Original work is from Op Taipan
Warning: the following contains, content some audience might find disturbing imagery such as gore and animal cruelty are present here.
DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
土
BOOK ONE:
EARTH
CHAPTER TEN:
ORIGINAL EARTHBENDERS, PART 2:
CHIMA: ORIGIN!
A young Badgermole cub yawned in a high-pitched voice as his eyes fluttered open. Judging by his appearance and size, the small animal was clearly very new to the world. His short brown fur has barely had time to grow, much like his teeth and claws.
Currently, the small cub was still half asleep, nuzzled gently between his loving parents. They were both fully grown Badgermoles, their fur was thick, their teeth and claw sharp, and their bodies had muscles that would've made anyone jealous if not for the blindness of their species and the fact they were all ripped.
*Grumble…*
With a growling stomach, the cub's grip on consciousness tightened and he began squirming in place, alerting his parents.
His mother was the first of the two to wake up with yawn of her own. She was smaller than the father, but only by a bit. The fur around her eyes was also quite unique, having a black outline to the white domino-mask pattern there.
The father was much slower in getting up. He was the biggest of the trio, his back threatening to touch the cave's ceiling should he stand up. In terms of appearance, he wasn't that different from other Badgermoles; But if you looked closely, you could spot little tufts of white fur specking the brown hair around his whiskers, kind of like freckles. Letting out a low-pitched growl, the patriarch of the small family stretched a bit and got up as well, facing his cub.
*Grumble…*
The sound emanating from the youngling's stomach was all the explanation the two needed before they snorted in amusement. They turned around to leave the cave in which they slept in, their small cub following them.
Walking around the caves was still new to the cub who not so long ago couldn't even walk. Making his way between his two parents, the cub stumbled in place often, needing them to correct him.
While his grasp on the sense that allowed his kind to navigate the world was rather impressive for his age, he still had a long way to go. The ability was instinctive, that much was true, but that didn't mean they could use it flawlessly from day one. Practice was still needed.
It didn't take long for the cub to notice they were ascending, piquing his curiosity. Up till now, they had stayed down below, not bothering to climb up.
On that day, the Badgermole cub visited the surface for the first time.
He was frozen in awe once they walked out of a cave. Heat he had never felt before radiated all over his head and back; a gentle breeze was caressing his snout and sounds he had never heard before like the chirping of birds were heard everywhere.
Nudged by his mother to continue, the cub followed his parents until they came face to face with a hollow tree. Numerous flying insects were flying around it, entering and exiting its' hollow interior thanks to a small hole.
Held back by his mother, the two waited as the largest of the family swiped down at the tree, toppling it down with one blow.
*CRUUUSH! *
The once-proud tree laid on the forest floor now, the insects that once called the tree home flew out of it, forming into a buzzing swarm. They tried to attack the perpetrator, attempting to avenge the destruction of their home, but their stingers were no match for the mammal's thick hide. The large beast felt nothing against the swarming bees, merely annoyance as they buzzed around his head.
In the back, the cub was shivering in fear from the loud humming of the bees' wings, comforted by his mother. He calmed down after a while, the bees flying off. His parents got out of the way between himself and the toppled tree, gesturing for him to go on.
Walking hesitantly forward, the cub came face to face with the carcass of the dead tree, a golden liquid pouring out from its' hollow interior.
One lick of the substance and the cub was in love. He shoved his head deeper into the tree, savoring every drop of honey he tasted.
It was on a day like any other that the Badgermole cub was awakened by an alluring scent. It was still too early to get up, of that he was sure, but the smell that came into the cavern he and his parents slept in was so intoxicating that he didn't care about it.
Getting up and stretching a bit, the youngling took small and quiet steps as he made his way towards the direction the scent seemed to be coming from.
The surface.
His wondering about became quite a common occurrence over the past couple of months, the new mastery of his innate abilities was practically BEGGING of him for independence.
So out he went from his slumbering place and began to track the system of tunnels, taking rights, lefts, and middles. He never stopped to wonder about the intricacy of the tunnels, one of the many perks of being a Bagermole; For almost no other creature could hope to enter those tunnels and find their way, doomed to die in the darkness that spaned through tunnels longer than any structure on Earth. So he passed by other Badgermole families with his only care being not disturbing their sleep, slowly getting to the higher levels of the underground labyrinth.
