April 25, 2010.
A/N: Happy ANZAC day, SfS readers!
So, here's chapter ten. This chapter is one of my favourites, I'll have you know. I really love Morgan in it XD
A short but important announcement: updates for SfS will be less frequent for a while, because I'm writing three or four fics at once. Yes, I am a silly fooligan who is overloading on FF projects. Such is life. So SfS will still be updated - don't worry, I'm definitely NOT abandoning it. There just won't be new chapters every three days anymore. I don't think I can write that fast XD'
(I hope Chiharu isn't reading this O_O')
So, this story is really for Kyasarin Freakload, since she adores it so much, and is so dedicated a reader/reviewer. Really, Kya, it's your love for SfS that has kept me writing it and updating so often. So this one's for you :) Thank you.
Enjoy!
Searching for Solace
- TEN -
March 15 – 16:17
It happened while Morgan was sitting anxiously by Max's bed, one knee bouncing habitually as she worried. The more she'd thought about what Daniel Palmer had told her yesterday, the more she freaked out about it. What if it was true? Max would need serious help – and soon. Morgan wracked her memory for the last time she'd woken up, coming to the conclusion that it was before dinner the day before. She'd slept for almost twenty-four hours straight.
Things were not looking good, even if she wasn't poisoned.
A few stray, cold tears escaped, pattering lightly down her cheeks, and she'd just brushed them away irritably when there was a torrential stream of crashes from above. It sounded like someone had just dropped several cars on the roof from a great height. The lights flickered violently, then went out. An eerie feeling washed through the hospital. In Max's room, Morgan instinctively stiffened, her heart throbbing in her stomach as she strained to listen for noise.
The silence was scarier than the ear-splitting crashes; it was filled with suspense. Something was about to happen – something huge.
About twenty seconds later, the screaming started from above. Muffled voices – lots of voices – echoed down to the floors below, and Morgan got up from her chair, heart hammering. The noises above grew louder, screams mixing with crashes, and weird shrieks that didn't sound human. The terror bled down slowly; now it was louder – it had spread to the floor above, and was no doubt going to keep coming. Trembling, Morgan closed a hand around the doorknob, shutting her eyes tightly and steeling her nerves. She forced herself to wrench it open before fear got the better of her.
The same inhuman shrieks rang out – much louder now; the walls vibrated. When they subsided they left a strange ringing in Morgan's ears. The screaming started on their floor, and she peeked out timidly. Three enormous, mutant creatures – birds? Magpies? – were emerging from the fourth floor staircase, their knife-sharp talons leaving gigantic scrapes in the linoleum. The few staff and patients in the corridor scattered in terror, diving for the nearest doors. The magpies shrieked piercingly and stalked after them, slamming their huge beaks into the floor as they tried to snap them up, leaving alarmingly deep indents in the tiles.
Morgan slammed the door shut, flicking the lock over.
Okay, now what? She glanced frantically around the room. The monsters were storming the hospital, and they were probably going to kill everyone. Max had seen people die at her school – the creatures were mirthless. Their chances of survival were rapidly decreasing; they'd hit zero unless they got out of the hospital fast. Who knew how many mutant freak animals there were? She chewed her lip desperately, staring at Max. If she didn't get them out, they would die.
The crashing was getting louder. The booming footsteps of the oversized monsters were telling of the increasing amount of them stalking the corridors. There were too many to count. The screaming was louder. Windows were crashing behind the door.
"Okay, Max," Morgan said, astonished at how difficult it was to talk through her violently trembling. "I'm gonna get us outta here. We're gonna move now – so apologies in advance if I hit any bumps or hurt you at all. I really don't mean it."
As she talked, Morgan was busily checking all the machines Max was hooked up to. From the looks of things, it was all going to be pretty transportable, but it was going to be difficult. The ventilator, for instance, was plugged into an electrical socket. So was the heart monitor. But Max was definitely breathing – they could probably go without those two for now. While it would be handy to have her best friend's heart beat monitored while they were trying to escape, so she knew, at least, that she was still alive, Morgan didn't think it was entirely necessary.
Praying nothing terrible would happen, she reached down, heart in mouth, and yanked the plugs out of the socket. The beeping stopped. Max didn't even twitch. One eyelid fluttered for a second. Morgan let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. Turning off the ventilator hadn't killed Max. That was a promising start.
She grabbed Mackenzie's neatly folded clothes from the cupboard, dumping them on the bed, yanked up the metal arm rails to keep her from rolling out, and was unlocking the wheels to move when there was a very foreboding, sharp click from behind her. She froze, heart beating wildly, and whipped around just as the door burst open, slamming against the wall and bouncing back violently. A sturdy hand raised and abruptly stopped it from closing again. In the darkness Morgan couldn't make out the newcomer's features; only that he – it was definitely a he – was tall and broad-shouldered, with a disturbingly authoritative presence. She instinctively took a step backwards. Whoever this guy was, her instincts were warning her against him.
