Strays Don't Sleep

by Sub-Atomic Grape

At night, people who don't stay indoors become monsters, hunters, or victims. A handful of teens have the bad luck of falling outside of those categories. Either way they aren't normal any longer, and they don't have much in the way choices when the moon is full. Instead, they must try to find their way in a strange world as a pack.

14. Nature of the Beast

Chapter 14: Nature of the Beast

Things weren't moving at the break neck pace she was expecting. Artemis picked that out as those claws pulled her towards the windshield gap. Instead of her thoughts racing, there was a strange detachment as she stared at those bared fangs and wondered just how doomed she was at the moment. Her free hand was on auto pilot and grasped for another weapon; what she found instead was a shopping bag, but she clutched at it all the same.

The glass cut at her arms as the claws pulled her out to hang in the air, but her mind still hadn't switched to panic. Instead it was stuck on the past, of all places. Back to the first lesson with the Dinah, as a new pupil.

'I understand you learned a lot as a Crock hunter.' Dinah had told her. 'But now I'm going to teach you some different lessons. How to avoid being a killer, but still be a fighter. Starting with all the non-lethal points on a werewolf.'

Such as the nose. One of which was right in front of her, once she tore her eyes away from the teeth underneath it. Artemis' fingers tore at the shopping bag and latched onto something, which she wrenched out and smacked across the wolf's nose with a sharp CRACK.

That cut out the snarling and pushed her thoughts back up to speed. She picked out what was clutched in both her hands.

Shoes, which still made for a good bludgeon, judging by that yelp from the werewolf. They could've been a pair Zatanna had picked out, going by that sharp spike of a heel in the back. Which Artemis drove into the soft point of the elbow, while her other hand followed up with another hit to the face. Both of those things cut out the monster's grip, and Artemis tumbled free onto the car hood.

She'd just disabled a werewolf with a pair of high heels. Dinah Lance would've been proud.

Now if she could see about getting something a little more powerful than a pair of shoes. She rolled off the edge of the truck, hitting the road with a jolt that settled little teeth into her bruises.

There was a shriek in the cabin, and M'gann burst out, ignoring the jagged glass edges. She tried to slam into the beast, but a heavy, clawed hand snapped around her face, snatching M'gann out of the air before throwing her aside. She slammed into Artemis, who reflexively clapped her hands around M'gann's shoulders. The two barely kept their feet as they skidded backwards.

"Thanks," M'gann growled softly, her face already looking more wild and her voice rougher.

"Don't mention it; but I wish you'd done something other than just rush-" Artemis stopped something was pressed into her hands. Her fingers closed around the familiar trigger and grip of her crossbow. M'gann must have grabbed it before making her leap, and hoped that she'd end up close to Artemis in order to pass it off.

"If we survive this, I think I'm really going to like working with you."

She didn't know how likely that was, though. A good look around them showed that there was a full pack of wolves ringing them; at least ten strong by Artemis' count, though their coats were so dark and blended into the shadows so well, it made it hard to get a clean number. And there was still that wolf-creature stepping down from the truck as easily as moving down steps. She didn't think that even werewolves could get THAT big-

"Llac nowd eht semalf!" Zatanna took advantage of the pause and stood up, bracing herself and resting the borrowed knife against the roof of the truck with one hand. The other she reached out and pointed with in a sweeping gesture. Her fingers had a weird tinge of orange concentrated around the tips. The glow increased, before jumping into the air in a stream of blazing energy.

"Actually, snuff that plan." The spell wavered in the air, before the fire bolt sputtered and smashed to the ground, well short of any of the wolves. Artemis coughed and had to draw her crossbow by feel, as a cloud of dust and smoke sprung up from the failed spell.

"Huh. Cute way of casting spells, but it leaves you wide open." Artemis blinked the dust out of her eyes, and saw someone stepping through the animals ringing them. He even put a hand on one, and while the wolf bristled and snarled, it didn't tear the boy's hand off. His fingers looked oddly sharp, almost claw like and darkened; a good match for the dark suit he wore. His other hand clutched at the eye sockets of a skull, which she could tell with just a glance had to be human... and old, with how stained and cracked it looked.

"You're such a novice. Not a lot of fun to have with you... but I can still try." As he spoke a red glow surrounded him, and Artemis sucked in her breath. Just what they needed; a magic user AND a pack of wolves.

-o-o-o-

The cave felt strangely empty, with its usual occupants missing. It was also, Kaldur noticed, missing a crucial component that SHOULD have been parked outside. Instead the space was taken up by a two bikes, and a few paw prints.

Robin hadn't settled down from the long ride, either. Kaldur expected him to be winded from the bike ride (even with Wally providing a four legged tow, when they were sure no one was watching) but he held onto a restless energy.

