Chapter 4: Cowards Quest 2.0

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Shaun ran through an aisle wide-eyed. 

The Cerberus followed after with barks filling the dead Shogi Market; Its bulky frame knocked over snacks and drinks. 

Shaun curved from the aisle; his wolf shoes slid along the wax floor, causing him to fall on his back.

The three-headed dog burst from its near entrapment, causing the shelves to rock. 

"AH!" Shaun fired a round from his hunting rifle and into the Cerberus, who shrugged it off and went for a bite. 

The Fox girl appeared before Shaun's eyes as if time had slowed. She seemed to be flying towards the Cerberus. The girl flips before planting her white shoes that lit up into a rainbow into the center dog skull. 

She pushed off, performing a backflip. She landed six feet from the dog before sliding to a stop. 

The three-headed dogs flash their fangs before fetching the little girl's blood. 

"Help!" The Fox girl cried, running in the opposite direction. 

Shaun remained on the floor, clenching his chest. Until something heavy crashed, snapping him out of it. 

"Goddamn it! NOT THERE!!" He eyed the fox girl rushing into the pet aisles in the corner. 

The Cerberus knocked one of the shelves down, causing the cries of pets.

The three-headed dog stopped, eyeing the litter from young to old scattered. 

The left head chews into a ginger cat, while the right head bites into a shepherd, biting into Cerbrus's leg. 

"HEY!!!" Shaun roared, unloading rounds into the Cerberus, who only encouraged the slaughter of the pets. "I'M RIGHT HERE!!!" 

The fox girl came to a halt. Watching a few dogs and cats pass her and away from the bloodbath. 

"NO!" The fox girl's eyes slit while her hair stood. "Leave them!" She grabs a cage bigger than her while spinning on her heels. "ALONE!!" 

The cage whirls across the aisle a few feet before clobbering the left-headed dog. 

The Cerberus turns to the girl; the six green eyes stare into her soul, blood dripping from their chins while fire builds up in their mouths. 

The fox girl only hissed, flashing her growing claws. Her eyes quickly snapped to an iguana rushing to her side, only for its speed to be a dream. 

The Cerberus took the opportunity; the girl rushed toward danger. 

The fox girl grabs another cage, hurling it into the hunter and causing Cerberus to stagger. The girl holds the iguana before leaping to the shelf to dodge a paw strike. She climbs to the top easily and quickly before jumping to another shelf.

The Cerberus followed while Shaun only dropped his aim, eyeing the acrobats at display. 

"My. God." He quickly aimed and pulled the trigger only for a click. "Damn!" He shoves the rifle to the ground. 

The worker threw off his slippers before sprinting down the hall. He heard loud crashing on the other side of the mart and reached the guns counter. 

"Ok." Shuan fetched his keys from his pocket, struggling to figure out which one. 

"Don't just stand there!" The fox girl's voice filled his ears. 

Shaun looks from the counter only to panic. 

"The fuck are you doing? Bringing it here!" Shaun dives over the side of the counter while the Cerberus slides to a halt. 

Its mouth gurgles a bright orange light before spewing flames into the gun's display and the others along the section. 

Shawn crawled from the section, eyeing the mannequins he made into a shooting gallery. 

The Cerberus forced the Fox girl to the front of the market. It performed a fire breath. The girl leaps into section eight of a cash-out station. 

A pink liquid hits the eye of the right-headed dog. The Cerberus roars while Shaun slowly approaches, letting his paint gun hang from the strap along his shoulder. He pulls a knife before hurling one into the cheek of the center dog. 

"What are you waiting for?!" Shaun roared, not letting the Cerberus leave his sight. The fox girl gained distance while the dog blew fire toward the worker. "SHIT!" 

He hit the deck behind a cash-out station. The boiling heat filled his pores and kept his toes toasty. It stopped, and the dog's weight increased. 

Shaun took off along the front with the dog in tow. He cuts through a station before turning on his heel. He shoots the paint at the Three-headed dog, rushing him. 

Its paw strikes Shaun on his shoulder. The worker crawled back. 

