Hey, guys! So... i wrote this chapter in the car, on the way home from our vacation. (which was a blast) My muse has been a bit of a bitch lately, so... yeah.

Thanks to melissaadams22 and Druid Archer for reviewing last chapter!

Onwards!

Stretched out to their full size, my wings nearly filled the small room, and that's how I mostly held them over the next couple days. Fluffed up and defensive. I would pace my room like a caged animal, which I suppose is what I was. If someone dared to come close to the glass walls of my room, I would practically snarl and pounce at them. I'm assuming it began to scare people off, since Cartler hadn't come back.

Once, after a day of pacing around my room, snarling and glaring at people… I lost it. I lost my last shred of humanity. Being trapped in an enclosed space such as the room took its toll. You know Taz, from the Loony Tunes? Imagine that. I tore through my room with a fury. Spinning, ripping, breaking, all the while my wings adding to the damage.

Eventually, Cartler, along with two other men, burst into the room, one man each going to restrain my wings, while Carlter came around to my front and seized my left arm, inserting a needle and pressing down on the plunger. His furious expression glared down at me, but I just snarled, thrashing in the croonies' hold. Then, as the shot reached my bloodstream, my vision blurred, and I floated into the oblivion.

/A/

When I woke next, I was surrounded by feathers. Recognizing them as my own wings, I slowly sat up. Parting my wing-made cocoon, I looked around, and saw my new 'room'. Steel bars. It was truly a cage. About 10 feet by 10 feet, and 6 feet tall. I couldn't extend my wings fully, but at least I could stand. Reaching a hand to my throat, I found the collar still intact, but the leash gone. Then Cartler stepped forward into the light shining from a bare bulb. The left side of his face was puffy and red, and his left arm was wrapped in gauze and in a sling. I fixed him with a glare.

"So this is what happens when one of your creatures doesn't act civilized?" I demanded angrily.

He met my glare and smiled. "Yes," he answered simply. "They come down here, and we fix them."

Nose wrinkling in disgust, I felt a flash of fear. "W- what does that mean?" I hated myself for stuttering.

With an unapologetic smile, Cartler turned and left. I glared after him.

"Bastard."

I started, shifting my wings and looking to my right, where another half-illuminated cage sat. All I could see was a scaled tail leading into the dark.

"Hello?" I asked the dark.

The tail shifted, and the same voice came out. "Hola. What'd tu do ta get 'ere?"

I sighed, folding my wings and leaning back against the bars of my cage, using my wings as pillows. "I told Cartler to fuck off, and wouldn't let a buyer touch me. Then I trashed the room I was in. You?"

A chuckle erupted from the cage. "I bit Cartler. That's why his arm is wrapped up. I'm a bit poisonous. Scratched his face too. Killed one o' his stupid henchmen. This is my second time 'ere. Not a nice place."

A small smile graced my face. "I wish I had your strength. And guts. I havn't been able to touch him. Knocked a henchman out though."

It was silent for a few minutes. Then, "What's ya' name, stranger?"

"Lou," I answered back softly. "Yours?"

"I'm Rosa. What are you?"

"Well, apparently my scientific name is a Vegrandis Pennae. I'm basically just a human with bird wings… You?"

Another low, sad chuckle. "I'm not exactly sure I have a name." The tail shifted, slithering back into the dark, and then I saw movement in the shadows. It appeared to be humanoid. Then Rosa crawled into sight. Her age was hard to determine, thanks to the expanse of brown and moss-green scales covering her skin. She was wearing a black tank top and brown cargo pants. A pink forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air, and then she smiled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, and waved a clawed hand. "Hola, roomie."

/A/

There was really nothing to do or look at in the dark, except talk to Rosa. So we swapped stories. I told her about growing up in Southern Utah, she told me about growing up Northern Mexico, near the Rio Grande. She told me about her family, all of which were the same sort of lizard-creature, and I told her about living in an apartment in the city, and my techniques of hiding my wings. Then I told her about the Sanctuary. When I mentioned Dr. Magnus, her eyes lit up.

"I know of Helen Magnus! She's a legend! Is she really as kind as the stories say?"

I smiled softly, remembering my first meeting with the woman. "Yes. She is." I went on, telling her about Will and Kate, Biggie... When I got to Henry, Rosa giggled.

"Do you like Señor Henry?"

I blushed, bringing my wings up to cover all of my face except my eyes. "A little more than like, Rosa."

She giggled again, "Oh, amiga, you're red as a tomato! So… Is he… different? Like us different?"

I smiled softly, pulling my wings back and nodding. "He is what Dr. Magnus calls a HAP. A…." I frowned, trying to remember what Henry had called it. "A… Hyper-accelerated Protean Lifeform." At Rosa's blank stare, I chuckled, and elaborated. "Henry's a werewolf."

Rosa grinned at that, sitting cross-legged and fiddling with the spikes on the end of her tail. "Oh, very cool."

I laughed. "That's exactly what I said."

/A/

It was during one of these light conversations that Cartler came back. The door swung open, momentarily lighting the darkness, before slamming shut. "194! Have you learned your lesson yet?"

Rosa snarled. "And what lesson would that be, Señor? Because if tu are referring to what a pompous ass you are, then sí, I'm certainly aware."

Cartler smiled grimly. "I'm afraid that's not the lesson I was hoping to impose."

Rosa slapped a sarcastic hand to her heart. "Oh, dear me. Well, you must get better at teaching, amigo, cuz that's the only thing I was picking up on."

Despite the fear I felt at Cartler's presence, I couldn't hold back a light snicker. Cartler's head snapped over to bore into my eyes. "And you, 243? What've you learned?"

Heart fluttering, I shook my head, mirth draining from my eyes. "N- not much."

Cartler walked over to my cage and glared down at me. Without a word, he waved a henchman over to unlock the door, swinging it open. Reaching an arm in, he clipped a leash onto my collar, and as he pulled his arm back, I felt a primal urge… and succumbed. Lurching forward, I grabbed onto his arm and bit him. Not a nip… full on bite, sinking my slightly longer canines into his arm. I felt the give of his skin in my mouth and tasted the spurt of copper. I heard his yell, and while he was preoccupied with unlatching me, I draped my wings slightly, and reached my hands to my leg, unstrapping the knife. Cartler dragged me out of the cage by the leash and punched me hard in the side of the head. I gasped as stars danced in front of my eyes. While he stumbled away and his cronies grabbed onto my wings, I locked eyes with Rosa. She had seen me unstrap the knife. Making sure Cartler was still occupied, I tossed the blade in its sheath towards Rosa's cage, and prayed she caught it, before Cartler marched back up, fury evident in his eyes, and I was dragged away.

Ooh, what's gonna happen?

I honestly don't know. *shrug*

Muse: *vomits*

Me: Ooh! Plot!

Please review!