Needless to say, the shower felt like Heaven on Earth. After rolling around in garbage, being drenched in strawberry ice cream, and flossing my teeth with another man's tighty whiteys, it felt absolutely wonderful to feel clean again. I stood there with my eyes closed as the hot water slid down my body. My head hangs forward as my knees started to sway as my body tries to assume the sensation of sleep.
Ah, what the Hell, I'm feeling a bit wild today, I think to myself as I lean my head back so that my hair could get wet. On most days I hated washing my hair. In all honesty I found it to be tedious and in most cases uncomfortable and tiresome. However, that day was exceptional. I try to look to my left, and my eyes instinctively shut as water splashes into them. I had forgotten that one of the other reasons I hated washing my hair was because my eyes were extremely sensitive to water. If it weren't for the fact that my powers allow my body to adapt to just about any situation, I'd be completely useless in battle if water were involved. "Mind if I borrow these", I sarcastically ask myself as if I were talking to Lobomon. The water immediately became meaningless to my eyes as they Changed from brown to yellow. "Ah, much better."
I look back over to my left to see a metal shower rack hanging from the top of the border that separates my shower stall from the next. I notice two bottles. The first was a bottle of Old Spice body wash, the other was a bottle of pet shampoo from what I assumed was a local company. The brand was called "Dand-Ruff". It was safe to assume that this was Beast Boy's shower that I was using. I looked at the bottle as I thought to myself, there's an idea. I completed my Change into my wolf form as I popped open the bottle and began to lather my black fur. Whoever had designed this stuff was like a dog whisperer or something because it felt amazing. It was thick enough to seep down to my skin through my fur, but light and oily enough to slide as well. Plus it smelled like summer grass. I'd love to see what these guys do for fleas, I thought to myself as my tail wagged in delight.
With my fur sufficiently scrubbed and rid of all traces of filth, I revert back to my human form to enjoy the water for a bit longer. As the water rolled down my dark skin, my mind began to wander. I began thinking about the people I'd encountered thus far after arriving at Jump City. So far the only significant people I'd met were the five that inhabited the tower. The only other two people outside of them that were worth even considering to mention were Johnny Rancid and that television stereotype blonde I bumped into. This caused me to ponder all of the questions I had about this fivesome and go over all of the information I'd gathered from observing them. I started to react at the thought of Raven.
Shit! Now I can't get out, I thought to myself as I looked down at myself. Dead kittens, dead kittens, dead kittens, I chanted trying to cool off. It wasn't working, I was still thinking about Raven. Her eyes, her voice, her legs, I could tell that I was going to be in there for a while. I wonder if she likes me, I wondered. I answered my own question as I looked at myself. Eh, who am I kidding? As if on cue, all of me started to descend back down to Earth. I highly doubted Raven would be interested in me. I mean, sure, we were both fueled by the powers of darkness, but what else was there?
She complimented her darkness with an image of beauty, a sharp wit, a sarcastic sense of humor, and an understanding of things that most people didn't notice. As for me, I was nothing to double-take at. The only thing positive I could say about myself appearance-wise was that I was tall. In my human form I stood at 73 inches. However, I weighed about 240 pounds, 50 pounds more than what I should weigh, according to most doctors. My gut had patches of dry skin on it that I would never be able to get rid of due to my protest against lotion when I was a small child, and when I looked at my chest, all I saw were a woman's breasts accompanied by stretch marks near my armpits. It didn't matter if they were really that big or not, that's how I saw myself, and it would've taken more than self-esteem exercises to make me see otherwise. My back had even more dry patches across it than my stomach did, and my arms were a mess. The undersides of them flapped when I wiggled them, and the outsides had patches of acne and more dry skin between the elbows and the shoulders. The only toned part of me were my legs. My calves were toned and firm, but that didn't say much when you considered how large my thighs and hips were as indicated by the stretch marks towards my groin. I wasn't anybody's prize, and if you ever looked at me, you'd probably never guess that I was this dark werewolf prince that evildoers feared and loathed so greatly.
A common misconception with animagi was that people assumed our human forms reflected our truer animal forms. This couldn't be any further from the truth, because otherwise I would've been stunning, or at least not a werewolf. When an animagus Changes, body fat is Changed into muscle. There are very few animals that are deemed fat, and for the few that are, there are genetic reasons for it. Examples of this could be shown when comparing my associate Taiyo, with my older sister Sandra.
When they Changed, Taiyo became a white rhinoceros, while my sister became a saltwater crocodile. Both were heavy-weight animals when in their truer forms, and both were very athletic, strong, and agile. With that said, it tended to surprise most people when the human forms of the large and chunky rhino and the slender and sleek crocodile were a skinny, yet built Japanese-American male, and an obese, country, white girl, respectively. Although to be fair, despite my sister's large size, she had much more confidence in herself than I did in mine. She would describe herself as PHAT (Plump Hot And Thick), and she owned that attitude to the letter. She was our high school's number one swimmer on the swim team for all four years, and for volunteer hours she taught gymnastics to middle schoolers. You hadn't lived until you saw my sister do a full split on those little ring things that hung from the ceiling.
