Friend or .... Wolf?

Posted on Mon Sep 30th, 2024 @ 10:05pm by Commander N'Garzi Zora & Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Lieutenant JG Nayisa Wrea

Mission: Into the Qniverse
Location: Magical Forrest
Timeline: After "The Hunt For Wolfington"
2107 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

While Xavier got into position, Nayisa made a circle around the perimeter of the clearing until identifying a good area to approach from. Shortly after she left Xavier, she intentionally agitated the cut on her cheek, wincing slightly as it started bleeding again, and she would occasionally touch plants and bark, leaving a small amount of blood behind. If her gut was right, and Wolfington was able to pick up her scent, then leaving her scent all over the place could help keep the attention on her. Normally, she'd abandon the cloak, as its bright red hue gave her away more than her silver hair did, but she could still use it to her advantage. "Sorry, girl," she whispered to the cloak, before making a few strips of fabric with it. She only hoped the material was strong enough to actually restrain the wolf. Wrapping the fabric around her knuckles for ease of transport, she knelt in the brush, waiting for the cue from Xavier.

Xavier moved towards the oak tree as instructed by Wrea. He eyed the garden at the front of the house and looked for anything he could use as a weapon. He spotted a green watering can, a trowel, and what looked like a ceramic pot full of dirt. Not exactly a phaser or sword he thought to himself. He was disappointed but not exactly surprised considering the setting. He tried to scan the house but nothing had changed, he had no idea if Zora's feelings were coming from the room or from inside Wolfington. Knowing he had to get closer, he ran from the tree and darted behind the small wall that bordered the small garden. If he stood from here he might be able to see into the home but risked being spotted by the powerful creature.

Deciding he had no choice, Xavier sprang to his feet and peered into the room. He quickly darted back under cover when he realised that Wolfington was in the window. It took him a moment to replay the scene in his head and see that the wolf had his back to him. He peeked again, confirming the situation. Wolfington indeed did have his back to the window and it looked as though he was putting on clothes; Zora's clothes, Xavier realised in horror. ~I think he has gobbled Zora,~ he projected to Wrea. ~He's already dressing in her clothes.~

Nayisa couldn't help the involuntary shudder when a second voice bounced around in her brain. Yeah, she hated that. It took a couple of seconds for her to actually process what was said, then a classic Whiskey Tango Foxtrot frown settled onto her expression. ~Kinda weird peeping Tom vibes when you phrase your thoughts like that, but ok, Leiko,~ she thought back. Squinting, she could just barely make out a silhouette through the front window. If she ran, she could probably make it to the front door in less than ten seconds. ~You see a door on your side?~

~Anymore "peeping Tom" comments and I'll never leave your brain in peace,~ Xavier fired back, anger getting the best of him. He risked another look and spotted a door just off to the side. It had clearly been damaged, maybe when Wolfington had forced his way into the tiny home. ~Yeah, I got a point of entry. It shouldn't be too hard to gain access, what's the play?~

~Ok, ok, message received,~ Nayisa replied, her displeasure over Xavier being in her head for longer than this surely accompanying her thoughts. Adjusting the cloth in her hands so about 10 cm dangled between them, she mapped out her approach with her eyes. ~From my mark, count to ten then breach. I have cloth ready to try and restrain the wolf, so grab the nearest thing to smack him with. And please don't hit me, you won't like my payback. Go.~

Xavier ignored the petty retaliation that came to his head, instead closing his mind to the intel officer. He sneaked another look into the house with the intention of moving closer depending on Wolfington's position, but he was gone! What the hell? He thought to himself as he searched the other windows thinking the wolf had headed to the second floor of the house. He was just about to change positions to get a better look when the back door crashed open and the wolf hurtled towards him.

Xavier was frozen between fight and flight. His training told him to stand his ground and fight the monstrosity but his common sense told him he had no weapons and was desperately outmatched. He turned to run but, in haste, slipped on the ground and fell flat on his face. The wind was knocked out of him and it took all of his strength to roll on his back, and not a second too soon. The wolf, dressed in Zora's bright green and gold boubou, sprung towards him, a blur in the air that the Betazoid could barely track with his non-animal-eyes. Without thinking he threw his right leg high into the air and felt it connect with the wolf's jaw. He used the momentum to follow through, causing as much damage as possible, as he scrambled back onto his front to get away from the beast. ~WREA! HE'S HERE!~ He screamed at her.

Nayisa was about halfway across the clearing when the sudden voice in her head made her jump. Any witty remark she was going to throw was pushed aside by the urgency, and she ran around the house instead of going right for the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw Xavier on the ground, the wolf recovering from an attack with an aggressive shake of his head. She was too far away to physically attack. "HEY! Wolfington Buttshire! Over here!" She called out to the wolf, hoping to get him away from Xavier long enough for her to get within range.

