Life as a Sonic OC Redux

*Jacob's POV*

After we returned the kids to their homes and reported it to Mayor Rose, she was really thankful and granted Michiru, Nazuna and I an exception as she, Alto and I returned to her parents home before we met up with Michiru in a place called Morioh.

Michiru asks "So how'd it go?"

Nazuna giggles "Went off without a hitch."

"Not to mention she gave the green light." I added.

Michiru asks "*Starry-eyed* Really?!"

"Really." Nazuna and I confirmed.

Ichigo pops up with Shirou and Kita.

Ichigo spoke "Hey guys, I got the wolves though."

I noticed Kita still in his huge form, but fortunately he had clothes that were big enough for him.

Nazuna asks "Hold on, where's Yuu?"

Shirou spoke "You don't want to know where she is at the moment."

Michiru asks "What's going on?"

Kita spoke "*Burp!* We're meeting up with Danyelle and Josuke, and after that, Midnight."

A letter from Danyelle appears in my hands.

Nazuna asks "What does it say?"

I spoke "Since her husband's still a bit unstable after blood loss, she'll need to stay with him so she's sending a dragon in her place."

A warp ring opens before Cynder stepped out, taking on an anthro form with clothes inlcuded.

Cynder spoke "This is wrong on so many levels..."

Michiru asks "How?"

Shirou spoke "Try asking Star Ass that one."

A female voice spoke "Watch it, buster."

Kita spoke "Dad... you might have stepped on a verbal landmine there..."

Deep Lilac showed up with a tick mark. "We'll discuss this later."

Michiru spoke "Cool it Twilight, he didn't know that would have been your berserk button."

Kita spoke "Well, let's get going."

Deep Lilac spoke "I just noticed that I have to hide my ears since not everyone likes Cyniclons."

Deep Lilac put on a hood before we started moving forward, meeting up with Josuke before Midnight showed up.

Michiru spoke "Oh wow Midnight, you look wasted."

Midnight spoke "I'll be alright. Anyway, we're going on a hunting trip. And before anyone asks, Otoishi confessed and told me some info."

That left us surprised.

Josuke asks "Are you serious?"

Midnight spoke "In fact, a lot of info, including the bow and arrow. He tested it on a rat."

Josuke asks "He did what?!"

Midnight spoke "Yep, but the rat survived by breaking free and fled even though it wriggled in pain. You know what that means. Sentient beings aren't the only ones capable of gaining Stand abilities, but we don't know what the rat is capable, so we have to hunt it down before it strikes."

Tigerclaw and Hawkfrost were on Michiru's shoulders.

Michiru asks "And who better to hunt down a rat than a cat or two?"

Later, Star Platinum shot three empty cans by flicking one ball bullet each.

Josuke spoke "Hohoho! That was awesome!"

Midnight spoke "That was just practice. Still targets are easy, moving targets are harder to hit. Which is why we're using these lead marbles. It'll help close-range Stands attack from a distance, but the ammo themselves won't hurt Stands. Only use them when the Stand User is range. Try 'em."

Josuke asks "I have to use 'em too? *Given three* You're sure about this? I don't even have the concentration for ball sports and stuff, you know?"

Midnight set them up as Shining Diamond shot the bearings, hitting two cans and a wooden post right beneath one.

Josuke spoke "*Groans* I almost got it."

Midnight asks "Not bad, greenhorn. 85 out of a hundred. But everyone remember this while hunting, dealing with live animals, composure's more important than speed. Miss a cornered rat, it'll wise up and stay outta range. So don't shoot or attack until you're totally confident you can hit the mark, and don't let the pressure get to you, understand?"

Deep Lilac spoke "Let's never mention this to Fluttershy, you know how scary she can get if an animal is hurt..."

Midnight spoke "Of course."

We soon started investigating the riverbanks.

Shirou asks "Did Otoishi say anything else?"

Midnight spoke "Yeah, he shot the rat near the irrigation canal here. And knowing where we are, it's likely a brown rat, since they're agile swimmers, good at adapting and capable of eating anything. Bigger ones can get to 20-30 centimeters long, while some can weigh up to one kilo, and able to jump horizontally 2 meters."

