"Morning, DiNozzo," Gibbs greets Tony, already at his desk with coffee in hand. "How was your night?"
Tony sits down at his desk, leaning back with his own coffee. "Didn't get an update from McGee or Abby?"
"I did, actually. Turns out their protective detail didn't defend them very well."
Tony looks up and grins nervously. "Boss, that wasn't my fault."
"Oh?" Gibbs looks up at Tony, face lacking amusement.
"Yeah! Someone was shot, so I chased him. McGee was with me, 'cause I had to protect him, and he got shot."
"So you took McGee.. but you left Abby alone?"
"She wasn't alone! She was with.. the guy who was shot.." He laughs nervously.
"Yeah. Great job, DiNozzo," Gibbs says, obvious sarcasm in his voice.
Tony groans and sinks in his seat, putting a hand on his head. [Great job..]
Ziva walks in, but when she sees Tony, she slows down considerably, staring at him. Spotting this, Tony gives a her a look of confused annoyance.
"What!" That came out more of a yell than he intended.
Ziva frowns and looks at Gibbs, then at Tony. "You are.. human." She looks at Gibbs again.
"Well yeah. Not a full moon today, is it, Zee-vah?"
Ziva slowly makes her way to her desk and sits down, glancing at Tony periodically.
Tony notices this and stands up, making his way over to Ziva's desk, sitting on it purposefully. "Y'know.. I don't have fleas."
"Tony.." Ziva looks up at him, speaking in a warning tone, but her face shows some fear.
"I'm still your favorite little DiNozzo," Tony says, grinning. "The wolf thing is once-a-month."
"Oh, Tony, I knew you related to women more than you let on!"
Tony's grin fades. "Wait, what?"
Gibbs chuckles at the comment, glancing at Tony before back to his newspaper. "Ya do get kinda bitchy, DiNozzo."
Tony's face flushes at that last comment, and Ziva's face forms a big, big grin. Tony can't even come up with a comeback.
Gibbs' phone rings.. Abby. "Yeah Abbs. I'll send him down." After hanging up, Gibbs speaks without looking up from the paper. "DiNozzo, Abby needs you."
"Ah, right away." Tony turns and heads toward the lab, unable to shake the feeling in his gut, caused mostly by the embarassment not long ago. He can't help but feel as though there's resentment and anger too, though it was only a harmless joke.
"AH! Tony, the hell?" Abby steps back. "Don't DO that! Warn a girl."
"I'm..sorry, warn for what? You were waiting for me to arrive, right..?" She had been standing just by the entrance to the lab.
"Before you go all furry on me! I didn't know you could transform outside the full moon."
"I... wait, what?" He looks down at his hands, seeing fur and claws; with horror, he runs to the mirror, spotting his all-wolf head. "Oh, fuck! Really?" He groans, shaking his head. "This is not happening.. how did this happen? I was human earlier! I don't know how to change back and forth, what'll I do?"
Abby watches him and shakes her head. "Tony, you poor thing. How did you change to wolf? Certain thoughts or emotions?"
"Ah, well.. I was a little annoyed when Ziva started picking on me.."
"Really? But that's nothing new."
"..It was when Gibbs joined in," Tony grumbles, and Abby winces.
"Yowch, I see whatcha mean."
Palmer, bringing in some evidence in a baggy, drops it when he sees wolf-tony again. "Ah-geez you're still-and you really-" He stares, eyes glazing over, before fainting. Tony watches in confusion, then looks up at Abby.
"How long is he going to make it here, really?"
"I've been wondering that myself," Abby says with a nod, picking up the evidence and signing off on the paper that's now on the floor by Jimmy. "Could you.. y'know.. take him back to Ducky? Without being seen?"
"Well, I can try." Tony gives a little salute. "See you soon Abbs."
Abby won't take a salute; she instead jumps on him in a brief hug. "Be safe out there! Them agents are tough!"
Tony grins as he lifts Palmer up easily, carrying him out and towards autopsy. Traveling, walking, listening and sniffing for people ahead of him, Tony manages to make it.. almost. Fornell had been heading for autopsy, and upon seeing Tony, jumps and whips out his gun. Tony isn't sure if he should give away the secret or not, so just remains silent and still.
Fornell looks into the green eyes of the wolf creature, wondering if this is a strange costume.. but geez, it's so real. He nods to Palmer. "Put him down."
Tony nods and slowly puts Jimmy down, sitting him up in the corner.
"Hands in the air."
Tony grunts and puts his hands in the air, watching Fornell, who dares to move closer to search him. Since Fornell's going to find his badge anyways.. He grins, speaking just as Fornell was getting really close. "Y'know, you could just ask."
Fornell jumps a little, then directs his gun at Tony's head. "That.. Agent DiNozzo?"
"Ding ding, we have a winner. Tell the man what he's won.. McGee!" Tony points behind Fornell, but as the man spins around, he finds only an empty hallway. As he turns back around, Fornell fidns himself alone, save for the unconscious Palmer.
"Wh-Anthony!" He searches wildly, before sighing and pulling out his cell phone. It picks up quickly.
"Agent Gibbs. Mind telling me why Agent DiNozzo is dressed up as a wolf?" A pause on the other end, then a sigh.
"Early halloween costume testing. Abby's idea."
"Ah.. right. Is he supposed to be a werewolf or a ghost? He disappeared in the two seconds that I turned around."
"What can I say, he practices my skills."
