The atmosphere in the Staten Island Mall shifted as Buffy and Deadpool cautiously moved deeper into the sprawling space. The flickering fluorescent lights overhead buzzed ominously, casting long shadows that danced along the walls. After their encounter with the small dogs, they hoped the worst was over. However, as they entered a more deserted section of the mall, an unsettling, much deeper growl echoed, sounding more menacing than before.
"Oh, shit, I think the mini doggo vamps were just the beginning!" She noted.
"Yeah, it sounds larger and scarier," He confitmed, adjusting his swords.
"Let's hope it's just a bad burrito," she replied, eyeing the shadows warily. But just then, a massive silhouette emerged from the darkness—a Great Dane with glowing red eyes and foam dripping from its snarling mouth.
"Okay, that's not a pup!" He shouted, backing up a step. "That's Mr. Ed with a grudge!"
Before they could react, the Great Dane charged, its powerful muscles propelling it forward. Buffy barely had time to sidestep as it barreled past her, slamming into a nearby display.
"What's next, a Dracula St. Bernard?" Deadpool quipped nervously as he dodged the beast's snapping jaws.
Suddenly, a second figure emerged—a massive St. Bernard, equally menacing, its fangs gleaming as it lumbered toward them. "You just had to ask!" Buffy shouted, brandishing her stake. "We need to take these down before they rally some kind of pack!"
The Great Dane lunged again, and Buffy met it head-on, driving her stake into its side as it howled in pain. The creature exploded into ash, but the victory was short-lived as the St. Bernard lunged, knocking her off her feet.
"Buffy!" Deadpool shouted, leaping forward with a wild swing of his sword, managing to clip the St. Bernard's flank. It snarled, redirecting its attention to him. "Maybe we should have just stayed at home binge-watching Severance!"
"Right? We'll never know what happens if we don't take out these beasts!" she yelled, kipping to her feet and back into the fray.
Before they could catch their breath, a trio of other large breeds emerged from the darkness: a hulking German Shepherd, a stocky Pit Bull, and a massive Rottweiler. They advanced in unison, their eyes glowing with a predatory intensity.
"And there they are!" Wilson exclaimed to her, dodging a lunging Rottweiler. "This isn't what I signed up for! I thought we were up against lil' Dracula puppies, not fuckin' mass-Cujos!"
"Focus, Wade!" She shouted as she leaped onto a nearby kiosk to gain higher ground. "We can't let them corner us!"
Buffy prepared to leap onto the St. Bernard, jaws snapping. She barely managed to land on its back, grabbing its collar and attempting to subdue it, but the creature shook her off with surprising strength, sending her crashing to the floor a second time.
"Buffy!" Deadpool repeated even louder, but he was too busy dodging the Pit Bull's relentless attacks to help her. He ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the dog's snapping jaws as it sprang forward again.
"Let's go!" Buffy grunted, scrambling back to her feet. She launched herself at the Rottweiler, staked it just as it snapped at her, and dust swirled around her. But the St. Bernard was already on her, its massive frame barreling into her side and sending her sprawling once more.
"I'm starting to suspect these aren't ordinary dogs!" she panted, feeling the impact of the blow. "We need a different strategy!"
"Agreed!" Deadpool grunted, finally taking a defensive stance as the remaining creatures surrounded them. He could feel a painful throb in his side where the German Shepherd had managed to bite him. "Feels like we've got a little too much pup on our plate!"
With renewed determination, they tried to fight back against the onslaught. Buffy launched a flurry of attacks, but the sheer size and strength of the larger breeds made every blow feel like a monumental task. Deadpool, still full of quips despite the chaos, swung his sword, but it was becoming increasingly evident that they were outmatched.
After a few more tense moments, as they struggled against the powerful dogs, it became clear they couldn't hold on much longer. Buffy felt a sharp pain in her arm, a reminder that the dogs were landing blows of their own.
"Wade, we need to get out of here!" she shouted, her voice rising above the snarls.
"Yeah, let's paws this fight!" he agreed, retreating as he slashed at a charging Pit Bull, finally catching its attention and redirecting it toward him.
"Go!" Buffy urged, watching as he distracted the pack. "I'll cover you!"
With a reluctant nod, Deadpool darted back toward the exit, and Buffy followed closely, using her agility to maneuver around the giant dogs. As they reached a corner of the mall, a frantic bark rang out as the dogs regrouped, their eyes glinting with predatory intent.
"Go! Go!" He urged as he lunged at the nearest dog, aiming for one last strike. "We can't stick around for Nightmare at the Westminster Dog Show!"
"Get moving!" Buffy yelled, pushing past him, adrenaline surging as they raced for the exit. They barreled through a side door, leaving the howls of the dogs behind them.
Breathless and bruised, they stumbled into the parking lot, the cool night air hitting their faces as they leaned against a nearby car, panting.
"That was way more intense than I expected!" Buffy said, trying to catch her breath. "I'm sticking to goldfish for a pet."
"I'm thinking more along the lines of cat videos on the internet," the mercenary replied, grimacing as he checked the bite mark on his side. "Those big guys were not messing around! But at least we lived to tell the tale!"
"Yeah, let's not make this a habit," the Slayer said, shaking her head, her expression serious despite the absurdity of their situation. "Next time, we get a better plan."
As they caught their breath, the gravity of their encounter settled in, both feeling the weight of their injuries and the reminder that the fight was far from over. But for now, they could take solace in the fact that they had survived…so far.