A Life Beyond Love
Chapter 3: Things go bump in the night
It was getting late so I sent Kate off to bed and I figured that I should really do the same. I made my way to my room and began to clean up in front of the mirror. Brushing my teeth and cleaning my fur I noticed that the accident today left me a little gift. The metal that wrapped around and batted me in the face left a light yet noticeable scar that passed over my eye even though of course that my eye had healed completely.
"Well isn't that lovely," I told myself feeling it over. "At least it doesn't look that bad."
Shutting off the lights I was just ready to crawl into bed when a dark figure flew past the window and seemed to be in quite the hurry. Darting outside I caught a small glimpse of it before it disappeared onto the rooftops out of my sight. Thinking nothing much of it, I was just about to retire when I heard a cry for help. Putting on a pair of shorts I left the house and ran toward the direction of the continuing cries. I was almost considering taking up a new address for if this continued like this for some time I wasn't going to get any sleep. I mean I find helping people important but if this kind of stuff is going to hang around my place then forget it. I leapt up onto the rooftops and made my way in the general direction and looking down into an alley I found them. There were two attackers and one lonely victim. The two older males held guns and were dressed in black, but they were a little more complex than simple muggers. In fact their clothing looked quite expensive which baffled me as to why they would attack a young girl that appeared no more than twenty. Dropping down in between them the initial response was of course shock.
"Shit, another liken take him down," the one told the other as he pulled the trigger unloading three rounds into my chest.
"What the fuck is this?" I questioned finding a silver like substance oozing from my wounds as they began to immediately heal.
"What!? This cannot be, they are allergic to silver nitrate, why is he not dead yet?" The one demanded of the other taking a few steps back.
"Oh I get it you think I'm a werewolf, well I'm sorry to disappoint you but you got the wrong species boy and you are asking for a world of hurt right now," I told them beginning to advance on where they stood.
"Retreat, retreat," the one ordered as they fled out of the alley and into a parked car across the street.
Turning back I found the girl standing up and looking me over carefully. "You're not hurt?"
"Of course not, like I said I'm not a liken, I'm a mutant," I told her grabbing a rag from a garbage bin and wiping the silver ooze from my chest.
"Well liken or not I should thank you, my name is Luna."
"I'm Wolf," I told her taking her small hand into my own.
"Nice to meet you, Wolf." She replied. "I'm shocked, for being a mutant you resemble us likens quite well, just your facial structure and your fur keep you apart from us."
"I've seen your kind, I fought one not too long ago, he lost, I hope it wasn't anyone you knew," I said to her leaving the alley.
"I noticed that you heal as we do as well, another mutation?"
"Yes, it's has kept me going for some time now. You heal quickly as well do you not?" I asked bending down onto all fours.
"Yes we do, it grants us immortality, that is as long as we stay away from silver."
"Figured. I find it odd that for as long as I have walked the Earth I have only in the past ten years decided to really raise a family."
"Really? And why is that?" she asked following me down the street. "You can't be that old."
"I will turn 117 here this year and my father will turn 140 this year as well. He and I share similar mutations. Looking back now it had become a dominant trait in my bloodline and I wasn't surprised when my daughter was born with it as well," I told her rounding a corner.
"That's neat, but I must be off, I have things to take car of. Things with other likens. But if I see you again I'll be sure to pull you aside for a chat. Catch ya around Wolf," she said to me turning and walking in the other direction.
"Sure thing, see you Luna," I finished standing up and heading home, thinking that a light sprint wouldn't hurt.
I was glad that I was only a couple blocks out that made the trip not only shorter but less people would see me and since my rescue I guess didn't matter anymore but oh well. Slowing down and walking the last block, I rounded the corner and of all people she was there.
"Evening pup, been keeping busy?" she asked me.
"You know, I was simply going home to go to bed and sleep the rest of the night problem free you know but something always has to happen," I told her grabbing a seat on a park bench.
"Awww, poor pup got no energy left," she coaxed bending down to look me in the eye.
"When you have a day job as myself it helps to have rest," I told her, but then something odd caught my nose.
The scent was thin and bold and of course I had only picked that up from one location, Patience's place, just outside her door and from within her apartment. "There is so much to do at night though, go to clubs, bars are comfy. You know the whole touring bit," she said.
"Me? Go to clubs, I don't think so Patience, I could clear a club faster than a good headliner could fill it," I replied knowing that my little name trick could be a long shot but I had to admit that her body fit that profile, as did her scent.
"We'll just have to get you something better to wear than fur, eh Jack?" she noted coyly correcting my look of shock.
"How long have you known?" I questioned.
"Oh not long but having Kate out of makeup seemed to be a dead giveaway," she told me taking a seat next to me on the bench. "Come on we have to get out a bit, so go upstairs and grab some clothes and then we can head out and grab a drink alright."
"Man o man things are just going bloody weird this week, I'll be back."
"Oh take your time, I say your out of there in 15 min max," she noted leaning against the door to my home.
Sure enough I was out of there in no time at all, I dressed casually and fixed on my image inducer. I bound my hair and stepped outside where she waited for me, still in her outfit. "What? You not going to change."
