Kev turned, startled, to see a group of four mammals standing a little too close for comfort. The one now holding his cigarette was a burly razorback hog man, his coarse, dark bristles giving him a perpetually scowling look. He had a pair of short, wicked-looking tusks protruding from his lower jaw, and his small, piggish eyes were narrowed and unfriendly. A hedgehog woman, her quill tips dyed a surprisingly bright pink, clung to his arm, a wide, almost manic grin plastered across her face. The other two, a scruffy-looking coyote and a beefy muskrat, hung back slightly, their expressions a mixture of boredom and mild aggression.
"Hey, freak," the hog man grunted, taking a drag from Kev's cigarette and blowing a cloud of smoke disrespectfully in his face. "Where's the good shit?"
Kev recoiled slightly from the acrid smoke. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice carefully neutral, though a knot of apprehension had quickly tightened in his stomach.
The hog man grunted again, a dismissive, guttural sound. "Don't act dumb, you weirdo," he snarled, his piggish eyes glinting with malice. "Hand it over."
Sabrina, who had been watching the interaction with narrowed eyes, wheeled her chair around sharply. "Get the fuck away from us, you loser!" she said, her voice surprisingly loud and carrying across the lawn, instantly silencing the nearby chatter. "You're polluting my air!"
The muskrat and coyote laughed, prodding the razorback with their elbows. "She says you stink, bro! You gonna take that?" the coyote sneered.
The razorback looked down at Sabrina, his eyes narrowed, but before he could utter a retort, Sabrina was already yelling, her voice a theatrical wail that carried across the lawn. "Oh no! I'm just a helpless little birdy, and they want to steal my wheelchair! I can't even walk without it! Won't somebody help me?!" Her performance was so over-the-top, Kev almost believed her for a second.
The razorback man's face flushed a dull red, a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He glanced around nervously as a few nearby park-goers began to look their way. "We don't want your chair, you bitch!" he growled, his voice low and rough.
Sabrina, switching instantly from damsel-in-distress to defiant hellion, snapped, "And I don't want you in my sight, but here we are."
The hog man exhaled angrily, a cloud of hot, fetid breath washing over Kev. He turned his attention back to the human, grabbing Kev's shirt, yanking him closer until their faces were inches apart. "Better get your crippled whore under control," he snarled, "or else she won't be the only one in a chair."
Kev held his hands up, palms out, in a placating gesture. "Hey, calm down," he said, his voice as steady as he could manage, though his heart was hammering. "What do you want?"
The razorback pulled Kev even closer, yanking him off the bench with surprising strength. His stinky, hot breath, smelling of stale beer and something vaguely swampy, assaulted Kev's nostrils. "Hand over your weed," the hog man growled, "and we'll be on our way."
Kev turned his face away from the hog. "Fine, we don't want any trouble," and began to reach for his pocket.
Sabrina yelled, "What are you doing, Kev?! Just going to let this ass take my weed?!"
Still held aloft by the thug, Kev could only nod yes, his eyes darting nervously towards the razorback's angry face.
The hog man grinned, a triumphant, nasty expression. "Smart thinking," he grunted. He then looked Kev up and down. "What kind of freak are you anyways? Some sort of raccoon in a chemical accident or something?"
Kev, trying to remain calm, replied, "Or something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his silver cigarette case.
The hedgehog woman, her grin wide and almost feral, snatched the case from Kev's hand. "Suave," she tittered, her voice surprisingly high-pitched. "Something like this just to hold your smokes? I think we found a little rich boy."
Sabrina said, "And you think it's a good idea to rob a little rich boy?"
The hedgehog lady laughed, her pink quills quivering with amusement. "What are you going to do about it, cripple?" she sneered, fumbling with the clasp of the silver case. It sprang open, revealing the neatly arranged, hand-rolled joints Horns had prepared. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the premium-looking contents. "Well, well," she cooed, "look what we have here."
