Author's note Hello everyone I'm back at last. With the summer activity program has come to a close, I'm finally free to get this fic back on it's weekly updated schedule, and I want to thank everyone for being patient with me throughout the summer. Here's the next chapter as a little present from me to all of you.
As always a big thank you goes out to Turquoise Triangle, Keyblade Writer of the Dawn and Fanakatsuki. Your reviews and support genuinely do mean a lot to me. I'm also motivated to see this story through to the end since we're only seven chapters away from this fic coming to a close.
Warnings blood, violence and one of the characters suffering from an emotional breakdown related to the said incident. If the last one upsets you, then you can read one of the previous chapters.
Disclaimer I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega has full copyright claim to the franchise.
The jeep arrived near the entrance to Mystic Jungle. Zerinn was jerked awake by the sudden jolt, opening his eyes, his senses alert ready for the upcoming fight. The midnight moon illuminating their surroundings. Aster shot Zerinn a smirk exiting the vehicle. Zerinn clenched his jaw, and his lips pulled back in a scowl glaring at the back of Aster's head his fingers itching to plunge his sword into the base of the fennec fox's skull.
"Zerinn, I know you want to plunge your sword in Aster's heart for kidnapping Kaito, but for now we still need him alive," Saber whispered fiercely into Zerinn's ear."Besides, it's our chance to kill Marcus and avenge your father's pride."
Zerinn said nothing clasping his sword tightly. Aster smirked taking in delight of Zerinn's unease towards him. The fennec fox recalled with the satisfaction of kidnapping Kaito hearing him panicking, begging to be let go. Aster heard rumors that the Jackal Squad was one of the most feared squads in all of Mobius. They were said to be ruthless when it came to hunting down their targets.
A low rustle came from under the pile of blankets in the jeep alerted Zerinn someone or something was under the covers. Zerinn felt his jaw clench hurrying over to the rustling blankets feeling a lump trying to crawl away from his touch.
"Hey, Zerinn, I think we have a stowaway," Aster said icily. "Let me deal with it. You'll need all of your energy if we're going to kill a traitor."
"Don't be so quick to land the killing blow," Zerinn warned Aster. "I can only guess who our stowaway is. Someone who's about to be in a lot of trouble."
With a sudden yank, Zerinn ripped the blanket away exposing Kaito grinning sheepishly up at him, his eyes wide with guilt. Kaito kept his fingers wrapped an around a small green flamberge. Zerinn bared his teeth in anger, having gifted the weapon to Kaito on his thirteenth birthday which had been a few weeks ago. To find his young second in command out here having disobeyed his orders made Zerinn's blood boil.
"Kaito, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Oh please, tidying up the base was boring, and I told you I wanted a chance to prove myself," Kaito answered Zerinn's question leaving his hiding place. "Besides you and Gadget were acting weird, so I followed you guys secretly, and I jumped into the back of one of the jeeps, and hid under the blankets."
Aster heard the commotion came back sizing up Kaito. The younger jackal recoiled in surprise upon unexpectedly seeing the coyote again. Kaito still remembered being grabbed from his bed six years ago in the dead of night carried to where Dune had been waiting for him with a sinister grin spread across his face hoping to injure him with a sword. Kaito still experienced nightmares of the incident leading to several sleepless nights.
"Oh wow, some leader you're turning out to be Zerinn," Aster sneered. "You must be so weak-willed, to let your runty half-brother sneak away to a place when he was supposed to be playing house. I guess weakness runs in the family. I'll be coming back to deal with Gadget, eventually."
Zerinn made a wet snarling sound of rage picking up his sword pointing it at Aster who shrank back in fear. Zerinn grabbed Kaito by his wrist pulling to his feet ignoring the yelp of pain Kaito emitted. Zerinn slightly relaxed his grip on Kaito's wrist dragging him along the ground to a small tree out of earshot.
"Fine, you can come along Kaito," Zerinn said tensely. "However I want you to stay close to me and not to do anything stupid. Kaito this job isn't one of our normal thieving raids. Stay strong and whatever happens, don't show any weakness at all. Do you understand Kaito?"
"Yeah I do," Kaito replied sullenly. "I do hope you and Gadget make up. He told me what happened earlier that you called him an idiot for giving that guy his stolen goods back."
