"The Experiment"

Chapter 12

I continued to train for the A class tournament that was coming up. Since I had come to Curtis's ranch, I could feel that I was growing stronger. Brom had basically left me to myself to train, which was good for me. Brom probably hoped that I wouldn't be able to train myself, and would wind up being beaten. But I remembered every lesson my old Master had taught me, and I knew how to build up my strengths and compensate for my weaknesses.

Despite that, though, even though I was able to take A class easily now, I was finding it harder and harder to push myself any further. I wasn't getting old, I was still strong, and I could feel that I had many years left to me. But I wasn't in my prime any more. Training wasn't as easy as it used to be, and I found myself having to spend more time maintaining my strength, instead of developing it.

The intensity of my sessions, training for the tournament, left me exhausted at the end of each day. I was careful not to overwork myself, and I knew that Frank would let me know if I was trying too hard. But I wasn't a young Tiger any more. I began to realize, as Sandy had said, that there would come a time when I wouldn't be there for her any more.

I was lying in my stall, thinking about the future, when I heard a thump against the wall. I listened for a moment, to see if the sound would come again. But it didn't. There was only silence. I leaped out of my stall and then edged over to the door. Nudging it open, I slipped outside.

There was only the sliver of a moon, but my eyes were already adjusted to the dark. So as I searched around the outside of the stable, I quickly found what had crashed into my stall. It was Sandy's Rocket Fist, lying dead in the grass.

From the direction it was pointing, it had obviously come from Sandy's stable. I ran in that direction, taking only moments to reach the building where she slept. I sniffed the air, but she was not inside. Her scent was there, though, a scent of sweat and fear. And I smelled Zuums as well.

The scent became strong at a spot where scuffmarks could be seen in the soft earth. The Zuums' footprints led away from the spot, but Sandy's did not, so she must have taken to the air to escape her pursuers. I looked off in the direction they were headed. Sandy was heading away from the buildings, towards the forest.

I knew that Sandy would not want to give away our secret place, no matter how scared she was. But she was heading towards the upper section of the ranch, where the river cut through the forest, on its way to our lake. Apparently, she was hoping to lose the Zuums on the other side of the river.

I raced across the field towards the trees of the forest. I didn't slow my pace, as I darted through the trees, winding my way between and around them. I tested the air as I ran, hoping to pick up Sandy or the Zuums' scent, or hear them over the crunching of the leaves and twigs under my feet.

I quickly made it to the stream. I leaped over it easily, jumping from one bank to the other in a single bound. I doubted the Zuums had much more trouble with it, but hopefully it had slowed them down a little. I paused to check for their scent, but they had washed it off in the water. I wouldn't be able to find them that way.

The night grew quiet, except for the gurgle of the stream, and the chirping of the insects. I concentrated, straining to pick up the tiniest sound. Like all Tigers, my ears had been modified into bony horns, for use in combat. But unlike other Tigers, they were covered in fur, and cupped on the inside, to help pick up the sound. So my hearing was even sharper than that of a purebred Tiger.

Sure enough, I heard the rustle of leaves, and the cracking of the underbrush off to my right. I took off in that direction, while up ahead of me there was a cry of fear. It was Sandy. The rustling grew loud, even louder than my own footfalls, as I raced after them, the sound of many, clawed feet, shoving through the trees. Sandy cried out again, and there was a loud thump, and the sound of someone hitting the ground.

There was a flash of light ahead, Lightning, and a crash of energy. The Zuums called out in alarm, and then I heard a roar of sound, Sandy's Rocket Fist going off. I could hear the Zumm's yelling, for a moment, and then everything went silent. Sandy screamed, in terror. The Zuums moved in, and Sandy began to cry out again, in pain.

I raced onward, towards the sound of Sandy's screams. She was crying out for help, but gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. I had only a few more yards to go, and I could feel the rage building up in me. All I could think was that I wasn't moving fast enough, and that the Zuums would pay if I was too late.

I burst from the trees to where they stood, in a circle around Sandy. Crimson was standing at the head of them, with two of his Zuums holding Sandy's arms and legs. The others were kicking her with their clawed feet, making her grunt in pain. They looked up at me as I appeared, though, a couple of them turning away from Sandy to face me.

