A metallic clang rang from a dim doorway up ahead, shattering the tense silence. Huntar skidded to a halt, sword raised as a solitary figure emerged into the pale light of dawn.
It was a human, bundled against the chill morning air, arms laden with refuse bags. The man froze, his eyes widening in shock as he registered the trio of Beastmen blocking his path.
For a breathless moment, they stood frozen, bound in a tableau of confusion and fear. Then the human's mouth opened in a scream of pure terror, the sound echoing through the narrow confines like a death knell.
"Run!" Huntar roared, propelling himself forward as the man's cries threatened to draw the entire city down upon them.
They burst from the alleyway, plunging headlong into the churning sea of pedestrians that thronged the city streets. Huntar barreled through the crowd, his powerful frame parting the sea of humans like a battering ram.
Shouts of alarm and confusion rose in their wake, a cacophony of panic that threatened to drown out all reason. Huntar pressed onward, his sharp gaze scanning their surroundings for shelter, for any haven that might offer them refuge from the relentless pursuit.
A towering fence loomed ahead, wrought iron bars encircling a sprawling compound of strange structures and enclosures. Without breaking stride, Huntar ducked through the open gates, Zena and Torag following close behind.
They found themselves in a bizarre realm, a verdant oasis amidst the concrete jungle. Lush foliage surrounded them, dotted with cages and exhibits that housed a variety of strange creatures—some familiar, others entirely alien.
Huntar slowed his pace, his brow furrowed as he took in their new surroundings. "What is this place?"
Zena shook her head, her eyes wide with bewilderment. "I've never seen anything like it."
A cacophony of shrieks and roars echoed from the surrounding enclosures, the cacophony of sounds both foreign and unsettling. Huntar tightened his fists, his muscles tensed for combat.
He paused when he spotted a den with two familiar creatures lying on the grass. One of them looked like him, except they lay on all-fours without hands and feet.
Huntar lowered his jaw as his cold breath escaped from his lips. "Bizarre..."
"Torag." The rhino-man grunted, his piercing gaze scanning the nearby exhibits with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Torag's nostrils flared, picking up the scent of their pursuers on the wind.
"They're coming," Huntar growled, his jaw set in a grim line.
No sooner had the words left his lips than the wail of sirens split the air, their shrill cries announcing their enemies. Huntar cursed under his breath, his eyes darting from side to side as he sought cover amidst the alien foliage.
They sprinted through the winding pathways, weaving between enclosures and exhibits as the sounds of pursuit drew ever closer. Huntar's heart thundered in his chest, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he pushed his body to its limits.
A sudden commotion erupted ahead, a cluster of uniformed humans converging on their position. Huntar stretched out his claws as the guards leveled their weapons, shouting frantic orders.
"Put your paws in the air!" one of them bellowed, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of roars and shrieks echoing from the nearby exhibits.
Huntar's lips curled into a snarl, his defiance kindled by the mere suggestion of surrender. With a roar of his own, he charged forward in a blur of motion as he engaged the guards in a whirlwind of punches and slashes.
Zena and Torag joined the fray, striking with lethal precision as they fought to carve a path through their adversaries. But for every guard that fell, two more seemed to take their place, their ranks swelling with each passing second.
A piercing wail cut through the chaos, the shrill cry of an alarm reverberating through the compound. Huntar's heart sank as he realized the grim truth—the humans surrounded them, their escape routes dwindling with each passing moment.
"This way!" he roared, spotting a breach in the perimeter fence up ahead.
With a last burst of speed, they barreled towards the opening, their muscles straining with the effort. Huntar vaulted over the barrier, his feet hitting the ground with a bone-jarring impact as he rolled to absorb the momentum.
They found themselves in a narrow alleyway, the sounds of pursuit fading into the distance as they caught their breath. Huntar leaned against the cool brick, his chest heaving as he surveyed their new surroundings.
"I think we lost them," Zena panted, her battle staff clutched tightly in her grip.
Torag rumbled in agreement, his piercing gaze sweeping the alleyway for any sign of danger. The rhino-man's nostrils flared, his senses tuned to the faintest whisper of movement or scent.
Huntar nodded, his jaw set in a grim line. "For now."
They pressed onward, their footsteps echoing through the shadowed labyrinth of backstreets and alleys. Huntar's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, ever vigilant for potential threats or avenues of escape.
Up ahead, the open doorway of what seemed to be an abandoned structure spilled into a faint glow. Huntar's brow furrowed as he caught the telltale scent of grease and oil, the unmistakable aroma of a repair shop.
Motioning for his companions to follow, he crept towards the entrance, his movements silent and deliberate. The interior was shrouded in shadows, cluttered with the detritus of forgotten machinery and tools.
As they slipped inside, a sudden flurry of movement caught Huntar's eye, his instincts propelling him into action. His claws flew from their sheath in a blur of motion, leveling at the shadowy figures that now confronted them.
