"...Come again? "
"You heard me clearly, Mortal. Release me."
"Release YOU?!" Parroted the man as he points the barrel of a shotgun at the Monster he had just caught. "Sorry buddy - No can do after what you did to them cows."
In it's barb-wired prison, the quadrupedal, white-furred, 6-eyed thing snarled at its captor.
"You kill others for merely sustaining themselves? Damnable ape, may you burn slowly!"
The gunpowder explosion of the warning shot caused the white beast to hiss and shake in shock, making the wire slice in the skin. The chocolate skinned man tips his hat with the smoking barrel of his shotgun to reveal golden eyes glaring at the captured beast.
"That’s Marcus DuBois to you, bitch,” the man corrected as he pointed his shotgun back at the six-eyed quadruped monster. “...And you call seven months of leaving half-eaten cow carcasses around the state sustaining? If ya gonna eat something, at least have the decency to not leave your scraps all across the state!"
The creature’s hiss was filled with spite and anger, but Marcus could see that the grinning face of this chupacabra-esque creature, misplaced in Waycross, Georgia, bespoke of a deeper intelligence.
“...If you release me, I can make it worth your while.”
“Uh, can ya be specific on that? Cuz I ain’t gettin’ head from something that’s on four legs.”
“Stupid A-!!...M-Marcus Dubois, you hunt for a living. I can help you, you know.”
To that proposal, his eyebrows rose like fireworks on Fourth of July. That grinning, bleeding beast must have spied on him to know that this is his profession. Usually, such a thing would give a monster a french kiss from his shotgun, but this was the first monster to offer a deal than plead for its life…
“...A’ight, bet. What are ya offerin’?”
As Marcus relaxed his aim, so too did the beast. The growling turned into a relieved trill.
“I can help you hunt…You’ve seen my work-”
“Yeah,” Marcus interrupted. “Half-Assed work. Keep talking.”
“STILL, I am hard to track. Let me live, and I can lead you to other beasts! You benefit from my life!”
The beast raised its head, fighting against the pain of the barbs sinking into its neck. Clearly, it was hopeful for another chance of life.
“What, and get mauled ‘cuz you can’t eat all that you can catch?! Come on, man…”
The smile seemed to strain on the beast’s face. “My metabolism differs from yours! Not only that, but I can alert you to dangers before you-”
“Cap.”
The interruption caused the beast to stutter and pause, looking toward the disinterested Hunter in hopes of a translation. Noting the beast’s eyes, Marcus sighed in exasperation. “Yeah, that’s false, my guy. If I wasn’t aware of any danger, we wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation. You’d have ripped my throat out by now, right? Look,” Marcus pulls open his coat to show off the trophies of felled beasts - claws, teeth, and even a Heart - dangling before the Beast’s eyes. “I’ve been doing this a long time, fam. I doubt I need a huntin’ hound.”
A low hiss could be heard. The trained eye of DuBois could tell it was from pain; the Beast’s muscles were bulging with tension now. He had a good hunch about what was stressing about.
“T-Then,” stammered the Beast, “I can steal for you! My eating habits will diminish, and I will find you riches beyond your…w-why are you laughing?!”
Indeed, Marcus was chuckling at the best joke he had heard in months. “Bro, I’m a MONSTER HUNTER. I’m already loaded!”
The Beast’s stomach rose and fell rapidly as negotiations were slowly shattering around its very eyes. Its gnarled claws scratched on the ground as its body began to wrench and jerk, reviving the fight against the painful, stabbing, metal rope.
“You don’t understand, Human Marcus!! I’ve seen what you’re capable of, but you have yet to see ME! I…I can be of great use to y-AGHK!!”
The taste of silver and gunpowder stopped the Beast from speaking any further. All of its eyes looked up at the Human, fear and hatred evident in those slit eyes.
“You know,” Marcus smiled, pushing the barrel down on the Beast’s tongue. “A lot of you creatures find a way to beg n’ cry for a way out. It got old konda fast, but you’re really tryin’ your ass off. So how about a deal?” That smile curled to a grin, forcing the Beast to look upon a truly frightening smile.
“You keep talking, and IF I hear a good deal, you don’t get shot. Time’s tickin’, man. Better drum up some good ones before my finger itches…”
