AN: Due to technical and glitch issues happening on , this chapter was released earlier on AO3. While I'm uncertain that this will be able to update all who have followed the story, I hope you'll still be notified and both 25 and 26 are now up.
During my hiatus, my first online test didn't seem to go well since I think I didn't think things through. Or at least take a good break doing it since I was at home. The second and last online test went a bit much better except that I need to keep adjusting the structure. I finished this chapter before October could end and I'll be taking a longer hiatus unfortunately to prepare a new story. But I still have ideas for this one!
Big warning though; this one is REALLY violent. Not fully, but it's distressing. So read at your own risk.
Recommended Background Music
[1] blacklist_ - dangerkids
[2] Kingslayer - Bring Me the Horizon feat. BABYMETAL
Chapter 25
The parking lot outside the stadium remained still, not a single life crossed over. Not even the night birds chirping brought any reassuring atmosphere for an inclusive place. An air of detachment swarmed around, leaving the open space available to make a big scene. Not even the breeze blowing through the dark green trees from far away could convince one to not do anything immoral. The thing that was missing was anyone paying attention to this empty space.
This was not the case for Ice and his team. The freelance mercenaries and weapon mechanics he hired wore black skin-tight jumpsuits. The perfect way to blend in the dark. And even if he didn't have any night vision, he couldn't spot them through how they blend in with the trees. How their bodies curled around the branches and the bushes to be hidden in plain sight…
Meanwhile, Ice stood out like a sore thumb. He was in a rush after noticing somebody looking into his social networks, so he didn't take the time to practice in a black jumpsuit. He was only wearing his leather gloves and boots and the new white leather jacket he got. Even though he was surrounded by bushes, with only his head peeking out, he felt cold. Not even the jacket zipped up could do the trick.
And yet, his name should have allowed him to withstand cold weather.
At least the wind caught his usually heavy hair to fly upwards. He loved the chill accompanying the wind sweeping underneath his long hair. That was one thing he could agree with Zero. Another thing they would get on together was blowing up this stupid fortress of consumerism and raccoons.
With golden eyes glowing brighter in excitement, he flicked his finger forward and his fellow teammates bolted out from the shadows. He followed them. He hated to admit it, but they weren't too bad. Well, they were much better when he was around.
Case in point, they deactivated the front cameras and entered the exit doors with none the wiser from those crazy guards. None of these guards were even paying attention, more focus on having their mini break on duty. Simple!
Inside, with nobody actively around, Ice didn't need to give further instructions. Many of his black-coated teammates spread out. They already know the plan. They knew where to place them right at.
Ice sprinted off, heading towards one area of the stadium.
He kept admiring the small disc-like explosives he pulled out from his backpack at each spot he chose to invade. Silver, shiny and with a lovely time screen that resembled a calculator. No one was gonna see this coming. The dark, lonely or vulnerable rooms of the stadium weren't hard to find; a retard could figure that out better than the average person.
So many bombs he and his team prepared that no one could get rid of them in time. They didn't prepare a backup plan since safety in numbers means necessary numbers for a job to Ice. The right people to enlist, but the city was surprisingly restricted from all those buildings. However, there were enough hiding spots to place these suckers at. From the bathrooms to the storage rooms and to the abandoned underground rooms for storage.
Ice felt pride in himself. This one would be another notch in his belt soon. He chuckled after ascending the staircase after wedging an explosive behind the fire extinguisher. At this rate, he would become the top assassin of the desert for sure! They would appreciate him for his sacrifice of a thousand mindless strollers.
He pressed his earpiece, leaning against the wall with casualness.
"AT29," he said, his deep and intimidating voice carrying an uncanny smoothness. "This is IC22. What's your status?"
"My bombs are in place already."
A smirk formed from his twisted lips. "Good. AG74. What about you?"
"I got like 10 more bombs needed to be put into place. Just give me…that's strange."
"What's strange?"
"There's like a…giant ice cream cone standing in the middle of the alleyway? I wonder…"
Ice grunted, annoyed. "Just ignore it. It's a distraction. I'll get ice cream for everyone after this."
"Don't patronize me," growled his caller.
Ice sighed, rolling his eyes with the attitude of a teenage girl.
"...wait, I think that's a dispenser. It looks like-!"
"POP!"
"POP!"
"POP!"
"POP!"
A series of shots and splatters crackled through Ice's earpiece. He immediately straightened up, tense. As Ice reflexively grabbed a weapon inside the jacket, he wondered why the shooting sounded…sloppy? No, serious, it was literal. Like mud being thrown against the wall. Not to mention the confused cries of his caller.
