The mall was so much more dead than usual today. It seemed like there’d hardly been a single person the entire day. Not just in our store, but the hallways themselves were also empty. Lydia said it was because of “back to school”, apparently this was the normal state of things and the prior activity was only because of “summer vacation”. I suppose I should have expected that a city so large would have its own school, but I was amazed that so many people attended. Then again, with no farms, what else would people do? Maybe I could try to visit myself, I’d only seen a university once while travelling, aside from the Mage’s Guild. The thought of an entire campus of buildings devoted to learning was simply amazing to consider.
In the meantime, though, the lack of activity made the day nearly unbearable. After the attack by that Hunter, I hadn’t been sleeping well. I was exhausted, to the point where my eyes were burning as I stood by the counter. That was one nice thing about having horse legs, it took no effort at all to keep standing for long periods, no matter how tired I was. Blinking a little slower, I let them stay closed just a little bit longer so I could get them to calm down.
Master’s workshop was the same as it always was. Though the tables were cluttered as always, the cabinets were well-stocked and arranged perfectly. I took pride in making sure Master could always find whatever he needed for his experiment without having to search. I was just about to look for him, when I found him standing behind me. Before I could hug him, however, his face froze in shock. I watched the life drain from his eyes again, just before his body crumpled to the floor, as the Hunter sneered and raised his bloody dagger. I tried to reach out, but it was like I was miles away, I couldn’t possibly reach Master in time…
An impact to my shoulder startled me out of the recurrent nightmare. “I’m sorry, Master!” blurted out, as the bright light blinded me for a moment, making me reconsider where I was. Right, the store. Master’s death was just over a month ago. I blinked away the tears that had started to form and composed myself. “Oh, Lydia, I’m sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well, since the attack…”
My employer and friend stared at me with a skeptical expression. “You were sleeping standing up?”
“Only briefly. Is there something I can do? I ran out of things to clean or organize.”
Her frown deepened. Did I do something wrong? “What was that about this Master guy of yours?”
The dream was fading, but the sorrow was still very strong. I sighed as I cast my gaze downward. “I… I can’t stop… remembering his death. How I failed to protect him.”
“Huh. I thought it was just him punishing you for something silly. Still, you never mentioned those nightmares before.” I knew she was trying to be supportive, but it still frustrated me that she held him in such low regard.
My voice took on a harder edge than I had intended. “It’s only recently that I came face to face with his murderer. And then those… incompetent police interrupted before I could apprehend him, and he escaped. Now he’s out there somewhere.”
“Oh, shit, really? Shotgun Guy is… He did that? For real?” She seemed genuinely surprised.
I nodded. “Yes. And he won’t stop until I’m destroyed too. I doubt he’ll come back here, he’ll know I’m ready for him. A direct assault won’t go well for him. …Still, I worry about underestimating him.”
Lydia gave me an odd look. “You sound like a soldier talking about war. Just… casually talking about a guy that wants to murder you, and like… aren’t you scared? He came at you with a shotgun, and you’re… mad he got away, instead of shocked or scared or something? Like, I was there too, I nearly died, and you’re just…” She trailed off, unable to find the words to finish the sentence, and settled for just gesturing at me.
I tilted my head, looking at her. “He wasn’t targeting you. That’s why I jumped left when he pulled out his weapon, so he’d follow me and turn away from you. If he did try to go after you, he’d have left himself open, but I didn’t think he’d make such a mistake. At most, he’d only have gone after you if you interfered. Even if he did destroy me, he’d have accomplished his mission. He’d have no reason to attack you.”
Her eyes were wide, and she shook her head slightly as if to jar herself loose so she could speak. “That’s… What the fuck are you talking about? His mission? You were… calculating all that, right then?”
“Well, yeah. Like I said, I trained extensively. My purpose was to protect Master, as well as assist him. I failed, but… but maybe I can still avenge him. If I can capture that man, and see that he faces justice, then Master can rest easy.”
Lydia rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Okay, okay, that’s… Geez, you sound like some kind of movie or something. What is this guy’s beef with you, anyway?”