Tony manages to make it almost to the bullpen; he gets to the doorway and spots the bustling activity and all the agents. Wishing he could be more stealthy, like a real wolf and not some giant werewolf; he soon feels a sinking feeling.. scrabbling for the doorway he was clutching, he loses grip and falls to his side, landing on the floor. He quickly gets up, but finds he can no longer stand on two legs. He also realizes that his clothes are.. really constricting him. Glancing around, he sees that he's clear, and takes a quick look at himself-and nearly falls over in horror. Werewolf? No. Wolf. Big-ass-frickin'-wolf. He wriggles his way out of the clothing, astounded to know he can shapeshift so many ways.. and at will, too! However, a scream interrupts him from his thoughts, and his head snaps towards the scream-a young agent, just a probie. She had spotted Tony-wolf, and was pointing at him. [Shit!]
Hearing the sudden scream, Gibbs knew just what it was. He leaps up and runs over to the scene, as well as Ziva and several other agents-every agent allowed to have a gun has theirs trained on Tony.
Tony looks up into Gibbs' blue eyes and lets out a faint whine of fright, and all he gets in return is a glare. But.. he can smell fear.. from his boss, too. Gibbs glances at the crowd, then motions towards the hallway, uttering a word only Tony's ears can hear. Run.
In a flash, Tony's disappeared, a blur disappearing into the hallway. Unfortunately, more people had heard the scream, and were on their way to check it out-and several people in the hallway spot Tony; one being Fornell. No way in hell that's just a costume. He thought maybe Abby had brought a wolf in.. or more likely, someone had released it into NCIS to cause hell. Nevertheless, he pulls out his gun and fires several rounds, hitting Tony in the back, shoulder, chest.. and head. Somehow, Tony just barrels past Fornell, knocking him and every other person in the hallway over.
He doesn't stop until he's in Abby's lab, but the blood trail is an obvious path leading there. He raises his head with a low, mournful howl, attracting Abby's attention-who runs over and hugs Tony. "Tony, you've been shot!"
"N..o, really.. Abbs..?" He pants, each pant combined with a whimpering or whine.
"Where all were you shot? Who shot you?" As Abby checks Tony over, he speaks.
"F..Fornell. I turned into this.. wolf.. and people saw it, they.. all freaked out." Unable to keep standing, Tony collapses onto his arms and legs. "Don't.. don't let them take me away, Abby.."
Before Abby can get out a reply, shouting is heard from just outside the hall, with familiar voices. Gibbs, Vance, Fornell, Ziva. They can make out what's going on.. Ziva has Fornell at gunpoint, Gibbs is trying to convince everyone that the wolf is not a threat; Fornell is threatening Gibbs' job and Vance is threatening the jobs of both agents.
Tony looks up at Abby, slowly shifting back to werewolf, then to human, right in her lap. His breathing is ragged, and the bullet to the head is noticeable now; it had hit the left side of his skull, but hadn't gone through, luckily. There's still plenty of blood; the chest wound is more noticeable now, though. Ricocheted off the side of his ribs, lodging in the wall of his heart, possible to break free at any moment. He lets out a moan of pain and weakness, calling out. "Boss.. dammit, boss.. Fornell I'm gonna kill you.."
Gibbs rubs in, followed by the other three in the hall. "Fuck. DAMMIT FORNELL!" In his rage, Gibbs strikes out faster than anyone can register, slamming the back of his fist into Fornell's head-dropping him, almost unconsious. Gibbs quickly turns to Tony, barking an order to Ziva to call Ducky IMMEDIATELY. He then looks at Abby, nodding, and she abdicates her position for Gibbs, who resorts to supporting Tony. "Dammit DiNozzo, don't you die on me now."
"But boss.. I'm.. invincible, remember..?" Tony manages a weak grin, but he's trembling-something that only Gibbs can feel. "I'm not cold, don't worry.. just hurts.." He closes his eyes. [God, why is Vance here? Kind of embarassing..]
Ziva calls McGee right after she finishes with Ducky, alerting him of the news. McGee had been at his desk with simple office work, recovering from his arm, but now, hearing this news.. he rushes up and off to see his friend.
"I'm.. okay, Ducky, really.." Tony says, but some blood from the corner of his mouth denies his words. He chokes a little bit, more blood spilling out. "Kay, never..mind.."
"Tony, shut up," Gibbs orders, nodding to Ducky, who first checks Tony's heartbeat with the stethoscope.
"Oh my.." He looks at Tony, then double-checks. "My dear boy.. Jethro we must get him to a hospital immedately. His heart is beating erratically, I fear it may have been damaged in the shooting." Ducky pulls out his phone and, with urgency in his voice, has an ambulance headed their way at top speed, top urgency, top priority. "Anthony, you must steady your breathing and stay awake."
Tony's glazed-over eyes stare off into space. "Easy f'you t'say, Duck..y.." He grins a little. "Quack, quack-" He's stopped by choking on a little more blood, and Abby whimpers at the sight.
McGee, just arriving, runs up. "How is he? How's.. Tony, oh man.." He spots Tony, laying in Gibbs' arms, one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Bleeding from his shoulder, chest, head and even mouth; eyes glazed and half-closed.. he just knew it: Tony's gonna die. He feels his eyes well up with tears at the thought. "No Tony, don't leave us," he whines pathetically, and Abby, catching the emotion, starts to cry too, though not as much.
Ziva's eyes have already been shedding tears, cheeks shining in the dimmed light of the lab. She glances at Vance, who is looking right back at her, expression showing.. mostly remorse.
"Probie..? C'mon man.. you got shot."