"WAIT!!! The jaws of the beast swallowed his right arm whole. "HA!!" Shaun screamed. 

The Cebreus slides Shaun along the polished floor while the worker punches the center's dog muzzle. The left-headed dog took a bite, only for Shaun to dodge by hugging the center dog's head. It begins whipping his head, only for Shaun to cry out. 

"LET HIM GO!!!!" The Fox girl jumps onto Cebreus's back, throwing heavy-handed blows and knocking the heads around. "YOU STUPID DOG!!!!"

Shaun's screams continued until he slipped from the dog's jaws. He crashed onto his back before glancing at his arm. 

Cracks littered his white polished arm, reflecting his near-death gaze. It crumbled, and pieces of polished concrete hit the floor, revealing the shaky arm he had known for so long. 

The worker's watery eyes shift to the screaming Fox girl on the Cerbrue's back. 

"YOU STUPID! STUPID!" She knocks the dog's head around, tempting it to spew fire. The girl grabs the knife from the cheek of the center-headed dog before driving it into the eye of the left one. It roared before spewing fire into the ceiling. The Fox girl's teeth flash, revealing her fangs while she twists the knife, spewing purple blood onto her face and hands. 

Cerbrues whips their heads, launching the girl into the air, nearly touching the scorched ceiling in flames. She lands on its back before driving her fox claws into the right-headed dog's neck. She screams bloody murder before separating the head from its body. 

The dog's head slides, arriving at Shaun's feet. Its green-blue eyes lock on the worker. Its mouth opens slightly before losing the spark in its eyes.

The Cerbrues finally knocked the girl off. She flew before crashing in front of Shaun. The fox girl rolled to her hands and feet, her hair standing tall and her fangs still on display.

Purple blood pours onto the floor from the dog's body as it flexes its teeth. The fire in its glowing eyes locks on the two prey. The dog chews the left dog's head off and hurls it at the two that dodge.

"H-he just-" Shaun stuttered, crawling back slightly. 

Flames burst from its eyes. It pounces with a heavy bark that shakes Shaun and Fox Girl to their core. The girl and Shaun dodged. 

The Fox girl swings her claw only for the One-headed Cerbruses to gain distance.

The dog runs in place, spinning in a circle, before spewing fire that climbs its height and warmth, creating a cyclone.

The heat touches their bodies like lava bowls within a volcano. 

"Oh! Fuck!" Shaun sprints in the other direction while The Fox girl's hair and tail drop before following the worker. 

The cyclone followed, catching the environment in flames and scorch. 

Shuan's sweat pours as he begins to slow down.

"Run!" The fox girl running on all fours screamed. 

"I'm trying!" 

The two ran down the front of the market while the cyclone grew dangerously close. The Fox girl shoulder tackles the worker off his feet. 

He crashed between the cash-out stations while the girl took the hit. 

"TCK!" The Fox girl crashes along the floor in flames. "HA! HA!" She rolls around on fire. Shaun watches in horror before clenching his teeth and pulling his knife from the handle.

The dog stops the spin and looks dazed.

"RAAR!!" He roared like a caveman. 

Shaun climbs the checkout belt before leaping on the back of the One-headed Cerberus. 

He repeatedly stabs the dog while it bucks and spins; Shaun only screams louder. Shaun jabs the knife into the skull of the dog, causing it to hit the ground. 

"RAGH!" He stabs the knife into it's skull. "AH!" Again. "HA!" And again.

 He continued covering his orange and white shirt in a splatter of blood.

He rips the knife from the corpse of Cebreus before screaming into the flaming ceiling that only spreads. 

Shaun dropped to his knee, and a hand grabbed his shoulder. The worker's eyes bulged, and he aimed his weapon of choice at the fox girl, whose clothes were burnt to tattered. 

"It's ok." The girl said softly. "You killed it." 

Shaun drops the aim of his knife, collecting his breath. 

"We have to get out of here. It's going to come down." Shaun pushes her away before walking through the flames of the Shogi products market. "Mister!" The girl shouted. 