But before the hedgehog could grab one, Sabrina, with surprising speed, reached out and snatched the walkie-talkie from Kev's pocket, which had been partially exposed when the hog man yanked him up. She held it high above her head, her small hand surprisingly steady, and yelled, her voice a defiant shriek that cut through the park air, "If I press this button, the human will explode, killing us all!"
The four thugs, including the razorback who was still looming over Kev, quickly took a step back, their earlier bravado momentarily shaken. The muskrat man, however, recovered quickly, his eyes narrowing. "Isn't that just some old radio?" he scoffed, though a flicker of uncertainty remained in his voice.
The hog man's face contorted with rage. "You're askin' for it, girl!" he snarled. He pushed Kev roughly back down onto the bench and then turned, standing menacingly over Sabrina.
Sabrina looked defiantly up at the massive beastman, her beak jutting out, her eyes blazing. "Ugly and stupid," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "Such a winning combination."
The hog man's hand was about to grab Sabrina when a curt, "Hey," cut through the tension. Skippy approached, his usually relaxed gait replaced by a deliberate, almost unnervingly calm advance.
The hog man looked up, his eyes narrowing at the kangaroo, before looking back down at Sabrina and grabbing her arm. Sabrina shrieked, her voice a theatrical wail, "Oh no! This poor mammal is so weak I can't even feel his grip! He needs a doctor!"
Kev looked at Skippy and said, his voice urgent, "Help!"
Skippy walked over slowly, the serious lines beginning to form around his eyes, his powerful tail twitching. "Let go," Skippy said, his voice still slow and matter-of-fact, but now carrying an undeniable weight.
The razorback glared at the muscular kangaroo and snarled, "Or what?"
Skippy simply said, "Pain."
The hog man gave a concerned look back at his buddies, a flicker of unease replacing his earlier aggression. The muskrat and coyote walked up to Skippy, the muskrat sneering, "Keep out of it. What do you care if we play with some bird and her creepy friend?"
As Kev watched the thugs begin to circle Skippy, a faint sound hit his ears, like a rapidly approaching hiss. Was it the wind? Kev turned to see Twitch sprinting right at them, a blur of grey and focused fury. The sound was his speeding, whispering voice, now amplified by his charge, yelling that he was going to "fuck that muskrat up!"
Kev's neck could barely move his head fast enough to keep up with the blurred form of Twitch diving past him and crashing into the muskrat with the force of a miniature cannonball. The two of them immediately went tumbling, rolling across the lawn a short distance away in a flurry of limbs and fur.
As Skippy and the coyote squared off, the coyote feinting with a quick jab while Skippy stood, rooted and massive, like a weathered oak, the razorback man snarled, "What the hell?" his piggy eyes darting between the sudden explosion of ferrets and the eerily calm kangaroo.
Sabrina, despite being in the hog man's grasp, said, "Better let go, ugly. The little rich boy has a rich daddy that's gonna hear all about what you've done."
Kev pleaded, his voice strained, "Just walk away! If you leave, there's no reason for a fight!"
The razorback snorted again, ignoring Kev, and with a grunt of effort, picked Sabrina up out of her chair, holding her uncomfortably against his bristly chest. "You think this is gonna be a fight?" he sneered, using Sabrina as a shield.
Talon's raspy voice cut through the increasing chaos, sharp as a shard of glass. "What are you doing to my sister?"
Kev turned to see Talon standing just behind him, his usual stoic composure shattered. His feathers were puffed, his wings held half open, and his sharp blue eyes, usually cool and observant, were now blazing with a cold, focused fury, locked on the hog's hand gripping his sister.
Sabrina, even in the precarious situation, managed a strained whisper towards the hog man, "Sorry, piggy," before yelling, her voice ringing with false terror and a wicked undertone, "Oh, brother! This thug is trying to take advantage of me! He says he loves breaking virginal maidens!"
Even though the tension was knife-thick, Kev almost laughed at Sabrina's audacious lie. When he looked at Talon, however, the eagleman was not laughing. Talon looked angry. Kev hadn't seen Talon angry like this, other than maybe a hint when Rex had antagonized him. This was different. This was a primal, protective rage.
