(Tigrillo)
I was on cloud nine, completely at ease and totally content. I sighed and ignored the 'whispered' conversation the guys were having, right in my doorway. Yep, totally not going to hear every word they say.
"So what's wrong with him?" Lionio asked.
"I have no idea, never seen him just lie in bed like that, all spaced out." Leopardo answered.
"He's in love idiots, and by the way he is blissed out, his feelings have been returned." Panthero said, not even bothering to lower his voice.
"What?! In love?!" Lionio exclaimed.
"Ahh, finally, I was wondering when it was going to happen." Leopardo said.
"Wait you knew?!" Lionio asked in surprise at Leopardo. By this time, I have turned on my side and was watching the conversation.
"Well, Tigira is a tiger, and Tigrillo is a tiger.. just put two and two together and..it's that simple really. " Lepardo said, while rolling his eyes.
Panthero looked at me and asked, "So how did you tell her?"
"I didn't have too." I responded, smiling slightly. Panthero nodded, knowing exactly how I felt. He once loved a female, she was a panther too, an albino pather, but still a panther. However she wasn't institute made, and whoever injected the genes didn't balance her out, and she went into melt down, nearly destroying half of the institute with her, and in the end, they had to put her down. Ever since then, the institute put the reducing chip in us four, to make sure we don't do the same.
Leopardo was about to open his mouth when we all froze, the was the sound of booted feet running towards us, and then some sounds of fighting. I quickly got up and ran to the door, and then ran with the other guys as we followed the sound out into the yard, what we found shocked us.
There was Tigira, fighting in both her human, and bestial-human form, shifting back and forth between the two at blinding speed. She was fighting off a horde of security guys, or at least, what used to be a horde. Twenty of them was lying unconscious, or dead, I couldn't tell, on the floor. The last five that were fighting her went down, and she stood there in humanoid form breathing heavily, her feet were bare, and her hands were clenched. Me and the guys just stood there, looking at the damage, there was even a trail leading to another door where, no doubt there were more guards.
I walked cautiously towards Tigira, unsure whether she was in some kind of berserker mode or something. She looked at me and I froze, and I let fear pass through my eyes, I should have never have done and I will forever regret it, because Tigira collapsed where she stood, and heartrending sobs came from where she was kneeling.
Instantly I ran to her, shifting to my own humanoid form, and I had her in my arms, quieting her and stroking her hair. The others soon followed me, silent but watchful, guarding us from who knows what.
"What happened?" I murmured to her. She looked up at me, call me crazy but she was pretty when she cried. Tigira silently reached up around to the back of my neck and touched the skin where the chip was embedded underneath. I instantly understood, and I felt a deep chill run through my body. The second most thing I feared for her was her losing her freedom, like the guys and I have.
"I have to get out of here. I have to leave." she whispered.