Never Saw It Coming

(July 30: Closed to Pepsi's pack.)

“Snowdog, kchh. I repeat Snowdog! Have you determined Fluffybutt’s location ?! Over.”

Pepsi pressed his back against the russet bark of a thick tree, his index finger and his thumb were pressed to his left ear and was imitating a walkie talkie. Tinted sunglasses were perched atop his muzzle, blocking his irises from view and giving him a mysterious appearance. With a secretive chuckle he peered around the tree and cast a swift glance around the area. Clear. With a mischievous chuckle he dropped himself to the terrain, his chin dragging the topography slightly as he army crawled forward. Auburn irises were narrowed impishly, however, because of the glasses, no one would be aware of that. With another reticent giggle he shoved his crown through a bush, and gazed around the surroundings. Clear. His bottom lip stuck out profusely as he pouted but continued his search.

“Kchh, Snowball! Come in Snowball! Do you read me?? Have you spotted Fluffybutt yet?! Over.”

He suddenly removed his glasses and brought of his right paw to his ear, imitating the walkie takie impersonation again, “Kchh. No, Captain Amazing. We have not determined the exact loc--” He cut off as his irises focused on a figure in the distance. Scrunching his eyes he saw a ebony scarf fan out in the wind. “Kchh. CAPTAIN AWESOME!! We have spotted FLUFFYBUTT. He is east of the grey rock with the scratch on it next to the pond with the fish. Over.”

Dipping his crown he switched over to his left paw and replaced his shades, “Kchh. Well done Snowdog. Well done. Moving in on target. Over and out.”

With a villainous cackle he rolled along the terrain stealthily, using trees or rocks, no matter the size, to hide behind every few moment. Once he was in leaping distance he allowed a triumphant yowl to shatter the tranquil silence as he sprung up and dove to his brother.

The yowl made the wolfen stand completely up and go still as he turned with wide eyes to look as a big wolf came hurdling towards him. His jaw dropped slightly and small drips of crimson drop off of his maw from a kill made earlier today for food. He gave out a surprised yelp and immediately ducked throwing his paws over his muzzle in a goofy manner. He could've swore he heard a loud thud a second later. He opened one eye raising up his left paw to see Pepsi, his beloved younger brother sprawled out on the ground after the miss. He smirked and uncovered his muzzle and stood up. He chuckled slightly. "Pepsi! Bro are you playing secret agent Captain Awesome with out me again?" He questioned licking the small smudges of blood away from his face before his younger brother could see.

He wagged his tail and walked over to him and nudged him slightly in a playfully manner. It was as if the monster Mortaray had completely revered back to a state of sillyness when his younger brother came around.

Tongue flapped against his cheek as he soared through the air, his forearms outstretched as he headed right for his brother. There was no way he could miss. It was a perfect attack. He had timed it perfectly, down to the last second. He had measured it perfectly, down to the last millimeter. He had lunged perfectly, down to the last ounce of power. There was no way he could miss. No way his attack wouldn’t lan-- his encounter with the terrain ended his confident thoughts abruptly. Appendages were sprawled out in the dirt as he lay there limply, stars and dolphins spinning around his cranium. His secret agent shades sat upon his muzzle in a crooked way, causing him to appear all the more silly.

Mortaray’s sweet succulent lavender amazingly soothing voice made him leap to his paws swiflty in a clumsy manner, . "Pepsi! Bro are you playing secret agent Captain Awesome with out me again?"

“Uhh, umm no! Why would you even think of me taking part in such a ludicrous act of secretiveness?!” His words were strung together as one whole words as he sputtered for some lame excuse.

Removing the glasses from his visage he cradled it gently, before tossing it behind his shoulder and into the pond. With an excited yap, he swept his banner from side to side in a ridiculously rapid motion causing the blades of jade grass on the terrain to flow violently. As his elder brother prodded him playfully he grinned gleefully and pounced from side to side, whisking his silky appendage from side to side. “Where ya been the past two nights? Huh, huh?? I woke up late both the nights and you weren’t there! Ahh I almost diiiied.” Pepsi’s overdramatic high pitched voice caused a flock of birds to take flight as he unknowingly mentioned the two nights in which Mortaray had been off with the murderous tiger, Rajah.

The small smirk faded a little at the mention of him disappeared for the last two nights. He held back the need to frown, and shrugged his shoulders and let a small chuckle escape him. "Just going for nightly walks make sure I keep those baddies out of our territory! I mean someone has to right?" He said growling playfully. He lowered his front have down and wagged his butt up in the air excitedly. "So wanna play?" He question narrowing his eyes and letting a very goofy sounding growl out and pounced side to side ready to have a nice game of wrestle with his younger brother.

In truth though the question still bugged him in the back of his mind...He knew sooner or later they'd find out, all of them would find out. It was only a matter time until they find his body or at least the remains of it...

Excited irises pinned themselves to the olden Lupe’s visage as he waited for an answer. Mortaray was gonna have a very stern talking to. He had left Pepsi to survive the bitter cold wind in the blistering summer and to fend off the raid of monstrous overpowering puppies. It was unacceptable. He wanted a good explanation NOW. There was no way he was going to let Mortaray off the hook this time. No way this matter wouldn’t go unsolved. In fact, Pepsi wasn’t going to do a thing until he got down to the bottom of this mystery.

“Just going for nightly walks make sure I keep those baddies out of our territory! I mean someone has to right?"

Leaning back on his haunches, he held a single paw in the air in front of the wolf’s visage in a ‘stay there’, motion. Pivoting his massive physique to the pond he took one mighty bound and soared through the air like a majestic bird, before swan diving into the translucent fluid. His massive paws cut through the water’s surface like a dagger and he spiraled down into the profound liquid, his irises gazing around frantically. Using his banner as a propeller, he darted around in the somber shadows of the water until a single flicker of light snagged his gaze. His shades! Snatching them off of a neighboring rock he embrace them lovingly. “HMPHJFD.” With one paw he grasped at his throat, and his eyes grew into pans. That’s right. Big rectangle baking pans. Chipmunk cheeks swelled on both sides of his face as streams of bubble escaped his nose. Clutching the secret agent glasses to his chest he frantically swam to the surface.

As the tip of his basalt nose emerged from the water, boisterous obnoxious gasps erupted the silence. Dragging himself from the pond, he collapsed and sprawled against the terrain, his sides heaving. Making the most unnecessary noises he coughed and sputtered for a few moments. Finally, with a last hack, he leapt to his paws and placed the shades on his muzzle. The music in the background turned to that of the pink panther tune. Da dum. Da dum. Da da da da da da duuum dum. A detective hat was drawn from behind his back and place atop his crown as he starred at the suspect with scrutinized orbs. “Nightly walks you say?” Pepsi’s voice was deep, draw out and monotone.

“Interesting.”

Pepsi trotted leisurely around the wolf, a magnifying glass in his left paw. Leaning in close to Mortaray’s as he examined them through the magnifying lenses, “Your toes have dirt in between them…so you ‘walking’ alibi seems to be adequate.” Nodding slightly he pulled back, but a glimmer of crimson drew his attention back and caused his to do a double take. Blood. Now this was turning into a real case! However, he needed to hide the fact that he had seen the blood until he had looked further into the case.

"So wanna play?"

“Hmph. Your nightly walks and ‘baddie patrol’ didn’t tire you out? Interesting. Very interesting indeed.” He stroke his chin hairs as he contemplated his next move.

(Why HELLO muse! c'