A burning sensation pierced through the deepening void. It started in Pack Rat's mouth and poured down his throat. The searing heat then sat like a burning coal in his stomach. After a moment, the burning began to spread to his limbs and chest. Pack's heart seized and fluttered in protest. The rodent's bright, solid green eyes flew open. He screeched wordlessly as his body convulsed. His back arched in a most unnatural manner. The clammy, choking darkness that enveloped him was replaced by a blinding red and white light.
After a long, agonizing moment the shuddering spasms ceased and the ratling's vision began to slowly clear. Pack could again feel his limbs, but immediately regretted it. He could feel the sharp throb of multiple fractures in his extremities. His shallow breaths provoked a stinging, tearing sensation. He tried to move his head to look around, but the blinding pain in his neck forced him to reconsider. He could see that he was in a dimly lit room. The light of a small fire cast flickering shadows throughout, and sent tendrils of white, oddly aromatic smoke curling towards a roof of arched evergreen boughs.
The injured rodent had only a few moments to register his surroundings, and notice that he was presently naked, before he became aware of a presence in the room with him. Something large loomed over him. His first instinct was to scramble away, but he could only fidget as his limbs refused to obey his commands in their shattered state. A surprised sniff came from the large figure towering over the prone man-rat. A large hand appeared and descended on Pack's head... and gently applied a pungent paste to a cut on his forehead.
"Shh... quiet now short-fur, you are safe here," the huge being crooned. The voice was deep and rumbling, and thickly accented, but clearly feminine.
"You have a strong soul short-fur. Few would survive this long with your wounds."
"Who...?" Pack croaked out.
"Hush... the medicine has rekindled your spark, but you have precious little fuel left for the fire. Save your strength, short-fur."
Pack Rat managed to move his head just a little to get a better view of the being tending his wounds. She sat cross-legged and cradled the comparatively tiny rat hybrid's head in her lap. She was massive, covered in a pelt of long, brown fur. Her face was vaguely simian, with tanned skin and a kind, intelligent gleam in her dark eyes. Her fur was woven with colorful beads and dyed leather cords, and she wore an intricate head dress of woven leather with birdlike patterns dyed into the braided strips. Something about her reminded him of Sajit.
"How did I get here?" Pack asked.
The towering furred woman laid a finger lightly on packs lips, silencing him.
"The earth trembled and coughed flames. She rejected the repulsive presence of the vile snake men. As they fled in terror our scouts watched, and you were found in the snow."
The shaggy woman began to wrap Pack's right forearm in some kind of bandage. The wrap smelled strongly of bitter herbs, but was applied with an unexpectedly delicate touch.
"We first thought you one of the snake men slaves, but you wore the clothes of the noble no-furs to the south."
She finished wrapping the ratling's bloodied, shredded forearm and eased herself out from under his head. She rested Pack's head on a soft stuffed pillow of some kind and rose to her feet. The full height of the healer was not clear while she was seated. Standing tall she filled the room with an immense presence and authority.
"I've done all I can for you, brave short-fur. We will take you to the no-fur warrior village. We must hurry though, your flame burns but dimly, and there is little time."
The immensely tall woman faced the entrance to the domed structure, which took the form of a simple leather flap, and uttered a few syllables in a rumbling language Pack Rat had never heard before. A moment later two tall, impossibly burly looking, creatures entered the room. They also bore similar tribal markings and trinkets woven into their shaggy coats. The two creatures stood attentively, waiting for word from the healer.
"They will take you to the warrior-village, but you must sleep now, our home must remain unknown and unseen."
Pack Rat started to ask a question. He was going to ask about the huntress, Katja, who had come along on the ride and subsequent flight through the elevator shaft when the explosives went off, but the heavily furred shaman blew a puff of sweet smelling powder from her palm into the ratling's face. His vision immediately blurred, and within a few breaths he had slipped into a deep, mercifully painless sleep.
Some time later, Pack became aware of a gentle, steady swaying sensation. The sound of heavy feet crunching snow underfoot slowly filtered in through the drugged rodent's hazy perceptions. The VIPER scientists, Medford, had engineered the rat men he created to be resistant to most toxins. As Pack came around the pain of his wounds crept back into his world like a thief in the night, stealing away his momentary sense of relief. The rodent uttered a pained groan as his senses returned fully. The rodent could feel the presence of his clothes on his body again. At least the healer had had the forethought to redress him. Pack's vision was still a bit blurry, but he could tell that he was being carried by one of the huge, furred beings he had seen earlier in the healer's hut. The other walked a few paces behind, carrying Pack Rats possessions and watching the area for any sign of trouble. The rat's groan solicited a surprised grunt from both of the massive creatures. After a few more moments the pair stopped. The two spoke to each other in the same, rumbling language that the rat had heard earlier. The syllables vaguely reminded Pack Rat of Navajo, though in his current state there was no way he could be certain.
