AN: I wanted to post this chapter on Valentine's Day, but I hit author's block when revisiting this story. It felt a bit rushed, but I hope that it's still a good chapter. Enjoy!


Chapter 30

Dave and Scott could feel each other shivering in a tight closet as they slowly opened the door. One look to the left. They were close to the T-shaped crossing on the left. They could see light at the far distance before it disappeared around the corner. They looked to the right. There was another T-shaped crossing. This one was still bathed in black with no animatronic sneaking around at that corner. That was their target.

Once they could see no red and blue dots, the duo crept out of the closet with watchful eyes. But they suddenly felt too cold when they closed the door behind them. Their chests kept heaving up and down, their hearts pumping. A bodily reminder of the pain they might experience soon. Taking one or two more hits could be enough to put them into deeper sleep.

Once out of their hiding spot, they were as exposed as flying dust. They had nearly nothing except fists and smart mouths to make the savings. Meanwhile, Akrasiel had literal sneakers on his feet to not make a single sound, while Sonic-EXE could somehow activate the paint sprinkler. To put it simply, Dave and Scott could drown in this circus.

As they tip-toed to the other side of the corridor, Dave thought to himself how Agatha could create such things. Those animatronics weren't ghost-possessed, were they? Dave immediately shook his head. But the soft tap of his foot compared to the louder thump of an animatronic foot told how little he weighed against them.

So much for being able to live up to the big ones, thought Dave to himself. And at the prospect of dying to simple robots, he wondered who else could fare something like this. He was sure Eggman could survive. He always does.

Scott suddenly placed a hand over Dave's chest. The two were still. There was a silhouette in the darkness moving around. Fluidly moving around with organic limbs and a cough. The figure banged against the wall, its right arm holding onto its left shoulder. They could make out the outline of the person waving around a gun in their left hand.

"Agent Stone?!" yelled Dave, incredulous.

"Don't say that out loud!" exclaimed Scott.

"What the-?" stuttered Agent Stone, looking up. "You two again?!"

"What are you doing here?"

Neither of them could see everything on his face, but they imagined his scared eyes. He sounded genuinely shaken.

"What about you?" said Stone. "I was knocked out by one of them! I should have arrested you two the moment I saw you! Are you actually working with Ice and Agatha?"

"What? No!" said Scott, confused.

"If anything, they're working against us!" claimed Dave.

Stone groaned, frustrated. But he immediately switched tune when he saw Akrasiel coming from behind.

"BEHIND YOU!" shrieked Stone.

But before he could fire, Sonic-EXE suddenly appeared behind him. Now with Stone fully distracted, the animatronic simply slammed Stone's forehead into the wall. He threw the unconscious agent aside for something tastier. Two shivering Lightning Bolt Club members, sandwiched between the two.

On instinct, Dave and Scott twirled around and Akrasiel immediately tried to pounce. Dave dropped and slid across the floor, but the less flexible Scott got his head feathers snatched and his body dragged onto the floor. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the screaming face of the rabid fox animatronic.

Scott immediately grabbed the muzzle tufts to stop Akrasiel from coming close to his beak. He felt blood dripping from the fox's eyes onto his forehead. They were shockingly cold. Remembering his legs weren't pinned down, Scott tried kicking upwards in the fox's chest. Unfortunately, that meant little to Akrasiel.

And Dave came swooping on time with a headbutt into the fox animatronic. Scott gasped on instinct and relief. That didn't mean they were out of the woods. With Akrasiel down, Sonic-EXE decided to make his move. Only for Dave to quickly grab a taser stick from Stone's belt and press it right into the gaps of the suit.

The Sonic-EXE animatronic crumpled to the ground, twitching. Even as the body rested on the ground, it was still twitching. For a moment, Scott swore he saw Dave covering his mouth in horror. But they didn't have time to reflect on that when Akrasiel got back up and let out another mechanical roar at the duo.

Dave and Scott scurried away, now running through the dark. While their eyes could already see a few outlines of the hallways, it was still impossible to see a single thing. But they didn't care. They were frantic. They just wanted to find a nearby door that looked safe for them.

Akrasiel suddenly appeared out from the shadows with his arms wide open for a bear hug. This time, Scott was quick to turn Dave away from the monster and they ran into another corridor.

However, a good run of three seconds and Sonic-EXE appeared, giving a scream akin to a child. Dave and Scott made the same scream as they turned on their heels and bolted the other way.

But in their delirium to escape from the animatronic, their lack of direction led them to a door. That one wasn't a good one, as the second it swung open, both of them suddenly felt themselves falling.

There was silence.

From above, Sonic-EXE watched carefully. For once, his red eyes lit up in emotion, amused.


Despite my aimless shooting, I couldn't help imagining the white balls shooting from the toy laser gun as asteroids flying through the night sky. Meteor showers are actually common to see when you're in the desert. At least where I came from. Here, they became a rarity. It was a nice depiction of such scenery in a painted space background.

I think it stayed true to the theme of Twinkle Park. Who knew a child's imagination could bring beauty in such simplicity? Creating those white stars in a sea of blues and purples, even if that void was static.

At the same time, this game wasn't that enjoyable. The targets were moving too much, awkwardly shifting around like they were glitching. The winning target was a UFO at the higher row and it was difficult to knock it down. Not used to such firearms, I was raging on with shooting plastic balls, missing out half of the targets.

I couldn't concentrate on which one to target. Their fast movements made me feel dizzy from trying to watch.

Even Fiyero had a hard time. For once, he looked like he could murder. His sharp teeth were gritted to emit a nasty growl, his tail was swishing from side to side, his sharp nails digging into the trigger of his weapon. He did shoot nearly every target, but they barely bent over permanently.

His flaming eyes explained enough. He slowly turned to the bored vendor reading his newspaper, nearly ready to strangle the apathetic person.

"This game is rigged," hissed Fiyero.

"Oh, please," I said, ripping out my space shooter gun.