Hawkfrost slips into the water before diving underwater.

Deep Lilac spoke "Not to mention... Brown rats are notorious breeders, a female can have up to six litters a year."

I spoke "Yeesh, that's a lot."

Midnight spoke "Bingo."

We saw rat tracks on the ground.

Josuke asks "Huh? You mean those aren't bird tracks?"

Midnight spoke "Four claws on the front paws and five claws on the back paws. And tiny trail says that it dragged something with it. What's more that those are tail tracks. Seems like our rat's about 20 centimeters long. The number's unknown, but there's more than one. *Looks at a leaf* A tick means stomping grounds for rodents. No doubt that there's a nest in that drain. Best we can do right now is place a trap and see what the video camera records."

Kita asks "Did Tails give you that?"

Midnight spoke "Yep."

Josuke asks "Huh? That's one of those cameras that lets you watch while you're recording, right? *Notices bait* Uh, you're not gonna use cheese for the trap? *Sniffs*"

Midnight spoke "It's tempura, since plain cheese is too good for a common rat."

But then we heard flies buzzing as we saw a whole bunch hovering around someplace.

Josuke asks "What's with all the flies?"

Ichigo spoke "*Pushes aside grass* Beats me, best find out."

Josuke spoke "Did something die? *As he and Ichigo found something* Guys! Th-These are... *Gags while covering his mouth*

Ichigo turned away and vomited as we went to Josuke, only to see a rectangular box made of meat with rat heads, forelegs, hind legs and tails sticking out of it.

Midnight spoke "Those rats are dead meat, literally."

Boy, am I glad that Michiru got Alto a babysitter back in Ponyville.

Josuke spoke "Yeah, no shit. *Groans* It looks like a block of jellied fish."

Midnight grabbed a stick and stabbed the box before pulling it out, making blood pour out of the meat box.

Josuke asks "Why the hell are you poking it?"

Midnight spoke "It's flesh. Earlier, this pack of rats had their flesh melted and thickened later. But it looks like the rotting began under the flesh first."

Josuke asks "How in the world does something as messed up as that even happen?"

Midnight spoke "No idea, but it may be connected to that shot that nailed Ben's hand in the hospital before you healed it, Josuke. So it's likely both that and this is thanks to the rat we're hunting."

Josuke asks "So a Stand did this?"

Midnight asks "Yeah, not to mention it killed the other rats to mark its territory, so it's more than likely that rat's nest is in the drain. But the bigger concern is did the rat make more chaos with its power?"

We soon went up as Midnight traced the sewer line.

Midnight spoke "That house is where that drainage canal ends, the rat might be there already."

Hawkfrost pokes his head up out of the water a little ways away.

Michiru spoke "We need to flush it out with pepper. A rat's nose can't stand the smell."

Deep Lilac spoke "And I know just the cat for the job."

Deep Lilac opens a warp ring before Cinderpelt steps out in her normal form.

Deep Lilac spoke "This cat happens to have a Stand called Pepper Bomb. If we send her in first with Tigerclaw and Hawkfrost waiting outside an exit, we can capture the rat and kill it."

Josuke asks "You think it beat us here?"

Midnight spoke "Well, for starter's there's no chickens in the chicken coop, then there's the parked cars in the garage, no activity in the house with the front door open and unlocked. Which means the rat's in the house, which could mean the house's owners could already be dead. So we have no time to waste."

Cinderpelt understood what she had to do so after slipping in through a pet flap, she let loose a powerful pepper bomb attack causing any other still alive rats to escape the house.

Tigerclaw and Hawkfrost kill the rats that were too injured to escape the assault.

Deep Lilac spoke "I have a bad feeling that there's actually two rats with the same Stand...."

Midnight spoke "Still, we better head in and check for ourselves."

Kita spoke "Dad and I will wait outside, we don't know how much damage the cat had caused with that pepper bomb."

Cynder spoke "Okay, but don't get too hungry."

We entered the house.

Midnight spoke "The rat will only let us get so close, since it knows that most are too slow to catch up to it. So it won't expect a ranged attack. Let's split up, that way we're thorough."

