Disclaimer: If I owned it, we'd be watching this.
Episode 6: The Pack.
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"Why am I here?" Bridge muttered as he walked along the path in the zoo alone, the principal's idea of a field trip. He looked up again and sighed as he saw Kyle and his gang, Rhonda, Tor and Heidi loitering about the signs.
"Hey look! It's Bridge and all his friends!" Kyle snickered.
"That's a witty!" Bridge crossed his arms over his chest.
"Do you ever wonder why no one cool hangs out with you?" Tor asked with a grin.
"Just thankful," Bridge retorted, trying to keep his cool.
"Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?" Rhonda asked with a smirk. The group laughed and left Bridge alone, continuing the other way. Bridge covered his face with one hand.
"I came all the way from LA for this?" he sighed as he looked at the plaque by the elephants.
"Hey, Bridge!" an excited voice rang out and the person in question looked up to see Jack and Z coming towards him.
"You missed it!" Z grinned.
"Missed what?"
"We saw the zebras mating!" Jack nodded to Z, "thank you. Very exciting!"
"It was like the Heimlich. With stripes!" she said giddily. Bridge wrinkled his nose.
"Yet, somehow, I will learn to survive," Bridge began to walk off and the other teens followed him.
"Where were you?" Z asked, coming up next to him.
"Looking at fishes."
"Were they cool?"
"They were fishes," Bridge sighed and looked down at the ground. Z frowned at her friend's downcast demeanor.
"I think you're not in the field trip mood," Jack noted.
"We used to have the same thing in my school every year. Same old, same old," he sighed.
Jack thought for a moment and then brightened up, "Bridge, this isn't about the animals. This about not being in class!"
Bridge looked up at him and a grin spread on his face, "You know, you're right! The animals look all new and shiny! Thank you!" Bridge hugged him quickly and then turned back to his conversation with Z who had a smile on her face. Jack grinned dopily.
"Gotta have perspective!"
Bridge walked up to the hyena house and saw Kyle and his gang had been joined by Lance, a smart sophomore with a love for drawing. They had managed to sneak inside without the caretaker noticing.
"What are Kyle and his friends doing with Lance?" Z asked.
"Playing like a cat would with a mouse," Jack scowled.
"What's they're deal?" Bridge frowned.
"They're obnoxious. Professionally."
"Well, every school has them. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some mean kids," Jack ticked them off his fingers.
"I better get Lance before-" Bridge was cut off by Jack pulling him back.
"I'll handle this. It doesn't involve actual slaying," he got into the house as well.
"We should go too . . ." Bridge and Z made to come in, but were caught by the gate-keeper and pulled out.
"Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak!" he frowned.
Bridge inwardly bristled at being called weak, "We were just gonna take-"
"It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa, so keep out. Even if they call your name."
"What?"
"The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack devours him."
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Jack crept inside only to see Kyle and his gang try to throw Lance into the hyena pit. He ran up and pushed them away before helping Lance up.
"Pick on someone your own species!" he scowled.
"Are you gonna get in my face?" Kyle challenged.
The hyenas growled, causing everyone to look at them. The hyena's eyes flashed green and two of the kid's did too. Another flash, another two. Lance made to back away, but tripped and fell over, dropping his notebook. Tor turned towards him and laughed with the others as Lance ran away in fear after grabbing his notebook. Jack turned around with the others.
His eyes flashed green as well.
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"I though Jack would be here by now," Z frowned as she carried a soda back to their table in the Bronze. Bridge put down his croissant and soda and sat down opposite her.
"That'd make him on time! Can't have that!" Bridge joked.
"He was pretty quiet on the way home. You think he's depressed about something?" Z asked.
"I didn't notice anything. Then again, I'm not hyperaware of him like you are."
"Meaning?" she mocked glared at him.
"Well, I'm constantly not monitoring his health, moods, blood pressure . . ." he smirked and Z lit up.
"130 over 80!"
"You got it bad, girl!" Bridge poked her playfully.
"He makes my head go tingly, know what I mean?"