Without a moment of hesitation, I threw it forward, and it crashed into the UFO target. It FINALLY knocked it over and there was a loud bell ringing. Winners! I grinned. Fiyero stared at me with a muddled look. The vendor looked up and sighed. His expression barely changed when he generously gave us the large teddy bear.

But as we walked away, I noticed Fiyero constantly looking back at the stall as if we would be attacked.

"What?" I asked innocently.

Fiyero clicked his tongue sheepishly. "You know you didn't have to destroy a piece of it."

"But that game is rigged," said the ruby's voice in my head.

I blinked, a little dumbfounded. "I thought that we were supposed to win the prize."

"We're stuck with those ping pong balls," pointed out Fiyero. "Not guns to shoot at those cheaters."

"Isn't throwing something heavier better?"

"Well, good thing the award wasn't a flattened teddy bear." Fiyero took in a deep breath. Now calm, he gave me a thankful smile. "But good effort! And at least we got away. I don't think this is the first AND last time someone performed a rage quit."

I was nearly close to feeling guilty for costing a lot of money for the vendor, but a warm feeling built up in my chest. In fact, it felt nice. We shared the same agitation towards the game and neither had to feel bad in the end. Returning the smile, I handled the large teddy bear for him to play with.

The first thing he did was check if the teddy bear's bottom was as big as his head. "Oh, this one has holes too!"

I placed a hand over my mouth, trying to stifle a laugh.

Even my ruby was laughing so hard it actually barked for all to hear. "Bwa-ha-ha-ha! OK, enough horny!"

"Can't help comment on the creator's thumbprint," said Fiyero casually, unaware that my ruby just talked.

Eventually, I convinced him not to look further into the teddy's bottom. It wasn't worth having Fiyero see a grotesque tunnel when he looked like he could vomit any time.

We moved on to another game. This one was interesting as I remembered seeing them in a few restaurants. Fortunately, the whack-a-clown games were lined up together in a row. This was a bit much better. Never knew it was fun to smash the heads of clowns whenever they pop up.

Fiyero stood next to me in the same game. He seemed to have calmed down from the previous struggle and was content with using a rubber hammer.

I looked back at the nagging clown heads. Quite predictable when to strike. There seemed to be a pattern. To my right, a bunch of children were doing the same game. They were laughing away, even having trouble catching up with the laughing heads. Some of them were holding the hammer with their left hand. Some needed two hands. Some took it slowly.

Boy, was this game really popular around here.

As I continued to slam more clown heads on my side, I noticed that Fiyero decided to stop and watch, leaning on one of the support legs of the game tent.

The tiger was intrigued, his tail curled upwards in interest. "You know, I don't think I've ever asked you. Molly said that you're a desert mercenary, right? But what kind of fighting cred do you use?"

The ruby called over to take care of the clown heads. I decided to let it do its thing while I think. Surprisingly, when it automatically took control of my moving arm, it didn't produce a good glow.

Should I tell Fiyero the Jackal Squad was a brutal bunch? No. Every desert mercenary was expected to be ruthless. Weapons? We mostly used swords and daggers. However, I didn't know what he meant by 'fighting cred'.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Something that I think like, um." Fiyero paused with an adorable smile, thinking. "Ropes and acrobatics and guns like Indiana Jones? Cars and guns like Fast and Furious? Monster trucks, sharp spears and bombs like Mad Max?"

"I actually remember seeing Topaz watching a bit of Fury Road," whispered the ruby in my head. "That surreal scene of a guy sacrificing himself by jumping on a kart."

Actually, Fury Road felt the closest to what the Jackal Squad would do. "I will say something like Fury Road. Except for the flamethrowers and the armored buses. They're rare to find."

Fiyero whistled, his eyes sparkling. "Hardcore. And you run and fight more on the ground? You don't seem to have good aim when shooting."

"What? I have an excellent eye!"

"But not on moving targets or standing still. You seem to have it easier if up close or have a brick in your hand-" A loud ring from my game and the announcement of a new high score. "Bite me! You must know more about cracking skulls than heads."

I shrugged humbly. To me, it was just natural. "If you say so. I had access to guns, but I didn't make it to where I am by staying high on a tower with a room. If you want to survive, you have to play dirty. Swords was my former squad's MO. Daggers are for quick releases. I got this bad boy here."

Thus, I pulled out my trusty laser to show. Its toy-like appearance was safe to show around.

Fiyero purred softly as he tapped my weapon's inactive lighting bolt part. "A taser?"

"Yep!" I chirped, bouncing it around in my hands. "My good luck charm. My trusty sword. And you won't believe how many bolts this one carries!"

And in my explanation about it, we decided to move out to give others a turn on the game. I continued playing with my taser, tossing and kicking it upward before it touched the ground. Surprisingly, Fiyero's yellow eyes were focused on the taser, not dizzy from the fast movements.

"You know, while I'm not proud of it, my third kill had to deal with a pedophile," I said, grinning. "He used to love sucking on baby rattlers, so I gave him a harder one he can't chew."

Fiyero's startled yellow eyes snapped back to me. I immediately realized my mistake and placed my taser back in my jacket.

"Sorry," I said immediately.

"It's all good," reassured Fiyero quickly. As the imagination came to mind, his yellow eyes brightened in wonder. "I'm guessing you knew your way around other weapons?"

"You can say that," I said, smiling. "I prefer this one. Sure, I use melee weapons, but a taser is nice to carry around. While my squad liked to carry sticks and stones, carrying a blade looked like it could cut more than hair strings."

Randomly, I looked back at the whack-a-clown game, now fully occupied by new kids. I focused on the hammers slamming down the clown heads. In fact, I imagined sparks flying from the impact much like a red-hot steel hammer.


BANG! BANG! BANG!

Paz always told me to be careful when waving around newspapers in his workshop. As a local blacksmith in our town, he wanted to make sure his workplace was as safe as possible, even if fire sparks were gonna fly. Entering the workshop, I looked back at the flimsy tent acting as his roof. He claimed it was fine since the thin material provided enough sunlight.