The cries of pets echo across the front of the market. The Fox girl races towards the sound, eyeing the group of pets with babies in their mouths or clawing at the exit. 

"Excuse me! Excuse me." She pushes dogs and cats away before gripping the bottom of the stutters. She flexes her jaw while lifting the stutters over her head before throwing it to the ceiling. 

The girl opened the doors, letting the pets out. She turned her head before heading back, running on all fours. 

Running through the burning halls, she made it to the pet aisle, eyeing the pets still caged. She opened cages, letting out birds, lizards, and rabbits.

Shaun makes it back to his man cave. He grabs his backpack and throws it on his bed. He holds his coin, three bottles of water, and two cans of beans. 

A whine from above his head gained his attention. He looks up, dodging a blazing beam that crashed on his bed. Shaun coughed before grabbing the pot plant containing the transparent seed. 

He raced down the hall, dodging beams and inhaling the smoke. He makes it to the front of the market. 

An explosion went off, knocking Shaun on his back. 

"Mister!" The fox girl appeared in his vision. "Get up!" She pulled his hand, forcing Shaun on his feet. 

They make it out while flames spread out Shogi Market, lighting the night sky. Many birds alike flew from the chaos. 

They fall on their knees, coughing their lungs out. The two look back, eyeing the crisp smoke and the vast night light called the Shogi Market. 

"Mister. Are you ok?" The Fox girl grasps Shaun's right arm. 

"AH!" Shaun draws his arm back. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He coughs as the girl notices his shaky arm and a few bruises. "Fuck. I think I dislocated." 

"What do you want me to do?" 

"You did enough. Now. Fuck off." Shaun grunts. 

"But, you need a doctor." Her ears drop.

"RAGH!! GO!!" Shaun glared. "You fucked my haven and my arm." Shaun's watered eyes looked up at The Fox girl before he stood to his feet. 

He paced down the parking lot while the girl followed at a distance.

---

"Yugi!" Jean shouts down the elevator shaft. 

The sound of steps causes the teen to snap at the janitor, who is speeding past the corpses in the lobby. 

"Hey! You got to help me." He paced along with the janitor named Jiro. 

"I'm not the one who screamed at the top of their lungs to persuade a fellow senior." 

"I'm sorry." 

Jiro spins on his feet before shoving the kid back. 

"Follow me; I'll kick your teeth in." He points with a glare before pacing the hall once more. 

Jean grasps the bat, twisting it before gazing at the red door by the elevators. He swallowed his spit before pacing towards the door. 

His heart races twice as much as his pacing across the lobby. He stops at the door, dropping his backpack and his knee. He opens his bag. 

 A kitchen knife, a pack of crackers, a flashlight, and a nanny bot postcard rest within the bag; Jean stashed the knife between his belt and grabbed his flashlight. 

"Nami. You are a saint." Jean said to himself, strapping his backpack. He slowly opened the door, eyeing the steps leading to the floors above or below. 

He eyed the lights guiding his every step, listening to every misplaced sound that may occur. 

The ex-student reached a few floors down, eyeing a sign that reads parking lot. 

The lights grew dim, allowing Jean to turn on his flashlight. Before him was a short hall leading to the metal double doors, and two sodas and a snack machine lit his way. 

Jean's shoes hit the floor. His eyes shifted to every inch of the hall while he listened to the machines humming. 

"What makes you think you're coming out of this alive?" A voice states while Jean readied his bat. He snaps his head back at the steps he came from, seeing no one. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm your guide." It whispered while Jean clenched the handles of the bat harder. 

He slowly approached the door. 

"Unless you kept from the dark. I can't help you." The voice continued. 

Jean opened the door to the parking lot. 

A few vehicles, like work vans, minivans, and a sports car or two, litter the lot of 1B Jean paced the opened lot, heading to the railing to see how far it stretched. It was two floors down. 

The ex-student heels echo the lot, pacing a downramp to the second floor. 

"Eyes peeled." The whispering voice resurfaces while Jean bites his lip. "They're waiting." 

Jean paced past two vehicles, shining his light. It stops at three cocoons hanging from the ceiling. 

