Uni's POV
I felt the cold afternoon wind ruffle the fur on my back, chilly and fresh.
I sniffed the air, knowing that my prey was near. I pushed my muzzle through the bushes, spotting the gray pelt of a rabbit, fat and unawares. I licked my lips, running my tongue over the sharp canine teeth.
The dumb creature was bent over a tuft of grass, munching contently. I took a cautious step closer, but froze with one paw in the air as the rabbit's head shot up, tiny nose quivering and it's ears twitching. I felt the tuft of my blue hair fall over one eye as the wind shifted, bringing my scent directly to the creature.
Damnit. I thought as the rabbit started to hop away, unsettled. I snarled and jumped out of my hiding place, all of my energy being released like a spring coil. The rabbit squealed in fear and surprise, trying to escape, but my paw landed on it's spine, pinning it under my claws, and I quickly stunned it with a blow to the head. As it was reeling, I grabbed its throat with my jaws, and bit down, cleanly snapping it's neck.
I picked up the dead rabbit in my mouth, letting the fat body dangle, dragging it along the ground. Proudly trotting back into the forest, head held high, I walked over to where Ashlie and Tommy were waiting by the campfire that Nick made, who was sitting next to Ashlie, leaning on her shoulder. We were only a stone's throw away from the house, but we figured that Nick needed some fresh air, and we all needed food.
Tommy looked up, his mask shifting a little. Ashlie smiled.
"Great catch, Uni!" She praised.
I growled happily, dropping the rabbit on the grass next to them. Tommy grabbed the creature with a grin, curling his fingers into a fist. His blades shot out, making Ashlie jump, and he started to skin the rabbit, cleanly shearing the pelt off the animal with careful precision.
I lay down, focusing. Shifting was a lot easier now, but not completely effortless, and I slowly became human again, laying on the ground on my side, slowly breathing in and out.
"Are you ok?" Nick asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It just takes a little while to recover, that's all," I assured him, sitting up. I shook some leaf scraps out of my ears and brushed dust off my tail.
"Ok, good," he smiled, holding up a hand and the fire blazed a little higher. The orange shadows danced on our faces, and Tommy moved on to gutting the creature, looking away as the blood spilled out, along with all of the internal organs. Ashlie made a gagging noise. When he was done, Tommy washed the corpse in a bucket of water next to the fire, and then tossed it onto the hot coals, singeing the body and cooking the flesh.
When a delicious smell was starting to waft from the fire, Ashlie plucked the rabbit off the coals, handing it to Nick, who finished cooking it with his power.
He then gave it to me, and I started drooling over the delicious smells. But I fought back the urge, and used my hands to tear the rabbit into pieces for us to divide among each other.
"I call the head!" Tommy raised his hand with a smirk, and Nick and Ashlie giggled. I smiled and threw the piece of meat at him.
"I've heard that it increases your intelligence," Tommy said, taking a mouthful of the animal. He paused. "Actually, here, Uni. I..." he snorted a laugh and held the meat back to me. "I think you need it more than I do."
Ashlie burst out laughing, and Nick looked like he was going to explode. I snorted in amusement and glared playfully at him, growling softly. Tom smirked and took the head back, taking another bite.
In the past two days, Tommy and I had gotten to know Nick and Ashlie, who were really sweet, funny, and strangely smart people. But unfortunately, Nick's side hadn't healed yet, and despite what we tried to do, I could see infection slowly setting in.
Even now, he clutched his side as he reached for the haunch of rabbit I was handing him, grimacing. Ashlie took the feet, and I ate the upper body, which was stringy and tough. I quickly shifted back into a wolf, and dug into the flesh, finding it was much easier with fangs. The delicious meat slid down my throat, and I growled in pleasure, thumping my tail against the ground.
When we had finished, I stayed in my wolf form, and collected all of the bones that they couldn't eat, except for the skull, which Tommy held onto. None of us know why. I dug a hole into the ground with my paws, and dropped the bones into it, filling it with dirt when I was done.
Ashlie and Nick started to walk back to the house, with Nick still leaning on her shoulder for support. I quickly followed them, tail wagging and my tongue lolling out of my mouth. I bounded around them, crouching down playfully. Nick smiled and ruffled the fur on my head, so I nipped at his fingers. Ashlie started to run, dragging Nick with her, so I chased them, barking as Ashlie laughed.
Tommy was leaning up against a tree, watching us mess around. He held the tiny rabbit skull in his hands, feeling the fissures and pores of the object, as well as the lingering bits of gristle on it. I broke chase for a moment, and grabbed his sleeve in my teeth, growling as I dragged him into our game. He shrugged and tossed the skull to the side, smiling.
