The world spins around me, as the hulking man shifts into the form of a large dog, violence flaring in his dark eyes, Zeak is in his leopard form, his back arched in hostility and his eyes narrowed. I can’t help him, there are too many people, they are blocking my path like a wall: immovable and long. I struggle to see the man and Zeak circle each other. They don’t move in, or retreat, they just search their opponent for a weakness, a point they can attack. I wait with baited breath for something to happen…

ZEAK’S POINT OF VIEW
Rigidly I gaze into the idiot’s eyes. He’s a heavy-pawed, black and aurburn Doberman, a damp,  black nose and a foaming muzzle. I hiss, baring my teeth and lunging towards him. He doesn’t doge, he just lets me tumble painfully into him. I crash headfirst into his large, furry chest, my neck making a sickening ’crack’ sound. I fall down in pain. I hear his sadistic chortle as I defiantly raise my head. I’m going to need more tactic- evidently he just fights with brute force- think, Zeak. I urge myself to stand, only to see him charging towards me, too late to do anything about him bowling me over. I roll on the impact, my fur thick with dust. The sweet tang of blood is in my mouth from where I bit down on my tongue hard as I crashed to the ground. My bones ache, but I manage to get up again.
An idea trickles in. I lie down on my back, my vunrable underbelly in view. He laughs and grunts roughly, “Givin’ up so soon? Death is inevitable then.” I can hear his large paws as they thud against the ground. He’s a few paces away from me. I wait. He nears, snarls ripping one after another in his throat. All of a sudden I see him above me, about to lang on me, his ragged claws outstretched. I’m too fast. I secure my own claws into the fur under his legs, and use his own force to pull him to the side, making him collide painfully with ground, whereas I spring up and pin him down, breathing hard. I flick my tail in victory, I can hear the blood surging in my ears. He starts kicking at my stomach, and I yowl in pain, blood spilling from my underbelly onto his obsidian coat. My eyes shining like shattered sunlight, I snap at his face, making him bleed crimson fountains. He blinks, blood making him blind as he writhes and thrashes at me. He knocks me away with a single blow of his colossal paw, causing me to be winded as my head crunches to the ground. I hear death ringing in my ears, but I refuse indignantly to give in. I can feel his paw putting pressure on my head, causing my thoughts to wander and my eyes to slowly close. The pressure becomes harder. I feel the need to give in to the painless, gentle abyss that threatens me, but the others… They’d…
Abruptly, the pressure ends. I can hear the Doberman’s mighty yelp and something causes more of his blood to be sprayed- what was that? I collect my thought, and attempt to rise, but fail as I fall limply to the ground. So much pain making me dizzy- but I’m not going to die- thatnks to the force that I couldn’t see…

DAY’S POINT OF VIEW
I can feel my heartbeat quickening as I see Zeak’s face contort with suffering, his body heaving as he struggles with each breath. I look desperately at Apollo and Kam, they meet my eyes, the same expression of woe on their faces and in their eyes. That’s when I see the flash of sandy fur. A cat, no doubt. She slashes the titan Doberman straight across the face, her fur going in a flurry. Blood trickles from the Doberman’s clouded eyes. She draws back as she swerves stylishly on the ground. Her teeth showing in a predatory grin similar to Apollo’s. She extends her claws, her head and tail held high. The Doberman charges (leaving Zeak in the dust) at her, barking widly, but she’s too quick, dodging and striking another blow; this time to the side, making the dog whine in pain, and sit down, blood gushing like a rogue tributary to a large deep red river. The dog changes back to human form, the man is clutching his side, his face scowling scornfully as he limps away, leaving a trail of blood.
The cat (a sandy gold tabby with burnt sienna-or light orange- stripes across her forehead) changes into a scruffy girl, her long, dark brown hair reaching down her shoulders, her blue eyes glinting happily.

APOLLO’S POINT OF VIEW

The crowd dissipates, murmuring excitedly amongst themselves. We rush over to Zeak, his shirt sodden as he stares up at me. “S’Ok.” He mutters, spitting blood into the dirt. I grimace.
“No it’s not.” Kam pipes up, pointing shakily to te gaping side wound that scores Zeak’s skin. The cat girl is approaching us, I look up at her gratefully. She’d saved Zeak’s life, I’d barely caught my heart in my throat. I try to think on my feet, shredding a corner of my sky blue ’The Hawks’ t-shirt, I fold the strips into a pad, pressing onto the wound trying to stop the bleeding.
“Is he okay?” The girl quizzes me, I look up and nod unsurely, “It’s Emily by the way…” she holds out a hand, but Day beats me to it, shaking Emily’s hand complacently, and smiling with gratitude. “We’ll have to go in soon.” Emily smiles reassuringly at me, as I work at Zeak’s cuts, “Back to hell.” I nod.
“Apollo.” I say, not looking up, “We’re going in? W-What are we supposed to do with him?” I stammer and trip over my words, a single tear rolling down my cheek.
“Carry him, I guess.” Emily replies, inspecting Zeak.
“He’ll be fine, Apollo.” Kam says, trying to pull my hands away from the pad, eventually she succeeds- and I realise the bleeding’s stopped.
“O-Oh.” I mutter. Suddenly, the trill of the bell that I heard later today haunts my ear-drums.
“I hate this place,” Day groans, “And I hope everybody who works here dies- especially Axel.” I nod in agreement as Kam and I haul Zeak up, putting his arms around our shoulders as we begin to drag him inside, Day and Emily at our sides.