"You sure you're okay? I haven't seen you sit in one place for more than a minute. Usually that's my thing." Wally kept his eyes half on the cave mouth, and half on the person walking back and forth along it. "It's not even your truck that's missing."

"I'll be fine. Just feeling a little restless, since people took off. I'll settle down once they're back, and you can keep the restless pacing." Robin managed to give Wally a quick smile, before pausing as a low buzzing interrupted. It sent them all glancing around.

By the time they figured out it was Kaldur's phone, vibrating away on a bit of rock, the droning had stopped and went to voice mail. Kaldur picked it up and switched it to speaker so they could listen... and was sure all the color drained out of their faces at the same time, as Zatanna's voice screamed out of the speaker.

"We should-" Kaldur started, before a new message reached them.

'In trouble.' M'gann. It was in her voice, and matched the last times he'd heard that psychic call. She relayed the information, sounding desperate to reach someone before cutting out.

A flutter of motion drew Kaldur's eye to Robin; for a second his sunglasses had dropped low, and Kaldur could see how his eyes were narrowed. He tilted his head from side to side, like he'd almost heard SOMETHING-

"We need to get to them." But they didn't have time to dwell on it, Kaldur knew.

Wally prowled forward, staring down the slope.

"No problem there. I can probably get down to the road if I run at top speed, but what about you guys-?" They didn't get time to answer that question, or form much of a plan before something else interrupted. A spark jumped from the phone to Kaldur's hand, snapping his fingers open as the phone dropped to the ground, still spitting electricity. The energy wouldn't stop arcing from the phone, and lingered in the air. It almost looked like it was forming into a circular opening.

He also thought that even though she'd hung up, Kaldur could still hear Zatanna's voice through the electric crackle.

-o-o-o-

The world was doing its best to spin out of control around Zatanna. She leaned against the truck and clutched at the knife handle, trying to get her bearings.

She hadn't cast a lot of spells, but she knew they weren't supposed to react like THAT. It was like she was weaving one thing, only for someone to snatch out and unravel her concentration and what she was trying to form.

But she wasn't going to let that stop her from trying again.

"Shup meht kcab!" She shouted as loud as she could, to press her will into form.

"Is that the best you can do? Fine, but...M'i ton desserpmi." The way the boy sorcerer said it made it clear he was mocking her. The spell was yanked out of her control, and shock ran down Zatanna's arm. She lost control of her fingers and the knife slid out of her grip, bouncing away to some place on the pavement.

"I'm surprised the Light sees you as THAT much of a threat. You're not even much sport."

"Sorry to disappoint." Zatanna kept her eyes on him, stalling for time as she tried to figure out something else. Throwing things out offensively wasn't working; it was like trying to beat a master shooter to the draw.

"Zee!" Raquel whispered, crouched at the bottom of the truck bed and scrambling to grab something. Her hands ended up grasping for a tire iron, as an improvised weapon. "Just listen. Weren't you combing over something else in that book you were telling me about? Translocomotives or-"

"Translocation- that's it!" Somehow, brightening up in the middle of a magic duel didn't strike Zatanna as the most appropriate response, but she did so anyway. Her grin left her opponent with a stunned look for a second, as she dropped to the bottom of the truck bed and snatched up her cell phone again.

"Just need an anchor and a common bond to make this work... I know it wasn't designed for technology, but hopefully the principle still works. And a recent call counts as common." She whispered as her eyes fixed on the phone.

"Ekam a llac dna gnirb meht ot em! Kaldur, I really hope you get this one." She didn't shout that one; instead she whispered it to the phone. The air rippled and hummed from her words... and more importantly, it wasn't dampened by the warlock.

'Not as fast on the draw if it isn't directed AT you, huh?' She stood up, feeling the phone give an almost electric pulse that sent the spell racing across the distance between her and Kaldur.

The warlock was saying something, weaving his fingers through the air and trying a counter spell. But it was desperate grasping and he couldn't get a foothold in her spell, now that it was underway.

Zatanna's elation shut down when a crackling sound pushed into her ears. The phone sparked, growing too hot to hold. It dropped to the ground and shattered from the impact in a small electrical explosion.

Maybe a cell phone wasn't the best anchor after all. Or she needed a lot more practice in casting that spell. But even the loss of her phone hadn't broken what was already underway. The sparks leapt out of the phone, forming a large, circular disk of energy, flickering and floating in front of her.

"Come on, Kaldur..." Zatanna urged as she watching the circle. It was just large enough to step through-

Someone WAS stepping through. First she saw a hand reaching out, and Raquel darted in to grab it, pulling hard and bringing Kaldur through the portal; followed by Wally, and then Robin hanging onto his other arm.

Zatanna felt her smile come back as she looked at them, and Kaldur straightened up to take in what was happening. Not an attack spell, but still a helpful one.

"Glad you could make it. Maybe now we can see about evening the odds."