After a brief conversation a consensus was apparently reached and the rat hybrid was gently lowered down onto the ground, resting on a blanket woven from some manner of plant material and laid over a snowdrift. Pack ground his teeth as his shattered bones shifted. An apologetic grunt was uttered by the furred giant who had been carrying him. The other laid his backpack on the snow next to him. As pack lay panting on the snow the two beings gave him a salute, pressing their fists to their chests, and then turned to leave, fading away into the evergreen forest that surrounded them. The rat hybrid shifted, trying to keep them in sight. He reached out, calling out in a voice still slurred from the sleeping dust he had been dosed with.
"Please... don't... don't leave me."
The figures were already gone, vanished into the trees and swirling snow. The rat soldier, in his pain-fueled delirium whimpered as his rescuers seemingly abandoned him to his fate. After several moments of despair Pack Rat calmed himself enough to look around and assess the situation. He had been laid to rest in a small clearing. The afternoon sun filtered down through the evergreens. A quiet breeze blew through the area creating small swirling eddies in the powdery snow. Pack Rat could not help but appreciate the tranquility of the scene, despite the aching in his body. The throbbing was steadily increasing in intensity, however, and could not be ignored. In moments the last lingering effects of the sleep dust wore off and the pain was nearly unbearable.
Only Pack's left arm was even remotely serviceable, and even it's smallest movements provoked a tearing pain in his left shoulder where the huntress's knife had been plunged. The man-rat fought through the discomfort to reach into his backpack. After rummaging around for a moment he was able to find the desired item. He took the medical stimulant and pressed the tip of the small, pistol-like device to his side and pulled the trigger. The hiss of compressed air and spreading, soothing warmth signaled that the device had survived the explosion at the VIPER compound and seemed to be working. Pack breathed a sigh of relief as the military grade painkillers began to take effect. As the pain subsided his head likewise cleared and a greater concern reared its head.
"What the hell am I going to do now?"
For the moment Pack Rat could only lay there and gather his thoughts.
The sound of crunching snow, followed by a curious snuffling noise reached the rat. His ears pivoted atop his head, reflexively trying to home in on the source. Someone or something was approaching. Gritting his teeth against the lingering discomfort, pack's marginally functional left hand went to his belt, drawing Wynona, his massive revolver. In the back of his mind he knew that firing the fifty caliber handgun would destroy what remained of the bones in his left arm and shoulder, but by this point, the rat was running on anger, stubborn pride, and military grade stimulants, driving Pack to struggle, regardless of the consequences. He was partly hoping that the approaching form was the last of the huntresses, bent on revenge.
"Gonna take you with me..." he growled as he hauled the gun from its holster.
The footsteps and sniffing came closer. Pack fought to lift his weapon and point it in the direction of the tree line. Only the pain killers coursing through his system allowed him to bear the weapon's weight, as the broken fragments of bone in the rat-man's arm shifted and ground against one another. Pack held his breath, straining to keep the weapon aloft and ready to fire one last time.
The breeze shifted slightly. A scent came with it, the scent of the approaching being or beings. The smell was a familiar one, musky, and canine. Pack blinked in disbelief.
"S...Sajit?" Pack muttered weakly.
"Pack?" Sajit's coarse, gravelly voice called from the nearby trees.
The ratling let his arm drop. The gun slipped from his hand as he released his held breath and panted heavily. The black-furred form of Pack rat's werewolf friend came bursting through the trees, sending snow tumbling form the evergreen branches.
"Pack," Sajit shouted triumphantly, "Ken! I found him!"
Sajit ran to the wounded hybrid and fell to his knees next to him, throwing a light dusting of cool powder over the rodent as Sajit began to check him over. Not far behind, pushing hurriedly through the trees, followed Pack Rat's reptilian friend, Ken. His red hooded cloak was wrapped tightly around his body. Beneath the cloak the angular outline of Ken's futuristic body armor could be made out. Despite the cloak and warming unit integrated into the suit, the reptilian metahuman still shivered vigorously.