"Put her down," Talon said, his voice a low, dangerous rasp, each word clipped and precise, "and we can talk."
The razorback held Sabrina tighter, using her as an avian shield between himself and the furious eagleman. He glanced nervously at his buddies; Twitch was a grey blur of motion, dismantling the muskrat with vicious efficiency, while Skippy, with a single, powerful kick, had sent the coyote flying several feet. "You want your broken bitch?" the razorback snarled at Talon. "Tell the rat and the 'roo to stop!"
Sabrina, her voice surprisingly calm despite the precarious situation, said, "Oh, you're so fucked."
Kev shuffled away to the far end of the bench, trying to make a bit of space between himself and the unfolding brawl. His heart hammered against his ribs, the scent of fear and aggression thick in the air.
Talon said again, his voice now dangerously soft, a chilling contrast to the hog's bluster, "Put. Her. Down. And I won't hurt you."
The razorback growled, his grip on Sabrina tightening, "I'll break her arms if you try anything, fuckin' bird!"
Sabrina held her arms up, as if to display them, and then with a sudden, shockingly swift movement, she lashed out. Her sharp eagle talons, neatly manicured, flew forward, and she poked the hog man hard in the eye.
The hog man bellowed, a high-pitched squeal of pure agony, and his hands instinctively flew to his face, dropping Sabrina unceremoniously to the ground. She landed with a grunt, her body hitting the grass with a thud.
Before Talon could even fully react to Sabrina's fall, the enraged and blinded hog man lashed out with a wild, powerful kick. His heavy boot glanced off Sabrina's side, the impact audible even over his own bellows of pain.
Talon, witnessing the brutal kick, let out a sound that was less an eagle's cry and more a guttural roar of pure, unrestrained fury. He didn't hesitate. He dove at the hog man, his own talons extended, his movements a blur of black feathers and lethal intent.
Kev winced as he watched Talon plunge his claws deep into the hog's shoulders while tackling him to the ground with a sickening thud. The razorback shrieked, a sound cut short as Talon's weight slammed into him.
The hedgehog lady shrieked, her voice piercing and frantic, "Don't lose to some scrawny hollow-bone!"
Kev tried to take stock of the brawl, his mind racing to process the chaotic scene. Skippy, massive and implacable, had a heavy foot planted firmly on the coyote's chest; the scruffy creature lay coughing, his paws clutching his ribs in agony. Twitch, a grey streak of controlled fury, was straddling the muskrat's back, hissing and yanking out tufts of fur with vicious, tearing motions. And Talon… Talon was quickly pinning the hog's arms to the ground, the eagleman's movements swift and brutal. Blood was pouring from the hog's mauled eye and shoulders, already speckling Talon's grey workout clothes a dark, spreading crimson.
Kev, shaking off his initial shock, scrambled back towards the action, his immediate concern for Sabrina overriding any fear. He reached down, his hands finding her arms, and began to pull her away from the epicenter of the violent struggle.
Sabrina herself struggled against Kev, squawking, "Let me go! That pig's gonna pay!"
Kev managed to help Sabrina up onto the bench. She ignored Kev and immediately turned to watch Talon, who was pummeling the razorback, yelling, "Get him, brother!"
Kev looked around and made eye contact with the hedgehog woman. She was watching her group get dismantled by the security team, her earlier manic grin replaced by a look of dawning horror. "What the hell's happening?!" she yelled, her voice a frantic squeak.
Sabrina said, "Your little friends are losers!"
The hedgehog woman turned on Sabrina and shrieked, "Fuck you!"
Sabrina's wings popped out with a sharp snap, her feathers bristling with aggression. "No, fuck you!" she retorted, her voice a defiant caw.
Kev stood and looked around, waves of panic washing over him. He yelled, "Stop!"
Twitch and Skippy looked over at Kev, their movements faltering for a moment, but Talon ignored him, his fury now laser-focused. Talon was strangling the razorback, the hog's earlier bellows fading into choked gasps.
The hedgehog woman tried to push Talon off of the razorback, yelling, "You're gonna kill him, you maniac!"
