The trio crouched low behind a row of broken crates near the edge of the battered animal town. Smoke curled up from small fires, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat, fear, and scorched wood.
In the center of the chaos stood the massive figure they had seen earlier. Now that they were closer, it became clear—the armored warrior wasn't Agharna.
It was a gorilla.
Tony's jaw dropped. "Timmy… you racist prick."
Timmy nearly tripped over himself. "Wha—No! I—I thought that was Agharna!"
Tony squinted at him, offended. "So all big animals in armor look the same to you, huh? Unbelievable."
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Timmy whispered desperately, waving his hands. "I just saw muscles and metal!"
Chiyo rolled her eyes. "Shhh! You two are ridiculous. Look—there's more of them."
They peeked through the crates again. A pack of hyenas, about six of them, were circling a group of smaller animals tied to a post, laughing and snapping whips. Their teeth glinted in the sunlight, and their laughter echoed in the air like nails on glass.
Tony clenched his fists. "Alright… on the count of four, we jump out and kick their asses!"
Chiyo gave him a disgusted look. "Ew, no. Count to three. What kind of weirdo counts to four?"
Tony frowned. "Does it really matter what number I say?"
"Yes," Chiyo said flatly.
Tony huffed. "Fine, fine. On the count of three… me and Chiyo will jump out and fight everyone. Better?"
Timmy gave a nervous thumbs up. "Much better, thanks for including that part. I'm like, strictly backup support."
Tony nodded. "Okay. Three…"
Chiyo crouched lower, cracking her knuckles.
"Two…"
Tony raised a bony finger dramatically in the air.
Timmy's voice shot out in a panic, "WAIT! Say me and Chiyo again, Tony, just to be clear! I'm really not fighting, like at all!"
Tony groaned. "Fine! ME and CHIYO will go and fight everyone! Happy now?!"
Timmy smiled. "Okay! 3… 2… 1—GO!"
With that, Tony and Chiyo leapt out from behind cover.
Tony landed like a clattering heap of bones and immediately launched a spinning kick into the face of the nearest hyena, sending it tumbling with a yelp.
Chiyo was already in motion, a blur of black and red, driving her fist into another hyena's gut so hard it dropped its weapon and fell to its knees.
The hyenas howled and turned in surprise, but the ambush had caught them off guard.
Timmy peeked from behind the crates, clutching a tiny stick for self-defense. "Y'all got this! I believe in you! From way back here!"
The hyenas snarled, caught off guard, but their instincts kicked in fast. One of them lunged at Tony, whip raised high. Tony stepped in close—not back—deflecting the strike with a sharp flick of his wrist.
Pak sao.
Then his skeletal palm lashed out in a controlled, explosive motion, slamming into the hyena's snout with a bap that echoed like wood cracking on stone.
"Wing Chun, baby," Tony muttered, pivoting. "Efficient, close range, and made for small spaces."
Another hyena dove in from the side, trying to bite down on Tony's neck. But Tony didn't flinch—he redirected the bite with a tight jut of his elbow, using the hyena's momentum to slam it head-first into the dirt.
Lap sao, palm strike, chain punch!
"Huah! Ha! Ha-ha!" Tony's fists became a blur, hammering into the stunned hyena's chest with a dozen bone-breaking strikes. The beast wheezed and dropped, twitching in the dust.
Meanwhile, Chiyo was a shadow with fangs. One hyena raised a bat over its head and screamed—but Chiyo was already behind him.
She twisted his arm unnaturally and yanked the bat out of his paw with a snarl. "Mine now."
With unnatural grace, she ducked under a swing from another hyena and bit deep into his shoulder. He shrieked in panic as she sucked his blood, her eyes glowing faintly red.
The moment he collapsed, she launched herself into the air and dropkicked the next one across the face, sending teeth flying.
Tony turned, fluid and composed, his stance low and tight. Another hyena tried to grab him from behind.
"Wrong move, dog-face."
Tony slipped one foot behind the hyena's ankle and swept it off the ground with a precise Wing Chun leg trap. The moment the beast hit the dirt, Tony stomped down on its chest with a loud CRACK.
Chiyo grabbed the last two hyenas and slammed their heads together like a pair of coconuts.
Both fell with groans and spasms, completely unconscious.
She exhaled slowly, fangs retracting. "Well… that was fun."
Tony brushed off his hands, bones clicking. "That's the thing about hyenas—they laugh a lot until they start coughing up blood."
Timmy peeked out again, jaw hanging. "You guys… just… wow…"
Chiyo spun the stolen bat once in her hand, tossed it to the ground, and cracked her knuckles. "We're not done yet."
From the center of the town square, the sound of heavy metal footsteps echoed. The ground seemed to tremble as a massive shadow stepped forward.