-o-o-o-

Stepping through the portal left Robin with sparks buzzing in his ears and dancing in front of his eyes. It gave the mass of forms a weird, glowing quality as he took in the mob they were facing. A horde of wild looking wolves, a monster that towered above them, and a single human with a blood chilling glint in his eyes. It wasn't the worst thing they could have been teleported in on, but it ranked up there.

Robin was already thumbing at the pouches on his belt, hoping he had something in there for fighting werewolves. Something was making his head foggy, and hard to remember what he had on hand.

But Wally didn't pause with what to attack. He threw himself straight at the biggest monster. One second he was jumping, the next his feet hit the werewolf, making it stagger as Wally landed with a heavy thud on the road.

Kaldur didn't rush straight into the fight, his eyes darting all over the scene to take in what they were up against. (And, Robin couldn't help but notice, that they were standing on the back of a freshly mangled truck.) Robin followed his gaze, and noticed that they were one person short.

"Conner needs help!" M'gann called out in the same instant. "H-he fell behind somewhere-"

"Go after him!" Kaldur snapped the order out. M'gann only paused for a second, before breaking into a dash. She weaved through the gap between Wally and the werewolf, vaulting off the hood of the truck. She cleared the fight and the ring of creatures around them, sprinting for the woods. None of the werewolves got a chance to chase her, as Wally shoulders through a few of them and Robin finally found a flash bomb to throw out and snag their attention.

"K-Kaldur, give Zee and Raquel a hand!" With that throw, Robin also managed to find his voice. He leapt to the ground, feeling his legs shake a little from the impact. His voice stayed firm, and even got a nod from Wally.

"Yeah, we can take care of tall, fuzzy and ugly! You guys take care of the brat with the skull!"

"Brat!? My name is Klarion!" Robin smirked over the response. It dimmed how he had to lean against the truck cabin to help with his weight; something felt off with his leg, as it throbbed around the thigh.

The monster didn't rise to their taunts, he dimly noticed.

"You... think... you can handle me?" That shouldn't have been possible. The voice that leaked out of that maw put a chill down his back. "Two pups like you, and your human thrall?"

Wally swallowed hard, but still managed a flippant remark as Artemis edged closer to them.

"Buddy, you definitely have the smarts of a dog if you can't even count right. Only wolf here is me, but I'm more than enough to handle you."

A sharp, hoffing sound worked its way free from the monster's throat, something like a laugh. Its shoulders shook, somehow flickering around the edges, like he was throwing off bits of himself as he moved.

He WAS losing some of himself. Making a fluid shape change that made Kaldur and Wally's look completely unpolished. He reformed, clothing and all into a broad figure that didn't look much smaller.

"You think you can test yourself against Vandal Savage?"

His eyes hadn't lost that predatory glint either, as they looked over the little group and the man's lips moved up into a smug, knowing smirk. Watching them, Robin somehow got the feeling that he didn't want to see the man grin; it would be like watching a shark pull off a smile.

"Ask your friend to count for you." He continued, forcing Wally to turn his eyes over to Robin. With the attention on him, Robin tried to open his mouth and say something. But no sound came out; his throat and tongue all felt like they were in the wrong shape, and when he tried again he felt his teeth get cut on something-

Teeth. His teeth had gone sharp. The whites of Wally's eyes were showing, and Artemis couldn't seem to decide whether to edge closer or move away. They both must have seen how much he was shuddering.

"Robin? Come on, buddy; pull it together. You're not-"

"If reports serve, you were the one who took teeth to him. I'm surprised you didn't consider this a possibility... but then, you are all a collection of young wolves, with how little you know.

"It takes a certain collection of traits to accept the bite, and the gift; I've seen enough pups like you to know that. Many of my own have burned out and been too weak for the gift."

It didn't feel like a gift just then. Not with his body not able to settle on what form it should take.

"I'll be curious to see if he can survive the change. Or this." The voice trailed off as the growls around them picked up. As his leg gave out on him and he collapsed on the road, Robin wondered if he was adding to that noise.

-o-o-o-

"Far enough, Mercy. That spot should do." The world rushed by in a blur, only to come to a crashing halt when Conner slammed into the trunk of a tree. He screamed as pain flared up along his back and shoulders, jolting him into the waking world.

"Ease your grip, Mercy. I don't want the young Kent to be blinded from pain and unable to listen." In response, the talons digging into his shoulder shifted so they were biting at the bark and pinning him to the tree. He picked out a thick layer of fur rippling down the arm holding him, along with the muscle and whipcord bulging out and popping buttons loose on the sleeve, leaving the suit arm to fall open and expose the woman's changed limb. The rest of her, save for the yellow glimmer in her eyes, remained human.

"I apologize for the roughness, but I trust you're awake now?"

"...Let me go." Conner growled in response, which must have been the answer Luthor was looking for.