"I vaguely recall."
"But it hasn't happened to you lately?"
"Not of late."
Z grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Not even for a dangerous and mysterious, older man whose leather jacket you're wearing right now?"
"It matches the shoes!" Bridge said in mock-seriousness as he wiggled a black-sneakered foot in emphasis.
"Come on! Sky pushes your buttons! You know he does!" Z playfully punched his shoulder.
"I suppose some girls and guys might find him attractive . . ." he trailed off at the look on Z's face and sighed, "if they have eyes! Alright, he's a honey, but . . . he's never around! When he is, all he talks about are vampires! I just can't have a relationship . . ."
"There he is!" Z pointed behind him.
"Sky?" Bridge turned around.
"Jack!"
Jack walked into the club, checking a girl out on the way. She stared at him as he walked up to Bridge and Z's table.
"Girl and guy!" Jack greeted.
"Just guy!" Bridge greeted back.
"Sorry I'm late. Forgot we were meeting here." He tore a piece off Bridge's croissant and popped it in his mouth, before scowling.
"What is this crap?"
"It was a buttery croissant," Bridge tried, to no avail, to stop his fingers from wiggling.
"I need some food. Birds live on this stuff!" he frowned at the looks Bridge and Z were giving him.
"What's up with you?" Bridge frowned back.
"Nothing! I'm fine! Just a little restless . . ."
"We could go the ice-cream place," Z offered.
"I like it here," Jack pointed at the table. He looked around for a second, then leaned towards Bridge until he was looming over him and sniffed his hair.
"Okay, now what?" Bridge leaned back a bit.
"You took a bath," Jack said.
"Yeah. I-I often do. In fact I'm known for it," Bridge scooted a couple inches away from Jack.
"That's okay," Jack looked around again and Bridge and Z exchanged a look.
"The weird behavior award goes too . . ." Bridge cut himself off as Kyle's gang walked in.
"Oh great. It's the winged monkeys," Bridge sighed. The agng came up to them and Jack got up, joining them. They walked to another table that was occupied and pushed the patrons out of the way. Jack laughed as they shoved them to the ground, but stopped when he looked over to see Bridge not looking amused.
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"You sure you wanna do this?" Bridge asked as he helped Cruger put on the protective gear so that the Slayer could train.
"Yes. Now come on and show me what you've got!" he got ready.
Bridge shrugged and got to work whipping around with a roundhouse kick followed by a high punch and elbow to the padded chest. He spun around with another high kick before punching towards the middle and then leaping up to deliver a high kick to the chest. He finished off by leaping up and planting both his feet on Cruger's protected chest, knocking him to the floor.
"Enough for today!" Cruger gasped and Bridge, blowing his hair back out of his face.
"I don't see why you don't just cut it," Cruger frowned at his Slayer's hair.
"Chill. It's barely going beyond my eyes!" Bridge frowned and then ran his hand through it, causing it to spike up.
"That last kick was kinda sloppy. Wanna try again?" Bridge helped him up, not even winded.
"No, no, no!" Cruger shook his head while trying to catch his breath, "that's fine. You just go to class . . ." He watched Bridge run off after grabbing his bag, "While I wait till the feeling returns to my arms," he grimaced.
"Look out! It's gotten loose!" Bridge heard as he walked around the corner. He stopped down quickly and picked up a squirming pig while the students stared at the animal which had been running down the hall.
"Lord, Herbert! Gave Mr. Flutie quite a scare, didn't he? Students, I'd like you all to met Herbert, our new mascot for the Sunnydale High Razorbacks!" Principal Flutie announced as he got to where Bridge was standing.
The students clapped while Bridge looked the pig over.
"He's so cute!" Bridge said with a smile.
"No he's not! He's dangerous!" Flutie said with a frown.
"Really?" Bridge looked at him, pointing out the pink bow around the pig's neck.
"He's ready for action! He's got tusks!" he pointed at the foam tusks on the pig's helmet.
