"We've got green, and we've got red. Now, I've been having a bit of a spicy aftertaste, and I'm guessing it has to do with one of these dots. Green peppers, maybe? Ah, but those punches aren't really that mean. Ooh, but jalapeños on the other hand." The pondering pig turned his head. "Thoughts, my compadre?"
From his red solo cup, the bunny took a sip.
"I'm still trying to figure out how you've been staring at that potato chip for half an hour straight."
The duo idled in the ample office space, chatter burrowing into their eardrums as all around, their peers of the security department mingled. Most, if not all, had their hands filled with snacks such as cupcakes and cheese sticks, courtesy of the food tables arranged accordingly.
Hangry gestured to the sole bag of Doritos in his grasp.
"Can you blame me?" he asked. "With a flavor like this, you can't help but think about the recipe. I need answers!"
Another sip.
"I think you just need to eat the damn chip."
The two had placed themselves towards the back wall, away from the crowds.
"Well, what choice do I have?" Hangry asked. "It's not like I can just go kahoot with the others. Don't wanna leave you behind."
"And I keep telling you it's fine," Lucky assured. "Go have your fun, good sir."
"What? And have you stand around like a loner? Wouldn't be a good look for the chief of the department now, would it?"
The rabbit sighed. "I knew I should've volunteered to take rounds around the Division."
Hangry poked his friend's arm.
"C'mon," he said. "Quit being so stiff. Loosen up! This is a party, after all."
There's only one place I'd like to be right now.
Her image flowed into Lucky's mind—that precious mortal who always knew just how to make his smile bloom.
"You'll see her," Hangry said, seemingly reading the bunny's thoughts. "And when you do, you'll get to tell her all about what kind of big shot you are now."
Lucky chuckled. "Wouldn't, exactly, call myself a big shot."
"More of a big shot than her."
The pig pointed towards the other end of the room, where the third of their trio shook her body all about beside two other animatronics—another chicken and a blue bunny.
"What in the world is she doing?"
"I don't even hear any music," Lucky pointed out.
Before the pair's circuits could fry from the confusion, a new person took center stage: the head of the West herself, Miss Lamella.
"Attention," she said from the front of the room.
An instant hush as the respect owed was given.
The alpha demon smiled. "I would just like to give my thanks to all of you for your hard work. Because of your efforts, this quarter can now be deemed a successful one, with our casualties across the Division kept to a pleasing minimum. Great jobs all around."
The crowd offered their round of applause.
"I know it may not look like it," Miss Lamella continued, "but all that you do is helping to make a difference. Happiness is coming together more frequently, and families are able to live their lives without fear of needless violence. Make no mistake: the West will become the Division where peace is the standard, not an anomaly, where our savage instincts will melt away in favor of solid civility. We will break the mold of a senseless demon, and with that victory, we will help change the world, one monster at a time."
A sense of awe washed over the mass, some glassy-eyed at Miss Lamella's soothing syllables.
"I see why she's a Keeper," Hangry whispered.
"Now, a few words from the chief of the department himself." Miss Lamella gestured towards Lucky, sending every iota of the spotlight his way.
The bunny froze.
That wasn't very nice.
"Um . . . Thanks, I think," he uttered. "I know it ain't the longest message, but I'm sure the point gets across just fine. I'm proud of each and every single one of you, and I'm glad I have the opportunity to watch over you guys."
Lucky raised his cup. "Here's to another fine quarter!"
The others joined in. "Another fine quarter!"
A second later and the jovial atmosphere returned, the smooth chatter blending back into the air.
Although, the rabbit already had fatigue grinding against his gears.
"Is this the egotistical Lucky I see nervous?" Hangry poked. "What happened to all that bravado you usually carry around?"
"Put a sock in it," Lucky hissed. "Even I wanna mellow out sometimes."
The pig chuckled.
"Mr. Lucky."
The pair turned their heads to spot the foreign fox now standing beside them.
