———
BOOM—The wolf beast burst in, shocking Howl as his sparkling green eyes dart right at his eyes. His right hand—or paw—flies to grab his other hand before he crack his knuckle, closing his eyes as he does it.
"Phew... Good thing this fist are different than those other beast."
He mumbles to himself as his furry hand crack out a terrifying sound, it was the the most terrifying knuckle cracking action he ever witness, especially when it was done by a beast
His eyes darted right into Howl's who was trembling from the fear he had just now, his hand flies to grab Howl before rising him up high in his back.
"BORRKKYYY! WHERE ARE YOU NOW?! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE HERE!"
A squeaky voice echoes through the cave tunnels, it seems it was a nickname that was used to this beast...
"That stupid..."
He mutters before noticing a sound from Howl, he was closing his eyes with his lips curved up into a smile.
Realizing what was actually happening here... his face roughen with his paw clenching Howl harder.
"JUST WAIT THERE! WE'RE COMING!"
The wolf start to burst out on a run outside through the cave system, left and right, up and down... dizziness filling Howl's head as his body hurt from all the shakes and stumbling this wolf had taken.
just a minute and his eyes met with the bright light from the sun, a low growl erupts and just then Howl was launched from his back as he burst out, leaping through the cave entrance.
Coughing out his own blood, his eyes then widen as he sees the thick snow on the ground and then a thick boots appearing on the ground as he cough.
He arced his eyes up to see the thing that shouldn't be happening, the beast has his feet standing right beside a human girl staring at Howl with disgust. The girl, however, had the opposite, looking down at him with concern as she stares at his eyes.
The wolf had a coat of fur as white as a snow coating all his body with a friendly sparkling green eyes.
The girl have a warm clothes covering her bodies, Howl can't really sees her face right now...
"Wuh—"
"No, we're not in the snowy area, look to your right."
"Can you at least give him a chance to speak?"
The wolf's ears flicked back and forth as he caught that sentence well, his face roughen up as he give up a death glare that is paid back with the same death stare from the girl.
How can they still be in one piece if they keep arguing like this? Even Howl as a captain must have all his team having a close and good bond with the other for the maximum potential of communication and teamwork.
"He's pretty much infected though..."
The wolf remarked as he points out the bite wound on Howl's shoulder, the girl paid with her eyes rolling.
"Can't you see the bite wound on his—"
"If you need friends, just say it!"
The girl spit out the jokes while holding a laugh on her smiling lips, the wolf stay silent with his. lips turn into a frown on his snout.
Just a second later and the a growling are erupting from the wolf's throat following by the girl's frustrated sigh.
"Well you should learn how to tell a joke... Oh well now take this poor guy home."
She chuckles, pointing at Howl as the wolf scoffed before walking closer towards Howl.
Afraid to what will happen to him, Howl put his hand to pull him backward from the wolf but well that's useless...
The wolf's hand quickly catch his legs, pulling him back before—CHOMP—he sink his canines onto Howl's neck.
Howl tried to scream but he can't, all his body felt limp and weak from the bite, did he inject some venom?
"F-Fuck... N-Neurotoboe?"
Howl mutters with all the things he was seeing becoming blurry, he heard the wolf chuckling.
"Yeah, heard that many times from human, maybe my species."
The wolf stated, pulling his teeth out of Howl's neck while letting the venom works in an instant as then, all goes dark for Howl...
—————
"This body is sure hard to drag out..."
Gasping out as he quickly pull his eyes to open, checking his surround after hearing those word just to find he was nowhere other than what seems like... a wooden house.
He found himself covered in bandages, half naked... They must be pulling it out, well it was torn and ripped anyway...
A knock then rhymed out of the door before it creaked open, a body of a dead human was the next as it launched down inside.
"Oh, you're awake, impressive. Last time I was unconscious from an infection was seventeen hours."
He commended while Howl had his face roughen with his fist clenched up, but he knows that he isn't at his peak.
The wolf certainly noticed those face of Howl, but he also did ignore it while heading toward the corpse of human.
