Once again, part of this chapter is quite gruesome. I apologize, however, I cannot change what Cougar is. She is a predator, a hunter. No matter how you look at it. Just like Creed is a predator. If you don't like that sorta stuff, or you're squeamish, don't read it. You've been warned, thus, if you flame me, or say I need to change it, you're gonna be ignored. Simple truths.

Chapter 14: Awakening

"Waking up is sometimes the most difficult part of life." -Anon.

"I am Professor Charles Xavier."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor. I am James Talonson, also called Two-tongue or Mind-speaker by the creatures. My companion is Thunder Talon," the young man said, gesturing to the hawk perched on his shoulder.

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you," Xavier said.

"So, Professor, what did you want to talk to me about?" James asked.

"As I'm sure you've been told, this place is a safe haven for mutants. Young mutants can learn to control their mutation as well as continue their normal education," the bald telepath said, moving his wheelchair to sit in front of his desk.

"But that's not what I'm here for, is it?" James stated, more than questioned. The professor smiled.

"Do you, by any chance, have relatives you were close to?"

The question caught the young man off guard. "Uh…yeah. But I haven't heard from my sister for a few years… Why?"

"I see… Just something I needed to confirm…" Charles then changed the topic, or at least that's how James saw it.

"About 6 years ago, I picked up a mutant's signature with a machine I call Cerebro. With this machine, I can enhance my telepathy and search the world for mutants who might need the help and support provided by the Institute.

"This particular mutant was a Feral mutant; it is difficult on the best of days to pick up on Feral mutations since their signature is similar to that of animals. It was by pure luck I managed to pick up this particular mutant."

James froze. 6 years? His sister 'left' about 6 years ago… "Did…Did he have a feline based mutation?"

Xavier chuckled. "Yes, she did."

"She? Kuga…Kuga was here?" James's eyes lit up.

"She was. I had a small team of our more experienced mutants pick her up. She had set up a territory in the Canadian Rocky mountains. Her Feral was in control during the time, and for several days after we brought her here."

"I wouldn't doubt it…" James muttered, absently stroking Thunder Talon's chest.

"Why is that?"

"When she was kicked out of the house, the MCA, or MRA, or whatever they're called now, were hunting her. When Kuga's in any sort of danger, Cougar comes out to protect her. Cougs will ensure there wasn't any possible danger to her other half before giving control back to Kuga."

"I see." The Professor's keen eyes studied the young man before him.

"Please continue, sir," James said as Talon fluttered over to a lampshade.

"The night after Kuga regained control, she had a nightmare. I am unsure what it was about, but it caused her to run. Logan followed her to Peekskill, a town on the Hudson River. There, he found Cougar, who had once again regained control, fighting another feline Feral mutant called Sabretooth."

"You have got to be shitting me. Kuga fought against Sabretooth and lived?" James questioned incredulously. It's not that he didn't have faith in his sister, not in the slightest. But even he had heard about how violent Sabretooth could be. That was the main reason he was so shocked to see the Feral residing in one of the staff rooms.

"According to Logan, she was severely injured, but yes, she lived," Charles responded. "We lost track of her for the next 6 years. I could not locate her, even using Cerebro. It was only last Monday that I was able to discern her location to be in Death Valley, California."

"What was she doing there?" James asked, almost to himself, resting his head in a hand. "She never liked the heat… If she were to go anywhere, I'd expect it to be the Rockies, or the Northern Seaboard. Even the Great Lakes…"

"I believe she was captured by someone, because she was in a mutant testing facility. I do not know how long she was there for, but she had been severely malnourished. I had my team retrieve her from the desert near the facility." Xavier's normally bright eyes seemed dull as he thought about what the young woman must have been through.

James's expression blanked, becoming an unreadable mask. He straightened slowly and stilled, stopping his absent-mindedly rocking foot. Slowly, he lowered his hand until it rested on the arm of the chair. His eyes were cold; more aptly described as frozen mud than warm chocolate. Anger simmered in him colder than arctic ice, yet hotter than lava. Talon's golden eyes watched his human companion warily from a lampshade, shuffling his wings as the cold aura washed over him.

"…Those…those bastards," James hissed. His voice was just a whisper, but the hate, venom, and protective rage sounded clear as a bell in the quiet office. "I'll kill every last God damn one."

"I'm afraid that privilege has already been taken," the Professor responded. James's dark chocolate eyes narrowed as they locked onto the elder telepath's face. "When Kuga escaped, many of the people were either injured or killed."

James glared at nothing in particular. He needed to vent, and he needed to vent bad.

It was noon, and Logan was in the kitchen, making what Bobby called a Wolverine Sandwich: bacon, turkey, ham, chicken…really, he'd put whatever on it.

The Feral was just sitting down to eat his sandwich when a buzzing in his mind distracted him.

"Logan," Charles's voice echoed in said man's mind.

"Yeah, Chuck?" Logan sighed. If the Professor is contacting him, then something's up, and his break was about to be cut short.

"James, the mutant you picked up earlier, is going to be there in a few minutes. He requires something to work his anger off."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"His sister is Kuga. He just found out what's happened during the past 7 years."

