*Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.*
"Don't follow in my footsteps, unless I'm running and looking back over my shoulder."
Watch Me Break
He was screaming again. His voice, laced with agony, was bouncing off the sterile walls of what Casey used to consider his sanctuary. And Casey was doing nothing…couldn't do anything. Chuck had slept the entire day, only waking once for several minutes while the Major shoved some nutrients down his throat and some water. Idiot had fallen asleep mid chew.
Casey had been bored most of the day. There was simply nothing to do except break down the many guns in the impressive armory and clean them, but the NSA Agent could find little joy in it. Normally, oiling his weapons with a cloth and polishing barrels was Casey's idea of a relaxing weekend. But it was hard to relax and enjoy himself when he was counting the minutes until the sun set. It was a long wait…and yet not nearly long enough.
Chuck had remained in the blissful land of slumber. The only time he had woken up was after much prodding and shaking from Casey. He had opened his unfocused chocolate brown eyes long enough to deduce what the big guy wanted from him and then promptly fell back to sleep. If Casey hadn't been so distracted by the quickly approaching night fall, he would have felt bitter about being demoted to caregiver.
Just before sundown, Bartowski's fussing brought Casey into the small cell. He could see the pale chest slick with sweat as his body burned with fever. A normal human would have died quickly from their body temperature rising by ten degrees in under an hour, but the tiny doctor had told the Major that it was a common occurrence for the newly turned. She said that he should grow out of it in a couple of months and would probably feel nothing but a brief discomfort from the changing, as long as it wasn't on the full moon. "Those," Lee had said, "are always painful."
Casey had once again moved the Nerd Herder onto the cool cement floor, this time though he was very naked. That was something that the Major was very careful to ignore as Bartowski curled into a fetal position. The NSA Handler joined the newly turned lycan on the floor and carded gun calloused hands through sweat damp curls. It seemed to have calmed him last time, and this time was no different. Chuck was still in pain, but now he was less vocal about it. That was, of course, until the sun set.
This time, Casey was going to watch. He had too. He owed Bartowski that much at least. He still found the shifting muscles under pallid skin quite nauseating, but he pushed aside his own discomfort. This transformation lasted 57 minutes less than the first, and Casey allowed himself to feel an iota of hope. His Asset was strong, he would get through this.
Clear blue eyes watched with morbid fascination as bones broke, twisted, and stretched underneath quickly darkening skin. He could see each vertebrae on the spine push against the skin as if it was about to burst out of his back, and then a gut retching squelch as it lengthened so very slowly. His tailbone broke through skin and it took most of his willpower to keep from experiencing his dinner a second time.
Fingers bent backwards at a very familiar angle for the Major who had spent much of his career torturing others for information. Nails turned a midnight black as they hardened, lengthened, and then ended in claws. Toes breaking into a similar pattern as they were pulled away from the heel as it was stretched up.
He could see veins and muscles building upon the exposed spine before skin started to form around it. That was quickly followed by fur. Casey watched as Chuck's chest seemed to tremble momentarily before ribs collapsed sideways into each other. Chest cavity started to reshape itself into a more oval like shape, sternum pushing out instead of flat, as his muscles started to bulge underneath the now black skin.
Chuck threw his head back in agony as his jaw started to push its way further and further out, his nasal cavity not far behind. Forehead flattening, ears shifting, eyes sinking, cheeks protruding, teeth lengthening; Casey was completely spell bound and could no longer turn away even if he wanted too. So much was happening, but it was happening so slowly.
His nightmares of the horrible screaming now had a picture to accompany it, and Casey suddenly wished he had remained ignorant to the sight. Only when it was finally over and the Wolf was panting in its exhaustion, did the Major realize he was shaking. It was just his hands, but not ever had he had that kind of reaction to anything. It took the NSA Agent several minutes to gather himself, luckily the Wolf was too distracted recuperating to even notice it had company. It took two tries for the Major to get too his feet, but by now he had the lycan's attention.
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Body trembling in exhaustion, the Wolf let the cool stone floor ease his overheated muscles. It was still so very weak, and that made it frustrated. How was it to hunt if it couldn't even stand? Great shuddering breaths filled newly reformed lungs as black gold eyes remained closed in phantom pains. Soon, soon his human would be able to handle the transformation, then it wouldn't leave them both so vulnerable.
