Greer groused as she sat. A stylist worked on her russet mane. Greer insisted on a trim. She, rather Kraven, had let it get long. She sighed as she watched the hair fall.
"You alright, shug?" The stylist asked. Her Southern accent very thick.
"No, I'm okay. Just thinking." She studied the hairdresser. She was always covered head to toe. She did take her gloves off when she cut Greer's hair.
Anna Marie said the fur Greer had was thick enough that caused interference with her abilities. Anna Marie smiled as she turned Greer around to face the mirror.
"Ah hope I didn't get it too short, shug." Anna Marie brushed her trademark white streak out of the way.
Greer mussed with the short do, then shook her head. "Perfect." She smiled, baring her lethal fangs.
She had it cropped close. Close to her head, short and she styled it spiky, for fun. Greer stood and turned to hug Anna Marie. It had become a bit of a tradition between the two. Greer's black ear turned when she heard the door open.
"Nice 'do." Joyce commented.
"Yeah, yeah." Greer muttered.
Madeline rolled her eyes at the irritable teenager. While Catherine had discovered, and told Madeline what hell Kraven put the young tigress through, Greer still refused to speak about it.
"Greer, follow me, there's someone I want you to meet."
Greer groaned. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it."
"Not that, I just want you to meet someone."
Greer followed Joyce through several corridors. Even passing a large, panther long man. Lt. Joyce gave him a nod, "Apex." He responded with a grunt.
Certain natural scents were getting stronger. Joyce stopped and knocked on the door. It opened. It looked like a nature preserve.
"Dr. McCoy?" Joyce called up to the treetops. "I brought her!"
"Delightful, let me finish this stanza and I'll be right down!" A rather jovial voice called back.
Joyce left a rather confused Greer standing in the greenhouse. She stood there for a few moments. Taking in the sights and smells. She saw exotic flowers, painstakingly cared for. Trees were meticulously groomed. She head a faint humming, then a rather heavy thud behind her.
Turning she saw a rather… large… creature. He stood over her and snorted. Greer was frozen. Two large tusks pointed from his bottom lip. He loomed over her and inhaled her scent. A pair or small glasses rested on his nose. He was rather naked save for a pair of shorts. She couldn't describe what animal he was supposed to be. It hmmed, and studied her a few more times, before a smile finally broke the stern expression.
"You must be Miss Grant." He offered his over-sized, clawed hand to her.
"Uhh…. Y-yeah." She offered her hand paw back. "D… Dr. McCoy, I assume?" As she stood and shook the hand.
He laughed jovially. "Indeed I am! Come, come!" He lumbered through some bushes. Greer followed and saw a makeshift home of sorts. He man-beast walked on his knuckles as a gorilla would, but he also stood upright. He eagerly leapt on to a hanging bar, and hung upside down while picking up some test tubes, eying the liquids inside.
"I… what am I doing here?" Greer watched him.
"Ahh…'We know what we are, but know not what we may be.'" Dr. McCoy spoke still with a smile. Before he dismounted the bar and went over to her.
"Huh?" Greer's ears cocked in confusion.
He continued to smile. "My dear, I hear you have been through quite the ordeal." He went over to a fire that a kettle was warming over. He poured the hot water into two mugs. "Tea?"
"I'm…. not much of a tea drinker." Greer said, looking around the living arrangements. "Are you supposed to be another therapist?"
Dr. McCoy rubbed his furred chin as he looked at the young tigress over. "Hot chocolate then?" He mixed the cocoa into the hot water and offered the mug to the tigress. She took as he grabbed a bag of green tea to steep in his own cup. "A therapist, no. I am more of a biologist, actually." He gestured to a couple of chairs for them to sit.
"Then…. Why did Lt. Joyce want me to meet you?" Greer sat, blowing on the cocoa before taking a sip.
"Because, I have been told about what Sergei Kravinoff put you through. Quite the travesty to you. Using you as a hunting dog." Dr. McCoy tsked. He sipped his tea solemnly, "But Joyce wanted me to meet you, because, you are not alone Greer."
"I know there are meta-humans are all around here." Greer started.
"No, that's not what I meant. Greer, you aren't the only one that has lost herself to feral instincts." He continued seriously. "The problem with ferals, like you and I, is that our instincts are much harder to ignore. You probably excelled in Kraven's little tests, didn't you?"
Greer froze, she felt her hackles raise as a chill went down her spine. She sighed, "I did."
"…And you killed." Dr. McCoy finished.
Greer whimpered. She shakily set the mug down on a side table and held her head as memories were triggered.
Dr. McCoy hmmed as he watched her reaction. He carefully reached out and grabbed her hand. "Follow me." He rumbled.
Greer was brought back to reality, and watched the large man disappear, upwards into a tree. She looked around then clumsily followed him up the tree.
For such a large animal, Dr. McCoy, moved rather gracefully through the treetops. Swinging, from branches agilely. Somersaulting, and grabbing branches with both hands and feet. He kept humming a tune and threw in more quotes.