"Now that you're awake and done admiring the finesse of Mercy's changes, I think it's time that we had our talk." Luthor stepped closer as he spoke, pulling Conner's gaze over Mercy's shoulder to stare at him. "She is quite the escort, isn't she? Not much of a talker since her change, but her actions speak much louder than words, as do her abilities. But that's not what we're here for."

Luthor glanced over Conner as he spoke, with a sharp look in his eyes. If this was what undivided attention was like, Conner wasn't certain if he wanted it after all.

"Conner Kent... do you ever question the legitimacy of that name? Mister Clark Kent barely recognizes you as his to begin with." He didn't have the energy to scream 'shut up' but he could manage a glare.

"Have you made any guesses about him yet? Debated over why you've never heard from him some nights... if you hear from him at all? Sad to say, I know Mister Kent, and the odd twists and turns his psyche takes. I'm certain that in some misguided way, he thinks he's protecting you." Luthor must have seen how Conner's eyes shot open.

"He's wrong of course, just like the rest of them are; humanity doesn't need to be sheltered, or gently awakened to what's real. It has been complacent for too long, and if we need to drag it into the Light, then that will be the way of things."

Luthor nodded to Mercy, and her free hand clamped down on Conner's jacket sleeve. The fabric tore away when she wrenched back, leaving his arm exposed.

"You should suspect who and what Clark Kent is, by now."

"He's..." He'd been avoiding this conclusion, Conner knew. But with Luthor pressing the issue, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "My father is a wolf too, isn't he?"

"Bright boy. But hasn't it occurred to you how odd it is, that your father carries the lycanthropy strain, and yet it hasn't been passed down to you, his son?"

"...No. Don't care about that." Conner snarled, but he knew Luthor could see right through the lie.

"There is a very simple answer to that. That you aren't Clark's son... or at least, not fully." Dryness coated Conner's tongue, dulling any snap to his voice.

"How-?" Was all he could give.

Luthor rolled his shoulders, bringing up a carrying case in his hand as he spoke and fiddling with the latches.

"Oh, he had a brief dalliance; that much is true. But it's not just his influence in you. It's nice to have friends with a touch of supernatural prowess. Enough to see about slipping my DNA in as well."

"But you're... human."

"Indeed. And I suspect that's what's suppressing your genes; that a little of myself went into making you." Hanging there, Conner couldn't get the strength to ball his hands into fists. But he managed to snap his words out.

"So what now? Are you going to have her tear me to shreds?"

"A crude notion, which wouldn't have any benefit. But you are right. I happen to be one of the few human members of the Light, largely because of my financial strength. Still, they've offered me the bite several times, and I would be a worse liar than you, if I said that didn't appeal to me. There are some aspects that are valuable; the longevity, and there is a certain prestige in the strength... but I'm not enthused about some of the other traits. The changes, the pull from the moon, the instincts that just boil underneath the surface... not to mention a shockingly short temper in some cases."

His fingers passed over the latches on the case, letting it fall open. Inside, the moon picked thin, silver highlights off a glass, and put an added sharpness on the needle at the end. When Luthor drew the vial out, Conner saw the red sloshing back and forth inside the vial.

"I don't want to leave the results to chance, as we've had to with so many other subjects. Not when I have a test template to start with... and while you may not be a perfect match, I think you should come close enough, for research purposes."

"Talk sense!"

"I suspect we're more similar than you'd like to admit. If nothing else, you should prove to have my willpower, if you intend to survive this night." He glanced to Mercy, met her eyes long enough to give a nod. "Break him."

Mercy wrenched his shoulders in one direction and his waist in the other. His spine screamed before giving a wet snapping sound as she threw him down onto the roots of the tree. They splintered underneath him, right as all the feeling below his shoulders cut out.

He tried to kick out with his legs, but they were dead weights stretched out against the fallen branches. Even his arms were sluggish, unresponsive as Mercy stretched one out, the underside of his wrist facing up. Luthor said nothing more, as he pushed the needle through Conner's skin and emptied the fluid into him.

"Retreat to a safe distance," Luthor ordered Mercy, before speaking over his shoulder as they moved away.

"You should make your decision quickly, Conner. I doubt that you can survive for long in these conditions with a broken back." Conner groaned as he tried to roll over, but nothing in his body listened. He felt like he was broken into two pieces. There were the few bits of him that could still feel; his face, the very edges of his fingers, and at least one of his lungs... and the rest of him, which was numb to the cold and the lingering pain.

'I don't...' He didn't know if he wanted this, to be just like his father. He KNEW he didn't want what Luthor was forcing on him, but that wasn't his choice to make any longer.

The sensations along the rest of his body were dimming. Even his vision was growing darker, as he struggled to get breath and the feeling in his chest started to fade out.

