So, a slightly darker chapter here, mainly because it involves the evil Lab that turned Zoey into a mutant. I did put in a few jokes and stuff, but there aren't as many as there usually is.

The title of this chapter is from Fall Out Boy 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs'

I don't own MARVEL (sadly)

DISCLAIMER: Dr. Hunter and Dr. Otawa are NOT real doctors, simply used for fanfictional reasons. Also, China is not evil

Chapter Ten

Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great

A few hours later, the jet lands on a rough runway. I jerk awake from my doze.

"Wha?" I blink sleepily. Natasha is standing up, "We're here."

I lift my head from my pillow, which was Clint's arm, and yawn. Shaking my head like a dog to wake myself up, I stand up. The jet slows to a stop, and the door opens.

The air that flows in is icy cold and thin. I forgot that we were in the mountains. And, along with the cold air, comes the sour, musky, vile scent of the lab. My eyes widen in fear and I stumble backwards.

Get back! The Wolf hisses at me and I clutch my head, Bad scent! Bad lab! Run, run, run!

Confused, I whirl around in the opposite direction. Startled, the Avengers crowd around me. "Zoey, what's wrong?" Steve asks worriedly and I shake my head. As I try to get past them, the Wolf growls, Wolf time. Morph and run! Bad lab! Bad lab! Pain, screams, howls-

"Ahh! Shut up!" I scream out loud, feeling my fangs grow, "Get out of my head!" Bruce grabs my arm, and I barely notice his voice say, "Zoey, don't listen to it! Block it out! Ignore it."

I gasp and squeeze my eyes shut. Be quiet, Wolf! I snarl in my head. The Wolf growls back, Don't go to the lab! You remember what happened there!

And I'll stop them! I retort, I'll have my revenge!

You don't understand! It has changed! Can't you smell them?

My head throbs and I hiss, Who?

Them! The Wolf snarls, sounding panicked.

If you're talking about the Pack, then no. Not yet. But I will soon and we will get them out. I promise.

The Wolf growls, but doesn't reply. Sighing with relief, I slowly open my eyes. All of the Avengers are peering down at me, and I realize I'm kneeling on the floor, my whole body shaking. I also notice that I'm half-morphed, looking both human and wolf, and quickly morph back into my normal self.

"What just happened?" Uncle Tony asks warily. I blink, still shocked, and mutter, "Sorry. Memories."

"But who were you screaming at?" Clint asks.

"Er….um…" I look at Bruce for help and he sighs. Leaning down, he helps me up and says, "Zoey's wolf talks to her. Like the Other Guy talks to me, sometimes."

They stare at us in silence. I sigh and ask Bruce, "Is it always going to do that?"

He smiles and shakes his head, "No, it gets better. You learn to fight it, or get along with it. It was hard my first time, too."

I nod gratefully. Natasha turns around and picks something up, "Alright, now that that's over, let's get ready."

She tosses white coats to Bruce, Clint, and Steve, and then hands a smaller one to me before putting on her own. I look at the nametag on mine. It reads: Kaida Scott

Kaida? What does that mean?

As I put on my coat, I notice that Clint's nametag says Jeremy Renner. Bruce's says Mark Ruffalo, Steve's says Chris Evans, and Natasha's says Scarlett Johansson. Finally, being the fart-brain that I am, it clicks for me that these are our codenames. But why did Natasha choose Scarlett? No offense to any Scarlettes out there, but I find that name way too girly for someone like Natasha.

When we're all ready, Natasha nods to Uncle Tony and Thor, and then leads us out of the jet. Just as I remembered, it's in a dark crevice in the mountain. There are lights on the roof, and in the center of the area is the horrid lab. Fear scent rolls off it like waves, and I try to not breathe through my nose.

Two scientists walk up to us. One is holding a clipboard and glances down at it, "Scarlett, Jeremy, Chris, and Mark?"

"Yup." Natasha nods, and the other scientist looks at me, "And who is this?" I tense up, but Bruce puts a hand on my shoulder and replies, "This is Kaida Scott, Scarlett's apprentice."