Zerinnn sighed in irritation mumbling something under his breath that sounded like he would. Saber stood at the entrance with Aster not too far away from Saber. Zerinn could only describe the grin as sinister on Aster's face. The coyote pointed a small machete in the direction of Mystic Jungle. Zerinn immediately took the lead, Kaito falling into stride behind him, the little group trekking through the jungle.
The trek through Mystic jungle turned out to be more arduous than anyone expected. Roscoe and Hela grumbled swatting away at the mosquitoes sucking their blood. Aster walked ahead of the group having slathered himself in mosquito repellent. When Flint asked him if he had any more mosquito repellent to share among the Jackal Squad. In return, Aster sneered at Flint informing him their leader should've brought along some mosquito repellent.
"Damn bugs!" Quartz snarled slapping a mosquito in irritation leaving a small bloodstain against the black and white fur. "I have no idea why we're even following this lying backstabbing bastard. Is he even sure that our target is even out here in this dump?"
"They have to be," Nephthys replied. "Heh. I think Zerinn's getting the worse of the Mosquito bites."
Ahead of them, Zerinn let out a low growl slapping away at the mosquito bites covering his fur. Kaito huddled next to him looking miserable slapping at the mosquitos landing on his wrists. Much to Zerinn's frustration, Aster walked ahead of them unaffected by the mosquitoes. Zerinn glowered the memories of the coyote attacking both him and Gadget outside of Saharais.
For several hours the group trekked in silence. Zerinn opened his mouth to tell Aster precisely what he thought of his shortcut towards the Coyote Squad when Aster stopped in his tracks holding his hand up for silence gesturing them to duck down low to the ground.
"We're almost upon them," stay low and don't make a crap ton of noise," Aster said. The fennec fox dropped to his belly crawling along the ground making sure not to rustle the hanging jungle fronds as the rest of the Jackal Squad did the same slowly pulling themselves forward along the ground. Hela felt a centipede crawling over her back. She opened her mouth to shriek only for Quartz to clamp her mouth shut gesturing her to be quiet.
A chorus of drunken yelling and cheering echoed all over the distance as Zerinn saw the dying embers of a campfire, along with the tents haphazardly set up. In the middle of the bonfire sat a grey wolf in his late thirties his brown eyes scanned the crowd of wolves watching him back with rapt attention. A sneer graced the facial features of the wolf his eyes scanning the group consisting of fourteen wolves spotting one who looked half awake.
"Hey, Ari, you're supposed to be on lookout duty!" The wolf bellowed in an irritated voice. "What the hell are you doing sitting around on your butt bored out of your mind?"
At his words, the wolf jumped up as though he'd been electrocuted in alarm hearing the sniggers coming from his squadmates. Zerinn looked over at the coyote who couldn't have been older than fourteen years old shifting his weight from his feet. Hurrying over to carry out his leader's orders.
"Stay still, all of you," Flint whispered to his squad mates. "If we make a simple sound, then we lose the element of surprise."
The wolf mercenary withdrew the small dagger taking careful steps towards the Jackal Squad's hiding place. His instincts screamed at him something was watching him and his squadmates quietly. In one swift movement, he lunged out with his dagger a flash of steel ran through the air striking something.
At that moment Flint let out a scream of pain tumbling out of the bushes his hands reaching forward to cover the gash running down the side of his face before he recovered making a mad charge attacking the nearest coyote slicing his throat. Quartz and Iris pursued several coyotes away from the hastily constructed campsite chasing them through the rainforest until several minutes later several high pitched screams cut through the air indicating Quartz and Iris had killed the coyotes.
"Jackal Squad move in for the kill!"
At Zerinn's command, the Jackal Squad erupted from their hiding place making a beeline towards the startled coyotes responding to the fierce charge as the two groups met in the middle of the battlefield weapons flashing, in a desperate brawl of life and death.
"Wolf Squad kill the intruders!" Marcus commanded reaching down for his knife spying the leader of the Jackal Squad notice him a snarl pulled at the corner of his lips before he broke into a run. Marcus paused in horror at the sight of the long white dreadlocks flowing out from behind his head.
