Ninazu hummed at his words, unable to put thoughts into words. Their imprisonment remained a dark spot in her memory, no matter how many times she meditated. The psychedelics came closest to removing the gunk in her mind from such trauma, but the lioness never liked remembering that time. To remember was to drown in powerlessness.

She threw more gold in her satchel, until Stryker’s comment draws her eye. Eyebrow curling up, she glanced over her shoulder before turning her head. Her golden eyes widened.

“One would look equally good on you, my lightning bug.” She hooked one on a claw, raising her paw until she held it at Stryker’s ear level. Smiling softly, she hummed again, this time in satisfaction. “Quite handsome, indeed. The iridescent metal matches your eyes.”

Her flames licked her cheeks, the mane contracting in size but flickering wildly. Ninazu’s eyes narrowed, before her expression returned to a relaxed grin. “Things did change. Before… that… we were both too wrapped up in our own desires. I we hadn’t gone through that mess together, I doubt either of us could trust the other completely. Ironically, all of that bullshit means you’re the only one I could trust completely.”

She inhaled sharply, the flames expanding, and exhaled a puff of steam through her nostrils. The flame’s edges tinged green. She glanced away from his face, staring at the earring in her paw for a long moment.

“Perhaps it’s time we… show off our bond. And using stolen jewelry to do it is about as us as we can get.”

Sorbet’s breathless voice cut through the nighttime like a wind chime in a gale. The bioluminescent canine trotted to the hybrid’s side, his glowing blue eyes narrowed. Muddy paws and blood flecked on his chest implied the centurion’s previous engagement, but the angry boy dragged no kill with him. Lightning crackled between his ears; the electricity roared at him, but it whispered to everyone else.

“Smells like bad news.” Quasar’s nose crinkled. Blood and smoke implied tonight’s midnight snack would be a shit sandwich, but he’d make sure the intruder was the one to swallow it. The sparkledoggo growled and glanced at Sorbet. “You catch a glimpse of ‘em?”

He focused, tried to concentrate. The electricity faded out and he could hear properly again, a crushing silence with little details. The sounds of an owl. Creaking tree branches. Scuttling mice. A breeze rustling leaves. He looked up and squinted—the thing definitely wasn’t right above them, right? But… maybe… somewhere else in the trees.

The canine’s three tails lashed and weaved, glowing like the rest of him, as he squinted. Fucking canine eyesight. “You gonna sit like a coward? Come out. Or I’ll zap each tree, one by one, until you’re barbeque on a stick.” He spoke pretty, empty words—Quasar’s electricity never listened to him—but he sounded confident and angry enough to mean the threat.

Ninazu hummed at his words, unable to put thoughts into words. Their imprisonment remained a dark spot in her memory, no matter how many times she meditated. The psychedelics came closest to removing the gunk in her mind from such trauma, but the lioness never liked remembering that time. To remember was to drown in powerlessness.

She threw more gold in her satchel, until Stryker%u2019s comment draws her eye. Eyebrow curling up, she glanced over her shoulder before turning her head. Her golden eyes widened.

%u201COne would look equally good on you, my lightning bug.%u201D She hooked one on a claw, raising her paw until she held it at Stryker%u2019s ear level. Smiling softly, she hummed again, this time in satisfaction. %u201CQuite handsome, indeed. The iridescent metal matches your eyes.%u201D

Her flames licked her cheeks, the mane contracting in size but flickering wildly. Ninazu%u2019s eyes narrowed, before her expression returned to a relaxed grin. %u201CThings did change. Before%u2026 that%u2026 we were both too wrapped up in our own desires. I we hadn%u2019t gone through that mess together, I doubt either of us could trust the other completely. Ironically, all of that bullshit means you%u2019re the only one I could trust completely.%u201D

She inhaled sharply, the flames expanding, and exhaled a puff of steam through her nostrils. The flame%u2019s edges tinged green. She glanced away from his face, staring at the earring in her paw for a long moment.

%u201CPerhaps it%u2019s time we%u2026 show off our bond. And using stolen jewelry to do it is about as us as we can get.%u201D

"Leaving taxidermied bodies outside? You’ll ruin his beautiful mane." She hissed through her teeth, tutting her forked tongue. The Typhoon might have Stryker’s head, but they didn’t have his soul.

"No, let me guess, you copied the old school Pittian methods of border marking—my methods, Stryker’s methods—left the flesh to rot, stink up the place, and breed flies like Belzebub. The only ones you’re intimidating are your own children." Glowing saliva oozed between her teeth, and she huffed a plume of smoke. "Your imitation is the sweetest flattery, Captain."

When the lion talked, she slowly panned her gaze to him. She forgot his name, but she recognized his one-eyed noggin. How many times had she fought him? She forgot this as well, but she remembered winning every single time they came to blows.