The furnace was off, at least, I thought. And right there, slamming a hot piece of metal on an anvil, was the enigmatic strategist himself. Even with his back facing me, I could feel Paz's authority in this workshop. Outside of getting creative, he preferred standing like an unshakable mountain on top of the world. His shoulders and tail were raised high, already at his best effort in his work.

I cleared my throat and he took a quick sneak peek at me before looking away. That was just him hyper-fixated. I decided to dump one or two papers on a nearby table. Then, threw a third one. He caught it.

"Umm, Paz," I said. "Gotta break it to you. We might be out of steel in town soon."

Paz huffed a little after reading the first page of the paper before tossing it away.

"Don't fret about that," he reassured. "Our next bounty will lead to the source I need. Enough to feed a quarter of the children."

"Wait, you noticed as well?" I asked.

"I never forget to read twice on the planning sheet."

Curiously, I came close to watch his handiwork. His golden eyes remained pointed on the weapon he was crafting. He didn't shift a single muscle in his expression, a small frown crossing over his wet muzzle. The metal in his hands was still glowing red, only slowly gradually fading to a silver color. A lump slowly formed and Paz slammed it down with a hammer.

Sparks flew from the impact and I instinctively moved away for a bit.

"What kind of weapon are you exactly making?" I asked, poking the handle with my claw.

Paz immediately shot me a glare. "DON'T touch. It's not ready."

I raised my hands up in defense. "Sorry! Sorry! I'm just only curious with tender love and care!"

He hummed in discomfort and looked back at his work.

"It's a custom ax," he said, sounding more warmly. "Ace requests this."

"The little guy wants an ax? I thought the cutlass sword was fine for him."

"Don't ask me. I think he wants to try the heavier weapons recently."

Soon enough, the young member of the squad burst right into the tent. Hidden away from the rest of the town, he allowed himself to bounce around a little with a restrained grin. Ace waved at us and seeing his cheerfulness lightened my mood.

"Hi there, little guy!" I chirped.

"Hi, Obsidian!" he said, chipper. "Hi, Paz!"

"Hi," said Paz before looking back at his work. "Your new ax is nearly done."

"Perfect!" said Ace, grinning as he came forwards. "I can tell that this will become the new ultimate weapon."

"Yes, it will be." As expected, a deep-gutted growl crept through Paz's throat. "And please DON'T touch. It's NOT ready yet."

"I wasn't going to touch it."

"But you were going to."

"We still remember that time you dislocated your finger to reach closer to a button," I said flatly.

"Zero did the same," said Ace. "What's wrong with that?"

Paz didn't respond, his eyes narrowing as he smacked the hammer against the last lump on the flat side of the ax.

Curious, I turned to Ace. The first thing to mind was concern that he might strain his arms from carrying a new weapon he might not be used to. "I don't really get it, Ace. Isn't carrying an ax a bit too heavy?"

Ace puffed up his chest to look tough but this was overlooked by how much he was jumping. "Hey, as Boss requires me to be, an ax is a great and sturdy weapon enough to slice the trunks holding heads! Much wider to cut through the wood. I want to be that strong to carry it, Obsidian! The crazy ones wielding those axes even look awesome!"

I blinked a few times, trying to understand his desire. Seeing his eager and excited eyes reminded me of how hopeful he was about doing his best in comparison to the rest of us. But I couldn't imagine him as insane. Ace acted like a beginner in this world since he never traded his optimism for ruthlessness.

"I don't see the appeal," I said blankly.

Paz suddenly flinched in realization and used his free hand to grab a nearby object. "Oh, Obsidian, I nearly forgot. Here!"

Catching it, it was my taser. Good as new! I smiled, feeling my tail wagging. "Thanks!"

"There's my point there," commented Ace, patting me on the shoulder. "You're turned on by something you really like."

I turned to him, confused. Wait, was that how Ace felt about having such a bulkier blade? I didn't need to answer when Ace was free to pick up the ax.

"Here you go," said Paz kindly, handing the younger jackal the weapon.

Ace nearly had to suppress his overjoyed squeal, bouncing in energy. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It's so big! It's so long! So formidable!"

Paz muttered some warning, but Ace was too delighted that he had to move to the open space to test out his ax. He was clearly having a blast when he swung upwards and slammed it down, only inches away from the dirt beneath. Mindful yet really bubbly, he continued swinging the ax around to cut the invisible enemies before him.

In no less than ten seconds, he became an expert. His face was filled with joy like a child receiving his Christmas present. How he swung his ax around was like a tornado with sharp bits flying around, calculating where it would strike. At one point, he swung forwards and then pointed the ax forward like a sword with one foot in the front.

"I-It's touched with the sharpness of a ribcage," stuttered Paz, his ears lowering. "Don't swing that around in my workshop, please…"

"Don't worry, Paz!" said Ace. "I'm extra careful with using bludgeoning weapons."

"I'm NOT risking causing a rip in the tent again."

Ace wasn't exactly looking at us, zoning out with his trusty ax. I turned to Paz, noticing his fingers twitching. Whether in agitation or anxiety, I couldn't really tell. His sharp canines were biting on the lower lip, resisting the urge to yell.

I sighed and slid over to Ace. When I tapped on his shoulder, he immediately dropped the weapon before he could turn to me.

"You did some good swings in here, buddy," I said, patting him on the head. "Let's just do it outside. More space."

Ace chuckled, swatting my hand away when his beret was close to dropping off. "OK! OK!" When he looked over my shoulder, he noticed Paz sighing in relief. "Sorry, Paz, Kind of…got too excited."

Despite freaking out a few seconds ago, Paz went back to being his cool, guarded self.

"I-It's fine." Another deep breath and a gentle smile crossed over. "Now, that reminds me, need to deliver this to Zero."

This was the first time we saw the signature sword Zero now held around as the leader of the Jackal Squad. To us, it was an ancient treasure. You wouldn't expect to see these kinds of weapons that could be afforded by museums. And when Paz pulled it out from his back, it got me wondering how much he needed so that mould could itself together.

Ace was clapping away at the sight of such beauty. I couldn't blame him. It even looked like the cutlass sword he used to use at the start. As we came close, we were surprised by the blue lapis stone attached to the handle of the sword.