'I don't want to die-' The breath rushed out of him with that realization, in a low groan... which deepened and echoed strangely in his chest. It didn't fully leave his throat either, settling into his lungs, coating the inside of his throat.

The blackness fell away from his vision, leaving it clear and somehow sharpened.

Conner rolled his head to the side. He could see the veins standing out in his arm, darkening against the stark white skin. His heart pounded, sending blood pumping through him, carrying the rest of the serum with it. He wasn't feeling numbness in his arms and legs any longer.

The bones along his back shifted. Popped back into place with a squelch of muscle that left him twitching from fingers to toes. Conner tried to roll and stand-

And do what, he didn't know. Run for help, maybe. But that plan fell apart when he couldn't even get to his feet. He was left on his hands and knees, which buckled every time he tried to stand. The wrenching in his muscles and bile burning at the back of his throat promised that there would be worse if he didn't listen.

What was already happening was bad enough. There was a full body heave going through him that forced his throat open, and the sounds that spilled out of it weren't human. He tasted blood and smelled it spatter against the leaves in a sharp metallic tang, as his lip was pinched against too sharp teeth, cutting at his gums and tongue. Sharp tiny pinpricks ran along his arms as something forced its way up through his skin and formed into a thick layer that settled over him and left him sweating from the sudden temperature change. Fur, trapping the furnace temperature running through his body.

His perception faded out, as time turned into a span of heartbeats between the next shudder, and then the next; his willpower couldn't last long against all of that, and the scream building in his throat.

When he let it out, it twisted into a long, primal howl that echoed for miles through the forest, and could carry all the way back to Middleton before he was through.

-o-o-o-

M'gann's breath fogged as it left her mouth, mixing with the falling snow. She forced herself to keep running as her form shrank down and back to human.

'Please, please let them be able to handle it. And let Conner be okay, too-'

"Commendable effort, my dear." She'd promised herself to keep running until she found Conner, but that broke when someone stepped in front of the trees, blocking her path. The voice was all too familiar, and her lips were already pulled back before M'gann met the speaker's eyes.

"That display isn't necessary, Megan."

"What do you want!?" She snapped, shifting her feet as she tried to find an opening to dart through. The other woman matched her motions, and took a few steps forward as well.

"Has your uncle been training you?" The woman asked instead, and the question halted M'gann in her tracks. "Your movements have more confidence to them. But don't worry; it only increases your value to us."

Another step, and she was within arm's reach of M'gann. A part of her screamed to fight back, but the rest of her remained still as the met the other's eyes.

"Did you think the attack on you was an accident? I can assure you that despite what your television shows might tell you, a great deal of thought goes into making a new wolf. Not just anyone will do, or even has the makings for a werewolf. We watched you for a long time, seeing if you'd be the sort of person to accept the bite. We were well rewarded, naturally."

'Queen.' M'gann remembered Simon using that name, and it had a way of matching the person looming over her now, with a judging and powerful glint in her eye.

"I lost one good subordinate; I'll be needing to replace him now. Fortunately, you've proven to be a sound investment." Queen practically crooned in her ear.

"Poor Simon had a hint of the gift. A better success than the Terrors and Cameron. They were... not my best work, I will admit. They aren't the same measure of creature you are." Her words hummed through M'gann's ears until they droned all through her body, leaving her form frozen. "And I can manage something similar in the way of dominion... but it's not the same as the ability you have. And we WANT that gift; with you, and proper training and obedience, we'll have a true link, and all the clarity and power that comes with it."

'She's stalling you!' M'gann shouted at herself, and felt her eyes narrow as she watched Queen. Who clearly didn't care that she'd caught onto that.

"A colleague of mine has business with the boy you keep company with. And we're overdue with having this conversation as is. Now that you know why we want you in our ranks, I'll make this plain; accept, or the attacks on your friends and family will be the least you have to worry about."

'Don't listen.' M'gann told herself, as red tried to flood her vision. 'You have to get to Conner!'

At the thought, she bunched her legs and threw herself forward to run again, trying to rush past Queen-

Something lashed across her shoulder and scrapped along her neck, wrenching her back. The forest wrenched around her, and M'gann shrieked as that snag pierced her skin.

"I'm not finished speaking." Queen's voice cut into her ear, the same way those five points dug at her shoulder. M'gann turned to look and found fingers latched around her shoulder, dark around the tips where they'd pierced her clothes and skin.

"I said that I had an interest in you. You needn't be so surprised that I'm capable of carrying out my own wishes." A growl had worked into Queen's voice, eerily similar to the snarl that M'gann had heard so many nights ago. When she wrenched her head up to look at Queen, she could see the feral glint in her eyes.

Just like the wolf that had sunk its teeth into her.

A howl tore through the air, pulling M'gann's head towards the sky. It was a deep, rage filed siren that stretched on and on. Queen didn't look the least surprised by it, from how her lips quirked up.

