Closed RP The Fox and the Hound

This RP is currently closed.


Connor watched Todd disappear into the shadows, he had figured he would hunt differently than him, if his gut was right then he would be setting up to ambush the approaching prey. He smelt them now, six of them, they stank of fear and anxiety and the adrenaline associated with imminent, he heard their heavy footsteps, he felt his mouth begin to salivate in response. He would have to reign in the bloodfury to honour Todd's demand, this would take effort, but still, he couldn't help the boiling power that grew inside of him as the prey approached the killing field.

He waited just long enough to make sure they got as close as possible to both Connor and where he smelt Todd to be. He had climbed back up one of the support pillars on the warehouse, out a window, and onto the roof to watch them. Now he was crouched, a wounded spring of furious power, but as still as a gargoyle. Until they stepped just close enough, and he pounced.

The Wolfhound landed right in the middle of them, landing on one mad, the force of the impact cracking his ribs and braking several bones. The other jumped in shock and panic, before the beast let out a howling roar, paralysing many of them as they fumbled with their guns. Connor resisted the urge to grab for his sword and cut them all to pieces, instead he balled his fists and struck the nearest man down with three rapid punched to the skull which knocked him unconscious and certainly would give him concussion. The rest had scattered now, some stunned, others began to run. The Wolfhound set after the ones who had turned and run, his instincts driving him to pursue, they would not get far before he was upon them.
 
The crack of bones was Cryptid’s signal to brace. He waited an extra moment, ears pricked, listening for footsteps. After the initial shock of being jumped by a predator, four people took off in different directions like scattering rabbits.

He allowed himself one last grin before setting his jaw, and taking off like a shot towards the one that was heading the most in his direction. He came in hard from the side, shoving the man with more strength than his thin frame should’ve been capable of in the best of circumstances. As he forced him to the ground, he punched hard into the man’s left shoulder with his right bagh nakh. It wasn’t the first blood of the night, but Todd felt the hunt trying to creep through, trying to push him. His own pulse was high from the burst of energy, the man bleeding under his hand was trying to twist away, there was prey everywhere.

Calm down, he warned himself, as he raised his eyes to the next fleeing figure, back to him, gaining distance. But if Connor could keep his calm, relatively speaking at least, then so would Todd. It wasn’t that hard, and he had a lot of experience.

So he punched down at an angle, to use the metal bar of the other bagh nakh to hit the man’s temple. He was out like a light, and Cryptid looked up after the next target while pulling the claws from his current victim’s shoulder.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” His grin was audible in his voice, and he took off after the next target. “Looks like the fun’s just getting started.”

His own boots were audible even to human ears on the pavement, and the man looked over his shoulder in time to see Todd descending on him in full slasher-movie villain glory. The prey made an undignified noise and tried to change direction. Cryptid let him, then put on a burst of speed to turn after him, pulling his own curve tighter, moving up on the man’s right. He would have laughed a little, if each step hadn’t been an effort not to bite back the tunnel-vision that came with the chase, that came with the blood that dripped still from the claws between his fingers, that came with the fear that trailed in the ever-shrinking distance between Cryptid and the prey.

And all Cryptid really had to do was check him with his shoulder, hard enough to throw him off balance. The fear and the panic and gravity all did the rest as the vigilante circled around once to lose momentum, stopped a little way away, and then started his approach, sure that the Hound could handle the last two with no trouble at all while he put the fear of God – or at least the devil, or something like it – into a man who deserved it.
 
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Connor heard Todd pounce, heard the sound of metal on bone, did Todd have metal in his fists or something? He'd heard of other gifted individuals having extra parts to them like that, some even being the result of experimentation by humans. Mostly, this was concerning to Connor; as well as confusing because whatever Todd just did didn't sound non-lethal to him.

"Hey, what’s the rush?" he heard Todd say. "Looks like the fun’s just getting started.”

Truly, they weren't the same kind of hunter; what exactly was the point of talking? Connor couldn't recall talking to his prey, man or deer; if they were already fated to fall before him, why bother? Connor dismissed these thought for now and focused don the task at hand, the two men running away from him. The sight of them quickened his heart and his breathing, he crouched into a four limbed run, the beast zeroed in on the fleeing prey; and so the hunter let fly his fury and mercy thought and after thought was still enforced.