“His… beef? Oh, right, I’ve heard that before.” I took a moment to piece together how I’d explain things in a way Lydia would understand. “You heard him, how he called me an abomination? Well, you remember how when we first met, I told you I thought I was created? That’s… what everyone else was told, too. Everyone back home knows me as a Construct. That man is… He’s part of a cult who thinks I’m, well, something to be destroyed. That Master and I are violations of their beliefs.”
“Hah. You, calling someone else a cult member. That’s rich.” She was crossing her arms, incredulous.
“What? It’s true!”
She gestured to me again with a hand. “You’re from a mountain cult, so it’s funny.”
I huffed. “No, I’m from… isolated towns in the mountains, it’s… it’s different.”
Rolling her eyes, she turned away. “Just don’t fall asleep, in case someone comes in.”
At Lapine Falls High School, it was the first day of classes, and Zach was eager to get his senior year over and done with. Of course, things would get worse for him, when a familiar slap on his back interrupted his lunch.
“Hey, twerp. How’d your little girlfriend enjoy getting arrested?” Jim, the local bully and the bane of Zach’s existence for years, sneered at him as he sat down next to him.
“What are you talking about? What girlfriend?” Zach kept his head down, knowing that eye contact would just encourage more cruelty.
“That goth freak from the mall. My dad hauled her away in handcuffs, she didn’t tell you? Aww, did you break up already, when she realized what a loser you are?”
Zach looked away to try to hide his red cheeks. “That was the first time we met, we aren’t dating, okay?”
A rough shove at his shoulder nearly pushed him out of his chair. “Whatever. Look, I still owe you one, since Dad says she got off the hook on some kind of technicality. Meet me at the basketball court after school. You know what’ll happen if you don’t show up, don’t you?”
Zach swallowed hard, simply nodding. If he didn’t show up for his beating, Jim would make it so much worse for him.
“Good boy.” Jim got up and left, taking his lunch tray to go sit with more popular kids.
Zach pulled out his phone and texted the number he’d been given. [Flopsy it’s me Zach. remember me? that bully from the food court is still mad about it. he said hes gonna beat me up] Adding a couple emojis, he sent the message.
My phone chimed the way it did when Ben sends me a message. A distraction was welcome enough, but a message from Ben was important. However, apparently this was from Zach, the man I met just under a week ago. The man I defended, and got arrested for defending. My eyes went wide when I saw the text, and I started typing a reply. [Why would he attack you, if he’s mad at me?]
[hes mad at me too, so hes gonna beat me worse than usual. said u got arrested wtf???]
[Ugh, yes, that police officer is just as bad as him. Like father, like son, I suppose. Something about him being related caused the case to be tainted? Either way, it’s fine. Want me to come help you?]
It took a moment before I got a reply. [help?? i dunno, what if u get in trouble?]
“Hmph.” [I can handle myself, don’t worry. Where and when?]
[u no lapine high? bball ct @ 3:15.]
I stared at the message, confused. “Hey, Lydia?” I called out.
“Yeah?” She came over, curious as she saw me looking at my phone.
“I can’t understand this message, can you help me?” I showed her the screen.
She took a moment to look at it, and then chuckled. “He’s saying, ‘You know Lapine High? Basketball court at 3:15.’ Why are you talking to someone about Lapine Falls High School? Aren’t you a little old to be dating a high schooler?”
With the translation, the text made a bit more sense. I’d have to ask Zach about how effective school was, if this was how he wrote, though. “I’m not dating, he’s a friend. 3:15, you say… Do you mind if I take a break around then?”
She rolled her eyes. “Gee, I dunno, how will I ever handle this maddening crowd without your help?” Seeing me look around in confusion, she sighed. “It’s sarcasm. Yes, it’s fine, go see your little friend.”
“Thanks, Lydia.”
[I think I’ll ask a friend to help you. I’d do one of those smiling faces, but I haven’t actually figured out how yet.]
With that, I headed out, looking up this “Lapine Falls High School” on the map feature with my phone. Once I had the location, I started my walk.
Zach was waiting on the concrete field, between two posts with boards and netted hoops. He hadn’t seen me approach, so I slipped behind the stands, a set of benches arranged in a stair-step formation. That let me dismiss my disguise and get ready.