The ribcage pattern on the thin jackal's sides reminded him so much of Cassius. Marcus froze in fear for several brief moments forgetting he had a knife in his hand. In one swift movement, the jackal was upon him pinning the wolf down to the ground his sword raised high in the air, pointing it above the jugular vein.
"Are you Marcus?"
Marcus looked up making eye contact with the frenzied jackal sitting on his chest keeping his sword pointed at the spot between his eyes his lips contorted into a wild expression on his face.
"I am. You must be Cassius' son," Marcus snarled. "You're practically the spitting image of him, and I've got spies all over the place, so I know he sired children. I've heard about your father's untimely death. Good riddance, that old bastard was bound to die sooner or later.
"My father's death is none of your concern Your death, on the other hand, will be swift," Zerinn replied not breaking eye contact with his quarry. "I am the ultimate Mercenary. Nothing you say will save you from your fate. Why did you betray my father?"
Marcus looked up gasping before an idea came to his mind. He would've laughed at the irony. The jackal sitting on his chest was so much like his father right down to the arrogant attitude it almost made Marcus noticed a flash of black and white fur running through the battlefield his green flamberge's tip; dripped with blood racing to aid Zerinn.
Upon closing inspection, the younger jackal had chest fur in the same place as Cassius did on his chest. Marcus quickly deduced this was the jackal's sibling running to his brother's aid.
You've trained your sons well Cassius. Marcus grimly thought. However, they're just as weak as you once were.
With a sudden surge of strength, Marcus grabbed Zerinn by the wrist effortlessly lifting the jackal of his feet throwing him into the jungle floor winding him. A heavy tread across the scattered forest foliage announced Marcus was making his way to where the winded jackal lay on his side.
"If you want to know the reason, I betrayed your father; it's simple. It's because he was too weak to even fend for himself. I see weakness truly runs in the family."
At that moment before Marcus could bring his weapon down into Zerinn's shoulder, Kaito slammed into Marcus causing the wolf to stumble slightly dropping his knife. In that instant, Marcus tackled Kaito to the forest floor, dimly aware of the sound of a weapon drawn, the cold steel tip placed across the bridge of Kaito's muzzle.
"It's a valiant effort you made just now to save your half-brother," Marcus hissed. "I'm well aware that traitorous Aster brought the Jackal Squad here to kill me. The Wolf Squad were just a group of small-time thieves until I killed their leader and whipped them into shape. I will give you a little present since daddy isn't here to save you now or your brother cannot save you now."
In one swift movement, Marcus brought the blade across the bridge across Kaito's snout. Kaito screamed in agony at the searing pain slicing across the top of his muzzle. His scream ripped through the air. The sound caused everyone from the Jackal Squad to gaze in horror at the youngest member curling up tears forming at the corners of his eyes whimpering in pain.
Marcus grinned down watching the blood welling up taking delight in Kaito's suffering. A sudden sharp pain erupted in his chest as the tip of a short crimson sword exploded through the middle of his chest. The wielder yanked the backward sword slicing through fur, skin along the sides of Marcus' ribs and vital organs.
"Marcus!"
Marcus sank to his knees turning around to face an enraged Zerinn glaring down at Kaito's attacker his lips pulled back his face contorted into a fierce snarl. Blade, Roscoe, and Iris backed away in silence terrified. Aster dropped his weapon to the ground.
"No way I thought you were too weak-"
Marcus didn't even finish his sentence slumping to the ground. Zerinn stabbed Marcus again emitting a sharp gasp of pain from the wolf. Something inside of Zerinn snapped going into a blind rage, Zerinn continued his relentless attack on Marcus to the growing horror of the crowd.
"I am not weak! I am not weak! I am not weak!"
It was a long and messy business until Nephthys took charge shouting in Zerinn's ear Marcus was dead that Zerinn finally ceased his assault on his father's former friend. In his rage, Zerinn stabbed Marcus over thirty times leaving Marcus face down in a pool of his blood. Aster shakily stepped forward all of his earlier bravado gone, his knees knocking together in fear staring at the blood-soaked jackal and the already stiffening body of the Wolf Squad's leader.