"Let's get you back to your cage," Flutie made to take the pig, but it squealed the moment Bridge let go of it. Bridge took the pig back and smiled warmly at it, causing the pig to quiet down.
"You've got a way with animals," Flutie looked impressed.
"One of my many talents," Bridge chuckled as he followed Flutie to his office.
"Come on! If you don't pass this exam, you flunk math!" Z sighed as Jack got yet another answer wrong.
"How is that bad?" Jack sighed.
"You remember, you fail math, you flunk out of school, you end up being the guy at the pizza place that sweeps the floor and says, 'Hey, kids, where's the cool parties this weekend?' We've been through this!" She frowned as Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Do you have a headache?"
Yeah, and I think I know what's causing it.," he threw his math book in the trash, "Ah! That's better, it goes right to the source of the pain."
"Jack . . ."
"I don't care anymore, Z! Let's just give this up!" he stormed out of the empty classroom as Z watched.
Bridge, meanwhile, was following Flutie to his office. They stopped outside and the principal turned to Bridge.
"See, the problem is you kids today have no school spirit. Hold on, let me get his outfit off," he removed it and continued on.
"Today it's all gangs and drugs and those movies on Showtime with the nudity," he trailed of at the look on Bridge's face. "I don't have cable, I only heard. When I was your age we cared about the school's reputation and the football team's record, all that stuff! Of course, when I was your age I was surrounded by old guys telling me how much better things were when they were my age!" he walked into the office.
Bridge smiled and looked down at the pig in his arms, "Yeah!"
Jack came in from the other side and the pig began to squeal. Jack frowned at it, but paid no more heed as he walked by, but not before lifting a hand so that his fingers grazed Bridge's cheek as he walked past. Bridge stared at him as he walked on while trying to keep the pig from jumping out of his hands.
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The coach frowned at the lightning and rain outside before turning to the students in his gym class. "Alright, it's raining, all regular gym classes have been postponed, so you know what that means!" He grabbed a large rubbed ball and smirked, "Dodgeball! Now, for those of you that may have forgotten, the rules are as follows: you dodge."
He tossed the ball to Bridge who moved to one side with Kyle's gang and Z while Jack went to the other side with Lance and some other students. The whistle was blown and Jack nailed his first victim. Bridge and the pack members easily dodged the balls and the Slayer threw a ball which hit its mark. Jack threw his ball and it hit hard Z in the back. She looked at him with hurt and shock before going off to sit on the bench. Jack watched her go before catching a ball and commencing in the game.
Soon, only Bridge and Lance were left along with the pack members and Jack. They glanced at Bridge briefly before focusing on Lance and throwing the balls. Lance got hit badly by Tor and Rhonda's balls, but Bridge managed to block the other two thrown by Heidi and Kyle, letting out a yelp as Kyle's hit him hard in the back. Jack paused at the sound and tossed the ball away before walking away with the pack.
"God, this game is brutal! I love it!" the coach grinned.
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Z waited for Jack and then walked up to him as he and the pack members came into view.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked.
Jack looked a the others and then pulled Z aside, "I guess you've noticed that I've been acting different around you."
"Yes."
"It's because . . . my feelings around you have been changing," he muttered. Bridge came around and walked to his locker, working on the combination.
"Since we've been friends for so long, I need to tell you . . ." Z looked at him expectantly.
"I've, um . . . I've decided to drop geometry. So I won't be needing your math help anymore. Which means I won't have to look at your pasty face again!" he laughed with the others while Z looked crushed. She walked away and Bridge slammed his locker shut and walked up to Jack.
"Got something you wanna say to me?" he asked coldly, crossing his arms.
Jack grinned and moved forward. Bridge instinctively took a step back and his back bumped into the lockers behind him. Jack grabbed his chin and forced him to look up before leaning forward. Bridge immediately pushed him back in disgust and walked off after Z while Jack and the others laughed.
Jack and the pack walked out and he sniffed the air.
"Dogs!" he growled.
"Where?" Kyle looked around. Jack led them to two boys eating hot dogs. Jack swiped one while Heidi swiped the other.