"Marvis," Lucky greeted.
Instantly, the scene at the karaoke bar unfolded within him, staining his mouth with a rather bad taste. Nonetheless, he kept with the polite facade.
"I just wanted to commend you personally for your hard work," the fox said. "Being a department chief isn't easy, and till my very last day—today—I've been nothing but impressed."
He offered a handshake, which the rabbit kindly echoed.
"I'm glad the West didn't let you down," Lucky said.
"Absolutely not. I'm sure the East can learn something here."
The chief raised an eyebrow. "East? I thought you were from the South."
Marvis chuckled shyly. "Slip of the tongue. My mistake."
Before Lucky's curiosity could manifest, a group of young demons approached, their eyes glimmering like stars.
"Lucky-senpai!" one of them sang.
"You're such a cool chief!" another hollered.
The rabbit quickly found himself drowning in the sea of compliments, overwhelmed by the rush.
"Not too close," he begged. "Where do you think you're touching!?"
Hangry busted into a hearty laugh, whereas Marvis bid his farewell.
He observed the popular leader from across the room, his frustration boiling as he crushed his solo cup between his fingers.
"Lucky . . . Sorry to say, ol' chap, but I'll be taking that crown from you."
* * *
"Left foot on green."
The pig grunted, shifting his leg as his stance became more twisted.
Another go at the spinner.
"Okay. Right hand on yellow."
The chicken, meanwhile, gave her triumphant laugh, only having to slide her fingers mere inches to the side.
"Ha!" she chided. "Easy peasy!"
Hangry grimaced. "This is rigged! Has to be!"
In the penthouse living room, the two of them duked it out in a game of Twister. (How it got to this point, I couldn't tell you. Something about being more flexible than a rubber band, I think?)
Meanwhile, Lucky and I had plopped ourselves on the couch close by, the game's spinner on my lap as my boyfriend wore a beyond visible look of genuine disappointment.
"We're the ones who helped keep the Division safe this quarter," he reminded himself. "Us right here."
"And we're gonna do it again!" Hangry's knee buckled. "Hey, stop hitting your leg against mine, Penny! Cheater!"
His opponent furrowed her brow. "The game's called 'Twister', you buffoon! Means we're gonna be close to each other!"
"Sounds like something a cheater would say!"
"Congratulations," I said to L. "Thank you for your hard work."
"No problem," he replied. "Granted, I didn't really do much for you, per se."
I shook my head. "I wouldn't say that. You help take care of the big baddies, and in turn, they don't come into my world to rock it upside down. I'd say you're doing more than enough."
My bunny blushed, rubbing the back of his head shyly.
"There he goes, being all bashful again," Hangry noted. "Just like with those fangir— Ah!"
The pig collapsed onto his back.
"Ha!" Penny bragged, standing tall. "Looks like this is one for my books."
"You got lucky. With that ginormous frame of yours—"
Vicious as a bull, the chicken yanked on Hangry's cheeks.
"Wanna say that again?" she hissed.
"I shorry," the victim spat.
I, on the other hand, stayed glued to his comment.
"You have fangirls?" I asked L. "That's a thing?"
"Oh yeah," Hangry said. "All the younguns are in love. They're practically all over him— Ow!"
Lucky shoved his foot into his friend's shin.
I smiled shyly.
"That's not anything to hide," I assured him. "You're the chief, so of course you're gonna look cool. I mean, that's why I fell in love with you. Er, that's not the only reason. Obviously, I have, like, a billion, and I clearly couldn't say them all. What was I saying again?"
Silence quickly rolled through as the trio stared at me like the loon I painted myself as.
Awkwardness is a b*tch.
Thankfully, my boyfriend understood my faulty design, or at the very least, he didn't seem to mind, for with a gentle touch, he caressed the top of my head.
"I love you too," he said. "And don't worry. I could run into the finest broads this side of the dimension and I'd still come back to you." He grinned. "You're the only one for me."
