Titan Mauler

“EBJ, stop running!” A Guard shouted as he chased after Fox and Amenadiel as they sprinted down a back alley. Amenadiel was doing his best to keep up with Fox, but four legs were indeed better than two. After grabbing their weapons and food they left the diner, running into the Guards outside. One of them immediately recognized the two and the two recognized him as the one from the stairwell in the Hospital. Then, the chase started.

They were currently on course to the local Adventurer's League, weaving through backstreets to get away from the Guards. “Left!” Fox shouted before they quickly turned and continued to run through the alleys. “We can lose them soon, turn right!” They went right and kept running. “There'll be a dead end up here, we can scale it and lose them!”

As they ran, Fox led them down a few more alleys as the Guards slowly got farther and farther away. “How do you know where we're going?” Amenadiel shouted as they turned again and started to run towards the dead end.

A plastic crate was pulled out in front of the brick wall and then a taller trash can was pulled out behind it. “Grew up here!” Fox shouted back. “Adventurer's League was situated outside the city! Guess they got better funding!” In a puff of green fire, Fox’s horn disappeared and wings appeared on his back. Taking flight, he latched himself onto Amenadiel's back. “Use the crates, jump!”

Amenadiel used the two crates as a stepping stone and lept for the wall. It was taller than he was, so he was glad he was able to get a running leap and grab onto the ledge before pulling himself over. Fox helped soften the landing by flapping his wings. They stood on the other side for a second before hearing the Guards run up to the wall. “Where'd they go!?” One of the Guards shouted.

“There! Back that way.” Another shouted and the two could hear the Guards start running again.

When all fell quiet, Fox looked to Amenadiel. “Are they gone?”

“Not all of them.” A voice said from on top of the wall. They both looked up to see a Gryphon lying on the wall with two hand crossbows aimed at Fox and Amenadiel. “Drop the weapons.” He ordered with a smile on his face. Amenadiel slowly reached up for his sword, but the Gryphon clacked his beak. “I wouldn't do that. These bolts are diamond tipped, they'll go right through those scales of yours.”

Amenadiel sighed and pulled the sword off his back and threw it to the ground, Fox throwing his crossbow to the ground. “Happy?” The Pony asked sarcastically. A pair of handcuffs and hoofcuffs fell on the floor in front of them.

“Not yet.” The Gryphon responded smugly. As the two put their respective bindings on, the Gryphon grabbed a small plastic box on his shoulder and held down a button. “Gamma Four Six Two to Command, Patient Dragon and Fox are in custody. How copy?” He sat up and checked his hand crossbow, nodding silently. Grabbing the plastic box again, he spoke. “Gamma Four Six Two copies, RTB five mikes.” Letting go of the plastic box, he waved his crossbow down the alley. “That way, go on.”

====----________----====

Amenadiel sat silently in an extremely clean room, handcuffed to a table. The table was empty except for a folder on the far side that he couldn't reach. Shortly after being escorted into a carriage, a bag was thrown over his head along with earmuffs. The ride felt like it took longer than it actually did and when they stopped, he was pushed around a bit until he found himself sitting down. Five minutes later, give or take a few, he was able to take off the earmuffs and the blindfold. The cuffs were strong and seemed like they were freshly crafted. They even felt a little warm.

Amenadiel sat in his chair, bored out of his mind. He banged on the table and yanked at his bindings. “Hey!” He shouted at the one way mirror in front of him. Struggling a bit more, the door near the mirror opened up and a large pony stepped into the room. She was a dark blue and had a crown on her head. Amenadiel recognized her, but not immediately. This was the pony who he first met, though something wasn't quite the same as before.

She sat at the other end of the table and opened the folder with her magic. “State your name for the record.” The pony ordered.

“Amenadiel di wer Kear Marinxari.” He stated simply, leaning back in his chair.

“And that is your full name?” She asked, writing something down in the folder.

“No.” Amenadiel responded. “My name is Amenadiel. I am of the Clan Kear Marinxari.”

The pony shook her head and looked up at the scaled warrior. “I have not heard of this 'Day Stalker’ clan.”

“I have been exiled.” Amenadiel stated simply as the door opened again and the Gryphon from earlier walked in with Amenadiel's rucksacks and his contraption.

The Gryphon set the contraption on the table pointing at Amenadiel and threw the bags next to it. “Some kind of plastic stick and two rucksacks. One, seemingly endless.”

Amenadiel nodded. “That is a family heirloom.” He attempted to grab it but couldn't reach it. “A bag with more space than a large chest. I have had it since I was exiled.” He then looked to his familiar black contraption. “This, this is not just any stick.”

“Then what is it?” The blue pony asked.

“My boomstick.” Amenadiel said before lifting one hand and kicking the table. The shotgun went off, shooting little metal balls at the handcuff chain and breaking it just enough for Amenadiel to force it the rest of the way. Grabbing his rucksacks and his shotgun, he pushed the table with his foot and slammed it against the two on the other side. Vaulting over the table and to the door, he shouldered it open. He found himself in a long hallway with many different beings staring at him.