"Is that the lapis Zero was awarded with?" asked Ace, touching it.

Paz shrugged. "Believe so. It's his treasure." Suddenly lost in his own explanation, he swayed around the sword like a fiddle. With his eyes closed like he knew what he was doing. "He thinks this gives him a higher chance of luck towards the person he kills. But it's just some kind of rock that weighs down the sword from even stabbing the-"

I was suddenly aware that we were standing too close to the sword. Aware of the cutting pain in my right shoulder. And now, feeling my feet no longer touching the ground. In reaction to seeing the tip of the sword now penetrating through my right shoulder, I let out a squeak of surprise and pain.

Paz opened his eyes and realized that he accidentally stabbed me in the air.

The blacksmith jackal blinked before letting out a subdued "Oh…"

During his surprise, he accidentally lifted the sword higher…and I felt my body sinking deeper with the sword digging into my flesh.

"OW! OW! OW!" I shouted. "PAZ, PUT ME DOWN!"

Paz immediately lowered me down gently and I was glad I didn't bang my head against the floor when I rested on my back. Now sweaty and panicking, the trembling Paz ripped the sword out and covered the bleeding wound with both hands.

"I'm so sorry!" he chanted many times. "I'm so sorry!"

"Damnit, Paz!" barked Ace, immediately unwrapping the bandages on his right arm.

I hissed from the pain, tightening my hands into fists. This wasn't the first time I got stabbed or scratched, but man, such a deep stab did hurt! And born out of pure recklessness.

As Ace placed the bandage on my shoulder, I forced myself to give a pointed look at Paz.

"If you tell anyone about this, I'll make you my second victim," I growled.

"Been there and I had my damaged kidney removed along with my ovaries," deadpanned Paz.


"Wait, your blacksmith got you on a sword like a kebab?" asked Fiyero, bewildered. "Does your shoulder still hurt?"

I patted my right shoulder. There wasn't a single soreness or scar left on it. "No, it's a while back. Like three to four years ago or so. We were like chairs for cats to scratch on."

The tiger chuckled a little, somewhat amused and concerned. I also felt my ruby laughing, but it was more out of amusement towards Paz's stupid mistake. I'll admit, with a sweet smile, the moment was pretty funny.

"I'm surprised that guy lasted long without a kidney," Fiyero commented. "I never thought your old friends were so used to swinging around those swords. No wonder why you're jumpy with the things you see as new here."

True, I thought with an ironic smile. As I smiled happily at the memory, I noticed how emotional I became. A sweet reminder of how close I used to be with my squad. Thinking of them got me feeling homesick, but it was nice sharing these memories in good company. As I was feeling grateful for the memory, a more recent one popped up in my mind.

"I don't know why you're chasing here. Phoenix spelled that out to me. You have your head in the clouds too many times to care about anything."

The fun was suddenly sucked out as Ice's words hinted the irony. It told everything out of all the things I was told by others. Even when I tried running away from the mercenary line, Ice pointed out a crucial flaw; not thinking about my squad that much during my stay here. Not even doing anything worthwhile in their honor.

And if Ice wasn't lying, what was exactly lost or genuine from my time with my squad? We were brothers and sisters. We were a family. Or was it all business? Was that how Zero saw it in his quest for power? Did we just live in our own bubble? Would they even approve that I ran away from our leader despite him being the reason we were together?

The ruby glowing brightly for a different reason didn't make me feel better. It made me feel ill with the previous pleasant feeling of the memory. I didn't deserve it.

This time, I kept a faint smile to hide it well. "To us, our weapons are our playblocks. I don't know how much you get to hold those machetes and I'm glad you don't. Back then, we could handle the mayhem, even when no one told you what to do with them."

Fiyero gave me an affirmative pat on the back. "Good to know you're a master in blades! But I'm guessing that ever since you'd rather use a taser?"

I looked down at my taser. "I had been more interested in this. Can handle carrying baseball bats or hammers, but longer blades aren't my thing."

We continued walking through Twinkle Park and I tried to get my mind off by staring at everything that could distract me. But I could only think back to last night. Ice's words before he was brutally slaughtered. I was starting to wonder if bringing up my past was even a good thing because I didn't feel good. Like I wasn't enjoying myself.

Fortunately, we stopped by a bigger game tent close to the circus tent. This one looked like it came from a state fair, judging by the players firing arrows at moving targets. With authentic and wooden bows.

To my surprise, Fiyero gasped in delight. "I didn't know they would have this! Quick!"

The line was thankfully short, so we didn't have trouble. Once we got our turn, we were provided with a bow and at least fifteen arrows each. The tiger immediately got into the right position at the shooting spot, not needing a minute to hold his bow right.

As for me, well…

After throwing two arrows hard at the moving targets, the stall vendor quickly asked me to use the bow properly. Eventually, seeing the alarmed stares of mothers, I decided to return my bow to him. Since I wasn't feeling too good, I settled on watching Fiyero who was already concentrated on aiming at his targets.

He didn't even need to see what I did. "You're still going by the hand?"

"I don't know how to use bows," I admitted.

He nodded in understanding before a confident smile crossed over his muzzle. His golden eyes were attentive to the moving targets, shifting smoothly like he knew the pattern. Before I could expect, his hand was a blur as he picked up many arrows from his back and shot them one at a time at the speed of a bullet.

Points for swiftness, questions on aim. Like Molly, he turned out to be an excellent archer. All of the fired nine arrows landed a hit on the targets. No sweat dripped down from his face, coolly pretending the blow the smoke from the bow's burning string. And that smirk was for good reason since he managed to hit the middle of each target.

One target had TWO arrows stabbed into the center. Though, neither of them cleaved into the other.

When Fiyero saw my stunned face, he grinned proudly and his tail curled up. His canines were prominent in this smile. "Want to be a great actor someday. This should get me in blockbusters someday!"

Overwhelmed and awed, I nodded slowly. "No wonder why Molly called you an excellent shot."

"I am an excellent shot."