As red as strawberries, my cheeks bloomed, hotter than an eon-old star.
"Th-Thanks," I whispered.
Hangry gaped. "You guys really wanna make me cancel my Shmexy Ribs subscription."
Your what now?
As for Penny, she was less than impressed.
"If you guys are gonna flirt," she said, "at least don't be sitting around while you do it. Be active!" She wore her pride on her sleeve. "Take it from me. I won my game of Twister."
"Wouldn't really say you won," Hangry pointed out. "You're just so big, you shoved me out the—"
And there goes the next splash of rage, kicked off by the chicken bashing her toes into the pig's shin.
"Stop hitting me there!" he whined.
As the pair duked it out, my boyfriend grabbed my hand.
"Come on," he said. "Let's grab some drinks."
He led me out of the penthouse and into the hallway, presumably to the vending machines lazing around at the far end.
However, as we reached our destination, Lucky paused.
"L?" I asked.
"Funny how the universe works," he said. "Truth be told, there are times when I worry about that type of thing: you leaving. I know, I know—pretty out of character for me. But anything can happen."
Somberness crept into his face, the chambers of his soul cooling into a rich blueness.
"I suppose I'm still expecting to lose something."
He gave me a light smile.
"Just know that if this doesn't last, if you ever feel the need to move on, don't hesitate to do so. Your happiness means more to me than anything else."
My response: to kiss him on the lips, making both of us gape as our faces exploded with heat.
"I'm not going anywhere," I promised, holding his hand. "Not when you mean so much to me."
Between us, our scarlet thread tightened, pulling our hearts ever so closer.
And I intended to strengthen that bond even further.
"Lucky," I said, "there's something I have to tell you." My fingers dug into his. "It's . . . It's about those dreams I had before."
L's face stiffened with worry.
"Lucky, I—"
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
Suddenly, a new voice joined the conversation, and as Lucky and I turned our heads, we spotted another . . . another rabbit sauntering our way.
Like L, this figure stood on two feet, his golden person humanoid; in fact, I'd argue he, too, was an animatronic, the way his narrow ears stayed poking upward, offering only a slight bend as his dark whiskers skittered on the line of artificial. A sinister purple thrived in his eyes, the same hue as his star-speckled vest and bow tie.
The newcomer grinned. "Trying to make a ruckus in the halls, ol' chap? Wasn't the attention at the banquet enough for you?"
Why . . . Why is he British? There are British people here?
"Hello, Glitch," Lucky replied calmly. "I see you're still as stalker-ish as ever."
"You say 'stalker,' I say 'observant.'"
"So, a fancy stalker."
Once L's acquaintance had reached us, I noticed how L had a good foot on his height.
"B," he said, "meet Glitchtrap—Glitch for short. He works in my department."
"Oh." I outstretched my hand. "Nice to meet you."
The British rabbit simply stared at my fingers, bored.
"Pleasure."
Is it?
"I'm just gonna cut to the chase," he said to L. "If I were you, I wouldn't be on such a high horse because of our performance this quarter. You may be the chief, but your contribution to our success was less than impressive."
Oh no. Someone with conflict. I'm gonna cry.
Lucky wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Is that so?" Then, to me: "Glitch, here, was someone everyone thought would become the next chief after Man peaced out."
"It was a bloody guarantee," Glitch hissed. "My stats were unbelievable, unfathomable. I surpassed every requirement needed to be the next leader." He glared at my beloved. "If you weren't such buddy buddies with Miss Lamella, it'd be a different story."
"Debatable," my boyfriend countered. Back to me: "Ever since I'd been appointed, this man has been doing everything he can to take my position."
"You mean claiming my position."
"You'd been quiet for a while now, so I thought you'd finally given up. Would've spared me future headaches."
"I'll never back down, mate. Not till I'm given what I am owed."
The tension between the two thickened, to the point where I could sink my teeth into it.
