//------------------------------// // First Strike // Story: The Viper Of Canterlot // by Jest //------------------------------// The trip back ‘home’ was uneventful, thankfully. My mind was elsewhere during the whole length of the trip, leaving my body on what was essentially autopilot. It was one step away from astral projecting but felt also weirdly natural like this was something vipers did all the time. Wait, hold on, I thought to myself. Was my species even called vipers? They never clearly stated what it was, or wasn't in the game. The lore was always vague, and to be honest, a lot of my memories thereof were clouded with fan theories. That and other fan-related content that I wouldn't let myself think about at the moment. Getting my brain back on track I focused myself solely on movement, feeling my snake-like form as I wove through the ever-present junkyard. Though I clung to the shadows my pace was quick, some primitive part of my brain pointing me towards darker paths instinctually. It felt almost like my waking or conscious mind was weaving itself more intimately with the instinctual half that came with this body. I ruminated on it for a moment and realized that in time I should unlock more of those instinctual responses. I just needed to be patient and let myself get used to not having legs, and other such things that came with this new shape I found myself in. This probably meant that I would get abilities like tongue pull and poison spit, but could also mean that I may acquire magic. No, that was silly I told myself. I may be on Equestria but I was certainly no Equestrian. However, they did hint that seemingly non-magical creatures did have some latent magical potential. I gave my head another shake and dismissed the thought. I would need the help of a magical expert before I could even have a hope of answering that question so best to leave it aside for the moment. Putting my brain to task, I began to formulate the next part of my plan. Returning home was the obvious and immediate next step but after that, things got grey. I had been a methodical, and well-planned person in my previous life but I had been far from an exceptional Xcom player. Long-range strategy and macro decisions were my strengths, minute-to-minute gameplay, and snap decisions were where I suffered. Thinking a bit more abstractly, I tried not to think about the immediate, and instead metaphorically zoomed out. I needed more information, that much was clearly obvious as this was far from the Equestria I knew from the show. I needed access to the Wikipedia of this world, or failing that, at least a library before I could really get going. Given the lack of public services down here that meant I would either need to infiltrate the plate above or give up on that avenue of info gathering. I decided to think a bit more broadly, and consider that I may have to get my information from a source that was less reliable, but had a greater weight of experience. A local was the obvious answer, like a shop owner, or the like. The junker family wasn't optimal for this purpose but it certainly wasn't the worst possible choice. With that that in mind I decided that was a good place to start, after that, I could seek out experts, or other, more knowledgeable ponies. Oof, that felt better. Being so rudderless had been grating, but with a path forward I was able to keep anxiety at bay, at least for now. After that, I would need money, manpower, and most of all, a team. I could lead in a more general sense, but I would require someone to take control of the squad. After that, I would need someone to fill out the various roles I would require like science lead, and with that done we could get a backup squad and maybe a flex squad when going in quietly wasn't necessary like when the chrysalids showed up. The thought of those bug bastards made me shiver all the way from the tip of my tail to the top of my head. I was not looking forward to that. My brain wanted to keep planning, to keep setting out goals, and ideas but the sight of home dashed that notion. The moment I was able to slide back into the relatively private space, my body began to release all the tension I had built up. My tail uncoiled, and I fell to the cool floor, absorbing the pleasant cold of the dirty metal. It wasn't hygienic, but after all that exercise, and distance covered I had started to grow warm, too warm. Like a lizard that had sunbathed a bit too long, I sprawled out, and laid there, soaking up the pleasant temperatures. For a few minutes, my head was empty and my endless thoughts finally quieted themselves. I wanted to stay longer, to keep experiencing the pleasant emptiness in my mind but that desire was all for not. My body had grown cool, and my instincts were telling me to find a small cramped place to curl up in so I could sleep. I groaned like a teenager told he needed to leave his bed in the morning and dragged my sorry carcass towards an upturned