"In case you're wondering if he's still alive, he's not," Zerinn intoned coldly. "Listen up, Wolf Squad, I want you to inform every mercenary squad in Mobius, the Ultimate mercenary has eliminated the leader of your squad. The Jackal Squad is the best squad of mercenaries in all of Mobius. If anyone else thinks they can defeat us in combat, they will meet a violent end."
Zerinn's threat was made clear. The rest of the wolves turned on their heels running away into the brush leaving the dead bodies of Marcus along with three other wolves who'd fallen in battle. Zerinn hurried over to Saber's position; the jackal came away with a rag soaked in Kaito's blood, glancing up at Zerinn panic in his eyes. A loud honking filled the air as the pair of jeeps they had driven to Mystic Jungle pulled to a stop. Quartz exited the vehicle a look of panic on his face upon seeing the deep cut along Kaito's muzzle.
"What the hell happened?"
"Zerinn was fantastic," Ace said answering Quartz's question. "If only his father could have seen this. He did an excellent job in making Marcus suffer for his betrayal."
Not too far away Saber cradled Kaito keeping a blood-soaked rag pressed on the cut on Kaito's nose. Kaito lay on his side whimpering in pain. Saber gently stroked him making quiet noises of reassurance. Zerinn skidded to a stop sinking to his knees his eyes filled with concern for his brother taking Kaito's hand in his own squeezing it gently.
"I've been able to stop the bleeding boss, but Kaito's in much pain," Saber said hurriedly holding Kaito close to him. "We need to take him back to Sunset Height's hospital since he must have it stitched up. If we don't get it stitched up, he'll go into shock."
"We have no time to waste," Zerinn blurted taking Kaito from Saber's arms gently cradling Kaito close to his chest aware of his brother's pained whimpering. The older jackal lowered his head closing his eyes holding Kaito close to him. Zerinn holding onto his brother opened the jeep door carefully set Kaito down next to him buckling him as Saber, entered the vehicle next to him.
The jeep lurched forward with Kaito turning his head to gaze at Zerinn tiredly his bright yellow eyes were glazed over with pain. The raw open wound leaked sticky red blood clinging to his muzzle.
"Zerinn, I'm sorry I disobeyed orders," Kaito mumbled. "I should've listened to you and stayed back at the base. All I wanted to do was to prove myself."
Zerinn let out a low sigh gently taking Kaito's hand in his own stroking Kaito's fingers in an almost tender gesture reassuring his younger brother he wasn't angry as he saw the small tears leaking out from underneath his younger half brother's eyes.
"No, it's my fault, I never should've let Marcus get the best of me," Zerinn replied tiredly. "I won't ever let anyone else get the best of me again. That's a promise. Just cry a few tears, but not too much."
Kaito whimpered pressing in closer to Zerinn sobbing allowing his brother to clean out the open wound on his muzzle gently. Zerinn promised himself that he would let no other member of his squad get hurt like this ever again. Saber passed some wet towels to the back. Saber and Zerinn wiped away the blood stains on their body. Zerinn paused pulled Kaito close to him comforting him. As the adrenaline left his body, Zerinn felt a hint of pride entering his mind at his accomplishment at killing Marcus and sending the Coyote Squad running away in fear.
"I installed fear into those wolves," Zerin whispered to himself gleefully. "Watching those thugs turn tail running away in fear. It felt good. Soon everyone on Mobius will know who I am and soon all of them will learn to fear me."
Zerinn finished his sentence with a dark chuckle. Kaito stiffened in his arms with a scared whimper. Zerinn relaxed his grip muttering reassuring things to Kaito hoping to reassure him. Zerinn looked out of the window at the moon noticing one of the stars appeared to be less bright then it usually was.
Several hours under the glow of the predawn skies the pair of jeeps pulled up at the entrance to at Red Gate City's hospital. Zerinn climbed out of the jeep when Zerinn climbed out of the vehicle a sullen expression on his face aware of Gadget's family leaving the hospital Gadget's fur paling in horror upon seeing all the blood soaking Zerinn's fur and Kaito lying limply in Zerinn's arms.
"Zerinn, what happened to Kaito?" Gadget asked his fur pale with horror.
"An accident," Zerinn said hastily. "How's Mikhail's doing?"
"The doctors say he'll be fine," Gadget said. "They want to keep him for overnight observation. It's just a minor sprained ankle."
