The Bloodletters were gone. Their plans and their jobs put to rest. Their leaders dispatched into the wilds to ‘figure it out on their own’. It wasn’t unlike what they had done before all this, but now they walked with the reminder of a thing, a very intriguing and fulfilling thing, nearly coming to pass.
It was admittedly upsetting.
But the trio had yet to disband. When the walls came crumbling down around their organization it was Quaid who rallied the two males. It was Quaid who convinced them to stick with him, to continue the work on their own. The whole idea had been a good one, so why shouldn’t they profit from it? They deserved it.
…Honestly, It was a selfish move on the wild dog’s part. He had acted impulsively, which was unlike him at the time. He made several empty promises with only the hope that they might come to fruition. A strange sense of determination without any foundation to build upon – a faith. But where he could finagle it, they found the work. Odd jobs taking care of one ruffian or another. Eliminating this target or that by ‘any means necessary’. It was just… getting something started, something bigger than themselves where the other boys could fill the ranks alongside him was…
Well, it was never going to happen.
Ox was too dumb to realize any of it. So long as Quaid continued to incite the excitement of something happening, it didn’t really matter if it ever did. The idea was enough for Ox. And he seemed content enough to continue on muscling his way through life regardless of how the muscling came about. He was a large lion, broader and stronger than most with a great ear for following orders. He preferred not to overthink, and sometimes not to think at all. His personality was fun when one could get past the hard, aggressive, withdrawn mask. A lion of few words, but of great action. It was always good to have him on their side.
And then there was Rechot. The talkative one. The wild card. The hyena who loved to get into trouble for the sake of it. He was a gambler, a thrill-seeker, and on several occasions had challenged Quaid’s leadership; less out of wanting for the role and more to just see the wild dog crack. Quaid had his suspicions about his hyena companion. That, perhaps, he knew there would never be another ‘family’. That Quaid would never deliver on those pinky-promises and would drag them across the savannah doing the same s**t day in and day out until they either died, left on their own, or killed him. Quaid wasn’t a worrywart, but that thought had unnerved him well enough to keep sleep away for several nights.
Rechot never revealed any knowing’s, however. At least, not directly. And regardless Rechot was all in. Really and truly willing to do just about anything so long as something was happening; the male would become unmanageable otherwise. He made things exciting, as much he helped grow every white hair on Quaid’s chin.
To any who observed them wandering about the wild world, they might have looked altogether strange. Like a bad joke. And it was for the best, as it always worked to their advantage.
---
The job was simple. The scene, complicated.
Fetch the wild dog female who had eluded the advances of a larger, more indomitable male. The price on her head? Food. What the trio had sorely lacked in as of late.
“M’ahdox.” Quaid called out, cool and expressionless. "Back off."
The girl was feisty, mouthing off and snapping as the dark lion approached. His patience had grown thin with her. His own bout of vile words spewing. Of the trio, he had the deepest and most intimidating tone.
But Quaid's held authority. Rechot cackled at his side, green eyes narrowing. "Mistakes were made, girl. Give up and give in."
"We'd rather not have to force this." Quaid added on, seated before her.
Even as Ox pulled away, begrudgingly, the female's lips peeled back. Her neck recoiling between her shoulders, ready to shoot out with a snap.
"I won't go back to him." Her voice did not waver much, even as her body shook with fear and rage. There was a resilience therein, a strength about her. She would fight them, she would die before being moved. It gave Quaid pause, but she continued on. Driven by her adrenaline. "He a monster. A violent dog who should be put down. I won't go back." She shook her head, stepping closer to the rock face in which she was corned against. "You won't take me back to him."
Rechot's laughter erupted, a contagion that spread to all three males.
"No choice." The lion replied as his eyes grew dark.
"He's right." Rechot, through the laughter, heckled. "You're our problem, not him!"
And Quaid sighed. "He seemed pretty concerned. Worried something might have happened. Almost as if he cares about you."
The she-dog scoffed, laced in malice. "All he cares about is himself. He's a filthy, rotten liar whose using you idiots. What did he promise you, huh? I'm sure you're being paid for this, right? What? Food?" When the trio looked between themselves, and the realization struck her, she laughed almost as maniacally as Rechot. "Please. He can't even hunt for himself. I do it for him. And then he starves me." Her teeth clattered, fur bristling. She almost seemed more upset by that than by being caught in this mess.
Rechot was about to move in on her, a wide grin spreading across his squared muzzle when Quaid rose and shouldered the hyena aside. His cackling resumed at the wild dog's back, accompanied by the sound of a violent shake to his pelt. When close enough, the female lashed out at her fellow wild dog, aiming for the neck. Only this time Quaid exercised his strength and dominance, returning the gesture in kind. To her back she was flipped with ease, and the howls of his wing-men echoed through the trees.
She fussed beneath his hold, fell still for a moment, before spitting into his face.
Sure. The wild dog who had hired them seemed like bad news bears. A real creep, or just a violent male. Not one that the trio wanted to deal with often... or ever again. And sure. She might have been in a lot of danger with him. Sending her back could mean her death. Or worse? But a job was a job, right?
"Look." The saliva didn't faze him in the least as Quaid snarled, keeping her pressed against the soil. At this point, his comrades had closed in to flank him, heads held high to look down at the she-dog and her current state. "This wasn't suppose to be difficult. Just come with us, we will return you to your mate, we will get our payment and leave. You'll never see us again."
"Unless you pull this s**t a second time." Rechot chided, nose wrinkling to reveal his large canines. And for a beat, Quaid turned his attention to the hyena, lashing out in warning.
But the female, despite being visibly shaken and with confidence waning, would still resist.
"He is not my mate." She spoke through seething hatred. Then, "You'll have to kill me before I ever go back to him, I swear it!" The fight continued.
It was futile beneath the weight of Quaid. It was futile in the face of three large predators, much larger than she, coming down upon her quickly but... there was something there. Something he, quite suddenly, acknowledged as potential. Potential that would be wasted on a the nonsensical brute that had requested her. And waste was not something the boys indulged in. He gave the girl a long, hard look, one that was challenged by a look of her own, before stepping back and standing with his men.
"Boys," Quaid addressed, brow furrowed.
"Yeah boss?" Ox replied.
"What is it?" Rechot inquired skeptically.
A single, breathy chuckle was followed by, "What do you say we turn this boys club all inclusive?"
Ox snorted, a c**k-eyed grin pulling at his lips. It looked odd on his face. As if he were drunk. The hyena's reaction was delayed. He might have been going through a thousand thoughts, or just stalling to make things uncomfortable. All while Quaid bore into the female with his eyes.
Just as she went to say something Rechot broke out into laughter and Ox joined in. Through it, Quaid stepped forward. The bizarre scene baffled the female, placing her in a state of momentary shock and keeping her from reacting in an expectedly aggression fashion.
Quaid smiled. It was gruff yet charming. The sort of smile that one of those 'bad boys' would carry, the kind of character a parent warns their daughter about.
"What's your name?"
Her lips were pulled slightly, twitching as if they wanted to unveil fangs but couldn't quite get there. Her gaze shifted from the lion, to the hyena, and back to the wild dog addressing her. She involuntarily chuckled, her gaze narrowing as her expression changed into something a bit more... playful? A smile crept anxiously across her lips. Something had happened. Something about this encounter had changed. And suddenly she was intrigued?
She adjusted herself, standing taller, hiking her ears and tail. She spoke boldly.
"You can call me Avira."
WC: 1425