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Unknown. Unknown, Unknown
Filth. Pollution. Smog. Suffocating her, clogging throat. Stench strong, tearing awake. Light. Bright. Overwhelming; blinding. Adjust, slowly. Pain's still there, but softer. Breathing hurts. Place is wrong. Wrong. Where?
See. Not home. Not woods. All around, not-trees. Bigger, taller. No leaves. Shiny panels, holding sun. Stone and metal. Hives. Soft, pudgy drones. Two-legs. Walking, plodding, behind shiny screens. Stopping. Talking. Laughing? Slow. Weak. Where are its predators? Ledge. Balance, peer. On top of not-tree. High. More two-legs. Many. Between them, shiny boxes. Colorful. Colors. More than time before coldness. Like flowers but moving, gathering and waiting for others. Two-legs dodge around. Predators? Lazy predators.
Listen. Hurts, hurts, hurts. Too much. Chatter, rumbles, screams. Block. Block it out. Two-legs noisy, lazy predators noisier. Too much. Adjust. Growl, whimper. Not-tree hot. Shade. Need shade. Look. Branch thing? Shade. Has shade. Crawl, crouch, listen. Softer now. Better. Still too loud. Two-legs talk. Talk too much. Should learn to listen. Lazy predator screams, horrible sound. Hurts. Want stop.
Taste. Wrong. Air is wrong. Something sick? Dying? Worse. Like poison. Floating toxins. Still worse. Hates tongue. Tongue hates back. Spit. Taste still there. Water? Want water. Wash out mouth. Burns. Lips sealed, still burns.
Touch. Feel. Off. Stone is not-stone. Strange. Weird. Too hot. Baked in sun. Too much. Needs trees, leaves. Rough. Pebbly. Pricks at feet, but flat. Not like sharp stones. No cutting. Clean. Unnatural. No dirt. No sap. Unnatural. Wrong. Wrong.
Smell. Don't smell. Bad smell. Worst smell. Worse than rot. Worse than after-food. Belching lazy predators. Stinking breath. Long-ear thing in belly moving. Rising. Force back down. Spit. Tastes better than place. Nose hurts. Stench hurt. Horrible. Horrible. But food. Beneath stench, food. Meat, flesh. Food. Stomach rumbles. Hungry. Long-ear too small. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Smells good. Fresh. Feed. Eat. Consume.
Wait. Not home. Stop. Think. Think. Remember. Was home. Then sleep. Before sleep? Things. Dark things. Birds? Moving. In trees. Her trees. Her home. Marked. Not theirs. Pain. In shoulder. Thing was there, like stinger. With tiny feathers. Rip out. Growl. Attack. Tough hide. But not tough enough. Claws sliced. Tore. Found flesh. Found blood. Two-legs. Bleed good. Taste good. Then more stinging. All over. Turned. Challenged. But wobbled. Weak. Sleepy. Fell asleep. Then woke. Here. Strange place. Wrong place.
Rage. Anger. Hunger. Take from home. Leave. Hunt. Make take home. Stomach whining. Hunger. Stabbing, twisting. Hunger. Need eat. Need meat.
Edge. Look. Look. Two-legs. Many. Fat, slow. Weak. Easy prey. Lots of meat. Little trouble. Eat good. Eat. But predators. Pred - look. Not predator. Two-leg opening side. Going in. No prey that dumb. Look. More. Leaving. Going in. Not predators. Caves? Moving caves? Maybe shell. Snails. Fast snails. Maybe. But, more with no shells. Plenty to eat.
Jump. Fall. Falling. Wind feels right, besides stink. See shell. Stopping near other two-legs. Closer. Side opening. Closer. Two-leg getting out, shutting side. Strange shell. Stinky shell. Closer. Shell beeps. Beep-beep. Strange. Closer. Two-leg at silver stick. Feeding it? Landing.
Shell crumples. No cracking. Shriek, and top tears way. Inside soft. Smells funny. Good funny. Almost home but fake. But then fear. Not her. Their fear. Shouts. Strange sounds. Familiar, not familiar. Remember. Something there, tugging, pulling. Name?
