear in the machinations of business. Perhaps Louis himself had grown tired of always mistrusting those above him by rank. Perhaps even those that got used to always asking themselves who to trust, always being wary, were sick of always being hopeless.

"Father?"

"You forgot to knock." The cold voice of Oguma shot back at him. The older Buck was engrossed in the papers laying on his table. Louis thought for a second to close the door again and begin the conversation anew, but it wasn't worth it. No matter how he did this, it would lead to a freakout.

"I'm sorry, father. Can we speak as equals?" The door closed behind him and the eyes of Oguma shot up at him with a glare that would make ice melt into boiling water in an instant. He turned up from his papers and returned to his thoughtful moment of calculation.

"What is it?" Oguma shot back, looking back at the papers.

"You didn't answer my question." This time when Oguma looked up from the papers he took Louis in fully, having grasped his attention. He observed for one moment and leaned back into his chair in the next, delicately pushing his glasses up his muzzle. He seemed to struggle within himself for a moment, deciding how to deal with the conversation at this time.

"It's important." Louis's tone of voice hid his fears incredibly well. Passion was burning brighter than fear in this one instance. Oguma sighed.

"I-…"

Louis couldn't think it possible. His father had just stuttered, and even if it only was a single word at the beginning of a sentence, over in a flash, Louis felt like he had just wounded a god.

"If we can't speak as equals then I may never be able to speak with you again." This time Oguma said nothing, his face turning into a mild frown. He straightened himself.

"Fine. Now tell me what you want."

Louis sank into the chair before his father and time stood still. The next motion he wanted to fulfill was one made without sound. One of pure muscle memory at this point. And still, he hesitated. The notion of what had happened was irreconcilable, no matter what they did it had happened. It was a direct blow towards the weakness of the older buck. Something he would try to fight against in complete desperation of trying to keep the idea of pride alive.

I can't reverse time. I can't undo what has been done. And would I even redo it if I could?… I don't think I would.

Louis grabbed into his pocket and placed the picture before Oguma on the table, afterwards he watched as one man's world slowly crumbled and fell into complete corruption. It was a picture of an ultrasound, a strange-looking fetus in the middle. Below stood the words to make the entire situation as clear as it may be.

Father: Cervus elaphus (Red Deer) Mother: Brachylagus idahoensis (Dwarf Rabbit)

Oguma's face was confusion, then shock, and then lastly a visage of disgust. Louis was not affected. He knew what would come and he was prepared for it. The visage of disgust turned then into absolute chilly cold fear.

"What?" His fur lost its color quicker and quicker. The dark brown fur on his body had at this point turned into a bright hazel. He couldn't keep it together.

"What have-… What have both of you-… what… what…" His body tensed up completely, making him look like a hazel totem pole. Oguma slammed his hand down on the table with more force than Louis had ever seen his father exert in his life. A finger shot from the closed fists, the standing figure of his father breathing out fumes that were almost visible in the room temperature air.

"You better not believe-"

"Stop." Louis broke him off, Oguma completely losing steam.

"Before you say something you regret, I want you to know that she told her family already, and she will keep it." The face of his father turned completely white and his entire fur followed shortly after. The white ghost of shock fell backward into his stair, his legs bobbing upwards from the impact. All pride was sucked out of him just like the color had left his fur. Louis placed his hand on the table.

"I am putting all the trust I can muster for you into this… to show you my true colors. Because I can't be the heir you want me to be, I can't hide myself from the world for your pri-" Oguma's white hand smashed into the table, a closed fist as the white face underlined by burning rage loomed over it. Before he opened his mouth the buck forcefully breathed out and set back on his chair.

"This is what will happen. You will go to your little girlfriend and break off this freak show. Then I will prepare your and Azuki's wedding. After that, we'll-"

Louis watched his father's eyes still burning with hatred over the pride that he had broken. He watched his mouth open and close, saying words of cold calculation, and deadly precision. Yet his ears were turned off to the madness that his father was in. The last stages of delirium before inevitably losing his mind after properly coming out of shock. When the pieces align your pride will be gone… Let's wake you up.

Louis stood up, threw his arm backward, and swung it forward in full force. The resounding slap made Oguma tense up completely. A big red mark was on his face where his surrogate son's hand had connected to his face. Louis stood in front of the desk, calmly inspecting his opponent.