In no time at all, the youngling got out of the cave and into the humid early morning air. He found himself in a clearing in the forest, the entrance to the cave he emerged from just behind him on the side of a small hill. Tall trees acted as the border to the clearing, thick enough to block any line of sight between it and the forest.
Today it felt like the forest was livelier than usual, multiple creatures congregated around the border of the clearing, huddled together in groups or by their lonesome.
But that wasn't what he was focused on. A tall figure stood a couple of dozen meters in front of him, the sweet scent that summoned him seemingly emanating from him.
That figure had long, oily black hair that he fashioned into a single braid that rested lazily on the back of his open red and yellow vest. In the man's hands rested a box of a sort, its pink color going unnoticed by the blind mammal.
"Hello there, little guy…" the cub heard the voice coming from the figure's direction. He had never encountered a creature that sounded like he did… everything about him was foreign. The pitch of his voice was like nothing he ever heard, gentler than his kind and the Shirsu but louder and deeper than a Lop-eared rabbit's. He walked on two legs, seemingly keeping his balance even while in that awkward position. He smelled of smoke and ash, the first living thing the cub ever encountered that produced such scent.
It was the very first human he had ever met.
The sickly-sweet scent seemed to get stronger tenfold, overpowering the burnt musk the man radiated, "C'mon little guy…" The figure spoke again, the slightest bit of eagerness tracing his voice "Come here and eat…"
The voice, while foreign, was balmy and welcoming, as if inviting him to enjoy something with him. The man placed the small pink box on the ground before tapping on it once and looking back at the Badgermole cub.
Said cub gasped in surprise as the intoxicating smell seemed to only intensify further, it was on that moment he realized the scent that had gotten him all excited originated from the foreign object.
The man stepped back as the cub stepped closer to the object, sniffing at it excitedly as a victorious smirk was stretched on the man's face 'Got him.'
*WHOOSH! *
Faster than the youngling could process, a metallic clank was heard across the clearing and something heavy slammed into him.
Pain shot through the cub's body as he felt the thing that hit him wrap around his body and sending him flying. He only managed to let out a high-pitched yelp of pain before he hit the ground. Hard.
"Kehehehe…" The cub heard the figure's voice as he held his aching head in between his paws, stuck under a heavy net. The warm voice now felt like it was burning his eardrums as he looked at his trapped body, "We got ourselves quite the catch, boys!"
Several people began to emerge from behind different covers around the clearing and joined the man's cackling as they looked down on the whimpering Badgermole. "I can't believe that formula actually worked…" Tekubi Jū murmured in surprise.
"It had better…" The ashen-man murmured under his breath "I paid top yen to have that artificial bait developed in secret."
"What's its' quirk anyway?" Jū cast an unimpressed glance at the cub.
A well-built man walked from behind Jū, though he was short it was apparent he was a figure of authority amongst the men, as the others remained a respectful distance away from him, the same they did for their leader. Aruku Kūki, the leader's right hand, cast a glance at the cub "Definitely a mutant type." he replied.
"No shit, sherlock." Jū deadpanned, the only one who regarded Aruku with nonchalance. "I meant that he might have an additional ability. Well, besides looking dumb."
"Well, either way…" The ashen-man chuckled as he put an uncomfortably hot hand on the tied cubs' head, causing to youngling to flinch and his head began to pulse, "He would do nicely for now, dontcha thi-?"
*BBAAMMM! *
Before the tall man got to finish his sentence, a massive boulder crashed into him with full force. Sent flying, the man crashed into the hard ground, blacking out and crushed by rubble.
"What th-!"
"RRRROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!"
Before any of the humans present got a chance to digest what had happened, two furious roars echoed in the forest, shaking the very ground beneath their feet and causing their hearts to drop.
Before them stood two creatures that dwarfed any animal any of them ever seen. Looking like larger versions of the one they caught, the beasts bared their razor-sharp teeth at the men as their claws dug into the ground like it was made of clay.
Those two were the cub's parents. And. They. Were. LIVID!
The cub shed joyful tears as both and futilely clawed at the net, trying desperately to escape. His parents ran to him as fast as they could, forcefully ramming into any humans that were in the way, launching them flying into the distance.
They positioned themselves around him, shielding his body with theirs as the men surrounded them on all sides. Primal growls emitted from their throats, promising an agonizing end to any who would be foolish enough to come any closer.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS?!" A man cried out in panic.
"LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE CAUGHT WAS JUST A BABY!" Jū yelled back, "THOSE THINGS ARE PROBABLY IT'S MOMMY AND DADDY!"
"Kahkahkah!" A large man chuckled darkly and stepped toward the two beasts. "Those things look pretty tough!"
A predatory grin stretched across the man's face as his muscles grew and bulged. "Which means this will be fun!" cackling in glee the man jumped forward and cocked his fist back, preparing for a fight he is sure to enjoy.
"RRRROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!"
His target roared in fury and backhanded the muscular man viscously. With a sick *crack* of shattered bones and displaced organs, the man was sent flying. Smashing through multiple trees and head dragging across the ground, the body finally came to a stop, going limp.
"HOLY SHIT! IT TOOK DOWN SUJI IN ONE BLOW!" The men stopped, mouth agape, and eyes wide.
"Tch! Idiot…" Jū facepalmed at his comrade's stupidity, "Five years in the Tōu liè zhě and he still tries to fight everything head-on, that's not how we do things…"
Aiming his wrist at one of the monsters, Jū let a condescending smirk appear on his face, "THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE, FUCKER!"
*Bang! – Bang! – Bang! *
Several keratin bullets shot out of the man's wrist, aimed directly into the shoulder of one of the Badgermoles. To the man's surprise, however, the bullets merely bounced off the animal's hide, not leaving even a scratch to be remembered by.
"N-no-… No way…" Jū stood shellshocked as his target turned towards him with righteous fury in their eyes.
Swiping their claws through the ground so fast that Jū couldn't even perceive the motion, a stream of erupting earth columns was shot in his direction and made a direct hit with his chest.
*SLAM! *
The impact launched the long-range fighter backward, landing on his back and gasping in pain. 'So those things have more abilities after all…' Jū tried to roll onto his stomach and stand up, but he immediately regretted it when a sharp pain was shot through his chest.
'That damn thing broke my ribs…' the man gritted his teeth as his limbs shook with the effort of getting up. But before he was even halfway there, a swipe from the Badgermole's tail sent him flying. Crushing headfirst into a tree, Jū lost consciousness, leaving a bloodstain on the trunk.
"Tekubi, damn it!" Aruku cursed.
Taking a gun-looking contraption from the holster on his hip, the well-built man aimed it at the Badgermole who pummeled his comrade and pressed the trigger.
*Bang! *
A metallic cable shot out and latched itself into the Badgermole's midsection, "Night-night!"
"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
A pain-filled roar boomed across the clearing as electricity coursed through the Badgermole's body, causing it to spasm and fall to the ground.
Aruku sighed in relief, "That's one…"
*SLAM! *
Before anyone had a chance to celebrate, however, the electrocuted beast stomped its paw forcefully onto the ground, standing up and alerting everyone present that it wasn't down yet.
"Are you kidding me?!" Aruku whined, "THAT WAS ENOUGH TO KNOCK OUT AN ELEPHANT!"
From somewhere behind him someone yelled, "These things look like elephants to you?!"
Before he had a chance to retort to the smartass, Aruku perked up when he noticed that he was cast in shadows. Looking up, the man's jaw dropped to the floor when he saw a hill sized wall rising from the earth between himself and the large beast, towering over every tree in the forest.
"Oh, Shi…"
*CRACK! *
Whipping its' tail against the wall base, the Badgermole sent the mass of earth falling onto his opponent.
Going airborne, Aruku tried to escape being buried by dozens of tons of rocks by flying away. 'Nonononono…!'
*SLAM! *
"GAAAAHHH!" Aruku let out a bloodcurdling scream as the wall came down, crashing onto his legs. Buried beneath tons of earth, his fragile bones shattered on impact, shards cutting into arteries and piercing through muscles. The pain was too much to handle, his legs were rendered as flattened sheets of flesh and bones, and Aruku soon lost consciousness
He was lucky.
Multiple men got squashed by the massive structure, their remains not even poking their way out from underneath the disaster site.
"G-g-get away f-from me, you monsters!" A terrified thug was crawling on the ground away from the Badgermoles, too scared to even stand up.