"I'm easy to change," she said pulling off her mask and claws. Unclipping her whip she set everything just inside my door and walked back out on the step to meet me. "There, finished. What do you think?"
"Fine with me, where do you want to go?" I asked walking just to the corner of the block and calling for a taxi.
"Oh I don't know, but I just noticed for all the money you make how come you don't drive a car?"
"I don't know, I guess I have no need for one. That's why I own a bike," I told her forgetting about the taxi and guiding her back to my humble abode.
Just off to the side of my front entrance there was a wider door that appeared to belong to a blacksmith's shop. Opening the lock the doors swung open and before us sat my gem. It was my soft tail chopper that my dad had gotten for me those few years ago. Walking up she ran her fingers over the curves, admiring the way that the bike flowed. It seemed to fly just sitting there.
"I think this is better than a taxi don't you?" I asked.
"Oh god this is like sex for the eyes," she replied sitting on it and gripping the bars.
Looking at her sit on it, she seemed kind of small. I remembered when I changed, I had to stretch the frame and recurve the backbone so that it would handle my extra size. Aside from that she was one and the same, just the way I got her. Taking the key from the hook on the wall I turned her over and she roared to life. The strait pipe exhaust echoed loudly against the wall of the small room. I handed her a cap and she took her place behind me placing her feet on the rails. The evening was quiet as we coasted about, not too much traffic and the lights seemed to be in our favor. We rolled around the last corner before coming too a stop just in front of a club called "The Nite Light". She hopped off and I locked it up placing the keys in my pocket before joining her at the doorman. He was 6'5 and probably weighed in at around 250, stocky and trim. Of course I was still bigger standing an even 7 foot and weighing in at a clean 300. Don't question my weight it's all in my bones, that metal ain't the lightest shit in the world y'know. She gave him a seductive glance and I gave him a death threat stare with my real eyes and of course we were let into the fine establishment. Just beyond the double doors the music was loud and the people were jumpin', lights were goin' and there was a full bar to boot. To tell you the truth I don't think I had been in a better club, of course I hadn't been to many. My past experience with a club would have been a biker bar just outside Rocky Mountain House. Not a bad place, you just had to watch for flying body parts and weaponry. Taking a seat at the bar she ordered a White Russian and I ordered a Double Black Jack on the rocks.
"So how long have you been like that?" she asked me.
"Like what?" I replied.
"You know, furry."
"Oh, for about fifteen years now."
"Really, so do you change willingly to the furry thing or what?"
"No, that is what I really look like," I told her taking a sip of my drink.
"Then what is all of this, do you shave and grow fur overnight?"
"What you see is a holographic image that is being projected to conceal my real form. In actuality this is how I looked before I became furry," I explained.
"You mean the tail, the eyes, the whole bit..."
"The whole bit."
"Wow, wait...wait...wait what about Kate. How can you look like this and she look like that?"
"I am a mutant, and so is she. Our mutations occurred at random. I have noticed however there is one that remains quite constant within our bloodline though. My father has an accelerated healing factor that has kept him looking quite young for the past 140 years. I have the trait and as does Kate. I first noticed it when she was messing around with scissors and she cut herself, no more than 10 seconds later her body had sealed the cut and healed without scarring," I told her.
"What does it heal?"
"Everything, I can't get sick, I don't need a doctor, I don't even age. Hell I still look like I'm in my thirties."
"You said like in your thirties...how old are you?" she asked.
"I will be 117 this year," I replied taking a good take on my drink.
"Holy shit! ... Oops did I say that too loud," she stated catching the attention of a few people while I ordered another taking my lead she did the same.
The night drew on and the club never slowed, we sat and talked mostly about our lives and I guess I gave her the whole story. I told her about the mansion and my father and the weapon x programs. She told me about her abilities and how they came to her not long before we met. We talked more about Kate and a bit about Kitty, she told me about her initial run in with the cops and dismal life before her untimely death and unexpected rebirth. I was shocked to say that for all of our differences we were utterly the same. The only other person that I had ever really gotten to know to this kind of degree was Kitty, it opened my eyes to what I really loved about her and what I was truly missing from her. We sat there, it was one of those awkward moments where no one had to say anything, but unfortunately it was snapped out back into reality as I heard a gunshot and a bottle smashed open just inches from my head. People ran screaming as I grabbed Patience and dove over the bar counter.
"What the hell?" she asked.
"Someone just shot at me, that's what," I told her poking my head up and taking a head count.
There were four of them all with rotwilers and all of them packing guns. Three men and a woman. "Come out liken, we want a challenge."
"Did he just call you a liken, what the fuck is a liken?" she asked as I removed my shirt and image inducer.
"That would be the other name for a werewolf, so far I take it they are vampires. Obviously they don't like likens, this might be the fact that I helped one this evening and they want a little payback," I rapidly said, doing another headcount.
"I'm gonna help you," she told me getting ready to jump over.
"No, and for two reasons. One you don't have your mask or whip or even claws for that matter, and two I don't think that you can take a few rounds in the chest and not be rushed to hospital."
