Prowling from the treetops, the beast made her silent approach towards the hunters that lurked in the forest. Stopping on the branch that Grusha had stopped at, she perched herself there awaiting for whoever dared show themselves first. A figure rustled from the bushes, he popped out eyeing his surroundings warily. WIthout any warning, Grusha pounced on him from above, roaring like a raved lion.

The boy fell on his back, screaming from horror from her. Hunting rifle in hand, he shot wildly without any aim. The gunshot scared birds from the trees, sending them flying far away. He tried desperately to reload his weapon, but it fumbled in between his hands, leaving him unarmed as she pinned him to the ground.

Grusha growled over him, puffing thick smogs of breath on him. She recognized him from the day of the whaling, the one who sat next to him who she first spoke to. Reeking odor of fear and urine filled her nostrils, within moments he was drenched in sweat and his nauseating scent. His eyes were wide, as if he was witnessing his entire life flashby, and for a good reason too. What stood over him was not the same beautiful woman from before, a hideously deformed beast loomed over him with long limbs, skin so tough that looking at it hurt to watch, and long thick-strands of hair that trembled. A monster if he would ever give a name to what he witnessed.

“Please…” He squeaked rather amusingly.

He trembled beneath her firm hand pressed onto his chest.

She chuckled. “No.”

A gunshot split through the air, bouncing off of her crown. Not even a scar was left behind. The boy was still held down beneath her, and that did not deter her assailant from holding back the trigger. For his own safety, she released him from the pin and placed herself between him and the direction the bullets came from. Her predatory eyes narrowed and scanned for her target, the gunner was shooting cowardly from behind a tree.

She huffed a thick clot of air, fogging her nostrils. Without warning, she pelted her body against the tree and knocked it down, sending it tumbling over. The hunter fell over grunting as he rolled out of the way of the falling tree. Pridefully catwalking herself atop the hunter, she wrapped her wide-webby palms around his face. He screamed from fear.

“Behave.” A voice ordered behind her.

Twisting her head around to stare back defiantly at Nukilik, she refused to let go of her quarry.

“Let him go, or you leave me no choice but to forfeit Aput’s life.”

Grusha was angered from his threat, her hand tightened on the man’s skull, he began to whimper angrily as he tried to free her devilish grip from his cranium. For a moment she contemplated her options. Wildebeest, her innervoice quarreled with her, wanting to take this opportunity to free herself from the debt.

“What have you done with Aput?” She asked.

Nukilik approached her with his shotgun aimed pointblank on her forehead.

“He’s fine for now, but he won’t be for long as long as you remain alive. That is why you must go.”

She scoffed. “I am invincible, you can’t force me to go.”

Nukilik’s fist clenched, he was a hair-length away from shooting.

“Why?” He started. “Why did you stay? You knew what you were. So why did you stay, you animal?”

“An animal does not need a reason to stay, I had nowhere else to go, so stayed where I was fed.”

There was more to it, that she had personal reasons why she stuck around. Nukilik would never have understood, however.

More of the hunters that prowled around gathered around her, with their weapons trained on her. Bloodlust reeked all around her, the stench of humanity. The creatures that made her blamed her for what had happened, never realizing they were the root cause of their own demise.

“You mock my family. They may not have known what you were, being away from the main civilization was the root of their naivety, but now they know the truth of what you are.”

Her quills began to quiver, she was picking up scents and sensations that were ominously familiar. Memories of the day that started this filled her mind, bitter and angry memories.

“District Ergatuk. You reported us?”

A sly grin. Nukilik responded. “I don’t know how you knew it, but yes, I contacted the Foundation agent from Ergatuk. Follow us back and they will take you away to be properly dispensed.” He paused. “You said ‘us’. Who’s us?

She rumbled a low growl.

It dawned upon him that they were not alone.

“SHOOT HER!” He growled.

Tossing the man she held in her hand aside, she pounced atop Nukilik who popped the entire load of the shotgun. She softened her skin just enough to absorb the gunshots and let them fall off softly to the ground. Her hand swiped at Nukilik, sending him rolling across the ground.

Lady Hammer crashed into the ground, making an exaggerated entrance with snow and earth knocked in the air. Hammer lifted her chin, darting eyes at her ally’s enemies. Lifting up her warhammer, she aimed it at them.

“Grace me in battle! Weaklings! Show me the prowess of your spirit and honor.” Lady Hammer declared.

All of the men dropped their weapons and turned away, fleeing in all directions from them. Only Lady Hammer, Grusha and Nukilik were left behind.

“I thought I told you to stay behind.” Grusha said.

“Battle called for me, Wildebeest.” Hammer responded.

Without any time to waste, she lifted her Nukilik by the collar. Reeling him close to her.

“You speak of us being dispensed, but you failed to see that I was made to dispose of demis like myself.”

Nukilik sweated. “That can’t be. The Foundation, they would never ally with the likes of you. Monsters like you are what broke families apart, destroying our cities and loved ones.”

“And you need monsters like me to take care of others like me.”

“You’re lying to me!” He yelled determinedly.

She knocked him up against the tree, letting him slide back to the earth trying to catch his breath once again. There was no time to waste, Aput’s life was in immediate danger and that was all that went through Grusha’s mind.

“What do the huntsmen plan, Beast?”

A short pause. “Nothing good. They are bringing a small army again.”

They turned in a full sprint towards the Village, Lady Hammer following closely by Grusha’s side. Hammer held her Pegasus tight in hand, aching to brave another battle. Grusha herself could feel the thrill to start to excite her again, quills quivered in static excitement. Without warning, she incremented her speed twice as fast.

The village came into full view, in moments she arrived at what she feared the most. Surrounding the village were heavily armored suits that corralled confused villagers to the center, they meant to draw her attention here. Scent of murderous intent filled her nostrils, they planned to execute them all. Anger bubbled up.

All of this just because of me?

Grusha grabbed a tree and ripped it out of the roots, launching the massive tree to an armored suit on the fringe. The soldier was caught completely off guard, branches dragged him across the icy plain straight into the ocean. Screaming and shouting as he swore in confusion over what was happening. He disappeared into dark frozen depths, only for moments later for him to be flying out of the water on his jetpack. All of the armored men took wide steps turning around, the suits whined and hissed a giant chorus.

“Wildebeest!” One of them bellowed.

That one was different from the others, he seemed to have a missing hand. She recognized him immediately.

“Trashman.” She responded.

He clapped his suit’s three-fingered claws, winding his suit up. Grusha could feel tremendous energy powering the suits, they were almost on par with Static’s suits. This meant that they found a mutual friend of Static’s.

“I’ll leave him to you, Beast.” Lady Hammer decided.

“And you handle the rest?” Grusha asked.

“With pleasure.”

Hammer did not want for a command to proceed, no plan was prepared beforehand, but that was alright with Grusha. This was how she operated, on instincts. They both dashed towards their targets, and their enemies were ready. All of the villagers ran to hide into different areas, knowing that a dangerous battle was about to take place.