The animal didn't even glance at the man before biting down hard on the man's arm. "GGGAAAAAHHHHH!" The man screamed as the teeth sank into his flesh and drilled into his bones. Jerking its' head from side to side, the man's helpless body got dragged in the air like a chew toy. With a loud *Snap!* he was sent flying up high only to splat into the ground, his left arm still in the animal's gullet.
As his mother was busy fighting off the humans. The cub's father grasped the net around his son between two of his claws gently and lifted the trapping contraption off him.
With his cub now free, the small family could've run back to the cave if not for the large group of humans still in their way. Sensing a place that was devoid of his son's attackers, a small group of low bushes and trees that was on the opposite side to the cave. The large Badgermole gestured for the cub to go hide there while he and the mother took care of the humans.
Meanwhile, the group's leader was blinking the black spots out of his field of vision as he began to come to. He stood up, the rubble that rested atop him falling to the side and assessed his surroundings.
It was pure chaos.
His men were everywhere. Multiple bodies littered the battlefield, whether alive or not remained uncertain. They were buried under rubble and boulders, some were missing their limbs and others got themselves hurtled all the way back to the forest, their bodies laid under the shade of trees.
Those who were awake weren't in a much better place. They darted about and ran for their lives in panic, not managing to get very far before a projectile rammed into them forcefully and made them join their comrades on the floor. A few brave souls tried to keep the fight going, but they were close to losing. The beasts were doing a number on them, sending earthen protrusions at them or attaching them with claws and teeth.
A pile of severed limbs laid at their feet, as if the two monsters found them too disgusting to eat.
*SLAM! *
One of the beasts slammed their paws into the ground, sending a small cloud of dust into the air as the ground around it began to shake.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"
*RUMBLE! *
The men stumbled, struggling to remain oriented as their footing was taken away from them by the large monster.
*SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT! *
Before any got a chance to catch themselves, multiple boulder-sized chunks of earth were ripped suddenly from the ground, Slamming into the men's chests and jaws as they went upwards, deforming the clearing's grounds further.
The men breathed a sigh of relief once the last of the boulders was ripped from the ground and no other came after it. Their easement was short-lived, however, as it was disrupted by one of them yelling, "Look up!"
Their hearts stopped beating.
Up above them, several dozens of boulders were freefalling right back at them, summing up in several dozens of tons of earth.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
*CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! *
The criminals were running around like tiny ants as the massive boulders came crashing down onto the earth, smashing onto them or their comrade's bodies.
*BAM! *
A few people that were out of the range of fire couldn't help but flinch when a massive boulder crashed directly on one of the beasts' heads. To their horror and shock, the animal didn't even flinch in the face of such devastating impact, instead opting to swipe down a man that seemed to be dodging the earth-to-earth rocks rather well.
Despite all of that, a massive grin stretched across the leader's face. 'Earth powers…That would explain a lot!'
The tall man spread his hands to the side and stepped forward, looking at the beasts in front of him with a maniacal grin that caused some of the men present nightmares for years to come. "You're coming with me, furballs…"
The man's hands began glowing a bright orange with violent sparks, illuminating the morning twilight with a sickening hue and garnering the attention of all his fear struck men.
The boss was stepping in.
*FWOOSH! *
The sparks on the man's hands grew in their intensity, evolving into tongues of bright orange flames, dancing and crackling at the man's side. Two flaming whips were now prodding from the leader's hands, radiating a dry heat that reminded the men around him of the desert air, lifeless and ruthless. "TAKE THIS!"
*SLAP! *
"RRRRRAAAAAAAOOOOHHHHRRRRR!"
One of the whips flickered forward with the man's hand, slapping harshly against one of the beasts' faces, causing a roar of agony to thunder through the clearing.
The cub let out a terrified gasp. His parent's roar of pain was different from the ones before. Were anger and annoyance were once the prevailing emotions from getting attacked, now all he could sense from his mother was pain and fear.
The flaming man stepped in front of his men, eyes raging in silent firestorms. "You two caused some damages." He scanned the battlefield, eying the fallen and injured before returning to stare at the two beasts, "That's some quirks you two have."
He took a step.
The female Badgermole's firm stand was shaken as she stepped back in wariness, the leader's smirked.
*SLAP! *
With no warning signs whatsoever, the leader's flaming whips hit their mark again. Extending farther than they did before, the Badgermole female roared in pain again as her nape was hit this time, singeing her fur and causing her to stumble.
Despite this she held strong, sending a stream of jagged rocks at the man.
