Kokori Is Adopted By Coyote
Out of thin air, a tear in reality snapped open and deposited Rutherford Spring's most notorious nuclear mutant supervillain, Coyote, alongside his crew—Angel, Rico, and Vidal—back onto the cold floor of their warehouse hideout. They had just been dragged through another bizarre, forced performance by the infamous reality-warping entity known as the Storycreeper. Sprawled out on the concrete beside them was Green Rod, sidekick to Coyote’s archenemy, Omega Nuclear, and Coyote’s current girlfriend.
Coyote pushed himself up, a low rumble echoing through his mutated chest.
"Man, I wish she could make our landings softer," Vidal groaned, rubbing his shoulder as he sat up.
"You said it," Angel muttered, stretching his aching joints.
Rico, already standing with a armful of purloined food, wiped a bit of sauce from his chin. "Well, at least I got to hit the buffet again. I mean, whatever Miss Greenie and your Jello friend allowed anyone else to eat."
Green Rod shot him an indignant glare as she scrambled to her feet. "Hey, you snooze, you lose, dudes! Me and G-Lo are growing girls, we need energy!"
"Keep telling yourself that," Angel chuckled sarcastically.
Green Rod rolled her eyes and turned to check on Coyote, smiling as he dusted off his heavy leather vest. Before anyone could speak, a sharp, tiny bark echoed through the drafty, ozone-scented air of the lair.
The entire group froze and looked around.
"Did you hear that?" Green Rod asked.
"I heard it too," Vidal said, squinting into the shadows.
"We three," Rico and Angel chimed in together.
Standing right at Coyote’s heavy boots was a fluffy, surprisingly fierce little Pomeranian, happily wagging her tail.
"Kokori?" Green Rod blinked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
Vidal scratched his head. "Isn't she Miss Heed's dog? The one Storycreeper usually summons when he needs a cute pet for one of his forced play-scenes?"
"I guess so," Green Rod said.
"Storycreeper must've accidentally sent her our way when she tossed us back," Angel reasoned.
Green Rod shook her head softly. "Storycreeper doesn't do things by accident."
Coyote lowered his broad frame, staring down at the tiny creature with deep curiosity. In past encounters—mostly documented in embarrassing online photos Heed posted back when Coyote was her mind-controlled love slave—Kokori had always shown a peculiar fondness for him. Back when Coyote and his archenemy, Omega Nuclear, were both brainwashed under Heed's pink-hued spell, the little dog had quietly gravitated toward Coyote over her own owner.
Unknown to Coyote at the time, Kokori loved him precisely because he was everything Miss Heed was not: quiet, dark, naturally grumpy, and was a poster metalhead. Heed’s endless chatter, blinding pink outfits, forced cheerfulness, and pop playlists were pure torture to a dog who secretly craved heavy metal, chaos, and sloppy joes. Coyote was, quite literally, her dream owner.
Coyote scooped the fluffy dog up in his broad, mutated hands, holding her at eye level to inspect her.
Green Rod broke into a wide grin. "Aah, you two look so alike!"
Coyote let out a defensive growl that roughly translated to: We do not!
Side-by-side, both the giant nuclear mutant and the tiny Pomeranian wore identical, thoroughly unimpressed scowls. The rest of the gang cracked up.
"Sure you aren't," Green Rod laughed softly. She leaned against Coyote's arm, her tone turning more sympathetic. "You know, despite being Heed's dog, she’s actually a total tomboy. She loves metal, sloppy joes, pro wrestling, go-karts, slasher flicks, monster trucks—basically everything Miss Heed hates."
Coyote tilted his head, letting out a low, inquisitive rumble: How do you know that?
"A friend on the sidekick side used his powers to figure out what she was thinking," Green Rod explained. "She was super stubborn and miserable under Heed's care until we realized what was going on. Turns out she hated the gilded cage lifestyle Heed forced on her. But she couldn't escape because of the tracking microchip in her neck." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Unless... Storycreeper intentionally deactivated or removed the chip before sending her here, knowing Heed would try to hunt her down."
Coyote stared down at the small, fierce dog sitting in his palms. A rare wave of empathy washed over him. He knew exactly what it felt like to be trapped under Miss Heed’s thumb—forced to act against who he was, humiliated for online views, stripped of all personal freedom. Beyond that, seeing the stray dog stirred a long-forgotten childhood wish. Growing up bounced around the foster care system, Coyote had always wanted a dog of his own, but never had a real place to keep one.
Looking at Kokori, he realized they were kindred spirits.
Coyote brought the Pomeranian closer to his face. Kokori immediately gave his mutated cheek a rough, affectionate lick. Coyote smiled—a genuine, rare sight—and let out a soft rumble of acceptance.
"I guess she's staying with you from now on!" Green Rod cheered.
"Awesome!" Rico grinned, already tossing his half-eaten snack aside. "Can't wait to show her to the rest of the gang."
"I'm on it," Vidal said, striding over to his workbench. "I'll weld her a custom sleeping station and a spike-lined dog bowl. We'll paint it matte black—none of that neon pink garbage."
Angel pulled a pair of heavy wire cutters from his belt and knelt down. "First thing's first: let's get this pink atrocity off her so Heed can't track her."
With a quick, satisfying snip, the gaudy collar clattered onto the concrete floor. Kokori gave her neck a vigorous shake, looking immensely relieved.
"And I'll cook up a real sloppy joe for her," Angel added with a laugh.
Within minutes, the drafty warehouse lair felt warmer than usual as the crew welcomed their newest, smallest member. Heavy metal played softly from a beat-up radio in the corner while Kokori happily munched on a plate of meat and settled down onto a pile of leather jackets right across Coyote's boots.
Meanwhile, miles away in the glittering, overly polished district of Cosmopolis, Miss Heed stared frantically at her custom pink smartphone. The search signal on her pet-tracker app spun uselessly in three frantic circles before flatlining completely, displaying a bright red SIGNAL LOST error.
"Kokori?!" Heed shrieked to her empty, flower-scented studio, stomping her high heel against the polished marble floor. "Kokori! Where did that evil gremlin send you, girl?!"
Oblivious to her screaming, her former pet was currently curled up in a dim, rust-scented hideout, finally home with the mutant villain who understood her best.