Once again, I could see the true party animal he was. With a giddy smile and an overconfident approach to his current eleventh arrow. And it was for good justifications. My ruby cooed in admiration, a mutual hum between us. Who knew an uptown boy could be an upbeat archer?

For some reason, despite feeling better, the unease left in my stomach got me to think about Fiyero more. He was still someone who grew up in the city with the capability to use dangerous weapons. I wondered how he was so good at using weapons while I fumbled to win with such an advantage.

Last night, it was Antonie who delivered the fatal blow, not me.

"Then again," answered the ruby. "You did rip off that stupid laser gun and threw two arrows perfectly."

But that was more effective when NOT in battle. It came to me that in the last battle I had, I wasn't too responsive. As I mulled over this sudden looseness, I came to a question on how people could deal with the stress of being good for…well, anything. I don't know. The information was now mixed in my head and I had no idea how to go around it when in a sorry state.

Because if many people here were carefree, how could they live with the burden of failing?

Fiyero was whooping from his successful eleventh shot. For some reason, I wanted to ask him. I looked around. Was it the right time to ask? I already know who I am…

But then, I remembered the last time I opened up to him on a matter I was brand new to. The whole time, he was patient and understanding.

Looking around again, nobody was paying attention to us.

So I started. "Hey, Fiyero. Can I ask you a…touchy question?"

The tiger turned to me with a raised eye. He took it well, laid-back, resting against the wooden leg holding up the stall's roof. "Sure."

"Umm, well. Been meeting lots of people. And old frenemies." I paused, hesitant in case I said something wrong. That was when the ruby suddenly pushed me to say this out loud. "Let's say you have been questioned a lot on whether you're a…mess. How do you get past that?"

Fiyero crossed his arms sternly. "I don't know what crazy gossip you engaged in, but I'm telling you, that's my own business. Don't even think of bringing up my exes."

"I-I didn't mean it like that way. I don't mean to be forgetful. I don't mean…" I paused. Sighing, I took a moment to think about what I wanted to say. "I'm curious. I wonder if it's just the stress or the shenanigans so far. Everyone seems to be having it better."

"What prompts you to think like that, mate?" asked Fiyero, letting his arms drop to the sides.

I took another deep breath. I had to clear my mind to determine my intentions. "You know, it's funny I'm still walking around. Yet, I still have enemies reminding me how soft I grew. They think I forgot about…my previous squad." That shouldn't have hurt when I said it. But it did and I took three seconds to compose myself. "Like…I don't even know if I'm a drain. They're not here anymore and I won't be able to know their story. I mean, I only felt bad when I was told what I did wrong or thought about it, but it doesn't mean I don't care, right?"

Fiyero's fur stood up a little. "My apologies, but your enemies could eat shit for all I know. You didn't do anything wrong to them, right?"

That was debatable. When I couldn't answer, Fiyero placed his bow and arrow to the side and came close to me.

"If I tell you, I ask you to listen," he said firmly. "My life might have been served on a silver platter, but at least I know I have to make money." When I nodded, he smiled and leaned back to make me comfortable. "You know the good thing about being a 'mess'? Makes you not try hard to be special. Just being with the people you love without placing yourself above."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that's a good thing? No offense, but my boss would call you a coward and a loser. He might also get jealous with how much money you got."

"So original," muttered Fiyero to himself. But he took a moment to think about it. "OK. Fair. But I have been trying to make stronger bonds with my friends. You know that Molly is uncomfortable around anyone she doesn't trust, yet she came to my party."

"And?"

"You're on community service, right? Molly told me. And if it's taking you a while to adjust here alongside your work, that's not wrong. You still remember your former friends?"

I swallowed the sorrow that nearly got me to hesitate. This time, I decided to keep it brief to not make it too long. "Even after they passed away, I still miss them. I just don't really like the reminder they're gone forever."

"I see then. But it's good you have memories of them. You told me one."

There was something that I didn't really get. There was still the possibility of forgetting everyone who helped you before.

"And what if, at your weakest, you lose that community that has been there to build your worth?" I asked. "What if everything you forget destroys everything you have now?"

Fiyero had another moment to think about it and his body weighed down in apparent guilt.

"Well, you just keep going," he said softly. "Like improving?" When I nodded that it tied to my situation, he smiled. "Well, I know I'm not smart or faithful, but I still try my best. If I lose all my family's money, I won't stop there. Just because someone thinks you're 'wasting your life' doesn't mean they see how you exactly feel and know."

I was about to correct him that I didn't exactly think I was wasting my life, but there was a sudden growl in his voice when he said so. It came to me that he must have dealt with this kind of pressure with his peers. Belittling him for doing something unacceptable, even for good reason.

"You can't exactly think whatever mistakes you made would haunt you forever. They might even lead you to a good thing." Fiyero picked back up his bow and arrow, needing to finish his last arrow. "Like, my sister nagged at me to take archery to stop going to parties. When I made my first shot, I felt like a hero like Molly. Can you believe that?"

Despite his levity at that time, his successful target at another target contradicted it. My ruby hummed happily in my chest. As I absorbed his advice, I saw Fiyero in a new light. He faced troubles before but was given a chance to make up for them. In the desert, it was do or die.

I even remembered my initial thoughts when Ice told me off for being clueless. In my time in the city, I was taking everything seriously. It still hurt thinking I didn't honor my squad in the way some would want me to, but I was still trying to find my way around in a place of second chances. I was already thinking about my squad now, right?

I was able to smile again, grateful to Fiyero. He smiled back, telling me I had come to the right person.

"I don't see why," I commented.

The tiger blushed bashfully, looking away. "Don't make me blush on that one. Seriously, DON'T."

By the time we were done, Fiyero had only missed one target and we came out with a good feeling. After understanding him better, I could say that I felt like I was ready to go on my way. The connections I made in the city reminded me of the good I did and could do in the future. I just hoped maybe I could erect a memorial for my squad later since I wanted to honor my memory of them.

"Hey," piped up Fiyero suddenly. "That's a lot of people here now."

Sure enough, there was a large crowd around the circus tent. There were many more coming out than those coming in. Then, it hit me.