"Hey!" they protested.
"Good?" Jack ignored them and looked at Heidi.
"Too well-done!" she snarled. They threw the hot-dogs back and then Kyle stomped on the boys lunches.
"That is not cool!" they protested again.
Jack led them to the principal's office and then took in a deep breath. Kyle and Tor closed the blinds and Jack looked at the pig in the cage, which began to squeal.
"Let's do lunch."
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Jack and the others walked out of the principal's office and to the balcony. Jack's hearing had become super-sensitive and he was able to hear Bridge and Z talking below.
"I've known him my whole life, Bridge! We weren't always close, but he's never . . ." she choked up at the end. Bridge hugged her.
"I think there's something wrong with him," he said quietly.
"Or maybe there's something wrong with me," she said back in the same soft tone.
"Huh?"
"Come on! He's not picking on you! He's just sniffing you a lot! Maybe three isn't company anymore . . ."
"You think this has something to do with me?" Bridge asked, remembering Jack's advances earlier.
"Yes."
"That still doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dope patrol. Something's wrong. Something weird," he hopped of the railing he was sitting on.
"What're you gonna do?"
"Talk to the master of weird."
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"Jack's taken to teasing the less unfortunate?" Cruger asked as he and Bridge walked about the library.
"Yes."
"And there's been a noticeable change in dress and behavior?"
"Yes."
"And his free time is spent lounging with imbeciles?"
"It's bad, isn't it?" Bridge frowned.
"It's devastating! He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy! Of course, you'll have to kill him!" he said sarcastically.
"Cruger, I'm serious!" Bridge scowled.
"So am I. Except for the killing him part. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons." Bridge gave him a glare and Cruger amended his statement, "Except, apparently, you. He will, however, get over it."
Bridge sighed, exasperated and slapped a hand on his forehead, "I can't believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me! There is something supernatural at work!" He grabbed some books of the shelves, "Get your books! Look stuff up!"
"Look under what?"
"That's your department!"
"The evidence is . . . sketchy at best."
"He scared the pig!" Bridge faltered under Cruger's look, "well, he did!"
"Bridge, you should know that boys can be cruel and prey on the weak-"
"Prey on the weak . . ." Bridge repeated. "I've heard that before. Jack has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God, that laugh . . ." he shuddered.
"Are you saying Jack's been turned into a hyena?"
"Possessed by the spirit of one, yes."
"I've never heard off-" he was cut off by a green looking Z at the entrance.
"They found Herbert," she shuddered.
"The pig?" Bridge frowned.
"Dead. And eaten. Flutie's freaking out!"
Bridge turned to Cruger with a smug look, "Testosterone, huh?"
Cruger simply walked into his office.
"What're you gonna do?" Z called.
"Get my books. Look stuff up."
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Flutie walked up to Kyle and the rest of the pack, minus Jack.
"You four!" he said angrily.
"What?" Kyle asked in a bored manner.
"Students saw you outside the principal's office. You're busted! You're going down.
Tor turned to Heidi, "How was Herbert?"
"Crunchy!" she laughed along with the others, causing Flutie to become even more angry.
"That's it! My office, now!" he yelled. Kyle and the others stopped laughing and got off the table, following Flutie.
"Wow!" Bridge exclaimed from the book he was reading, "Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."
"Hyenas aren't well liked," Z nodded.
"They do seem to be the shmoes of the animal kingdom."
"Why couldn't Jack be possessed by ducks and puppies?" Z sighed.
"Assuming possession is correct a term."
Cruger came out of the book cage, "Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I should have remembered that."
"How does it work?" Bridge looked at him expectantly.
"Well, apparently there's a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."
"And they started acting like hyenas," Bridge nodded.
"Yes. And if this goes unchecked . . ." he showed Bridge the book and the Slayer immediately looked away.
"I gotta find Jack," he left.
Z looked at the page and saw pictures of people with limbs bitten off, heads missing and various other injuries.
Bridge came into Herbert's room and looked at the mangled cage.