"The freaking Maccas flurry?!" he said, incredulously. "Who thought it was a good idea-?"
"SHRRRK!"
Ice's body tensed up again when he heard the crushing of hard-stoned ice. But this time, the caller went silent.
The jackal stood there, not moving a muscle. The loud metal music from outside was faint as his detached mind tried to evaluate the situation. One teammate seemed to be done. There goes his reliability check on his profile. Two, ice cream cones wiped him out? That was stupid. But then, Ice realized something.
He had heard rumors about the new agents in G.U.N. Some of the members from Zero's former squad migrated to this dump. The latest was Obsidian.
Ice sighed to himself, shaking his head. He had no love for that wannabe, but he could tell it would be an awkward encounter. Might as well practice being superior to whoever came for him.
Meanwhile, oblivious to the sudden attack, one of Ice's teammates was already setting up one of the bomb explosives. He decided to stick it to the floor. Sure, it might be too easy to spot, but it would be hilarious to see people try not to step on or remove it. Patting it once last time, he stood up and walked away. [1]
A quick glance over his shoulder identified the red glowing dot from the device. A warning that it could explode any minute. That he knew, but he felt confident he and his team would get out alive before anybody could try siccing them. He didn't hear anything from his client and team leader, Ice. Confirming it was all good, he walked away and turned around the corner.
Once he was out of sight, a low buzzing grew from the floor. Specifically in the area where the bomb explosive was placed. The buzzing grew louder and a shape printed on the floor glowed white. It eventually evaporated the bomb device before the shape popped from the floor and splattered against the ceiling.
Ah, yes. That one was the black spider web, now in a white color. The bomb device, trapped in its grasp, rumbled and its red glowing spot flickered in an alertingly fast pace. But then, it wore out and the red light turned to green. The spider web returned to its original black color, already finished its work.
"Holy crap," muttered Breezie in her hiding place. "I can't believe that worked!"
With one eye nearly touching the corner of the wall, she eyed the black spider web attached to the ceiling. She could confirm that the bomb explosive was down. Taking out her device, she identified the many dots resembling her squad, Ice's team of hunters and the bombs themselves on screen. All of them identified the weapons they carried into the stadium. One by one, new bombs were placed before disappearing mysteriously.
Breezie wondered if she should be concerned that this was going too easily. Anything could happen, after all. Maybe Ice hired a hacker to find intel on who was around…
She shook her head, noting that the dots on the device resembling her crewmates weren't out yet.
A noise from behind her. She immediately took cover behind the nearby wall. With only one eye checking over the corner, she saw another guy coming in from the extended hallway. This one had thick goggles covering his eyes, only letting his smooth lips to be seen. To Breezie's surprise, this guy had two dagger holsters on his belt.
Breezie drew her head back in and let it rest against the cold, hard wall. The metal rock music was still playing from outside. She could still hear the heavy footsteps from that guy's boots. The clunk clunk clunk played over again, the preying source in this hallway. Painfully slow, taking his time to look around for any anomalies around.
The bad thing was that there weren't any traps in his proximity.
There was an urge to shoot the guy dead since Breezie wasn't in a good hiding position. Once he saw her, she couldn't stand there like a helpless victim. However, she daydreamed about what other ways she could slip out there without causing any trouble.
But there weren't any other items or getaways or distractions in reach. She was nearly vulnerable.
Sighing, she traced her hand to a gun in her dress pocket.
Duck.
Right on time, a knife stabbed the wall between her ears. To Breezie's surprise, the assassin threw multiple daggers everywhere in an irrational check on his surroundings. Caught up in her surprise, the teal hedgehog stumbled out and pulled out her gun, taking a shot. Her enemy ducked before pulling out two more daggers.
Breezie tried shooting the blades out of his hands, but the bullets only bounced off the blades. The assassin chuckled, running forward. He swung downwards, but she quickly grabbed one arm and twisted it. Only letting go upon instinct, seeing the second dagger trying to swing at her hip. He twirled around in a dance, the swinging knives nearly approaching Breezie's skin.
She leaned backwards before doing a backwards cartwheel on the floor. Once back up on her feet, she tried firing a few more shots. It hit the guy in the chest, but it barely fazed him. Not even body language could indicate to her if he was hit or not. She immediately deduced that he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
When he got close and swung both knives down, she grabbed both hands. The two were in a standoff, trying to maintain control of their small tug-of-war. As Breezie attempted to wrestle the knives out of the assassin's hands, he tried to press the bottom of his feet harder against the floor, determination to be the victor of the fight.