"Ah." Logan sighed again. This was supposed to be his off time! His first class was at 8 in the morning and ended at 9:25. (He was finished with that class before they were sent to pick the kid up.) His next—and last—class was at 2. The time in between classes was supposed to be time he didn't have to babysit a bunch of teens. Today, half of that was used getting the kid, during which he had to deal with Kitty. Did he really want to relinquish his remaining 2 hours of free time?

"…What about Scott?" he tried.

"He is teaching a class at the moment, as you very well know," came the amused reply, "as are Jean and Ororo. Hank had to leave to attend a UN conference."

Logan growled. Of course he'd have to cut his time short. He heard the Professor sigh.

"Logan, if James doesn't get rid of his anger, he is liable to snap. He may not be a high-level telepath like Jean and myself, but he is a telepath."

Logan knew what the Professor was saying. Having a telepath lose control would not be good, especially not in a school full of young mutants who haven't learned how to fend off psychic attacks yet. Even Level 2 telepaths like James could knock most of the students into unconsciousness for a few hours if they blew their top.

"Fine. I'll do it. But you owe me one," the feral agreed.

"Thank you, Logan," Xavier said. Then the Omega-level mutant was gone.

With a grudging sigh, Logan put his sandwich in the refrigerator with a longing look then made to stand in the kitchen entryway, waiting for the kid.

Cougar woke up before her other half. Her human counter-part was both terrified and exhausted, unable to drag herself out of the depths of their mind. So Cougar took control when she felt well enough to do so.

The first thing she noticed was she was warm. The second was there were two very familiar scents in the room-den she was in. The first was one she'd not scented for years, but would remember even if she didn't smell it for another decade. Her litter-mate. The second was just as familiar, but for an entirely different reason; her alpha had been in—possibly still was—in her room-den.

The third thing she noticed was she was craving blood. Not surprising, considering the fact she'd not hunted for many years, but the surge of bloodlust nearly knocked the feline out again.

Jumping out of the nest-bed, Cougar let her nose work to find the best place to sate her bloodlust.

Out the door, down the hall, down some stairs, and into a room. A room filled with cubs; all with some sort of mutation or another. She started stalking one, when something attacked her, pinning her to the ground. With a warning growl, Cougar tried to get the thing off of her back, but it was too heavy.

The thing—her nose told her male Feral—dragged her to her feet, locking his arms under hers and behind her head, so she couldn't move them.

"Don't let 'er scratch ya, it'll only make it worse," a dark, smooth voice said from behind her.

"Think I don't know that, Creed?" the man holding her snarled. "I can't hold 'er like this fer ever."

"Pin 'er again." Cougar froze, then struggled even harder. No way was she letting herself get pinned by either of these two men—which she knew from scent were Feral; one was her alpha. At the moment, she really didn't want to deal with her alpha. She wanted blood.

The Feral holding her growled, but pinned Cougar to the floor again, moving his arms to hold down both of hers. She fought and snarled, and growled and kicked, but the man was too heavy for the young feline to move.

She froze again when a large, clawed hand grabbed her by the nape of her neck. Instinct told her not to move unless told to. When the hand didn't let go, she let herself fall limp. She was panting, and the bloodlust only grew as the seconds passed.

"Let 'er up now, Runt." The smooth voice sent a shudder down her spine.

Hesitantly, the man stood up, releasing Cougar from her pinned position. She stayed on the ground, limp, until the clawed hand pulled her up. Obediently, she stood, keeping herself lax. She wouldn't disobey her alpha, no matter what he did to her. She was his submissive; she couldn't ever be his alpha.

"Le's go, kitten." A gentle pressure on her neck had Cougar walking in front of her alpha, head and eyes down. She whined as he led her away from her prey—fresh, panicked prey, full of warm blood—but didn't fight. She couldn't fight.

Her alpha led her through halls and doors until they were outside, and continued to lead her further from the den of fresh prey and into the trees. Once a distance in the trees, he stopped.

"I'm gonna let ya go now. If ya try ta head back to the mansion before yer lust's sated…" he let the threat hang over her.

Slowly, he let go of Cougar's neck. She didn't make a move to head back to the den, but instead tested the air for more prey. Catching a scent, she looked at lion-man-alpha for a moment before following it, staying silent even with the leaf litter.

She could sense lion-man-alpha following her. She turned sharply, facing the man with her fangs bared. Alpha or not, this was her hunt, her prey. And she wasn't about to let anyone take it from her.

He chuckled softly, amused at her antics. "I ain't gonna take yer prey, kitten. Jus' keepin' an eye on ya." His smooth voice made her relax as she continued her hunt.

She stayed downwind of the prey, so she didn't startle it. As she moved closer and closer, she slowed down, eyes, ears and nose alert for any sign of the beast.

There! In a clearing! There was her prey, a large buck, grazing on sweet grass. Her claws itched to be tearing into his hide, to feel his warmth as his blood splashed her. The claws on her hands slowly elongated until they were fully extended—at least 8 inches long.