Howl gaze towards the window to see the snowy storm outside, ignoring everything he was seeing while trying to calm himself down.
"H-How long have I been unconscious?"
He asked sheepishly, the wolf's ears flicks back and forth hearing that question as the lips on his snout curved up into a smirk.
"Hm? I sense something tensing... You're nervous or..."
He held the last word as then he sees the quiver shaking Howl's body, a burst of rough laughter erupted from the wolf's throat.
"Just kidding there boy, keep it down, you're in no danger. Also you've been out for at least... nine hours."
He finally give the real answer, Howl sighed, a bit of relief and a bit of confusion. This wolf really had some bond to that girl but what is it? He follows her orders as if she was his owner.
Now that the tension is back to normal, the wolf glances at the corpse and back at Howl, as if he was giving him a code.
He does this repeatedly just to find themself in an awkward situation with Howl blinked a few times at him, confused.
Realizing Howl did not understand it, the wolf sighed out a frustration with his flies to the corpse's hand just then—SHRUK—he rip the arm out from the body.
Howl gasped with his body finally moving back an inch, he was more horrified when he find the corpse's arm in front of his face.
He quickly shoved it out to his side before launching his body out of the bed, he let out a gag before putting his foot on use to run out from the house.
"You mother... WAIT!"
The wolf let out a growl as he tries to catch up with him just to find him lost in the freezing blizzard.
"Why do they have to be SO stubborn?!"
He roared in the snowstorm, stomping his furry foot into the snowy ground. Scoffing off the anger, he goes back into the house.
—————
"Huff Huff... He shouldn't be... Able... To reach me now..."
Howl's breathy voice mutters as he stands in the middle of the snowy blizzard, it was such a stupid decision to get out at this time... But it was better than being stuck with a talking wolf...
THUD—His body finally fell to the freezing snow beneath his body, maybe this is actually his final moment.
"Howl?! You shouldn't be here!"
He hears a hope, a familiar squeaky voice he heard before. He swiftly swerve his vision upward to see a familiar girl standing before him with anger and concern mixing up on those expressions on her face.
She must be the girl that have the control over that wolf...
"Sorry that's your name right? I see your name on the ACU you're wearing."
She apologize while bending her body down, she slides down her coat before a quick quiver hits her, must be the wind... Now that leave her with only a shirt and her leather pants as a warmth clothes.
She pull Howl to stand before giving the coat that well, he use to give him a bit more warmth.
"Come on! We cannot stand here to wait for hypothermia to hit us! I thought Bork— I mean, Connor gave you a visit just now!"
She bawled with her lips spitting out the wolf's name. She swiftly putting her hand on Howl's to pull him into a run back into the house. Howl let out a whimpering from the cold but she run with her anyways.
It only took her a minute to reach the house back, the girl mumbles something Howl cannot hear, but, looking at her rough face. It was sure a bad one.
She put her hand on the door and then—THUD—she slams the door with a frustrated grunts escaping her throat as she sees what she was seeing.
Howl put himself closer to see something that turn his face into one of a horror.
Blood and flesh all over the floor with the sound of ripping and tearing filling his ears.
The wolf—Connor—are there with his teeth picking up the last bit of flesh from the human corpse.
"Welcome back."
He greets awfully with his mouth munching the flesh into pieces, the girl stepped forward to push Connor onto the wall with her teeth gritted, irritated by what he had done today.
"I told you to not eat any human flesh when the human is here!"
She complained, which was paid with Connor's eye rolling with his lips spitting out 'pfft' as he avert his gaze from her.
The girl's hand flies to swing his head back to her, forcing an eye contact between her and Connor.
"Calm down, the human? I offer him some, but he refuse—"
THWACK—A hard slap was landed on the surface of Connor's furry cheeks, Howl look at this with horror, standing far behind the girl while having no chance to act further.
"Let me... Finish!"
He pushed the girl afar as she stumbles her foot and almost fall, Howl swiftly put his hand on action to catch her from the fall.
"He's half infected! It was obvious that he can digest a human flesh!"