The two scientists nod, and then one extends his hand, "I am Dr. Otawa and this is my colleague, Dr. Hunter. Please, follow us."

As they lead us towards the lab, I mentally snort. Dr. Hunter. Perfect. I wonder who his next kill will be?

The lab is surrounded by a fence, which has barbed wire lining the top. It looks a few good stories tall, and I can see a few small windows here and there. Before I can see what's at the bottom, Steve pulls me along. He has a disgusted look on his face, which makes me wonder what's below the windows.

We walk through the entrance doors and are led immediately to the second floor. All throughout this, I'm tense and on edge, wanting so badly to just run out of here and never come back. I can almost hear the howls of- wait a minute, I can hear them.

The elevator dings open and we enter the second floor. Lining the walls are old, smelly cages, filled with…

...with…

...my Pack.

I stifle a gasp and Steve grabs my hand comfortingly. I look around, eyes wide, as Dr. Otawa and Dr. Hunter show us around. "Now I know this seems ugly," says Dr. Otawa, "But don't worry, this is all for the greater good of mankind. And we try to keep this as humane as possible."

I mentally snort...again. Yeah right, tell that to the mutants screaming in pain right above us.

The two scientists go on to explaining the wolf mutants. While they do, I see Clint tap something onto the back of a computer.

"Guitain!"

I whip around to see a familiar wolf mutant staring at me through the cage bars. "Guitain!" he hisses again, "Guitain!"

Soon, all of the mutants recognize me-and my scent- and start chanting my name. Pack, pack, the Wolf barks, Free the Pack! No cages!

Finally, something we agree on, I yip at it. I nudge Steve and he looks down at me. I look at the mutants, and then back at him. He nods and lets go of my hand, walking up to the doctors and asking them a question while making them turn their backs on the mutants.

I quickly dash towards Kaiser, the leader. He's the biggest and oldest one here, but the bars of his small cage have cut into his skin. Sharp, silver, claw-like things stick out along his spine, along with small ones on his head. His fangs are unnaturally long, like a saber-toothed tiger, but that's not why he's leader. He's simply the wisest.

"Guitain." Kaiser rasps, "Why have you returned, young pup?" He's very thin and seems weak, making me frown.

"We're busting you guys outta here. We're going to free everyone, but I need information."

He sighs, "We don't have much time. I can't tell you much, but I'll try to persuade one of the others to escape."

I perk up at this, "There's a few windows around."

"That's what I was thinking." He seems hesitant.

"So, why not?" I ask.

The wolf in the cage next to him, Esarosa, says, "It's a long fall, and at the bottom are the dead bodies of mutants." I freeze, and the Wolf snarls angrily in my head. The white female continues, "Most of them are pups that didn't survive. Plus, there's a fence with barbed wire. And we're all so tired and weak...I don't think any of us could even make it to the window…."

She seems to be holding something back. I frown even more and ask, "What else? There's another reason, I know it."

Kaiser slowly nods and says weakly, "They've created new guards. They're very powerful."

I sigh, but before I can say anything else, the sound of mewling pups reaches my ears. I lean over and see five pups, huddled in the back of a smelly cage. They all look normal...I don't think they've been experimented on yet. I let out a low, determined growl and turn back to Kaiser, "We'll get you out. I promise."

He blinks and nods. "Thank you."

Suddenly, I feel someone pull me up and turn to see Clint. He quickly drags me away from the cages, right as Dr. Hunter turns around. Phew!

I give Clint a grateful glance and he makes a 'be careful' look.

"This one is a very successful one." the scientist says, pointing to Esarosa. She bares her teeth and snarls, shrinking to the back of the cage.

"Its DNA is mixed with a…" he glances at me, and decides to dumb it down, "A sort of ice serum. Therefore, its fur turned white and with every pawstep it takes, the ground turns to ice or snow around it."

"Then there's this one." Dr. Otawa turns to Kaiser, "It's the oldest one here. Can't really do much with it anymore. We're thinking about just getting rid of it, seeing it's now useless."

I bite back a snarl.