"As you can see and hear, you're not the only wolf in the woods, Megan dear." She didn't seem to notice how much muted her own words were, with that howl filling the air.

'Not... what I go by anymore.' M'gann let the thought and new name snap into place. Her thoughts shifted as easily as her form, and she slipped out of Queen's mental hold as if she was slipping out of an old skin.

That physical hold had a hard time keeping its claws on her, too. They still bit at her, but her muscles were getting denser, and she pushed her feet to the ground as she got ready to push and yank away.

"Don't you try-" Queen didn't get any further, when M'gann felt motion jolt back into her legs. She wrenched herself free from the grip, and shook her head to clear the last of the commands.

The echoes of that howl lingered and pulled at her ears, and M'gann raced towards them. She was past Queen, and out of her reach. M'gann put on a burst of speed and vanished into the trees, hearing a thwarted growl behind her.

-o-o-o-

No matter how many times Artemis witnessed a change, there was something unnerving about the sounds. That combination of muscle tearing and reforming, and the pained noises leaking out of a person's mouth.

It definitely wasn't any easier to watch that happen to someone she was starting to consider a friend. Robin looked like he was in the middle of a fever, and sounded like he was slowly getting disemboweled. There was also the fact that she and Wally had to face off against a pack of wolves and their leader. They could have used another person for that.

The circle had drawn tighter around them. But the wolves weren't snarling at her any longer, or even giving her much of a focus. Instead they were on Wally, who had thrown himself into one knot of them. The others were picking their way towards the downed figure.

Robin wasn't getting up; from the way he was shaking, it was clear he couldn't. Artemis grit her teeth and rushed the mob. She smacked the first wolf aside with a blow from the grip on her crossbow. The second didn't get time to bare its teeth before she fired on it. Ollie's trick arrows felt like they were working so far, as her shot turned into foam that left the target stuck to the ground and growling helplessly.

"Got your back." She didn't know if Robin could hear her, but said it anyway.

Unfortunately he couldn't watch hers. Something slammed into the base of her spine, and Artemis pitched forward and hit the ground.

A mass of black and grey filled her vision and loomed over her. She didn't think a werewolf could snap between forms that fast, but Savage pulled it off.

'Get a shot at him!' Artemis screamed at her fingers, yanking down on the trigger as she brought her crossbow up. The quarrel hissed out, and missed the monster by an inch before exploding into a net. Only a twitch to the left, and she would've had him-

She didn't get a chance to try another shot, when a heavy paw smashed into her crossbow. The weapon splintered from the blow as claws yanked it out of her grip, and shoved Artemis to the ground.

A heavy set of paws pressed down on her stomach, pushing her deeper into the ground. She couldn't breathe as they smashed into her lungs to pin her, and squeezed all the air out-

Until those claws pierced her sides. Then it turned out she COULD breathe, or at least get just enough air to scream. Artemis writhed, tried to break free and only succeeded in widening the punctures as her lungs and ribs burned. Her eyes rolled open to see a scarred wolf's muzzle staring down at her. Savage looked ready to put his teeth into her, next.

He didn't get the chance before something smashed against his shoulder.

Wally and Savage both went down in a tangle of limbs and snarls. Savage snapped at his face and Wally pushed against his throat with sharpened nails and thicker arms than usual.

Artemis clapped a hand on over the open wounds, hissing out a curse as she felt the blood running over her fingers. The fact that her vision was going blurry wasn't a good sign. Or how Wally froze when he kicked free from Savage and saw her. It wasn't a hot pain that she felt now; more like something cold had been pushed up against her insides, and that chill was spreading through the rest of her body each time she tried to breath.

The blood in the air was pulling the wolves closer. Five... maybe six left? She couldn't count with the strange, airy quality her thoughts took. Wally still hadn't lost that stricken look, as he hovered over her. He kept glancing between her eyes and the holes, before something clicked into place and made his features harden.

"Sorry," he whispered, before something pulled on her arm and he turned his head aside. Pressure clamed down across her limb, and it somehow hurt more than what had been torn into her side. The pain from that sunk into a low background hum, and her thoughts and vision lost that glassy quality.

She wasn't dying after all. The blood and energy pounding in her head made it hard to think, but easy to shoot back to her feet and yank her arm free from whatever had a hold on it.

'Bite-?' She got one clear thought, and just as quickly decided that she couldn't dwell on it; not with the mob of wolves still circled around them, and that giant monster pulling itself to its feet.

"Takes more then that to bring me down." Artemis told it, and her voice pushed Wally to his feet as well. He still kept one eye on her, but Artemis tried not to dwell on that. Or those points pressed into her arm.

-o-o-o-

"CONNER!" M'gann's voice was a hoarse roar as she charged through the forest. The branches whipped at her face and snagged on her hair. She tore through all of it, letting the scratches join the rents on her skin.