"Eight o'clock." The whispering voice states. 

Jean fell face first before being hurled into a car door; the glass burst while the kid only grunted with his face full of pain. 

His eyes gazed about the empty lot before coming to his ankle, where a blanket of web rested around it, and a string hung from it. 

Rapid clanking snaps Jean's head back to the playground of darkness. 

Something moves in the shadows with haste while he snaps his head around to pinpoint the attacker. Jean's hand slaps the concrete, only for it to panic. 

The bat and flashlight rested near the cocoons, and Jean last stood. Jean stood to his feet with his head down. He slowly paced for the bat, eyeing the dangers all around. 

The ex-student halted his movement, hearing the clanking in the distance. The humming of rain filled the silence, and the hairs on his body stood. 

"Go for the bat!" The whispering voice ordered. 

Jean did the opposite. He remained still, his eyes doing overtime, scanning every vehicle he could miss. 

Due to his indecision, nothing happened. Jean's shaky breath drowned his racing heart. 

The clanking drummed towards Jean's position; he dived for his bat before facing his music. 

He smacks the eight-grey-eyed beast that shrieks like a banshee getting its nails plucked out.

It retreats into the shadows. 

"What was that?" Jean said under his breath, wide-eyed. 

He heard his heartthrob, and his spine shivered. 

"Six o'clock! On the ceiling!" The whispering voice called out, and Jean applied. 

He fell onto his back while the grey-eyed black widow spider chewed into his bat, eating it away with its green venom. Its legs struck the ground, and Jean, leaning from near death, unsheathed his knife and lodged it into the spider's eyes. 

It recoils with a shriek while Jean quickly crawls back with a coated knife before going into a sprint. 

 The spider charges once more, and the ex-student runs behind a car, only for the spider to flip it over on its head. Jean immediately crawls under a pickup truck. The spider's leg pierces through the vehicle, to Jean's surprise. 

He rolls from the parts and oil while the last leg rips the truck in two. 

Jean rushed to the railing at the center of the parking lot before vaulting. 

"Ha." Jean yelped, landing on the head of the car and causing it to cry. The ex-student dropped to the ground before running deeper into the lot, hiding behind the Mechanic truck. 

Jean grabs his chest and takes in breaths. 

"Ok." He peeks around the corner of the vehicle, eyeing the spider, which is searching 3B for its stubborn prey. 

The grey-eyed spider paces around the crying car, shifting its position before hissing and driving its leg into the car, shutting it off. 

Jean looks to the ceiling. 

"Why won't you listen?" The whispering voice came back. 

"Leave me. Alone." Jean said under his breath. 

"If you weren't a second faster, we would've been dead." 

"I need sleep. I need sleep." The ex-student closes his eyes before reopening them. 

He peaks but halts. 

Eight grey eyes remained beside the front of the mechanic truck; the spider was now three feet away from its prey. 

"Don't move. Don't." The whispering voice advised. 

Jean listened, halting his breath and remaining still as a statue. 

The unyielded grey-eyed death paces away in search of its prey. 

"It's blind." The whispering voice answered in Jean's confusion. 

Jean sees a can on the ground and picks it up. He hurls it four cars away. The spider comes running before becoming still. 

The ex-student looks around before turning to the mechanic truck behind him. He sees a few suction pipes above the car. He grabs one before sneaking to the back. 

He sees a large compartment and the latch that keeps it close. Jean bites his lip before going for it. 

A pop filled his ears, causing him to wince silently. 

The blind spider remained unattracted. 

Jean opens it up, seeing tools jumble up. He searches slowly and steadily, pulling a hacksaw. He took a knee and got hacking. 

The sound of metal cutting into plastic filled the area. He looks up to the lot and sees it empty from his predator. 

Jean puts his back into it. He grunts, cutting the pipe from its edge, making progress. 

"Slowly." The whispering voice states while the familiar clanking fills the other side of the lot. 

Jean stopped, taking in the humming rain; he waited minutes before hearing the spider make its way to the second floor. 

"Listen. That thing is going to get hungry soon." The whispering voice advised while Jean only continued hacking. 