The Wolfhound sunk his teeth into the first man's calf, the flesh tore as easy as tender steak, coming free as the man cried out and fell in his face. Connor spat out the foul-tasting flesh, he then delivered a blow to the man's temple to keep him from squirming. The second man had stopped, and fumbled with his gun to turn it on Connor; he managed to unload five or so shots, most spraying wild of their target, but one did catch Connor in the meaty part of his shoulder. He simply growled and pounced, the man screamed As Connor's teeth ripped into his shoulder; his weight knocked him over and his head hit the pavement with a crack!.

Connor shrugged his shoulder, feeling the pain, the bullet hadn't made it through. He pulled his bowie knife and struck it into the wound, twisting it around until he dislodged the round and pulled it free. He took deep breaths of the night air, his breath hot and gasped great steam clouds into the air. He considered leaving these two men but then remembered what Todd had said, abut not wasting food, so he grabbed them both by their legs and dragged their lump, but still alive, bodies back to where Todd was.
 
At a worse time in his life, Todd would have reveled in the look in his prey’s eyes. They were blue, like his natural ones; deeper and darker, and now twisted with fear as he tried to fumble with the gun that Cryptid ripped out of his hands before he even realized the monster was upon him. The gun skidded away when Todd threw it, and the bastard was entirely at his mercy, at a range so close he could taste his breath.

But Todd had learned a lot of lessons, in his worse years. Temperance, patience, justice. The man was a bastard, but nobody actually deserved Todd’s teeth. They didn’t deserve to be scared out of their wits. And every monster deserved a second chance, because something in the universe had decided Todd deserved one, too.

“Let’s talk.”

He could hear the fighting behind him, but sat back to squat on his haunches, hands relaxed enough that the prey could see the bloodied claws of his right hand. The prey was left leaning away, suspicion and fear plain on his face, plain in the scent of his sweat. Cryptid put on his best reasonable tone, speaking softly so he didn’t interrupt the monster behind him.

“I just need to know the guy above you. Name, and where to find him.”

“I ain’t a–”

“Rat?” Cryptid tilted his head, the mask’s grin only making the movement more unnerving. “I dunno man, you look pretty ratlike to me. All cornered like this…”

The man flinched a little at the growl in Todd’s voice. Cryptid had a reputation, after all. Most of the guys he took on got off with some serious maiming. There were enough rumors about the rest – some of them true, although Thug Number Six didn’t know for sure – that the smell of fear kicked up a notch. Which was only compounded on when he felt Connor come up behind him, and dump the two badly injured, but definitely alive, bodies nearby. As if he had no worry about whether his prey would try to run again after his earlier display, Cryptid looked up at Connor.

“Hey, Wolfman, doesn’t this guy look like a rat to you? Just a little?”
 


Connor tilted his head as he approached, Todd was... talking, talking to his prey; mocking him even. That seemed odd, a waste of energy, was he... toying with him? The prey was fearful, he had submitted, and was still alive for some reason. Information Connor supposed could be valuable, if Todd intended to hunt down everyone else associated with this group. Though Connor had planned to hunt them like he hunted everything, tracking, smell, the works; could Todd not do these things? He found it unlikely he couldn't manage that much.

"I'm not a wolf," Connor said. "And he is not a rat, why are you playing with your food?"
 
Connor didn’t want to play along, but he did say something helpful. The man’s breath caught in his throat, and started to come a little more shallowly than before. Cryptid sighed dramatically, using the moment and the fear to his advantage.

“Fine, fine. Spoilsport.” He sighed dramatically, but curled the fingers of his right hand so the moonlight would catch on the bloody claws. The man’s horrified eyes became just a touch wider. “But, I guess if he’s not gonna talk anyway–”

“Chuck! Chuck! You’re lookin for Chuck!.” The prey’s voice was about an octave higher than it needed to be. Stammering badly, he rattled off an address. When he was done, Todd’s body language relaxed visibly, and his borrowed hawkish eyes relaxed.

“See, that wasn’t so hard.” He stood up slowly, languidly, drawing it out and stretching a little. One of his shoulders popped when he did so, and when he tipped his head, his neck cracked in his ears. Then he looked down at the prey, head tilted slightly, frowning as the man trembled like a leaf. When he spoke, Cryptid’s voice was cool and collected.