I watched through a small gap between seats as Jim approached, stepping onto the court, flanked by two henchmen. Of course, he couldn’t even handle a simple duel with honor. Zach looked around nervously, but I hadn’t had time to tell him I arrived.
Jim grinned cockily. “Heh, I’m surprised you even showed up. I thought for sure you’d wuss out on me. Guess you’re getting a bit of a spine after all.”
“Whatever. We both know you’re only beating me up because you’re mad a girl beat you.” Zach tried to put up some bravado, but I could hear the waver in his voice. “It wasn’t even close, if she were here, she’d mop the court with you.”
The bully glared at his snickering henchmen, before turning his attention back to his target. “But she’s not here, so I guess the court’s gonna get a nice Zach shine, isn’t it?”
I decided to make my entrance now. I took a few steps back, so I could get some room to clear the stands and land right in the center of the court, between the two would-be combatants. “No, I think that’s not what’s going to happen here.”
The goon on Jim’s right blurted out, “Holy shit, the Superbunny!”
Jim, however, wasn’t willing to admit his surprise and tried to recover his bravado. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
I, however, was distracted. Once I was actually standing here, it seemed like pieces were falling into place. “Wait a second… high school… That means you’re children, aren’t you? I can’t fight children!”
That seemed to make Jim bristle even worse. “Who the fuck are you calling a kid, you furry freak?”
Zach, meanwhile, was just staring in shock as my tail flicked in irritation.
I pointed at Jim, in the lead. “You. I know your kind. ‘Might Makes Right’, that’s what you believe? I’ll tell you right now, it doesn’t. And if you don’t lose that attitude, you and I are going to be fighting a lot in your future. Now be a good lad and run along, before I get upset.” I turned to Zach, dropping my voice a bit. “Do you think that sounded good? Do you think it’s enou–OOGH!”
Pain lanced from my stomach, catching me by surprise. In my distraction, Jim had apparently stepped forward and driven a tiny blade into my belly. Crimson blood leaked out over his fingers and stained my fur. “Fuck you, bitch! Who’s a little kid now? What’cha gonna do?”
His hand retracted, but the handle of the blade stuck out. The pain had already started to dull, and I knew it would heal easily. Reaching down, I gingerly pulled it free with my clawtips, holding it up. The blade wasn’t even as long as a finger. “Oh, I see.” My voice was an eerie calm, and the cold fire of anger burned through my neck and shoulders. “You aren’t Children. You’re Threats. I can fight Threats.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
As the knife dropped to the concrete, Jim seemed to realize he had made a mistake, and took a step back in preparation to run. He didn’t get the chance, as I lunged forward, and drove a hoof into the arm he raised in defense. Pain flared with the step, so I didn’t hold back as much as I normally would have. I heard both bones crack, and possibly ribs as well, as I sent him flying into the air to land on his back. Whacking his skull on the concrete only dazed him momentarily, and then he started to scream, tears in his eyes.
The henchmen who saw that display didn’t have enough loyalty or bravery to avenge their fallen leader, one breaking ranks. I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, taking advantage of his loss of balance to solidify my grip. Leaping into the air, I threw him into one of the backboards, letting him land onto the hoop. He scrambled to grip the board, but he would need assistance to get down. As I landed, I glared at the third and final opponent.
“D-don’t hurt me! It wasn’t even my idea!” He turned to flee, but I easily leapt forward, landing right in front of him and driving a knee into his stomach, just under his ribs. Once he was doubled over, I brought an elbow down onto his back. To his credit, he managed not to fall, but stumbled backwards. I slammed him with two open-palm strikes to the chest, and then a punch across the face. That left him to fall backwards, groaning with some sobbing.
All that activity left my stomach aching, and I bit my lip. None of the three posed a threat anymore, but I still had the urge to hurt them. Shaking my head, I fought it back. Stepping over Jim, I approached Zach.
Zach, however, was staring at me in abject fear, stepping backwards and raising his hands. “Wh-what are you g-gonna do…?”
That stopped me in my tracks. “I was just… gonna make sure you’re all right.”
