Authors note: Okay sorry this took a while but it is extra long to make up for it. Enjoy and watch out for the tiger.

Furred Fiend

I woke up feeling sick to my stomach, literally sick, but I didn't open my eyes. Sophie was dead. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I… I'd been told it by the Erasers and I trusted them about as far as I could throw them. So maybe there was hope. I wasn't being rained on anymore at least, of course that begged the question, where was I? Another cage knowing my luck.

I breathed deeply through my nose and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of cow and faeces. So in the barn. Maybe? Or at least that was what I guessed from the echoes. Better than the lab at least. My head was still swimming because of the sedatives but I could just hear a murmured conversation at the far end of the space. I flicked my ears and strained to hear. Maybe I could figure out where I was before they knew I was awake.

"When we get back you are so getting it for mentioning her sister," I heard an Eraser's voice say. My hackles went up so I guessed it was the one who sedated me.

"You said provoke her," another muttered defensively.

"Yes. Provoke," he said bluntly, "Not tell her everything." I reckoned he was the leader. He was certainly acting like one

"She wasn't that tough," a third interjected, I flicked my tail in annoyance then stopped, remembering I was supposed to be unconscious. "You had us all hyped up for nothing."

"Her body count's higher than yours, Four," the first pointed out shutting him up.

I cracked open my eyes and looked around. I was right, I was in the barn. It was still raining; I could see it through the half closed door, which the Erasers were sitting next to in a rough circle. None of them were watching me, so I got quietly onto all fours, noticing that my wrist didn't hurt anymore, and looked for another way out.

Which there wasn't. There was a row of cattle pens next to me but whoever had designed the barn obviously didn't think they'd need more that one exit. Terrific.I slipped through the bars of the nearest pen which was occupied by an old cow who quite sensibly stayed quite. Thought that might be more because she was petrified than smart.

"That's why I insisted on taking her blood now," I heard the lead Eraser say, as I considered which way to go and whether I could get to the entrance by slipping through the bars of the pens. "It's easier when they're unco…" the Eraser petered off, presumably as he saw where I should have been.

I whirled to see him rising to his feet, quickly followed by the others.

"Where the hell is she!" he yelled angrily. "She should be unconscious for at least another two hours."

That was interesting, but not important right now. I dived into the next pen, slipping under the bars and keeping low. I may be camouflaged slightly but that was useless under the florescent strip lighting. The Erasers were running to where they'd left me but two were still guarding the door. Someone has to tell me when the Easers got smart. Maybe it's the wings.

I kept moving, I did not want to take six Erasers on at once so I needed some way of hiding, but under the lights there was nowhere, short of hiding behind a cow, and that would probably get my skull kicked in. There was a yell from behind me and I guessed I'd been spotted; there was no time to look round. If only I could kill the lights I could hide, but the switches were conveniently mounted next to the door and so next to the Erasers.

I leapt at one of the metal I-beams supporting the roof and tried to scramble up, the switches might have been at ground level but the cables ran right up to the ceiling. A gun roared and something ricocheted off the beam just above my head, I paused and immediately lost my gip, slipping down several feet, my claws skittering on the metal and wrapped my arms round the beam.

"Moron!" I heard the lead Eraser yell and I looked down to see him grab a gun off another and point it right at me. I moved, and quickly, shimming round to the other side of the pillar and dragging myself painstakingly up all the time waiting for the shots to come.

"Now Kit," the Eraser yelled into the rafters as I pulled myself onto a supporting beam and collapsed gasping for breath. Next time I'll take the stairs. "This is stupid. Where are you actually planning to go?"

"Congratulations, you got my name right!" I called back, scrambling along a beam towards the light cables. I didn't look down; it was slippery enough without adding vertigo to the equation.

A shot pinged off the metal next to me and I jumped in surprise, losing my balance and had to throw myself forwards to grab another support to avoid falling the one storey drop. I crashed into the beam catching it in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me dangling. That could have definitely gone better.

"See Kit," the Eraser continued in an almost reasonable tone. "You can't escape. Now come down before you get hurt." I growled in annoyance and pulled myself back onto the beam. Like my safety was important. They obviously hadn't seen what I'd done to their friends.

I heard him whisper something along the lines of. "Another couple of warning shots should do it."