"Part 2 is now ready, isn't it?" I asked. "I nearly forgot."

"Well, we had a lot in our stomachs," reminded Fiyero. "Maybe we can take a look inside?"

"You know I said earlier I don't feel like watching it."

"It can't hurt to decide again after looking inside."


When Agent Stone came to, it was still dark. No crap, he thought angrily. But he was surprised that he was still alive.

He looked around the corridor he was left in, but no one was around. Either everyone was dead or dragged away.

Stone was smart enough to know it wasn't worth standing in one spot and hoping it would be over. He got himself walking forward. He only paused once. The only time he acknowledged his legs were jerky and sore. He grunted, agitated by the pain. It never mattered to him. Agents like him were trained to endure all kinds of distractions. Walking with a slightly limp leg was no problem for him.

However, as he dragged himself, Stone failed to notice that his legs sore and something wet dripping on his face made him more vulnerable. His injuries were hidden by the darkness, but these animatronics could flip the lights on to show the weakling he refused to show. At the same time, the darkness invoked dread towards his upcoming challenges.

And with no safe way of seeing through the dangerous dark, he was only tripping around aimlessly, praying he didn't run into a stronger foe.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for him to find a door. Well, one with a sign written in bleeding red ink. With the words 'ONLY FOR THE MASTERS'.

This was extremely unhelpful. Agent Stone scowled at the sign, immediately grabbing the knob. Surprisingly light to twist. He was greeted with an equally dark room ahead. Footsteps from behind. He immediately rushed inside and shut the door behind him. Once he could confirm it was safe, he pulled out his flashlight and flicked it on.

It was a graveyard he stumbled upon. Mass piles of leftover machinery parts decorated the sides and corners of the place. Flashing his light around the scrap yard, he noticed two huge open entrances. Neither Sonic-EXE nor Akrasiel appeared there. He looked back at the hunk lying around.

Abandoned and broken animatronic parts. Heads of marionette dolls. All of them stained in oil or ink. The wide eyes sunken in their sockets were pointed at him despite looking dead.

Music suddenly played. Stone looked up to find a bunny animatronic head hanging from a rope tied to the ceiling. The music was playing from its open jaw as if taunting him. He shook his head in an attempt to show he didn't care. But he did. It sure became a reassuring sound compared to hearing the animatronics roars.

Something rushed past him. He could hear it. He turned his flashlight back to the messy pile, spotting SOMETHING at the corner of the light. Stone gulped. It wasn't going to be a friendly face he would be seeing.

He jumped back upon something light tickling his nose. A random string. Stepping back, he sighed at how harmless it was. Curiously, he scanned the flashlight upwards. It was connected to a black bar of ceiling lightbulbs. He quickly looked back in front to check. There was no one. He looked back at the string.

Worth the risk.

An incredible display of lightbulbs sparked and flashed to life as he pulled the string down hard. Stone felt warm inside as the entire room was coated in a popcorn-gold glare. No longer the gloomy and cold darkness. No animatronics in sight.

He did find Dave and Scott perched on a clown animatronic body.

Checkmate, thought Stone with a smirk.

Their small, oil-stained bodies were on top of the damaged body. Now exposed, they were frozen in position. Dave dropped the toolkit in his head. Scott was in the middle of pulling a slimy box-like object from the animatronic's neck.

Their horrified looks matched the blank, wide-eyed look of the animatronic.

"AHA!" yelled Stone, pulling out his gun.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" said Scott, immediately putting his hands in the air.

"I thought you were dead!" growled Dave.

"You little freaks," retorted Stone. "You made my work easier. I have a match in my belt."

Dave and Scott glanced at each other. Even after braving through the horror, they ended up in the hands of a G.U.N agent. Just like their fallen comrades? However, Dave's worried look changed into one of firmness. One of wanting to take control.

And when he turned around, his voice was low. "Now, hold on a second."

All three flinched at the sound of a huge, gritty crunch. The worst fear came to mind as they slowly turned around.

Sonic-EXE and Akrasiel.

But to their surprise, their ringmaster, Agatha, was there with them with buggy eyes.

It was uncanny seeing her more genuinely shocked expression in comparison to the blank, creepy stares given by the bulky animatronics on her sides.

"What in the tarnation is going on here?" muttered Agatha. But she made the connections when she spotted Dave and Scott in the middle of their little nitpicking. "Oh."

Now without the mask, Dave was left defenseless. "Agatha! How are you doing?"

Stone's first response was to turn his gun at Agatha. "G.U.N! I demand you stand down right now, Agatha."

Agatha hummed, sheepish. "Right…right…know what, let's just take out the trash first."

Stone blinked and the two animatronics were suddenly gone. Followed by loud squawking and yelling. He twirled around to find Sonic-EXE and Akrasiel picking up Dave and Scott. He turned back. Agatha hadn't even moved a muscle from her position.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" screamed Dave, feeling those meaty paws grabbing his wrist. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Both delinquents started screaming as they were lifted up by the deadly duo. It was hard for them to twist around, only able to turn their heads to look at their dead eyes and gaping jaws. Those teeth inside looked like they were ready to bite them fully. Just one look got them hysterical, kicking their legs around in panic.

Hearing those screams was enough to make the aloof Stone shudder and wince, especially when the two animatronics began to move away. In a way, he felt a bit sorry for them. After his encounter with Sonic-EXE, Stone could imagine those things crushing their heads until their eyes popped out.

If Dave and Scott made it out alive, then those bloody eyes and tears would haunt them forever.

As Sonic-EXE and Akrasiel carried them away slowly, Agatha didn't look too worried by the likely outcome. Stone slowly turned his eyes to her warily, watching her coming closer to him.

"You're not going to kill them?" he asked warily. "Or me?"

"What? Heavens no!" Agatha quickly said, a bit casually. "They look like wayward druggies, so they'll be taken out unharmed."

"And what about me?" asked Stone, putting his hands on his hips.

"Don't worry! If you're here to interrogate me, you're at the right time!" Agatha then dropped the smile. "I would have appreciated it if you came to me without snooping around."