Josuke spoke "Right."

We split up into groups as Josuke, Ichigo and I entered the kitchen.

Josuke spoke "What? It looks like an old refrigerator compressor."

We investigated before opening the fridge, seeing a huge mass of flesh as they showed groaning heads of an elderly couple.

Josuke asks "How the hell... The rat did this? *Gasp!* They're still alive! Did the rat disfigure the owners of this house with its Stand so it'd have an easier time storing them in the fridge?"

But then I spotted the dead body of a rat as Josuke healed the two before they thank him.

Ichigo spoke "Atta girl Cinderpelt, we got one of the rats. But I think Twilight is right, there's a second one."

I spoke "Hold on a minute... Josuke, take a closer look at this rat's ears. Neither of them are damaged."

We soon reunited with everyone else, though Midnight had his right hand in a pocket.

Josuke asks "You still goin' on about that?"

Ichigo spoke "Yeah, call it a gut feeling."

Midnight spoke "If we don't kill the rat by sunset, the mess will only get bigger.

Josuke asks "Huh?"

Midnight spoke "Twilight was on point. There's another rat that managed to avoid the pepper while in here, not to mention got a shot on me."

Midnight brought out his right hand, and it was... a mess.

Josuke spoke "*Gasp!* Midnight, your hand is melting just like Ben's did before I fixed it up!"

Midnight asks "It happened in another room. That attack could've been avoided, but my curiosity for the needle's contents got the best of me and tried to use Star Platinum to catch it. A touch is all that's required to release the Stand's venom, even through other Stands. 5 or 6 darts will make you a oozy flesh pile. The rat managed to escape after that attack, and I'm guessing it sensed the pepper did the other one in. And Josuke, if you wouldn't mind?"

Josuke asks "Uh, not to worry. Just leave it to me. *As Shining Diamond healed Midnight's hand* Damn it. Why'd those little S.O.B.s have to multiply?"

*After Josuke healed Midnight...*

A Phone Receiver spoke "This is the Speedwagon Foundation Research Department."

Midnight spoke "Hi, it's Midnight Storm."

The Phone Receiver spoke "Midnight! Finally. We've tried to reach you several times."

Midnight asks "My friends and I were hunting some rats. Is it Otoishi?"

The Phone Receiver spoke "Yes. Akira Otoishi was withholding the fact that he shot two rats instead of one.

Midnight asks "Positive? Not three or four?"

The Phone Receiver spoke "No, sir. We're sure it's two."

Midnight then ended the call. "You gotta be kidding me. In territorial concerns, that rat only cares about itself, so it won't hesitate to kill everything, humans, mobians and its own kind included. We gotta end this monster and quickly. Time to go."

Josuke asks "Midnight, hold on a minute, would you? A pint-sized rodent just ran into an open field. How exactly do you plan on tracking this thing down?"

Midnight spoke "Heard of the artist known as Ernest Thompson Seton? He said, "There's not an animal on the planet that cannot be tracked." Habits are vital info, as rats don't take paths they haven't taken before. So that means it escaped through that sewer pipe. And another thing, if they don't eat around the clock, it'll die of starvation within a few hours. *Pushes some celery, showing another behind it having some of it bitten off with rat dung to the left* There, new bite marks."

Josuke spoke "Nice going. This is an awesome start. Now we're gonna corner that bucktoothed bastard!"

Tigerclaw was meowing at Ichigo who translated.

Ichigo spoke "Since the rat is quick, we need a cat who is faster."

Nazuna spoke "But we didn't find one yet."

Ichigo spoke "Oh, right."

Later, we checked the traps.

Josuke spoke "*Sigh* Take a look at this. I don't think he even gave a damn that our bait was here."

Midnight spoke "Good thing he was caught on footage."

We looked at the camera, seeing the rat search the area as Midnight noticed something.

Midnight spoke "Huh. Bug-Eaten seems appropriate for this rat, since his right ear looks like his namesake. He's being careful, so it won't be like at the house. Bug-Eaten's gonna be fully cautious not to let us get at least 20 meters from him. Gonna have to upgrade to these, live rifle rounds."

Midnight brought out rifle bullets.