Connor explain a bit further with his hand rubbing his cheeks, just in time, Howl's stomach roared from hunger. Howl was embarrassed but when he look back, a smirk curved up on Connor's lips.
"See? Even his metabolism flies and break through the roof! He need more than just any regular plate."
"I would never eat a human... nor kill one."
A word was mumbling through Howl's mouth, the girl avert her gaze from Connor just to look at Howl with a feeling of concern and guilt showing on her face.
"I believe you won't eat one, but surely you will kill one."
He stated, putting a step forward towards the door. The girl still place those irritated look when he was staring right at Connor.
"Whatever, I will leave somewhere to sleep, I can't do that here with his presence around..."
He yawned, swaying the door open as he speaks but then he seems to hesitate and think about something...
"Fanny, take care of the human if you REALLY that worried about him..."
Connor darts his eyes towards the girl, mentioning the girl's name as his friendly eyes start to emit a feeling that a bad omen will reach them.
The girl gulped, bead of sweat fell to the floor as she stand firmly on her ground, keeping those irritated gaze at him.
"Fine, I will."
"Good."
The chat finally ends with the tension falling down to normal—THUD—and of course that wolf is gone with him slamming the door shut...
—————
The Badlands
—————
A jeep drives through the sandy and hellish desert, the tires flies the sand up in the air before it finally came to a stop.
A man stepped out of the vehicle with a stoic expression on his face, gazing through the bloody battlefield. Body, Bullet, Bloods... All those elements are here on the battlefield.
"They shouldn't put a lower rank force on the battlefield ever again..."
His raspy voice mumble, his eye move right and left, studying the battlefield and the result here...
The man seems like an experienced guy from the AntiBeast force, with those horrifying scars stretching from his left eyelids to his cheeks. But well it must be hard since blonde hair look the most conspicuous out of the other.
He stop walking as he find nothing but corpse, he sighed before his hand picks up the flask of water on his belt before chugging it down.
The heat sure make you felt dehydrated here, the man chugged the flask till it last drop, and then it came to a time to the flask containing no water left, he rub his lips with his hand before throwing the empty flask to the ground.
Walking further into the battlefield, seeing the bloody crystal from Cavern Crystal beast. His eyes widen when he saw something shocking.
A bite and claw mark, right on a beast corpse.
"It can't be..."
He mutters, studying the claw and bite mark to see from what species it is. Unfortunately, he can't define it...
"I better get the B.E.N.D.E.R.A Force for this! They're better than me."
He swerve his foot to run back to his old jeep, hopping into the driver seat before turning it up as the car vibrates from it.
He swerve the car into the opposite direction, going back into Rouna States.
—————
Rouna States
Rainforest States
—————
The rain stormed down on the forest road, the rainforest states is known as the most toughest place to live, rain everywhere making everything wet in any time they don't expect.
Everything was always normal here... Even when a group of APC are wandering off the roads at high speed.
Arriving to the wild forest with no villages nor city nearby, the APC tires screeched as it left a skid. The door opens with bunch of armed personnel rushing out of the vehicle.
"BUAT MUSUH KITA GENTAR DAN BERLUTUT LEMAS DI HADAPAN KITA! (TURN OUR ENEMIES AROUND SO THEY SHAKE IN FEAR AND KNEEL WEAKLY IN FRONT OF US!)"
The earpiece of one soldier spoke out a burning word from what seemed to be the commander of the force.
"Siap Komandan (Roger Commander.)"
The captain's lips move to answer the command on his earpiece. As he lift his finger from the earpiece, his hand was thrown forward with his team moving forward deeper into the dark forest.
The captain trailed them with his rifle clenched tightly on the palm of his hand as he move forward, the whole team slide their night vision goggles on use as they move deeper into the wild forest.
BANG—A gunshot was heard followed by a roar of their teammate.
"TARGET FOUND! NEED BACKUP!"
The voice echoes as it informs the target's nearby, it wasn't a complete information but well they can't waste a time as their foot must be used at all time to chase the enemy...
"Formasi Kepung, mulai! (Formation Invade, go!)"