"A-Aren't you guys part of the same team?" I uttered. "You should be working together."
"Silence, troglodyte," Glitch hissed. "What would a simpleton like you understand?"
I shrunk.
"Sorry."
"Oy." Lucky's eyes hardened, his stature firming as his animosity bled into the air. "You can say whatever you want about me, but when it comes to her, you watch your mouth."
My heart skipped a beat.
Even Glitch took a step back, his spine quivering.
"N-No more wasting time," he said. "I'm here to challenge you, Lucky the Rabbit. I shall prove how superior I am, mate."
My amazing boyfriend smirked. "Not like I had any plans."
* * *
Half an hour later and the five of us wound up at the backside of an elementary school, occupying a racetrack that would have the highest of universities salivating with jealousy. Like always, the night sky stretched over our heads, decorated with a bountiful sea of glistening stars.
Lucky stretched his limbs, positioned at the starting line beside Glitchtrap. "Of all the things you could've suggested, never thought a race would be on the list."
"It was the only plausible decision," Glitch argued. "I know about your ability. Speed is deep within your domain. If I can best you in that aspect, then my superiority will be all but established."
"Makes sense. However, I think you're forgetting something pretty important." The golden rabbit grinned. "I don't lose."
The challenger smirked right back. "We'll see about that, won't we, lad?"
I sat on the bleachers to the side, Hangry and Penny accompanying me as a wave of uneasiness washed over my nerves.
"Ease up a bit, B," Hangry told me. "You look more nervous than Lucky."
"Can you blame me?" I countered. "There's a lot on the line here."
I recalled the conversation in the hallway.
"A race, huh?" L said. "What? You wanna have the chance to brag that you're faster than me?"
"Not at all, mate," Glitch corrected. "What I want is a wager." His face twisted into a crooked grin. "If I beat you, I want you to tell the entire department how inferior you are to me. And then . . . I want you to resign from your position."
My stomach did backflips at angles I didn't even know were possible.
Lucky's reputation is at stake, and that's one thing he can't afford to lose.
I dug my fingers into my kneecaps.
"You're his lover, aren't you?" Penny asked. "Have some faith in him."
"Always," I assured.
But if this world has taught me anything, it's that fate always has the final say.
That, and I don't like the vibes this Glitch guy gives off. Reminds me of a certain slimy fox.
Glitchtrap pulled into view an emerald coin.
"I'll go ahead and toss this up," he said. "Once it touches the ground, we'll be off. Sound fair?"
"Sounds good to me." Lucky shifted his body into a sprinter's stance.
I watched as Glitchtrap flung a coin into the air, my heart rattling intensely as it spun through the wind.
Five seconds.
Four seconds.
Three seconds.
A little more.
Then . . .
Klink!
The shard of metal tagged the ground, signaling the bunnies to boost forth.
I squeezed my hands together.
Please, let fate be on our side.
This is a big track, the rabbit thought. I just need to hold out and I'll be all right.
Already, he had a lead on his opponent, although Glitchtrap wasn't far behind, his wiring as tenacious as Lucky's as the duo bolted.
"You're not as slow as I thought," Lucky noted.
"But of course," Glitchtrap replied. "I'm not naive enough to blindly put myself into a corner. I can hold my own. Question is, are you sure you don't wanna take this seriously, mate? Your trump card is still out of play."
The gap between them had refused to tighten any further.
"I'll use it when I need it," Lucky said. "And quite frankly, I don't need it right now."
"I suppose in this situation, you may be correct." The challenger breathed with delight, and like newborn galaxies, a lustrous violet glowed in his eyes. "In that case, allow me to take the initiative."
My heart sank into my ribs, my fragile confidence suffering from the fresh cracks as the tides of the battle swiftly shifted.
At once, Glitchtrap's body disappeared, his frame morphing into a collection of digital 1s and 0s. But only for a moment, until he returned back to reality, his position now a meter ahead of L's.