Sandy lay on the ground, her face bruised and cut, her green eyes closed. She was grimacing, her lip bleeding where she had bit it against the pain. And her side was bleeding, too, a deep gash cut into the black Henger-flesh, just under her ribs. More cuts covered her forearms and legs, her Henger armor protecting her from the worst of it.

But she had no hands.

She was pinned down, helpless, her arms ending in nothing but useless stumps. One of the Zuums had her fist, and was holding onto it, preventing it from returning to her. They were holding her arms, up over her head, so she could not fight back. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile, so... violated.

Something snapped. A red haze came over my eyes, and hatred forced away everything else. I leapt at Crimson, snarling like a wild animal. I had no intention of just hurting Crimson. I was going to KILL him. I didn't want to punish him, to beat him like he had beaten Sandy, I wanted to tear his throat out, and then do the same to the others.

Crimson managed to hold me off for a few seconds, but I was far too strong for him. I sank my fangs into his neck, and he gave out a choked, bugling noise. His Zuums tried to pull me off him, but I worked my teeth down into his spine. All I had now to do was twist.

"STEPPENWOLF! STOP IT!"

I felt Sandy's arms around me, her tears in my fur as she hugged me. "Don't do it! Please! You can't!" Her voice was the only thing holding me back, the only thing that was keeping me from snapping Crimson's neck. But I couldn't let go. I was frozen, unable to move. "Don't do it," she begged, sobbing. "Not for me. Let him go."

"Don't become a monster killer..." She whispered, in my ear. "Like me..."

Slowly, I released the Zuum. He leaped away from me, shook his head, and then he and his friends disappeared into the trees. I suddenly realized that I was trembling.

"Come on..." Sandy said. "Come on, let's go pick up my other hand. Let's go home."

* * * * *

I didn't see Crimson and the other Zuums the next day, but I assumed that they were avoiding me. Sandy went to see Frank about the cuts the Zuums had given her, and learned from him that Crimson had come in to be treated for the bite mark, as well. Crimson had said nothing about what had happened, and Sandy didn't say anything to Frank either. But she could tell that he knew what had happened.

I spent most of the day as far away from the other monsters as I could get. It wasn't that I didn't feel justified in losing it like that. And Sandy had stopped me from going too far. But I had seen a side of myself that I didn't like, and I needed time to myself to think about it.

There weren't many places on the Ranch that a monster could go to be alone. I didn't want to go back into the forest. So I found a spot behind one of the stables, near the fence that marked the border between this ranch and the land beyond. There was a tree growing there, and I settled down there in the shade, under it.

It was just after lunchtime, and most of the monsters were in the field training. Thus, I was surprised to see a Pixie dart out from between the stables. She was some distance from me, but I could see her clearly enough. I recognized her instantly from her long, curly hair; it was Molly, Sandy's friend. She ran around to the shelter of the back wall of the stable, and peered back down the alley between it and the next building.

Crimson appeared, from the alley on the other side of the building. She spotted him, and darted away, back winging. As he moved forward, she rose up into the air.

"Come down here," he said, "Or I'll Fireball you."

"I'll go over the fence!" She warned him.

The red Zuum laughed. "You do and I'll go after you. In fact, I think I'll claim you tried to run away anyway. But I'll go easier on you if you cooperate..."

She landed on the fence, crouching, with her hands helping her to grip the railing. She flapped her wings to keep her balance. "Just leave me alone. Find someone else, please."

"I told you to get down from there." He leaped up onto the fence himself, and backhanded her back to the ground. She fell sprawled in the grass, but scrambled to her feet. Crimson jumped down next to her.

Molly put up her arms to shield her face. Crimson wasn't moving to attack her yet, but he stepped closer as she tried to back away. I got to my feet, but before I could move, another figure came around the back of the stable from the alleyway.

It was Swiftwind. "Inferno sent you after Gene's squeeze, then, did he?" the Datonaire asked.

"Stay out of this, Tiger," Crimson said. "This has got nothing to do with you."

"No, it's got everything to do with me. It's all got to do with me. For a time, there, I forgot about that, but it seems I'm remembering."

"What, you think you're that Gray Wolf, now? He can afford to set his own rules. He's stronger than we are, maybe stronger than Inferno. But the rest of us have to do as we're told."