No. No time. Eat. Track. Home. Follow. No memories. No more pain. Jump. Out of shell. Strange stone. Coarse, cracked. Two-legs, all around. Watching. Baring teeth. Threat. But no moving. Standing still. Next to tiny, silver tree, male. Fallen. Staring. Terrified. Good fear. Tasty. Salivate. Purr. Whoops. Focus. Outnumbered. Surrounded. Sounds. Two-legs with strange things. Little boxes. Weapons? Some talking to, some pointing at her. Hungry. Dislike. Growl.
There. Fear. Crouch, tensed. Growl. Threaten. Hungry. Two-legs back away. Many. Too many. Too close. Stop! Two-leg. Moving closer. Flabby. Shedding. Making sounds. Familiar, not familiar. Smells sweet. Wants to help. Wrong. Don't need help. Need food. Hand reaching. Slight shake. Smells sweet. Shift. Let two-leg draw closer. Arm extended. Reaching. Sweet. Hungry. Off-balance. Strike!
Teeth close. Air. Hungry. Two-legs pulled back. Saved by herd. But, fear. Hungry. Sweet, sweet fear. Hungry. Screams. Shrieks. Prey, running. Fleeing. Fun. Hungry.
Smile.
Feed.
Titans Tower. 1129 Hours, 02 AUGUST 2014
"C'mon, what'cha got? What'cha got?! Nothing! That's right," Cyborg grinned as his fingers frantically darted about the controller in his hands.
"Oh, I'll show you what I got," Beast Boy retorted, attempting to maneuver his digital vehicle about Cyborg's craft only to be thwarted by it shifting in front of him.
"Yeah, bring it. Bring it," urged the larger youth.
"Dude, it is so brung!"
"It doesn't matter how many times you use it. That is still not correct grammar," Raven sighed from her place on the couch, but Beast Boy paid no heed to her comment. His focus was entirely dedicated to the game as he watched for the opportunity to make his move. As Cyborg drifted over to block him from passing once again, he swooped back to the other side and activated his boost, cutting ahead of him with a triumphant shout.
"Hah! Eat it, tin man."
"Race isn't over yet, green genes," he countered. Despite his bravado, the distance to the finish line was rapidly closing, and Beast Boy maintained his dominance. Raven could feel the excitement and despair pouring off of the changeling and Cyborg respectively, and she wondered how such a game could produce such heightened emotions. As his vehicle drew closer to the finish, Beast Boy stood as his friend hammered frantically at the buttons and just as the violet vehicle was about to cross the checkered line, the lights turned red and the screen was replaced with a map of a city.
Beast Boy's elation abruptly dissipated and he dropped to his knees as he howled, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I. Was. So. CLOSE!"
"Quit your bawlin', salad head. We've got a city to save," Cyborg said as he hid his relieved grin and Robin and Starfire entered the room.
"Your noble intentions are somewhat marred by your satisfaction," Raven noted, closing her heavy book.
"King Cyborg maintains his reign," he shrugged, his smirk growing despite his attempts to stifle it.
"There are reports of some type of monster rampaging through the city," Robin announced. "I've sent the last known coordinates to your Communicators."
"Good," Beast Boy said as he stood, his expression strangely serious as he clenched his fist. "I'm going to kick the butt of the loser that made me lose!"
As he took the form of a large eagle that released a fierce shriek as he shot through the door, heading to the roof, Raven commented, "At least he's motivated."
Cyborg and Robin made their way to the basement and their vehicles while the girls took flight, following Beast Boy's path, both surprised and impressed with the distance he had gained. They joined him as he swept over the crystalline waters that sparkled under the bright rays of the sun and weaved through the spires of the city. He cut cleanly through narrow passages, tucking his wings and soaring over the streets until the scream of sirens reached his ears. Looking back to the others, he gave a sharp screech and then banked, cutting down an alley and zooming towards the flashing lights that passed by the other end.