"What the . . . ?" I gasped.
The other two weren't surprised.
"I figured this wouldn't be a straightforward race."
Penny narrow her eyes. "Looks like Lucky can't afford to hold back."
The rabbit grimaced as they passed a quarter of the track.
"Understand the situation now?" Glitchtrap asked. "If I were you, I'd start getting serious. Otherwise, you're done for."
Lucky's demeanor never faltered.
"And here I thought I'd get to spend some quality time with my girlfriend," he said. "Instead, I have to deal with a colossal pain in my ass. But okay. We'll play by your rules."
He focused his inner self, concentrating the might of his soul into a makeshift miracle. His reward: splashes of crimson warping his pupils.
"Let's do this!" the bold rabbit roared, multiplying his speed tenfold.
But even with the enhancement, he struggled to snatch the race, for every time he would catch up to Glitchtrap, the purple menace would teleport away, molding distance between them in an instant.
Penny tensed up. "They're even."
Those words alone shook me through the core.
"I still think Lucky will come out on top," Hangry predicted. "They're not even halfway through yet, and our boy still has plenty of juice to give. Glitch can't keep the same momentum."
"I'm not so sure about that. Glitch knew what he was doing when he challenged Lucky. If anything, he's more than likely been training for this race specifically. There's a good chance he's bulked up his endurance."
I clenched my teeth.
Come on, L. You can do it.
The halfway mark—passed.
By now, the rabbit's poise had crumbled, leaving behind an overwhelming cluster of doubts and uncertainty.
"A more stern look for you," Glitchtrap noted, looking back. "Now there's a lad who's trying."
"I'm just getting started!" Lucky hissed.
"Is that right? In that case, allow me to save you the effort."
The menace teleported once more, only this time, he reappeared inches from the notorious rabbit.
"What the hell are you—"
A thrust of the hand.
Then, zap!
zap!
zap!
zap!zap!zap!zap!zap!zap!zap!
Like miniature serpents, monstrous strands of electricity slithered through Lucky's body, courtesy of the miniature device Glitchtrap had slammed into his chest. His wires melted. His joints locked. From inch to inch, his mainframe fried, forcing his limbs to jerk in a desperate struggle.
"Lucky!" I cried.
Hangry narrowed his eyes. "That bastard . . ."
The rabbit crumbled to his knees, the crimson of his eyes fading as ferocious heat coursed through his circuits.
"Sorry, ol' chap," Glitchtrap said, "but you didn't think I'd let it be this close now, did you? I said we'd have a race; never said anything about what we could do in said race."
"Are you kidding me?" Lucky groaned. "You're gonna play dirty?"
"Isn't that the point of leaders? We get our hands muddy so the little ones don't have to. When the serenity of the world slumbers on your shoulders, you have to do whatever it takes to keep it in one piece. Don't worry. I'll show you how it's done." The devilish rabbit leaned in close. "I'll also be sure to keep you in the department once I'm in charge. I'm sure you'll excel at mopping the floors."
His victory all but guaranteed, Glitchtrap continued on with the race, giving his ability a rest as he maintained a relaxed, steady jog.
I glanced at the rest of the Joy Joy Gang. "Aren't you gonna do something?"
"What Glitch did was legal." Hangry's eyes darkened. "As sleazy as it was."
"I knew we should've specified the rules," Penny spat.
"You're joking," I barked. "Unless we say no, anyone's allowed to cheat?"
"This isn't anything official, B," Hangry told me. "It's impromptu, meaning that anything goes unless we deny it at the start."
My frustration seething, I lifted myself up to head onto the track.
Penny grabbed my wrist and asked, "Where do you think you're going?"
"That's my boyfriend!" I cried. "He needs my help!"
"I don't think you wanna do that, B," Hangry said. "I'm sure Lucky's already feeling the sting of this loss to come. If he has someone rush in to help him on top of that, I don't know if he'll be able to take it."