Her muscles throbbed and pushed into a different shape, peeling the tear in her shoulder and pushing the wound wider, She felt a light burn from that, but it stayed as a background noise. She hadn't gained much in the way of fur, but the change made her body feel like a furnace.

"Where are you!?" He had to be somewhere close. When she breathed in she could taste sweat lingering in the air and soaked into the ground; thrown off of someone agitated and in pain. But she didn't want to slow down and spend time picking out the trail, and the howl had faded out.

So she tried to listen with something other than her ears. M'gann slid her eyes shut, forced a breath through her mouth, and cast her thoughts out.

'Conner?' She didn't get an answer in words, but there was a flare of something. It still felt like Conner, and it pushed her through the trees and undergrowth.

She heard heavy, almost panting breathing underneath one of the trees, curled up at the base of it and tangled in the roots.

"Conner...?" Her steps slowed, and M'gann worked her way around the tree. "That is you, isn't it-?"

For a moment, she thought that she could see the black of his shirt. The form twitched, and she saw a reflection of moonlight run along dark guard hairs, as fur rippled. The wolf was curled against the ground, and when it saw her, it turned its ears forward, assertive and challenging. It stood, looking massive as a storm and with that same angry, raw energy coursing through it.

When she met the eyes, they were a shocking blue color that drove all her breath out.

"Not you too-" M'gann whispered, and received a rumble from the animal's throat. Something else echoed in her head as she watched; it dug into her temples and tried to ball her hands into fists. The same way Conner's new claws scoured at the ground, tensing and curling up.

This time, her body knew what it had to do. Like Zatanna had promised, the spell worked on her clothing as she moved to the ground and let herself slide into a four legged shape. The transformation went smoothly, and her clothing simply faded out instead of tearing. The only hitch was how her shoulder still ached, the transformation leaving it raw.

She felt her throat ripple and change, closing off her voice. It left her with one other way of speaking, and she dropped her head to look Conner in the eyes.

"...It- it's okay." The growl halted in Conner's throat, and M'gann knew he must have heard her. Something pressed against her thoughts in response; flickers of confusion, stomach churning anger, even a shiver of fear. None of it capable of being put into words, but still palpable.

"It's okay; I'm with you. I've got you."

His nostrils flared and his lips curled. He could smell her blood, sending conflicting signals into his brain on what to do. Something about her must have tugged at his thoughts and made her be familiar, as M'gann watched his eyes blur and refocus, his ears not deciding whether to press back or yank forward; whether she was a friend, a foe, or prey.

"Interesting." A droll voice pricked at her ears, and Conner's muzzle snapped up. M'gann followed his gaze and watched as the figures materialized from the forest. She must have bolted straight past wherever they'd been in her rush to reach Conner, never even realizing they were there.

"You must be Queen's pet project." The man continued speaking, brushing a few half melted snowflakes off his suit. "If you have that effect on a new wolf, I can see why she's so eager to bring you into the fold-"

He stopped and gave a sigh as she joined Conner in growling. "I doubt there's any need for that. I'm here as an observer, and I've gathered what I needed."

The man's eyes looked over Conner as he spoke, treating him like some curious exhibit. There was even a brief, satisfied smile that flickered over his face. Conner must have noticed at as well, as a fresh jolt of rage tried to cloud her mind through the link. She also felt the stability of the link unraveling, snapping through the threads one strand at a time as his anger boiled up.

"Mercy, we can be on our way." He turned as he spoke, showing his back to them.

At the motion, Conner's control completely snapped, and all his other emotions were smothered in a red haze.

-o-o-o-

Artemis' screams and Robin's pained noises burrowed into Kaldur's ears. He yanked his head back towards them-

"Ah, ah. Your fight is supposed to be with ME, remember? Unless you want to TRY and get back to them. I haven't gotten to turn anything into living candles in a while." The warlock snapped his fingers as he spoke, while in his other hand his fingers dug around the skull. Kaldur was sure he saw two pinpoints of scarlet light glowing in the sockets.

The ground shifted from cold to super heated under Kaldur's shoes. He had a split second to dodge, before the ground erupted into a pillar of flame. He still felt like his feet had ended up getting seared, but managed to stay on them. A scramble told him that Zatanna and Raquel had done the same, avoiding two other bonfires.

Klarion laughed at their efforts. "Oh, but you're good at scrambling! That gives me a little challenge."

"Any chance that wizards are weak against cold tire irons?" Raquel gasped out, before shaking her head. "Yeah, didn't think our luck would be that good."

She still held the metal up like an improvised baseball bat, eyeing the collection of wolves that broke from the first fight and ringed them. Zatanna rubbed at her forehead, glancing between the creatures and the warlock.