Eventually, Breezie took her grip on the guy's arms in advantage and swung them close to his face. The blades ripped the goggles off. The movement even pushed the assassin to the side, stumbling over. Breezie paid no attention to the detached goggles, noticing the human eyes in that mask.
The assassin yelled, running forward. The teal hedgehog responded by leaning back and kicking him in the stomach. It did no good as it didn't distract him long enough for Breezie to find a weak spot. He only wrapped his hands around Breezie's throat, a growl escaping through his covered lips as he strangled.
Already familiar with this kind of attack, Breezie wrapped her hands around the back of the guy's head and slammed her forehead into his. Once his hands let go, she spun around to land a roundhouse kick in the stomach. It had more impact this time, sending him nearly flying across the room.
The assassin was only able to stablize his footing, his boots messily stepping over a puddle of liquid flowing out from the bathroom door…
A burst of fireworks from the stage matched the assassin suddenly shooting upwards, electricity sparkling through his body. His eyes were suddenly filled with literal shock, both reflective in fear and electricity flowing through his pupils. The puddle underneath him contained the same electrical bolts, flowing through him like a battery. Breezie wasted no time and pointed her gun at his face.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Three shots and the assassin's body drooped. She didn't need to see the hole in the head to confirm he was dead. He fell backwards in the spreading puddle of liquid, still twitching. At least he was on his back or Breezie would need to explain why spilled blood was on the floor. [1s]
Her gun pointed to the left when the bathroom door opened to reveal Shard.
"Oh wait, wait, wait!" he said, putting his hands up in the air. "It's me!"
Breezie lowered her gun, glancing at the puddle of… "Urine? Electrical urine? That was your plan?"
"Not many people suspect mysterious water near bathrooms," pointed out Shard.
The teal hedgehog sighed, wiping her forehead. "I might have caused a scene."
Shard could tell, spotting the twitching body. "No wonder why. We should have thought through our assassination strategies."
"At least Ice wasn't alerted about this."
Shard prodded the body, unaffected by the electricity. Though, it was pretty clear that the assassin was on his final breaths, gurgling grossly.
"...also, how did you kick in high heels?" he asked randomly. "Aren't they like hard to move around in? I expected hearing you tripping over."
Breezie huffed, swiping her hair. "I had training in this, you know. Even in really high heels."
Ice turned out to be pretty predictable. Back then, when he was on the squad, he was a decent strategist. He knew the weak points of a building and where to place bombs to make the whole roof collapse quickly. There would always be vulnerable spots with weaker supporting beams and metal framings. That was one thing that I learnt from him.
So when me and Antoine crept through the shadows after waiting for a while, we could track them down without drawing attention from those assassins. The tracking devices helped by giving good headstarts of where to find the explosives. Once there, I remembered my previous learning with Ice and started searching. Even Antoine managed to find some based on his time as a mercenary.
So many different spots I could list where they would hide those bad boys. From within a really narrow crack, behind the fire extinguisher box, the top of a backup gas tank, a hidden trapdoor and the most infamous, a massive array of pipes. The pipes were a challenge to reach for the explosive device, but my ruby was there to help lift it up.
With that many devices found and deactivated, we retreated to another area of the stadium that was clear of any explosive devices around. A perfect spot for either Ice or one of his goons to arrive. Me and Antoine waited from one side, crouched down behind an oversized couch in a connected hallway. On the other side, Rosemary waited nearby underneath a crowded bench.
In this quiet moment, I glanced at Antoine. He was stoic, fingers on the trigger of his pistols. It reminded me of when I first met him. How enforced he had to play to make an easy game for him. But I was worried again that he might be nervous. I know it. I could even feel my anxiety at the thought of seeing Ice again.
I thought I was alright with killing him, but now, it didn't feel good. It couldn't be possible I cared a lot for him, right?
And would killing him with any weapon be…sadistic?
I wanted to make sure. "Are you ready?"
Antoine chuckled wearily. "Never."
"What…was your squad like before?"
His left ear twitched, his golden eyes turning to me. "Excuse me?"
"Do they remind you…of…Ice?"
Antoine scoffed. "I'm not here to tell some wishy washy sob story. But to put it simply, we're just little ninjas trying to survive. They're alright."
I doubted that. "They're not bad?"
"They taught me," said Antoine plainly. "My parents did teach me to be this good."
It didn't really explain how he seemed to have a previous murderous streak up his sleeve.
"And you?" he shot back. "With the almighty Ultimate Mercenary?"
I swallowed, feeling my dry throat. Whether from the anxiety for Ice or Antoine. "Well, it was…strict. You would already know that we're sociopaths."
"Then I should be asking you if you are ready," snarked Antoine.