I clenched my fists.
Not because I disagreed, but because I knew he was right. L had painted himself as someone who could stand on his own two feet, so if I, a basic mortal, were to swoop in to the rescue, I assume I'd only be doing more harm than good.
Even so . . .
Even so!
This is BS.
No matter how much he yearned for it, his limbs would not obey, and like a busted statue, the beaten rabbit stayed pinned to the ground.
Is this where I go down? Not to some world-ending dragon or a psychotic vampire, but a cheap wannabe?
His morale dipped to the belly of the abyss.
I wonder how you're looking at me. Probably disappointed.
No.
Definitely disappointed.
I know what I would usually say: that it's okay to fall short. As long as you tried your best, I'd be happy with that.
Really blew it on this one. Guess I'm not as cool as you thought. Hell, maybe you should've gone with Marvis, after all.
But not this time. I want you to go beyond, Lucky. I want you to show me what's past the ceiling of this universe.
Ah. I really do hate this feeling. I'm a machine, damn it. I'm a machine and yet I can't get over . . .
I want you to overcome . . .
this bullshit.
I cupped my hands around my mouth, letting my soul flow past my lips.
"LUCKY! YOU BETTER WIN!"
The snap, as something popped within the meager automaton—something indescribable, yet oh so rich.
"You wanna make me the chief? You're joking. You know how many other agents would be better for the position?"
"On paper, quite a handful. But something about you sets you worlds apart from the pack, Lucky. Something so sublime I often find myself shivering at your name."
"And do tell. Is it the fact that I keep losing my arm?"
"No. It's the fact that you always seem to overcome the odds."
The rabbit chuckled.
Having a mortal pep me up. Talk about lame.
A smile.
But I suppose, since it's you, I'll let it slide.
This one's for you, sweetheart.
"You can bark all you'd like," Glitchtrap mocked. "I already locked his body." He shifted his gaze. "There's nothing you can—"
The gasp,
as the supposed fallen soldier rose to his feet, a centimeter at a time, biting back the electricity scratching against his gears.
"Impossible!" Glitchtrap whined. "That was the strongest EMP on the market!"
"You can throw any trick you'd like at me. You can take away my arms. You can take away my legs. But what you can't take away . . . is my drive!"
At once, the scarlet light of his eyes returned, and like a fierce wolf, Lucky the Rabbit accelerated down the racetrack, each footstep more nimble than the last.
A tear slid down my cheek.
"Nonsense!" Glitchtrap howled. "I'm the alpha! Me!"
He went to teleport; however, his techniques could only get him so far,
before the pinnacle of bunnies surpassed him with ease.
"Allow me to show you . . . HOW WE'RE DIMENSIONS APART!"
A single frame in time's scheme.
A simple cluster of seconds.
Yet as Lucky the Rabbit crossed the finish line, the weight of every nebula smothered him, granting him the peak of importance for each and every foreseeable subverse.
And as he tumbled onto the synthetic rubber, he did nothing more than savor such importance, alongside his coveted crown of victory.
My cheeks went sore from how wide my grin stretched, and like an exuberant child, I hurled myself off the bleachers to zoom onto the track.
"Lucky!" I cried, Hangry and Penny close behind.
He barely had any time to straighten himself before I crashed into him, embracing him with enough love to supply a handful of realities.
"Whoa there," he groaned. "Take it easy. Kinda banged up over here."
Regardless, his smile shined just as bright as mine, except I couldn't resist crying like a baby.
"You really are amazing," I whispered.
"I know I am."
Our jovialness only faded once the rotten cheater approached our circle.
I narrowed my eyes.
"This is your win, Lucky," Glitch said, his disappointment sound.
"Yes," my beloved replied. "Yes, it is."
"I can see why Miss Lamella has you at the head of the pack. You are truly something else, mate." The lesser rabbit swallowed his own pride. "I suppose I'll let you keep the crown for a bit longer. Till I catch up."
