Wild Tiger Chase - Chapter 65: Chapter 65

— Rob —
His tattoos lit up in intense green.
Unlike the other times he shifted, Rob's conscious mind didn't retreat. As his muscles bulged and his skin darkened and thickened to embrace the forest, Rob's eyes remained his while Anhangá's thoughts merged with him. He didn't feel any pain this time; when Anhangá's antlers broke the skin of his forehead, he almost felt as if they belonged there. In less than a heartbeat, Rob was ready to fight... and he had never felt like this before.
Focus, Roberto. We must make this right!
Can we even jump that high? Rob asked.
We can try.
Rob nodded. He balled his hands as well as he could with those long claws. He was about to jump when something broke the surface of the earth. Rob was propelled skyward by a massive orange crystal, and from it, he jumped the remaining distance he needed to meet the trajectory of the shot.
He didn't arrive in time. The energized bullet hit the rippling curve of the pocket dimension, generating a second wave of energy, sharp like a blade, that cut through the trees in the clearing below. Sprays of earth and wood splinters pierced through the canopies as the trees fell with loud blasts.
From above, in that short moment of suspension, he could see everything. On the ground, Phillip held a desperate Gregorio, who shouted and thrashed about, trying to break free. Pipo ran away towards Kali. Rafa fell face-first on the ground, spent. Jackal tried to run, but a mysterious woman tackled her to the floor. And Léon...
Goddess. Léon looked directly at him, his expression a mix of surprise and hope. That view sent a jolt of energy through Rob's body.
Mere centimeters from him, Léon's purple energy pushed against the immaterial barrier of the pocket dimension, creating a shower of sparks and the loud hissing of metal against metal. A crack appeared in the sky. It webbed out and became clearer as the dark presence inside pressed against it.
Your arm, bitter one! Hold on; we'll need to protect it!
Rob felt it when Anhangá shifted his energy to thicken the skin of his arms and hands. Furrowing his eyebrows, he reached out and held onto the orb of energy before he could fall once more.
He wailed. Léon's energy rotated like a deadly shredder, cutting through Anhangá's protection and Rob's hand, but he couldn't let go.
"Léon!" he shouted. "Get ready!" Rob swung backward, then flung his body upward and supported his boots on the cracked surface of the pocket dimension.
Blood ran down his palms as golden dust escaped the interdimensional breaches at his feet. Rob pushed with his legs and arms, his hands shaking from a pain the adrenaline managed to numb.
"Leo!" he shouted again.
His answer came low and distant from meters below. "I'm ready, Bhalu!"
Sweat streaming down their face, Rob and Anhangá flexed their muscles and roared as they changed the bullet trajectory. With widened eyes, Léon twisted his upper body. He tossed Toni's gun up at the same time Rob let go of the blast.
Without it to hold him in place, gravity pulled him down. As Rob fell in a mess of golden dust, blood, and pain, he watched as the shot continued its path towards Toni's gun.
"I'm sorry for killing her, Toni." His mumble was left unheard, lost in space and time while the blast hit and consumed Toni's pistol.
The sad image of a lamb flicked in that split second as the pistol was destroyed. Small and forbidden to grow, it looked down at Toni with childish confusion, but as the metal in the gun dissolved, so did the image... and the impact created yet another wave of energy.
Before Rob could fall through the trees' canopies, the resulting blast hit him.
He was tossed away, the speed too great for him to see anything. Rob closed his eyes and sighed. At that speed, there was little else he could do.
Well... at least Léon wouldn't be forced to use that shite anymore.
Not with this gun, Anhangá whispered in his thoughts. I suppose we'll have to find the other. Won't we... my sweet one?
Rob chuckled. Something cold swirled in his stomach, and he knew Anhangá had noticed that. Rob ignored the image of the smirk in his thoughts and said,
I guess we do, An... if we survive.
In his mind, Anhangá let out a hearty laugh.
Almost as in response to it, vines sprung from amidst the trees and wrapped around Rob's torso, arms, and legs. They stretched and broke for at least ten meters until Rob finally slowed down enough. The vines embraced him, then brought him slowly to the floor, safe and secure.
As Anhangá left his body, so did the extra energy that kept him up, so Rob fell on his knees, then face first on the dirt. Now in his human form, Anhangá smiled and turned around in time to catch the frail figure jumping from the trees.
"Thank you, Falchi."
The weird plant-being shrugged. The flowers and leaves on their shoulders bobbed with each movement.
"Anything for an old... friend," Falchi said. They popped a kiss on Anhangá's cheek and waved at Rob. "Should we go? Caidara is waiting—and you know how that group of Sentinels are. Impatient, quirky brain-eating things."
"They're not all quirky brain-eaters; Mara is just special," Anhangá whispered.
Falchi scoffed, turned around, and disappeared among the trees. "I'll wait for you there. Don't be late."
Anhangá pivoted around to follow them.
"W-what the fuck?" With widened eyes, Rob tried to get up, but the piercing pain kicked him to the dirt again. "Ugh. Fuck. Oi. An! Wait, where are you going?"
From afar, a voice called Rob's name. Without turning around, Anhangá answered,
"I have a few debts to pay, sweet boy. Being with you for so long interrupted a mission that now needs completing."
"But... but you can't leave me alone!"
Léon's voice rang closer, filled with fear.