"They're strong," he muttered. He stepped on something that crunched and looked down to see some vertebrate and other bones. He picked up a rib and Jack came up behind him. Bridge dropped the bone and turned around, only to be startled by Jack's sudden appearance.
"Jack . . ." Bridge attempted to evade him, but Jack matched his moves quickly.
"This is ridiculous! We need to talk!" Bridge faked him out and then jumped on him, pinning him to the floor.
Jack smiled at him, "Been waiting for you to jump my bones."
Flutie lectured the others in his office, unaware of the fight that was going on.
"I have seen some sick things in my life! Believe me! But this is beyond the pale! What is it with you people? Is it drugs? How could you? A poor defenseless pig?"
He saw the pack whine and stalk him, "What is the matter with you?"
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Jack growled and rolled Bridge over onto his back and pinned him down instead.
"Get off me!" Bridge snarled, struggling against the iron grip Jack had on his arms.
"is that what you really want?" Jack grinned and then leaned closer to the struggling Slayer.
"We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't you? You like your men dangerous."
"Jack, this isn't you! It's some demonic possession!"
"Dangerous and mean, right? Like Sky. Your Mystery Guy. Well, guess who just got mean."
Bridge tried to get Jack off him, but still couldn't move under the strength of the demon powers.
"Do you know how long I've waited . . . for you to stop pretending that we weren't attracted?" he said in his ear.
Bridge managed to break free and pushed him off, getting onto his feet quickly. Jack stood up as well and began to advance on him, while the Slayer backed away.
"Until Z . . . stops kidding herself . . . that I could settle for anyone besides you?
Bridge tried to avoid fighting one of his closest friends, "Look, Jack, I don't wanna hurt you-"
Jack grabbed him by the wrists and slammed him up against the wall.
"Now do you wanna hurt me?" he smirked.
Bridge struggled against him, but the possessed Jack was much stronger than non-possessed Jack.
"Come on, Slayer! I like it when you're scared!" he laughed as Bridge continued to struggle against him and Jack leaned in close so that their faces were inches apart.
"The more you struggle," he sniffed him again, "the better you smell."
Jack kissed him roughly on the neck and Bridge immediately flinched.
Meanwhile, Flutie was being sniffed by the pack.
"You're about this close to expulsion, people! I'm willing to talk to the school counselor, and we can discuss options . . ." he began to get up, but Tor jumped up on his desk.
"Get down from there!" Flutie yelled. Rhonda got in his face and scratched him. Flutie put a hand to his cheek and saw the blood.
"Are you insane?" he said in shock.
Tor jumped off the desk and the rest of the pack descended upon him to feed.
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Z watched footage of hyenas preying and then looked up as Bridge dragged in an unconscious Jack and looking rather furious.
"We gotta get him locked in before he comes to," Bridge growled.
"Jack! What happened?" Z came around to them.
"I hit him," Bridge said flatly.
"With what?"
"A desk," he dragged Jack into the book cage and then locked the door.
"What did he do?" Z asked quietly, noticing the tense posture of her friend.
"He tried his hand at felony sexual assault," Bridge snarled, angry, not at Jack, but at the hyena spirits.
"Oh, Bridge, the hyena in him didn't . . ."
"No," Bridge turned to her and sighed, "No, but it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a romantic CD and a bottle of Chianti. Where's Cruger?"
"He got called to a teacher's meeting. What are we gonna do? How do we bring Jack back?" she bit her lip.
"Right now, I'm worried about what the rest of the pack is up to."
"The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office," Cruger interrupted while walking inside the library.
"That'll show them!" Z nodded and then noticed the look on Cruger's face, "did it show them?"
Bridge turned to him and worry shone in his eyes, "They didn't hurt him, did they?"
Cruger cleared his throat, " They, uh, ate him."
Bridge and Z sat down at the table, "They ate him?" they said in unison.
"The official theory is that wild dogs got into the office. No one saw them."
"Jack," Z looked at Bridge, "he was with you."
"Thank God for small mercies," Cruger looked at the unconscious possessed teen.