I hadn't felt this happy in a while, and it looked like everyone else felt the same. I jumped on Ashlie, knocking her to the ground, licking her face.
"Hey!!!" She shouted, wiping the drool off, grinning from ear to ear.
Nick and Tommy were laughing their heads off, doubled over. Tommy was supporting Nick, but they both looked like they could use a crutch. I rested my head on Ashlie's chest and closed my eyes. She put her hand on my head and gestured for the boys to come over and join us. Tommy helped Nick over, and they sat down by us, and he slowly lay down next to Ashlie with their shoulders touching.
Tommy grinned at me, and mouthed I ship it. I wrinkled my muzzle and sneezed, getting wolf spit all over Ashlie's face.
I was content, warm, and happy. Which were three things that none of us had felt in a very long time. I knew that it couldn't last, and that we'd be back running from the police eventually, and Nick still wasn't healed yet, but I think that we just might survive this world.
One way, or another.
Cory's POV
Dawn applied another wet rag to my head, and I hissed as the water seeped through my hair, cooling down my bruised skull. Apparently, even though I was a cyborg, and was basically made of metal, I could still bleed, with a small trail of it snaking down my camera face, coming from directly above my hairline.
We were safely back in our cave, having escaped the marketplace after the battle. Dawn had patched me up as best as he could with the materials in our possession, but my head still hurt constantly. Dawn wore a bandage on his neck to cover the exposed assortment of wires and coding that the girl had blasted off.
"How does this feel?" Dawn asked as he touched my head, and I hissed as his fingers brushed the bruise from the wall.
"Still hurts." I said through clenched teeth.
"Hmm." He muttered, looking over at the rapidly dwindling supply of metal. I knew that we'd have to go back out eventually, and it was a massive risk, with people who actively hated us on the prowl, but it was unavoidable.
Dawn stood up, and I watched him walk over to the pool of water in the corner of the cave. He splashed some onto his metal face, and soaked the rag in his hand.
Suddenly, without any warning, a loud voice echoed through the cave. Both of us froze in terror.
"You are under arrest. Please come out of the dark with your hands up. And don't even try to run. We've blocked the tunnels leading to your cave. Resisting is pointless," said a booming, loudspeaker projected voice.
I looked at Dawn frantically. I don't know how, or why, but the authorities had found us, and we were basically screwed.
As I looked around, I realized that there was still a small chance that we could escape, as long as we didn't surrender. It would be risky, and there was a high chance of death, but it was our last chance. Dawn realized this too.
He slowly stood up from where he knelt by the pool of water. He looked at me, and jerked his head discreetly, silently telling me what to do.
I nodded, keeping my head down, my camera facing the floor.
"Tell us where your magical friends are. We won't hurt you. But we will use force if necessary."
Dawn grabbed his cloak, tools, and spare parts in the blink of an eye, silently creeping back to the pool. Slipping all of the objects under the water, he looked over at me, and nodded.
I hesitantly crouch-walked next to him, and we silently waded into the pool. I gasped in shock as the ice cold water touched my skin and metal. I looked at the sunlight streaming in through the cave roof, realizing that it might be my last time seeing it if this plan didn't work. But we had no choice.
I took a deep breath and dove down, following Dawn away from the surface. Away from air.
My underwater vision was crystal-clear due to the camera lens protecting my face. I could see every ripple on the water, every detail of the rock face. It was beautifully strange. Dawn looked like he was flying, his cloak swimming around him in a plume of fabric.
After a little while, I could feel my chest getting tight as my still-human lungs struggled to breathe. I heard the muffled thuds of heavy men hitting the cave floor, searching for us. A bright light flashed over the pool, illuminating Dawn and I floating limply in the water. But to our relief, the beam passed us, searching other parts of the cave.
I could feel my wet hoodie start to drag me down as my arms got tired. My eye started to flicker, the cold water weakening my body and numbing my brain. My chest and lungs felt like fire.
I felt something grab my heavy, waterlogged arm, supporting my body. Looking up slowly, my camera half closed, I could see Dawn's black and blue figure, struggling to swim upward, getting me back to air. I tried to help, but my body gave out, and I became deadweight.
My mouth slowly opened, bubbles escaping it in a slow stream, floating to the surface. Water rushed into my body, choking my entire system. My eye flickered closed, and I let go of Dawn's hand. The last thing that I saw before darkness came was a green dart wiz through the water.
And strike Dawn in the chest.
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Two words: Writers. Block.
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