"And who are you, again? Elswyer, I know. But you? You’re a punching bag. A chew toy. A body to beat." She chuckled, pulling her lips back in a condescending sneer. "I only remember how easily your blood flowed. And that little humiliating episode with Goldenluxury bleeding out in the dirt."

If he thought to underestimate her, despite suffering under her claws personally, that was his problem, not hers. Let them underestimate her. No creature ever considered the entire landmass would fall under the control of a single group, even for a day, yet the Coalition achieved it for a month. Let them cocoon themselves in willful ignorance. It’d make it all the easier to catch them unaware.

She lifted a brow. "Is that it? I expected a roast, not this drivel. No jokes about Roxanne’s indigestion after eating my serval body? No comments on how Vale was the worst at utilizing our military strength to deal a blow to the Pitt? Or how, oh wow, we forgot to account for the power of friendship in our overly ambitious conquest? Come on. Be scarier than my inner demons. You haven’t even commented on how shiny and unnecessarily offensive this body is for a neutral meeting!"

Ninazu rolled her eyes, turned to Sojourn, and shook her head. "I burned Romulus better than these two put together, and they’ve had months to stew on their hatred. Looks like they’re a little tongue-tied."

"Leaving taxidermied bodies outside? You’ll ruin his beautiful mane." She hissed through her teeth, tutting her forked tongue. The Typhoon might have Stryker’s head, but they didn’t have his soul.

"No, let me guess, you copied the old school Pittian methods of border marking—my methods, Stryker’s methods—left the flesh to rot, stink up the place, and breed flies like Belzebub. The only ones you’re intimidating are your own children." Glowing saliva oozed between her teeth, and she huffed a plume of smoke. "Your imitation is the sweetest flattery, Captain."

When the lion talked, she slowly panned her gaze to him. She forgot his name, but she recognized his one-eyed noggin. How many times had she fought him? She forgot this as well, but she remembered winning every single time they came to blows.

"And who are you, again? Elswyer, I know. But you? You’re a punching bag. A chew toy. A body to beat." She chuckled, pulling her lips back in a condescending sneer. "I only remember how easily your blood flowed. And that little humiliating episode with Goldenluxury bleeding out in the dirt."

If he thought to underestimate her, despite suffering under her claws personally, that was his problem, not hers. Let them underestimate her. No creature ever considered the entire landmass would fall under the control of a single group, even for a day, yet the Coalition achieved it for a month. Let them cocoon themselves in willful ignorance. It’d make it all the easier to catch them unaware.

She lifted a brow. "Is that it? I expected a roast, not this drivel. No jokes about Roxanne’s indigestion after eating my serval body? No comments on how Vale was the worst at utilizing our military strength to deal a blow to the Pitt? Or how, oh wow, we forgot to account for the power of friendship in our overly ambitious conquest? Come on. Be scarier than my inner demons. You haven’t even commented on how shiny and unnecessarily offensive this body is for a neutral meeting!"

Ninazu rolled her eyes, turned to Sojourn, and shook her head. "I burned Romulus better than these two put together, and they’ve had months to stew on their hatred. Looks like they’re a little tongue-tied."

"Leaving taxidermied bodies outside? You’ll ruin his beautiful mane." She hissed through her teeth, tutting her forked tongue. The Typhoon might have Stryker’s head, but they didn’t have his soul.

"No, let me guess, you copied the old school Pittian methods of border marking—my methods, Stryker’s methods—left the flesh to rot, stink up the place, and breed flies like Belzebub. The only ones you’re intimidating are your own children." Glowing saliva oozed between her teeth, and she huffed a plume of smoke. "Your imitation is the sweetest flattery, Captain."

When the lion talked, she slowly panned her gaze to him. She forgot his name, but she recognized his one-eyed noggin. How many times had she fought him? She forgot this as well, but she remembered winning every single time they came to blows.

"And who are you, again? Elswyer, I know. But you? You’re a punching bag. A chew toy. A body to beat." She chuckled, pulling her lips back in a condescending sneer. "I only remember how easily your blood flowed. And that little humiliating episode with Goldenluxury bleeding out in the dirt."

If he thought to underestimate her, despite suffering under her claws personally, that was his problem, not hers. Let them underestimate her. No creature ever considered the entire landmass would fall under the control of a single group, even for a day, yet the Coalition achieved it for a month. Let them cocoon themselves in willful ignorance. It’d make it all the easier to catch them unaware.

She lifted a brow. "Is that it? I expected a roast, not this drivel. No jokes about Roxanne’s indigestion after eating my serval body? No comments on how Vale was the worst at utilizing our military strength to deal a blow to the Pitt? Or how, oh wow, we forgot to account for the power of friendship in our overly ambitious conquest? Come on. Be scarier than my inner demons. You haven’t even commented on how shiny and unnecessarily offensive this body is for a neutral meeting!"

Ninazu rolled her eyes, turned to Sojourn, and shook her head. "I burned Romulus better than these two put together, and they’ve had months to stew on their hatred. Looks like they’re a little tongue-tied."