The Protector

Chapter 4: Wolf Cub

After Quinn's funeral, Noah saw that Liza Marie would accompany them on runs with Noah and his unit every day after school. Plus, Burt noticed she was doing roundhouse kicks or high sidekicks. Then both men noticed, she was losing her baby fat, and Jamie Young saw, Liza Marie was getting better at playing Army Men World.

One day, Noah was at the shooting range with Liza Marie, and she was on the ground shooting her rifle. The other soldiers even noticed she was hitting the bullseye every time. Then Eric came up to Noah and whispered, "Little She-Hulk has now become The Wolf Cub. Are you planning to tell Jamie, or should I?"

Noah didn't answer him and when Liza Marie was done. She walks out stone-faced and says, "Daddy, I want to see General Young, now!" As he follows her. When they get there, Mike smiles as he says, "She's ready. Come with me." Nothing was said as they followed Mike to the secret room.

Before long, Liza Marie is putting on Jamie's old gear and says, "Call me, Wolf Cub." As she gets on a small motorbike. Then Noah says to Jamie, "She's tougher than she looks, man." As he lightly hits Jamie's shoulder.

Soon, they heard Stacie say, "Burt is being held hostage again, Puck! You better leave now!" Before Noah can move, Liza Marie was gone on her new bike and Mike says, "I had extra padding put in the gear and a tracking device in the helmet."

Then Noah hears a beeping noise coming from Jamie's computer in the room. Before, Liza Marie's voice is heard saying, "Come on, Daddy. I'm not doing this alone! Get moving! You're The Wolfman! Now, come on! Mrs. Young told me that's how Jamie got hurt, and I don't plan on being in a wheelchair!"

Noah was soon riding his bike toward Burt's house. As he gets to the house, he sees Liza Marie's bike in front of the house and the cops pull up just as he walks in, hearing machine gunfire. Then Burt runs out as another man is thrown out the window on the second floor of Burt's house. Before, Noah goes to help Liza Marie fight four other men and puts one in a chokehold before Liza Marie shot the guy in the chest then howls like a wolf.

When they got back to Mike's cabin, Burt was sitting on the front porch, and just stared at Liza Marie for a good five minutes before saying to Noah, "I'm glad the cops only saw her come out of the house. They thought you threw that guy out the window and didn't see you or her go in. Ha, I'm glad you are not the only single father your size raising a little girl alone and that they haven't connected everything yet."

After Burt says this, Sergeant Edward Winslow pulls up in a red convertible. When he gets out, he says to Noah, "I knew it was you! Look, I'm a big fan of the movie Steal, and I'm not going to rat you out. But you better hope one of that little girl's friends parents doesn't figure it out. Anyway, I don't live too far from here, and I'm a single father too. So, I know, you want to do whatever it takes to protect your kids. Look, I gotta go. Just know you have a friend on the inside, and I know this city like the back of my hand."

Then he hands Noah a piece of paper and says, "This is my cell, call me if you need any help." Before he looks at General Young and says, "I guess he knows you were the first Protecter or Wolfman. Ha, my captain thinks he's your son, and I guess he doesn't know about Jamie being in a wheelchair. Like, I said, I'm not ratting anyone out here and now I really gotta go."

As Edward is about to leave, Burt asks, "How do we know this isn't some kind of set up?" Edward looks over at Liza Marie and says, "You don't and Jamie's not the only one in a wheelchair. My son got shot last year and I moved here to keep him safe. By the way, I was there the night your son was killed. Ha, everybody in this town knows he is the new Wolfman, but no one is willing to rat him out. Because they know he is doing a better job at protecting this town."

Soon he is gone and Mike says, "That was too close. Maybe you need to lie low for a while, Puck." Then Liza Marie screams before saying, "No, you heard Officer Winslow. He is doing a better job at protecting this town, and I am not Jamie, General! I was just freaked out because Daddy Nono wasn't following me. Okay? Now, stop treating me like a baby! I threw a grown man out of a window! For God's sake! I shot another man at Mama Rachel's and help you attack the others! Now, I don't want to hear any more about this! I know, I'm not bulletproof, and I could get hurt. But I am not Jamie, and you need to stop feeling guilty about what happened to him! It wasn't all your fault! Why did you even show me that room, if you were afraid of me getting hurt?! Why did you let me put on Jamie's gear? I had the greatest night of my life and loved every minute of it! Now, because the cops are too close. You want Daddy to stop! I, am, not, Jamie!" Then she storms into the cabin, still fuming.

Then Mike chuckles before saying, "God, have I really been treating her like I did Jamie? I know she's not him, and I'm not the one doing the crime fighting here. I guess I was living vicariously through you, Puck, and thought Jamie should live through her." Burt and Noah just look at him with raised eyebrows and say, "You think?"

Chapter 5 will be up soon