"True enough. Just don't get yourself killed," she told me looking me in the eye.
"Now you're just starting to sound like my mother... in law," I replied standing up from behind the counter.
"Ah there you are, come out here so we can see you," one said showing me out onto the dance floor.
Walking out there were people all about hiding in corners and such trying to keep away from the few of us in the center of the room. Looking beyond the initial four of them there were two at the door blocking the exit.
"You brought a full troop, I wouldn't have thought that you wanted me dead that badly. Shit all I did was help one woman from a couple of your goons," I told them.
"You'll be sorry for that," he said releasing two of the four dogs.
The two dogs jumped up at me, catching both of their heads I cracked them together and let their lifeless bodies drop to the floor at my feet. As the other two looked at me I let out a low and long growl leaving them to whimper and tuck their tails between their legs.
"Get him," he said as three ran up.
All of them packing blades, I grabbed the first arm in reach snapping it and them snapping his neck. The woman and man left began their attack as I grabbed the man's blade and the woman drove hers into my back. Bellowing in discomfort I back far to the other end of the room. The man's blade was cutting deep into my hand as he grabbed another and drove it deep into my abdomen. Using my free hand I gripped his neck and tossed him upwards breaking his neck on the ceiling. Again the woman came, this time I made it her last as I batted across the face sending her into a concrete pillar that upon impact blew apart and left her dead lying in the rubble.
"You'll pay for that," he told me removing his coat and exposing the two diamond tipped whips he had laced around his arms.
Pulling them off he began cracking the air and tearing bits and bits from my body every time he drew a cut. The blood began to trickle as he cut crosses and streaks up and down my chest and face. Watching them move I grabbed the whips and yanked him towards me, grabbing his face and simultaneously smashing it into the floor at my feet crushing the back of his skull.
"I think he needs a doctor," I told the four at the door tossing them the bodies.
They hurriedly picked up their fallen and left. Oddly enough the first one to come out of hiding was Patience. Walking over she glanced at my battered body, with a look of concern.
"You gonna be alright?" she asked as the cuts in my chest began to heal up.
"Yeah give me a minute, oh would you mind?" I asked pointing to the blade in my back. "Even if I beller don't stop just keep on pulling alright."
"Sure," she replied as she took hold of the long knife and pulled hard.
It was plenty deep as I couldn't help but whimper a bit as it came out. Taking a knee she came in front of me and took hold of the other one. "You good?"
"Go for it," I told her. "Ahhhhhh!" I said as the second and lengthy blade was drawn out.
"Oh sorry, sorry," she said dropping it on the floor.
"Don't worry, I've been through worse," I told her standing back to my feet.
All around me I could hear people mumble stuff about me, mostly from the accident that had happened recently which I helped in. I wasn't too concerned though, they knew that I wasn't going to hurt them and that I hoped for was enough. Looking behind me Patience had returned with my shirt and image inducer. Putting them on I looked back to normal some of the people including the manager had a few words to say.
"You know you big son of a bitch, someone is going to have to pay for all of this," he told me pointing a finger at all of the damage.
"Yeah I know, how much will it take to fix all of this 10,000?" I assessed.
"Hah! A high end club like this try more like 20," he yelled.
"Alright, can I give you a cheque now for it or should I come back tomorrow with cash?" I questioned.
"What? You can't tell me that you have all this money just lying around."
"Yeah, I've got several hundred million dollars sitting around just in the bank right now, it would be nothing to simply cut you a cheque," I told him digging out my wallet and signing one over to him.
The man was speechless as I simply walked out of the door and let him be on his way. Patience and I got on the bike and rode off for home. Rounding the last corner I brought the bike into the little garage and shut off the engine. I placed the key and helmets back on the wall and locked the doors behind us on the way out.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," I replied walking up to the front door to my house.
"With all that money, you still work and you don't have a huge home, and you don't even own a car. Why live like that?" she asked following me up the steps.
"Well I decided to do it for Kate's sake, I didn't want her to become a woman that had a silver spoon stuck in her mouth all her life. I want her to lean what it is to work and to become successful. And I also have no real desire to have a large amount of luxuries. I mean I lived in the bush for well over a century before making my way to the mansion here in the states," I told her unlocking the door and stepping inside. "Do you want to come in for a bit?"
"Sure why not," she replied making her way in.
We stepped in and I took off my image inducer, taking the bands out of my hair I set them in a bowl on the table next to the door. "Coffee, tea, or...milk?" I asked heading to the kitchen.
"Oooo, don't tempt me," she replied. "Milk will be quite fine."
"Make yourself at home," I told her bringing the cups into the living room.
"Oh, don't mind if I do," she said while I flipped through the channels for a good movie.
Seeking out a nice quiet one we relaxed a bit and sat back to enjoy it. I was soon eyeing the clock as it struck half past two and our film was just about ending, looking down I noticed that she had fallen asleep placing her head on my chest and lightly purred away. Clicking off the movie I placed my arm around her as she unknowingly took it and wrapped it around her. I then too shut my eyes and quietly dozed off to sleep.