Flying over them, his keen gaze picked up a dark figure, one that he was unfamiliar with, hurtling over the rooftops with unnatural grace and speed. At first he though the person was wearing a cloak before he realized that it was her hair that flowed behind her, loamy brown and long enough to completely cover her short form. Long-dried mud and dirt matted the thick locks, and small branches twisted within the tangle. Hands and feet flowed seamlessly in unison to propel her forward, and her movements were somewhere between those of a gorilla and a lioness. Deep lines scarred the roofs in the wake of her passage and as she leapt at a taller building, her talons bit into the wall, allowing her to travel up it without slowing.
There was a tan flash, and he realized, somewhat abashedly, that she was nude save for the layer of dirt and grime that covered her. She paused upon the corner of a structure without warning and whirled about, her golden gaze finding Beast Boy, and he froze as he caught sight of her. Her shape was human, beyond the claws and the fangs bared in an animalistic snarl, but there was something unquestionably alien about her. Some feature that he could not name separated her from the remainder of the race, but that did not stop the very human and very devious grin from spreading across her lips before she darted down the side of the building, diving into a narrow alley that the police cars had followed her into.
As the last car in the blaring convoy scraped into the passage, their quarry suddenly threw herself from the wall, and bounded off the opposite building to slam atop the hood of the lead car. Wicked claws anchored her in place as the vehicle lurched to a halt and its companions crunched into each other as they jolted to a stop. The officers gawked at the woman as her lips stretched into a foreboding smile before she lifted her hands and drove them heedlessly into the hood, stabbing through it and ripping out gushing tubes and sparking wires. While the passengers fumbled with their sidearms, she leapt onto the wall again, one of her claws hooked in the hood of the car that she had split from the car, and she charged along the surface of bricks to leap atop the final police cruiser.
Lifting the jagged remains of her makeshift weapon overhead, she stabbed it into the heart of her new prey and its rumbled challenge fell silent. Behind her, the blue-garbed protectors of Jump City tried to open their doors only to bash them against the walls until there was just enough room for the leaner members to stick an arm through. Her positioning upon one of their number stayed their fire and the wild woman grinned again before she leapt atop the roof of the car. Quick slashes stripped away any protection the pair within had deluded themselves into thinking they had, and she hissed a wordless promise of what was to come.
The driver moved to draw his pistol but she discouraged such efforts with a kick that produced a sharp crack as his wrist smashed against the radio. Grinding her heel against the broken bones and eliciting a pained shout, the wild woman swung to catch his partner by her collar, tearing her from the passenger seat. Thrown onto the sidewalk, the young protector of the peace struggled to sit up and grab her firearm when the creature was suddenly looming over, claws pressed to either side of her prey's head and mouth open to showcase her dirty fangs. Her jaws opened wider and she lunged forward only to be deprived, yet again, of a mouthful of blood as she was hauled into the air.
The wild woman blinked in confusion at the increasingly distant street, suspended upside down by one foot as an authoritative voice declared, "That is quite enough. You shall hurt no one else."
Her eyes snapped up towards the golden girl who regarded her imperiously, and the long-haired woman snarled defiantly before suddenly twisting about, slipping free of Starfire's hold and coiling up her arm. Sliding onto her back, the savage slipped a leg under the heroine's chin, constricting against her neck, and she secured a triangle choke as she hung from the youth's back. As the heroine tried to peel away the deceptively strong limbs attempting to strangle her, teeth scraped and then pierced her toned leg and her attacker purred in vicious glee as she lapped at the opened well of blood.
Motivated by the sudden pain, Starfire gasped and managed to tear her away, throwing her at the street with a strained grunt. Her eyes blazed furiously as she seethed before blinking at the woman hurtling towards the ground at a dangerous pace. Reining in her warrior's instincts, she gasped, "I am very much sorry! That was not my intent!"
"I've got her," Raven assured her, shooting past and throwing a hand forward. A black aura encased the tumbling figure, halting her descent and carrying her to the low roof of a nearby building. Below them, Beast Boy sullenly helped Cyborg and Robin extricate the trapped police, glancing upwards as Starfire and Raven landed overhead with the fiend who had cost him his virtual victory. The sorceress huffed as the woman thrashed fiercely, struggling against the dark bonds, and Raven brought another hand to bear as she tried to focus on restraining her.