Gadget felt a tug on his arm with Aria shooting a glare at Zerinn ushering her adoptive son away. A couple of nurses wheeled a gurney forward one of them gently placing Kaito on the stretcher wheeling him away into the hospital.
The jackals entered the hospital with the receptionist eying Zerinn warily as a bear couple took one glance at the blood-soaked jackals. Quartz glared at them causing them to break into a panicked run the doors of the hospital closing behind them. A purple bird receptionist huffed slightly leveling the blood-soaked jackals huffing putting her newspaper down onto the desk.
"Hey, jackal, the bathroom's over there," A purple bird receptionist called out scornfully eying Zerinn distastefully. "I don't care what kind of damn bar fight you guys came out of, but some of you look and smell like shit."
"What did you say?" Quartz narrowed his eyes eager for a fight. "Come out from behind that desk and I'll-"
"Not here Quartz, let's go clean ourselves up," Zerinn said tiredly looking emotionally drained. "Besides, this is a hospital, and I'm not leaving this place until we know Kaito is going to be okay."
The group of weary jackals headed towards the bathroom. The doors slid open as Gadget hurried into the hospital with Aria hot on his heels. His hand was trembling at the thought something had gone wrong with the job Zerinn accepted. The memory of their argument from the previous day was still fresh in his mind. Zerinn tensed underneath Gadget's light touch turning his half-hearted glare onto the young wolf recoiling back from the fierce stare.
"Zerinn, I hope Kaito will be okay," Gadget said. "Please be truthful with me, did something happen with the job you guys accepted?"
Zerinn paused before he turned to face Gadget with a resigned expression on his face. There was such an earnest look of concern on Gadget's face. Zerinn was still angry with Gadget for the robbery yesterday his friend showed signs of concern for Kaito's well being despite their argument yesterday.
"I'm sorry for calling you an idiot," Zerinn replied tiredly. "Listen, can you and Mikhail not ask any questions about what happened tonight?"
Aria frowned upon hearing Zerinn's confession at having called her adoptive son an idiot. A small drop of resentment built up in Mikhail's chest. Zerinn had been aware Gadget had been a victim of bullying.
"He would never do such a thing," Aria sneered. "Besides, I'm not even sure Gadget should even be hanging around you. Jackals are nothing, but trouble after all."
Zerinn ignored Aria's hostility before heading off to the shower to rinse his blood of the fur. Gadget sighed feeling a small bubble of anxiety building up for Kaito's safety. Gadget with his adoptive mother exiting the hospital inhaling turning his gaze to the starry night sky. The wolf could barely see the stars under the bright glow of the city's lights.
"Mum and dad if you're up there please I could use some advice," Gadget mumbled. "Do you guys remember six years ago when I made a wish for a friend?" Gadget's voice cracked with emotion. "I have a feeling that our friendship is in trouble." Please, I want to know if it can survive our fight."
No response came from the stars as the wolf let out a low, sad sigh. Deep down a tight knot of dread formed in his stomach feeling a small bubble of anxiety building in his stomach.
High above the skies out of Gadget's view, the brightest star shone dimly shone losing its radiant glow. A sure sign that a chain of events which once brought two different Mobians together in an unlikely friendship was undoubtedly about to fracture.
Author's note This chapter was one of my favorites to write since it does show Zerinn beginning to discover his enjoyment of instilling fear into other Mobians a trait that will become a bit more prominent throughout these last few chapters. I've headcanoned that Kaito gained his scar at a young age since he saw the big scar on his leader's face he wanted a chance to prove himself. Kaito does have a habit of being reckless, and I wanted to give an opportunity to show how that recklessness gave him his scar on the bridge of his muzzle. Just like Zerinn's scar, it will never heal.
Marcus makes his short-lived debut after a mention in chapter twelve along with his reason for having betrayed Cassius. Marcus has always held the survival of the fittest mindset which is the reason why he targeted Kaito to attack. However, it's the mistake that led to his demise.
I hope people enjoyed this chapter.
As per usual thoughts/constructive criticism and reviews will be welcomed and appreciated. I will talk to you guys soon next week with the next chapter. I hope that all of you have a good rest of the week.