"I'll be waiting."
"In the meantime, I'll quit bothering you so much, as per our agreement."
"What are you talking about?"
"Wasn't that the deal?" Glitch asked. "If I win, I humiliate you; if you win, I leave you alone."
"We never talked about what I would get," L noted. "You kinda just challenged me then made a mad dash for over here."
Glitchtrap's cheeks lightened into what I could only describe as a blush. "O-Oh. Pardon me, then."
"I don't care if you keep bothering me. In fact, I'm all for it. What I want"—my boyfriend pet me on the head—"is for you to apologize to my future wife."
I . . .
Wha . . . ?
Huh . . . ?
I didn't know whether to be stunned or embarrassed. My ears burned. My lips quivered. An odd feeling culminated in my chest—a sensation I could only describe as a level above genuine happiness.
Hangry and Penny had eyes as wide as quarters.
"What did he just say . . . ?"
Glitchtrap merely chuckled.
"You pushed yourself that hard . . . for her?" he asked.
My other half nodded.
"Very well." The defeated rabbit bowed his head towards me. "I apologize for my rudeness earlier. It was uncalled for."
"N-No problem," I uttered.
He's gonna make me his wife!?
Me!?
L, on the other hand, decided to leave the moment behind.
"I'm hungry," he said. "While I figure out how I'm replace some of my circuits, let's grab some grub."
"Please," Glitch countered, "the EMP wasn't that strong, lad. You'll be all right."
"You literally said it was the best on the market."
"It's all about mind games, Lucky, boy."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
We started to saunter off the track, and I figured the chaos of tonight was finally winding to a close.
So when the screeching of metal being torn from the ground pierced my ears, my curiosity poked out its head.
And when I saw a section of the bleachers hurtling through the air towards us, my words clogged my throat.
The next few moments went by slow:
the stillness devouring my legs;
Hangry and Penny still trying to process;
My lover holding me close, ready to protect.
"Goodness me."
Swift as sound, the second-rate rabbit zipped to the front of the pack, and with a single wave of his hand, he transformed the hefty projectile into a vast collection of 1s and 0s.
"All that bravado," he said, "only to freeze up. Maybe I'll be taking the lead sooner than expected."
Thankfully, it didn't take the rest of us long to pour ourselves into the here and now.
"What just happened?" Penny asked.
"Someone tried to take us out!" Hangry howled.
L caressed my head. "You okay?"
I nodded.
Thoom!
A comet crashing, it sounded like, a thunderous boom bursting from across the track. Debris grand and small scattered across the air, concealing the entity.
But as the dust settled, we found ourselves face to face with a fresh arrival: a gargantuan being shaped like a man, composed entirely of black goo. The strands squirmed like worms as pieces of amber hid themselves within. As for his eyes, they flaunted the width of my very hands, their hue a ghostly white as beneath them, a smirk filled with dagger-like teeth glinted.
"Venom, ol' boy," Glitchtrap said. "Fancy meeting you here."
Lucky's approach was less soft: "Venom, what the hell are you doing!? You trying to kill us!?"
The behemoth uttered no reply, merely snarling as it calculated how it could devour us.
My boyfriend noticed. "Something's not right. He's bugged out."
Suddenly, the beast stomped towards us, lunging forth to presumably dine on our hearts.
But before he could reach, Glitch teleported to the savage's front, smashing his fist right into the gut. At the same time, my other half dashed into the fray, delivering a mean roundhouse kick right to the monster's skull.
The pile of goo tumbled onto the track, but wasted no time recovering.
"You two," Lucky said to his Joy Joy Gang, "stay close to B. Don't let anything touch her."
"Aye aye, cap'n," Hangry replied.
"Glitch, you're with me."
Glitchtrap sighed. "Didn't hesitate to throw me into the fire, eh?"
Lucky grinned. "You said you wanted the crown, right? Here's another chance to take it."
