Yesterday returned no useful results. McGee, Ziva and Tony have been working around the clock, tracing everyone they can, everyone perceivable as a threat, and have found nothing useful. Gibbs has even recruited Abby to search files as well, and has her working on Ducky. Gibbs, himself, is napping.. down in autopsy, where, at 3 am as it is now, is dark and empty. Wonderfully silent and peaceful..
Until his phone rings. With a groan, he opens the phone and speaks into it, speech muddled-he was nearly asleep, after all. "G'bbs."
"Jethro! I'm being shot at-" gunshots are heard in the background as Ducky ducks and tries to keep out of the line of fire. The sound of the phone hitting the floor causes Gibbs to jump up, yelling in the receiver for Ducky as he runs out of autopsy and up to the bullpen. The only sounds he hears in the phone are more gunshots, a faint click-clack like a tin can hitting the floor.. a one-second delay, explosion-the line going dead.
Tony, McGee and Ziva are all zoning out to the world, minds attached in deep attention to their search. They're torn away as Gibbs runs through, grabbing his gun. "Everyone, move, now! No talking!" He runs for the elevator, everyone hot in tow, obeying his commands without question. "Ducky's being attacked," is the only explanation he gives, just as everyone gets to the elevator.
Arrival at the house, with Gibbs behind the wheel, is in half the time-only to find it completely engulfed in flames, no sign of people anywhere. "Shit!" Gibbs barely gets the van in park before leaping out, running toward the house, Tony in tow. "Tony! Sniff out Ducky!"
Tony nods and sniffs in deeply, but has to cover his nose. "Ahh-geez-too much fire! All I can smell is smoke and the air's really hot!"
"Do you smell burnt flesh?"
"No, I don't." He looks around, sniffing a few more times.
"He got away. He had to. Go around the yard and search for him." he turns to face McGee, who looks horrified at the conflagration. "McGee! Search the grounds with Tony! Ziva, you're with me, let's go." He keeps his gun at the ready, the four setting out to search for their friend.
It's only a minute later that Tony's yells are heard. "OVER HERE!" He checks on the unconscious-but-alive medical examiner. A sniff tells him there is no blood but much smoke smell, and singeing of Ducky's nightclothes.
Gibbs, Ziva and McGee are there in a flash. Ziva speaks for Gibbs, who's wheezing a bit and unable to speak immediately. "Is he all right?" her eyes are filled with concern, is is everyone's.
"Yeah. He's unconscious from smoke inhalation, but he'll be fine. Let's get him back to NCIS, he'll be safe there."
"Tony, McGee, help me lift him, we'll take him to the van. Ziva, watch for attackers." After they get Ducky safely to the van, Gibbs gets in the driver's seat. "McGee, call Director Vance, alert him of what's happened. Ziva, call Palmer, tell him we're going to pick him up." He throws the van into gear and heads for Palmer's residence. "Tony, stay with Ducky."
Everyone does as they're told. It's only an hour afterwards, near 5 am, that everyone is at NCIS, which is on high alert. Ducky is awake by now, sitting on one of his tables in autopsy. For the last half hour, Ducky has mainly been focusing on fresh air; but in between, he has retold the attack-and of the explosion, while he was still inside the house-to Gibbs and Vance. Ziva, Tony, McGee, Palmer and Abby were, of course, there with them.
Vance shakes his head. "Sounds like the other attacks were a distraction. I believe Dr. Mallard is the actual target." He looks at everyone. "We'd better find out why. Gibbs, you take DiNozzo. Go investigate the house. Everyone else is staying here, where they can be protected."
"Wh-you want us to stay here but you're going to risk Tony and Gibbs?" McGee protests.
"I believe that they can get the job done with minimal risk." He stares McGee in the eye. "Everyone else will remain at NCIS."
Gibbs nods. "Let's go." He turns, heading out of autopsy. Tony gives a grin and a little salute before turning to head out, speeding up his pace as Gibbs calls back to him. "DiNozzo, today!"
Hours. Three hours to canvass the house and the yard, and now they're going to do a one-mile radius out from it. Gibbs gives a quick call to McGee to have him, Abby and Ziva all collaborate together, with Ducky, to find if there's anyone that, to their knowledge, would want him dead.
Tony groans. "Boss, my nose is all sniffed out." He rubs his nose, which is dry and aches so much he's getting a headache from inhaling.
"Then investigate the old-fashioned way. Use your eyes, DiNozzo." Gibbs shakes his head as he continues his searching, heading away from Tony.
With a sigh, Tony begins. [My nose could be really useful though..] He looks around, searching for anything. Spent bullets, footprints, anything that could be out of place.
"Got anything?" Gibbs asks Tony after ringing him.