The coyote turned away. I sighed.
"Antoine, what I think I'm trying to say is…"
"HAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHH!"
A shrill sound cut through the air. My ears flattened against my head to block out the high-pitched noise. This was worse than metal screaming!
I immediately whipped out the black taser I was carrying, readying myself. I slowly stood up and Antoine peeked his head from the side of the couch…and we were greeted by Ice acting at his least dignified.
"AAAAHHH! AAAAHHH! AH!"
Those howls were all too familiar. Case in point, us jackals don't really have good howls as wolves unless we rely more on our naturally deep voices. Ice was howling away at a really high-pitched. Stiffly tip-toeing forwards on a limp. Hands over his stomach as if he was going to puke. But at least his mortified looks killed his freaking-out performance.
He edged towards the bench Rosemary was hiding underneath, gripping the headrest as his only support. The fox stared at him in confusion.
"ARGH! HELP ME!" shrieked Ice, trying so hard to look like he was crying. "SOMEONE! HELP ME! I'M SHOT! AAAAHHH!"
Antoine turned to me with a flat look. "What do you think?"
"Trap," I deadpanned.
I don't know if Ice was a genie or had a sixth sense, but it didn't take him long to recognize that he wasn't winning any points.
"Screw it," he growled, straightening himself. [2]
He aimed randomly at the hallway me and Antoine were hiding in. Floof flew from the impact on the couch. Immediately, Rosemary rolled out from her hiding place with her gun directed at his face. Before she could fire, Ice looked down and swiped her gun with one kick. The fox rolled away before he could stomp on her.
Gun out of hand, Rosemary jumped upwards and tried to swing a punch. Ice managed to grab it and twist it before dragging her under his arm. I got worried initially, but the fox managed to elbow him right in the armpit. Once his guard was down, she tried to do a roundhouse kick, only for Ice to duck, the boot only touching his spiky hair.
Without warning, he grabbed that leg and swung her around to the nearby wall. Right on the back. Rosemary let out a cry, crashing onto the floor. Ice chuckled deviously, his deep voice twinged in pleasure. Not giving him a sense of control, I leapt up from the couch and tossed my taser at him.
Ice seemed aware of my presence, spinning around to catch the taser effortlessly. As I rushed to him, he tried poking the taser into my stomach, but I grabbed onto it. Matching his strength, I lifted the taser upwards to land a hit on his chin. A yelp and he dropped it. A single punch to his cheek and he went flying.
He was persistent, rolling onto one knee and foot on the ground to retain his balance. His teeth were gritted, snarling animalistically. Antoine got out of his hiding spot and tried firing a few times. Ice proved to be quicker, scurrying forward in a zig-zag pattern. Once he got close to us, he jumped upwards and pulled out two guns.
Antoine immediately ran to the other side while I formed a green shield to protect myself from the bullet.
Ice landed, spinning around on one foot with both guns pointed at us. Me on the left with my taser. Antoine on the right with his pistols. Rosemary in the middle, already taking out a sniper gun. It became a Mexican standoff between us and him. Loud metal rock music continued playing in the background, but I was able to ignore it this time.
The same couldn't be said for Ice, who was bopping his shoulders up and down.
For what I know, Ice could take all three of us down with his sheer determination to not be defeated. He and I knew the weak would eventually die easily on the ground.
It didn't take long for Ice to remember me.
"Obsidian?" he said.
I clicked my tongue. I had no idea how to feel to return the greeting. "Ice."
Ice smirked, spinning his guns in his hands like they were toys. There was the cockiness I knew from him. He got that from all of us. I could sense his air of confidence and amusement.
"Guess that you didn't expect this one coming, did-?"
"We kinda already know," I said, trying to be helpful. "Through…hacking?"
The smirk wiped off Ice, his tail sheepishly brushing the floor. "Shucks. Technology is really superior."
He took a step forward, but Rosemary suddenly fired near his feet. Ice halted, but a burnt mark was left near the front of his foot.
"Stay back, asshole!" snarled the red fox, her flaming eyes looking like they could burn through his forehead.
Ice scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Geez, no need to be mean, lady."
"Could have said the same to you as well, savage," said Antoine, crossing his arms.
Ice's eyes widened with playful surprise. "Oh, so you're thinking of that way. It's all part of the game, coyote. I'm guessing that you know as well what game it is, member of the Coyote Squad?"
"My squad's greatest achievement was our leader taking the mental health position in the council of New Acropolis," said Antoine with a serious and tense face.