"I don't believe that. Not any more."

"Then you're a fool."

I walked up to the three of them. Swiftwind looked up as I approached, and Crimson turned around and spotted me.

"Great." The Zuum muttered.

"Leave her alone, Crimson. She's a friend of Sandy's. That means she's a friend of mine."

"Don't Steppenwolf." Molly stood there, with her arms around herself. "It's easier if I just go along with it."

Crimson looked at her. "You see, Gray Wolf. You can't change anything. Just you and the Datonaire walk away."

"I can't do that." I glanced at Swiftwind. "What's this all about? The Naga that attacked Inferno the other day?"

"Of course," the Zuum said. "They hurt one of ours, we hurt one of theirs. That's the way it is."

"But Molly? She's no fighter."

Crimson shook his head. "It wasn't my idea. But Gene likes the little slut. We put her in the infirmary for a few days, and he can't get off on her. Maybe he'll even go after one of the others. Maybe even Sandy."

Molly blushed, but she said nothing.

"I don't think Inferno cares that Molly is Sandy's friend. In fact, that may be part of his problem." His golden eyes locked on me, a stare of challenge. "Whether you like it or not, Gray Wolf, you're part of this ranch. If you keep interfering, you're just going to make more enemies."

I looked at Molly, then at Swiftwind. Then I met the red Zuum's eyes again. "Then so be it. You want me to play your game... then I'll play it. Molly, Sandy, Swiftwind, Lenny... they are all under my protection."

"Steppenwolf, no..." Swiftwind began, but I cut him off.

"You tell Inferno that whatever he and Brom want to do with Gene is none of my business. But my friends are off limits. Or he answers to me."

The Zuum stared at me a moment, but then he took a deep breath. As he was about to speak, though, a shadow fell over the group of us. Another monster stepped from the cover of the stables, and out into the open. It was Inferno.

Swiftwind and Molly stepped back, but I turned to look up at the Dragon. He was smiling. "So... I was wondering how long it would take you to come to this."

"Don't push me, Dragon," I growled. "You know what I'm capable of. And all you have to do is leave me alone. I don't want to have anything to do with your power struggle."

"Crimson. Teach this upstart a lesson."

The Salamander swallowed. "No, sir."

Inferno raised an eye ridge. "No? Are you a coward, now?"

"I am afraid of no monster," Crimson said. "But Steppenwolf spared my life. I will not fight him."

Now it was my turn to look at Crimson in surprise. "You're a coward," Inferno repeated. "You let him beat you, in the woods, and now you're scared..."

Crimson shook his head. "He could kill me in an instant. But I don't care. I would die, for honor."

"But there is no honor in this. It is the Grey Wolf who has honor. I will not fight him."

Inferno stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled again, that menacing, toothy smile. "Swiftwind." The Datonaire looked up at him. "Who runs this ranch?"

"You do," Swiftwind said. "But you don't run me."

The Dragon laughed, loudly. "You have done the impossible, Gray Wolf. You've broken my hold on these monsters. And you say that I should just 'leave you alone'."

"You are a threat to me." He smiled. "You know it, and I know it."

"You said that Brom was the one running this place," I said. "You said that he was telling you what to do."

"And you believed that?" He laughed again. "We monsters run this place."

He leaned in close to me, clenching a clawed fist in my face. "Do you really think those feeble humans can control us, with their whips, and their chains? We make the money that pays for this place, WE do the work that builds it up, WE enforce the discipline that keeps everyone in their place."

"The humans are fools. They're too busy with their petty squabbles --" he glanced at Molly, "or f***ing the Pixies -- to run this ranch. We let them think they're in charge. But we monsters know better."

His lips curled into a snarl. "But you... you make monsters think they can 'get along' with humans. That they can be 'free'. That they can be 'good'." His voice became mocking, condescending. "That they can be WEAK. You don't fit in here. You are a threat. And threats are to be eliminated."

I stared at him for a moment. Then I looked back at Swiftwind. "Get Molly out of here. Crimson, you go, too. Keep everyone else away. I don't want this turning into a riot."

"I'll take care of it," Swiftwind said, backing away. He, Molly, and Crimson disappeared around the corner of the stable.

"All right, Dragon," I said. "You want me... come get me."