The Tale of a Dog Hero

Maeve's Return

Zuko and Zane helped Oscar to his feet and lead him to a table in another room. As they went to find some food, Nexus left to explain the situation to the guests at the funeral outside. Tippy chose to stay with Oscar and refused to let go of him. When Zane and Zuko returned with some fruits, cheese, and bread with a class of apple juice, Oscar quickly began digging in. Tippy began to worry about the rate he was eating. "Oscar, you should slow down. I don't want to risk you choking." Oscar chuckled lightly as he looked back at her. "I haven't eaten anything in days and it took a lot of energy to regenerate all that lost body mass. I've died four times. Food isn't going to take me out... What happened while I was gone?" Tippy lightly hit Oscar in the back of the head. "Gone? You were a little more than GONE Oscar!" Zuko sat beside Oscar and showed him his child. "You missed a lot. Look. It's your son." Oscar gasped as he looked over to see his child. Tippy grabbed him from Zuko and Oscar turned to lean in close. "My baby boy..." After a moment of warm silence, Oscar spoke again. "Leif. His name is Leif Callahan." Tippy smiled and kissed Oscar on the head. "Perfect name for a perfect boy." Zane looked at Oscar and asked a question. "Callahan. That sounds familiar. What made you choose it?" Oscar looked up. "I never had a last name. Always signed myself as 'Oscar'. So Tippy and I came up with one together. Figured it made the most sense. Anyway, His middle name is Tippy's last name. Morrowbook." Zuko gets up and begins walking toward the exit. "Well, what's say we take this back home? All this drama and stress has me tired." Everyone agreed and Zane created a walker for Oscar to lean against. "Can you make me a cane? I feel like an old lady with this thing." Zane chucked in response. "Pfft. You practically are in your current state." "Oh, 'haha'. Make me a damn cane or I'm jumping on your back." Nexus started the SUV and everyone piled in to return home. "Is it because im still recovering or are we being watched?" Oscar looked around, but saw nothing. When they pulled up to the house, Oscar pointed out that Maeve stood beside the front door. She was hunched over and unmoving. As Nexus parked the car and Zane opened his door to hop out, she spun around to reveal her left eye and the area surrounding it was ripped out, and the right eye had no pupil. Just a grayed out eye... Her right ear had been ripped off close to the base of her head. As Maeve walked toward the car, her movements felt forced, yet too sluggish to be her own. Oscar tried to get out of the car with leif, but Zuko held him back. "Oscar. I don't think you should go near... That." "But Maeve is who helped me find Pollux. I need answers. Like who did this to her?" Oscar continued to try and push past, but was still too weak to put enough effort. Tippy spoke up as she got out of the car and walked behind Zane. "She was never a good person Oscar. Last time we met her, she tried to kill us." "But we had a temporary truce. You all weren't there." Zane stuck out his arm toward the house. "Im afraid this isn't Maeve anymore. Seems more like a zombie. If she makes a move, I'm taking her out." A metallic cube broke out of the front window of the house into Zane's hand. As he turned the cube into his sword, the glass from the house shifted back into the window pane and sealed itself. Maeve looked passed Zuko to Tippy, then to Nexus, Zuko, and finally Oscar. As soon as she knew where he was, Maeve sprinted toward Oscar and pulled out a new blade. Zuko jumped out of the car and Zane began walking forward. Before she could reach the car, Zuko brings out a deck of cards and tossed 13 spades toward Maeve. She stops, quickly draws her shortblade, and deflects all cards but one. The 7 of spades cut into the center of her head. Maeve stabbed the card with her blade and pulled it out. Blood began to pour on the ground and she continued her march toward Oscar. Oscar watched her movements carefully as she proceeded towards him. "She should have been able to block all of those... What is she doing?" Maeve picked up pace as Zane tried to wall her off. Every time he made a wall in her way, she shoved her hand into it, and the wall began crumpling away. When she got close enough, Zane swept his blade toward her. Maeve lowered her blade just in time to deflect it and pass him. Oscar stared at her brutalized face as he pieced it together. "Wait... Maeve doesn't fight like this... This is- Shit, POLLUX IS