"Wait!" Greer coughed as she tried to keep up. She jumped towards a heavy branch. She failed to see that it was dead, and it immediately broke. She tumbled from the height and was easily grabbed by a swing McCoy. He smiled and pulled her onto his broad, furred back. "Just watch the claws dear."
He took her further into the jungle-like sanctuary. "Here," they stopped at a rather large, mature tree. She dismounted and followed him upwards, using her claws in the tree bark. They scaled to the top.
There was a secondary living area in the large tree. A nest of sorts was built on branches. A small platform was built. Greer cautiously stepped onto it, then turned to see the view.
"I… wow…." It was spectacular. A waterfall in the distance. Even a few tropical birds flew by, a gentle breeze caressed Greer's face and cropped hair. She sighed contentedly.
Dr. McCoy smiled. "I thought you might like it."
"Why did you bring me here?" Greer asked quietly, tearing herself away from the serene view.
Dr. McCoy was turned to a large cage that was built into the side of the tree, it was an aviary. He pulled out a blue and yellow macaw. "Percy here managed to find some poison berries. I found him flopping around in a puddle."
"So you nursed him back to health?" Greer carefully moved to pet the bird's head.
"I did." Dr. McCoy watched the bird fluff.
"Dr. Henry!" It suddenly obnoxiously screeched.
Dr. McCoy chuckled as the bird climbed up his shoulder. "He learned my name. Go on." He motioned to the bird and it took off.
Greer watched Percy for a few minutes, then turned to Dr. McCoy. "I'm not sure what…"
"Greer, I want to show you what it's like to be at peace with yourself. Look at me, I went from a lab jockey, to a blue-furred biologist that would rather sleep in a tree. I, too, have succumbed to my instincts. I broke a grown man's neck in a fit of rage. I still feel guilt for what I've done, but, I can't take it back now. Remember what I said earlier? The quote from 'Hamlet?'"
Greer shrugged.
"'We know what we are but, know not what we may be.' Greer, we are ferals. Nothing can change that now, but we can become something else. Maybe even greater." He gripped her paws again. "'Go wisely and go slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.'" He recited. "You're welcome to come and go as you please, but if you excuse me, I'd like some time to myself." Henry patted the striped hands, picked up a book from a shelf affixed to the tree and took off expertly.
Greer watched him for a few moments, then sat on the platform, taking some time to herself and think.
"Oh God! Please stop hurting me!" The young woman screamed.
She let loose a bloodcurdling scream as the needle invaded her back, inserting itself in between her vertebrae. She continued to scream into she grew hoarse as she was injected. She finally fell unconscious from pain.
"Injection complete. Take her back to the holding pens. I want to see if it takes."
The young woman shuddered as she came to. She shook with chill as she was completely naked. "Oh God, where am I? Why are you doing this?" She looked around to see a man in a lab coat watching her. She tried to cover up herself.
"My dear Lucia. You were close to a project that I lost. You are going to help me find her. Provided my serum takes."
"Serum, what-" Lucia doubled over and vomited.
The man smirked as he watched the woman change.
Greer visited Dr. McCoy's habitat regularly. Every weekend for a month. She felt herself growing more at peace with the past. She had even managed to apologize to Jennifer and Janet for the ordeal with Kraven. She practiced her moves, and abilities. Tracking, hunting, without killing. Dr. McCoy smiled when she managed to catch a chipmunk, but it had injured itself (and Greer after a healthy bite to her palm). Lt. Joyce was even becoming impressed with her.
"So, what are you doing this weekend?" Carol asked Greer as they packed up to leave school.
"I… I don't know yet, maybe go to the habitat again?" She shoved a book in her bag.
Carol pouted. "Hey, you've been spending a lot of time in there…"
"Yeah, and….?" Greer retorted.
Carol sighed and pouted more. "I just… I kinda miss hanging out with you. I know you've been through a lot and stuff, but, you can talk and hang out with me too, you know?" She lightly kicked her locker. She honestly missed Greer's company. Greer was closer to Carol than any of the other girls. Jennifer was a bookworm. Janet was a fashionista and Namora was…. Namora. Carol shuddered.
"Listen," Namora is kinda having this… overnight thing for… us. I'd really like it if you came with me. You could keep me from choking Namora with a scarf." Carol kicked the locker again.
Greer smiled. She also had missed Carol. "Alright, I'll go."
DC57: So obviously I have been struggling with my story again. I am sorry there isn't a new chapter. I did have one, but the more I read it, and the lack of reviews... Well, I thought maybe I did something wrong. I started thinking more and thought I'd change Winifred into a different character. I tried to go back and erase any instances of Winifred. But just in case I (more than likely) missed some, replace Winifred to Lucia. Thanks.
Also a special thanks for new reviews and followers. It always makes my day to know I am doing something right.