The point was, my human form had little to no reflection of my wolf form. Now when I was in a fight and happened to be in my human form at the time, my body underwent what I called Battle Mode, which was where just as if I were about to Change, my body temporarily converted my excess body fat into muscle. Even at that point in time as I stood in the shower thinking about it, I still found it a weird and bizarre sight to see as my large gut and man tits got inhaled by my body and instantly replaced with a chiseled six-pack and fully toned pecs. However, weird or not, I could only go into Battle Mode, as the name suggests, during a fight, meaning I couldn't control it at will, and obviously I couldn't live my life as a wolf forever unless I intended to live in the forest or a zoo, so I was stuck with my pitiful human form. It was just as much a part of me as any of my other forms. Granted it was my least favorite form, but still, a form of myself.
After cooling down and returning to reality, I reach my right hand up towards the border of the shower and grab at the air. When nothing fell into my grasp I turned my head and looked. I had forgotten to grab a towel before coming into the shower.
"God dammit." I Changed back into my wolf form as I unlock the stall and step out. I drop to all fours and shake out my fur as hard as I could. Without a towel it was the best I could do for the moment. As water left my fur I could feel myself feeling more like a poodle than a werewolf as my fur fluffed out giving me a poofy appearance. I stalk towards the door leading to the main room of the bathroom. I slowly open the door and peak my head through as I take a look around. Thank God nobody can see me like this. I continue through the doorway as I walk to the sinks. I rise back to my hind legs and look at myself in the mirror. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Prince of Darkness", I said as I motioned my paws towards my stupid-looking reflection. I look up above the mirrors and notice the cabinet that Raven mentioned earlier. I open it and grab an orange towel and begin to dry off the rest of the excess moisture from my fur. I notice a hair dryer sitting near one of the sinks and I grab it and plug it in. I then spend the following five minutes drying my fur while simultaneously patting it down with my free paw. Once I was sure that I looked like a real werewolf again I wrap up my clothes in the towel I used and tie it all in a bundle. I then return to all fours and walk out of the bathroom with the towel hanging from my jaws. I walk back down the hallway from which I came and make a right.
This hallway had three chairs lined up on my left, the furthest one being the one Raven led me to, and further down to the right the hallway opened to the living room. I could hear everyone interacting with one another. I walk out to the entry way of the living room. Once there I observed the others. To my left was Raven, curled up onto a chair similar to that of the chairs you sit in at the booths of restaurants. Her large, violet eyes were buried in a book as they scanned left to right. Directly in front of me was Beast Boy and Cyborg. They sat on the huge couch in the center of the room in front of the even larger television set. They were locked in a competitive game of Mario Kart Double Dash.
Huh, nice, I thought to myself as I wondered how long it had been since I played that game. To my right, Robin was standing in front of a large stereo system as it blasted music with an enormous amount of bass in it, none of which seemed to bother Robin as he stood there tuning everything but the music out. Further to my right was Starfire as she was bent over with her rear in Robin's direction rummaging through the fridge. She stands back up and calls back to Beast Boy.
"Is there none of the milk of soy left, Beast Boy?"
"Sorry, polished it off just this morning."
"Besides, BB here is about to get a full serving of dust", exclaimed Cyborg as I noticed he used a mushroom as a turbo boost. He was playing using Luigi and Bowser, while Beast Boy was using Donkey Kong and Birdo.
Interesting choices, I thought to myself as I thought back at how I usually paired Birdo with Yoshi. Starfire then notices me and huffs once again. This apparently was enough to grab Robin's attention.
"Well, look who finally surfaced." The others immediately pause what they were doing and give me their undivided attention.
No pressure or anything.
"Welcome to Titans Tower", he continued as he motioned his right arm across the room.
"Um, why does he possess one of my body cloths in his mouth", asked Starfire. I was told to avoid using the red, green, and blue towels. The only other two color choices were orange and purple. It didn't take me long to realize the meaning behind the color choices of the towels. Five people, five color choices. Green was Beast Boy, blue was Cyborg, purple was Raven, red was Robin, and orange was Starfire. Since my only two choices were orange and purple, I immediately chose orange. I didn't want to risk coming off as any more weird to Raven than I already did, plus I knew it'd get a reaction out of Starfire.
"Better question, does he not have any other clothes", asked Beast Boy. Cyborg responded by bonking him on the head.
"Be any more rude why don't you." I drop my tail, lower my ears, and move my two hind legs together awkwardy in response to Beast Boy graciously pointing out that if it weren't for the fact that I was in wolf form, I'd be streaking through the tower. Out the corner of my eye I noticed Raven blushing slightly as she raised her book to cover her face, causing me to feel even more bashful.
