Craynt would change routes going home often, mostly to prevent scaring people and getting humiliated, but he's also curious about other places.
Today, he walked past the convenience store, and turned left to near the garden. Craynt loves the garden, he thought it was beautiful, though not perfect, he liked it that way.
He slowed down his pace and stopped to watch the beautiful scenery of the garden. Flowers flourished, a light breeze carried the scent across the garden. It was delightful for him.
He recalled his awkward moment with Rinky at school and whispered to himself, "You awkward idiot, was asking to be friends that hard?"
Suddenly, he heard cawing. "It's from the trees…" he thought to himself and looked up at the tree to see crows, "There are crows on the tree…wait, crows?"
"Wait, aren't you…?" a voice echoed from a distance. He recognised that voice. He turned to the direction of the voice and saw Rinky eyes widened in surprise.
"Wha-?!" he jumped, not knowing Rinky would be here.
"You're…Craynt, right? What a coincidence! We walk the same path home!" Rinky walked closer and said.
Craynt looked away and scratched his head, "Yeah, and you're…Rinky…right?"
"Yup, that's me!" Rinky turned to see the garden, "You like this scenery too? Me too, it's got that imperfect beauty feeling to it."
Craynt stared at Rinky silently, feeling a breeze of wind in his heart.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Rinky noticed and asked.
Craynt snapped back to reality and stuttered, "Wha-no, it's nothing…I glad you get it the way I do." His tail said otherwise by wagging greatly.
"Really?" she noticed and chuckled, "Man, I actually thought I was the only one!"
"She's talking to me…" he thought, "The first time she gave me the notebook, I thought she was just being nice, but she's actually…talking to me."
"Hey, Rinky…"
"Yeah?"
"Ask her why she isn't bothered by my scar, you can do it, it's just a simple question, I won't feel weird!" He thought to himself.
"…I wanna ask…are you…"
"You can do it, Craynt!"
"…okay with walking home together?"
"THAT'S WORSE!! I'm dead, she'll definitely think I'm a weirdo…"
"Yeah sure!" she replied with zero hesitation.
Craynt widened his eyes, "Really?"
"Of course! Why not?" she smiled.
Craynt blanked out for a few seconds, then he covered his face with his palm and looked down.
"Craynt, you son of a gun."
"You good?" Rinky bent down and asked.
"…yeah, let's go." Craynt smiled reluctantly.
They walked together at the side of the road.
"By the way, I don't know if anyone has ever said this to you but that scar on your face is badass as hell." Rinky said, "How'd you get it?"
Craynt stared in surprise, then he knelt down, processing his brain as he stared blankly at the brick floor.
Seeing this, Rinky quickly tried to help him up, "Wha-was it something I said? I'm so sorry!"
"She's too nice to me, I can't take it…"
Craynt stood up and laughed it off, "No, my bad. I didn't have to suddenly scare you. Actually this scar, I-"
"Target acquired." suddenly, a wolf stood in front of them and said loudly, almost intentionally.
Rinky and Craynt stared at him confusedly, like they're looking at a lost child.
"Um, sorry but who are you? And what did you mean by 'target acquired'?" Rinky asked.
The wolf cracked his neck and said, "Exactly what it means, I'm assigned to hunt you down, Rinky." then he readied his fighting stance.
Hearing her name coming out from a complete stranger, Rinky's heart skipped a beat as an unsettling fear grew in her.
"That's not her name," Craynt stood in front of her, "You found the wrong person, now can you please leave?"
Rinky was flabbergasted by Craynt's actions, but then she sees that his fingers are trembling.
The wolf looked at Craynt with a deadpan expression, "Are you braindead or do you actually think we don't gather intel?" he reached in his pocket and pulled out a picture of Rinky.
"Wha-"
"Boom, dumbass."
"Who the hell is this guy?" Craynt thought.
The wolf walked forward calmly and pushed Craynt away, "Enough of the chitchat, let me finish my job real quick before that masked dude interrupts."
Rinky stepped back as he reached his hand out.
Suddenly, Craynt grabbed his arm tightly and glared at him, "Don't…touch her."
The wolf didn't try to move his hand away, he just glanced at Craynt and snickered.
"What are you…laughing at?"
"You're so full of shit, you look like you have Parkinson! How are you supposed to protect your girl like that?" he laughed.
"Big words for someone who's at the disadvantage. It's 2 versus 1, you're confident in winning?" Craynt bit back with cold sweat running down his face.
"Oh, that's what you're thinking? Well then, time to show off a little." he said casually.
Suddenly, the atmosphere felt warmer, and his hand glowed with orange light, which glowed so bright until scorching hot flame lit on his palm.
"What the fu-"
"Watch out for your hands~" the flame spread from the wolf's hand to Craynt's, causing his to recoil in panic.
"Cray-" before Rinky could call him, she was kicked in the stomach in the blink of an eye, sending her flying way further than a normal Zoologian could do.
Rinky groaned in pain as the wolf strolled over, yawning, "Who in the right mind would hire a skilled assassin to kill someone so fragile? They must be crippled or sum."
He stepped on Rinky's body and pushed her like a toy, "Well then, cash is cash." he said boringly as flames emerged from his palm again, "Say your prayers-hm?"
He heard footsteps getting louder, and then Craynt came in and punched him in the face.
"I told you! Not to touch her!" Craynt said, his voice filled with both fear and rage.
The wolf stepped back to hold his balance, felt his face where he was punched, then glanced at Craynt judgtngly.
"Craynt…I don't think that punch work…" Rinky whispered.
"Yeah I know, we're doomed." Craynt replied.
The wolf snorted, "You're really are full of shit, pussycat. You want me to beat your ass too? Then eat this, bitch!"
The flame immediately flew close to Craynt's face, at that speed, it seemed impossible to dodge it. Craynt knew that and close his eyes to brace for impact.
That's when a masked man jumped down from a roof of a line of houses nearby.
"[CREATION:WATER BUCKET]"
A golden glow shone from his palm, then out came a filled water bucket. He grabbed it by the bottom and with a great push, he threw the bucket towards the flame in less than a second, extinguishing it.
Then before anyone could react, he sprinted towards the wolf and smashed his head on the ground.
"N-not you…again…" the wolf fainted.
"I-I'm not dead?!" Craynt said in shock.
The masked man swept his hands and got up to look at Rinky and Craynt.
Rinky reluctantly got up and looked at the masked man, a 7 foot figure with messy hair and long jacket that's flowing with the wind.
"Who…are you?"