The wolf, recovered from the kick to the face, focused on the one with such a rich scent of fear, the smaller one hardly a threat. He stalked closer, easily able to outpace with Xavier's crawling. His beady eyes watched his prey intently, soaking in every move, every flinch, every bead of sweat. An instinctual rumble resonated from his chest as he used a paw to trap one of Xavier's legs, stopping him from being able to continue scooting back.

A shooting pain ran up Xavier's leg and it took all of his composure to not scream out in agony. Wrea's earlier words swam around his head: Steer clear of the claws and the teeth! He had wanted to mock her very obvious observation before, but now wished he had been more careful to avoid them, they were so strong. ~Are you going to help?!~ He thought loudly.

Nayisa pushed herself to run faster, but it seemed like it was taking forever to get to him. A distant fear of losing yet another colleague and being unable to stop it tickled her mind, slowly eroding that cavalier shield she usually kept up. Tightening her grip on the cloth, she lunged forward, ready to wrap the cloth around Wolfington's neck and hold on for dear life.

Wolfington got even closer, looming over Xavier, the fear almost intoxicating as it wafted into his senses. A row of sharp teeth presented themselves as he slowly opened his mouth, preparing to deliver the final munch.

Xavier braced himself, this was it, the end of the line. He prepared for his life to flash before his eyes but that moment didn't come. All he felt was the inability to move and a kind of serenity came over him. He closed his eyes, picturing all of his loved ones in turn; his family, his friends, his colleagues, his lovers... All of the people that had helped make him the man he was.

Spritz!

Nayisa gasped when the wolf suddenly moved, though not in the way she expected. Wolfington almost seemed to... recoil? In any case, the wolf she was aiming for was gone, leaving Xavier fully in view. Mid-lunge, she couldn't stop herself, and fell right into Xavier, moving her hands up just in time to keep the cloth from choking him. The impact knocked the wind out of her, having no way to brace herself.

The two were a mess of limbs for a few seconds before Nayisa quickly scrambled off of him. Pull yourself together! She put herself between Xavier and the wolf, kneeling in a way that allowed her to attack at the first sign of retaliation. The cloth slightly trembled in her hands as she clenched it tightly. Her heart was racing, her breath quick with the combination of adrenaline and a hint of fear.

Instead of the wolf coming in for another attack, another spray of water made Wolfington whimper and back off. Despite the clothing, it was clear that he was cowering, possibly even ashamed of the behavior that warranted the deadly spray bottle aimed at him.

"Heel!" A voice commanded.

Xavier turned in the direction of the newcomer and had to shield his eyes as they stood in his direct sunlight. "Commander, is that you?" He asked, his voice was thick and his breathing heavy. It took everything in him to ignore the pain shooting up and down his leg.

"Who else would it be Lieutenant?" Zora asked as she resprayed the wolf, just for good measure. "Excuse this bad dog, he gets a little boisterous with new people, he's harmless really.

"Harmless?!" Xavier couldn't help but yell back. "Look at my leg."

The spray made Wolfington cower a little more at Zora's side. His ears were pinned back in shame, and somehow he looked small.

Nayisa was confused. Still ready to protect Xavier, she cautiously stood, her eyes moving between Zora and the wolf. "Commander, that is not a harmless creature. He tried to eat me, and he was clearly about to eat Leiko!"

"You clearly have no tact, Lieutenant," Zora said to the silver-haired woman. She grabbed the wolf by the snout and ruffled the top of its head. "Does this look like the face of a killer?" She asked in a sing-song voice.

"YES, yes it does," Xavier said straight away. "We thought it had eaten you and put on your clothes."

Zora's eyes narrowed slightly. "I think you have lost too much blood Leiko," said Zora, her tone full of scepticism. "Let's go inside and work out a way out of here."

When Zora grabbed Wolfington's snout and rubbed his head, he tilted his head into the affection, his tail doing a little tap on the ground. Something akin to a low rumble came from his throat, but unlike before his body language conveyed that he was enjoying the touch. He tilted his head slightly so Zora's hand would scratch behind his hear, and one of his hind legs began to subtly tap in response.

Every part of Nayisa was screaming that something wasn't right about this. It felt like she was being gaslit about the situation. "This is not how you said this dumb fairytale would go," she said to Xavier. Despite her verbal jab, she got closer to him to help him up, letting him use her for support if he wanted it. Turning back to Zora, Nayisa's eyes darted back and forth between the Commander and the wolf. "Commander. That is a wolf. You know, a wild creature. How the hell did you convince him to not eat you??" Turning back to Xavier, she asked, "wolves aren't telepathic, right? They can't like... eat your brain using their brains or something weird like that?"

Zora smiled and turned back to face the pair hobbling behind her. "I think the moral to the story, Ensign, is that bullies should always be confronted. This wolf," she looked down at Wolfington who in turn looked at her with his big eyes. "Is a bully, or at least he was. But I tamed him, I made him see the error of his ways and now look at him, calm, peaceful, and controlled. Q, our delightful host, is also a bully. Pitting people against each other for his amusement. But if you don't let him control you, you can change the course of the game." She smiled and turned her head to the sky. "You hear me Q? This game is over!"