She stalked her prey, sticking to the shadows of the trees so the buck wouldn't see her coming. Step after silent step, quiet breath after quiet breath, she moved toward the edge of the clearing; the buck unwittingly moved just that much closer to the tree line. Cougar shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, ready to pounce on her prey. Her midnight eyes never left the creature's body, never blinked, never shifted.

The buck drew nearer while he grazed, never knowing the danger he was in. His ear flicked, ridding itself of a pesky fly. He continued life as usual, not realizing he was drawing his last breaths.

Finally, finally, Cougar pounced with a snarl. The buck started, tried to escape, but he was to slow. Cougar landed squarely on his back, 8 inch claws digging into his shoulders. He bucked up, trying to throw the Feral off him, but she held on tight. Her fangs sought purchase in his neck, seeking to end the buck's life quickly. Sweet, warm blood flooded her mouth as she clamped down on the neck. The buck fell, and as he landed, Cougar broke his neck, thus ending his struggling.

She gave a triumphant roar that echoed through the forest as the buck ceased twitching. Movement on the edge of the clearing made her crouch over her kill, fangs bared and a warning growl rumbling in her throat.

Lion-man-alpha stepped out of the trees, a smirk on his face as he took in Cougar's appearance. Blood ran down her chin and was on her hands, running down her arms, was splashed on her neck and stained the shirt and sweats the Institute had provided for her.

Her fangs flashed again, bloodstained and sharp. He knew exactly what she was saying; 'My kill. Get your own.'

"Already told ya, I ain't gonna take yer kill, Kitten," he chuckled. Her obsidian eyes narrowed as she watched him lean against a tree. When he made no other moves, she warily turned back to her kill. She tore off a chunk of flesh from the shoulder, reveling in the taste of blood as it coated her tongue. Cougar quickly swallowed and tore another chunk off, making quick work of the beast.

Once she ate her fill, the young Feral hesitantly tore off one of the untouched hindquarters, carrying it over to her alpha as she crawled on the ground, head low. She looked up at him as she put the meaty leg down in front of him before scurrying away. She watched as he picked it up and tore into it like one would a chicken leg.

Pleased, Cougar searched for more prey. The buck had dealt with most of the bloodlust, but she wanted more. She quickly picked out the scent of squirrel nearby.

Firstly, I wish to say I am terribly sorry for the parents of those little children killed in Connecticut. I may not have children, and I don't know how much this hurts. But to have ANYONE go through that… I'm sorry… That… if my brother were to be killed…I'd be useless to the world for a long time… I can imagine that's what you all are going to do, at least for a while…

Secondly, I would like to thank all of my reviewers, especially those who review most every chapter. So, this shout out goes to: soaringphoenix86, BoooYouWhore, Nyx811, UKJ, SBPride, and CjtheShort. Thank you for your continuing support! I don't know if any of you know how happy it makes me feel when I see faithful reviewers who continuously provide me with ideas and support. I also wish to thank my anonymous reviewer, and anyone else who has reviewed.

Does anyone know what happened to Djbirdywantstofly, lilyoftheval5, XNothing-With-Orange-InX, luckymickey619, 2011Gokurocks18110411, and High Lady Nyx? I'm kinda missing their reviews…

Thirdly, I'd like to apologize for how short this chapter is and for how long it took to get this chapter out… I've been lacking motivation to type up what I've written over Thanksgiving break and at school… XP But I have a bunch written. So maybe next chapter'll come easier?

The other part of the reason this took so long is: I need to rework my entire plot outline. Remember in Chapter 11, how I said I have a semblance of a plot worked out, and I hope no one takes off with it? Well, since someone dragged James into the story (maybe it was Kuga, it could have been James himself, I don't know), I have to figure out how it's gonna affect the plot. He wasn't originally part of the plot… My muses enjoy taunting me, don't they… -.-'

If you have any ideas, please share! I'm running a bit low… XP

If you haven't already, I'd suggest listening to Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are, by Meatloaf. It's a beautiful song, totally fits with Kuga (or part of it does…) and it's based on Meatloaf's real life experiences… Here's a link to listen to it with the lyrics. Just take out the spaces:

www . youtube watch ? v = E4WX08FQOq8

In other news, I've finally gotten past Gambit in my X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Uncaged Edition game… Thanks to my brother. . He hadn't even played the game before, didn't know the controls or ANYTHING, and he manages to figure out how to beat the damn Cajun! I defeated Deadpool after only the 3rd try! I'm so happy... (I'm sorry to say that Creed was only too easy. Sorry Vic, but it's true.) And now, all that's left is getting the rest of the awards… Finding all of the dogtags (if I'm not mistaken, I have 93 out of 95… Maybe 94…), finding a sword, beating the game on Hard… There's more, but I can't remember at the time. I have most of the awards, but not all.

Finally, I have another poll up for you all to take. It's about Kuga herself. I'm keeping the first poll open for a bit longer, though. Probably until the next chapter…

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. If not…Hope you had a good week! And, since I doubt I'm gonna have the next chapter up before the Holidays, Happy Holidays! Hope everyone has a good break!

Sorry again… Laters!

Risika