~Note~
I love how writers depict Flippy's counterpart in different ways. Some make him really evil and merciless, while others make his personality more friendly. I preferred to write him as a brother for this story and I find it kind of adorable :3
How do you see Flippy's darker side? ₍•͈ᴗ•₎
~End Note \o/!~
Evil wanted to lunge forward, to strike those malicious eyes in the blackness that held Petunia's captor, but a voice held him back.
"Don't come any closer or I'll bathe the ground on her blood." The figure held the blade tighter against Petunia's throat, enforcing that his intentions were very clear. Evil backed down, realizing a rash move would only make the situation worse.
"Now that I have your attention, I couldn't help but notice your arrival on this island was most traumatic. After all, a plane crash can be quite scarring, especially if you lose some good people."
Evil held his ground, unwilling to show any sign of giving in to this uninvited guest as the man eyed him coolly.
"But then again, some wish they will have died during the accident. A death by starvation and dehydration is quite gruesome and I'm sure none of your friends here want that." He eased his grip on Petunia, and Evil surveyed the situation, carefully planning his next move. He knew he might be able to force the knife away from him, but he didn't want Petunia getting hurt in the process.
Before he could make a move, the man continued with a sly smile.
"So, I've come to make you a deal. There's no doubt you've been poking around the island, paranoid that some other shady dwellers reside here and I can give you some information on their whereabouts." He let go of Petunia, insinuating he meant no further violence, but Evil still held his guard.
"We've been doing fine here without anyone's help, so why should we trust you? We have no idea who you are or where you come from," Evil questioned.
The man sheathed his blade and stepped closer in a friendly manner. It was unnerving how this figure had shown extreme hostility only moments before, and was now perceived to be a trusting soul.
I don't like the sudden change in the way he acts, it's unnatural. Flippy spoke.
Evil silently agreed.
"Let's start with introductions. My name is Voran and I've been on this island for a long while, but I assure you I mean no harm."
As he stepped into the light of the fire, it was clear he was a red coyote. His fur was a glossy mixture of patches, both black and shaded with hues of red. At first glance, he was well groomed for someone living out in the jungle, but there were visible scars along his paws and tail that told another story.
"It's not important how I got here, so we'll skip to the why. You're wondering what I want in exchange for helping you with these supposed Iris mercenaries."
"You could say that," Splendid replied.
Sensing the danger had passed, Evil had let Flippy regain control, and Voran thought he saw his eye color change, but quickly dismissed it as unimportant.
"I'll need a share of your supplies. You seem to have a good hard working group, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Fine, but I have a few rules," Flippy interrupted, "You'll stay within my sight until I decide if you're good for your word and we'll give you a set amount of supplies, no more, no less."
"Of course," Voran smiled, "I think you'll find me to be a valuable asset. I have experience in combat and knowledge of this island, so I can prove to be useful. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll even save our life," he finished as be glanced over individuals on the group, stopping slightly at Flaky.
Off to the side, Flaky had stood back from the others with Petunia. Her paws were still shaking from the events that had unfolded earlier, and she didn't trust this man regardless of his sudden pleasant manner. She had reached out to comfort Petunia, who was rubbing her sore neck where the blade had been pressed. As Flaky was looking down, she swore Voran had stolen a second glance at her, and she felt uncomfortable at this attention. She was naturally a nervous wreck, and was very skittish, often stuttering because of it, and she felt a wave of relief when he continued his talk with Flippy and Splendid, leaving her to tend to Petunia.
It was well past dark by the time the group had decided to settle in for the night. Splendid had urged Voran to sleep away from the others for now, and he agreed quickly. He preferred to sleep by himself as he was used to living alone, and he admitted the sudden change from solitary to social did a number on his nerves. He found a secluded spot surrounded by various vegetation where he could still see the light of he fire and the few others who were still up and about. He caught sight of Flippy making sure everyone was accounted for, and he suddenly remembered something that had slipped his mind from earlier: his eye color. It bothered him for some reason, and the more he thought about it, the more he wasn't sure if it really did change. He thought about it for a while until he convinced himself it was nothing, and soon he found himself drifting off to sleep.
The next morning was busy, as everyone was running around preparing for the day.
"Here's what we have at the moment. It's not much, but I'm sure you'll have a use for it," Sniffles said as he handed a bag of supplies containing food, a bottle of water, and miscellaneous items such as bandages and medicine.