Rage, hunger, fear, and sorrow suddenly flooded her, threatening to snap her concentration, as her soul self amplified her empathic powers and transferred her captive's raw emotions to her. She could not stop the growl at humanity's weakness, their destruction of their own home, and Starfire regarded her worriedly as the grey-skinned girl shook her head and tried to push away the consuming thoughts. They persisted, pushing against her mental barriers and threatening to overwhelm her with sheer malevolence, appealing to a part of her that bore a greater resemblance to her father than she would ever admit. Sweat beaded upon her forehead and the aura holding the savage began to waver. Curiosity crept into the heady mix as the wild woman tested her weakening containment before giving Raven a fanged grin.
Starfire screamed for the sorceress as the feral assailant burst from her imprisonment, and time seemed to slow for Raven. She watched the bare feet hit the ground and immediately adjusted to launch the dirt-crusted figure forward. Her teammate moved to block the attack, but Raven could already see that she was not going to make it, and she brought her own arms up to defend herself. A black shield began to expand from them, but the claws were already catching and stabbing through the belly of her suit to reach her skin, shredding into the muscle and dragging along it. Pain surged along her abdomen as the razor-tipped fingers clenched and hurled her towards Starfire who managed to catch her friend as their foe fled, bounding from the roof to the street below.
Despite the pain arcing through her body, Raven tried to sit up only to be stopped by a gloved hand, and she suddenly noticed that Beast Boy had hurriedly joined them on the roof.
"Don't worry. We got this," he growled, his emerald eyes already taking on the blank, pearly sheen of his animal forms. With a nod to Starfire, he charged for the edge and leapt downward, joining Robin who had boarded his motorcycle to chase down the fleeing villainess. A sleek cheetah took the lead as Starfire held a small starbolt over her friend's wound and Cyborg checked on the battered officers.
The savage moved fluidly upon all four limbs, easily bypassing any obstacle upon the sidewalk, regardless if it was tables, trees, or even people. She shifted from running to clambering as easily as breathing, and her movements took on a serpentine aspect as she slithered through a crowd without slowing. Stopping atop a table that had been set outside to permit couples the opportunity to enjoy the pleasant weather, she hooked her claws in the backs of the chairs and launched one at each of the heroes pursuing her. Robin swerved out of the way while Beast Boy merely barreled into the form of a styracosaurus, thundering relentlessly forward as the chair bounced off his frill. His target hissed before leaping into the air as he crashed towards her with a bellow, sending a table flying into the air.
She landed upon his back and quickly found that she could not penetrate the moss green scales. Seizing his frill as he attempted to buck her off, she swung over his head, nimbly avoiding the horns to grind her heel into one of his blank eyes. Jumping away as he jerked his head about and crashed into the restaurant, she smirked at the masked boy who had brought a pair of short staves to bear against her.
"That's enough. Stand down now, and nobody else has to get hurt," he offered.
"H-h-hert?"
He balked at the sudden vocalization, unable to help the flush in his cheeks as the woman stood and he was granted an unhindered view of her severe lack of attire. He tried to focus upon the safe zone of her face that twisted in concentration as she struggled to produce words.
"Hert. 'M-member h-h-h-hert. Don't like. N-no. Hert bad. Don't like," she muttered distractedly, unable to focus upon him as she shook her head, pressing the heel of her palm against her forehead. Strange lowing sounds echoed from her throat as she stumbled backwards, pushing another hand against her forehead.
Lowering his weapons as he deciphered her stunted speech, he approached cautiously, "Nobody likes pain. But I can help you. That's what I do. Here."
Frightened, golden eyes swung towards him as he removed his cape, offering it for use in at least some covering beyond the paint of the elements upon her body. He avoided entering her personal space, forcing her to move towards him and she cautiously inched forward, taking deep sniffs as she gauged his scent. He offered a reassuring smile, keeping his lips closed as he recalled reading somewhere that bared teeth was considered a challenge amongst canines. Her deep gaze studied him suspiciously, still debating whether to trust him or not as she cautiously closed the final few inches.