The armored gorilla slammed a massive, steel-covered fist into the ground, sending a crack rippling through the cobblestone road. Chiyo's eyes narrowed, blood still dripping from her lips, while Tony slowly widened his stance, adopting a solid Wing Chun structure.
"Heads up," Tony muttered. "Big boy's fast."
The gorilla didn't wait. With a beast-like roar, it launched forward with terrifying speed, despite its hulking frame. The ground shattered under his feet as he closed the distance between them in a blink. Tony barely managed to tilt his head as a hammer-like fist whooshed past, missing by inches and slamming into a wall behind him. Bricks exploded.
Chiyo leapt, using the back of Tony's shoulders as a springboard. She flipped over the gorilla mid-air, twirling like a ribbon of red and black. Her heel came down toward the back of his neck.
CLANG!
The impact was jarring. Her foot struck armor, not flesh. The gorilla barely flinched and instead whipped around with an upward elbow.
BAM!
Chiyo was knocked mid-air, spiraling through the air like a bullet before skidding against the ground. Her body bounced twice before she rolled to her feet, grimacing. Blood dripped from her mouth.
Tony jumped in, hands up. His style was tight, precise, every movement economized.
The gorilla roared again and charged.
Tony stepped in.
Tan sao.
The gorilla's strike was redirected by Tony's deflecting arm. Tony's other hand shot forward like a piston. A perfectly aimed palm strike struck the gorilla in the throat. But it was like striking concrete. The beast grunted but didn't fall.
He swung.
Tony ducked, sliding under the gorilla's punch. In that moment, he landed three lightning-fast punches to the side of the gorilla's ribs.
Pak! Pak! Pak!
But the armor absorbed most of it. The gorilla spun, backhanding Tony into a nearby fruit stall.
Wood splintered. Tony coughed, rolling from the wreckage. "Okay. This guy doesn't skip armor day."
Chiyo rejoined him. "Plan?"
Tony wiped his cracked jaw. "We peel him. Piece by piece."
Chiyo nodded, eyes burning. She dashed in again, this time not for his body, but his joints. Her hands blurred, striking at the gorilla's armored knees. Sparks flew.
The gorilla tried to stomp, but she darted sideways and slashed her nails across the back of his knee joint. Metal peeled slightly.
Tony capitalized. He launched forward with a burst of Wing Chun chain punches, each one striking the previously damaged knee joint with surgical precision.
The gorilla dropped to one knee.
"NOW!" Tony shouted.
Chiyo lunged, her fangs elongating. She jumped onto the gorilla's back, grabbed the edge of his helmet, and yanked. The gorilla roared, slamming backward into a wall in an attempt to crush her.
She held on.
Tony rushed in and leapt, grabbing the gorilla's other arm. "Surprise grapple, baby!"
The three of them tumbled.
The gorilla flung Tony with monstrous strength, sending him skidding across the ground, bones rattling.
Chiyo hissed and tore at the straps on the armor.
RRRIP!
The gorilla's left shoulder guard flew off. Exposed muscle.
"Tony, left arm!"
Tony sprinted in. Step, centerline, palm strike! He slammed his bony palm into the exposed muscle, then followed up with a bong sao into a chop to the throat.
The gorilla stumbled, disoriented.
Chiyo landed in front of him, her hands soaked in blood. She ducked under a clumsy swipe and slammed her knee into his chin, lifting his head.
Tony was there in a flash.
One inch punch.
The gorilla's helmet exploded off his head. His eyes went wide.
And then it happened.
He grabbed Tony.
In a split second, the gorilla smashed Tony into the earth with a ground-shaking BOOM. Dust and debris flew everywhere.
Chiyo screamed. "TONY!"
The gorilla rose, blood dripping from his face, panting heavily. But he was still up.
Chiyo was furious. "You… are… DEAD!"
She rushed in faster than ever, claws out, biting, slashing, a whirlwind of vampiric wrath. The gorilla tried to block, but she was already behind him.
She slashed the back of his legs.
Then she tore open the other shoulder guard.
Tony groaned from the crater. He forced himself up, bones clicking back into place. "Still got... one more trick."
He walked forward, bleeding shadows, and snapped into his final Wing Chun stance—tight, centered, deadly.
The gorilla charged.
Tony closed the gap.
Elbow, palm, chain punch, step-through, leg trap—
Chiyo tackled the gorilla at the same time.
Together they slammed him to the ground.
Tony dropped his palm to the gorilla's exposed chest.
"Night-night."
BOOM.
The final strike shattered the ground beneath them. The gorilla coughed blood, eyes rolling back.
He collapsed.
Chiyo panted, covered in sweat and blood. Tony stumbled next to her, chest heaving.
"Okay…" Tony said. "Now that was a fight."
