Four Marsupials Walk In A Quinceañera...

The fiesta de quinceañera was supposed to represent the coming of her womanhood. A family gathering in which her Abuela could look at her in a new light, her father can shed a tear, and for extended family to see their cousin and niece in her greatest light, years later on her wedding day. It started off good from the Misa de Accio de Gracias to the Quinceanera herself in her sparkling aqua-marine ball gown and the banquet hall with balloons and blinking colored lights that went with the accordion of the music for the long festivity. This was supposed to be her day. It was important to his old boxing teacher, Edmund, who finally gave up the booze and decided to aid his people in the fight against the Cyborg Insurgency, that his niece, Leslie get her day. Now, all it was was the day they attacked.

Garrett found himself, garbed in a worn black suit and bowtie, which he once thought he overdressed in, ducked behind a table, as once screams of glee and joy, were now of terror. He tried to blink away the splotches of red across the banquet hall, tried to ignore the changing lights and how they changed the crimson liquid from rose to maroon as it went from blue to green. Not again. Not again.  He would have thought, the Cyborg Insurgents wouldn't be able to track them down and be so petty as to shoot up a crowd, a family of people. He was proven wrong once again.

He quietly ducked past tables, waving scared families to hide under them as he circled the perimeter of the hall. He didn't get a good look at the shooters, only saw shadows, then the blazing of bullets from laser-pointed rifles. The bright streaks of lights trailed past him, making him stop in his trekking. He watched the bright beam point to the floor, then waited. Edmund told him a little tip about the cyborgs, about how a little motor connecting to their joint connecting their shoulder to their main torso could be ripped out with a cold palm and clench under their plated armor. Garrett saw the plan form in his mind before he smelled it.

The foul odor was like sewage flooded from a pipe in the restroom and nestled under some sweat-drenched dancer. The warm scent found its way up to his nose until the dark shadow it originated from, revealed itself. Garrett’s eyes widened. What the…?

The hulking figure was a mass of black fur with a long stripe of white running down its arm. Its large snout for a head sniffed the air, and its bright pink ears flickered. It turned in Garrett’s direction, and white fangs appeared. Garrett didn't let his thoughts get the chance to paralyze him in awe and fear. He blitzed the creature, striking it dead in its snout, ignoring its spine chilling screech, before disarming it and swinging its rifle back in its face. The muscular mass of fur quickly retaliated and before Garrett could brace himself, he was across the room, crashing into tables as terrified families raced for the door. The sudden distraction gave them a chance to escape. Garrett felt a little relief at that thought behind the thought that there would be a lot of pain later on when the adrenaline wore off.

When Garrett stood up, he was met by the figure. It screeched loudly at him, the devil swinging an arm that Garrett barely missed. Its dark exterior and the disgusting smell took up most of Garrett’s senses. All he knew was that the creature was large, strong, could take a hit, and needed a shower pronto. Garrett was good under pressure. He was practicing lately. He went for distance as the creature pulled a pistol out from a holster of its tactical wear and Garrett tussled with it to prevent the shot from going off. All he got was a barely missed reckless hook and a football player’s shrug into the wall. He found a piece of debris on the floor, a hard piece of glass, and old teachings from Raizen came back to the surface, sending him slinging the shard into the creature's face with ease. He disappeared after that, giving himself distance, and time to figure out what the hell a furry black rat was doing shooting up a birthday party!

He heard the creature scream, loud enough that the floor rumbled. “Hey! TAZ!” A smoky voice said. Garrett slid under a table and listened closely as the hulking creature Taz started to form words. “THAT FUCKER! AH!”  the tearing of flesh threatened to make Garrett vomit. “Alright, boys. FIND HIM!” the other voice said. “I got something better,” another voice,  Australian in accent, said. Garrett heard the unholstering of guns and leaped under the table as bullets rang out across his direction. His ears were nearly shot off as the small explosions rocketed the room. He swore he could hear the sound of laughter over the carnage.

He stumbled to the floor, petrified as a figure overhead glided across the room, larger than any bat or bird he’d seen. “Not now! Not ever!” the flying figure said as she landed. “You’re an incredible idiot JACK!” the voice laughed. “Shutup Gildie! My way is the best way!”