Talon didn't look up, pushing her back with one hand with surprising force, looking back at the razorback and saying, his voice a dangerous rasp, "We could have talked."
Kev said, "Talon, it's over! You have to let him go!"
Talon ignored Kev again, his pointed nails beginning to prick through the skin on the hog's neck.
Skippy said, his voice a slow, deep rumble, "Twitch."
Twitch slammed the muskrat against the ground one last time before standing up and rushing over to Talon, his wispy voice urgent, "You beat him, Talon!" When Twitch tried to pull Talon away, Talon pushed Twitch away as effortlessly as he did the hedgehog woman. Twitch tumbled over, not expecting the eagle to be so strong. He sat up and hissed, "Let 'em go, Talon! This isn't the club! There are families around!"
The word "family" seemed to break through Talon's rage. He glared back at Twitch, his voice raw, "My family was attacked."
Skippy stepped over and said, his voice calm and steady, "She's okay."
Talon only glanced up at Sabrina, who was leaning over the back of the bench, a gleeful grin on her beak as she watched her brother punish the razorback.
Kev looked between the two, his frustration mounting. "Sabrina, tell him to stop!"
Sabrina looked over at Kev, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. "Why are you always so boring?"
Kev rubbed his hair in frustration before looking at the hedgehog woman, who was backing away from Talon, her eyes wide with terror. "Hey, Sabrina," Kev said, his voice urgent, "if you tell him to stop, I'll give you all the joints in my case."
Sabrina blinked a few times, considering. Finally, she looked over at the hedgehog woman too and said, "You hear that? Pass over the smokes, and maybe I'll let your idiot boyfriend live."
The hedgehog woman, without hesitation, tossed the silver cigarette case at Kev and Sabrina. Sabrina, with surprising agility, plucked it out of the air. "Mine," she declared.
"Hurry and tell Talon to stop!" Kev urged, his voice tight with anxiety.
Sabrina looked in the case, her eyes widening at the sight of the neatly rolled joints. A satisfied smile spread across her face. She then looked over at her brother, who was still choking the now whimpering and barely conscious razorback. "Brother," she called out, her voice carrying a strange mix of triumph and authority, "you have defended my honor admirably. Let that fatty go so he can tell everyone what happens when they mess with an eagle."
Talon's hand loosened, and the hog man took in a deep, coughing breath. Talon then put a single, sharp finger, pointed like a nail, against the sputtering razorback's throat. The brutish thug tried to contain himself, choking back his coughs and taking shallow breaths as he looked up at Talon with sheer terror in his piggy eyes.
Talon snapped his beak and said, "Disgusting. If I see you again, I won't go easy on you." Talon stood and walked over to Sabrina.
The group of attempted thieves mumbled in pain as they picked themselves up. Kev looked around and noticed there were a lot of park-goers watching them, their expressions a mixture of shock and morbid curiosity.
Talon reached Sabrina and asked, his voice still tight with concern, "Sister, are you okay? What happened?"
Sabrina was busy pulling the joints out of the silver case, a delighted grin on her face. "Oh, brother," she said, her voice dripping with mock drama, "it was so very scary! Thankfully, you and those hunks were here to protect me."
Talon looked between Kev and Sabrina, his brow furrowed.
Kev began to tell Talon that the razorback wanted his weed, but Sabrina cut him off, her voice a cheerful chirp. "You know how it is, brother. Some hotheads think they see an easy target and get hit instead."
Talon's eyes narrowed slightly. "You got hit."
Sabrina rolled her eyes and said, "Are you calling me a hothead?"
Talon frowned and said, his voice surprisingly dry, "I think hellions are probably quite hot."
Sabrina giggled and said, "Well, it all worked out." She looked around and noticed other park-goers still watching, their gazes lingering. She yelled, her voice echoing across the lawn, "Haven't any of you seen a cripple before?! You wanna come and touch my legs or something?!"
The crowd quickly began to move along, Sabrina's sharp, unsettling words making them distinctly uncomfortable.