Timmy peeked cautiously from behind a fallen crate, his tiny hands gripping the edge as he scanned the now-quiet square. "Nice job, guys!" he called out, trotting into the open with a grin on his tiny face.
The beaten and bruised animals, once cowering in fear, began to emerge from hiding places—under benches, inside barrels, from behind rubble. Among them, a frail-looking old dog with a scarred ear limped forward, bowing slightly.
"Thank you… thank you so much for saving us," the dog said, voice trembling. "They… they were planning to eat one of us tonight."
Chiyo blinked. "What?!"
Timmy's brow furrowed. "Isn't that, uh, cannibalism? Why would they do that?!"
The old dog sighed deeply. "Since this island ran out of food… the more dominant tribes started feeding off of the weaker ones. Agharna turned everything into a nightmare."
Tony's expression darkened. "Well, not anymore. You're free now."
"Really?" a squirrel asked, stepping closer. "We're… really free?"
Chiyo gave a nod and a small smile. "Yeah. Eleo and the others are already on their way to beat Agharna."
A murmur swept through the crowd. Then cheering. Dozens of animals clapped their paws, wings, and claws together in celebration. The tone of the air shifted from despair to a fragile hope.
Tony stretched and cracked his back. "Alright. Come on, let's go check on Amai and Kawai. I wanna make sure they're okay."
The three made their way back to the ship, now docked quietly in the ruined harbor. Timmy sat on Tony's shoulder like usual, and Chiyo stuck close, eyeing the surrounding area with cautious optimism. Once inside, they headed below deck, weaving through the familiar hallways of the Boom Go until they reached Amai's door.
Tony knocked lightly.
From inside came the sound of tea cups clinking.
Amai's voice followed. "Come in."
The door creaked open, revealing the adorable chaos of Amai's room. She sat with Kawai perched on a cushion beside her, calmly sipping tea as if the island wasn't on the brink of war. The moment her eyes landed on them, Amai's lips curled into something resembling a smile.
"Ah… Tony. Timmy. I'm glad you gu—"
She didn't even get to finish.
Both Tony and Timmy rushed forward like kids reuniting with their mom after summer camp. "WE MISSED YOU!"
Amai's body jolted from the impact, tea nearly spilling. Kawai gave an indignant "Meep!" as Tony swept the round little creature into the hug as well.
"And you too, Kawai!" Tony added, giving the bird a light squish.
Behind them, Chiyo stepped in and waved. "Ahh, you must be Amai."
Amai looked up, blinking—and then her whole face shifted.
Her eyes widened. She grabbed Tony by the collar and yanked him down so hard his head knocked against her teacup.
"TONY. PLEASE TELL ME YOU—"
"Yep," Tony said smugly, rubbing his head. "Eleo recruited her."
Amai froze for a beat. Then, in a rare burst of emotion, she launched up from the bed and practically lunged at Chiyo.
"Oh my God," she muttered. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for another girl to join this team!"
Chiyo stumbled back a little, eyes wide as the silver-haired girl hugged her with surprising strength. "Uhh… what's happening?"
From the cushion, Kawai narrowed its eyes. Its beak tightened.
Timmy muttered, "Oh no…"
Kawai's feathers puffed up in visible irritation as Amai practically sparkled around Chiyo.
"Oh Chiyo," Amai said, grabbing her hands and dragging her deeper into the room. "Come on! You, me, Timmy, and Kawai—we're having a tea party tonight! There's snacks! And I've been saving this special chamomile tea—"
Tony coughed. Loudly. "And lil ol' Tony too, right?"
Amai didn't even look back.
She kicked him out.
SLAM.
The door shut behind him, and the lock clicked.
"…Figures," Tony muttered, standing alone in the hallway. "Betrayed by estrogen."
Still rubbing the red mark where Amai had grabbed him, he trudged back up the stairs and onto the top deck. He walked to the railing, watching the animals scurry around below. Some were grabbing loot from the hyena camp, while others were assessing the ship's damage. A few inspected the cracked wings, others poked at the engines with concerned frowns.
Tony leaned over. "Uh… hey! You guys think you could maybe, I dunno, fix our ship? Wings look like they were chewed on. Also… maybe give us a little gas?"
A large mole in a workshop vest looked up. "We can patch her up, but… we don't have any gas left."
Tony sighed, resting his chin on his arm. "That's fine. Just glue her back together with hope and duct tape, I guess."
The wind blew gently against his face. For a moment, the world was quiet again.
Tony looked up at the dusky sky, and in his mind, he thought:
Welp… Eleo. Olorun. Kenji…
Hope you guys are able to win.
And not die.
Wait—what am I thinking?
He smirked, eyes narrowing with confidence.
You guys are gonna win. That's a promise.