Midnight spoke "These are gonna be our last resort if we wanna kill that rat."

Josuke asks "Wait. Those are real?"

Midnight spoke "100%, since ball bearings lose accuracy while traveling past 20 meters due to air resistance. With these bullets' aerodynamics, targets within 70 meters will be in range."

Josuke spoke "Will I have to launch that with my Stand's hand, too? 'Cause I don't think I'm ready for that just yet."

Midnight spoke "Fair enough, so I'll hold onto these."

Josuke spoke "Hold on it right there. Just what are you trying to say? That comment didn't sit well with me."

A wiry brown she-cat with narrow tabby stripes and yellow eyes meows at Ichigo as if to say "Leave that rat to me! I can chase it down!"

Ichigo spoke "Well, we got a fleetpawed cat now! And Josuke, don't make me use the dog whistle on you."

Midnight spoke "*Gives Josuke two bullets* Actually, here’s two just in case."

Josuke spoke "Huh? *Groans* More pressure."

The cat raced ahead as the rest of us followed the rat tracks, dodging a few spiderwebs on the way and walking through big puddles, despite Josuke trying to hold his pant legs up while carrying his shoes and socks in his mouth.

Midnight spoke "One more thing, this puddle’s filled with leeches, so watch where you step."

Josuke gasps "Wha?!"

Josuke dropped his shoes and socks as they fell into the puddle, much to his dismay as we later met up with the fast cat, but she looked super confused as Midnight gasped.

Midnight spoke "Damn."

Shirou asks "Something the matter?"

Josuke asks "So what’s going on?"

Midnight spoke "Look ahead and carefully. This is where the footprints somehow end."

We looked ahead, only for the footprints to suddenly stop at a spot, but no rat there.

Kita asks "What the?!"

Josuke spoke "You’ve gotta be joking. Why would they randomly stop like that? I know. He’s under us. He must’ve burrowed underground and covered himself."

Midnight spoke "Wrong, ‘cause I don’t see any lumps of dirt. Bug-Eaten backtracked. But I didn’t think rats were capable of that."

Josuke asks "Backtracking?"

“That’s what a wild animal does by going backward while stepping in its own footprints, confusing the pursuers long enough for them to find cover. This was seen being done by brown bears, weasels and rabbits in Japan. Rats and other rodents doing this is news to me.” I explained before we circled while facing outward.

Josuke asks "Okay, so let me get this straight. You’re saying that a common brown rat pulled a fast one on us?"

Midnight spoke "Yeah, now the situation’s gone from bad to worse. Look at the area around us, now we’re the prey instead of the predators."

The four cats were sniffing the air.

Cinderpelt meows at Ichigo.

Ichigo spoke "SHIT!! We need to take flight, NOW!!"

Ichigo grabs the four cats and Josuke with magic as she flew up into the air as the others followed, dodging pink needles.

Josuke spoke "Yikes. I have this creepy feeling we’re being watched. We better duck behind a rock while we still have the chance."

Midnight spoke "*As some of us hid behind a rock* No sudden movements. Good thing is we can see Bug-Eaten’s attacks, so watch out for where the darts are coming from. Find where he’s hiding, we snipe him out."

Josuke saw something in nearby grass as he reached out for it before we heard a snap, followed by him giving a yelp. “Son of a bitch!"

Josuke stood up while trying to get a mousetrap off his right hand’s pointer and middle fingers before we heard a bang as a dart hit Josuke on the neck.

Josuke yelps "That dirty rodent used our own rattrap against us?"

Midnight spoke "Star Platinum, the World!"

Suddenly, the dart was gone along with a bit of Josuke’s neck tissue, as he doesn’t seem to be affected.

Midnight spoke "It’s okay, I removed the needle and the infected area before the venom could get any further. But thanks to that, we know where the rat could be. Look ahead, at those three rocks halfway up the hill."

Josuke spoke "You found him and helped me? I don’t know who’s more amazing, you or the rat. Compared with the two of you, it’s starting to feel like I’m a kid at the grownups’ table."

Soon it was starting to become sunset as Midnight looked through binoculars.