“Now, here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna call the cops from your phone, and you’re gonna tell them everything. Everything. And hope the court gives you a plea deal for selling out your buddies. Because if you don’t, and I see your face on the street again, I’m gonna tear it off. Clear enough for you?”

The man nodded his head vigorously.

“Good.” He looked at Connor. “I think we’re done here. You coming with me or is this where we part ways?”
 


Connor looked at the man, then back to Todd, then back at the man; flipping between a few times. He stared at Todd expectantly, the prey was subdued, he had fulfilled his seeming need to toy with them and now he... wanted to move on. Was he not going to feed, was that not why he was here, what was the purpose of this hunt? Territorial? Vengeful like Connor's? No, that would warrant the prey to die, and he just made a fuss about wasting meat. Nothing made sense. Todd's patterns didn't add up, Connor was stumped, he didn't like being stumped, being stumped meant he didn't know what was going on, which was a problem, which was a threat. Was there some ulterior motive to all this? Was Todd messing with him? Luring him into a trap?

Despite these questions Connor felt as if he should go with Todd, he didn't know why. A loud screaming in his eras demanded he either attack now, face the challenge, or run away. Yet another feeling, soft yet insistent, demanded something ludicrous; trust?

"I will come... once a hunt has begun it must be seen to the end."
 
Cryptid nodded as Connor agreed to come with him. He was getting some mixed messages from the other predator in terms of body language and behavior; he was being watched like he was mistrusted, but Connor came anyway. It made his instincts uneasy, but he didn’t act on that. Even if the hunt was over, there was still prey – the injured and the victims. The blue-eyed man would take care of the victims and the injured, he had no doubt.

The best thing he could do for them was move away. He took the time to survey the damage, casually, calmly, and then nodded and started walking down the alley nearest the man who was fumbling for his phone. He kept it slow enough that he made sure he could hear the slight crackle of Police, fire, or ambulance? from a dispatcher on the other end. It wouldn’t take long for them to be far enough away that the man’s babbling was an afterthought, and once they were that far out, Cryptid looked up at the hound-dog following him.

“It’s late enough we’re not gonna make it after Chuck tonight. As long as our rat doesn’t think twice and call him up first, I think it’s safe to say he’ll be there tomorrow.”
 
Connor didn't really want to let Todd out of his sight for any mount of time, even now after they had taken the same side Connor would invite not even a second of opportunity. With both their blood running so hot, any slight step out if line could still invite the wrong move; and yet, Todd played this game differently. While a Predator, Todd operated on different rules than Connor, there was an amount to him he couldn't predict, and that kept him on edge.

"I rarely let any prey wonder free so long as they are within the range of my teeth... and this... Chuck, could be found tonight," Connor paused, he was till in Todd's territory, there was still the expectation that he would defer to him unless to invite a challenge. "If you insist on rest, and to wait... I would be able to do that..."
 
“If I tore up every prey item in range of my claws, I wouldn’t be alive.” Todd sensed Connor’s confusion, and certainly his deference. An explanation was the least thanks he could give. “Humans don’t respond well to predation. Sometimes it’s best just to scare them a little and they’ll get the picture. If they don’t change, I stop giving them warnings.”

Now that they were winding out of combat and putting distance between themselves and the fight, Cryptid visibly started to unwind, losing some of his tension. Not all of it; his predator wouldn’t relax as long as Connor was nearby. But the temptation to hunt was leaving him, and he was fading back toward the civil mask he’d worn back at Huntsman Scott’s, and he hoped that doing so would convince Connor to do the same.
 

Connor certainly did notice Todd relaxed posture, and his body responded in kind without a thought. He almost seemed to shrink, his hair lay flat, his muscles less big, his flesh less stretched. The Bloodfury was sated, for now, though the confusion faded none.

"You're not going to feed?" Connor asked.
 
Cryptid actually laughed a little bit. Not at the change in posture; his own remained just as relaxed. It was just that he’d almost forgotten how unusual his dietary patterns were. Sulphur had made the same assumption. It was only natural for Connor to think he’d just turned down necessary food.