"Well, well," he said, in an eerily soft voice, void of emotion. Chills ran down her spine. "What have we here?"
He took a step into the room. Morgan took another step backwards. She moved instinctively closer to Max. No matter what happened, she had to protect her. Fight for those who cannot, Dr. Shirogane had said. And something was telling her that she was going to have to fight if they wanted to get out of here.
"What do you want?" she stammered bravely, wishing her voice was steadier.
The figure chuckled softly.
"Who are you?" Morgan tried again. Not that she cared; she just wanted to get out. Stalling for time while she tried to think of a plan was her only plan of action right now.
"Inconsequential," the guy replied. He stepped further into the room. "Hiding in here was never going to save you, little Mew. I'd let our pets destroy you, but I think I'd rather have the pleasure of doing it myself this time."
Morgan's heart froze. He was going to kill them. She was about to die. Holy fuck.
"Please," she murmured weakly, her knees locking so hard it was painful.
He laughed harshly. "Begging for mercy? Really? Pathetic. We were worried when that crazy scientist created more of you, but you're disgustingly weak. This whole mission is so easy it's almost disappointing."
He raised one arm, and Morgan watched as a glowing red orb grew slowly from his fingertips. It was an absurdly fascinating process. Like a large bubble was swelling from his hand – an extension of his skin… a deformed growth. She realised soon after, however, that what he was summoning was another Chimera Anima – but the eerie iridescent red was somehow much more worrying than the standard golden ones she'd gotten used to. She didn't know how she knew, but there was something much more sinister about this one.
In the faint red glow, the intruder's dark face was thrown into weak light. His eyes shone like luminous silvery-turquoise, catlike and strangely enchanting. Morgan found she couldn't look away. A moment later, the Chimera Anima was floating away from his fingertips, the red glow shifting and throwing his face back into shadow.
"You see that web in the corner?" he said, almost conversationally. Morgan had no idea what he was talking about. "Well, I suppose you can't; it's being blocked. If that web wasn't there, you might have perhaps stood a tiny chance."
He turned and spoke directly to the floating orb. "Fusion."
It all happened very fast. One moment, the red Chimera was hovering in front of Morgan, the next, it was somehow behind the TV. Red light exploded, and there was an epic crash as the TV was ripped from the wall. Morgan shrieked and threw herself to the side; the TV smashed into a wreckage of electrical parts on the ground, emitting several static zaps and sparks of light, and a tendril of acrid smoke.
Open-mouthed with shock, Morgan slowly looked up, and immediately backed away, straight into the chair, which overturned loudly. She stumbled, trying to regain her footing whilst keeping an eye on the swelling daddy-long-legs in the corner. Already it was the size of a small dog. She listened to its many legs groaning under pressure as it tried to stay confined to its corner, which it had largely outgrown. The poor thing probably hadn't even wanted to be found, and now it was being forced to become a vicious monster.
Her sympathy was short-lived, though. It snapped its fangs threateningly, stretching two spindly legs towards her. She dodged one and moved to Max's side, the urge to protect her best friend swelling inside her. If the beast got Max, she had no chance. There was no way Morgan was letting that happen – not when she knew she'd been handed the ability to save her. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the golden pendant, which was unnaturally warm in her fingers.
As the spider clumsily clambered down from the wall, taking up far too much of the tiny room as it advanced towards them, Morgan held the pedant tightly in her hands, hugging it close to her chest. This tiny little charm was their only chance.
"Please," she whispered desperately, feeling utterly ridiculous and foolish, and not caring. "Please help me."
Furious golden light exploded from the pendant, engulfing her, and the words rose to the tip of her tongue without her consciously thinking them. She heard her own voice shout, confidently and clearly, "Metamorphosis!" and then a glorious warmth was cascading through her body, swirling around her in a delightful, comforting embrace. It was like she was being washed by pure joy; it filled her heart and her mind, filling her with hope and faith, and determination. She was falling through a chasm of bliss, touching only starbursts of elation.
When she felt the warmth draining away like a gentle breeze, and the room swam back into focus around her, she felt strong and revitalised. The enormous spider was still edging towards her but she was no longer afraid of it. Why should she fear it when she could kill it? She'd been given the power to overcome monsters like this – she could feel the powerful energy coursing like electricity through her veins as the new genes in her body reared enthusiastically. Her animal counterpart was ready, and she was ready. This was their fight, and they were going to win.
"Banksia blades!" she summoned without conscious thought, and in her hands materialised a set of lethal-looking daggers. She gripped them tightly, already seeing in her mind the exact way in which she would use them. It was too easy. "Reborn Wallaby Strike!"
She darted forward, preparing for the blow. She hacked easily through an advancing leg, ignoring the foul-smelling mucus that spurted from the gash, pushing forward, slicing her way through another two until she was directly underneath the spider's body. With a war cry, she thrust upwards, crossing her arms as her blades pierced the abdomen. The mutant spider gave a horrible squeal of pain. Yanking the blades back over each other in a large X that sliced open the spider's underside, Morgan wrenched them back and retreated to avoid the steaming mucus-like blood. It hissed as it pooled on the floor, eating away at the linoleum like acid.