"Rob, look out!"
Claws ripped through his cape, reaching for his neck but he twisted the garment about, trapping the limb within it before a kick impacted with his chest, sending him crashing into a car parked along the street. Snarling, the savage woman turned to catch the horns of the dark green bull charging her, calloused feet skidding along the asphalt that her claws stabbed into, bringing them both to a halt. Beast Boy immediately switched forms into that of an octopus, his multitude of limbs binding about her own, but the fearsome armaments of her maw sank into one of his tendrils before she reared back, tearing away a portion of his flesh. Before he could rearrange his arms to prevent her from doing so, her teeth had already sunk in again, tearing into the exposed tissue with disquieting fervor as she swallowed the meat. Casting her away, he returned to his human form and pressed hands against the ugly gashes in his arm as she dashed towards him, claws scraping along the road and blood soaked jaws open in anticipation of another taste.
He braced himself for the attack only for a blue beam to slam into her, sending her tumbling down the road and Cyborg kept the blast on her as he stoically advanced. She howled at the sonic pulsations, clutching at her ears, but the tall hero calmly declared, "Booyah. Y'all right, BB?"
"Love bites," he answered through a pained grunt as he pressed at the bleeding. "Looks like she wanted a piece of the lean, green love ma-sheen."
"Can't say much for her tastes, I guess," he mused as he finally released the sonic pulse. She whimpered upon the ground, still clutching at her ears as Cyborg advanced, producing a pair of thick handcuffs from a compartment in his torso. Clamping them about her wrists, he dodged as her feet lashed out at him, their claws nearly taking his remaining eye and managing to draw a line of blood across his cheek. With a scowl, he drew another pair of cuffs and trapped her ankles before throwing her over his shoulder. He was surprised by her strength and struggled to hold her as she writhed about, snapping at him. "Woah! Hey, man, tell your girlfriend to chill."
"You're the one getting all touchy-freely there with her," the changeling responded as they were joined by Robin who was pushing his Communicator back into his belt.
"The police and Starfire are on the way, and Raven is headed to the Tower to the infirmary. Beast Boy, you should head there, too. Can you fly on your own?" he said.
Experimentally, Beast Boy shifted into a falcon and flapped his wings, creating a small storm of bloodied feathers before he nodded through the pain, "Yeah, I'm good."
"You sure, man?" Cyborg asked as he dodged the snapping jaws of his captive. "You're lookin' worse than you normally do."
"How about you take a page from fangface's book and bite my oh-so-finely-feathered tuchus, tinman?" suggested the shape shifter playfully as he took to the air. Scarlet stained pinions fluttered down in his wake and his flight pattern was shaky, but he rose over the surrounding buildings and soared towards the bay. Cyborg worriedly watched until he was out of sight, staring after his friend even after he was out of sight, and his captive took advantage of his distraction, throwing her legs into the air to put him off-balance before swinging them back down, driving them into his chest with a loud crunch and pushing free from his grip. He grunted as he was thrown from his feet, and she landed nimbly on the ground and snarled at him threateningly. Before she could make any move, whether to attack or flee, her jaw suddenly clenched shut and her body stiffened, twitching slightly as a crackling sound filled the air. After a moment, she dropped to the ground, moaning softly as the taser birdarang in her back used the last of its power.
"Hopefully that will put her out for a while," Robin sighed though he refrained from immediately returning the second birdarang to his utility belt. Cyborg scowled at the dent in his chassis as he grunted and slung the unmoving savage over his shoulder.
"Man, I'm startin' to miss bein' bored. Where are all these new nuts crawlin' from?"
Infirmary, Titans Tower. 1210 Hours, 02 AUGUST 2014
Raven winced as she dabbed at the painful gashes torn across her abdomen with the warm cloth, wiping away the blood that had caked on her skin. Four long lines decorated her toned stomach, no longer bleeding and she was fortunate that the talons had not stabbed deeper. She had discarded the ruined suit and donned grey sweatpants with an indigo, long-sleeved shirt that she had kept pulled up to treat her wound. Disinfectant had been judiciously applied to the scars and she smeared more on one of the pads that she pressed to the scars before using powers to wrap a gauze bandage about her injury.