He side-stepped the attack, swinging his whips like a lasso and wrapping them up around the Badgermole's neck.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
She roared out in pain, struggling against the flaming whips that singed her fur. The man yanked at his firey weapons, bringing the mother to the ground.
"RRRROOOAAAARRRR!"
The man averted his gaze from his current target in nonchalance. The other beast unleashed a wave of killing intent at him, furious for the suffering of his spouse. Many of the men in the vicinity stepped back in fear, feeling like a cornered mouse in the face of such a presence.
He charged forward, rattling the ground with his pounces.
But the leader wasn't fazed, "They never learn…"
*WWHHHIPPPP! *
"RRRRRAAAAAAAOOOOHHHHRRRRR!"
Crossing his arms together, the man formed an 'X' shape with his whips and smacked them against his charger straight on the forehead, causing the large beast to fall on the ground and drag across it before coming to a halt.
"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?!" The leader barked at his subordinates, "DO I REALLY NEED TO DO ALL THE WORK HERE?! HURRY UP AND PUT A MUZZLE ON THOSE THINGS!"
Their leader's glare was all it took for every available man to gulp in fear and do as they were told. Taking metal cables out of their bags, the thugs surrounded the Badgermoles and began throwing the cables over their bodies and around their limbs. Grasping at the cables ends, at least three dozen men pulled on them as hard as they could, attempting to secure their targets to the ground.
Despite their efforts, the beasts had them beat in this contest of strength, not struggling at all to rise back to their feet and even shaking off a few of them as well.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" One of the men barked, "HOW STRONG ARE THESE THINGS?!"
The metal cables that were wrapped around the two Badgermoles creaked and groaned under the pressure they were under. Pushing against their restraints with unnatural levels of strength, the duo trashed violently from side to side, attempting to send the men flying.
"YOU TWO ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"
*WHHIIIPPP! *
"RRRRROOOOAAAAAHHHHHRRRRR!"
The flaming whips came at the beasts, warping around their abdomens and pushing them down. The whips singed at the creatures' fur and hide, its thickness doing nothing to protect it from the flames. Their struggles weakened with each second the whips were wrapped around them as if their vitality was being drained away from them.
They couldn't hold on. Their legs shock and they struggled to stand, much less fight off all the men atop them. They breathed hard, consoling themselves with the knowledge their cub was safe before giving in.
*BBBOOOOOOMMM! "
The two collapsed to the ground, whimpering one single yelp together before falling unconscious.
It was a hard-fought battle for everyone. Many were injured, many more even killed; But the adrenaline of the moment caused all those who were conscious to forget about it right now, too busy celebrating their greatest catch ever.
"YYYEEEAAAAAHHHHH!"
"TAKE THAT YA MOTHERFUCKING BADGERS! NO ONE MESSES WITH THE TŌU LIÈ ZHĚ AND ESCAPES US!"
But the leader could care less about that. They were still far away from the goal. Today was much more a loss than it was a victory, they lost so much trying to catch those two.
Not to mention there was one thing that was still unresolved.
"WILL YOU IDIOTS SHUT THE FUCK UP?!". Every man fell silent immediately, "I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU DUNDERHEADS HAVE FIGURED IT OUT BY NOW BUT WERE MISSING SOMETHING! WHERE IS THE CUB?!"
"I-I d-don't see him anywhere s-sir," One thug answered in a shaky voice. "M-maybe he ran b-back-ck to the c-cave?"
The leader facepalmed, "HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THAT?! I'M SURE THAT THE MAN-SIZED BADGER COULD'VE JUST RAN PAST TWENTY OF YOU BUFFOONS WHO WERE STANDING BETWEEN IT AND THE CAVE!"
"..."
"JUST FIND IT, GODDAMNIT!" He barked, "I WANT THE GUARD ON THIS CAVE'S ENTRANCE DOUBLED WHILE THAT CUB REMAINS AT LARGE. THE LAST THING WE NEED IS FOR ANYONE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE TUNNELS AND THAT CUB CAN LEAD THEM STRAIGHT TO THEM! FIND IT! UNDERSTOOD!?"
Having given his orders, the man rubbed together his temples as he watched his subordinates do as they were told. He stared at the entrance to the cave the beast came out of, wondering just how many more creatures could be living inside before turning away.
