Sneasel's revenge

Sophie had been out all day on a private errand, but night was falling and she was still not back. Klein had just been called back to the rescuer's guild hall by Mike who needed to talk to him, according to the patrat that came for him. So Jack and Briar were alone in the burrow when the sound of a stone hitting their back door was heard.

Jack frowned and went to the door to answer it. Briar glanced over from where he was testing his new forms sleep powder--Daaang it was FAR more potent!

There was no one in sight, but on the doorstep was a folded cloak of aqua green and a note pinned to it. Jack froze in recognition and snatched up the item and note. He scanned it quickly, and glanced  furtively into the distance, trying to find where whoever sent it was coming from.

The note was in familiar lettering, demanding Slasher's treasure to be taken to a clearing about half an hour from the waterfall, a place that was used as a meeting spot for the gang. The note further said that failure to do so before Midnight would result in dire consequences for their captive, and that if he did not come alone, they'd scatter and kill her. It was dark out, and there was no sign as to where the delivery boy had gone to.

Jack scowled darkly, "Hey, Briar. Might wanna put together a surprise package with your newest dose of sleep powder."

Briar padded up to Jack in confusion,"Huh?"

"They took Sophie, and want Slasher's treasure." Jack tched, and Briar frowned. "Oh. Well, let me get a few things."

"Hurry, we have until midnight. Think you can still be sneaky, without your substitute?"

Briar sniffed in disdain, "Please." He hurried to get the package together.

The sun had set fully by the time they set out and the forest was as dark as Jack remembered it from his days in the gang. The clearing seemed deserted when they got there, the snow undisturbed and no sign of any sneasels or Sophie.

Jack entered, seemingly alone, his messenger sack bulging with slasher's stash. He glanced around clinically, and frowned.

The twitch of a leaf was his warning as three sneasels dropped from the trees as he was entering the clearing, two using metal claw and the third sending an X-scissor his way.

Jack wasn't so naive, and had dropped one hand in his satchel the moment he entered. he flung a sleep powder bomb at the closest, jumping up and dodging both the metal claws, before ducking the x-scissor and retaliating with a brickbreak to the face.

"Didn't think you'd be so gallant as to actually hold up to your end of the bargain," Jack snarked, his side was still wrapped from the injury he took in mission four.

The one hit by the sleep bomb fell to the floor, but was soon getting up with his companion. The third collapsed to the ground, growling as he sent another x-scissor at him.

Jack casually stepped around the x-scissor, letting it continue on to one of the other sneasels as he stepped into x's guard and slamming another brick break at him.

The sneasel bit his tongue as he went down again, using dark pulse this time from the ground as his first attack downed one companion. The other snarled and shot fury cutter at Jack.

Jack snickered and hopped over the dark pulse mockingly. He let the fury cutter graze his side, and his arm shot out, grabbing the offending sneasel and slamming a brick break from his elbow into the back of the sneasel's head. "Jeez. standards have dropped low since I left. I guess Raile isn't bothering with you losers, then."

The other sneasel had, at one point, had designs to lead them once slasher was out of the picture, Raile was flighty at best, and honestly didn't like ANY of the other sneasels, Jack included, unless they entertained him.

Meanwhile, Briar had taken care to move from the treetops, his form a dark sooty gray as he scanned the area for any other sneasels. No doubt those three were the brute force, but there had to be others watching, in case Jack DIDN'T come alone. Briar was counting on it, in fact, since that one would lead him to Sophie.

As Jack took down the second sneasel, the one on the ground collapsed after his last attack, the brick breaks finally taking their toll. The last one was recovering from the xscissor, and as Jack was attacking his companion he used his last strength in a dynamic punch.

As the third Sneasel attacked Jack, two more ran at him with agility, and one prepared rock smash as the other attacked with aerial ace.

Briar's assumption was correct. In the trees some distance away, another sneasel sat in the shadows, watching Jack and the surrounding area.

Jack sighed, and flung the one he'd caught right at the dynamic punch. He took the aerial ace to one side with a pained grimace, but snatched the sneasel before he could get out of reach and swung around to meet the rock smash. Damn, that hurt, but better an aerial ace than a rock smash.

Briar saw a glint of reddish pink from the trees, and silently made his way there, going slowly and keeping to higher branches--heh, people very rarely looked higher than they were... And this sneasel wasn't an exception. He was so intent upon the battle he did not see or hear Briar approaching.

The two sneasels who got hit went down with a surprised cry, the last one standing jumping back away from Jack's reach as he sent a swift at him. Jack grunted as the swift battered him, and blurred forward to meet the remaining sneasel with an aerial ace of his own.

"Sh..." The sneasel braced himself, a shield coming up to take the attack as he protected himself. He smirked, "Nice try." He said as he ducked into a low sweep.

Jack laughed and hopped over the sweep nimbly, and backhanded the sneasel with an icepunch,"Oh, I didn't really want to *hit* you, idiot. Just get close." He grinned sharkishly.

The one watching winced as the punch made the sneasel fall forward into the snow. "Stupid idiot, he was told to stay away from him!" He muttered, turning and hopping to the next tree, dashing off away from the fight scene.

The sneasel spluttered in the snow, rolling over and away from Jack, he thrust both hands up and called down a blizzard in retaliation. Jack shivered as the blizzard hit, but blasted forward in spite of the ice attack with another aerial ace.

Briar's eyes glinted as he saw the movement, and he swiftly swung after him with his vines, careful to keep from being noticed.

The sneasel used protect again, scrambling away from Jack to put some distance between them before sending another swift at him.

Jack wasn't allowing him to keep distance though, and kept darting forward, alternating between Aerial ace and brick break. "Yeesh. annoying little bugger." Jack muttered, panting slightly.

It was all timing. Between swift and protect and backing up he finally miscalculated and used his attack as a brick break reached him, and he cried out as he went down for the count.

The sneasel Briar was following was headed towards the waterfall, and as he approached he stopped, sending a shrill whistle through the forest.

Jack sighed, and glanced up and sniffed the air. He moved slowly, pausing to take out a Sitrus berry and munch on it, and then gingerly moved on at the whistle.

Briar frowned as he heard the whistle too, and hurried.