pipe. I took a peek inside and after finding it empty and the perfect size, I slid inside, coiling comfortably into a tight ball. It felt a bit like a sleeping bag and also a straight jacket, only in a good way. It's difficult to convey exactly how I felt so I’ll just say that I was comfortable, immensely so. In fact, I barely even managed to settle in before I could feel myself start to drift off. The equivalent human sensation was a bit like going to bed and falling asleep so fast that you barely feel your head hit the pillow. When I awoke, I felt good, amazing even. Slithering from my sleeping pipe, I uncoiled and stretched out as far as I possibly could. I was long, like really long, but after pulling myself together I certainly didn't look it. “That was nice,” I muttered to myself. “I wonder what time it is.” A small part of me was already panicking, convinced that I had slept far longer than I intended to but I was too relaxed to even be bothered by this thought. I took a peek outside, and glanced around, only to be surprised, as well as a bit worried. It was hard to judge time given the fact that we had a city over my head, but some instinctual part of me knew that it had only been three, maybe four hours since I had put my head down. I felt a bit annoyed that I didn't know more reptile facts as I had no idea if this was a normal amount. With a shrug, I decided that it probably was, as I certainly felt refreshed and ready for a full day. Putting that thought to action, I began to wind my way through the junkyard towards the house at the front of the property. At about the halfway point I heard what sounded like the clank of metal striking metal. I headed in the direction of the sound and found a male pony attempting to remove a rather stuck-on bolt. Or at least he had been trying to do so, at the moment he was just angrily striking the thing with his wrench while cursing under his breath. My first observation was that he was larger than I had anticipated, though given that I had only ever glimpsed him from the corner of my eye and heard him talk it wasn't like I had a lot to go on. He was a fairly well-built dude with broad shoulders, a thick jaw, and some stubble that spoke more of being too lazy to shave than it being any kind of fashion choice. Dressed in oil splotched overalls, and a sweat-stained t-shirt, he certainly looked like a grizzled mechanic. His light yellow nearly white hair was cut short and tucked messily under a well-loved hard hat covered in the kind of stickers you’d expect to see on the inside of a preteen girl’s locker. Though a bit gruff, something about the way he carried himself just screamed loving father. I couldn't tell you why, as my own dad had been a lawyer, though not a good one. A good father I mean, he was apparently quite the force in a courtroom if the stories are to be believed. “Consarnit,” he muttered bitterly, scratching the side of his head with his wrench. “Don't tell me they welded those darn things on.” He then bent back over and started trying to turn the rather bulky bolt. His large forearms bulged, and a vein of his neck grew fat with blood. The man’s entire body strained and for a moment I felt myself transfixed. Oh no, I thought to myself. Well-built, masculine men better not be my new type. I was already avoiding the wave of body dysmorphia through a mix of willpower and just busying my mind. Adding an attraction to burly men would have sent me over the edge of an anxiety spiral. Thankfully I realized that it was not lust I was feeling but rather hunger, as my mouth had started to salivate and my stomach started to rumble. Pushing aside the numerous mental hang-ups and uncomfortable issues hanging out at the back of my thoughts, I continued towards the house. I had barely made it more than a few feet before I smelled something pleasant, prompting me to stop. There on the ground, amidst a small pile of tools, was a lunch box. Why he had chosen to take a lunch when he was within three hundred feet of his house, I didn't know and I didn't care. Popping the thing open, I found a quartet of sandwiches waiting for me and without thinking I swallowed the first one without so much as chewing. “Augh,” I muttered. “What even is that?” I pulled open the second one to find what looked like dandelion leaves, what I thought were endives, radishes, cream chease, raw uncooked onion, and what appeared to be mustard. It didn't look half bad pulled apart, a bit like a BLT sorta but there were so many weird flavors. The thing had barely even touched my tongue yet I could still recall how the odd mix danced across my palette. “Better than nothing,” I remarked to myself. Tossing back the rest of the sandwiches, I tipped over the lunch box and sprinkled crumbs on the ground. With my daring bit of sandwich robbery completed, I continued towards the house, sticking close to what shadows remained and being as stealthy as I could. Thankfully the man of the house was