"I suppose I can't let this opportunity slip past."
The behemoth, Venom, bared his teeth.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Lucky admitted, "but clearly he isn't in the mood to listen. Only one thing to do in that case."
Glitchtrap raised his fists.
"Make him listen."
Venom let out a resonant roar, and accepting the challenge, the bunny duo charged ahead.
And once in reach, they howled through their knuckles, Glitchtrap teleporting around to land his blows as Lucky relied on his speed.
The former grasped at success, his strikes landing, albeit with barely any weight.
As for the latter, his punches were consistently blocked by the savage's living ooze.
The one time he didn't bring his axe, I thought.
As time passed, the tide of the battle slid towards the intruder, his hits a bit meaner than the duo's.
Eventually, Lucky and Glitch retreated to a safe distance to reorganize.
Venom, meanwhile, appeared unfazed, ready to smash anything and everything to bits.
"We're not making a dent," Glitchtrap groaned. "Whatever happened made him bloody cracked out."
"If only I could land my punches," Lucky complained. "No offense, but yours don't have quite the heft."
"None taken. I'm more of a mind game specialist, anyways."
The top rabbit dove headfirst into his web of strategies, tugging on each strand until one stuck cleanly to his fingertips.
"Quick question, Glitch," he said. "You know how to transform other people the way you do to yourself? Can you flick me around too?"
"I've never really tried with other organisms," Glitch admitted. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure if I'd be able to right off the bat."
"Looks like it's time to find out."
"You can't be serious. You want me to test a theory in a fight where our lives are on the line?"
The pinnacle of rabbits held his chin high. "You told me that to be a leader, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty. Well, here's another prerequisite for ya." Scarlet bloomed in his gaze. "When the going gets tough, you gotta push past your limits!"
His valiance bold, Lucky zoomed towards Venom for another round, urging Glitchtrap to follow.
"Don't blame me if you get walloped, chief!" he bellowed.
The lesser rabbit minimized his focus, concentrating every iota to a single point—a single resolution.
Push past.
Go beyond.
To the peak!
Once more, the violet of Glitchtrap's eyes shimmered, only this time, the luminance tasted a bolder vibrancy.
And like a clone, Lucky mimicked his subordinate's technique, disappearing and reappearing around Venom to land his shots.
This time around, the savage winced from the assault, unable to block his foes' unpredictable patterns.
Left hook.
Right hook.
Solid jab.
Knee to the face.
Venom didn't know where to look, accepting the abuse from every angle until his body finally gave in to the pain, forcing him to drop up the ground.
Glitchtrap then wasted no time ejecting a steel band from his palm to coil around the downed beast. Venom writhed and hissed, but he was no longer going anywhere.
"What is your problem?" Lucky asked.
No sensible response.
"I'll take him over to Ollie," Glitchtrap offered. "She might know what's going on. In the meantime, go get some rest, chief. You've had enough abuse for one night, eh?"
"You don't say."
Lucky was barely saved from collapsing to the ground himself, courtesy of his lover who barreled into the battlefield to catch him.
"What a night," he said, smiling. "Sure beats a cafe, no?"
Her lips curved sweetly. "Sure does, future husband."
* * *
"No! No! No!"
The sinister vampire grimaced within the shadows of his hideout, his frustration sickening as the veins in his head bulged.
"Impossible! The bug I planted in Venom should've been more than enough to tear them to shreds. How the hell are they still alive?"
Nosferatu paced back and forth.
"There's a way to bring you down, Lucky. I know it."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
The vampire's skin stiffened with caution as through the darkness, a werewolf-like figure emerged into view.
"Who the hell are you?" Nosferatu hissed. "How did you get in here?"
"The end justifies the means," the messenger assured. "All you need to understand is that I'm here now. Name's Talis. Keeper of the South."
A crooked grin.
"How would you like to make them suffer, Mr. vampire?"