The captain bawled, the whole team swiftly nod before starting to scatter to right and left as a group of three.
Just as the captain moves in straight line, the bush burst out a person, the captain's eye widen as he sees it was the target, black curly hair with black skin...
BANG—One bullet is what it took to finish it quickly, the target's mouth gurgled out blood before his body slammed down to the ground, unconscious.
"Bring the target into the APC, keep his hands cuffed."
The captain orders as two person nod before picking the target's body up and running into the opposite direction.
The whole force's mouth exhale out a sigh as they finally get it down, the captain turn his body around with his eyes moving to the right to the left, scanning his team.
"Target's down, Rapihkan. (Tidy Up)."
The captain spit out an order as his force rush their hand to attach their gun to the sling before standing up firmly with their guns carried up on their back.
"Lets go back to our vehicle, follow up."
The captain sighed as he turn his body around and walked up through the bushes, every leaves rustles as they put their foot forward.
"Hey cap! You're being alone again?"
One of the soldier dared to step forward to walk beside the captain, the captain sighed before nodding his head.
The captain putting more speed as he walk away from the soldier, he is indeed annoyed.
The soldier scoffed before dashing forward to walk beside the captain, the captain gasp as the soldier pushes him a bit. He growled, putting up a scowl on his face.
"Not now, Zack. We have to go back as soon as possible..."
The captain mutters, mentioning his name as a warning before leaving him on the track, Zack stops with an expression of anger masking his whole face.
"Right how could you be so rude to one who tried to talk..."
Those sentence are the most bravest thing someone could say to a leader, everyone's eyes was onto Zack as he says that as the captain also stop on his track.
"Right! I TRIED! IF YOU REALLY DON'T RESPECT ANY OF YOUR TEAM, I WON'T EXPECT YOU EITHER! SATRIA!"
Zack voice roared out his anger, most gasped with fear on their face but some have the face of annoyance.
"Right... I only respect those who work with me..."
Satria, the captain smirked as he turn around, his eyes move right and left to Zack's side before it darts right into Zack's soul.
"Dua personil tangkap pemberontak. (Two personnel, seize the rebel.)"
THUD—With no other warning, Zack dropped to the ground as a massive force push him to the ground, his left arm was pulled back and shortly—CRACK—something slammed down on his left shoulder as his left arm was held back at the same time.
Zack roars out a scream as a shed of tear fell from his eyes, just as he put his head up, he find a fist flying up at his face and—THWACK—the fist land out a blow, a knock out blow as Zack drift into his unconscious state.
"Put him with the target, we couldn't hold our time back anymore, He is waiting..."
—————
The Winter Area
—————
The freezing blizzard have gotten worse here... Even a house couldn't keep them warm very well.
Fanny is there with a frown as she watch Howl just sitting there, she made him a bowl of soup for his own good just to be paid up with an unpleasant expression on Howl's face.
Annoyed, Fanny slams her fist into the table as she rise up from her seat with a scowl masking her face.
"Just do what you want! Im fed up with all this shit! I can't take any more hound like you!"
Fanny yells, rushing out of the door into the stormy freezing blizard.
"W-What?! Wait!"
Howl gasped from shock before following her trail just to get his body to freeze in the middle of the storm but still he need to keep searching for her.
Stepping right over and over again into the snow with his breath puffing out a smoke as he exhale out the air.
He kept walking and walking... but well he need to go faster... didn't he?
He pick up a speed as he run through the snowy storm, he felt his leg becoming sore from stepping and stand on the snow for too long.
And just after hour and hour of walking, he found it, Fanny standing up in the storming wind of the blizzard as Howl watch her looking to her right and left before closing her eye and sighed.
"Awoooo..."
Fanny let out a howling through her lips and just as that howl echoes, Her eyes finally notice Howl's as her eyes dart right into Howl's.
Howl was about to reach her but just a second and—THUMP—some force shove him aside afar, Howl coughed before looking up.
He find Connor standing before him with a snarl pulling out on his face.
"I know... I know I shouldn't trust Fanny with a soldier like you..."
——To Be Continued——