the only one outside, allowing me to reach his home without being spotted. I peeked in through the kitchen window and found that a long-haired woman sat at the table, a cookbook and several pages sprawled out before her. Sporting small but immaculately kept wings, she was clearly a pegasus, or whatever they called ponies with the ability to fly. She was also, a stunning, if a bit older, woman. Her crimson hair flowed over her shoulders and down one side of her face as well as her back. Time had not been kind to her, as already she sported crows feet, more than a few wrinkles, and a few streaks of white. Even all that did not put a dent in her beauty, in fact, it kind of accentuated it in a weird way. I chose not to dwell on my love of milfs for the moment and focused on her appearance in a more detached sense. She too wore coveralls like her presumed husband, though where his were covered with oil splotches and more than a few patches hers bore different kinds of stains. Smears of green and a few spots covered the heavy-duty denim she wore. In addition, gardening tools as well as electric tape stuck out of her pockets. Judging from the lack of gardening spaces outside I assumed she had some kind of miniature greenhouse set up somewhere in the home. “She's so resourceful,” I found myself muttering. Once again I gave my head a shake and focused on what, if any, information I may gain from this little interaction. I couldn't tell much from this angle, and sitting out in the open like this left me feeling exposed. To remedy this, I clambered up a drain pipe and took refuge atop the chaotic landscape that was the roof of their home. Pipes, chugging machines that did… something, and a generally uneven, slightly chaotic assemblage of disparate parts gave me considerable cover. Sure it wasn't super likely that some pegasus would fly overhead but given the earlyness of the hour it was at least a possibility. Secure in my hiding spot, I tried to listen in as best as I could but despite my keen senses, I couldn't pick up anything important. There was movement though, and I followed it over to the upper eastern section where I heard the shallow, soft steps of a young person. To get a better view, I wrapped my tail around a thicker, more important-looking pipe and dangled over the lip of the building. Peering in through the window I saw a girl on the cusp of womanhood working on some kind of project involving some primitive-looking electronics. Sitting at a desk, the girl had a circuit board sitting before her, and an open electrician’s manual propped up against the wall, the tome held open by a small plush dog. With short, teal blue hair, soft yellow fur, and two small wings she was undoubtedly the child of the two people I had seen earlier. A slim build, she wore ill-fitting clothes likely handed down by the illusive older sister that I heard mention of but had not seen as of yet. It was at about this point I realized I was creeping on a pre-teen and pulled myself back up onto the roof. Yes, it may be important to know more about this world, and the family that I had decided to squat on the property of, but I didn't have to make it weird. To that end I lay there, hidden under some exposed ductwork, my gaze turned skyward while whatever equivalent to ears were still listening in on the room below me. The roof, though thicker than necessary, and sporting more than a few layers, also had its fair share of patched holes so I could easily pick up the young girl’s mumbling. I reasoned that since I had no foul intentions it was okay, but snooping like this still left a foul taste in my mouth. Brushing it aside, I released a long sigh and stared absently up at the underside of the plate above us. At first, it almost looked like a summer sky, but then my eyes adjusted and I could make out the large lamps pointed down at us. “How strange,” I muttered to myself, extending a hand to the sky which lay beyond the city above. I lay there for a few minutes, my mind absently contemplating what best to do next. The obvious answer to this was to find someone I could press for answers to the more basic questions of the world. My first instinct was to strike a deal with one of the adults, or perhaps to simply force them, but that was a bit cruel. Plus I had nothing to really offer them, so a trade wasn't exactly in the cards. Either way, I figured I’d spend the day hanging out on the roof, listening through the pipes and non-functioning air control systems to see if I could learn anything. Though I spent hours up there, I found out very little, other than the fact that this family really enjoyed their alone time. They spent most of the day working on their own various projects, coming together only briefly to talk, eat, or enjoy a cup of tea. Then they were off again. In a weird way it was rather pleasent, even if the pleasure I gained was tainted by a strange sort of voyeurism. Still, it was nice to know that these people were