"You're not alone." Anhangá peeked over his shoulder; his smile was a sweet thing but stained with sadness. "You have your Tiger now. And his family, which will soon become yours." Anhangá winked. He walked back and stopped in front of Rob. "Here, let me help."
Rob sighed and winced as he reached out to grab Anhangá's hand.
"Bloody hell," he mumbled while Anhangá hauled him up. "Thank you."
"And so the sweet boy, trembling, sincerely thanked his Spirit-Entity. Their paths, they both knew well, would cross again with all certainty. But until momentous day, when they'll most certainly raise hell, the two of them just hugged and wished the other a warm farewell." Anhangá bowed before Rob and wrapped him in a hug. Anhangá turned around, but not fast enough to hide the tear caught in his long eyelashes.
Léon's voice was only a few meters away, so Rob answered this time. Rushed steps echoed his way.
Anhangá sighed. "Take care of him, Roberto. He's more special than any of you can fathom."
"Oh, I know," Rob said.
With a scoff, Anhangá jumped the roots and pushed branches out of his way. Through them, Rob thought he saw Caidara, Falchi, and the other five people he couldn't recognize.
"Hey, An?" Rob waited until he turned around. He winced. Speaking was bloody painful. "I love you too, mate. And I'll miss you quite a bit."
Anhangá smiled. He didn't say anything; instead, he faced the other way and disappeared among the trees while Léon emerged from the other side.
"Bhalu!"
"I'm okay, Leo." Rob smiled, then chuckled as Léon ran to him. They hugged as tight and lovingly as Rob's broken bones—and his painful grunts—allowed. "How's Tiny? Rafa? Your brother? Everyone?"
"Everything's under control." Léon beamed, caressing Rob's face with his thumbs. "Tiny must be close to the hospital already. Modraniht managed to close her wounds, so Amma said she'll be okay pretty soon." Rob let out a relieved sigh, but Léon continued, "Still, we should head back and check on them."
Rob nodded. Something tightened in his chest as his eyes stung. He ran his fingers through Léon's hair and rested them at the back of his neck. Léon was bloodied and hurt, with a few bruises here and there from the fight, but he was still beautiful and still himself.
They had won. The pocket dimension was still there, one of the guns able to break it was gone, and his man and his family were finally safe. Sure, it had a great cost... but everything in life does.
"So... Toni?" Rob asked in a low voice. "Is he... gone?"
Léon ducked his gaze. "I... I think you should talk to your sister about it, but... Jackal and Rio were taken by... some people. I don't know who. They took Toni too." Léon looked at Rob. "They took him alive. Thanks... to Rafa."
"Bloody fuck." Rob huffed. He massaged his temples and clicked his tongue. "Why would she bloody do that after everything?"
"Don't worry," Léon rushed to add. "We found a way to break his connection to his cosmic flow." He raised his chin, a proud and fierce Tiger. "He won't use his powers ever again. And, I now have a clue for finding Lampee."
"Wait." Rob arched his eyebrows high. "No bloody way; you're having a laugh."
Léon chuckled. "I swear I'm not. I'm serious. We'll head there as soon as a doctor checks on you."
"And your powers?"
"Back again." Léon winked. "Part of them, at least. And I still have a lot to learn to properly control them, but... I think I can do it, Bhalu. If... if you're by my side. All of you." He lowered his eyes again. Bloody hell, Rob loved to see Léon blush like that. But more than that...
He loved seeing Léon feeling confident again.
Rob's chest warmed up, and tears pricked his eyes. Léon's relationship with himself had changed yet again. Where once was fear and anxiousness, now there was respect and a will to understand. He looked ready to look inward and to learn more about the universe he hid inside. The work wasn't done, but it had started.
Rob let out a loud laugh, half pride and half bliss. Léon looked so happy, with his wide smile and the adorable way tried to keep Rob's hands in his. With a low hum, Rob couldn't stop himself from pulling Léon into a new hug.
Goddess, how Rob loved that man. He breathed in his scent and reveled in his touch; Rob's sigh came out ragged and trembling, cut by the little kisses and loving words he whispered against Léon's ear.
"Well, since we have all of that sorted," Rob began. He tried—and failed—to conjure up something pretty to say, so instead, he leaned forward and prepared to get down on one knee.
"W-wait, I—" Léon gasped. "Rob, what!" He covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes welling up.
The moment wasn't perfect, Rob knew that; it was far, far from it. But what would be more perfect than right here, right now?
"Léon Gerard Dickens...." Rob smiled. He leaned forward... then stopped. He shut his eyes, and the words got stuck in his mouth. Something hooked the muscles in his legs, arms, and chest, and by very little, he didn't fall on the floor again. "Ugh! Bloody motherfu—Ack!"
Léon caught him. He dried his tears with the back of his hand and laughed. "Hospital first, Bhalu?"
Rob schooled his grimace, his cheeks burning. "Oh, Goddess. Fuck. The pain, shite, bloody...!" And after a long grunt, he mumbled, "Yes. Please, Tiger." Rob controlled his breathing. "And then to the closest jewelry store."
"Of course," Léon said with a chuckle as they walked away. "But just know I'll say yes," he whispered.
"Oi! Don't spoil the surprise, mate."
And as they walked together, their laughs echoed among the trees while their hearts beat every moment more in sync.