Chapter Text
Leo
The light of the moon illuminated the small rooftop. Moss grew wildly along the edges and an ant the size of a human’s torso crawled across the space in a hurry. Leo leaned against a metal pole while he tracked a Deathstalker with his one functional eye. The Deathstalker came to a stop by a nearby puddle and it leaned down to drink through big gulps. Leo licked his chopped lips. After a day without food, his stomach rumbled beneath the skin like thunder during a thunderstorm. The Deathstalker quelched its thirst before moving on toward a dark alley. This is my chance, Leo thought. He grabbed onto the pole and used it to slide down the two-story building. He kept his heart rate under control as he jogged across the road, following the Deathstalker into the alley. Its almost mechanical noises grated against his ears like nails on a chalkboard. He kept the palms of his hands pressed against the sides of his face as he followed the red arachnid. The windows on either side of him were broken, which left shards of glass that decorated the ground. They crunched beneath Leo’s forest green sneakers as he fumbled through the darkness. Goosebumps appeared across the skin of his arms as his light brown eye transformed into the amber shade of a mutant’s. His blind eye remained as white as ever, yet he was still able to distinct his surroundings more clearly. The Deathstalker was only a couple of meters ahead of him. Three stingers pointed threateningly in his direction, ready to strike at any given moment. Leo almost held his breath the closer he got to the scorpion. He traced the crossbow that hung over his shoulder with light touches. His quiver offered a steady weight on his back — one that reminded him of safety and comfort. His father had been the one to teach him how to shoot, and with mutants much like himself lingering across Las Vistas, they came to use.
The Deathstalker exited the alley and entered a wide space that Leo liked to call the “buffet zone.” The wide opening of a garage laid on the opposite side of the road — the scorpions’ sleeping quarters. The arachnid crawled toward the opening and Leo followed with tentative steps. If he was lucky, it would step into the traps he’d set out. Scorpion blood proved to be a mess to clean off. He reached backward for an arrow just in case when a shadow passed his light frame. His neck snapped toward the night sky, eyes landing on a pink bird that flew through the air. A flamingo. Scarlemagne. The name brought a bitter taste to Leo’s tongue. The damned mandrill was the reason he was stuck in Deathstalker Territory, the reason why his sisters were lost, the reason he was still alive in hopes of avenging the people he loved. Leo gritted his teeth, backing up into the alley until the shadows hid him from view. Scarlemagne’s flamingo passed by a couple more times, almost as if to say I know you’re there. Leo didn’t move an inch. The flamingo passed over him one last time with a squawk that echoed through the night. It faded into the distance and only then did Leo leave his hiding spot.
Dozens of flamingos hovered in the night sky, patrolling over the distant mountains. Leo gritted his teeth. They must be searching for something, or rather, someone. Is it me? He snorted. He couldn’t imagine Scarlemagne being that stubborn. If the mandrill wanted him that bad, he’d have sent his little human army after him. No, there had to be someone else. Someone that brought the attention off of him. Leo’s lips curled into a grin. What if this was it? What if he finally had a chance to escape? After all the months spent in Deathstalker Territory, he'd finally be free. The idea was too good to pass up. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver — one that his father had made for him. One day, the same arrow would pierce through Scarlemagne’s heart.
“I’ll avenge you dad. I promise,” Leo muttered under his breath as he stared down at the weapon in his hands. His father’s initials were carved into the side and Leo ran his thumb over it. He dropped his arm to his side, his grip tightening around the thin stick. If he was going to escape that night, he’d have to return to his apartment to gather his belongings. He didn’t have much, but it would help him survive in the mute-eat-mute-world. Whether he preferred to travel light or not, it would do him no good to leave Deathstalker Territory empty-handed.
He glanced at the garage opening, willing the traps to do their job. One last meal, he thought. One last meal, and then I’m out of here. He nodded to himself and turned his back on the garage to return the same way he came. It was almost bittersweet — having to leave the place where he’d made a home for himself. But, he reminded himself, his family needed him and Scarlemagne was going to pay for what he’d done. Even if it would cost him his life.
He walked forward, keeping his eye on the ground to avoid stepping on the glass shards. His current sneakers were his favorite out of all the ones he’d found and accidentally ruined. The scar on his foot served as a reminder not to step on anything sharp without proper protection. Halfway through the alley, the unmistakable sound of a nearby Deathstalker reached his ears. His human ones sunk into his head and transformed into rounded ones that stretched across the top of his head. Covered in grey fur, they twitched in the direction of the noise. It was definitely a Deathstalker, except, it was running. Something had either spooked it or triggered it. Either way, it meant that Leo wasn’t alone. His teeth sharpened into canines as a snarl rumbled in his chest. He grabbed into the windowsill to his left and pushed himself up against it until he kneeled between the broken glass. He grabbed into the railing of a balcony right above and dragged himself over it with a grunt. With the gained height, he was able to overlook the surrounding streets and apartments with little issue. His amber eyes scanned the area and zeroed in on two figures. One small and dressed in the skin of an animal. Leo sneered. The other, tall and… Pink? He’d never seen a pink human before, but pushed the thought into the back of his mind as the Deathstalker he’d heard appeared behind them.
“Kipo!”