He nodded frantically, never taking those scared eyes off me. “I’m fine! I’m fine, please… You… Holy shit, you just… All three of them, so fast…”
I turned back to look. I noticed the angle Jim’s arm was hanging at, and winced. It felt like the bottom fell out of my stomach. “I… I mean, they STABBED me! With a weapon! H-he’s lucky I didn’t think he was a deadly threat.” I’m not sure if I was trying to convince Zach, or myself, but either way, Zach wasn’t looking convinced.
“Should we… call an ambulance or something?”
A shout from the basketball hoop carried down. “YES! Call the cops! Call… someone! That freak is a damn monster!” When I looked up at the one trapped up on the net, though, he screamed in terror. My heart sank even more.
“Y-yeah, call… call an ambulance. I… I can’t… use my phone like this, you do it, okay Zach?” My ears were flat back. I just wanted out of this place.
“Yes, ma’am!” He pulled out his phone and started to dial, and I took the chance to leap over the stands and leave.
I heard him mutter under his breath as he was dialing, “The Superbunny knows my name…?”
I made it back to the mall, my mood completely shattered. I had taken a different route, going along rooftops since that made my escape faster, but now I needed to drop to ground level. Upon landing, pain shot from my gut and I winced. A red spot appeared on my shirt, and I covered it with a hand as I went inside. Nobody seemed to pay me much mind as I approached the store, but Lydia was waiting.
“So, how’d it go?” She was grinning, her voice chiding me.
I pulled my hand away, the red spot was getting too big to cover. “Not great. I’m gonna have to hit the bathroom and change shirts.”
Her teasing demeanor dropped instantly. “Woah, wait, what happened?”
“Eh. Nothing major. It’ll heal in no time. Just gotta… Wait, I better grab the packing tape before I go. It’ll keep the paper towels in place.” I headed into the back room.
“What do you mean, ‘nothing major’? You’re bleeding! Flopsy, did you get in a fight? Was it Shotgun Guy?” She followed me back, refusing to let me out of her sight. In the back room, she moved in front of me, between me and the tiny washroom.
I bit my lip, recalling the fight. The nightmares, the Hunter, the blade… I let my anger get the better of me. I lost control. I shamed Master. Or would, if I hadn’t already failed him and allowed him to be murdered. “Hardly a fight, and no, it wasn’t the Hunter. Just a dumb child with a knife, and dumb me hurting him more than was necessary.” I grabbed the tape dispenser and pushed past Lydia.
I hadn’t bothered to close the door, so Lydia watched as I pulled my shirt off and tossed it onto the sink. Running the water over it, I used wet paper towels to clean the wound and inspect it, tossing them into the trash. It was already mostly closed again, after being reopened by my landing. A stupid move, just like everything else I did today. Folding a couple, I made a makeshift bandage and affixed it with the tape gun.
“What the hell is your deal, Flopsy? You’re starting to really weird me out with all this…”
I grunted, but the small red spot stopped growing as I watched. “Look, it’s nothing. I made a stupid mistake, and then made more stupid mistakes, and I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Ugh, Zach hates me now…” I closed the door in her face.
“Oh, now you care about being naked? Fine, whatever.”
I pulled a spare top out of my Nowhere and pulled it on. The one in the sink was still stained, but at least some of it was loosened by the water. Wringing it out, I tucked it away into my Nowhere. I’d clean it properly later. With that done, I opened the door to find Lydia still standing there.
Upon seeing me, she was a little surprised. “Huh, you keep a spare shirt in there?”
I stopped for a moment, mentally kicking myself for making another stupid mistake. “Yeah, never know when you need it.” That was close. Lydia wouldn’t be happy about me telling her about magic, and definitely wouldn’t he happy about hiding it for so long. Some friend I was, lying like this…
I went to the front of the store, ignoring the way Lydia looked at me. But she followed, shaking her head. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but maybe you should go home for today? Get some rest? Maybe some therapy?”
I thought about protesting, but decided against it. “Yeah, probably should. Before I mess things up here, too.”
Back home, I was laying on the couch, still in human form, and staring at my phone. Should I try to talk to Zach? Explain myself? Apologize? Before I could come to a decision, the door opened and Ben came in. “Welcome home, Ben. How was your day?”