USING HER AS A PUPPET!" Oscar opened the door opposite to Maeve, just as she slammed her hand against the frame of the car. Oscar held onto Leif tightly as he got out. Oscar left his cane inside the car in a hurry, and dropped to his knees trying to get away. "GET AWAY FROM THE CAR!" The vehicle began to break down and pieces of the SUV began expanding. Zane protected Zuko, and Zuko cast a protection spell to Tippy, since she was out of Zane's range. Nexus changed the shape of her arm to create a shield. "Im getting sick of people always harassing this group." Zane spoke out as he began walking toward the car. "Time and time again. We never get more than a week to relax. And I'll be damned if some zombie is going to take out my friend." Zane poked his snout and a pair of goggles formed around his face. Nexus fused her other arm into the shield to make it big enough to cover her body, and she began walking with Zane. "I refuse to give up protecting my friends. The day I stop is the day drop dead." Maeve jumped on the car as it began making a creaking noise until in exploded. Oscar laid on the ground, protecting Leif with his body. Metal shrapnel flew out in all directions. Leif began crying due to the sudden boom. The pieces that hit Tippy bounced off. Zanes wall protected Zuko. Oscar was fortunate enough to not get hit anywhere exept his jacket, which deflected the sharp projectiles. Nexus' shield protected her, at the cost of her arms. Zane merely kept walking as the shrapnel stopped before colliding with his body. It began to float around him as he marched toward Maeve. She once again drew her sword on Oscar, as he attempted to crawl away. Zane grabbed the burning vehicle and pulled the flame to cover his body. Maeve jumped toward Oscar; ready to plunge her blade into his back. Before she could land, Zane melted a piece of floating metal and shot it at an arc, threw her left shoulder and launching her into the wall of their house. He shot two more at both of her shins. Tippy walked up to Maeve as Zane made her sword from the remaining pieces he had. "This is for trying to kill Oscar." Tippy drove her blade into Maeve's right arm. Nexus walked up and readied her fist. "This is for the car and my arms." She punched Maeve in the stomach so hard, she broke off what was left of her right arm. Zuko walked up and pulled out a handkerchief. "And this is for causing such an unruly scene at out home." Zuko wiped her bloody face and snapped his fingers. "Death..." Maeve's body began to melt and hiss as her organs turned to mush. Zane focused the fire into his right hand and cast it towards Maeve. "Thank you." Maeve spoke weakly as the flames engulfed her now puddle of a body. Oscar watched, horrified, as she melted away with a burnt flesh smell. Tippy rushed over to help Oscar to his feet and make sure Leif was alright. Zane made a new cane as Zuko picked up Leif to try and calm him down. After everyone gathered themselves, Zane cleaned up outside and the rest of the group all gathered in the living room. Oscar sat on the couch and stared off into space. Tippy lied on his lap with Leif on her chest. Nexus sat on a nearby chair and turned the news channel on. Zuko stood behind the couch and tried talking to Oscar. "Hey. Eleanor may be able to help your body recover faster... If you let her, I'm sure she will help." Oscar continued to stare blankly. "Eleanor. Please see if you can help him." Eleanor slowly flew out of Zuko and towards Oscar. The closer she flew, the more intense Oscar's face became. As soon as she made contact with his skin, he spun his head towards her. His mouth made no movements, but his eyes looked hostile. As if he could snap at just the push of a button. Eleanor quickly backed into Zuko. "Alright then... No need to traumatize my kitsune, Oscar." Zuko walked over to Nexus and made small talk with her while Tippy started talking to Oscar. "Hey. I know you wanted to save Maeve. But the way she was looking... she was suffering Oscar. If you saved her, she would have been suffering much longer." Oscar slowly dropped his head to look at her. "I know." Tippy placed a hand on his cheek and brushed his jaw. "You can't save everyone. Mkay? And don't say 'I can try' cuz I know you can. The point is, don't let your feelings control how you live. If the people you care about are suffering, help them find peace." Oscar placed a hand on Tippy's chest. "I will." "Good. Wanna go to bed?" Oscar looked at the news on the TV, showing a recent robbery of a store earlier in the day. "Yeah."