"The laundry room is in the lobby", said Robin as he pointed to the elevator doors behind me. I nodded my head as I turned and walked towards the elevator.
"Um, it's easier to use on two legs", said Beast Boy sarcastically as Cyborg bonks him again. Upon hearing him say that I toss the bundle into the air. I then quickly turn around and donkey kick it. The bundle flies towards the wall and pushed the down button, activating the elevator. I walk over and pick up the bundle with my teeth as the elevator dings and the doors open. I walk inside and turn my head towards the buttons as I push the one that said "Lobby" with my tail. I then turn towards the others and bow as the doors close.
In your face, I thought to myself as a grin stretches across my muzzle. The elevator carries me seven floors down to the lobby, which as it turns out was a fitting name for the room. I walk out of the elevator and take a look around.
To my left were two tall bookshelves full of books which were clearly there just for show. From where I was standing I noticed that several of the books were random encyclopedias and several different editions of an English dictionary.
Man, I bet even Starfire doesn't read any of this crap. I look directly in front of me at the coffee table, with two recliners, one on each side, of it. In the center of the chairs, directly behind the table, was a tall lamp that turned on and off with a cord that hung from the top. It was clear that none of the others ever used this room due to the fact that the air smelled of dust, the only exception being the washer and dryer that were to my right.
I walk the bundle over to the machines and help myself to the detergent and fabric softener as I load my clothes into the washer. With twenty minutes to kill while I waited, I noticed a phone on the wall to my right. It was an old-fashioned wall phone with a spiral cord. I knew there was no way I could speak into that thing with my wolf head, so I Changed my head to my human form. I walk over awkwardly to the phone as I wonder how ridiculous I probably looked in my current state. I then pick up the receiver and dial my mother's cell phone number. When she answers, the expected and dreaded one-sided conversation begins.
She opens up saying how angry she was with me for not checking in, and then started going on about all the stress and nonsense I put her through. My mother and I hadn't seen eye-to-eye for the past several years, and for the past six months she had been threatening to throw me out of the house. I initially tune her out, only speaking to say "yes, ma'am" and "no, ma'am" when required. Eventually we get to a point where she stops talking and I tell her everything that happened up to that point. After I finished, I asked her if she knew what happened to Taiyo. She didn't, which worried me slightly. I then ended by saying that I was planning on staying in Jump City for the time being while I waited for Doctor Light to reappear. Her response shocked me to the core.
"Good, because I was about to tell you not to come back anyway."
"Wait, what? Why can't I come back?"
"Look, as I've said, I've lost all feelings of joy that comes from being your mother. I'm done. I'm sick of your mouth, I'm sick of the stuff you put me through, and most of all, I'm sick of you. You're 21 years old, and it's time you started acting like it, and not like this wannabe superhero bullshit you've thrusted on this family for the past several years."
"It's not bullshit! Have you forgotten what I am?" The legends of the Elementals were passed down through my family from my father's side. She had married into this belief and was never a fan of the life I lived because of it.
"You better watch who you're talking to. I say it's bullshit, and you're not changing my mind. You will not live in my house while you spend your free time picking fights and looking for trouble."
"Mom, what am I supposed to do? I have a job and school there."
"I already took the liberty of calling your teachers and your job. They know you won't be coming back and I emptied your accounts, so you can go ahead and throw away that debit card."
"What the Hell, Mom! You can't do that!"
"I can do whatever I want to do, the account is in my name! Just as the house I paid for was your house, the money you earned is in my account. Now I'm giving you one week to find you a place to live so I can mail you your belongings, otherwise I'm throwing the shit out. I'm not dragging it around anymore. If you need money, call your white friends. Or better yet, get help from your real family", she said in reference to my "play siblings". "Call me when you have an address, if not, well then best of luck to ya." And with that, she hung up the phone. I was crushed.
I knew she and I never got along, but I never imagined she would abandon me. I growled in anger and in sorrow as tears filled my eyes to the point where it hurt to blink. I then drew my right arm back preparing to punch the wall when the buzzer for the washing machine sounded. I wipe my eyes and try to "fix" my face as if there were other people in the room as I walk over to the machine. I put my wet clothes into the dryer and turn it on. I had another thirty minutes of waiting time.
Since my mother was no help in learning the whereabouts of Taiyo, I decided to find out for myself, which I wished I could avoid. Years ago, Taiyo and Adryen, Elemental Prince of Water, set up a private phone line that was only accessible to the six Elementals, technically nine if you included Yea Seul, Megan, and Francesca, who were the fiancees of Taiyo, Adryen, and Ryan (Elemental Prince of Fire), respectively. We only used it to leave messages or to receive messages if we were to ever suspect one of us was in trouble. It was designed to where after you left a message, it would automatically delete after the next person called and listened to it. You then had the option of leaving a new message so that the process could continue all over again. With a heavy heart and a growing feeling of nervousness, I called our E-Mergency Line. There was a message there waiting for me. It was from Andre, Elemental Prince of Wind and my second in command.