"Only some smells. I can't follow them, my nose hurts too much. There's nothing their scent would give away 'bout 'em, either."
"Wonderful." Sigh. "Are you sure you can't follow it? We really need this."
"I'm sure. Even if I try, the pain of inhaling blocks out any hints to it. Sorry, Boss."
"Don't apologize. Let's get back to NCIS."
"Copy that, Boss." Tony clicks his phone shut and heads back to the van. Tonight's the big night. He has to figure out where he'll change..
"Here you go, Abbs. Evidence. One blown grenade, 8 bullets, burnt fabrics of all sorts.." He sets a plastic crate next to Abby's table. "Burnt.. a lot of things, really. We're not sure what everything is." He looks at the clock, noon. "Hey.. Abbs?"
Abby looks up from looking the spent grenade over. "Hm?"
"..Tonight. Where?"
She blinks cluelessly. "Where what?"
"..Can I change?"
"Oh! I.. with everything that's been going on, I forgot about that.."
Tony groans. "Come up with something or I'm using your lab."
"Tony! There's too much sensitive equipment and evidence here for you to change! Use.. use autopsy instead! There's nothing there that you can damage.. much."
Tony groans. "I'm going back up to continue the search. Later, Abbs."
Searching, searching, searching. The hours pass as they continue, the team-plus one autopsy Gremlin-going through Ducky's history, whilst Gibbs accompanies Ducky down in autopsy, listening to Ducky recall his life story-he only wanted the facts, but with Ducky, that's simply not possible.
Before anybody realizes, the sky grows dark, the skylight shining less and less light on their search parade. Vance had gone to talk to Gibbs, who now calls a meeting-down in autopsy, since there was already a small gathering there. The team makes their way down to autopsy, Tony feeling energized, empowered. He doesn't even realize how dark it's getting out..
"Nobody is going home tonight," Vance announces. "Until we come up with a lead for who's trying to take one of our people out, nobody is leaving this building."
Tony whines. "Director, I can't stay tonight."
"Why's that, DiNozzo?"
"I.. left my meds at home. Without them I get really.. panicky."
"Doctor, do you have any medicine in stock?"
"Nothing of the sort Tony requires, I'm afraid," Ducky replies, looking at a very nervous Tony.
"I'm sorry, DiNozzo. I don't want to risk your life. You have friends here if you start to have trouble." Vance nods to Gibbs before he turns and leaves autopsy.
Abby, in the room, whines. "We can't leave until we have a lead? With how much history there is, it could take days before-" She's silenced by Tony, who lets out a loud groan, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Abby, Palmer, Ducky, Gibbs, Ziva, McGee.
Tony starts breathing heavily, suddenly feeling hot. "No.. no, it's too early.. what-what time is it?" He looks at McGee.
"Ah.. seven. Tony?"
"Shit.. shitshitshit.." Tony turns to face away from the others, feeling the beginning of the transformation take effect. His gums itch as his teeth lengthen, his bones.. rather than a blistering pain as they change, it's more of a severe ache-bearable. "Boss," Tony calls out weakly, his voice sounding small and scared, garnering worried looks from his friends.
Ducky's no fool, he knows of many psychological illnesses, and spots a few variables. "Anthony, are you all right?"
"No Duck, he's not." Gibbs walks over to Tony, whispering something to him that nobody else can hear.
"I.. but they.." Tony whispers back.
"They're gonna learn some time."
Tony nods and turns to face everyone. He whimpers as the transformation continues, causing his hands to grow slightly larger, his fingernails lengthen and sharpen into something more akin to claws than fingernails.
Abby frowns and looks back and forth at mixed reactions from the others. Fear, horror, concern.. Palmer's face only shows pure terror.
Tony grabs onto the edge of an examination table, gripping tightly as his face changes. Mouth open, he pants, gasping in pain as his jaw outstretches, forming into a wolf muzzle as brown fur begins sprouting over his entire body. The farther along the change continues, the more Tony can feel the wolf instinct arrive. It's not as powerful as a month ago, but he still has to fight against it.
"Oh my god he's a werewolf," McGee manages to get out in a tiny voice, stepping back, shaking in terror.
Ziva says something in a language that's a mystery to all, and Palmer immedately exits autopsy, running for his life. Poor guy.
Tony cries out in pain as his tail appears behind him, his neck lengthens, his feet grow in length and size, and as his body strains against the tight suit on him.
"Dear lord," Ducky whispers, though he stands his ground, expression more fascination than fear. "What a terrible curse has befallen you.."
"Tony, remember to keep control," Gibbs orders, but Tony, finishing the transformation, hadn't heard-the wolf, at the moment, was in control. Hungry, wanting to hunt, and very, very agressive, for being surrounded by so many humans.