“Stop talking. Now.” the deeper voice said. “Shooting up this party isn't going to get us him. Glider, vantage point. Jack on recon. I and Taz will be on point. Go. Now.”

Garrett felt it rumbling beneath his intestines. Behind the tightening fear and smell of copper and nose-burning gunpowder, he felt it call to him. The feeling was becoming a little too familiar to him. The gift from the house of Echo was whispering to him, ready to come to his aid when true evil was in the area. Garrett looked across the banquet hall. He could see limp figures, some twitching, groaning, while these gunmen were laughing. That was true evil. Garrett felt the rumbling turn to a soft vibration, growing until the air around him shimmered in golden waves, and in a blink of emerald light, the Alysyf Sada was in his hands. The long blade was in the shape of a katana this time, the perfect weapon for when he was about to slice evil in two. 

Garrett rose from the floor, revealing himself. The lights turned a bright blue and he finally got a look at the creatures. They were humanoid in appearance, the physiques of men and women but off in the most defining of places. The hulking black fur, clenching his bloody face looked to be a werewolf but looked more like a rat. A Tasmanian Devil. The Sugar Glider spread her slender arms showing stretched skin that showed why she was called Gildie. Jack hopped on his Kangaroo-like legs, sneering as he pulled out his twin pistols, leaving the leader, a stocky, tall hunk of gray fur, a long pink snout, white furry face, and black beady eyes, flinching its small ears as the sight of Garrett. A possum. They were marsupials in tactical gear, holding rifles attacking a quinceanera. Why? Garrett knew.

They were for him. 

“Well before you kill me, how about you just introduce yourselves?” Garrett asked them. The Possum scoffed and pointed his rifle at Garrett. “Let’s just say we’re The Vermin to you household boy. And there’s a large bounty on your head.”

“Literally,” Jack laughed. Garrett felt a sneer appear on his face. “Wildcard.” he pointed to Jack. “Brute,” to Taz. “Only female team member slash medic.” to Gildie. “And you, the leader.”

“Potus will suffice.”

“THIS WILL TOO!” a hard object smashed against Potus’ head.  Edmund came rushing into the room, fists clenched tight for battle. Garrett was quick to react next, slashing his blade in the air, sending an arc of energy towards the four mercenaries. They flew backward as Gildie shot off into the air and straight at Garrett. He ducked under her flapping wings as Taz recovered quickly and came barreling towards him. He was too slow on weaving and met the Marsupial’s talons. He felt the claws tear through his clothing and into its skin. The pain wasn't enough to describe what Garrett felt. He didn't have time to react however as Gildie shot towards him, grabbing him and sending them across the banquet floor, to the center of the room, Garrett’s sword faded away and he locked into a grappling match with the fur-lined killer. Before he could get his bearings, Taz was in the air, coming down on them, before Garrett ducked out of the way from the attack. Triangle. Space them apart in your field of vision. Garrett’s back was against the stage, away from many stray bullets, and enough so he could see a beast on his left and a winged creature on his right. The Alysyf Sada reappeared, this time with its twin dagger, the Sada Alsaan. Both blades glowed with emerald fire. He held back his eyes from tracing Edmund and the other two mercenaries’ fight. He had to dispose of these two first. “Having second thoughts, little one?” Gildie snarled. “I’m going to eat your corpse!” Taz sneered through blood-covered teeth. The three circled each other as Garrett held both blades out in front of him. “No. Just wondering how you gonna feel when you realize one of your ears is gone.” he forced a grin.

Taz felt it in his ear. It was the time Garrett needed. He lunged at Taz and with a stroke of his sword, a furry claw was dismembered. He turned back and forth between the two mercenaries, ignoring the blood, ignoring their screams, as warm liquid ran down his face. He cut off Taz’s screeching with a cut to the throat, then was off towards Potus as he finally found his common sense in pulling out a gun and pointing it at Edmund. The old boxer didn't see it coming. Neither did Potus.

A streak of energy sent the Possum backwards as Edmund and Jack squared off. “You're a pretty good Spaniard,” the Kangaroo said. “How about a good old game of pugilism?”

“I don't know what you are saying,” Edmund said in Spanish. “Or what kind of kangaroo that speaks English.” he put up his fists. “But just shut up and fight!”