"Lobomon…..", he began. The fact that he referred to me off the bat as "Lobomon" and not my real name already told me that something was wrong. "….at least I hope it's you that's hearing this message. We have a problem." It was then I noticed his voice started to break. "We recently received an S.O.S. from Taiyo. He told us that you had vanished and was being pursued by an enemy you two had fought. His message was interrupted in the middle of his call, we believe he was captured. In addition, Megan has informed me that Adryen has gone missing and I have lost contact with Asia." Asia was the Elemental Princess of Light and Andre's fiancee. "Ryan and I managed to move the girls and the kids (Ryan and Francesca's son and daughter Justin and Alexis, and Taiyo and Yea Seul's twin son and daughter Jackson and Wendy. Alexis was six months old, and the other three children were each two years old) to the safe house, but just barely. Our homes were attacked by armed men in masks. We cannot do much investigating with just the two of us, so if you're out there, if any of you are out there, please. We need you." With that, the message ended. I then left a message of my own.
"Andre, it's me. Do not worry, I am alright, and I'm glad you all are safe. Taiyo was correct, we did fight an enemy together recently, but the battle opened a wormhole and brought me here. For safety reasons I will not tell you where I am, but know that I am perfectly okay. The man that captured Taiyo is called Doctor Light, and I'm certain he got to the others as well. The wormhole teleported me to a place that to my understanding is where he resides, so I am currently waiting for him to return. However, the wormhole also has damaged my powers, limiting my abilities. With three of the Elementals captured and myself in a weakened state, it's more important than ever that we are ready when our enemy strikes next. You and Ryan are to stay there and protect the girls and the kids. They are all that's left of us. I will contact you when my powers return, but in exchange you must not seek me out. I repeat, do not seek me out. If it weren't for the fact that I have no family in Anchorage, my home would've probably been attacked as well. Conserve your energy and stay safe. And keep me posted if there's any news. I will send you updates as well from my end. I'm counting on you Andre. In my current state, I'm gonna need you to step up and protect our family. And don't worry, I promise we will find her. We will find all of them. Take care", I said as I hung up the phone. I sat there in silence as I waited for my laundry to finish.
My day had started bad and was ending horribly. Being abandoned in a new city far from home was one thing. My friends being picked off one by one was another. The whole situation was a little bit scary. I underestimated Doctor Light, and I felt that it was my fault that my friends were captured. Perhaps if I had taken his threat more seriously, they wouldn't have suffered. All I could think about is how I doomed my friends and all I could do at that point was hope that they were okay, wherever they were.
After what felt like hours, my laundry was finished. I pull out my clothes piece by piece as I slowly redress myself. I had forgotten that my shirt was white, and because I did the washer had turned it a lightish purple color due to it mixing with my jeans and the huge blood stain it had on it. Other than that my clothes were pretty much as they should be, except my shirt still had the word "ass" on it, which I made quick work of as I ripped the three remaining letters off of it. After I put my socks on I realized that I had left my shoes upstairs in the bathroom. I didn't feel like waiting for the elevator so I opened another portal in the ceiling and jumped through.
I emerged in the boys' bathroom and walked back to the showers. In the corner, away from the stalls, sat my used-to-be-white shoes with blue outlines. I slipped them on and made my way to the hallway. Once there, I instinctively begin to turn right towards the direction of the living room, but I then I thought, I just need to be alone, right now. I turn back towards my left, towards the wall at the end of the hall. There was nowhere else to go in that direction, making it the perfect exit just as soon as I opened another portal. I had just lifted my right hand and created the portal when she spoke.
"Not even a "goodbye"", asked Raven as she rounded the corner and walked towards me.
"Sorry, I just need to be alone."
"But you're already alone." I look down at the floor bashfully. "I'll tell Robin you had to leave." This seemed too easy, like this "goodbye" had more to it than simply that.
"What's the catch", I ask as I turn my head back at her.
"Just one thing. What do we call you? You never mentioned your name and I think I speak for us all when I say that we don't intend to ask Starfire for it." She had a point. Starfire had made it very clear since meeting her again that she despised me, and knowing her she probably would've went into a rant about how evil and twisted I was rather than simply tell them my name.
"My name is Fernando."
"Hmmmm", she said as she turned and opened the door to her room.
"What?"
"Your name. It's beautiful." Without another word she disappeared into her room.
"You're beautiful", I whispered. I then immediately slapped myself across the face. Oh, shut up, I thought to myself as I turned and walked through the portal and out of the tower.