“I don’t need to feed every day. I don’t even need to eat every week, though there was a time…” He shook his head. “Anyway, no. I’m not hungry tonight.”

Untrue. He was always hungry. The cold was always in his bones, the desire for blood always on his tongue. But he wasn’t ravenous. He wasn’t even shaking. He still carried the remains of Jasper Torres and Mark Peters to sustain him, and would unless he took a lot of damage. For tonight, all signs of the monster that was claws and taunting and bite had faded away, leaving only a human vigilante in their place.
 
Laughter was good, Connor had already laughed though he wasn't quite lucid when he had laughed. It was only fair that Todd be allowed to laugh back. But not hungry? That was interesting, Connor took a note of that, for as much energy Todd seemed to expend; he didn't need to constantly replenish it like Connor did. He wanted to know more specifics, but inquiring about Todd's abilities would be seen as a threat.

"What do you... suggest we do now?
 
“We?”

Cryptid glanced at Connor. A small part of him, the part that had started to open up, closed off again. The part of him that had started to feel human again now shifted to wariness. It wasn’t defensive, necessarily. Or maybe it was defensive, and wasn’t aggressive. There was a big difference between respecting another predator’s space, and deferring to him for a course of action. He didn’t think it was meant to be a test, even less a challenge.

The glance was to check Connor’s body language, figure out what had changed, if anything. No matter what he saw there, though, he’d finally just shrug, shaking off the tension that had started to gather on him in an easy motion.

“We should both put some distance between ourselves and the crime scene. The cops will be here soon, and I don’t need a vigilantism charge. Where you go and what you do next is none of my business.”
 
We indeed, Connor realized he was still deferring to Todd, because he was still in his territory. But there was more to it, why was he still here? He should leave, staying here around Todd was a challenge was it not? Yet they had hunted together that.. that meant something, did it not? Connor's heart was a mixture of hormonal instincts and emotional soup. Todd was right, they had nothing to do with each other, then why... why did Connor feel as if that wasn't true.

"You hunt... very well, and we made short work of these ones... if you are going to pursuit the rest of them... and so am I... than it makes... it makes sense to work together... I was going to continue to hunt, but this is... this is your territory, so I won't do anything without you... without you knowing."
 
Connor didn’t seem aggressive, Todd noticed. He didn’t even seem upset. Sure, he spoke a little hesitantly, but that just seemed to be his voice. He clearly didn’t talk to people very often. And why would he? The city was hardly his natural habitat.

Then again, it wasn’t Todd’s, either. It felt like his, but not because he owned it. Just because he lived here. Letting Connor defer to him felt wrong, in the same way a coyote might feel off about letting a wolf show his belly. It sat wrong in his instincts, the ones rooted in fear and prey. If he abused the position that Connor was letting him take, then he’d have a pair of very angry jaws to deal with. It was best to avoid that for as long as possible.

“If it makes you more comfortable, I’ll keep out of your way. There’s plenty of scum in this city to go around. Now that I know who you’re after, I’ll set my sights elsewhere and won’t stop you. This hunt is yours, pal.”

He didn’t like deferring to Connor like this. It made him feel even smaller around the other predator. But they needed to avoid more interaction than strictly necessary, if they were going to keep up civil terms. Repeated exposure to each other, especially when they were clearly such different kinds of predator, was only going to result in problems. Best to part ways and avoid one another they way they originally meant to.
 
He was being very diplomatic about it, but Todd was making it clear that he didn't want Connor around. His guard was still up, he body still tense despite his efforts to do relax it and appear none threatening. Connor, for a moment, a precious moment; lamented this gap, this great divide between them, though he did not fully understand why. He had rarely ever desire to be near anyone, let alone someone who could kill him and yet... kinship, it was a rare enough thing, and something he felt, kinship was the word he decided upon.

"Then we part ways... be it chance or fortune come I sense we shall see each other again, and perhaps chase the same quarry, and I hope we meet as... as not as adversaries, or as rivals, the only blood I wished spilled is by the prey who by chance their fate be ill met by the moonlight... Goodbye... shadow-walker."

Connor slowly backed away into the shadows, the light thing Todd saw was the flash of his green eyes in the light. And he was gone.
 
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