normal, decent, and definitely worth defending. I couldn't speak to the rest of the populace but if it meant defending only this single, quaint little family, it would be worth it. By the time my musings were interrupted, the sun had gone down, and I was considering the possibility of going on another scouting mission. There were more small towns, businesses, and places of commerce that I had yet to see, all of which would net a greater intel gain than sitting here. Then I heard the scurrying of hooved feet doing their best to remain quiet as they ran up to the edge of the house. I peeked over the side and saw a different face, though one that felt familiar for some reason, I couldn't place why. Dressed in the somewhat revealing garb of what I assumed was a sex worker, or just someone in the entertainment industry, they looked out of place amidst the sea of junk. Her long light pinkish purple hair was currently being tied up into a ponytail, her dexterous fingers working the elastic band into place with only a few quick movements. Once secure, she grabbed her handbag, brought it up to her mouth, and bit down on it for some reason. Her deep purple, almost reddish eyes gleamed intensely in the low light of early evening. Her pale yellow body blended surprisingly well with the shadows, though her crimson sequined dress sure didn't. Despite her outfit hardly fitting her attempt at subterfuge, she grabbed hold of the drain pipe and began climbing up to the second floor. Though she was far from as good a climber as I, she had experience on her side and found every handhold without even looking. She certainly looked like she was the spawn of the two adults who lived here, and judging from the way she carried herself, she wasn't a burglar. So, I chose to simply watch as she ascended to the second story and hefted herself over onto the windowsill. Though she landed fairly quietly, she was still a bipedal horse, so her hooves were quite loud to my metaphorical ears. I didn't hear anyone stir from inside though, and neither did she as the woman paused for only a few short seconds before continuing. Jamming a nail file under the window, she managed to lever the thing open, allowing her to slide inside and land with a thump in the room beyond. “Resourceful,” I muttered to myself. Pulling back over the edge, I laid my head against the roof and listened as she moved around the room. Without the flick of a switch or the sound of a candle being lit, I assumed she was moving about the room solely on memory. She also lacked either a horn or wings so magic was right out, further proving my assumption that she lived there. I could tell that she was trying to be quiet, but that meant little to me, as my senses were keener than most. Even after she did her best to be silent, someone else had evidently picked up on her present as the door opened. She froze, and I could hear a muffled curse before the door closed once more. “What are you doing here, Rainy?” Whispered the older of the two in a voice I now immediately recognized. You are the woman from the warehouse meeting! That’s why I recognized you! I thought to myself. “A better question is what you are doing here,” retorted the younger woman in an accusatory tone. “I just… got home and was unpacking is all,” murmured the elder. “Then why are you changing into your running shoes?” Rainy pressed. “I wasn't changing into them I was uh, just taking them off is all. But that doesn't matter, you need to go back to your own room okay?” retorted the older sister. “Touch me and I’ll scream for Mom and Dad,” Rainy proclaimed. “You wouldn't,” challenged the other. “Try me,” stated the younger of the two. Oooh, she's got balls. I thought to myself. I liked her already. “Fine,” murmured the intruder. “I’m getting some stuff together because I’m leaving tonight.” “Where are you going?” demanded Rainy. “Out,” replied her sister. There was a sound like someone was making a dramatic inhale before the same sister hastily continued. “Stop, just stop okay? I can't tell you because that would put you in danger,” she murmured in a soft tone. “What happened?” Rainy whispered. “A man hurt me, and though he has been uh… dealt with, he has friends,” the older sister whispered. “What's going on Pursey? Who is after you?” Rainy pressed. “I can't tell you,” Pursey whispered back. “Just know that I’m doing this for everyone’s sake. Those guys are angry and stupid. That makes them dangerous.” “I thought you said you had protection from that mediator person,” Rainy offered. “I did, but… it's complicated. Just let me do this. Please, I’m trying to protect you guys,” Pursey insisted. There was a long moment of silence before Rainy finally replied. “Okay,” she muttered. “Thank you, Rainy. You’re a good sister. Just, wait twenty minutes or so then get Mom and Dad to the basement. If I move quickly I can lead them away and give the mediator a chance to get here,” Pursey whispered. “Just be fast okay? I