He set his stuff down, before leaning against the doorway to the living room, staring at me. “Oh, the usual. I’d ask how your day went, but…” Pulling out his phone, he started reading off the screen. “‘The Superbunny was spotted today at Lapine Falls High School. According to eye-witnesses, she appeared to show up in order to stop a fight between several students. However, one of those students stabbed the mystery figure, and she proceeded to savagely beat them. Basketball star Jim Blaine caught the worst of the assault, suffering a broken radius, ulna, and two fractured ribs, supposedly from a single strike. Another received minor bruising, and a third was left stranded in a basketball hoop. The last teenager escaped assault altogether.’”
I winced as he read off the injuries, biting my lip and looking away.
Ben noticed the reaction, and continued. “‘Witnesses say the Superbunny moved with incredible speed, jumping ten feet into the air or crossing the basketball court in the blink of an eye. However, this can most likely be chalked up to panic and the heat of the moment, as no video or pictures were taken at the scene.’ Did you really get stabbed?”
Sighing, I pulled up my shirt. Ripping the tape off, I used the paper towels to try to clear the blood, but it was already dried. Licking my fingers, I rubbed at the spot, but there wasn’t even a blemish anymore. “It’s all better. Unlike Jim.”
“Flopsy, I thought we talked about this. You gotta be more careful, and I don’t just mean being seen. What if that knife had hit you in a vital spot?” He sat down on the chair next to the couch, leaning forward.
I shrugged absently, letting the wadded-up bandage fall from my hand to the floor. “It was tiny, he couldn’t have done any real damage with it. I knew he was harmless, but I still… I was just so angry. His face, the cruelty, it reminded me of that Hunter, and I just… I went too far.”
Ben sighed heavily, weighing his words. “Well, it’s not like he’s going to die from it. Some people just don’t learn until they suffer consequences. Maybe it’s what he needed in order to get it through his head.”
I shrugged again, lifting my phone to stare at it. After a moment, I rested my arm back on my chest without doing anything.
Ben continued. “Speaking of consequences, the police really aren’t happy with you. I blame Officer Blaine for that. But social media seems glad you stood up to bullies, so it’s hard to say anything. Still… Why don’t you tell me about what happened? Your side of things?”
So I did. I told him about the messages from Zach, I told him about showing up, I told him about the fight, and I told him about Zach and everyone being terrified of me, and Zach calling the “ambulance”. “What is that, anyway? I feel like I know it, but I can’t… place it.”
“It’s an emergency service, you call one when someone is injured, and medics arrive to help them. Though, based on your stomach, I guess you won’t really need them.”
I looked down, poking the spot. It wasn’t even sore anymore. “No… But maybe I should start calling them after fights.”
Ben looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe… But maybe we should get you a second phone. If you’re going to be making calls as the Superbunny, they’ll trace it to your phone fast. But if you keep the phone in your Nowhere when you aren’t using it, they won’t be able to trace its location. We can pick up a burner phone tomorrow, okay?”
I tilted my head, confused. “I don’t want to burn it, I just want to use it?”
He chuckled softly. “No, no, a ‘burner’ phone just means a disposable one you use so they don’t trace your normal phone. If they start to track it, you can just trash it or burn it or whatever. But your Nowhere will keep it off the grid.”
Shrugging, I turned my attention back to my phone. “I suppose. These things are just… so packed with things I don’t understand.”
My dilemma with Zach was pushed front and center, as a message came in. [dude!!! u no superbnuuy???] Followed by [bnuny], and [bunny]. And then shocked-looking faces.
Ben raised an eyebrow, but didn’t try to look at my screen. “Messages? Is it Lydia? She told me she was worried about you.”
I showed him anyway. “No, Zach. What do I tell him?”
“Huh. Um, well, he thinks she’s your ‘friend’, so go with that?”
“I guess.” [It’s a long story, I can’t say much. But I can pass messages along.] I decided to elaborate. [She wants to tell you she’s sorry for scaring you. She lost her temper with the bullies, but she’d never have hurt you.]
[ya i figured after. thats so kool tho!!]
Ben chuckled. “Well, he seems to still be a fan.”
I grimaced. “Yeah, but… I don’t know.”
Another message came in. [but liek, she for real real? i saw her tail move. what is she??]