A part of him wanted to enter and find for himself, but he was smarter than that. For only one of his men ever came back from there, dying shortly after.
The youngling darted between the trees as fast as he could, brushing against leaves and barks with his massive body. The memory of his parents crashing into the ground and whimpering could not leave his mind, plaguing him and forcing more and more tears out.
He hiccupped; his breath labored. He was alone. He couldn't go back, not to his parents and not to the caves.
The world around him lost focus, nothing mattered to him anymore. He tackled more and more obstacles. Ramming into barks and trunks forcefully and taking high jumps from atop of hills. The pain did not bother him, he had already reached his limit.
So he ran.
And ran.
And ran…
He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, he just continued running. Getting as far away as possible was all that mattered. All he had left.
They took them from him. Those creatures took away his entire world. He was angry. Enraged! FURIOUS! At those creatures for taking them away and forcing him to flee. At himself for ever falling into their trap and trusting them. At his parents for falling to their hands…
He was afraid. His parents were beaten. He never met anyone stronger than his parents, and they lost. Beaten. He heard their cries as they collapsed. Pain and fear were all he felt from them, held down by metal cables and the deafening, disgusting, acclaims of those creatures dominating the battlefield.
The man that smelled like ash was the scariest. He singlehandedly held his parents back, burning them as their strength and will to fight left their bodies. His head throbbed where the man had laid his hand on him, his crackling voice still vibrating through his head. As if he was still trapped in that net and the man's burning hand kept on searing the fur and flesh on his head.
He wasn't sure for how long he ran, could've been hours; could've been days. He climbed up mountains, run through valleys, crossed a river or two, and kept on going. He did not know where he was, letting his body and fate bring him to where he is supposed to be.
*Ba -Dump!*
He felt something up ahead.
He did not know what that was, nor did he care. All he knew was that thing up ahead was calling him. Guiding the instincts that controlled his body, as it resonated in an almost familiar beat.
*Fwoooooossshhhh! *
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
He burst through the shrubbery, tackling into a smaller mass that wailed in a high-pitched voice as they both tumbled to the ground.
*Thwomp! *
"Ughh…" The youngling's head spun as he heard a groan. Trying to lift his head, his snout brushed against a fluffy mass of curls, the hairs longer and denser than his fur.
"Hey…" He heard a voice call from beneath him, "excuse me, but … you're kinda crushing me …".
The cub's head turned downwards, coming face to face with the one he tackled.
The one on the ground stared back at him, inspecting the cub as much as the cub inspected it. His body was tiny, smaller than even the youngest of his kind. Its' body felt weird, his abdomen and thighs were covered by what almost felt like a second layer of skin which almost resembles plant fiber. Its' arms, calves, and face were naked, the skin itself felt soft and fragile; as if brushing it against any sharp object, no matter how gently, could puncture it. The mass of curls he brushed against rested on its' head, giving off a strong scent of flowers despite being covered in dust.
It breathed in slowly. As if captivated by the cub's appearance as the cub was by it.
And for whatever reason, the cub felt a tinge of familiarity as the one on the ground gazed at his face with curious eyes. The way its' heartbeat reminded him of the times he snuggled with his parents. Feeling their heartbeats as well, beating in sync with the ground's tremor beneath them.
"Umm … excuse m- " It spoke and the spell was broken. While the voice was high-pitched and the tone was different, there was no mistaking the species. Beneath him was one of the kind that took away his parents.
"Whoa!" The cub jumped back as if electrocuted, pushing back the kid's body into the ground and gaining some distance.
The kid got up and looked at the cub. He lowered himself to the ground. Arching his back to appear more menacing, he bared his teeth at the boy and growled in the most threatening voice he could muster.
The two stared at the other, not moving a muscle.
The kid took a step forward, extending a hand towards him.
*Grrrr… * The cub growled, warning the kid to step back. He did so, face frowning before he let out a squeal and shoved his hands into his pockets.
*Grah! * The cub grunted, eliciting a yelp out of the boy as he turned back to him. The kid raised his hands slowly in the universal sign of surrender, before slowly putting his hands in his pockets again and pulling out some kind of package.
He did not drop his guard as the kid rampaged through with what he pulled out, but once the package tore open the cub couldn't help it and began to drool.
A heavenly scent wafted through the air around him. The sweet aroma of honey enticed him, causing his stomach to grumble in longing.
