TRIGGERFINGER (ORIGINAL STORY) - SEASON ONE

S01E08 Plans Revealed! The Hellhound Strikes! (Part One)

The group dispersed as the Hellhound charged, narrowly avoiding its colossal teeth. Ash shot out a few fire bullets but all they did was singe the beast's fur. Meadow flicked her wand from side to side and sent out a flurry of air blasts but that only angered the Hellhound, as it let out a ferocious roar. It charged at Meadow but before it could reach her, Bolt sent an arrow straight into its back leg. Shade then buried the arrow even deeper into it by whacking the back of it with his shadow bokken, like a hammer to a nail. The Hellhound, unaffected, kicked out its back leg and sent Shade flying straight into Bolt, both colliding with the dirt.

Meadow rotated her wrist and the sand around the Hellhound rose into the air, and she flung it straight into the beast's eyes. The Hellhound shook around, and rubbed its eyes with a paw, then viciously snarled. It charged for Meadow again, and opened its jaw wide but this time Ash stood in the way, firing a round of bullets straight into its mouth. The Hellhound barely winced however, and violently swung its paw, knocking Ash and Meadow out of the way.

Shade was back up now, and he ran up the Hellhound's tail and onto its back. He began stabbing down with his sword but the sword was merely a toothpick to the Hellhound. It stood up on its hindlegs, and Shade fell off. He flipped through the air and landed on the ground but was immediately whipped with the Hellhound's wicked tail. Bolt was up once again, and fired another arrow, this time jabbing its way into the Hellhound's side but no use as it still had no signs of slowing down.

"Where's a storm when I need one?!" Bolt screamed, looking to the skies.

Meadow, hearing Bolt's pleas from the ground, flicked her wand out and a small storm cloud appeared above him. He gave Meadow a nod and aimed an arrow at the miniature storm cloud, attempting to draw in energy and turn it into an electrical current. A spark came out from the cloud and sizzled as it hit the arrow, engulfing it in lightning. He pulled back the string of his bow and sent the arrow flying through the air straight into the Hellhound's face. It was merely a small electric shock however, that the Hellhound easily shook off.

It turned its attention to Bolt and let out yet another ferocious roar, vibrating the air around it, the force of the roar knocking Bolt off his feet. It turned back to Ash and Meadow, who got up off the ground, and both noticed something. The beast's eyes were no longer fueled with rage but instead, a deep sadness. Ash looked at Meadow with a raised brow, who looked back at him concerned, then it spoke. Help me... it said, begging, right before it began slamming its paws against the ground.

"Did you hear that?" Meadow asked, as she jumped back, avoiding the attack.

Ash nodded, too, jumping back. "It sounded like it asked for our help."

Both of them stopped, staring as the beast continued to rampage.

***

"What's the meaning of all this?!" Kore demanded, staring Maximus in the eyes.

"Meaning of what?" Maximus chuckled.

"You know what I'm talking about! All these games you've been playing! It doesn't make any sense!"

"So, what?" Maximus tilted his head. "You want that classic villainous monologue where I explain to you all of my plans? Argh, fine..."

Kore felt an itching in his shirt, and something came buzzing out of the collar. It was the size of a mosquito and went buzzing over to Maximus. He held out an index finger and it carefully landed on top. He smiled and put it in his front pocket.

"You remember when you were fighting off those drones?" Maximus began. "Well, you missed the most important of the bunch. In other words, I've been listening this entire time. I even know your name, Kore."