And I dropped flat on my stomach clasping my hands over my ears and shutting my eyes as gunshot roared around me, pinging off the metal beam and embedding themselves in the roof. After a moment the Erasers stopped firing and I opened my eyes and immediately got hit in the nose by the rain trickling through the holes in the ceiling. I shock my head and looked around, my little leap had left me on a bar leading right to the light cables.

I stood up as another shot whizzed past my head, significantly less warning than last time and I almost slipped. My balance on two feet still isn't very good but I needed the acceleration. I started running, my claws skittering on the metal and holding my tail high to keep my balance. More bullets screamed around them, deafening in the confined space and I slammed into the wall right next to the cables digging my claws into the wall for grip.

"Give it up Kit," the Eraser yelled up at me, motioning for the other Erasers to cease fire. "There's nowhere to run."

My eyes flashed, and I bared my teeth in what could just be called a malicious smile, nowhere to run, huh? I neatly severed the cables with one sweep of my claws. The lights flickered and faded slowly to black and I did my best Cheshire Cat impression. Plenty of places to hide.

I threw myself forwards on to a bar and blinked rapidly to get my night vision in, with the storm outside it was practically pitch black in there, now if I just knew how good the Erasers night vision was. A couple of torches immediately flicked on, illuminating the wall where I'd been standing and I padded along the bar on all fours, careful to stay out of sight and regretting not using all fours before. The lead Eraser cracked open a glow stick and the barn was filled with a weak phosphorescent light that only served to deepen the shadows.

"Find her," he roared, holding the stick higher and actually making the shadows darker. "And don't leave the door unguarded." I rolled my eyes; I was really hoping they wouldn't remember that. Some of the Erasers started roaming around the barn, shining their torches into the rafters.

I picked out one as he walked beneath me and shadowed him across the bars. He took a sudden left and I looked daggers at him as he walked obliviously away from my beam. I eyed the next rafter along, gauging distances, squatted down and leapt across a good twenty foot gap, landing hard and scrabbling for purchase on the metal. Torch beams swung towards me and my Eraser looked up in confusion.

I lay flat on the bar as the beams swept over me; none of them paused, after a moment they swung away. I sighed in relief and looked over the edge. My Eraser had looked back down and was now shining his torch into the shadows of a discarded plough. I waited until he had walked directly beneath me and waited. Sitting back on my haunches and just watching.

He started to wander off and I dropped out of the rafters head first. I crashed into the Eraser's back, locking my claws into his shoulders and holding on for dear life and we smashed into the concrete.

There was a stunned moment as I remembered just how much that trick hurt. The Eraser beneath me moaned slightly but didn't try to get up and the nasty blood stain on the floor said he wouldn't for a while.

I leapt off him and dived for the nearest patch of shadows as the other Erasers came running. The old plough looked the most promising, so I slipped behind it and stood as still as possible.

"Shit," one said bluntly, pointing his torch at the downed Eraser who was quite definitely unconscious.

"And that's why I say she's dangerous," the lead Eraser said bitterly. "Now find her." He began to morph, soon followed by the others and in unison they flicked off their torches leaving the barn dark except for the filmy light from the glow stick which the lead Eraser quickly dropped to the floor and smothered with his jacket.

The darkness was near total; a little light came through the gap in the door but nothing else. I could just see the Erasers fifteen feet away as vague shadowy forms, it was too dark to make out anything else and tiger night vision is better than humans or even wolves, so just what where they planning, they couldn't catch me if they couldn't see me?

I flicked my ears as I heard one of the Erasers drop to the floor and begin snuffling around. Of course being wolves they could probably smell me. Shit. I ran out from behind the plough, relying on sheer luck to stop me running into a wall. How well could you fight by scent? Couldn't be that well. Could it?

I heard the Eraser long before I saw it; its claws clicking on the concrete as it ran straight at me, so much for keeping moving to blur my trail, and I skidded to a stop, wheeling to face it, and straining to see in the darkness. I could hear that the other Erasers were running towards me, all of them, but mine was closer. I'd deal with them when they got to me.

I readied to spring, just waiting for him to get to me, if I timed it right it could all be over in one swipe. The Eraser loomed out of the darkness, fully morphed and massive and I leapt at him without thinking, suddenly realising that the Eraser was on all fours and I had aimed as if he was walking upright. I had about half a second to contemplate this before I went flying over him, he flailed wildly at me and managed dig his claws deep into my leg.