"Gotta say, Rae, you're probably the hottest mummy girl I've ever seen," Gar smirked as he entered the infirmary.
She didn't bother warning him of the misuse of her name once again and merely flickered a glare up at him as she mused, "I can't imagine that's a large pool to choose from."
"You'd be surprised. The internet is a strange and, at times, utterly terrifying place," he explained as he stared aimlessly into the distance before shuddering. Chuckling to himself, he approached the medicine cabinet and began to rifle through it.
"You're hurt?" she asked.
"Tis only a flesh wound," he said as she took the hand of the arm that he had been clutching. She scowled at the mangled mess that was oozing blood and paid no heed to his pained hiss as she pushed back his sleeve.
"Flesh wound. Right. I'm guessing losing a leg would be a minor inconvenience."
"Of course. I'd just bite his kneecaps off," he beamed.
"I feel like you're making references I don't understand again," she said as she levitated the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth into her hand.
"Oh, c'mon! We've watched that movie at least six times. Yow! Jeez, if you're going to use that much, I might as well bathe in it," he criticized as she pressed the soaked rag to his wounds.
"I likely had more important things to do. Such as sleep," she said as she washed away the blood. "And I'd be more than happy if you'd just bathe in water. Preferably with soap. You stink."
"Gee, thanks," he grumbled as he watched her.
Her amethyst gaze was intent upon her work and as a lock of matching hair swung into her vision, she blew it away. The stubborn strands persisted, returning to sway before her eyes and she gave a small, exasperated sigh, one he recognized from many of their previous interactions. Delicate fingers that he desperately wished to capture in his own and never release reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear before she returned to her task. She had spent a lifetime repressing emotions, but they could never truly be banished and Beast Boy had trained himself over the years to spot them. Concern practically painted her features, softening them, but there was a hint of anger at his injuries. His gaze focused upon the small frown it produced in her full lips, and they mesmerized him for a second before he clenched his eyes shut.
"You know, I can take care of that. Steve made sure we could all patch up our own boo-boos," he offered, opening his eyes as he subdued the tempest of emotion that had threatened to overwhelm him. He smirked and quickly made a joke, "Of course, he wasn't a huge fan of the Powerpuff Girls band-aids. But those girls were badass. First cartoon dudettes I ever had a crush on."
Raven froze at his comment, seemingly just now realizing what she had been doing and she cleared her throat as she set the bottle and cloth on the edge of the bed beside them. She stood, giving a slight inclination of her head, "Of course. Go right ahead."
He suspected that she had not listened to his second remark, but any mock indignation fled his mind as she slid by him, her entirely unique scent invading his nose and he held his breath for a moment to savor it. He bit his lip to prevent it from releasing something stupid and decided that he had been more than creepy enough for one day, releasing his breath of her and turning to his wound. Although his sleeve had been rolled up, it still partially covered one of the bites and the material of his suit was too thick to be piled any further. Tossing his gloves on the bed, he slipped his fingers under the hem of the top, hissing again as pain shot through his arm. The shirt was over his head before it became too much and he wheeled to face Raven who was checking her bandages.
"Rae," he whispered, leaning towards her with his arms sticking out and his hands flailing helplessly. "Rae, save me! I'm trapped!"
"What did yo-" she paused as she witnessed his predicament, holding back a laugh. Stepping forward, she grabbed his shirt and pulled it the rest of the way from his body with only a minor struggle. He yelped at the pain in his arm and hopped about for a moment before calming and taking a steadying breath. Raven arched a brow, "Very dignified."
"Hey, I think I have a tooth stuck in my arm," he protested indignantly. "I'm allowed a little bit of undignity."
"Indignity," she corrected automatically.
"And spelling mistakes!"