Ice scoffed. A sneer of disgust crossed over him. "Always with politics." He lowered down his right arm, but it was pointed towards me. Ice didn't look too pleased. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised you joined a government-based military. You were a good killer, Obsidian."
Yeah, to slit YOUR throat…
I closed my eyes, sighing in exasperation. I was already feeling sick of these pointless and cruel reminders of death and killing. Was that what the Jackal Squad should be seen as? I already have the joy and emotion sucked out from killing. And it was getting on my nerves.
"Not a word, huh?" taunted Ice. "Still the follower, aren't you? That's still the problem. Everywhere I went, I've been given the same dilemma. 'We are only devouring a stupid family legacy.' No one ever takes us seriously anymore."
His voice was dripping in venom, the deep voice giving a vengeful snarl to it. Even deeper than mine.
However, I was confused. The last time I returned to my birthtown, nobody came up to my face and spat on it. Maybe it was because I was deemed not an accurate representation of the squad, but only Mr. Ghost knew my presence well. It could have been said the same for Ice, right?
"What?" I said. "Why? Weren't we THE respected Jackal Squad?"
"Why? WHY?!" Ice took a step forward but didn't attack. He was already peeved by my question, his sharp teeth becoming more prominent. "Where were you for the last few months, huh?! You're hiding here, yet nearly every criminal and mercenary knows you're in this pathetic city. And now, you're also a signifier to our Jackal Squad growing weak! It's already insulting since Phoenix's fate was set in stone."
A lump formed in his throat, clearly on the edge of drooling like a baby. "They just laugh at us. They don't get what we are trying to make in this world. How can jackals like us…be petty?"
Petty? I really wanted to tell him that Zero was acting petty. But I never heard this news before. I hadn't been in touch with any other mercenary or contact from the desert. I wanted to argue back, but the fact that he called me a signifier of our squad's decay got me choked up.
I did cry nearly cried in public here. But the music was something, wasn't it?
On the other hand, Antoine and Rosemary didn't share the same thoughts. From the corner of my eyes, as I looked away in shame, the two appeared incredulous. Antoine's look just screamed if Ice was really THAT serious.
"This world doesn't amount to the real world," rambled Ice, tapping one gun on the side of his head like a pen. "There's no offering of true potential. Let's face it; the Jackal Squad aren't Decepticons looking to take on things that are trivial. So that's why I'm helping the Jackal Squad live on." He pointed the second gun back at me. "Starting by blowing up more than one thousand times anyone can!"
Rosemary hissed, her finger shivering on the trigger. "You're clearly insane yourself more than Antoine."
"What?" said Antoine.
Ice chuckled deviously, his smirk returning. "Ah, I prefer the term 'psychotic'. What should I refer you to? Hilary Clinton?"
"Well, new rumor, she has a computer with questionable content," snarked Antoine.
Rosemary glared at her.
"Can we just get straight to the point?" I said impatiently. "If you really want to get back their respect, then why come here to slay a thousand people you consider weak, Ice?!"
Ice grunted, impatient of my lack of awareness. "They're contributing to the never-ending, corrupt consumerism of the world. Ending their pathetic indulgement, addiction and escapism would stop any of them from terrorizing the world."
"You know that sounds ridiculous, right?" asked Antoine.
Ice snickered, waving his hands up above his head. "I won't be wasting that much time. In a few minutes, need to scram. You won't be able to get all those bombs out and you'll never know where they are. This ain't the world record for a thousand Waldos!" He turned to Rosemary, licking his lips. "I should be thanking you three. 'Cause crossing you out would add to me being one of the greatest assassins ever!"
With him not looking, I reached underneath my coat and pulled out the black dagger Breezie tried giving to Antoine. Aiming downwards, I spun around and threw it. Only for Ice to realize and grab it. With the reflexes of a cat, he then flipped in mid-air and threw the knife right down, landing between my legs.
"Right, Obsidian?!" he roared in delight.
All hell broke loose as Antoine and Rosemary took the opportunity to fire. However, Ice proved to be quick. Rolling on the floor, he fired a few shots. One hit Rosemary in the chest, but she only grunted and stumbled backwards before recovering quickly. There was no agony on her face. We made sure to wear bulletproof vests before coming over.
Alas, the shots fired expired when all three guns clicked. Ice groaned before throwing his guns forward. It was right in the middle of Antoine and Rosemary trying to reload when his two guns smashed into their foreheads. Not wanting to stand there like a coward, I ran forward and tried landing a punch on him.
Due to both of us having the same training, Ice was much quicker and more responsive. I nearly forgot that I was battling against a real mercenary, unlike the Weasel Bandits. He kept his arms in an X and once I jumped back to try to perform a kick, he grabbed me by the shoulder before jumping upwards and using his body weight to slam me to the ground.