The ex-student makes mid-progress, eyeing the cut entrance on the top plastic pipe. Jean hears the clanking once more. 

"Slow." The whispering voice advised.

 Jean only heeded its order. The clanking returned minutes later. 

"Keep it up." Seconds continued. "Stop!" 

Jean halts. His eyes remained glued to the pipe while the grey-eyed spider stood at the front of the Mechanical truck. 

The blind spider clicks its teeth.

 The spider took its leave. 

"Put your back into it." The whispering voice states. 

Jean does so, completing his task. He smirked, eyeing the pipe spear. 

He stood to his feet and went to the large compartment. He fetched the wrench before climbing the mechanical truck. 

"Please. Let this work." Jean bashes the head window, caving it. "Ragh!" He smashed it through, starting the car alarm. 

Jean stood on the head of the Mechinal truck, finding his grip on his pipe spear while he licked his lip. 

The spider shriek echoes the lot while the ex-student rolls his shoulders. 

"Come on." Jean glared. 

The eight grey-eyed spider arrived on Jean's floor, zooming at a speed Jean didn't know a spider could go. 

He grew two feet. Jean makes his move. He leaps from the truck before driving the pipe spear into the spider's skull. 

The spider dropped while Jean only breathed, listening to the car alarm and the humming rain. The ex-student grunted, pulling the spear out before driving it into its head again, getting a jolt. 

"Sorry. Habits." Jean pulls the pipe spear out before his shoes hit the concrete. He makes his way across the lot, heading for the ramp to the second floor. 

A scream filled with rage makes the ex-student get into a defensive stance. 

Running with a waddle, the wandering woman descended the ramp before heading toward Jean. 

The wandering woman lowered her jaw, showing her fangs, while her diluted grey eyes remained on Jean. 

A white pickup truck starts to life before tackling the wandering woman with its hood. It drags her into the corner of a support beam. 

A loud crunch and heavy metal hitting the stone caused Jean to flinch. 

The pickup truck slowly rolled back while the wandering woman remained along the corner beam, her ribcage exposed and her jaw hanging while leaking purple liquid. 

"Ugh!" A voice escapes the truck while Jean approaches with cautious steps. "Lord from above! Ugh!" The voice shouts in pain while Jean picks up his pace. 

"Hey! Are you alright?!" Jean sees Jiro in the driver's seat with a busted nose and a cut lip. 

"Yeah! Peachy." Jiro glared, leaking. "Make sure she's dead. I fucking hit her with the truck. She's better be dead." He said the last under his breath. 

Jean paced around the truck, eyeing the corpse that lay before him. Jean drives the spear into the wandering woman's skull, hearing the truck door close. 

"Don't. Tell me." Jiro states. 

"No. You got it; it's a habit I picked up from gaming." 

"Hey. What the hell is that? At it's chest there." 

Jean gazed at it. A strange, sickish glow spilled from the wandering woman's rib cage. 

Jean approached it. 

"Kid. Careful." Jiro kept his distance while Jean heard his warning. 

The ex-student located the purple glow within the smashed heart. Jean pokes it before grunting and covering his nose. 

"Hey. Just leave it alone." Jiro states. 

"No. It's the body I can't stand." Jean winces before coming closer. He pulled out his bloody purple kitchen knife. 

He cuts into the heart before pulling out something strange. 

Another transparent seed, yet it shared a sick purple glow. 

"You wanna see?" Jean approached Jiro, who was curious; the seed began to blink. 

"Whoa." The two gain their gain distances, and the blinking stops.

"I can see from here." Jiro smiled. "Just keep that thing away from me." 

"Of course." Jean puts the seed into his pack. "And thanks for the help. Let's help the others." 

----

"Come on." A muscular bald man with no eyebrows taints. 

"Agh!" A teen with a white buzz cut rushes the man. 

The teen throws two straight punches, and the bald man blocks the first with his hand. He pushes the other before delivering a heavy hook into the teen's jaw. 

"Ugh!" The teen falls onto his back with a cut lip. 

"Get up." The bald man ordered. "Jack. Get up." 