She rolled her eyes as he continued with the rather tentative application of the antiseptic and her gaze, as she often found it doing when he was without a shirt, slipped to study his surprisingly broad back. He disguised a sturdy, athletic frame beneath the dark suit, and supple muscles that appeared stringy when clothed stretched under his verdant skin. The male physique was nothing new to her, the beach was practically unavoidable with their location, some villains liked to swagger about showing off the muscles they developed in prison, and the Tower had experienced more than one shower mishap that was better left unmentioned, but she had never been permitted such an unobstructed view. There was no movement hindering her observation and she took longer than she should have to admire the sculpt of his shoulders, the flex of sinew beneath his skin. Much of her flushed appreciation vanished when she finally began taking note of the scars that had somehow previously escaped her notice.
The entire team had dozens of past injuries decorating their bodies, the reminders of battles or rescues that had not been as entirely well-coordinated as hoped. Beast Boy's body was a literal tapestry of faded wounds and the more analytical side of her brain quickly lost count. Cuts, burns, the familiar eruption of bullets traced his flesh, overlapping frequently and part of her pondered that he was more scar tissue than anything else. On hesitant steps, she approached the unaware changeling, her hand reaching to trace along an old slash and the memory of pain surged through her, the image of a beast, Adonis, raking his claws along Beast Boy's back. There was such deep anger linked with fear, worry, and disgust, but beneath them there was something else, a fledgling feeling but gaining strength as it matured into . . .
The connection dissipated as he whirled and backed away from her and she blinked, shaken from her stupor as he regarded her with wide-eyes and demanded, "Dude! What was that!?"
"What was what?"
"That. You-you did something."
"Garfield, I didn't do -"
"You read my mind. Oh my God, that's it! That's why I've been getting all those-"
"I didn't read your mind," she interjected.
"It definitely felt like it. Trust me. Steve's done it enough times that I kinda know the feeling," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his bared chest. Raven bit her lip though she remained unsure if it was to silence her appreciation of his physique or the reveal of one of the few secrets she was permitted.
"It was - I simply read your emotions," she answered.
"You have empathy."
She blinked and her eyes narrowed as she responded, "Yes. How did you -"
"Rae, I'm a comic book nerd. I probably know the cool-sounding names for more superpowers than you do," he said confidently, and she decided the subject was best left undisputed.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I -"
"Hold up. How long-how long have you had your-your empathy?" he asked, halting her attempt to flee.
"It's been around since I was a child, but after defeating my father, it has grown - stronger," she confessed.
"Your fath- that was nearly two years ago! You've had this-this thing for nearly two years and you didn't tell anybody!?"
His raised voice triggered a primal part of her brain, turning her hostile as she snapped, "I never held back anything that would have helped the team or protected civilians. Why does this trouble you?"
"No, I - it doesn't - I'm not . . ." he rambled, eyes avoiding her gaze before they hardened and fixed upon her. "Well, then why wouldn't you tell us that?!"
"Why don't you tell us that it hurts when you change?" she shot back, her voice low and even but no less intense. Her words caused him to balk and he took a step back, creating a buffer between them as he recovered.
"It - that doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter? Garfield, every time you change, much of my willpower is set to blocking out the feeling of your bones splintering and regrowing. Of tearing out of my flesh as a new layer crawls beneath it," she said, delicate brow furrowing.
"Look, my shape shifting only affected me - at least until this bombshell. But this - your empathy - that kind of affects all of us, Rae," he argued.
"Nobody was hurt by my secret. And with everything else about me laid bare, it was nice to have something that was solely mine," she contested before pausing as though listening to something far away. After a moment, she said, "The others have arrived. This is over."
She disappeared into a black portal that manifested upon the floor, leaving the shape shifter to clench his eyes shut and set his palms against the edge of the bed for support. They snapped open a second later, milky white, and he snarled as his claws stabbed into the bed and sheet, slashing through it before he calmed, letting the scraps of fabric drift lazily to the floor. He dropped his head again, balling his hands into fists to pound against the ravaged bed.
"Shit."
Oh, boy! Tension!
Anyway, we hope you're enjoying this story. In Ira's original design for Carnivore, she was still fully integrated with society but still had a wild streak. Shortly before writing this, he decided it would be more interesting to essentially have her be little more than an animal. A particularly cunning and maybe a little cruel, but still an animal. What do you all think?
Please review!