Klaws wiped away the posion splattering his face before turning to look at Xavier, grinning slightly.
"Well, well... perhaps I'll try scorpion, instead!"
Snapper howled angrily, straightening with a hiss as the poison dribbled around his mouth.
"You're a damn madman...!" Xavier hissed, eyes narrowed slightly.
"Good! Now fight me!" Klaws cackled, having turned fully around to face Xavier.
Becky hugged Als tight, her ears flat.
Klaws slammed his tail down besides the girls, before crouching and charging towards Xavier.
"Becky!" Xavier's eyes widened worried.
"Get yourself and Als into safety, please!"
Becky nodded, shakily rising to her feet and stumbling off as fast as she could.
Klaws began charging forward with a grin, almost uncaringly slamming into the other scorpion and knocking him over.
"I'll rip that tail off you again and force feed it to you!"
Xavier gritted his teeth with a wince, his arm and claw being crushed by the other, bigger male's weight.
"Kchh...!"
Snapper, having perked up, began spitting the poisonous saliva against Klaws' chest, occasionally headbutting the black scorpion's chest.
Becky burst into Sticks' room, eyes wide and trembling with a panic.
Sticks yelped as she nearly fell out of bed. "What the heck, Becky?? Ever learn to-"
Becky shoved Als into the badger's arms. Get her to the captain! It's Xavier!
The badger fumbled and nearly dropped the bird but managed to hug her close. "Xavier? Becky, wa-"
But the cat was already out of the room, leaving the badger blinking in confusion and staring at the empty doorway.
Als winced weakly, stirring with a gentle groan before slumping slightly in her arms.
__________________________
"Nhh-- heavy... bastard!" Xavier sweatdropped, finally forcing Klaws off and throwing him to the side, standing slowly.
"Kahh hahh!" Klaws slammed his claws into the ground to right himself, grinning.
"The grandson of the chief vs the new scorpion King! Oh, what a way to end our species!"
"The new...?" Xavier clenched his fist "The new king?!" He narrowed his eyes, Snapper snarling as he hung at his side.
"You of all people, have the audacity to call yourself our new leader?!"
"Kahh haha hah!" Klaws raised his tail to his mouth and bit it, dragging his stinger through his mouth as if sharpening it.
"You're in for it now, Xav!~ I'll end you, find your grandfather and end him too... I shall be the one true scorpion!"
A banging came at Zilver's door.
Sticks looked down at the bird, her eyes widening. "A-Als?? What happened??"
Zilver blinked slowly, orange eye flickering as he finally stirred, ears flicking as he stretched slightly before walking forward and going over to his door.
"Nn...?"
Als slumped into her arms, before forcing herself to look up at Sticks.
"A-ano... another scorpion... X-Xav... Xavier... I-I..." She gazed away in shame, eyes weakening.
"I-I tried to f-fuh... fight that s-scuh... s-scorpion... he... l-literally just... just chucked me to the side like... l-like paper..."
___________________________________
"I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!" Xavier had stormed forward, swinging his claw and slamming it into the side of Klaws head, before reaching out and slamming his palm into the bigger scorpion's chest.
Klaws backed away, eyes narrowing as he lifted a claw and grabbed Xavier's hand, other claw reaching out to grab him by the other arm and began pushing down, hoping to force Xavier down to his knees.
"What a pacifist, I'll make you pay for your life!"
Becky rapidly began to sign, but her fingers were shaking and her words were unintelligible. Xavier - BIG - Als - fight -
"We gotta get you to the workshop," Sticks said with wide eyes.
"Becky, Becky--" His eyes softened, reaching out to take her shoulders gently.
"Calm down, calm down..."
Als kept her glance away ashamedly, eyes weak.
"I-I'm sorry..."
Becky shook her head, again signing but slower this time. Xavier got attacked by a BIG scorpion als tried to get him but he hurt her and now they're fighting-
"It's okay, it's okay," Sticks said as she stood hurriedly, "as long as you're all right."
Zilver perked with a sweatdrop, eye widening.
"And he thought about doing it alone?"
Als nodded slowly with a sweatdrop, gritting her teeth.
"L-little battered, but I'm ok... I-I think..."
He said he wanted to defeat him himself... Becky was crying now, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks as she stood there, trembling, terrified although she wasn't sure why; Xavier could handle himself, right? But if anything happened to him...
Sticks nodded. "I hava feelin' Becky went to the captain. You think you can hold on until we see how Xavier's doin'?"
"B-Becky, lass, it'll be ok-" He reached out, gently taking her shoulders with a soft eye.
"I know 'im as closely as I would me own brother... we both know Xavier wouldn't fall wiv'out a good fight"
Als nodded slowly but flinched slightly, managing to force herself to sit up in Sticks' arms, at least.
"But I don't want him to fall at all," Becky signed, her hands curling into tight fists at the last word.
Sticks nodded, gently cradling Als close as she headed off. "Where's the fight, Als?"
"I know, lass..." Zilver sighed softly "C'mon, let's go see 'im"
Als leant into her, eyes softening and leaning into her for support.
"J-just outside the base..."
Becky turned and sprinted off.
Sticks nodded, gently cradling her close as she ran off towards the fight.
Zilver straightened before turning, sprinting after the cat.
Als leant into her weakly with a wince, almost whimpering softly.
____________________________________
The two scorpions had been throwing each other about; blow for blow, Klaws' claws having more strength, but Xavier's single claw and Snapper having more versatility.
Gripping Xavier beneath the arms with his claws, Klaws lifted the smaller scorpion and threw him about like a doll, before chucking him off to the side.
"Keh heh, why don't I send you back to your next, six feet under!"
"...?!!" Xavier had tried to reach out to stop himself hitting the ground head-first, but was unable to and slammed into it, rolling onto his side before gritting his teeth, looking up to him slowly.
"Nngh..."
Snapper, having crashed into the ground as well before forcing himself up, moving his jaw as if trying to re-hinge it, before firing off more poison splatters towards the other scorpion.
Becky slowly stopped, ears flat as she watched the fight in fear.