I hit the ground hard and sprang back on my feet, whirling round to face him with a growl in my throat. I didn't give him time to recover, just leapt, crashing into his side and bowling him to the floor. I dug my claws into his back, scything through flesh and fur and grating along his ribs. He roared in pain and slammed his arm into my face and I felt a stream of blood burst out of my nose. I growled in frustration and took a wild swipe at his throat but missed by a mile and dug my other hand deeper into his back in retribution.

I heard the second Eraser come running a second before he hit, and spun round to face him, desperately trying to untangle myself from the first one, fell back on my haunches and sprang. This one was upright and I crashed into him bearing him to the floor and tearing out his windpipe with my teeth before we even hit the ground. We came to earth with a crash and I leapt off him as he flailed in his death throws.

I took a deep breath, and was rugby tackled by the first Eraser who dug his own claws deep into my sides. I gasped in pain and raked my claws across his face, gouging my hind claws deep into his legs. He staggered backwards howling in pain and I leapt at him again, driving my claws deep into his chest and grabbing his throat in my jaws. He hooked his fingers into my hair as he fought to keep his feet and I tried to jerk my head enough to tear his throat but was stopped short as he yanked on my hair.

I bit down harder, feeling his blood flowing into my mouth, it tasted foul but I didn't care, I just squeezed harder. He tried to shake me off, but I dug my claws in deeper and clung on doggedly. He sunk to his knees and began hammering on my back with his free hand, and I snarled in frustration. Why wouldn't he die?

His fingers loosened in my hair and I whipped my head to one side, finally tearing out his throat and spat out the flesh and blood in disgust. He collapsed in a heap at my feet, his eyes staring sightlessly into the dark, and I sat back on my heels, clasping my arms round my head and breathing deeply. Fighting like that can take really take it out of you; especially if you're really a one hit predator.

There was a thunder clap of noise and a bullet passed clean through my arm. There was a brief moment before I realised what had happened and then doubled up in pain, fighting the urge to scream. It hurt even more than last time, if that were possible. Two torches flicked on, almost blinding in the darkness and I had a moment to register the two Erasers me who were guarding the door striding towards me before I squeezed my eyes shut to preserve my night vision and threw myself out of the circle of light.

I open my eyes a moment later, and started running to stay out of the torch beams, bullets whistled around me and I ducked instinctively, I wasn't partial to getting shot again but if I stayed out of the light I might be okay. A ricochet traced a burning line across my leg and I stumbled, falling flat on my face, right in the light and I braced myself, waiting for the shots and death to come. That healing was good but I doubt it could heal death.

Nothing happened.

I raised my head to see the Erasers desperately reloading and sprang to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg, arm and the wooziness in my head and sprinted towards the Erasers. The torch beams were dazzling but I didn't need to see them, I could hear them well enough to aim and even so I could see the fear in their eyes. I leapt into the air as they slammed another cartridge into their pistols and I barrelled into the closest one, jarring my injured arm and slicing my claws neatly through his throat.

He crumpled to the floor and I sprung from him as he was falling towards his partner who was just bringing his gun up. I crashed into him and the gun roared, the bullet slamming into the ceiling as I bore him to the floor. I tore his throat out with one swipe before we even hit the floor and watched the light fade out of his eyes before carefully getting off him and, after listening for any more Erasers sneaking up on me, keeled over.

That was it, I realised gasping for breath, I couldn't take any more, if another one came I doubted I could even raise my arms.

"Weak as a kitten," I observed feebly and chuckled. It wasn't funny. Good thing that was all of them, I would be able to fight or even move for a while.

I sat bolt upright as I remembered that there were six of them; I grabbed the nearest torch and swung the beam around full circle. A few spooked cows, a lot of blood, no charging Eraser. I swung the beam into the rafters remembering my own trick, still nothing. Maybe I'd got lucky. And maybe pigs would fly.

"Make a snack for the flying wolves," I murmured to myself faintly. Another not funny joke. It was probably the blood loss and the exhaustion talking.

I collapsed backwards, feeling the skin knit on my leg. That was a good sign. Healing away my tiredness would be good too but it didn't feel like it was forthcoming.

I closed my eyes and was instantly asleep.