The ruby rang in my ear as my face crashed against the floor. A sharp, stinging feeling evoked from my chest. The idea that my jaw would break was a much deadlier fate. Ice got back up and so did I. But I managed to surprise him with an uppercut below his chin. Before taking off my fedora and trying to shove it in his face.
All he did was grab it before ripping it into halves.
I owed Molly 200 dollars for this hat on her behalf and trust.
Rosemary suddenly pounced on him from his left with Ice using his tail to not fall down. He tried swinging his fists up, slamming Rosemary underneath her chin, but it wasn't enough to bring her down. She hit him right in the throat before punching him in the stomach. Antoine also returned to the fight, wrapping his hands around Ice's neck.
Rosemary got to the ground and grabbed the jackal's feet tightly, ensuring they couldn't move. The taser back in my hand, I tossed it upwards and pointed right at his face. Ice responded with another glass-shattering howl and used his strength to spin around.
It ended up swinging Rosemary away, one foot connecting to her muzzle. With me too close, she slammed right into me and the two of us were sprawled out on the floor. The moment even faltered Antoine, loosening his grip and allowing Ice to evade. When the coyote tried to swing his fist down, Ice only caught it, grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed his head against the brick wall.
I winced, watching Antoine falling on the floor like a ragdoll.
I got back up, but Ice was already onto me. A blow to the cheek stunned me. My head went spinning. I wasn't rational in deciding how to approach. This shouldn't be happening. But before I could make another move through the blurriness, Ice just simply pushed me roughly to the floor.
When my vision came to, I saw the black knife in his hand. The knife that I accidentally left behind.
My mind just dissolved at the sight of it.
A sharp pain spread through my left shoulder, combined with coldness. It felt like being needled, except it was much wider than a small poke.
A sick grin from Ice, his eyes glowing to reveal his hidden madness.
It only took me a while to realize what he did. The knife penetrated through my shoulder. Just by seeing this, panic overwhelmed me. Everything was growing sluggish, crumbling down. I…haven't been stabbed in years.
And I forgot how it felt.
It reminded me of what a death could really bring to a person.
I found myself hyperventilating heavily from the sight of the blade and the chilling pain.
The knife was pressed further into my body and I yelped. I bit my lip, trying to ignore the pain intensifying.
This worked to Ice's advantage, using his free hand to hold down my right arm and his knees to weigh onto my legs. I tried lifting my other arm, but he roughly pulled the knife out and slammed it into my arm.
The growing pain spread from my shoulder to my hand, becoming paralyzed. I clenched my teeth, repressing a scream. My mind was scrambling with thoughts and worries about this situation. Ideas to fight back or ideas of how I might die. It didn't help that my vision was beginning to come in and out of focus, and a harsh screech ran through my ears.
I tried calling to my ruby, but the harsh screech continued.
Ice pulled the knife out, dripping in my blood. MY red blood. The sight of red droplets trickling down the blade was enough to make me hesitate.
One more wrong step and it would only provoke him to do more.
He laughed creepily, his eyes sharp from the experience.
"C'mon, Obsidian!" he said, sounding disappointed. "You could have at least given me another way to defeat me. This place made you weak enough!"
Rosemary recovered, with her sniper gun pointed at Ice's head.
"Hands off him!" she roared, not caring if saliva was dripping from the tips of her lips.
"Stay the hell back, fox!" Ice roared.
At the same time, he used his free arm to grab a new gun and landed a shot on Rosemary's sniper gun, sending it flying away. It crossed a great length away from her. I doubted that she could reach it before Ice could stab me again.
Not moving his gun away from Rosemary, Ice grabbed my collar and slammed me against the wall. I barely acknowledged the soreness in my spine, the pain in my arm prevailing. I got a better look at my body. One deep mark on my left shoulder with another on my arm. The jacket holes were stained in red, growing bigger and bigger…
It was becoming hard to breathe, even to move despite my shivering.
I was scared. I was pathetic.
I don't want to die.
"I thought you were better than this," snarled Ice, his lips twisted in a frown. "Five people dead and you can't even use your claws! At least you did kill before having your mind scattered in this dipshit city."
Through the haze, his words set off a bomb inside my head.
"Don't…you dare say…" I whispered, narrowing my eyes.
Ice's response was to stab me again in the shoulder, the same wound. I gritted my teeth, closing my eyes for a while as if trying to shield them from the spilling blood. When I opened them, I saw blood droplets covering a part of Ice's muzzle.