Voran expressed his thanks and watched as Flippy and Splendid were talking among the group, informing them of their leave. Flippy wasted no time waiting for Voran to settle in to start their search. He was anxious to get answers and was tired of guessing their safety situation on the island, and he was sure knowing where his enemies were hiding would put his mind at ease, at least for the moment.
"Ready to leave?" Flippy called as he walked over to Voran. He nodded and Flippy continued.
"I don't know how long we'll be gone, so I've made sure the others know. "
Splendid decided to join them, as he wasn't sure it was a good idea for Flippy to be alone with him, not only because of Evil, but because Voran gave off an unnerving vibe.
When they were all ready, they set off in the familiar jungle from earlier, with Voran in the lead navigating. After a while of trekking through the undergrowth, he attempted to make some conversation.
"These Iris members...why are you so interested in them? Not many know of their existence, let alone know they're still around."
"Flippy knows of them quite well from his past, and he's not comfortable with the fact that they're on this particular island with our friends," Splendid answered simply.
He neglected to mention that it was actually Evil that knew of this.
"Oh, so it's more of a 'protect my friends after we crashed on an island' sort of deal," Voran said without much interest.
There was something he couldn't quite figure out about Flippy; How could someone as young as him have served in a war that happened almost before his time? He knew details from the war that no one else in his group could have known...unless there was someone else in the group he didn't know about yet.
Suddenly, he drew his eyes up to a nearby cliff.
"See that ridge up there?" Voran spoke as he pointed to a narrow rockface, " One of their camps is just over it."
They had been walking for a while through this unseen part of the jungle, and made a few stops to check out more insignia they discovered along the path. It was early morning, the sun just peaking through the trees, sending a flurry of rays that decorated the jungle floor. As they were making their way up the crag, Flippy noticed a sudden alertness from his counterpart.
" You've been unusually quiet for a while now. What's got your attention?"
I was seeing if you'd notice something. Evil replied.
Flippy was about to question what it was when an instance of movement caught his eye, the same movement he observed at the clearing. Determined to find out what it was, he quickly hid himself behind a nearby tree and watched as the figure continue to tread after Splendid and Voran, oblivious to the fact that Flippy had disappeared.
His thoughts filled with only the present danger, Flippy shadowed the movement with his blade ready. Splendid turned around, wondering where Flippy had gone, and as he did so, the hidden figure darted to flee from his sight. He was quick, but Flippy was quicker, and he easily grabbed and pinned him against a tree, his blade resting on his neck.
"How long have you been following us?" Flippy snarled. He was a young tan spotted rabbit, similar to Flippy's age, and he struggled in his grasp.
"Let go of me!" he spat as he tried to kick him off.
Flippy took the rabbit's collar and forcefully threw him to the ground , standing over him with a threatening posture . Splendid and Voran had rushed over to see what was going on, and cautiously watched to see if there were any others who were following.
"I won't ask again," Flippy threatened. The rabbit stood up with a slight stagger, reinforcing he wouldn't back down.
"I'm not telling you anything."
"You'd better start talking, although if you choose not to, I have ways of making you talk," Voran grinned.
He twirled his bone knife in his crimson paws, earning a look of anxiousness from the young rabbit.
"I don't need a reason to follow you when you're in our territory," the rabbit bitterly remarked, "Anyone who wanders up here is fair game. Actually, I should say that about the whole island."
Flippy spotted the same "x" symbol on his jacket.
"You're one of the Iris. So it's true you're all still around." The rabbit only sneered, "So glad you cleared that up. I wouldn't want to think you're seeing ghosts."
We should interrogate him. It's been some time since I've heard or seen the Iris, and their motives may have changed. Evil suggested.
"I'll tie him up, just to be sure he doesn't go anywhere," Splendid fastened a make shift rope out of a few vines, not hesitating to wait and see if the others should agree.
Suddenly, an echoing sound snapped his attention and startled Voran and Flippy.
The rabbit, seeing this as a chance to escape, took this moment of distraction to flee back into the safety of the jungle.
"That sounded like it came from back at our camp!" Splendid called, and Flippy grew concerned at the possibilities of what happened. He was going to tell Splendid to check it out, since he could get there the quickest, but before he could voice his concern, another dreaded sound was heard-
A second gunshot had been fired.