can't lose you,” Rainy murmured, clearly on the verge of tears. “I’ll be okay,” Pursey exclaimed, pausing briefly to assumably hug the other girl. “Now get back to your room. I need to finish changing.” “Okay,” whispered the younger girl in a low, defeated tone. Pursey then began to hastily change before opening the window again and slipping outside. I watched her descend back down to street level, the woman now wearing sweatpants, a baggy hoodie, and running shoes. She appeared unarmed but was clutching something tightly in her pocket, presumably a knife. “Interesting,” I whispered to myself. “A chance to do a good deed, and to get a guide to this strange version of Equestria. How lucky.” Slithering down the drain pipe, I followed her from a distance, keeping to the shadows and staying out of sight. Both of which weren't hard, as it was late, what street lights worked were lit, and the sun was completely gone. The pony was so wrapped up in her own little plan she didn't notice me following her. Mind you, it was not like she had a chance of spotting me even if she did glance my way. As I shadowed her, I couldn't help but ponder her plan and conclude that it was stupid. She was going to run away and give time for the mediator to show up, why not run toward the mediator? Why come home at all? My brain continued to pick apart the plan until I stopped that train of thought and reminded myself that she was young, likely twenty years old at most. She had been put in a bad spot and had made a snap decision based on a desire to save her family. There would be time to reprimand her for her short-sightedness later, for now, I’d give her a bit of grace and try not to judge her too harshly. Winding my way through the shadows, I observed as she made her way down a narrow path leading between two towering mounds of scrap. I slipped through shortly after her, ascending up the mounds of cubed trash piled nearly three stories tall at certain points. A junkyard, likely long abandoned, the space was full of winding corridors, small mountains of garbage, and large skeletal flying machines that had been partially taken apart. It was at about this point that I heard distant voices and the sound of more hooved feet approaching from behind. Ahead of me, the girl moved with purpose, taking each turn with confidence, as if she had an end state in mind and was not just running aimlessly. It wasn't long before she stopped in what appeared to be a choke point of sorts overlooked by a single dim street light and a primitive motor car hanging precariously over the edge. “A trap. Smart,” I muttered. I coiled myself tightly around a flag pole jutting from the top of a tall pile of mostly square trash. From that spot, I was able to see both her and the approaching band of men maneuvering through the junk maze. With my telescopic vision, I was able to see that the one in front was holding a small blue cube within which was an even smaller arrow. “That explains how they found her and why she was so certain she’d be found in the first place,” I remarked aloud. “Must be a pretty cheap piece of magical tech if these losers were able to buy it at such short notice.” I observed that there were five in total, three of whom were kirin, and the other two of which were griffons. Though different races they all seemed to be related, wearing the same type of clothes and carrying themselves in a similar manner. Wielding either bats or knives, the rather rough group of presumed gang members would have been intimidating if they weren't also kind of adorable. Sure they would have spooked most ponies, but I was a fair bit taller than even the largest of the bunch. “Shh, there she is,” whispered one of them, pointing towards Pursey. The woman was standing at the far side of the narrow, dead-end corridor, a confident look on her face. From up here I could tell that the random piles of junk weren't quite as chaotic as they seemed. A long, narrow pipe went from the ground next to Pursey, all the way up to one of the cars on the right-hand side. Perched precariously as it was, I had little doubt that a firm tug would prompt the whole thing to crash down on any unfortunate fool who didn't move in time. “Pursey Pink,” exclaimed the largest, most broad-shouldered of the group, a kirin that stood a head taller than his brothers. “You’ve made quite a lot of trouble for us you know.” Pursey didn't reply, at least not with words. She just glared at them from across the way, her eyes occasionally flicking from the car to the spot ahead of the group. “You should have let it slide you know,” continued the kirin from earlier, the man shouldering a sledgehammer. “But no, you just had to get our brother Fern killed.” The other men all muttered insults while following in their leader’s wake, hands gripping weapons. Pursey didn't reply to any of it, though she did grimace at the mention of Fern’s death, some small part of her regretting her actions. Or perhaps not