"Raquel, you need to watch our backs; keep those things from trying to blindside us while we deal with the mage. And... Kaldur can you give me a distraction?" As an answer, he ran straight at Klarion, and heard buzzing in the air as eldritch sounding words left Klarion's mouth. The spell fired off his fingers in a sharp blood tinged crackle, aiming straight at Kaldur's head.

It would have hit, if he'd stayed in his human shape. Instead he folded inward, helped by how much his spine shifted. The spell blazed by overhead, only singing a few hairs as it passed.

He hit the ground on four paws instead of hands and feet, showing Klarion a mouthful of new teeth as he leapt away, whirling back to find Zatanna and Raquel. Mid-motion, he lurched as something seared his nose and lungs. There was a sudden new taste to the air that he hadn't noticed as a human. It was rank with blood, death, and things left better undisturbed in their crypts. He wheezed, missed one step and staggered to keep himself moving towards some clear air.

Zatanna had just finished murmuring something, her hands over Raquel's improvised weapon. When she finished, it glimmered with a new, silvery light that wasn't just a trick of the moon. Raquel blinked over it, testing the weight.

"A silver tire iron? Huh, I'll work with what I can get." She turned to face the wolves, getting a few of them to shrink back a step.

"Cute trick, for a mutt... even if you're just a glorified distraction. Not exactly a noble beast, are you?" The mage taunted him, holding another globe of fire in his hands. In the hellish light glowing off it, he looked half like a demon, his hands like talons. Kaldur felt his ears swivel forwards at the taunt.

"He's better than YOU." Zatanna cut in, stepping forward.

"Pfh. What's that supposed to mean, junior mage?"

"...I might not have as much power as you, but I'm more glad for that than anything else. I've read stories about mages like you; tapping power the fast way, and not caring about the results." She glared at him and the skull both. "You're no real mage. You're just stealing power, and letting it drive you mad. You're so far gone that you don't even CARE anymore!"

"...And you've got a big mouth and a sharp tongue for a novice. Maybe when I'm done with you, I'll rip it out and put it in the brain box." Zatanna just dug her heels into the ground in an answer, tensing up and keeping her eyes fixed on him.

Necromancy. Blood magic. That explained the scent still lingering in Kaldur's nostrils, and trying to pound its way into a migraine.

"Egrahc emit." Zatanna whispered, so low Kaldur could barely hear it. But he could easily feel the electric prickle running over his body. "Sorry, Kaldur. This is going to be risky, but I think it'll work for a quick channel. I can't fight Klarion head on and I need another indirect spell. And I don't have much energy left... so do you think you can get close?"

No time to ask what the rest of her plan was, as Klarion prepared another spell. Kaldur fixed the warlock in his sights, and gave a rumbling snarl as he tensed up and charged.

Klarion was waiting for him, with a smug grin slashed across his face. Another spell flew from his fingertips, but instead of striking at Kaldur, it formed into a dome. One that looked unyielding, and painful to slam into.

"THGIL SGNIHT PU!"

The spell arced off Zatanna's fingers and twisted through the air. NOT at Klarion, like the witch boy was plainly expecting. Instead it zigzagged towards Kaldur, and hit him with enough energy to set his hairs all on end. For a brief second he could glimpse something glowing in electric blue in patterns along his fur.

The new energy pushed him into a heavier form, and the added weight helped him crash against the shield. It held for a moment, before shattering like glass and leaving Kaldur to fall through it.

Right at Klarion. There was no way for him to dodge or keep his balance against a bear-sized wolf once Kaldur hit on all four paws. Klarion fell backwards, skidding down the slope before hitting the shore of the lake. Kaldur slid along with him, hackles up and showing all his teeth.

For the briefest second he could see real alarm moving through the witch boy's face, as he kept a vice like grip on the skull, like it could somehow stop their fall. The next second, they hit the water. It splashed over Klarion's shoulders and chest, and touched the tips of Kaldur's claws. He slammed both paws down; one on Klarion's chest, the other deep into the water. The spell snaked through his body and out into the water in a crackling electric trail.

The discharge enveloped Klarion, and Kaldur kept him pinned in the water as the spell ran out. When the electricity fizzled away, it also took the fight out of Klarion. He wheezed for breath in a weak "huhhh" his eyes flickering for a moment as he stared up at Kaldur.

"Not... bad. Guess you have a good bloodline after all." Kaldur snapped his head down, but Klarion's eyes rolled back as he fell into exhaustion.

"Kaldur!" Zatanna's voice echoed down to him, reminding him that there was still another fight to win. Kaldur pushed himself off, his balancing lurching back onto two feet. His clothes slid back into shape as the fur shrank from his body.

It was only then that he started to feel a chill from weather, and the water. He slowly pulled his body free of it, feeling waves bite at his feet. The air nipped at his feet as he trudged back up the slope, and back to the others and their battle.