"This is all my fault! I can't help anyone!" Bridge ground out, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists.
Cruger looked at Bridge, shocked, "Bridge . . ."
"Bridge, why do you think that everything that goes wrong is because of you?" Z yelled.
"Because it is! I'm the Slayer! I should be stopping all this!"
"You can't stop what you don't know! Instead of regretting was has happened, stop what hasn't!" she shook him by the shoulders, causing the Slayer to look at her, startled.
"She's right, Bridge," Cruger walked up to him, "let's do this."
"How do we stop this?" Bridge looked at him.
"I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a . . . predatory act, but the exact ritual is, um . . . the Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which . . . may apply . . ." he flipped through a book at stopped at a particular page, "Yes, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."
"Great, any volunteers?" Bridge sighed.
"Oh. Good point."
"We need to put the hyena into the hyena," Bridge nodded.
"Yes, but once we no more . . ."
"That zookeeper does. Those hyenas weren't kept under quarantine because they were sick," Bridge's eyes narrowed.
"We should talk to him," Cruger nodded.
"What about Jack? Someone has to stay here!" Bridge pointed out.
"I will," Z stepped in front of him.
"Z, you sure? When he wakes up-"
"Just go," she held out her hand for the keys. Bridge gave them to her after a moment's hesitation and grabbed his jacket and was out of the library with Cruger.
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During the night, Jack woke up to see Z watching a video on how hyenas preyed.
"Z?" he groaned, "why do I feel like someone hit me with a desk? And what am I doing here?" he looked around.
"First, because you did get hit by one, second, cause you're . . . resting?"
"You guys got me locked up," he stood up.
"Cause you're sick. Bridge said-"
"Oh, yeah. Bridge and his all-purpose solution: punch them out and knock them down. I'd love to see what he'd do to somebody who was really sick," he snorted.
"That's not fair! Bridge has saved both our lives!" Z said hotly.
"Before he came, we didn't need saving! Weren't things a lot simpler when they were you and me?"
"Maybe . . ." Z moved closer to the cage.
"When we were alone together . . . Z, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's getting worse. But I can't just stand around waiting for Bridge to decide it's time to punch me out again. Look, I want you to help me. I want you," he whispered.
"I know. That's what I'm doing," she whispered back.
"You're following orders."
"Bridge is trying to help you too. You know that. Or Jack knows it at least."
Jack scoffed, "Yeah . . . Bridge is so selfless. Always thinking of us. Well, if I'm so dangerous, how come he left you alone with me?"
"Cause I told him to."
"Why?"
"Cause I know you better than he does . . . and I wanted to be here to see if . . . you were still you."
"I am. Look," Jack grinned.
"Jack . . ." Z whispered and moved closer to the cage. Jack's hand lashed out, but Z backed away at the last second.
"Now I know," she turned away from him. Jack began banging at the cage door.
"LET ME OUT!"
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"The students have been possessed by the hyenas?" the zookeeper sighed.
"You don't seem surprised about this," Cruger noted.
"The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was something strange about them from day one. I did some homework . . . That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically they were worshipped by these guys . . ."
"Primals," Bridge nodded.
"Yes! They had rituals for this. I don't see how it happened to the kids . . ."
"I don't know it completely, but it involves a predatory act and some kind of symbol," Bridge frowned as he tried to recall the page he had seen.
"That makes sense. Where did you read that?" the zookeeper frowned.
"Did you, by chance, read Sherman Jefferies' book-" Cruger started out.
"Boys!" Bridge sighed impatiently.
"Sorry."
"Look, I think we have enough info to do a reverse trans-possession," the zookeeper pointed out.
"What do we do?" Bridge was all business.
"We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."
Bridge scowled, "Well, we can guarantee one of them, but there are four more, and we have no idea where they are."
The zookeeper shook his head, "No, I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest they will track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."
"Z!" Bridge cursed as he remembered who was with the pack member.
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Z watched the video as Jack paced his cell.
"Z . . ." he drew the word out.
"I'm not listening!" Z shot back.