Stone narrowed his eyes, scanning the jackal from top to bottom. He tried looking for any weapons attached to her. Her jacket was as smooth as a wall. No gun hidden. No slapstick tricks hidden. Stone tested this out, briefly darting his eyes away. However, Agatha didn't dare to make a move.

That didn't excuse her deadly robots.

Reluctantly, Stone hung his head. He was looking forward to melting the leader of the Lightning Bolt Society. If Agatha was lying, she would have beaten him to it and she probably knew he had weapons in the same room.

Stone awkwardly grumbled as he slowly pulled out his radio, contacting a nearby unit. "I need backup now to arrest two members of the Lightning Bolt Club. They should be outside my current location."

Just when things looked like they could return back to normal, Stone and Agatha were met with another surprise as Sonic-EXE and Akrasiel took their captives away.

The two animatronics passed by the terrified Obsidian and the repulsed Fiyero watching.


I couldn't unsee what was in front of me.

What was Dave doing here?! How did I miss out on that?!

Well, it became the least of my worries when two giant…mascots passed us wordlessly, carrying two screaming kids away. I felt sick in the stomach. That was the Oreos speaking for me. Fiyero took it well. Sort of. He slowly lifted one hand over his mouth, looking queasy. I sniffed. Rotten flesh. I suddenly had the image of those things slurping on Dave's insides.

"This isn't the bathroom…" I muttered.

"Oh, I'm gonna be sick," groaned Fiyero.

I couldn't get past my shock, not helped that the room was littered with doll parts and train wheels tainted in black. Despite feeling eager from the warm popcorn smell, I lost my appetite in this place. Moreso at the realization that the gritty Agent Stone was stuck here alongside another jackal.

"Oh, hello there!" said the ringmaster jackal, chipper. "Didn't expect the tour to start here!"

I half-heartedly gave her a wave before I turned my attention to Stone. Fiyero gave me a glance and I gave him a nod. The two of us came forward as we dared.

"Agent Stone?" I muttered.

Stone rubbed the back of his head. "Obsidian, remember when I said I'm investigating Ice's links?"

A fresh wave of nausea flooded through me. But this had nothing to do with the amount of candy I ate before. Nor the rotting smell from those blue and yellow giants. This had to do with the contact card Breezie gave away…and how that connected to Stone's current investigation. The place we were sitting in was a literal circus! How come I didn't expect this?

I tried thinking back to when Breezie showed the card to me and Antoine. The one that dropped out from Ice's jacket. But all I remembered was its cute circus symbols and Ice's blood smeared over it. The words were blurry. Foolish, I rubbed my face with both hands.

"Why? Why? Why?" I moaned. "Why didn't I think about that?"

I could feel Fiyero sympathetically patting my back. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed with lamenting this. I nearly put Fiyero close to harm!

"Last night was already rough for you and the rest of Team Blood," said Stone. "In any case, I would have asked you what you're doing here with an innocent person."

"He invited me to Twinkle Park," said Fiyero quickly. When he turned to the ringmaster jackal, he became curious. "Don't mean to be biased, but is she…a wanted criminal?"

Agatha shuffled her feet, her tail curling around them awkwardly. "I left that life long ago. I promise my boys won't harm Scott and Rog-no, Dave. They'll just sit in the trash until Stone's buddies pick them up."

I sighed in relief. OK, so this night wasn't that bad. At least not murdery judging by Stone's tired posture. "Thank God for this!"

Stone raised an eyebrow. "How do you explain that Ice has your contact?"

Even without the contact card, the ringmaster immediately knew the situation.

Noticeably, her sunny aura was replaced by a somber frown. "Ice and I were close by proximity, so I'm his free-to-hire mechanic. But I'm not in league with him. He's difficult to talk to." In frustration and visible pain, she pulled on her hat's rim, stressed out. "That news last night? He rambled to me before how he was gonna stuff every 'American pig' with more lead than they usually experience! Can you believe the nerve of that guy?!"

Suddenly, this was something we could agree on. I would have said these things as well.

But as she rambled a little about Ice's attitude, there was something familiar about how she retained her energy, nearly never stopping to remain calm. First when she was peppy and the second when she pulled on her hat. Pulling on her hat, where did I see this before…?

"Then why the hostile animatronics?" asked Stone. "Are they possessed?"

It came to my attention that Stone wasn't in a good state. There was a cut on his forehead, bleeding. He had a black eye as well. He was limping due to the way his leg leg slightly bent at one angle. No, not the exaggerated way. Me and Fiyero turned our eyes to the ringmaster with the latter hissing under his breath.

"...I don't remember those animatronics being possessed!" the ringmaster said innocently. "I made them because they would appeal to the youth! Kids are into mascot horror. It was also at the time when I learnt how Sonic was. Never before have I seen chili hot dogs trending over social media. He's everywhere like any legendary IP."

The socially savvy Fiyero crossed his arms with a lame look.

"The Scrumptious + Rambunctious Circus already have too many clowns. So, I thought, why not combine the two popular concepts?"

Stone was understandably seething by the motivation. "You created dangerous machines all for a trend?"

"It's a harmless one!" insisted the ringmaster innocently. "They were meant to be scary to attract more people."

Fiyero cringed, shivering. "Customer complaint. I don't think the real Sonic and Tails would approve this. You're just asking for trouble in basing real-life people into work like THIS."

"But there's nothing wrong about using lovable personas as horror icons! It's already instrumental for indie creators."

Judging by the silence met, there was no favor in making Sonic and Tails into creepy animatronics capable of murder. Even if they wouldn't hurt Dave. This ringmaster looked genuine on the thought such a 'trend' would work well. If I didn't know how much of an impact violent and graphic content could have in today's world, then this made a lot of sense.

Eventually, the ringmaster felt the unnerved silence. "Dang it. I thought there be many followers as much as haters." She eventually acknowledged what Dave went through and reached out her hand to him for a handshake. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stone. I don't mean to scare you with my creations. From now on, I'll have their prototypes ignore you and the other G.U.N agents."