regretting them, but rather regretting the necessity of it all, as she remained resolute despite her feelings. “Now it falls on my brothers and I to partake in the cycle of bloodshed and revenge, but don't worry,” monologued the leader. “For we will ensure this ends tonight, with you and your whole pathetic family dead at my feet.” “If you think about it we’re just making peace,” offered one of the griffons. The rest snickered. “Exactly. So come on,” he remarked, opening his hand invitingly. “Let's give peace a chance.” When Pursey remained silent and continued to glare, the man frowned and dropped his hammer down into both hands. “Fine. Have it your way,” he muttered. Before Pursey had a chance to blink her attackers surged forward, with their leader striding ahead of the pack, a murderous gleam in his eye. Scrambling to respond, Pursey yanked at the metal rod to no avail. Bracing one hoof against the wall, she tugged a second time, and then a third, muttering curses all the while. In the end, she was able to get it loose and start the chain reaction but it was too late. The car tumbled downward, and crushed one of the men, turning him into a red smear and briefly stunning everyone. The dull boom and accompanying rattle of many hundreds of pounds of metal shook the entire junkyard sending more than a few hunks of garbage tumbling to the ground. My position was unaffected, and I waited for the junkyard to settle before I slithered closer, watching all the while. “What the fuck was that?” One of them muttered. “No, she got North Wind!” another of them added. The leader skidded to a halt and turned to the pile of shattered bone, pulped organ, and pulverized meat that had once been his brother. “Godamnit. You bitch!” He spat, spinning back at Pursey, and making the woman shrink back in terror. “I was just going to kill you first but now you’re going to be last. Get her!” As the group surged forward, I moved into a better, closer position. Pursey saw the four attacking men and swung at the first one with a metal pipe, the wild haymaker catching him in the side. Though fairly strong, her attacker was tougher still, and took the hit without flinching before grabbing the pole before she could pull it back. Ripping the thing from her grasp, the griffon tossed aside the weapon while the rest of them closed the distance. The space, barely more than fifteen feet across at the widest, wasn't the most optimal area for a fight especially against so many foes. Though they couldn't all engage Pursey at once, the woman still had to fight off three of the men at the same time. Which she did not do very well, as she managed to swing a small knife before getting kicked in the stomach and struck in the upper back with a baseball bat. Knocked to the ground, bleeding and no doubt bruised, Pursey winced and clutched at her dislocated arm. The fight, was over before it began, and the griffon she had struck with the pipe grabbed her by the hair. Dragging her out of the narrow cubby of junk she had backed into, she was tossed her in the center of the small clearing. “Well well well. Not so tough now are ya girlie?” teased one of them. “She swings like a girl,” added another. “That's because she is a girl, you idiot,” spat another, slapping the second one upside the head. “Be quiet you nitwits,” ordered the leader, the man turning his baleful gaze on Pursey. “I have a question for you.” Pursey continued to glare in silence. “Was it worth it?” he asked, leaning in close. “Was it worth killing my brother if it ended with you here, lying defenseless before me?” Pursey was quiet for a few seconds before a smile suddenly came to her face. “Yes. Yes, it was,” she replied, her grin morphing into a cruel smirk. Oh, I liked her, I liked her a lot. “You bitch,” spat the leader. “Let's see if you feel that way after I’ve cracked open the skulls of your family like a couple of cheap walnuts.” “Pursey,” I called suddenly. “Would you like to make a deal?” “Who was that?” “Whose there?” The leader rose and glared into the darkness. “Who said that?” he demanded. I slithered through the junk and debris, winding my way around them, casting my voice out so it resounded off the walls of garbage. “If you accept, I’ll deal with your attackers,” I added, choosing not to tell her that I planned on saving her regardless. “Make it painful, and you’ve got a deal,” Pursey replied calling out to me. “You don't even know what I’m asking for,” I pointed out. “I don't care,” Pursey retorted. “Shut the fuck up, bitch,” the leader spat, kicking the downed Pursey in the side. “Quit hiding you coward!” one of them shouted. “Then we have an accord,” I remarked with a cackle. “If you don't want to come out. I’ll drag you into the light!” bellowed one of them before hefting his bat and charging at the darkness. “You will try,” I mocked. Rising slightly from the mass of junk, I made myself appear small, and vaguely equine in shape. This spurred the man on, and