He tosses his head up and howls, long and loud, sending chills through everyone in the building; even those in interrogation. Tony then faces those around him, growling, mouth open and drooling hungrily. He searches the crowd for the one that he'll take out.. and settles on McGee. He leaps at McGee, knocking him over.
Instantly, Gibbs is in action. He runs forward, calling out for assistance from others, and works to restrain Tony. Ziva, Abby and Ducky all pitch in, but the only thing they're succeeding in is keeping Tony from attacking McGee, nothing further. McGee gets a chance and escapes, scrambling out from underneath Tony's grasp, his heart pounding madly in fear. "Tony stop," he says, but his voice is small and pathetic. All he gets in return is snapping and gnashing of teeth.
"DiNozzo, enough!" Gibbs uses his famous head-slap, and suddenly, Tony shuts up and stops moving. He looks at McGee, feels himself being restrained, and lets out a whine. "The.. wolf had me again. Sorry, boss.."
Gibbs sighs, grins about the wake-up call being the magical antidote, and orders a release of Tony, who steps back as he's set free. "Jimmy.. Oops. Think I scared him, boss.."
"Everyone else in the room too, DiNozzo." Gibbs motions around. Ducky is staring at Tony in amazement, Ziva has her gun in her hands, clearly very on edge; Abby is of course, smiling, and McGee.. looks confused.
"This explains a lot," he mumbles, and slowly, a smile appears on his face. "Were.. a were..wolf, huh?"
"Correct, Probie." Tony stands up to his full height, which is a few inches more than if he were human, thanks to his lengthened feet and neck. "It does have its good points, though. You wouldn't believe how well I can-"
"Holy shit!" comes another voice. In the doorway to autopsy, which nobody had been focusing on-they had been focusing on Tony, rather-is Director Vance, staring at the werewolf in front of him. He sees the suit on the wolf, straining against the fur and the thickened muscles, but isn't quite onto that detail yet. He yanks his gun out and holds it up, and Tony raises his hands in defense.
"Easy, easy Director! Bullets really hurt!"
"Director, stand down," Gibbs says, watching Tony out of the corner of his eye.
"Agent Gibbs, what is this? What is he?"
"Look around the room, Leon. Who's missing?"
Vance looks at Gibbs, back at Tony; then at Gibbs again. He takes his attention from Tony long enough to look around the room, noticing the absences of two people. "Palmer and DiNozzo."
"Yeah well, Jimmy was pretty scared," Tony comments, but shuts up as the gun is aimed at him again.
"DiNozzo." He looks at the werewolf, squints at him, and drops the gun, eyes widening. "DiNozzo?"
"Guilty," Tony says nervously, accompanied by a sharp-toothed grin. He puts his hands down, thankful the gun is gone. Sure, it won't kill him.. but it really does hurt like hell.
"Would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" Vance directs his gaze at Gibbs as he makes that comment.
Abby answers. "Well, it started two months ago, when Tony was attacked.." She pauses, looking at Tony, as if asking his approval to go on. With a nod, she continues. "He healed really fast, but he had some..symptoms, like sensitive hearing and smell and.. well, wolf instincts, but we didn't know what it was from until the full moon."
"We?" McGee interrupts, and Tony nods.
"Abby and Gibbs were there when I changed for the first time." He flattens his ears a bit at the memory of attempting to kill Gibbs.
"Why did you not tell us?" Ziva asks, her voice questioning betrayal of friendship.
"Honestly, Ziva.. would you have believed it?" Tony looks into Ziva's eyes, and after a moment, receives a shake of the head.
"No, I suppose not. Even if Gibbs had confirmed."
"Exactly my point," Tony replies, nodding. "When I changed, the pain and the instinct.." he trails off, looking to Abby to provide an explanation so he wouldn't have to go through it again. She nods in understanding and continues for him.
"When he transformed, it caused him massive amounts of pain. There was also the instinct of the wolf to deal with, and when those two were mixed, he lost control and nearly-well, we're both still here," Abby says, looking at Tony, who bows his head a little. "Later in the night we tracked-"
"Tony, did you attack someone?" McGee interrupts, having been watching Tony. Tony, who now remains silent, just staring into McGee's eyes, not wanting to reveal the truth.
"Yeah, me," Gibbs answers. He pulls off his jacket and unbuttons his shirt. everyone watches with curious anticipation as Gibbs does this; though Tony's expression is more of shame. Finally, Gibbs reveals the three-clawed scar on his upper left arm. "You do that again Tony, I'm using silver bullets," he says, but looks at Tony with an undertone of amusement. Tony catches it, and can't help but grin weakly.
"Gotcha, boss.."