Black Market Find
@yelesomeblue
Warning
Children in cages
They had to act quickly, now that they secured the pet shop.
The staff was apprehended and they pulled the blinds over the windows. Sun had flipped the sign to “Sorry We’re Closed.”
Behemoth had managed to squeeze himself into the store from the back door. The door was being held up to the doorway by another Bloodmoon as he took it off its hinges. Hopefully passersby won’t notice the loose or missing hinges…or the cracks in the frame.
“Well, this isn’t the worst conditions I’ve seen.” Sun draws his words out.
His eyes find the staff on the floor. The staff had their hands tied behind their back and were blindfolded. The shop owner was also blindfolded but his hands were free. He had several broken fingers, and his left leg was broken. Sun had interrogated him about who he got his stock from. They already knew of course.
“But at least their cages are clean.” Sun uses a high-pitched mocking tone as he repeats what the shop owner said earlier.
Sun stomped down on the man's hand, breaking bones.
Other Bloodmoons quickly pounce on the man and gag him so his screams don’t attract attention.
Control yourself. We don’t want the Enforcers here. Mask your voice more.
“I get a bit protective around children.” Sun whispered.
He removed his foot and walked towards the back.
How many this time? He signed to the Aristocrat.
“Just four. This is their first ever batch.”
Only four…you sure?
“Yep, they were planning on holding off for a bit to get a stronger cage. They underestimated the Gators.”
The Aristocrat leads him to the back of the store. It takes Behemoth a minute to finagle his large self through the door. The shop was small for human standards and he was far from said standards.
Clearly.
He knew he was considered extreme with his trophies. But, he believed it was only the scum sucking, belly scrapping, dishonored things that harmed children.
He shoved himself past cages with exotic animals. Creatures from other dimensions, brightly colored and doomed to die from inexperienced buyers. They would try to help them, but their resources only stretched so far.
The Gators were in the back. They were all organic variants. Thank the stars above the staff had the minimum of decency to clean their cage and change their diapers. The cage was warped on all sides from the babies trying to escape. Another hour and they might have.
“The staff all had bite marks.” Sun’s eyes and grin peered out from a dark corner.
“They look strikingly similar. I bet they share origin points.” The Aristocrat offered a tube with liquid food up to the cage and they frenzied over it.
Behemoth watched them, hoping their willingness to eat was a sign of good health despite the circumstances. They would be monitored when they got back to the Sanctuary.
As he raised up, he noticed a pair of small eyes looking at him from a cage. When they made contact, whatever it was darted to the back. The sign under the cage had been changed many times.
Staff Bot.
Eclipse Model.
Lunar Model.
He curiously peered in. They would rescue anyone they could afterall. As his eyes adjusted he audibly gasped. It had been a long time since he did that.
“Oh god, what happened?” The Aristocrat asked, fearing whatever sight would make Behemoth gasp.
Behemoth’s claws gripped the cage door and easily popped it off. In the corner of the cage, facing away from him, was a familiar figure with green coloring. She looked almost identical to Elara save for being much smaller.
For she was a baby.
She squeaked and tried to crawl further into the corner.
“A tragedy, all of this is.” The Aristocrat muttered.
Behemoth cooed and held his hand up to the opening. She slowly turned around…holy shit, she looks just like her. With more encouragement, she crawls onto his hand and places her own onto his face.
Sun was now in the doorway. How he got past them, only the shadows would know. "The supplier for her is the same for the gators."
The shop owner and staff would disappear, and the shop was burned down.