Garrett met Potus as he rose. The Possum hissed at him before he leaped away, on a table, crouching down and sniffing the air. His head turned towards the ballroom, where the chunks of his two dead teammates laid. He eyed Garrett’s blades. The Alysyff Sada disappeared but the dagger remained. Potus cursed at him. “He never said, you’d be this challenging boy.”

“Remind me again who?” Garrett asked.

Potus laughed. “He said you’d know who. And that he is waiting for you!”

Garrett’s heart dropped to his stomach. Well crap. As if he was reading his mind, Potus laughed. “I can always get a new Tasmanian and Glider! But you? I see we were just sent here to size you up! And he’s watching too. He’ll be waiting for you kid. Just you wait and see!” Potus lunged at him. Garrett sliced at the air and Potus fell to the ground split in half. Garrett winced as his bloody wound on his chest started to introduce itself. He looked down at the twitching animal. He would have looked away from Potus’ gaping face if it weren't for one of his eyes blinking. Garrett stared closer…

He tugged the top half of the mercenary against a table and stared into the blinking eye. One: it could be a bomb. Or two: and he’s watching too…

Garrett smirked. He stared into the lifeless eyes of Potus as said “I’m coming for you.”

A gunshot.

Garrett turned to see Edmund, a pistol in hand unloading the remaining rounds into Jack. The Kangaroo-like gunman, slumped to the floor, his smile finally fading. Edmund groaned, face bloody, but a grin appearing on his face. “Well I can cross that off my bucket list: box with a kangaroo.” he coughed up blood and Garrett was by his side quickly. He sat the middle-aged boxer in a chair and grabbed a seat of his own. The two sat quietly for a moment until the ringing in their ears lessened to a quiet echo. They stared at each other. They looked back at the marsupials. They stared back at each other. “You are weird aren’t you?” Edmund asked. “I told you I’ve been around.” Garrett felt the weight of guilt in his core and looked around him. “Dammit!”

Edmund put a hand on his shoulder. “Guilt child. We both know I know enough about that, yes? You didn't know they were coming? And you didn't know they were going to do this also. Oh lord…” Edmund followed Garrett’s eyes. They could hear the sirens outside. If it wasn't the Insurgency, it would be the still corrupt police. Either one meant disaster. Garrett thought the same and the two-eyed each other. “Get out of here kid...find you a hospital. My people will take care of each other.”

Garrett nodded. His eyes wandered over to the possum as he stood. Out of all the earths, all this time, how did they find me? How did they track me? Garrett walked over to the dead creature. He kneeled down. And for the first time in his life, he started to rob a dead person. He checked Potus, top to bottom until he was down in his lower half and felt a bulge in his pocket. What he pulled out wasn't a grenade, ammo rounds, or another hidden knife, but a small tracking device. He found its button to turn on and it beeped to life.  

“This would make for a funny joke eyy?”

Garrett and his teacher looked over. Jack, coughing up blood eyed them. “So four marsupials walk into a quinceanera right? Hah!”

Garrett eyed the creature. He approached the creature. “How’d he contact you?”

Jack looked up at him and forced a grin. “Like all the others. Didn't think I’d die dealing with the likes of you. That’s a fancy sword or two you got there. Do you know where you got it?” he started laughing. His laugh grew until the entire banquet hall shivered. “You thought you could hide from him. You thought you were safe. Well, next time kid, he’ll finish the job. And know A.I., no assassin girlfriend or ninja of yours is going to save you this time!”

Garrett smiled. “You know that’s funny. Because what he doesn't know…” Garrett kneeled down to speak in his ear. “Is that I know where he is? He thinks himself so smart. But he doesn't even realize that his own people will snake him over with a promise of gold and an ivory tower. Tell the Dark Detective I said hello.” Garrett stared at Jack as the laughing humanoid finished off his glee with an eye roll before dying.

Garrett grimaced. It was a bluff, but he was sure Victorious was going to buy it. The paranoid bastard always thought everyone around him was a traitor. Now he could have some fun weeding them out. It would give Garrett enough time to figure out how exactly they were tracking him, and his next plans, because whether or not Victorious was ready for a thousand alien armies to come for him, he wasn't going to be ready for what’s about to come. He wasn't going to be ready for him. He just didn't know it.