"Say what?" he said darkly, a dull filter in his eyes. "You think I would call you a mess? I think I prefer the term 'rubbish'."
In emphasis, he twisted the knife. I groaned, only letting that out in acknowledgement of the blade mushing the flesh inside. My mind was racing, but I couldn't get my arms to move. I felt stuck. It was like I couldn't decide what was necessary. It made me sick in the stomach. The spinning in my head didn't even help.
"I don't know why you're chasing here," continued Ice with dissonant serenity. "Phoenix spelled that out to me. You have your head in the clouds too many times to care about anything. Just admit it! You never cared about being a himbo."
My eyes were stinging from new tears forming. He couldn't be telling the truth! My friends didn't see me as that, right? They shouldn't! I didn't dare act out of line or look like a freaking mess to them. If my head wasn't in the clouds, why did I take everything seriously in this city?
"At least he goes along with how I think the world is; there are just some people who are LIVING a mess and those who are A mess."
"So, you're calling ME a mess? What about-?"
"What about what?! That I'm a mess?! I'm a mess that you need to pick up to bring me back to reality?! Say it, Zero!"
The faint words of my own view got to me. Even if I didn't say it, Zero would have called me one anyway. Ice was the only one alive with knowledge from Phoenix. A heavy presence of what they would think was still around. And it was the closest to hearing the voices.
My mind scrambled to deny thoughts and fears, my ears flattening to block out the haunting words of my deceased squad. I could hear them saying things behind my back. It didn't help that I was too afraid to move a single muscle. I really lost touch with the world I came from before.
Yet, the wild jackal was still there; my teeth bared with an animalistic growl escaping through my lips in a delirious state of denial and growing frustration. I growled much louder when I felt a tear running down my face. I hated feeling like I was out of my mind. I wanted to go loose, but fear only prevented me. But it only left me wanting to bite something.
Ice sighed. For a moment, I thought I saw him not looking satisfied.
"Anyway, I'm sorry that it has to come to this," he said. "But since you're trying to stop me, I cannot let you live. I'm not letting the other jackals know about this yet. Because this time, the real Jackal Squad wins."
He pulled the knife out. I could barely feel it. The wound was switching hot and cold. The harsh screech through my head slowly mitigated to a desperate, loud scream. My wounds flared up in coldness, but it was surprisingly not hurtful.
The blade touched my chin. I gulped again. My eyes met Ice's, but I spotted Antoine creeping up behind him.
His refined golden eyes became hungry slits.
"Don't give me that look!" said Ice, grinning. "Wear a smile for your last moments! Say 'goodnight, Icy'!"
I was freed from his grip when Antoine roughly pulled him by his arm. Slumping down until my bottom hit the floor. My head continued spinning and my vision slowly glitched.
The desperate screaming in my head slowly turned into a…sob. Pleading to fix me.
An immense power flowed through my left shoulder to my arm. A familiar chill that eliminated the soreness.
Suddenly, I didn't feel worried about the stab wounds anymore. I was more focused on Antoine, now holding onto the knife. While Ice's back was facing me, I could see the blade handle sticking out from his chest.
"Goodnight…Icy," whispered Antoine, a dissonant smile matching his unnaturally deep tone.
I didn't know if it was shock or fear, but I watched with my back pressing against the wall as bloodshed commenced.
The coyote ripped the knife out and raised and raised it high in the air. The only things I could see was the shine of the bloodied blade, the distortion in his feral golden eyes and the echo from his laughter.
But there was no sunshine in his laughter. Only resonance of his madness.
Glitches distorted my vision once he slammed the knife back into Ice's chest.
The metal music was louder this time, manipulating the room's appearance. It all turned red. Everybody looked like black holograms. I only recognized Antoine for his violent, scribbled outline. His black body pushed the figure of Ice to the ground. The jackal tried crawling away, but Antoine leapt upwards. Black scribbles followed his movement, bursting from his back.
His form grew bigger when he landed on Ice.
Ice's screams grew distorted with every stab. A burst of black ink spewed from every wound created. My breathing felt like it could kill me and my eyes refused to look away. An unmistakable image of Antoine diving the knife into his flesh continuously. No unique details on his body could illustrate the mess he was doing. Only his slowly corroding image and the demented laughter flooded my mind.
I want this to get out of my head.
I want this to get out of my head.
I could barely recognize Antoine. He was becoming a black blob.
And then, a third figure stepped in and kicked Antoine below his chin.
Everything turned back to normal.
Sort of.
Rosemary was already handcuffing Ice's limp arm to a bench leg. Ice's jacket was tarnished in a mix of red and dark brown. His tail was wrapped around his waist, twitching. From this angle, I could barely see the wounds. His groaning told me everything, however.