I could see a feral hunger enter his eyes the moment they fell upon me. When he was only a few short feet away I surged upward, towering over him and startlingly the man for a second. That was all the time I needed though, as I grabbed his arm at the wrist, before getting a hold of his neck. Hoisting him into the air, I pulled him in close and sunk my fangs deep into his exposed throat. He resisted, of course, but it didn't matter as I was far, far stronger than him and he could only weakly flail about before his panic-stricken heart betrayed him, delivering the poison to every part of his body. I tossed him back towards his fellows just as blood as thick as gelatin began to bubble out of his eye sockets. He muttered something close to a desperate plea for help before going into spasms, jelly-like vitae oozing out of every orifice. “What the fuck!” “Holy shit, what happened?” “It's poison you idiots. Something’s out there!” barked the leader. I smiled, a little surprised that even the dark vision of a kirin or a griffon wasn't enough to spot me despite me standing up at this point. “Come out and fight us!” “No,” I replied simply. Weaving my way around them, I smirked as they continued to stare at the spot I had been, confident that I was still there. That confidence remained until I extended my tail as far as it would go and wrapped it around the ankle of the sole remaining griffin. The male managed a shriek of surprise before he fell face-first into the dirt, dropping his knife in the process. His claws dug into the earth but I dragged him into the darkness anyway, my strength easily eclipsing his own. The moment he was swallowed by shadows, I held him against the ground with a hand against the back of his head. It took only a small shift to expose his neck, and a single bite to end his life. This time I left him there on the ground, twitching and spasming as his muscles liquefied inside of his body. “Watch my back, I’ll cover you,” ordered the leader. “Fuck that I’m outta here,” spat the other kirin. “Get back here, you idiot!” demanded the largest of the group. But he was already gone, sprinting towards the small opening left between the junk wall and the fallen automobile. He would have made it too, had I not hit him like a truck, dragging him into the darkness and pinning him against a cube of compacted junk. He barely managed a scream before I sunk my fangs into his neck and pumped him full of something lethal. A part of me was dimly aware of the fact that I had created several different kinds of poison through unknown means but I would worry about that later. Right now, I was dealing with the leader, who was currently holding Pursey hostage, a knife pressed against her neck. A thin line of red dribbled down her from a small open wound opened by the twitchy kirin. “Take one more step and I’ll slit her throat I swear I will!” he shouted bitterly. I glanced down to find that the pole Pursey had used to defend herself was lying nearby. It was long, about three feet or so, and the end had been sheared off at some point, making it look almost like a spear. Lifting it up, I tested the weight and found that it was light, at least for me anyway. “Say. Have you ever played darts before?” I asked. “What?” he asked in confusion. I hefted the pole up, pulled back my arm, and using every last ounce of strength I had, threw the metal pole. The thing whistled through the air before striking the man square in the face, shattering the majority of his skull and splattering the ground behind him in brain matter. Carried backward by the force of the hit, his body tumbled to the ground. Pursey was lucky, and surprisingly quick, slipping out of his grasp just in time to avoid being dragged down with the body of her attacker. Though dexterous she was still startled but didn't glance over her shoulder, merely rising back to a full stand and staring in my direction. Scared out of her mind, I half expected her to run, panic, scream, or do something like that. She just stood there though, waiting as I slowly slithered forward. “What… what are you?” She whispered, my form coming into view. “A friend,” I replied simply, hand extended. “One you’ve made an important bargain with.” “What exactly did I agree to anyway?” she asked, her own hand half lifted to meet my own. “You will help me help me in my mission of defending your planet from invasion,” I answered with a smirk. “Huh?” She muttered. “But that will come later. For now, you will just answer a few questions,” I declared, thrusting my hand forward. “I suppose that's okay,” Pursey murmured, gripping my hand in her own, soft, dainty appendage. “Then an accord is struck,” I exclaimed. Our hands glowed with a faint crimson-gold light that dissipated the moment the handshake ended. “What was that?” Pursey muttered in fear, glancing at her fingers carefully. “I have no idea,” I answered, turning to the exit. “But that doesn't matter now. Come on, let's get out of here.”