"As you already know, these mutants are made for military reasons." Dr. Hunter says, "We've recently had a handful of interested customers in China." My eyes widen and I shoot a glance at Steve. He doesn't look at me, but simply takes my hand again and squeezes it. Dr. Hunter continues, "As well as a few other countries."

"Are there any buyers in America?" Natasha asks, and Dr. Hunter shakes his head, "Unfortunately, no. They're not too fond of this program. A few years ago, a military general almost ratted us out, but he reconsidered when we offered to give him a mutant for free. Seems like he needed it for some reason, because he actually agreed." The scientist laughs and says sarcastically, "Such great military leaders America has. Keeps a secret so he can have his own little toy. And he didn't even get the best one! Just a little female that could only morph into a normal sized wolf."

Dr. Otawa sighs, looking at his partner, "We could have improved that mutant so much more! Just a few more tests, and it could've been worth millions."

It! I am not an it!

I bite my lip and step closer to Steve, my heartbeat rabbiting. The super soldier squeezes my hand and moves himself just slightly in front of me, not so much that the scientists would notice, but enough for me to feel safer.

So... they hadn't expected my wolf form to get bigger as I grew. Good, I guess? But they remember me- that's not good. Oh, man, I am sooo glad that Mason got me when he did. I don't want to think about those tests they wanted to put me through.

"Anyway," Dr. Otawa says, gesturing to the stairs, "Shall we move on?" Natasha, Bruce, and Clint nod, while I just lean against Steve. Dr. Hunter glances at me and asks worriedly, "I'm sorry, Miss Scott. Is this a bit much for you? I know you're still only an apprentice."

"Huh?" I jump a bit, surprised at being addressed directly, "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just have a little headache." He nods and leads us up the staircase to the third floor.

Before we go, I look over my shoulder, searching for my wolf friend, Faolan. Seeing this, Esarosa calls out, "He's in the experiment room."

I pale and begin to feel sick.

Steve lets go of my hand and puts his on my shoulder. I look at him and he bends down, concern on his face, "Hey, are you alright?" I swallow hard and nod, feeling a little light-headed. I glance over my shoulder, feeling my eyes water, and turn back to him, "Just..." I take a deep, shuddering breath, and try to suppress the memories of this horrid place that are threatening to cloud my mind. Steve nods understandingly and presses me against him. I nuzzle into his side, feeling like a stupid little kid, and force away my tears.

After a moment, Steve pulls away and gently leads me after the group, who are already at the top of the stairs.

The third level is definitely interesting. There's a bunch of other experiments, like bird or lizard, and even a fungus one, which looks gross. But then, a large, strange looking man walks up to us.

He's as tall as Thor, maybe even taller, with large muscles and scars. A cruel smile is on his face, and his pale yellow eyes look hungry for blood. Definitely a mutant.

I blink and take a step closer to Steve.

"Hello, Cathal." Dr. Otawa greets him, and then turns to us, "Cathal is our most successful and intelligent experiment. At first, we just mixed his DNA with a lion's, but then we took it a step further and added in some Super Soldier Serum. Like Captain America."

We all freeze and stare at Cathal. He grins, showing off long sharp teeth, and I notice that his pupils are actually slits.

"Therefore," Dr. Hunter says, "We now have a more modern superhero."

"I thought nobody could get the serum right." Bruce says and Dr. Otawa shakes his head, "It took a while, but we finally got it right. We're in the process of making more mutants like Cathal. We're calling them Cat Traps." He laughs.

The scientists start talking about the other experiments, and I start to feel a little nauseous. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I turn to see Cathal staring at me. He sniffs the air and my blood runs cold. He can smell the Wolf.

I turn back around and walk away from Steve. Pressing up to Clint's side, I whisper, "We have to go. He knows I'm a mutant. He can smell my wolfness."

Clint looks confused for a moment, but then realizes what I meant and politely attempts to speed things up. Twenty minutes later, we exit the lab.

As soon as we're out of sight, I dash towards the jet and wrench open the door. Plopping down on a seat, I say to the pilot, "Lets go, please."

"Lady Zoey," Thor frowns, "What is the matter?"

Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Natasha climb into the jet and sit down, looking shocked. Uncle Tony looks at them, and then sits down next to me, "Come on. You can tell your Uncle Tony."

"It was just…."

"Hard?"

"Yeah."

The jet takes off, and while we're in the air, Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Natasha tell Thor and Uncle Tony about the lab. Meanwhile, I bring my knees to my chin and lean on Uncle Tony.

When they finish, the genius nudges me and asks, "You okay, kid?"

"I guess."

"Do you need Nyan Cat?"

I smile at his randomness, "Yeah."

Later….

Grumbling, I toss and turn in bed. I had gone to bed a while ago along with Madison, but I can't seem to fall asleep. There's something nagging me in the back of my head, and at first I thought it was the Wolf, but then I realized it was probably just me. In fact, the Wolf wants me to go to sleep.

Rest, it growls, tired.

Hey, I'm tired too, I snap back, I don't know why I can't sleep, so bear with me.

As usual, the Wolf is silent to any common talk.

Sighing, I bring my legs close to my chest and hug them. A few moments later, I turn around to face the other way.

Suddenly, Madison snaps, "Would you quit moving?! Some people are trying to sleep here!"

I feel something hard press against me, then air, then hard ground. Groaning, I sit up and rub the back of my head, "You could've asked me instead of pushing me off the bed!" In response, I get a gentle snore.

Rolling my eyes, which are now glowing (wolfness), I get up and walk out of the room. Maybe a midnight stroll will tire me out.

The Helicarrier, which is hovering above the mountains, isn't very busy. Most of the agents are resting, like I should be. Hmm...I wonder if Fury sleeps?

I peek into the main room. Nope. Still standing at the bridge, still giving orders and watching over everything. I narrow my eyes. Doesn't he get tired?

Good leader, the Wolf comments, Watches over his human Pack, even in the night.

As I hesitate, pondering if I should walk in or not, I see Uncle Tony walking by in another hallway. He does a double take, and then walks into mine. "Hey, kiddo. What are you doing awake so late?" he checks his watch, and then corrects himself, "Early."

I shrug and reply, "I couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"Hm?" he seems surprised that I asked him, but then he says, "Oh, I'm not a big night sleeper. Actually, I don't sleep much at all. Most of the time I go to bed at 3am or something. It's an inventor thing. You know," he grins, "always hatching up new ideas."

He lies, the Wolf growls lightly and I reply, Don't care.

Nodding to Uncle Tony, I say, "Well, I'm just gonna take a little walk outside and then go to sleep."

"You do that."

He walks away and I enter the main room. Fury immediately turns to me and asks, "Why are you awake?"

"Madison pushed me off the bed, but…"

I stop, letting wolf ears sprout from my head. I stare intently at the door. Did I just hear a howl?

Fury takes a step towards me but I flick my ear, signaling for him to stay. Find, the Wolf urges, Find the Pack. They're calling for you.

Slowly, I morph into a wolf and walk towards the door. With a flick of my claw, it's open and I prowl outside. Walking to the edge of the Helicarrier, I stare into the dark night and perk my ears.

Silence.

But then-

"Guitaaaaaain!" I hear a howl, "Guitaaaaaain! Come, little shadow, find me! Guitaaaaaain!"

My heart skips a beat as I recognize Faolan's howl. He-he must've escaped. But how? Oh, no, he must be hurt! But...he sounds strong….

Shaking my head, I sit down. Stop being so pessimistic! I take a deep breath, then, with the light of the full moon (ironic, right?) outlining my pelt, let out a howl, "I hear you, Faolaaaaan! I'll come find youuuuu!"

There's a heartbeat of silence, and then he replies, "I miiiisssed youuuuu!"

"I missed you toooo!" I howl back, and then turn around and bound back to Fury.

Ready to finally meet the famous Faolan?

Did anyone else totally love that Steve and Zoey father daughter moment? It's not just me, right? Well, you guys better notice, cuz there's gonna be a LOT more of it.

Happy early Father's Day! See you next Saturday!

-Flaming Crow