Since the fight with the fire worm, the huge yearling has been restless. A chunk of his left ear is missing from said worm but he has it easy compared to what his twin experienced. Ears flatten as the familiar weight of guilt fills his gut and Gru shakes his head to rid his mind of the memory of Terror’s pain-filled screams. If only he had been stronger; if only he could have protected his brother.

The night is warm as Gruesome slips from his shared den to slink away from his home and deal with the anger that burns hotly in his veins. Feelings of inadequacy drive him deep into the land filled with cedar trees as he runs from the memories of his brother’s injuries. Spring has brought a boom of prey animals and, with them, an increase of predators… which he realizes just a little too late.

A large, striped feline had been slumbering in a den but the scent of a lone yearling had pulled the tiger from its sleep. It had been easy to track Gru, his frantic rush through the land had was reckless and the feline had taken advantage of his distraction. When he finally pulls to a stop, huffing from the impromptu run, the tiger is there to takes its chance. A blur of orange and black springs from the tree line and the yearling barks out a sound of surprise as he dives to the side to avoid the flurry of claws.

It rounds on him, lips peeling back at it growls at him, frustrated that the boy had somehow been able to avoid its carefully timed attack. Quickly, Gruesome falls into his defenses, eyes narrowing as he stares down the feline, unwilling to back down from this fight. With a hiss, the tiger lunges forward again and the yearling kicks off too, meeting the feline with his teeth as the feline’s claws bite deeply into his shoulder. Anger turns his world red as they disengage and the boy readies for another attack.


"Gruesome Nightwing"

The Demon Prince was stalking through the Cedar Falls. His head was low and his massive paws raked over the soil and moss. The great burning worm was a strange visitor to his own restless thoughts. Where he had thought he had saved Ganymede, he had inadvertently hurt him more as the boy had fallen from his back. He had tried to carry him away! But no, the boy had to desperately need to protect others. Ult only protected what was his. None of those pups were his and they had a menagerie of other grownups to tend to them. He was frustrated that now Gany had two legs gone lame.

He froze in his tracks as he thought he heard something. A ghost of a scent crossed his nose and it set his fur to bristling. Tiger... He hadn't fought a tiger in a long time.

He turned on his heel toward his new quarry. A half step after he heard the telltale sounds of a fight. A corner of Ult's lip curled as he picked up the pace. He beheld the combatants locked into a tussle. He sank low to the ground, spread his legs, pinned his ears, and narrowed his eyes barely thinking about each movement. He let the tiger and the boy break apart for a half breath before he launched into the fray himself. His teeth wide he aimed to grasp the feline's shoulder and rake his claws over its side.