Path of the Hunters [PART 4] (NSFW)

"Kane," Aurélie hissed. "Calm down! Or you may just end up killing the girl yourself!"

*

He frowned, tails twisting together.

Kane slid to a stop, the blades aimed at him passing through him. He sighed heavily. "...Bof."

*

"You really should try to unwind, Trip. I mean, just look at Yue." Said girl was guzzling her drink, looking as happy as ever.

Sunny melted those blades before they could hit Mani or Briggs, scowling. Aurélie sighed. "Keep. Calm."

*

The fox shrugged. She didn't have the actual memories... the actual experiences...

He took a deep breath. "I 'aven't been this close in a long time..."

"Then finish the job, this time!" Briggs said, wrenching the blade away from a fox, stabbing him in the neck with it. "But don't get everyone killed along the way!"

*

"She's just as worried about her parents, as you are yours, okay?"

Aurélie glanced back, moving ahead of Kane to lead. "We will get both femmes safe and sound."

*

He nodded. "Uh-huh..."

He nodded. "Of course..."

"How much further?" Mani asked.

*

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good kid, Trip. She just wants to see you have a good time."

Sunny skidded to a stop and stairs appeared out of nowhere. "Right up there."

*

He sighed, looking up at her. He thought a moment, then asked, "Can we go exploring and just not tell...?"

Kane advanced for the stairs, a bit more cautious. Briggs followed, Mani covering their backs with dart fire.

*

She raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Your secret's safe with me, kiddo."

Sunny just bolted up and, seconds later, screams were heard. "Come on!" she snapped.

*

He nodded and hopped off the bed. "C'mon, Yue." His smile was shy again, his body still trembling as he tried to block out the memories.

"Shit!" Briggs and Mani rushed up as well, Kane following close behind.

*

"Hm?" She had just finished her drink, and looked down at him. She smiled when she caught on, and hopped off the bed. "So you're gonna give it a try, huh?"

Aurélie darted up as well, grabbing her shoulder and taking steps back when something struck it. "Merde! Plastique!"

"Yeah," Sunny snapped. "They're at the other end of the hall, through all this shit!"

*

The kit nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Kane pulled back, deflecting an number of blades. He glanced at a spot on his shoulder, where he had been nicked. "Blast... Wait." He brought a hand to his ear: his com unit was still in place! "Damien, do you read? We need help!"

"What needs killing?"

"Bunch o' fuckheads," Sunny muttered.

"Second floor hallway," Kane explained. "From the left, second to fifth window. Keep it clean, if you can."

"You heard the man, no mercy."

There was a chorus of affirmitives, and the enemies started dropping, courtesy of the hard-sound rifles of Shadow Squad. Took only a few seconds to wipe them out. Leaving them with no leads as to where the shots came from.

"Area suppressed." Stated the deep voice of one of the snipers.

There was a muffled cry that Sunny recognized all too well. Star. She charged up the stairs without a moment's hesitation, Aurélie on her heels a moment later.

Briggs followed closely behind, followed by Kane and Mani. Then there was another scream, one Kane recognized. "Hang on!" He surged ahead of everyone, wrenching the door open. On the other side, there was a hedgecat girl at one corner, a collie kneeling in another, and a gray echidna in another, holding a fox off the ground, by his neck. Said fox tried weakly to escape Cross' vice grip, but it was hopeless...

"Don't kill him yet!" Mani shouted. Cross glanced over, his fierce green eyes returning to their usual violet, and he tossed the man into the wall. "...He's mine."

*

"All right!" She grinned widely, taking his hand.

Elesis laughed. "You two have fun now, okay?"

"O-kay!"

The hedgecat looked terrified and a bit beat up. Sunny grabbed her shoulders and she yelped weakly, eyes dazed. "Holy shit, Star." The dog's grip gentled instantly, but there was no sign of recognition from the hedgecat. "Holy fuck..."

"It is per'aps shock," Aurélie said quietly. She stood over the dog and hedgecat, looking around to make sure no one else showed up. As far as she was concerned, the fox could die - whoever he was.

*

Trip blushed. "'Kay."

"I think so," Briggs said, looking at the ceiling above... Or lack thereof. "Apparently, Cross tore through the ceiling like a meteor. I'd be shocked, too... Hold up." His gaze turned to the fox. "I know him! That's the guy we pinched back then! The sex ringleader! Shit, he was supposed to have a triple life sentence!"

"It doesn't matter," Mani said darkly, looming over the fox. "As of right now, I'm sentencing him to death."

Panting, the fox spat in her face. He said something in French, which Mani understood as "Fuck you," more or less. In the next instant, he was pinned down by a multitude of knives, courtesy of Kane.

*

Yue blushed as well, scratching her head with her free hand. "So, um... Wanna lead?"

Star mumbled something, tears filling her eyes. Sunny blinked. "Shit. Is Cross calmed down enough to get the hell over here?"

*

He shook his head. "I... I trust you." It was the highest compliment he could pay anyone.

Said echidna took a deep breath, walked over to Star, gingerly wrapping his arms around her. "...I'm sorry I took so long..."

Mani wiped the spit from her face, pulled out a syringe of black steel, the liquid inside pulsating a menacing crimson. "Normally, this is meant to save lives. However, for you, it will cause death. Slow, excruciating, silent." With one final dark glare in the fox's eyes, she stuck the needle into his jugular. "Give my regards to your father." ...and injected the fluid. She rose, walked away, not bothering to watch his violent convulsions.

*

She smiled warmly. "...Okay." She walked out of the room, leading the kit in a random direction.

"We should go," Aurélie murmured, sighing.

Sunny nodded, eyes on Star. She was clinging to Cross, shivering. "I'm all for that..."

*

He went willingly, forcing away the terror that tended to spring up once he was away from a trusted adult.

[My messengers aren't working -_-]

"Me too," Cross said, barely noticing Sol, Nova and Crescent dropping down from the hole in the ceiling.

Kane pulled the unconscious collie into his arms, looking in her face solemnly, trying not to gaze at the scar on her chest(The result of a slash from the fox, which Mani promptly healed). "...Mission accomplished," he spoke into his com piece. "Ready for extraction."

*

"Hm... You think it'll work for both of us?"