"Why didn't Haraka let me handle talking to the Mounted Police liaison?"
"Because he's prettier, get over here!" Sajit growled.
Ken forced a smile and moved as quickly as he could manage to join Sajit at Pack Rat's side.
"You're... really here?" Pack Rat asked weakly.
"Yeah rat buddy, we're here."
"How?"
"Sssajit may have threatened to eat the receptionisst at UNTIL headquarters if ssshe did not find sssomeone who knew where you went," Ken hissed through chattering teeth.
"Hey, don't blame me," Sajit Protested, "Sahara begged me to come looking for you. I couldn't say no... I mean... that look in her eyes."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Pack sighed, knowing full well the effect Sahara could have on people.
"Man... you're a wreck," Sajit winced while checking the rat over.
"These woundsss have b-been t-treated and b-bandaged," Ken chattered, looking at Pack, "Who d-did thissss?"
"Wouldn't believe me if I told you, man."
"We ssshould g-get him b-back to sssteel head," Ken said, looking at Sajit as he worried over Pack Rat.
"Right," Sajit nodded, "Brace yourself Packy. There's no way to do this comfortably."
Sajit's tone was apologetic as he reached down and hauled the man-rat up onto his shoulder. Pack squealed as he was lifted. Every broken bone ground and shifted, sending waves of piercing pain coursing through the rat's body in spite of the military class painkillers in his system.
Ken winced sympathetically as he gathered up Pack's equipment, staggering just a bit under the oddly balanced weight of the rat commando's signature backpack.
"How d-does he run and j-jump and cartwheel while carrying thisss thing?" Ken mused.
The three made their way back through the snow, with Sajit carrying Pack Rat and Ken following just behind. The huge, shaggy creatures that had first carried the rat had deposited him only a couple of miles from Force Station Steelhead. Even this short hike was excruciating, though, when suffering from multiple severe fractures, unknown internal injuries, and being carried on the back of a werewolf.
Before long the tall guard towers of the base came into view, and the ratling's heart leaped. Perched atop the nearest of the towers was the unmistakable outline of Sahara's form. She was crouched at the edge of the tower's roof with a pair of binoculars pressed to her eyes, scanning.
It only took a moment for Sahara to spot the darkly colored trio as they trudged through the bright white snow. She unfurled her massive brown wings and with one mighty beat took to the sky. Pack lost track of her for a moment, but the rush of warm air and the sound of crunching snow heralded her arrival. Ken breathed a sigh of relief as the supernaturally warmed wind that accompanied the unusual chimera washed over the area. Sahara was dressed in warm, white colored winter wear. Her parka had clearly been hastily modified to accommodate her large wings, and bore some comical looking tufts of shredded padding at the back.
"Ohmigawd! Packy!" Sahara gasped as she got a good look at her wounded friend for the first time. Her long tail wagged furiously. "What happened to you?"
"He was too close to the explosives when they went off," Sajit growled as he adjusted Pack's weight on his shoulders.
Sahara clapped one hand over her mouth in shock and her animated tail froze in place.
"You could have been killed Packy!" her expression was annoyed, and perhaps a little disappointed.
"S...sorry..." Pack struggled to speak clearly through the discomfort of being carried in his current state.
Sahara's demeanor immediately softened upon seeing how much pain the ratling was suffering.
"We've got to get him to the infirmary, fast," Sajit said.
"I'll tell them to get everything ready," Sahara said with a nod.
The winged girl took a quick dash forward, unfurled her wings and took flight, kicking up a cloud of white powder as her powerful wings stirred the air. Ken whimpered dejectedly as the warm breeze that accompanied Sahara left with her.
Sajit and Ken double-timed it back to Force Station Steelhead. By the time they cleared the gates a medical team was already rushing to meet them. Sahara was barely a step behind. The soldiers all gawked at the bizarre gathering of metahumans as they followed the triage team into the medical center. Pack was laid on a gurney with a pained squeal and rolled inside.
Sahara's huge, violet eyes were lined with tears the moment the wounded rat was out of sight. She threw her arms around the nearest person, who happened to be Ken, and cried into his chest. The scaled man blinked for a moment, unsure how to react and looked at Sajit. The werewolf stayed silent but nodded at Ken, who wrapped his arms around the distraught girl and hissed to her as comfortingly as he could manage.
A nurse led the trio to a waiting room.