Antoine slowly got up from where he was kicked over. But something appeared different about him.
The blood splatters on his jacket was one thing. The grin and eyes were another.
His body was slouched, his chest puffing up and down as if tired from a marathon. They were unnatural, his bent back looking like he cracked his spine. The scribbled outline remained around his body. His golden eyes remained sharp as his knife.
He couldn't stop laughing. His muzzle was stained in Ice's blood. Dark red coated one of his canines. This was disgusting.
I briefly looked down on my bloodied wounds. No pain from them. Why did Antoine do the same to Ice?
But he did see me nearly gutted like a fish…
It was a hasty last resort.
I felt a little panicky as the implication became clear to me; the relishing in taking one's life.
Even if Ice wasn't a sympathetic victim, it reminded me too much of the Jackal Squad's brutality.
It didn't stop there. The coyote charged aimlessly, swinging his knife around. His laughter made him look like a deranged lunatic. Rosemary immediately hopped back in and aimed her sniper gun at him. She barked threats I couldn't understand. But the coyote barely comprehended. He only got closer, his knife dangerously close to her nose.
I didn't know if my wounds were magically disappearing or the new adrenaline rushing through my veins, but I came to my senses when on the ground again with Antoine's body next to me. I groaned from the headache of tackling him. The coyote wasn't quickly down yet. Crawling over me, he raised the knife again, but I simply punched it out of his hand.
He didn't mind the weapon loss. His hands were over my throat. My first response was to grab hold of his hands.
Rosemary pointed the sniper gun at Antoine's head. [2s]
"I said, GET OFF HIM, ARE YOU DEAF?!" the fox roared.
"Don't shoot him!" I cried.
I briefly closed my eyes when saliva dripped onto my face. Rosemary shot on the floor, which seemed to spark Antoine's reaction. He was only using one hand to squeeze my throat, but the grip was less tight. I forced my eyes open, seeing his sick smile and feral golden eyes. His distorted aura was growing larger.
But through all of this noise, tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes. I could see it. He wasn't exactly lost yet. His smile appeared more strained than genuine.
If I hadn't seen this up close, I would have thought he belonged to a padded cell. At least, that was how I felt initially…it didn't mean that this was the same guy who sympathized with me in the first place.
My ruby hummed loudly. Rosemary gasped, taking a step back. It was glowing brighter, emitting a vibrant green glow. I couldn't control it. It was attached to my thought that Antoine was crying for help. I couldn't even control my arm slowly reaching up to him. Only I could control my hand. I hesitated when my clawed fingers came close to his forehead.
But I didn't want to leave him. Not after getting to know each other.
I made the choice and let the tip of my finger touch his forehead gently.
AN: You could practically feel slasher vibes bleeding right into this story. And speaking of bleeding, this is arguably the most violent chapter ever! Sort of since we have the jackals managing to whoop many arses of their enemies. But given that I'm dealing with knives and bullet hits, this takes a whole new level.
Ice's and Antoine's use of a knife is inspired by the Scream 2022 movie! The latter's way was more reminiscent of the film, albeit through a distorted filter Obsidian's eyes suddenly saw. The former's way actually took inspiration from Striker of Helluva Boss, giving him this cold, cunning nature to how he might finish off his prey. Though, Ice trying to appear wounded at the start as a trap is a reference to the Scream (2022) movie.
Speaking of Ice, I did a lot with presenting the best of him as possible, given that he's going to die now. He's…well, a bit too political. And he's quite persistent without even cowardly crying for help. There's something in making him a prick while tying into his determination to appear strong, even if it's not ideal. As for voice, I imagine him to be voiced by Diedrich Bader to fit the raspy, deep voice. Love him or hate him, he's one fellow who won't back down easily and at the same time, gets looked down easily.
Interesting thing, for this chapter, I actually planned to write an original song to fit the mood. But as I wrote more, I felt that it wouldn't suit the tone and thus, I didn't make the song. However, it'll be created sometime later. For now, I pulled up some awesome tunes from dangerkids, Bring Me the Horizon and BABYMETAL to make a dissonant mood for the night.
Thank you for reading this chapter! We'll be heading straight to the next chapter since this will be when everything settles down. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite. Prepare for more updates to come! Make sure to leave a review with your overall thoughts. Constructive criticism is needed for improvements, but if any flames, then you'll end up being the fool.
Until next time, keep on rocking and…please don't use this chapter as an inspiration and an excuse to gut people up like a fish. Seriously, I'll be very much involved in dealing with you and you'll regret it.