“Freeze!” A pony shouted and pointed a crossbow at Amenadiel. The pony was just close enough for the scaled warrior to roundhouse kick him in the face and turn to run.

Down the hall, he saw Fox running towards him. “Amenadiel!” He shouted as several armored ponies chased after him.

“Go left!” Amenadiel shouted back as he approached the T section.

“Wait!” Fox shouted back as Amenadiel picked him up and sprinted towards the window at the end of the new hall. “Amenadiel, wait! We're on the forty-fourth floor!”

“Then fly!” The scaled warrior shouted back right before he jumped and impacted the window. The window was stronger than he expected and threw him back into the hallway. He groaned as he felt his arm hang out of socket.

“Freeze!” A Guard shouted as they surrounded the two, all aiming crossbows at them. “Don't move! Lie down on the ground!”

Amenadiel ignored them and started to stand up as Fox lied faced down. “Amenadiel, do what they say. It's over.”

Amenadiel grabbed his limp arm and grunted. “It's not over yet, Fox.” He said before forcing his shoulder to go back into its socket. Evaluating the situation, Amenadiel dove for his shotgun before he was tackled by several beings. He was just barely out of reach as they attempted to get his arms behind his back.

Once he had been restrained, the tall blue pony walked up to him. “There is no escape, Amenadiel. It is best that you submit and come with us.”

“Never submit, never surrender.” The scaled warrior growled as his vision quickly tinted red. Yanking his bindings, he ripped them apart and threw the ponies off of him. Standing up, he gave a loud roar before charging and knocking over the blue pony. He continued forwards until he broke past the line of beings in front of him. Stopping just past them, he grabbed a Gryphon by their beak and used them as a club to knock two ponies unconscious. Throwing the Gryphon at another, he placed a kick to the face of a nearby pony and grabbed the spear they were holding.

Chucking the spear at the window, it shattered and the spear continued to fly. Charging through a cluster of ponies and Gryphons, he was tackled by another Dragon. The white dragon landed a few punches to Amenadiel's sides before his opponent lifted him with his leg and threw him over his head. They both quickly stood up and Amenadiel wasted no time charging his opponent, hooking his arms under his opponent's legs and pulling them out from under him. Amenadiel landed several savage blows to the white dragon's face before grasping his hands together and slamming them onto his opponent's chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Amenadiel stood and picked up a nearby pony to use them as a club against their allies before they were thrown at a window and bounced off with a thud. Turning and grabbing Fox from the floor, Amenadiel ran for the open window and lept out. “Fly!” He demanded and Fox quickly reacted.

Swift wrapped his legs around Amenadiel's chest and started to flap his wings as the ground approached quickly. “You're fucking crazy!” Fox shouted as he slowed their descent.

“Better to die free, than live a prisoner!” Amenadiel shouted back as they neared the ground.

When they landed on the ground, Fox sighed and turned to look Amenadiel face to face. “Why?”

The scaled warrior rose a brow and turned to walk. “I don't understand.”

Fox quickly walked up next to him, still looking up. “Why do you fear being caught?”

Amenadiel stopped and turned to the pony. “I do not fear 'being caught’. I fear nothing.”

“Bullshit.” Fox spat back as they stared each other down. “If I get caught, I get a life sentence in Prison. If you get caught, they interrogate you for a little bit and send you on your way.” The pony narrowed his eyes at the scaled warrior. “What are you afraid of?” Amenadiel growled and walked away from him. “You can't run from your fears, kid.”

“I'm older than you.” Amenadiel stated half heartedly as he walked.

“That ain't true, Chief.” Swift said before erupting into a pile of green fire. After it dissipated, a creature of black chitin stood in Fox's place. “You're talking to yourself.”

Amenadiel stopped in place and looked over his shoulder. He said that back in the Hospital, but Amenadiel thought it was nothing. “What do you mean?”

The creature chuckled and shook his head. “You still don't get it, do you?” It erupted into green flames again and Amenadiel stood in the same spot after they dissipated. “I'm you, and you are me.”

Amenadiel turned to look face to face with his copy. It looked exactly like him, down to the scars on his form. The only difference was a large tattoo on his chest. It was an emblem of sorts and under it were the letters 'EBJ’. “You're a changeling. I will not be fooled by your tricks.”

The Fake Amenadiel walked up to the real one and grabbed his shoulders. “Everything about us matches, Amenadiel. Blood type, scars, even down to the strands of DNA in our cells. We are the same, the only difference is that I was born a Changeling and you were born a Dragon.”

Amenadiel pushed the Changeling off of him and pointed a threatening finger at him. “You're a traitor. I trusted you!”

“And it wasn't misplaced!” Fox shot back. He held out a hand towards Amenadiel. “Come with me to the EBJ. We can work together, your skills and my smarts, we can become legends.”

Amenadiel looked into the Changeling's eyes, reaching his hand out before stopping. Was he actually considering this? Did he really believe what was being said? How could he believe a single thing from this Changeling, from… himself, if he was telling the truth. He grabbed Fox's hand and growled. “If you betray me again. I'll rip your fucking guts out.”