Author's Note: This AU was inspired by artsyorangekay on Tumblr. Go check out her amazing art of her RvB Werewolves AU!
As alarms blared over the intercom and red lights flashed overhead, Wash huddled beneath the ruined bed sitting against the far wall of his cell. A high pitched whine escaped his throat as the screeching siren drove through his skull and made his bones rattle.
Running feet suddenly raced down the hallway outside, causing Wash to instinctively scramble back against the wall, pressing against it so hard it almost felt like he was trying to melt into it.
Out, he had to get out, escape, hide, run-
Kill. Kill them all! Rip their flesh, tear them apart, how dare they imprison him!
No, stop. No running, no killing. He was right where he should be, locked up like a wild animal. Didn't matter that they'd done this to him. He remembered the taste of blood, flesh yielding to his attack. He hated this, all of this, but he was too dangerous to be let out-
The door to his cell slammed open with a loud bang and a uniformed body flew into the room, slamming into the floor and skidding along the scratched tile before eventually coming to a halt.
New footsteps sounded, heavy black boots squeaking on the scuffed and marred floor. A gloved hand shot under the bed, seized Wash by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him out into the open.
Hauling him up to eye level, Tex stared intently at him, her eyes glowing with a fierce light. "We're getting out of here, rookie. You with me?"
The wild madness that had filled his brain for weeks, maybe even months, disappeared into thin air. Tex, friend, safe. Dozens of memories flashed through his mind, all centered around Tex. Cold and frightening at times, yes. But always there when push came to shove. Strong hands reaching out and holding tight, anchoring him and protecting him while his head rang and swam, stunned after being thrown into a wall by an explosion.
Tex had never hurt him.
The feeling of wrong plaguing his body melted away, and the urge to scream and howl in mindless rage vanished. His bones almost seemed to liquify and as Tex's tight grip loosened, he melted down onto the floor until he was all but draped over her boots.
"Aw, hell, kid," Tex sighed, voice filled with pity. "They've really done a number on you, haven't they?"
Unconcerned by her words, Wash pressed close to her legs and let his eyes drift shut. Tex's scent filled his nose, layers of gunpowder, metal, smoke, and more he didn't have word for. It was all so new, yet so familiar.
The terror he'd endured for so long slipped away. The memory of horrible pain lingering in his bones faded. All he cared about was Tex: Tex who was kneeling down next to him, touching and petting him, letting her scent fill his nose and soothe his pain and fear. There was a faint rustle of leather, then bare hands ran over him.
"Hey, Wash."
Pressing his nose against her hip, Wash ignored the spoken words. Words didn't matter. He had Tex. He hadn't realized how much he needed Tex, but he did, he truly did need her.
"WASH."
Instead of responding, he snorted, eyes still closed as he angled his head, hoping for more pets and scratches.
A strong hand seized his ear, twisting it sharply and causing him to yelp.
"Focus, Wash," Tex snarled. He cringed. The hand stroked his ear, offering a silent apology for hurting him. "Wash, you can fall apart later. I need you functional. We can't stay here. The Project is fucking imploding around us. You remember the Project?"
The sense of rapture that had engulfed him dissolved.
The Project.
Needles, drugs, they'd tied him down-
-thrown him in a cell-
-hurt hurt hurthurthurt bones shifting, breaking rearranging-
-wrong, he was alone, shouldn't have been alone, screaming in his head, it was ALL WRONG-
Project Freelancer Asset, codenamed AGENT WASHINGTON remembered. He remembered everything.
He scrambled backwards, away from Tex, clumsy as he struggled on four paws instead of human feet. He didn't want to hurt anyone else, he'd attacked everyone who'd come in after- after-
After being injected with strange smelling drugs, the orderlies threw him naked into a room filled with silver light pouring through the high, narrow window. Head swimming and his body burning with a strange fever, he stared at the light on the floor and knew he needed to be in the light.
Unable to stand, he crawled forward on his hands and knees. Plunging into the wide beam of silver was liking diving into a pool of water. It surrounded him, wrapping around his body like silk, and then, his body changed.
Once the change started, he couldn't stop, couldn't keep his bones from twisting and breaking, or his muscles and tendons from ripping and rearranging themselves. His skin literally crawled, felt like it was turning itself inside out as coarse fur sprouted all over his transforming body. Short, neatly trimmed nails thickened and grew into long, dangerous claws.
It should have hurt, it sounded like it should hurt, but the light was like a soothing balm coating and protecting him from harm.
Once the change was over, he lay stunned and shaking on the floor, overwhelmed by his sudden, shocking transformation. For a moment, his mind reeled, confused and frightened and horrified by what had just happened.
But all that fell away as the mind of the wolf he'd become howled in mindless fear. Without the words to explain why, he knew this was wrong, this shouldn't have happened this way, something was missing-
And without that mysterious missing piece, Wash lashed out in rage and attacked the only target available: himself.
Shaking off the memory of his first transformation, Wash cowered in the corner, as far from Tex as he could be. She needed to leave! Slam the door shut behind her and leave him locked away. Nights like tonight, he couldn't resist the lure of the silver moonlight. It called to him, compelled him to transform. But for all the magic that light worked on his shifting form, it did nothing to soothe the enraged beast that had moved into his brain.
He'd gotten better about controlling it and pushing it into a small corner of his mind, but the moment anyone stepped into the room, day or night, it rose up, infuriated and murderous. His body forced itself through a transformation that was agony without the comfort of moonlight and then, howling with uncontrollable rage, he'd attack the intruder, seeking blood.