A staccato gasp, heart thumping steadily, rubber clad feet shifting. The Wolf wasn't alone. A dark eyelid peeled back slowly, revealing the black void and golden ring that sat upon it. Lips peeled back onto the muzzle, large fangs in full view. A loud snarl, a low rumbling growl. It was that human again, the one that made his human feel safe. The Wolf didn't like him.
This Casey was there the first time he came out, when he had subdued the woman who reeked of danger and deception. The Wolf had given into the human's wishes because his human was panicking and the other's scent brought a sense of peace to him. He was there again when he had awoken fully for the first time. His gruff voice and harsh words seemed familiar, and it could feel his human's reflex to reply.
The human had so easily dominated him last time, when he was as weak as a newborn pup still nursing from a bitch's teat, but not this time. This time it would rip out the infernal creature's voice box before his words could pacify him. Paws pushed against the floor, forelegs bulging in the effort to lift. The human was getting closer, sharp words flowing out of the gruff voice. The Wolf snarled, it would not be pacified.
Torso lifting finally off of the blessedly cold floor, the Wolf immediately missed the sensation, hind legs floundering to find purchase so it could balance. They wouldn't move correctly and a whine flowed out of a long muzzle as his muscles began to shudder in exertion. If only it could get all four legs under, it would be so much easier.
A hand touched his shoulder, fingers digging not uncomfortably into the fur. When had the human gotten so close? A full blown snarl of anger and frustration, a half hearted snap in the human's general direction. His muscles were failing him, but he was so close. Then he would show this human he was Alpha. The hand applied pressure, gently, incessantly, and the Wolf collapsed back to the freezing concrete.
A gust of air escaped it, slightly winded from becoming reacquainted with the floor, followed by another snarl that ended high enough to be classified as a whine. Fingers shifted, now behind a large twitching ear, and they dug in to the fur behind it. A low groan, a shifting of an overly large body, right there, just a little harder. Exquisite pleasure as the deft fingers scratched in that perfect spot. Next time, the Wolf promised itself, next time it'll show the human who was Alpha.
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Casey had watched in fascination and complete disbelief as the Lycanthrope managed to lift half of its massive body, hind legs scrabbling for purchase. It was impossible. Doctor Lee had stated quite matter-of-factly that Bartowski would be in a sort of vegetated state for a full four transformations, and here he was almost standing after two.
The Major snorted softly to himself as he slowly stood. He should have known better then to apply the average to anything involving Charles Irving Bartowski, everything that kid did was abnormal. A brief flash of what Casey would later deny was fear, shot down his spine and constricted his heart as he watched the beautiful deadly creature start to rise.
He quickly stamped that emotion down, shot it full of holes, threw a grenade at it, and then locked it away before demolishing the site. Fear was the last thing he needed. And it would seem that it was completely unnecessary as well. "What's the matter, Bartowski? Can't figure out how your legs work?"
A snarl met his biting words and Casey just chuckled back as he approached the quickly exhausting creature. "Lay back down before you hurt yourself, you Moron."
He got no reply this time as it seemed Bartowski was far too distracted. Casey cocked an eyebrow. The not-so-little bastard was quite stubborn, and he admired him for it, but something would have to be done soon before the clumsy idiot ended up breaking something. Casey just hoped that that something wasn't him.
It seemed as though the Wolf didn't even notice his approach, and only gained its attention once he had placed a hand on the shoulder that was eye level with the tall Agent. My God, he was huge. He didn't seem so large last time when he was stretched upon the cement floor, but now standing next to him made Casey realize that if the Wolf attacked him, there was really nothing he could do about it.
A loud snarl met his advances, and Casey almost laughed at the attempted bite. Hell, he wouldn't even call it an attempt. The large maw was still several feet away from him before the teeth clanked loudly together. It was as if it wasn't even trying. He applied pressure to the shoulder gently, pushing down to get the creature to lower itself to the ground. The Major was honestly not expecting it to just collapse.
Wincing in sympathy, because the resounding thud of body meeting cement sounded painful, Casey started to scratch behind the Wolf's right ear in a pseudo apology. He was also not expecting the lycan to melt at his ministrations. He saw a hind leg twitch sporadically as he continued to scratch what must have been the perfect spot as the Wolf groaned in pleasure. He stopped momentarily in the complete oddness of it, and that was met with another snarl. Chuckling again Casey joined the lycan on the floor and continued the domestic action while he prepared himself for a long night.