The boy smiled brightly, placing the food a few meters ahead of the cub before stepping back.
His heart stopped.
The cub wasn't there with the boy anymore. Instead, he found himself back in that clearing. The food that smelled like honey changed, taking the form of the bait that lured him. In the boy's place stood the man that reeked of ash, his hand was atop the cub's head again, the throbbing he felt there intensifying to a scorching pain.
Face morphed into a terrified expression, the cub bolted away from the kid as fast as possible, not daring to look back.
"W-wait!" The tiny human called "Where are you going?!".
"I-I "*gasp*" f-finally "*gasp* "got you… ughhh". The boy croaked before collapsing to the ground.
The chase has come to an end in a draw, both human and Badgermole were fallen on the ground, panting. The cub tried to get up and get away, but his muscles refused to budge. His throat was dry and his stomach empty, head spinning as he sniffed tiredly at their surroundings.
They were within a small clearing in the woods, about three square meters without any trees within them. Overgrown grass brushed gently against the two as the warm evening sun radiated warmth.
The cub pushed himself to his feet with great effort, starting to limp his way away from the boy.
"W-*gasp* wait!" the kid pleads, struggling to get on his feet.
Against his better judgment, the cub stopped and turned around.
He felt no danger.
"I-I *gasp* I didn't mean to scare you … I just wanted to help" He panted as he slowly took out the item of food and held it out to the cub. "You look hungry" The boy smiled, "My mom made it, and it's really good … want some?"
*Growl…*
Hunger began to overpower fear and the cub took a step closer, sniffing apprehensively at the food that smelled of honey.
The boy let out a giggle. He didn't understand why, but the child's voice was different from that of the other humans he met. It was genuinely warm and comforting, not like the facade the ashen man had put up.
The child outstretched his arms, the sticky food held atop his palms, and a giddy smile on his face. He stopped a few paces away from him, arms outstretched as far as possible as he looked forward expectantly.
The cub took a hesitant step forward…
…Then another…
…And another…
Soon enough, his snout was inches away from the boy's hands, breathing down hot air on his palms.
"Come on!" The boy encouraged and smiled, "Dig in!"
The cub slowly took the bar with his mouth and walked away slowly from the boy. Having reached a sufficient distance from him, the animal put the bar between its front legs and began chewing it slowly.
Once its teeth sunk into the food there was no stopping him. The cub devoured the snack with fervor, savoring each moment there was something in his mouth. In less than ten seconds he was already finished, disappointed that it was already over.
The boy laughed and pulled out more food from his pocket, "You want another one?"
The cub perked up and ran to the boy as fast as he could, taking the bar away from his hands and chowing on it happily, not bothering to gain distance this time.
He finished it again quickly, but his taste buds demanded more. He could still catch the whiff of honey coming from the boy, specifically his hands.
Instinct kicked in and he began licking the child's hands, taking away any lingering leftovers from between his fingers.
The boy giggled, putting a hand on the cub's head.
Exactly where the ashen man did before.
For the first time since he escaped, the throbbing he felt from that spot stopped. He felt the child's soft hands caress his fur gently, fingers moving through the hairs like they would through water.
He purred.
How could he not? He felt safe. He felt full, He felt loved. He snuggled deeper into the boy's arms, letting him envelop them around his snout in a hug, "Hehe H-hey … that tickles" Izuku Midoriya laughed as the cub's whiskers brushed against his skin.
Chima may have lost his home that day. But he managed to find a new one.
Aruku Kūki
Quirk: Airwalk
Description: Airwalk allows the user to levitate in the air. There is also a height limit of about twenty meters to the quirk and the user can't go any higher. The user's constitution determines the speed's the quirk is capable of, a slow person will only be able to float slowly in the air while an accomplished sprinter could fly around at fast speeds.
Appearance: Aruki is a short man with a chubby body. A mop of thin and colorless hair rests on his head, making him look almost like a fat scarecrow.
Affiliation: Tōu liè zhě, Japanese branch.
Age: 33.
Birthday: 17/11.
Height: 167 cm.
Favorite food: Shrimp Tempura.
Favorite thing: Sleeping.
Uzumakikido thanks you for the comment. For those who are confuses Tsuragane and Naomasa are two different characters. Naomasa is a detective with a Lie director quirk, while Tsuragane is the one with a dog head.