It was only a matter of time before he attacked Tex.
"Knock it off, Wash," Tex growled. "We don't have time to play around." Then, sighing, she draw her black gloves out of her back pocket and started pulling them on. "You can't stay here, Wash. I know you're scared and confused and probably worried about hurting people. If you come with me right now, I promise I'll explain everything I can to you. But if you don't-" she paused briefly, then continued with a grim expression. "What happened here can't get out, Wash. And I'm going to make sure of that one way or another."
Wash stared at her, his legs shaking from fear. This was Tex, the mysterious last minute recruit who'd refused to share anything about herself. She was powerful, deadly, and unyielding. At the same time, though, the wolf was rumbling happily in his mind at her presence. This new, unwanted driving force welcomed and trusted her in a way it hadn't anyone else.
Before he could make up his mind, more of the Project's guards came rushing towards the open door of the cell. Tex pivoted quickly on her foot, and swung a rifle hanging on her back into position. Moments later, shot fired, the sound bouncing painfully off the smooth walls, ceiling, and floor. Through the scent of sulphur, Wash could smell blood.
"Last chance, rookie," Tex snapped over her shoulder.
With a shudder, Wash forced himself away from the corner, nails clicking on the floor. Tex had never hurt him, he reminded himself. He could either go with her now, or be silenced.
Tex nodded, looking pleased. "Let's go."
The fight to escape the compound was a nightmare Wash knew he'd wish he could forget later on. But throughout, Tex stuck close to his side, shooting and punching and throwing the Project's forces into walls and out of windows like they were only a passing annoyance.
The guards cursed and screamed at them, shouting out orders to "Take them down!" and "Don't let the test subjects escape!" The orders crystallized something Wash had been desperate to deny: neither he nor Tex were anything more than lab rats for whatever nightmarish plan the Director had concocted, just another cog in the Project's hellish machinery.
With this new knowledge, Wash didn't put hesitate to defend himself, attacking on anyone who got too close and tearing through layers of body armor with sharp teeth. He may no longer be truly human, but that didn't mean his life was suddenly meaningless.
After what seemed like hours, they made it out of the building that housed Medical and the isolation cells. The fight continued through the yard until they finally made it to the motor pool and found most of the vehicles there either destroyed or gone. With a savage grin, Tex sprinted towards a plain white pickup truck sitting lonely under a tall light illuminating the parking lot. Pulling a set of keys out of her pocket, she clicked the key fob, causing the truck's doors to unlock and the lights to flash on.
"In the back," she ordered.
By the time he's settled into the open bed of the truck, Tex was in the cab and cranking the vehicle on. Then with a roar of diesel, the truck jerked into motion.
The sudden lurch of acceleration sent Wash stumbling into the side of the bed, his paws slipping on the metal surface. Damn it, he cursed to himself. At least give me time to get my bearings!
Tex either couldn't actually read his mind or didn't care, because the truck continued to swerve back and forth across the road as they raced towards the exit. Gunfire sprayed the ground around them and occasionally impacted the side of the truck, but Tex's impersonation of a drunk driver was working well enough that no one landed a shot on either of them.
The sliding panel on the back window suddenly slammed open. "Hang on to something, rookie," Tex shouted. "Things are about to heat up."
Heat up? Then what do you call all this? Wash screamed internally. Terrified, he shoved himself against the side of the truck bed near the window, bracing himself between the back of the bed and the raised wheel well.
Just as he finally got himself situated, the reason for Tex's warning exploded behind them - literally.
Medical erupted in a stunning roar of fire and noise, sending a rain of fragmented concrete and office supplies flying through the air. Their truck lurched as the energy wave from the blast ripped through the air. Then, there was another explosion, and another, and another-
How many bombs did she plant?!
The trucks barreled through the gate guarding the entrance to the base, knocking it flat as the Project burned behind them.
"Next time I see York, remind me to punch him in the dick," Tex called out as they raced down a dirt road. "I told him to destroy the evidence, not blow up the entire goddamned base."
With the facility he'd considered home for the past several years retreating in the distance, the sound of gunfire faded away until he could only hear the rumble of the truck. Wash cautiously stood up from his braced position, trying to sway and move with the movement of the truck. Once his legs felt relatively sturdy beneath him, he turned and shoved his head through the window, letting out a soft inquiring whine.
Tex glanced in the rearview mirror, grimacing when she saw him. "York wanted out, and I made that possible. As thanks, he promised to help me cover my tracks before he bolted. Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that big of a demolition job." She grinned for a moment, looking wild and savage. Then, the smile faded away. "He told me he was going to try and get to you. When I saw him making his escape alone, though, I knew something must have gone wrong. York wouldn't have left you behind without a good reason."
Alone… he could have been left behind? He probably would have died during the proverbial fireworks, or at least been seriously injured. Wash shuddered. That was a terrifying thought.
Sighing, Wash laid down in the truck bed, his legs stretched out next to him. The fight had left him aching all over, and now that they were free, the wolf was prowling through his mind once more, urging him to leap out of the truck and go on the hunt.
'Tex was in charge right now,' he snarled at the wolf. She'd come to get him and promised to explain what the hell was going on. He was just going to have to trust her. If she'd wanted him dead, there'd been plenty of opportunity to take him out. Since she hadn't, she needed him alive for one reason or another.
Shuddering, he rested his head on his front legs and stared at a clump of dirt wedged stuck in one of the channels running the length of the truck bed. Tex had come for him. He could trust her. He had to.