The teen's watery eyes glared into the bald man's soul. He climbed to his feet, rushing with a war cry. 

Jack throws a hook, and the bald man leads back. The teen bounces into a flying knee. The muscular man blocks, taking a few steps back. 

He delivers a leg kick that fills the Dojo with a crackle of meat into the bone, and Jack drops to the blue mat.

Jack screamed, but nothing came out. He held his left knee close to his chest.

"Keep training. See you back home." The bald man climbed down the training platform. 

"Mr.Walker." The red-haired man in a T-shirt and shorts bows to the bald man in tex, who continues and exits the gym. "Jack." The man rushed to the platform. "Let me see." The man only saw his skin in flame. 

"You're fine." The red-haired man smirked before flicking his leg. 

"Agh! Fuck you!" Jack cursed.

"You took a nasty kick, though. Boss, don't disappoint." 

"I would gladly trade places." 

"What you got is child play. I had worst." 

"Kirishima." A voice causes the two to look to the entrance. 

Two men in tex waited. 

The red-haired man named Kirishima sighs. 

"Once you gathered your bearings, Hit the bag." He pats Jack's shoulder before pacing down the platform. 

Kirishima exited the door while the men in tex followed. 

Jack waited a second before standing to his feet. He limps off the platform, heading for the door. 

The sound of flesh and knuckles filled his ears. Jack pipped open the door, eyeing Kirishima, who the two men were jumping. 

"Argh!" Kirishima takes a blow, spitting blood before hitting the ground. 

"Boss. Boss!" A voice cried out. "Boss!" 

Mr.Walker opened his eyes to William, who stood above him and smiled down on him.

"Made breakfast."

Staring at the pancakes and scrambles eggs. William devours his.

"Oh, yeah, manners." William closes his eyes. "May god bless this food, and if I sin. God shall forgive." 

Mr.Walker only watches this ordeal with a hardened stare. 

"When you're going to do something as stupid as this. Tell me."

"I'm sorry, boss. You slept all day. I got bored and polished the guns. I cooked breakfast as thanks for taking me in." Mr.Walker begins to eat. "Breath-taking. I'm sorry. I eat now."

The boss and the gangster in training eat in silence, listening to the metal forks scabbing along the ceramic plates. Willam eyed the boss before looking down at his plate and shaking his head. 

"What?" Mr.Walker questioned, eating his plate. 

"Have you seen Mr.Kirishima?" Willam questioned. 

"You told me he told you about this place." 

"He did. It's just I'm hoping I would find him with you." 

"He's dead." Mr.Walker didn't skip a beat. He sat his fork down. "He went down since this whole thing started." The boss licked his inner cheek before standing to his feet. 

He leaves the table without a word. 

He paced by his bed to a door with stained glass. The door slid open, revealing the guns on the wall and a white table with a black table mat waiting for inspection. 

He pulled a black handgun from the wall before sitting on the table. 

The handle is coated brown, and the frame is light and narrow. At the edge, there is an iron sight. 

Jack slides a journal on the side before flipping it open. 

Vendetta. 

"It contains three-eight ammo." Jack ejects the skinny mag before sitting it on the table. "Going to have to switch to nine mil. I'll save for the Austgus rifle." He said to himself, disassembling the pistol into parts. 

Jack writes in his journal before lighting a cigarette. 

He reassembles it within two minutes before cocking the chamber. He aimed at the wall before pulling the trigger, giving a click. 

Jack sat it back on the wall before picking up a curved rifle he mentioned. 

The boss pulled the frame down, revealing the empty cylinder he pulled from the slot. He sat it on the table before writing in his journal. 

I can find this on the police department or anyone packing a Mattew twenty-four. 

He sat Austgus on the wall, taking a shotgun. The frame is glassy yet firm. 

The boss flicks the metal button cover before pressing a button. The magnet's coil is spun with copper until electricity spews within the frame. 

Jack runs his finger along the frame of the shotgun, filling his hair's rise. 

A knock causes him to snap at Willam. 

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry, but How did you get the IronHeart? It's military-grade with a cartridge that could take out a Tobor."

