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The warp ring spins around to project itself into existence. It sparkles and gleams as it pushes out the pink hedgehog into an area that is eerily quiet and empty shrouded in a blood red mist. The moment the ring forces him out, it spins around again to will itself out of existence. Pink ears twitch before standing straight up when the whimpering sound of pain alerts them. He finds a little blue hedgehog crouching down with their head between their knees having their arms wrapped protectively around it. Above their head are three flicky that are pecking at their head and arms leaving small bloodied wounds.
Max immediately rushes over to the little hedgehog standing over them. Three of his tentaquills snap upward snatching each flicky out of the air. The cracking of bones fills his ears as the tentaquills squeeze the life out of them. When they drop their corpses to the ground they make wet squishy thuds.
Upon closer inspection, the little hedgehog has blue fur so dark yet dull it almost looks smokey gray. Their skin is so pale it seems practically white with spots of blood stains littered throughout their body. Their tired eyes have large dark circles under them.
Before Max could ask them if they are okay, he feels a massive power influx appear a short distance behind the both of them. Upon turning towards it he sees a massive monster who is mostly made up of teeth. His attention is immediately brought back to the little hedgehog upon hearing a scared whimper from them. They are already cowering as if accepting their demise from the monster. Oh, how that enrages Max! He makes a dangerous decision. He is going to feed. A finger taps on one of the little hedgehog’s shoulders to get their attention. The terrified expression in their gaze makes his heart wrench. The inhibitors are pulled off his wrists within seconds being placed into their hands. “Hold onto these for me.” They hesitantly accept them. The moment the weight of them leaves his fingers… does he teleport from where he’s standing to dropping on top of the monster.
Fingers dig themselves into the nearest flesh they can grab a hold of feeling bits of skin and blood gathering under the fingernails. All of his tentaquills shoot in every direction grabbing every part of the monster restraining it. It thrashes underneath him desperately trying to break free as well as take a bite out of him though fails. There is a look of glee in burning red eyes and this sharp painfully wide grin on his face as he holds the monster in submission. With the monster restrained he starts sapping away at its vitality at a desperately rapid pace. He was famished and this thing needed to be put down! Within a matter of minutes… the monster falls over as a shriveled up husk.
Max still isn’t satisfied and he can feel the pull of another life force. It is where the little hedgehog is cowering. He needs his inhibitors back and quickly! Everything is just too much for him. His powers are both amplified yet leaking out of him, which is a dizzying side effect coupled with the never ending hunger for other life forces screaming in his head, that causes a disorienting state. Max is tripping and moving about awkwardly and exhaustively as he runs as fast as he can back up to the little hedgehog. The little hedgehog is in a defensive pose as he comes up on them. “I need those back.” He slurs out, extending his shaky hands to them. The moment they are placed in his palms does he immediately clamp them back onto his wrists. The want to drain the little hedgehog of their life force calms down to a quiet whisper in the back of his head. He collapses to the ground feeling dead tired, though he doesn’t pass out. “...are you okay?” He barely croaks out towards the little hedgehog. Max lets out a groan of surprise when the little hedgehog thrusts themselves against his body. They hold onto each other with him saying soothing things into the little hedgehog’s ear as they sob into his chest. Eventually they fall asleep, but before Max drifts off, he learns that the little hedgehog’s name is Niku.