"Y-You… You…" Oguma stumbled for words, looking at his son. What had become of the little fawn he had nurtured to a strapping young buck. All the discipline, all the lessons, all the things he should have learned by yet.

"You ignorant child..." Oguma marched away from the battlegrounds still holding the side of his face. He left the room with a smashing door, leaving Louis to ease up and look at the door. It was over. He didn't put it over his father to act even more irrationally now, but he had made his stance. If he hadn't he would probably never manage.

He knew that he just screwed Oguma over massively, but he was willing to pay the consequences. He was the child who had to break his guardian out of the cycle of closed-mindedness. If he hadn't he himself would've exploded one day, doing something stupid and unintelligent.

He grabbed his phone and typed up a message.

[It's over|

He stared at his screen. Those words had waited a long time for him to finally finish what was once started. And he couldn't care anymore. It was over.

[It's over my snowflake. I love you.]

He looked forward and thought to the first thought that had crossed his mind when the friendship between him and Legosi started. All that strength and the foolish moron refuses to use it.

He chuckled to himself.

"I'm the moron."


Oguma took a swig of the bottle of whiskey he had grabbed blindly from the cupboard. The wheel of the speeding car was in his other hand, shakily maneuvering the vehicle down the open main road to the outskirts of town. He had no idea where he was going, a blind trip into the dark. He hadn't gone somewhere without any planning for too long for him to remember.

He took another swig, the car swerving over the lanes. His Inhibited mind didn't notice how close he was to losing control over the car. He wasn't a big driver anyway, normally it was either of the chauffeurs whose names he couldn't remember.

Tears were in his eyes, though registering them was beyond his abilities. There was something beyond anger or fury or wrath in his mind. It wasn't even hatred anymore. He seemed to have managed to channel all his anger overall capacities into sadness. Where was his life, where were the useful pieces of information he could use to shield himself from this pain.

Nowhere

He shifted the steering wheel again, the car swiveling into the darkness of the tunnel. He was nothing, he had no one. And he didn't even have the control to do anything against it. Control… The word rolled through his mind as he razed through the tunnel long enough to make the light from the rearview mirror shrink and shrink while the way before him curved to the left, still completely shielding the light at the end of it.

He had control over nothing, and in the end all he wanted was to follow the philosophy stamped into him from every angle of life. Keep the corporate machine alive, no matter the cost. If it fails then what kind of man are you? Five generations and it fails at you, dumb buck. Useless failure of a businessman and a terrible father on top.

He took the last swig, feeling irritated as no more prized golden liquid came from the bottle. The car shook, knocking the glass rim against his teeth.

"Fuck!" The bottle fell between his feet onto the soft floor of the car. He grabbed at his mouth, relishing in the moment of short distraction from his emotional state. The single spark of anger had been enough to push the sadness down for a passing moment.

When the thought returned there was only one thing left to think while he still could.

Can't at least the boy be happy?

After all of the things, he had bought Louis and saved his life only to cast it to a bigger monster. He didn't save him for the love of a helpless child sitting in a cell, he simply was browsing for spare parts. The whole mattered more than the individual. Cast yourself into the machine and don't dare ask for your life back or else the machine grew angry. And an angry beast was an utmost dangerous one, ready to take all the things away that mattered to you in only a few snaps of the finger.

I'm serving a devil.

Through the windshield, the bright light of the exit appeared. Oguma turned his head a bit and thought that he had enough. If everything and everyone had to drown in the machine then he would have to kill it himself.

The car moved to the middle of the road, Oguma stepping on the gas shifting gear higher. The car became faster and faster, the light at the end of the tunnel becoming brighter and brighter.

Oguma only had a single goal in mind now. To end the monster he had helped construct. As the light became blindingly bright, his foot pushed down onto the car floor on the acceleration. He squinted against the light and after a moment closed them completely. He made peace with an idea that he was terrified of accepting to be true, for what it meant. But now it didn't matter.

I love my boy.

On the side of the road in the grass, just outside the tunnel where the cars had collided into a mess of metal and fire, there laid an antlerless Buck. Both antlers sheared straight off, lost to the monster and the remaining shreds of its metallic screams. And where he laid, bleeding heavily from the head enveloped in the lights of the soon approaching car of an onlooker, he felt free.