In the depths of the forest, a fiery boy prowled with  quiet intensity. His crimson fur blended seamlessly with the dappled moonlight filtering through the canopy above. Agile and swift, he moved with the grace of a practiced predator, his senses alert. He was no stranger now to the lull of the night, it hid his pelt all the more.

Unbeknownst to Redrum however, danger lurked in the darkness — a trio of coyotes, their yellow eyes glinting with malice as they stalked their unsuspecting prey. With silent coordination, they closed in on Redrum, their malignant intentions masked by the night.

Suddenly, the air was thick with tension as the ambush sprung into action. Redrum's ears twitched at the faint rustle of leaves, his instincts kicking into overdrive as he spun to face his assailants. Three pairs of gleaming eyes met his own, an overt challenge issued to the boy who stood taller than all three. But he was still just a boy.

With a defiant snarl, Redrum leaped into action, his muscles coiling with desperate energy. He was outnumbered, but he refused to back down. They would not have his life. The coyotes circled him, their movements calculated — still Redrum held his ground, his gaze never wavering. Lips upturned in aggression, his defensive stance long since settled into.

The first coyote lunged forward, jaws snapping with razor-sharp teeth. Redrum dodged the attack with lightning reflexes, his movements quick and precise. He countered with a swift swipe of his claws, sending the coyote reeling back with a yelp of pain.

""

"One...two...Ripper's coming for you..." He'd been trailing after his brother as of late. Or trying to, anyway. Ripper kept getting distracted halfway through tracking him down, but this time, he had managed to stay on course. Medusa allowed them to roam wherever they wished with the exception that they let her or her companions know, or under the wing of her companions. They wouldn't outright stand over them breathing down their necks, but someone was always nearby in case of trouble. At least until they were yearlings, then they were free to wreak havoc on the world without their hidden babysitters. Ripper couldn't wait for that day. The day that he'd be truly unleashed on the world around him. And today, it would start a little early. He tracked Red to the southern forest, the eeriness creeping around him, though it wouldn't deter him nor send him scurrying back home. He was eager to test the boundaries, always biting at the bit and pulling on the reigns. Often he'd try to escape the watchful eyes that followed him, but had been unsuccessful yet. Still, as he slipped into the forest, he moved from shrub to shrub, weaving through the trees in his desperate attempt to lose Seymour. Even if for just a moment! The vulture always had a vantage point over him, however...much to Ripper's annoyance! Oh well. Just one more season...that wasn't very far from now...right? A foreign cacophony of sound reached him, the voices that echoed in the forest were unknown to him. All but one of them. He stopped where he was, bi-colored gaze searching the darkness as his ears stood at attention. Silence for a heartbeat. And then the pained sound of something. Redrum snarling somewhere in the forest. Ripper's hackles rose in anticipation, and while he was sure his brother could handle himself, he could hear the yips and howls of multiple creatures up ahead. While Red was big, it was a different matter to be outnumbered. Ripper didn't hesitate to go into action, moving from a standstill to racing toward the sounds. Talons ripped the grass to shreds, leaving clumps in his wake as the gathered came into view. Soundless. Like a phantom emerging from the darkness, he leaps for the closest attacker, latching onto the coyote's haunches, talons digging into his target like a multitude of knives. His weight bore down on the smaller beast, sending both of them to the ground in a ball of fur and spitting fury. Above it all, Ripper laughed like a maniac as he tussled with it. "Ripper is here to plaaaay!!"

As the first coyote recoiled from Redrum's counterattack, the other two seized the opportunity to strike. They darted in from opposite sides, aiming to catch him off guard. But Redrum was ready for it, he could hear every cackle and yip they made, his senses honed by countless nights spent navigating the depths of the forest at night. He couldn’t take them all on by himself though! He just had to keep himself from being too injured, and stay alive. Umbra was somewhere in the darkness, but he’d made sure she wouldn’t interfere unless the goings got much too tough for him. He didn’t want to always be saved. He wouldn’t grow that way. He wouldn’t make his mother proud.

With a rough pivot, he evaded the second coyote's lunging jaws, narrowly missing being caught by its teeth. Their attacks were solely focused on playing the numbers game, and Redrum was focused on evading. In one swift motion, he countered, delivering a powerful kick from his hind leg to its side that sent it sprawling to the forest floor, stunned for the moment. Lucky! He wasn’t so sure that luck would hold out for much longer.