"Huntar!?" a familiar female voice rang out, laced with equal parts amusement and apprehension.
Huntar's breath caught in his throat as the figures stepped into the faint light, their features coming into sharp relief. A human with short dark hair disarming grin greeted him, the young man's hands raised in a placating gesture.
But it was the blonde woman beside him that truly stole Huntar's breath away. Jenny. Alive and well, her bright eyes shining with a mixture of disbelief and joy as she took in the sight of her long-lost friends. She wore a yellow leather jacket and blue jeans, similar to what she wore when they first met.
For a moment, the world seemed to grind to a halt, the chaos and uncertainty of their flight fading into insignificance. Huntar stood frozen, his sword clattering to the ground as he drank in the sight of his companion, his heart swelling with a torrent of emotions he dared not name.
Jenny stepped forward, her movements tentative yet determined, as if afraid that this reunion might shatter like a fragile dream at any moment. Then, without a word, she threw her arms around Huntar, embracing him with a fierceness that belied her slender frame.
Huntar returned the embrace, his powerful arms enveloping her as he fought back the torrent of relief and joy that threatened to overwhelm him. Jenny was alive—against all odds, even though they were in a different world together.
As they parted, Huntar caught the glistening of tears in Jenny's eyes, a radiant smile spreading across her face. "I can't believe it's really you," she breathed, her voice thick with emotion. "We thought you were dead."
Jenny smiled. "No... The portal brought me back here after I stopped it. It has been a year since I arrived."
Zena stepped forward, her own expression a mixture of disbelief and elation as she pulled Jenny into a fierce hug. "Thank the gods are you alright," the zebra woman murmured, her usual bravado tempered by the weight of the moment.
Torag rumbled a greeting, his massive frame dwarfing the slender human as he enveloped her in a gentle embrace. Despite his imposing appearance, the rhino-man's touch was one of surprising tenderness, a testament to the bond they shared. "Torag!"
"Ah-hm!" Jenny's male companion coughed, attracting the attention toward him.
Jenny slipped from Torag's embrace. "Oh! This is Eddie, my boyfriend."
Huntar raised an eyebrow. "Boyfriend? As in mate?"
Eddie chuckled. "Kind of, but we're not married."
"Eddie helped me readapt here since I arrived, and..." She slowly took Eddie's hand, embracing his grip. "We grew close."
Huntar sighed. If only Jenny hadn't left their world, he could have had a chance with her. But maybe she was better with her kind.
"What is this place?" Zena asked, her sharp gaze sweeping their unconventional shelter. "We have no idea how we came here."
Jenny exchanged a glance with Eddie, a silent conversation passing between them before she spoke. "This is New York City in the 21st century. In simple words, you are in the distant past where my father and I came from."
Huntar's brow furrowed as he processed her words, his mind struggling to grasp the implications. "The distant past? You mean... we've traveled through time itself?"
"Obviously," Eddie chimed in, his expression one of cautious optimism. "There are no other animal people like you here. No monsters or giant trees. Yeah, Jenny told me everything about your world."
Zena shook her head, her disbelief palpable. "We don't know how we got here."
"Do you remember anything before you appeared here?" Jenny asked.
A heavy silence settled over the group as they digested the gravity of her words. Huntar's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information he'd gleaned from their ordeal. The strange captors, the unfamiliar technology, the bizarre city that seemed to defy the very laws of nature itself—it all made a twisted sort of sense now.
"Raiders in our world captured us. They were humans wearing advanced armor suits." He rumbled, his voice low and resolute. "When Zena, Torag, and I woke up, we found ourselves inside a cage, being escorted through a corridor. After we escaped, we found ourselves in your city and more humans chased us."
"We hid here before we encountered you," Zena added.
Jenny narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin. "I never heard anyone entering the future and bringing back Beastmen before....." She turned to Zena. "Did you see any words or symbols on their suits?"
Huntar glared at the floor. "Barely, but they have T's on their chests. I don't know what they mean."
Jenny met his gaze, her eyes alight with a fierce determination that burned away any lingering traces of uncertainty. "I think I know who they are," she stated firmly. "I will explain later, but first you should hide in our apartment until we make a plan to help you. Eddie's repair shop isn't comfy."
Eddie widened his eyes and glared at Jenny. "Excuse me? Our apartment?"
"Yes. We can't leave them here. Nobody will notice at our place as long as they stay quiet."
Torag nodded.
"But we just found them, sweetie," said Eddie. "And the authorities are searching for them. Do you want the FBI to come knocking at our doorstep and arrest us?"
Jenny crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any other better ideas?"
Eddie closed his mouth and remained silent. Eddie closed his mouth and did not speak.
Jenny grinned and held his left hand. "I promise they will not stay long. I know them better than you."
Eddie sighed. "Fine... At least we don't have a dog."
Huntar felt lucky they wouldn't rest on the street or a rooftop beneath the cold air. Their friend's shelter should give them sanctum in her strange world.