The cold air turned sweltering in an instant as a rainbow of lasers flew through the sky. Hundreds of beams, all different colors soared through the air and erupted into fireballs as they crashed against the ground.

A bright pink laser seared across Bakade's chest. It just missed her and left a black streak on her top. She was quick, but the lasers were endless and seemed to appear out of nowhere. Whenever she tried to move forward, another dozen lasers seemed to be homing in on her, and the best she could do was not get fried to a crisp.

The burnt edges of much of Nugget's feathers showed that she was having similar difficulties. Yet, she was somehow able to press forward. Almost like she could tell where the lasers were going to be before they arrived there.

As explosions ruptured around her, Nugget just looked more determined. With each flip, leap, and dash, she seemed to just ignore the explosions falling around her.

Finally, she came in sight of something in the distance. It was like a black pill surrounded by pylons that had occasional sparks of electricity flowing between them. Nugget closed her eyes as she continued to dodge around the lasers. She took in a slow breath, and as she let it out, her eyes flung open.

The lasers abruptly stopped near Nugget and focused their entire force on Bakade. But Nugget stopped in place too as her feathers started to bristle. Right in front of her was a familiar looking massive, black wolf.

The wolf had small claw marks across its eyes, and various other spots under its fur that waved in the wind. On a belt around his waist was a small dagger covered in odd grooves along the handle. His front left leg was completely replaced with a sleek black robotic one that was almost twice the size of his other legs.

In fact, several parts of this massive wolf had been replaced or modified. His right eye had been completely replaced, and the pupil on his obviously robotic eye looked like a red target reticle you'd find on a gun's scope. Surrounding his mouth was a large strip of black metal with two, glowing red lines.

The wolf was all around massive. He was closer to the size of a Polar Bear than any actual wolf.

A low growl rumbled in the wolf's throat as he glared at Nugget. There was no fear, no haughtiness, nothing but hatred in his one flesh and blood eye. Pure hatred emanated from the wolf in such powerful waves, they were almost visible.

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"Did you really think I'd leave myself so defenseless? Hah!" mocked the disembodied voice. "Although I suppose I should thank you. It's because of your foolishness that I retrieved this prime specimen after all."

As the wolf stared down Nugget, the voice added, "Of course I added a few improvements as well. Let's see if you've improved any since your last encounter. Because his form you faced earlier can't hold a candle to the monster he has become."

The wolf bared his teeth and took a single step forward.

Nugget's eyes were wide. She was still covered in dried blood, and many of her feathers were singed. She was worn down, while the wolf was fresh and ready to kill. She may have conquered her fear of the wolf before, but this was different.

The wolf in front of her emanated such a strong killer instinct, that it made even the air around him taste metallic. Almost as if the blood of his victims surrounded him in an aura. The sheer weight of this aura pressed down on the small Nugget and made her seem even tinier compared to the massive wolf.

Yet, she didn't move from her spot. She widened her feet slightly and stood firm as the wolf took his first step. Then his second.

And in a blur of black streaks, he was behind her. Nugget ducked down as the wolf's jaw snapped shut right where her neck had been a moment before.

His teeth closed with such force that it sent out a shockwave. This blast knocked Nugget off of her feet and sent her tumbling to the side.

Immediately, the wolf disappeared in streaks of black again as his eyes followed Nugget.

This time, Nugget dug her claw into the ground, and flung herself back the opposite way to land on her feet.

Again, his teeth closed where her neck would have been. Another shockwave went out, but Nugget was better prepared this time. She faced it directly and held her wings in front of her before quickly flinging them back. Doing this, she was able to keep her feet under her, but the blast still pushed her back a few feet.

"Bawk," Nugget said in a condescending tone.

The wolf was silent as he almost seemed to frown.

"Ba, bakaw, bawk. Bawk baw!" Nugget shook her head as she spat out her speech full of venom.

The wolf's lip twitched before it exploded into a full-blown snarl as he growled at the small hen.

Nugget stared back at the wolf as her raw determination created a contrasting aura to the wolf's blood soaked one. She was still smaller, but the difference in their size seemed much closer now.

The wolf disappeared in a streak of black. Nugget closed her eyes, and then leaped up behind her. As she moved, the wolf's jaws snapped shut where she had been less than a second ago.

This time, Nugget used the shockwave to boost her as she tore her talon straight down the wolf's spine. As she landed without so much as a speck of dust coming out of place at her feet, three red lines filled with blood along the wolf's back.

This time, his movements were much slower, but still just as intentional and determined. As he turned to face Nugget, she could see smoke rising up from the bloody lines as they started to disappear.

The wolf stared at her as the stench of death surrounding him grew even more pungent. Keeping his real eye on Nugget, he turned his head back, and gently closed his jaw around the dagger as he drew it out of his belt.

The red lines surrounding his jaw grew brighter for a moment as bolts of electricity danced across the blade. He bit down harder, and a crackling green edge appeared on the dagger. The air around it let out a hiss as the molecules that came in contact with the glowing edge burned.

He turned his face to Nugget as his rage seemed to swell within him like a tsunami. Then, he disappeared again.