Kyle appeared at one of the windows while Heidi appeared at the other. Kyle smirked.
"Z . . ."
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"Z . . ." Kyle continued to call her name. Z turned to the cage Jack was kept in.
"Jack, shut up!"
The voice came again and she looked up to see Kyle and Heidi kick in the windows. She ran out of the library while Jack pounded at the cage. Kyle managed to bend one end of the cage and the others banged on it. They pulled down the cage and Jack sniffed the air, walking towards the door as he tracked Z.
Z ran into one of the unlocked rooms and hid underneath the teacher's desk while the pack continued to track her. They split up, Jack and Heidi in one group. He entered the room which Z had entered and looked around, seeing nothing. He motioned with his head for the other to leave the room. Z heard the door close and got out from under the desk, screaming as she saw Jack standing there. She ran towards the student's desks, Jack behind her, and tipped one over, causing him to trip. She ran out, but was confronted by Heidi.
"Z!" she said with a demonic grin.
"Heidi!" a male voice said behind her and she turned around, only to be met by a fire extinguisher to the face.
"Bridge!" Z said happily and then ran over to Cruger and Jack got up and charged the Slayer, who kicked him back. The other pack members appeared at the other end of the hall.
"Run!" Cruger yelled. They ran into another classroom and Bridge shut and locked the door. The pack tried to knock it down, to no avail. Bridge let out a breath and turned to Z.
"I am so sorry! I had no idea they would come after Jack!" Bridge pleaded.
"It's okay," Z squeaked out and then took a deep breath, "what did I tell about apologizing for no reason?"
"Sorry," Bridge grinned and Z smiled.
"I think they're going," Cruger nodded as he heard the howls fade.
"They're looking for food. Someone weak."
"We have to lead them to the zoo."
"I'll do it!" Bridge nodded and made to leave, but was stopped by Cruger's hand on his arm.
"Bridge, individually, they're as strong as you. Together . . ."
"I'll be alright," he left in seconds.
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Bridge ran down the street and stopped as he saw the pack sitting on top of a car containing a man, a woman and a small child.
Jack broke the back window with his elbow and reached in to grab the child.
Bridge ran over to the car and punched Rhonda off the hood while leaping up and kicking Kyle off the roof. He snap-kicked Tor in the face and knocked him to the ground, before leaping down to the ground himself. Jack was almost completely inside the car and Bridge growled.
"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food?" Jack heard him and came out of the car as the pack gathered around him.
"Come on. You know what you want," Bridge put his hands on his hips. He ran off towards the zoo and the pack growled before following.
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"Where's the zookeeper?" Z asked frantically.
"Uh, he must be inside. I'll go in and prepare things. You just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching," Cruger ducked under the tape while Z turned around to look for Bridge and the pack.
"Doctor? Uh . . . zookeeper?" Cruger called out and then turned to see the zookeeper dressed in ceremonial garb.
"Are you ready for the trans-possession?" he asked.
"Almost," the zookeeper nodded.
Cruger saw the markings on the floor, "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um . . . this would be here when . . . the children first came. Why would you . . ." realization dawned in his eyes and he exhaled. "How terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of school children could accomplish what you could not."
"It bothered me. but the power will be mine," the zookeeper hit Cruger in the stomach with his staff and then again on the back. The Watcher fell to the floor, unconscious. He tossed away the staff and dragged him away.
Outside, Z heard Bridge stumbling through the woods with the pack behind him and ran into the Hyena House.
"They're almost here! Cruger! Cruger!" she spotted the zookeeper. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"
"In the feeding area."
"Where's Cruger?"
"He . . . lies in waiting."
"Shouldn't you bring out the hyenas? They're almost here!" she exclaimed.
"When the time is right. I need your help . . ." he began binding her wrists.
"They're right behind me!" Bridge yelled as he came inside.
"Get ready!" Z said as she waited for the Slayer and the pack to arrive. The zookeeper positioned Z in front of him and held a knife to her throat.
"A predatory act, huh? Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the evil in the hyenas?" she stammered.