Stone didn't look too ready to get over this night. Not surprising since his bruises made him look ready to pass out. He observed the ringmaster from top to bottom. As an agent, he would look out for any buzzers in her hands. When he looked at her face, the ringmaster's apologetic, sheepish smile softened his firm look.

To my surprise, he seemed to understand her pretty quickly and shook her hand.

"Sorry as well," he said, sounding distant. "I thought you were shady."

My ruby muttered something inaudible yet again. Likely towards Stone. The quiet voice suddenly got the ringmaster's attention towards me and Fiyero.

"Oh! I nearly forgot to introduce myself." The ringmaster bowed very low, so low her hat almost touched the ground. "My name is Agatha! Former member of the Jackal Squad, successor of T.W. Barker and the youngest director to ever lead the Scrumption + Rambunctious Circus!"

Fiyero returned the greeting and shook her hand. However, I didn't move. My mind was locked on those words: Jackal Squad. I took one closer look at Agatha's cheerful smile and unrestrained energy. She…she looked like Agatha from before, but her appearance was drastically different compared to now…

"Wait, you were in the Jackal Squad?" I started.

That rang a bell in Agatha's ears. She looked at me and her smile faded. She looked up at the bandanna wrapped around my head. A glimmer of recognition shone over her golden eyes. With a soft coo, she tilted her head curiously. It was then I suddenly remembered her fully.

"You look familiar," she said, her voice hushed.

"Obsidian used to come from the Jackal Squad," said Stone. "But…you two actually know each other? Agatha, I don't think we ever got to hold onto any known history records of you…"

We weren't in the same way we knew each other from before. Not with the clothes we wore. Agatha looked like she had come from another world. Like Ice, I didn't have many memories of her due to her short-lived time in our squad. However, her golden eyes sparkled and fluttered upon remembering me.

"I remember now! Oh, my Chaos!" Agatha was bouncing up and down in barely restrained glee, shaking my hand. "It's been so long, Obsidian!"

I was speechless, my eyes widened. As my brain kicked into the right gear, I remembered that Agatha was a mechanic on my squad for half a year. Stayed around the time Ice joined the team. One thing that I remembered was her cheery output despite the gruesome and serious work. Being one of the girls liking to tease Zero's tryhard attitude.

Agatha was one never fazed by anything. That tied to her good listening skills and her apparent search for the city's culture.

"The last time I saw you, you were about like this tall!" I finally said, astonished. "And what did you do to your hair?"

Agatha grinned, twirling her braided ponytail around. "I did it myself! Oh, I dyed it. Turns out, having white hair is easy to put dye on."

I grinned, giving her a quick hug. "It looks good on you."

Fiyero slapped on my back, pumped. "Sick! You didn't tell me you had old friends here! Was she your girlfriend?"

Stone suddenly wheezed, holding onto his stomach with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "We didn't have enough time to date."

"I only stuck around with his squad for six months before I went off on a solo career," explained Agatha humbly.

Fiyero hummed in acknowledgement. Then, he got distracted when the tip of my wagging tail brushed against his legs. Agatha's bushy tail was wagging as well. I couldn't help myself grinning. While my meeting with Ice turned rancid, I was really happy to see another fellow member of the Jackal Squad.

"How did you even manage to run this circus?" I asked, amazed. "How long?"

Agatha guffawed, bringing me in for a side hug. "Well, ever since 2015. It wasn't that easy. I confessed my crimes to another police service earlier, so I had to do community service. And therapy. For two years. And working as a mechanic intern, I got the attention and there came the opportunity!"

How she spent the opportunity was questionable, but the circus was still running with no complaints and a large audience to boost that. That would take a lot of hard work to find a successful job. One that Agatha enjoyed so far.

"I can't believe you're still alive!" said Agatha, happily shaking me. "Lance and I heard about the rumors and we thought the latest lineup of the Jackal Squad was dead. Were you actually nearby?"

"He's actually a temporary agent of G.U.N for his community service," informed Stone.

Agatha whistled. "Oooh, that's rough, buddy."

"Eh, it's fine by me," I reassured. "I'm happy where you are at now. Sorry that I didn't check to see if anybody was in town. I knew the other jackals were working for G.U.N, but they were busy as well…"

"It's all good!" said Agatha, rubbing my hair. "I can call Lance. He should be around."

"Thanks!" I gave Fiyero a knowing look. "Tonight has been filled with surprises, huh?"

The tiger gave the same look, smiling. "The best ones."


AN: Unfortunately, I have to cut right there. I might have overwritten a few things and my writing style wasn't polished today, so sorry this chapter was a bit anti-climactic. But we will be having one scene of Obsidian and Agatha before showing what will happen next.

At the same time as wondering if it should be here, the flashback of Obsidian, Paz and Ace is a sign that the former hasn't forgotten about his former squad. I actually enjoyed writing this silly, cheerful memory and now craving to write more about the squad. It helps that I give more character to Paz since despite being the canon jackal with the red scarf, he was only said to be the thoughtful strategist. I can confirm that Ace and Paz are autistic as well though I imagine them on different sides of the spectrum.

No need to worry about Agatha's animatronics. I can confirm they are just machines and don't embody any supernatural or demonic forces. In fact, the real inspirations behind them and Agatha's reasoning came from Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Mickey's Mouse Trap. Yes. Those movies are real. And I hate them. It's a deconstruction of lazy/disturbing horror-themed adaptations of kids' properties. Something Stone and Fiyero rightfully called Agatha out. Though, unlike advantageous creators, Agatha doesn't mean to copy Sonic's and Tails' image for malicious intent, if not misguided. She already has a lot of lawsuits doing the talking.

Obsidian and Fiyero playing the rigged space shooting game is a reference to Despicable Me and Helluva Boss. The only original idea is Obsidian doing the most plausible thing a muscular guy could do. Interestingly, Fiyero's master skill in archery and interest in becoming a movie star reference Tommy Thunder from Sonic Boom.

Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. If there is any feedback or constructive criticism you want to share, let me know in your review.

Until next time, keep on rocking!