Her chest heaving, Morgan watched as the spider's legs shook and caved; the monster collapsed on itself. With a long wail, it shimmered with glistening white light and exploded, spraying the room with foul spider guts. Trying not to gag, Morgan stared, unable to look away, as the red Chimera Anima – all that was left of the awful creature – trembled violently and burst like a balloon, disintegrating into nothingness.
For a long moment, Morgan stood in the stench and silence, trying to come to terms with the reality. She had just mutilated a monster.
A second later, she whirled, expecting another attack. But the mysterious dark intruder was gone. Strangely, Max had been left unharmed. Aside from the spider innards splattered across the white blanket, she was otherwise perfectly fine. Morgan couldn't understand why that man – he was obviously their enemy – hadn't killed her while she'd been distracted with the spider. She imagined it would have been only too easy for him. She pushed the thought from her mind, relieved that nothing had happened to Max.
"Okay," she muttered firmly, more to herself than to Mackenzie. "Let's get outta here."
Taking hold of the railing, Morgan caught sight of the dusty-orange arm-warmers encasing her wrists. What the fuck? She froze and looked down at her body. Oh, Jesus. She was clad in what appeared to be an orange bikini top and a pair of matching short-shorts, with elfin-like heeled boots, elbow-to-wrist arm-warmers to accessorise, and a kerchief-like bandana around her neck.
What was more, she felt significantly imbalanced. Looking over her shoulder, she discovered she'd sprouted a sturdy, curved tail – a kangaroo tail. Which could only mean… Yep, she had ears, too. She brushed them curiously for a moment, revelling in her sudden acquirement of kangaroo parts. Then Max shifted a little in her hospital bed, and Morgan's attention was dragged back to more pressing matters.
She grabbed the railing steadily and wheeled the bed out into the corridor. The hospital was a mess. Walls had been blasted out and scattered across the floor, glass from windows had sprayed all over the place. There was blood smeared on the walls, fire alarms wailing, and people shouting and crying. At least the power was back on. But Morgan couldn't focus on any of that. She had to get Max out. Somehow, she had to find a way to transport her – hospital bed and all – somewhere else. She had no idea where she was meant to go. Another hospital, maybe? What if all the hospitals had been hit?
She didn't have time to worry about it now. Right now, her biggest concern was just getting her out, for a start. There were probably still other Chimera Anima around, and she didn't think she could beat them all by herself.
Morgan manoeuvred the stretcher bed down the destroyed corridor, making for the elevator she prayed was still working. As she neared it, a door burst open, and she instinctively skidded to a halt, preparing to summon her blades again, which she noted had, at some point, mysteriously vanished. Three humans stumbled out into the corridor – one, like her, was a Mew. They stared at each other in surprise.
"Morgan?" the Mew asked, looking at her attire in what could only be perverted appreciation.
"Holy shit!" Morgan exclaimed in realisation, her scowl breaking. "Daniel?!"
A magpie shriek echoed sharply behind them. Daniel glanced down at the bed, his expression suddenly shocked as he recognised who was in it.
"Fuck! Is that Mackenzie?"
Daniel's companion, a shorter boy with plaster settled in his fair hair, shifted his hold on the skinny, limp boy in his arms. The boy was wearing a hospital gown, like Max.
"I think we should talk later," he said, struggling a little under the smaller boy's weight. "Let's just move."
They made it to the elevator and crammed inside, all of them fidgeting impatiently as it descended. Daniel kept glancing down at Mackenzie, who slept on ignorantly, and looking away again, as though he couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that it was really her.
"Anyone got a plan?" Morgan asked hopefully. "'Cos I have no idea how to get outta here."
The doors opened to the ground floor, and the wailing of ambulances met their ears. Daniel looked at them with something like elation dawning in his eyes, and Morgan knew he'd thought of something.
"Follow me," he said, taking off almost at a run. "I think I've got an idea."
CULTURE NOTE
Magpie - A black and white bird. One of Australia's AFL teams was nicknamed after them, because their colours are black and white. They're called the Collingwood Magpies, or just 'the Pies'. They suck XD
Banksia - an Australian native plant. Eh. Look it up. Too hard to explain :P
Wallaby - a smaller relative of the Kangaroo. Wallabies are much cuter :3
A/N: Oh lord, what on earth could Daniel's idea be? Crazy or legitimate? Who was that sinister enemy, where did he go, and what was so scary about his red Chimera? And Morgan's finally transformed! :D She's gotten in touch with her Mew side. at last :) Where will the adventure go next? Well, you'll find out next chapter, won't you? :P
Thanks everyone who's been keeping up with the story so far. You guys mean a lot.
Reviews are love, remember.
Until the next update!
Love,
Cherrie xx