Immediately after, the third coyote tried to press on with its assault. It lunged forward, teeth bared in a menacing snarl, aiming for Redrum's exposed flank. But there came a sudden phantom. A monochromatic flash of fur and the gleam of teeth from Ripper’s maniacal laughter. Redrum couldn’t think of a time he was happier to see his cheerful brother. What good timing, too! He was here to play, and play they would! Redrum grinned, dropping low to propel himself forward at the first coyote again. Nothing like fighting to the music of cackling laughter.

With a new air of confidence, the boy struck out with more purpose than to just survive, his claws finding their mark as they slashed across the first coyote's muzzle again, drawing a pained yelp from its throat. "Play. You. Thing." Cowardly thing, wasn't used to not having it's kin to back it up! (Funny how that's what the pair of siblings were doing too.) He snarled at it, puffing himself up to look even bigger as he dared it to continue attacking him, advancing on it with blazing golden eyes.

""

"One...two...Ripper's coming for you..." In a fit of laughter, Ripper slashed and cut down his enemy, forcing the beast to the ground and going in for a frenzied assault, making it difficult for the coyote to fight back. He was vaguely aware of Red facing off with another, but Ripper's focus was mostly on his one as it tried over and over to scramble back to its feet. It wasn't until it kicked him in the jaw during its mad bid to get away from the little psychopath that Ripper momentarily stopped his assault as he hit the dirt. Snarling, the coyote turned on the boy, its fur missing clumps from where Ripper had torn it out. It thought it'd be able to get the upperhand on him as he tried to recover, but as soon as it stepped toward him, Menace came forward between the two spitting and stomping, making the coyote think twice. It decided then, to turn tail, but it was a little too slow to run off. Ripper took his opportunity, scrambling madly to his feet as he lunged for the coyotes ankle, jagged teeth ripping into the tendon in its ankle and effectively bringing it to the ground! The coyote cried and tried to scramble away, but Ripper was far too enthusiastic and with just enough chomping, managed to sever half the coyotes leg. He didn't care whether or not the coyote lived or died. He had a prize! And fight with that prize he would! Tearing it away from the creatures body, he immediately turned around (with Menace ducking to avoid being whacked with a coyote foot) and rushed toward one of the others, cackling with far too much enthusiasm as he cocked his head back and Whack! smacked another foe with the severed leg of its very own kin!

Redrum was completely absorbed in his own confrontation, oblivious to the macabre yet amusing events unfolding beside him. His focus was laser-sharp, honed in on his prey with an intensity that drowned out all other sounds and distractions.

Without hesitation, he lunged forward, engaging in a brutal exchange of claws and teeth with the coyote. Their bodies intertwined in a dance of violence, saliva spraying as Redrum sank his teeth into the creature's cheek, tearing away a sizable chunk of flesh.

In the chaos, Redrum's laughter rang out, a wild, primal sound that echoed through the air. But then, as if pulled from his trance, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. His brother, Ripper, standing nearby, wielding a severed leg as a weapon.

The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. A leg? As a weapon? The absurdity of it all almost caused Redrum to lose his composure. He had never considered such a tactic, never even imagined it as a possibility. But there it was, unfolding before his eyes in all its grotesque glory.

""

TW: mangled body parts, blood, gore

"One...two...Ripper's coming for you..." The young male swung his grotesque weapon around wildly, smacking the coyote again, and again, and again. It was thrown off by the weapon of choice, cowering back for a moment as it tried to escape the wolf's assault. Ripper, laughing all the way, kept on swinging! Finally, the coyote had had enough and instead of fleeing, it lunged for the leg that Ripper was swinging around, grabbing it and pulling back. Ripper was pulled forward for a moment before he snarled and pulled back. The pair were now in some aggressive game of tug-of-war, with Ripper shaking his head to try and dislodge the coyote from his prize! With a hefty tug, Ripper managed to yank the smaller coyote forward and at the same time pulled the leg from the coyote's mouth! He swung his weapon with extra vigor this time, smacking the coyote upside the head with its kins body part before he dropped it and leaped forward, claws outstretched as he sunk his talons into either side of the coyote's shoulders. Colorless gaze glinted in the shadows, his unnerving smile the last thing the coyote would see before he lunged, serrated teeth slicing across its face and his canines poking into both eye sockets. He heard an audible *pop* that, had it been someone...that wasn't Ripper (or Medusa for that matter), they probably would've puked from the feeling. But Ripper was undeterred, and the coyote cried out loud in pain as it tore itself away, chunks of flesh and fur left behind in Ripper's talons and one eyeball sticking to his canine while the other remained in the skull of his brothers attacker. It fled, a trail of blood following it and Ripper howled his victory, eyeball and all.