[It’s an even longer story, but yeah, she is not human. But it’s okay, she only wants to help. I promise.]
A message with more shocked faces came back.
[Don’t tell anyone, though. People might get scared if they know the truth.]
[fr fr fr ya no i swear] I had to have Ben translate that last one.
At the “Sparkle of Your Eye”, Lydia was closing the gate and locking up the store and muttering to herself. “Man, I kinda wish Flopsy was here, just to have someone to talk to.”
“A pity she isn’t.” A cold voice made her jump, but before she could even turn to face the speaker, strong arms clamped around her, and a hand shoved a wet rag into her face. She kicked and struggled, but Malik was too strong for her to get any leverage.
Each breath started getting more labored, her head swimming. She felt herself being dragged down a hallway, one of the service passages that only a handful of store employees had access to.
“Funny, in the scenes the scrying box showed, this took much less time,” the cold voice dispassionately observed. It took several minutes of holding the squirming woman in place before her struggles finally faded. Once she was limp in his arms, he was able to carry her into the vehicle he had parked outside.
Back at the warehouse by the river, Malik made sure to tie the girl securely to a chair in case she woke up. Rummaging through her belongings, he pulled out the “phone” object, using Lydia’s fingerprint to unlock the device. From there, he was able to look for the name mentioned in his last encounter and dial it.
I was lounging in my normal form while Ben watched TV, but I wasn’t paying much attention. Instead, I was poking at this “social media” stuff on my phone, using the stylus since fur-covered paws didn’t play well with the touch screen. More people were drawing pictures of me, or what they thought was me. One person was even posting pages of what they were calling a “comic book”, according to what Lydia explained to me.
It was then that my phone rang, from Lydia. Huh, great timing. I used the stylus to accept the call and put it on speaker, it was a lot easier to use that way in this form. “Hey, Lydia, what’s going on? Work go okay without me?”
The voice from the other end was chilling. “Oh, it went just delightful. I’d recommend going ‘without you’ to the whole world. Don’t suppose the abomination will destroy itself if a human asks nicely?” It was dripping with hatred and malice, and there was no mistaking it for the Hunter from the mall.
The voice caught Ben’s attention, and he muted the TV, giving me a worried look.
I swallowed hard before I could speak. “You have her phone? What do you want?”
“Simple, Construct. I want to kill you. And I have your friend here. Lydia, was it? You’ll come here, and I’ll kill you, and then I’ll release her. What do you say? Or are you going to kill her through your inaction?”
I hesitated. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?” Ben shook his head and made a disagreeing gesture with his arms.
A dry chuckle came from the phone. “Oh, you don’t. But if you’re dead, I have no reason to harm her, do I? It gains me nothing at all. If you’re not dead, then I have a reason to destroy any who render you aid. What will it be, Construct?”
Ben finally spoke up. “Don’t do it. We’ll call the police, they’ll help her, but you can’t do this, Flopsy. We don’t even know he really has her.”
I heard a slap, and then a female groan. “Lydia, dear, say hi to Flopsy so she knows I’m not lying.”
“Nnhh… Flopsy…? What…? I can’t move, what’s going on?” It was definitely Lydia’s voice, there was no doubt about that.
My blood ran cold. “Where do I go?”
“Such a compliant Construct! There’s a warehouse, number eight, by the river docks. You’ll come, and there will be no police. If I see any, Lydia dies, because of you.”
“Flopsy, you can’t do this.” Ben was staring at me.
“I can’t not do this. I have to help her. I can’t let her die when I can prevent that.”
The Hunter chuckled again. “Of course not. Come quickly, before I lose my patience, now.” And with that, the call disconnected.
Ben watched me as I put the phone down. “You aren’t seriously thinking about doing this, are you? It’s… I mean, it’s not even a trap, it’s clear.”
I shook my head, sadly. “I can’t not do this. I can’t let Lydia die because of me, not when I have a chance to protect her. I’m not going to just walk in and let him kill me, I’m going to fight him. Master deserves having his murderer brought to justice.”
Sighing, Ben rolled his eyes. “Let’s at least make a plan for this, okay? Prepare for this?”
I stood up, stretching before taking on a combat stance. “The Superbunny is prepared.”