"Something like that," he grinned.
Bridge came running in, but stopped short as he saw Z being held against the zookeeper.
"Bridge, it's a trap!" she yelled. Bridge was paying too much attention to her to notice the pack behind him. Jack grabbed him and threw him against the wall. The rest of the pack gathered around him. Two of them holding him down while the others pummeled him.
"Bridge!" Z screamed. Jack looked at her and then back at Bridge, who was whimpering from pain of the hits.
"YU BA YA SA NA!" the zookeeper chanted.
The pack looked up at him and their eyes began to glow green at the same time as the zookeeper's. he turned to Z and growled, dropping the knife and leaning in to bite her.
"Z!" Jack yelled as he got up. He charged the zookeeper and knocked him down. The pack backed away from Bridge, who got shakily to his feet. The zookeeper punched Jack away, only to get hit by Bridge. Kyle and company ran off as Bridge knocked the zookeeper down once more. The zookeeper roared and then managed to grab Bridge and hurl him towards the hyena pit. He fell in and the hyenas growled. Bridge looked them and they sniffed him before settling down once again. Bridge leapt out of the cage on front of the zookeeper.
"I have a gift with animals," he smirked and then flipped the zookeeper over his back and into the hyena pit. He tried to get out but the hyenas dragged him back in and began feeding. Bridge ran to the pit to see if he could save him, but quickly turned away. He watched Jack untie Z and then collapsed to his knees as the pain from before caught up to him. He wiped the trail of blood coming from the corner of his mouth and Jack and Z came up to him, offering their support. Cruger stumbled out of the backroom and looked around.
"Uh, did I miss anything?"
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Bridge, Jack and Z walked about the campus, talking.
"So the vice principal is taking over until we get a new one," Z bodded.
"Shouldn't be too hard. Unless they ask what happened to the last one," Bridge grinned.
"Okay, but I had nothing to do with that, right?" Jack asked.
"Nope," Bridge said happily.
"You just ate the pig," Z added.
"I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon, or . . ." he trailed off at the looks on Bridge and Z's faces.
"Oh, my God! I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!" he covered his mouth.
"Well, it wasn't you," Bridge offered.
"Well, I remember I was going on the field trip, and then going down to the Hyena House, and next thing some guy's holding Z and he's got a knife while Bridge is being pummeled."
"Hey, can we not bring that up? I have enough of a reminder," Bridge winced as he touched the noticeable bruise on his left cheek.
"How did your mom take that?" Z nodded to it.
"She doesn't know. I've been avoiding her until I find as excuse," Bridge sighed. "Thankfully, this is the only one visible. I'm gonna be sore for the next two days."
"Hey, you saved my life," Z changed the subject and looked at Jack.
"Nobody messes with my Z!" Jack said with a smile.
"This is definitely the superior Jack. Accept no substitutes," Bridge smiled.
"Did I do something . . . embarrassing around you guys?" Jack saw Bridge's smile falter a bit as he considered what to tell him.
"No," Bridge said again.
"Not at all!" Z smiled as well, hoping Bridge was alright.
"Come on! We're gonna be late!" Bridge smiled and dragged Z away by her hand.
"See you at lunch!" Z called out to Jack.
"Going vegetarian?" Jack called back. He gave them two thumbs-up and Bridge and Z smiled at him. He turned to go the other way and ran into Cruger.
"I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards," he staed.
"Did you tell them that?" Jack asked.
"Your secret dies with me," Cruger whispered in his ear.
"Shoot me, stuff me, mount me," Jack nodded as Cruger left and then stared out of the balcony, unable to believe what had happened to him.
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YES! FINALLY! All you Sky fans, Sky ahs his first even main role in the next chapter and his relationship with Bridge heats up. I need your opinion. The actual episode name is 'Angel' for the next chapter, but since Sky has the role of Angel in this series, should I keep the next chapter name as 'Sky' or keep it as the original name, 'Angel'? Also, review, readers! Or else I can't work happily and I take a lotta time!