Midnight spoke "60 meters. And no more needles right now. That rat can tell wild shooting will reveal him, not to mention he has his defenses up, not wanting to get hit. Stubborn rodent."

Michiru spoke "We need Danyelle... That Chaos Barrier of hers is unbreakable..."

Josuke spoke "Why are you praising that damn rat? We need to act, and we have to do it now."

Midnight spoke "Too true, Josuke. We gotta give it our all in this attack, or Bug-Eaten will kill us all. Josuke, I’m giving you all four rounds. At this distance, those bullets rise like sliders, so aim one centimeter below the target."

A muddy two-tailed cat with blue eyes cloaked in a flexible Chaos Barrier was sneaking up on Bug-Eaten on silent paws, making sure to stay downwind of the rat.

Michiru spoke "Hey hold on Midnight, I have an idea. If we keep that rat's attention on us, it won't see what is going on behind it."

Midnight spoke "But to be safe, we’re doing a pincer attack. So we’re moving in so he’ll shoot his needles. Josuke will determine the location, that way Bug-Eaten won’t have anywhere to run."

Josuke asks "*Gasp!* You want me to what?!"

Midnight spoke "There isn’t any other way. Even if we get hit, you can heal us with Shining Diamond. But the cats can probably handle 2 or 3 hits at best, and since your power doesn’t work on yourself, Josuke, you’re sniping him out. This is our last chance. Don’t waste it."

Josuke spoke "*As we approached* Could I have a second to prepare!"

Bug-Eaten’s Stand fired multiple darts as we dodged with Midnight using Star Platinum; the World to help us do that.

Midnight asks "Anything?"

Josuke spoke "No. As soon as he fired, he ran off and hid somewhere else."

Midnight spoke "Well, we’ll get closer while going further up. Wait until he fires again."

Josuke spoke "Yeah, will do. *As Shining Diamond appeared with a round* Damn this pressure."

We kept moving forward.

Josuke spoke "*Gasps before looking through* There! I see him!"

The Stand fired again with multiple darts as we dodged it when suddenly a few of the darts hit us from behind. Fortunately, none of the cats were hit.

Midnight spoke "What the?! That little urchin predicted us dodging and shielding our front, so he fired them at the rocks so they’d ricochet and hit us from behind!"

Josuke spoke "Guys! No!"

Midnight spoke "Now isn’t the time to stare, Josuke! Keep your eyes focused on Bug-Eaten! The second he shoots, take him out! Here we go!"

The Stand fired again as we dodged some with Star Platinum; the World's help, but some of us got hit by the rest when Josuke suddenly became focused.

Josuke spoke "I suddenly feel that fighting spirit. Right, then. It’s time for you to die."

Shining Diamond fired, hitting a rock, gaining Bug-Eaten’s attention.

Midnight spoke "Josuke missed."

Ichigo spoke "*As the Stand turned towards Josuke* Josuke! No!"

But Josuke stood tall, out of hiding while looking through the right side of the binocular with his right eye while holding it vertically. “There you are. I knew my miss would make you turn around. It’s good to see that ugly face. And right now, you’re right in my crosshairs.”

But right before Shining Diamond could fire...

A dying squeal was heard since the muddy cat had ripped the rat to pieces, ending its life and causing the stand to vanish.

Danyelle spoke "Good riddance."

Josuke spoke "The hell Dany?! I had the perfect shot!"

Danyelle spoke "So? It could have shot Ichigo in the head! And FYI, there isn't any blue aqua left."

Michiru asks "For the love of Ginrou, do you want Shizue to grow up without a mother?"

Ichigo spoke "Girls, I wasn't in the line of fire at all since Bug-Eaten faced Josuke."

Midnight spoke "Ichigo has a point there."

Shirou spoke "Can't argue with that."

Danyelle spoke "It's just a rat anyway."

Midnight spoke "Huh, if you think about it, those rat Stand Users are a reflection of the environment's destruction. Kinda makes a guy feel conflicted. But Josuke's a dependable friend, and I'm glad about that. Good grief. At least now things'll be peaceful around here."

Danyelle spoke "Until the next threat anyway."

The others and I have a good laugh.

End