"Influence." Jack turns off the shotgun before taking the mag out. He eyed the glassy shotgun shells embedded with copper. He put it back in before putting it back on the wall. "I'm going to establish a boundary. You are only allowed in if I permit you to do so." 

"Of course. Sorry." Willam bows as Jack turns off the lights and shuts the door. 

"You have something to do?" Jack tilted his head. 

"Uh. No sir." 

"Keep an eye out. We'll take shifts in three hours." 

"Right. Boss." Willam exited the room. 

Jack rubs his nose before heading to the bathroom. 

The boss checks his phone, but it gets no reception. He eyed the last message left from Kirishima. 

Jack. I got Mr.Hue hot and ready. Meet at our usual. 

Jack's hands shake, and he quickly searches the glass cabinet before taking a pill. He took the chance to breathe. 

A hand covered in ice spews from the mirror, reaching out. 

The boss fell onto his back, eyeing the mirror with rapid breath. 

The ordinary glass cabinet looks back at Jack. The boss remained seated on the bathroom floor, recollecting his thoughts. 

The alarm blares while a red light flashes throughout the room.

Jack picks up his phone.

INTRUDERS-

The lights cut out, and the alarm grew silent. 

Jack picks himself up, pulling a Vendetta from his pants holster. He slowly exits the bathroom, eyeing the dark bed, living, and kitchen room with his adjusted eyes. 

A bloodline crashes into Jack, who crashes into the flatscreen TV. He grunts, reaching for his gun. 

"Uh, ah." A playful voice says above him. 

Jack looks up at the red eyes, looking down at him. 

"Thanks for showing us the way." The figure stomps Jack. 

... 

Jack slurred awake, hearing multiple steps within his safe house. 

"Looks who's up." The bearded man with red eyes smirked at Jack, who only glared at him. "I mean. Sorry for the mess, Mr.Walker. Boss orders." 

Jack eyed three more people wearing bulletproof vests carrying out his supplies. 

"Hey! A little help would be excellent." The female survivor, carrying the weapons from Jack's weapon stash, says. 

"You're doing fine. I promise to load up the food." The bearded man states while something else gets Jack's attention. 

The emblem of a Lion with a mane rests on the center of their bulletproof vest. 

"Who are you with?" The boss questioned while the bearded man tilted his head. 

"Not important." The man rests on the dinner table before eating a mouthful of a pancake. "Christ, that's good." 

"Where's William?" 

"You know. You ask a lot of questions." He points a metal fork at Jack. "I'm not here for that. I'm here to leave a message." He forked a few eggs into his mouth. "Get out of the wolf den. And become the Alpha once more." 

Jack remained silent. 

"This is where you speak." 

"That's behind. Me." Jack spoke. 

"Ah! Ha! You said it!" The beardman smiled and pointed. "My Boss said you would." The bearded man clicks his tongue before hopping off the table. "There's a saying. You pick your kid and throw them into the pool's deep end. They either drown or swim. Please don't let it be the latter." 

The bloodline zooms all over the room, leaving the cabinets picked clean and the oven open and turned on. A canister with smoke pours into the room.

Jack grunts, tied to the chair. 

"Ha!" Jack stands to his feet before rushing to the wall. He drives his chair, which causes it to crack. "HA!" He does it again, hearing wood break. 

Jack eyed the oven, inhaling the fumes; he coughed before clenching his teeth. He performs a frontflip, breaking free from his shackles. He groans before racing out the door. 

Back at the garage, the Suv and Willam were gone. Red lines blink along the walls of the garage. Jack races out and up the ramp. 

The boss's eyes were bloodshot. Heavy stomps followed him. He didn't dare to turn back. 

Jack escapes the shipping container while the explosives ignite. The boss falls onto his face before looking up at the night sky. He rises to his butt, panting, watching the smoke and fire escape the container. 

Jack looks to the City of Hamihero. 

In the distance, smoke lines and scarlet light lit from somewhere in Hamihero. The horizon calls to Boss while Doves, Parrots, and Crow go to find a home.