Silent Thunder
In answer to Lynda Key 1, I honestly have no idea how the Alpha and Omega separation works, I'm just working with what they give me.
Also, half the credit of this chapter goes to a author named Sabere Commander, whose ideas helped shape this chapter.
Warning: contains some graphic violence
Damon lies on his back in the freezing snow as the snow falls and for once, he hopes it doesn't stop. He is approximately two miles away from the Federation held valley, lying in the middle of the road its trucks travel on as he waits for the midnight patrol to head back in.
The Ghost breathes steadily as he tries to keep himself warm, but the chilling wind doesn't cease and the snow is slowly burying him. All according to plan.
Damon wishes he could get his blood circulating somehow, maybe move his fingers, or maybe even his toes, but he doesn't dare move or so much as twitch. If the Feds sees any part of himself, his clothes, boots or mask, they can easily run over him if they want. That is if they stay on the same course, if they move on a different route then they can run over him without even realizing it.
The Ghost moves his eyes to look above him at the large boulder he had pushed into the middle of the road earlier. He hopes that the snow covers him, but not the massive stone, that's the only thing to stop the jeep, if it doesn't stop then the vehicle will slam into it and possibly crush Damon in the process.
He shudders at this thought, if he was going to die, this was a pretty stupid way of going out; lying in the of the road just waiting to get run over.
Maybe I should have brought the jacket, he thought to himself, wearing only a double layer of clothing plus the web vest and his mask, not the ideal clothing for lying in the cold.
He tries to keep himself entertain by counting the minutes like he usually does when waiting for an op to begin. However, he is a resident of California, the sun shine state; he only got up to seven hundred ninety six before his teeth starts to chatter, messing up his counting.
I'm not cold, he tells himself; to admit he was cold would mean allowing his body to give up as he lies on the cold ground, at this rate he'll die from the flu rather than be run over.
His body is on the verge of shivering off the built up snow when he hears the low rumble of multiple engines closing in.
Finally, he thought, never before believing he would be so happy to hear the sound of Federation troops closing in on his position before. The sound renews his determination, allowing the Ghost to lie completely still, finally focus and able to ignore the frigid cold.
Damon eyes flicker down the road he is laying on, willing the military cars to hurry up when he sees the bright I-beams cutting through the shrouding curtain of whiteness. Damon's breathing soon begins to pick up at as he tries to calm himself. The moment of truth has arrived, and he prays with all of his inner being that whoever is driving the first vehicle has good eye sight and will be able to see the boulder and stop in time. If not…then this will be the shortest op Damon has ever been on.
The I-beams closes in…closer…closer…closer. Panic begins to build when Damon sees the outline of the jeep is just a few feet away from him, still going at its regular speed, it might not hit him, but he doesn't want to risk it as a sudden realization hits him.
He's not stopping! The Ghost suddenly realizes and is on the verge of jumping and bolting while firing off shots when the jeep finally reacts. Damon hears the squealing of the tires, causing the snow on the ground to blow on top of him as the jeep swerves slightly. Seeing the frantic movement of the jeep going off the road, Damon pulls his limbs closer and hugs his body as the vehicle stops directly over him, just as he calculated it would…minus the sudden stop and screeching.
The Ghost clutches his rifle with one hand as he hears the shouting of Hispanic voices over him and sees the two trucks behind them coming to an abrupt halt as well, causing the occupants in the back of it to start shouting as well. For a wild moment he thought they saw him and are making plans to attack, but as the seconds pass and no one jumps out of their vehicle guns a blazing, Damon allows a small sigh to escape.
He hears the swinging and thumping of a door and glances to either side of him. He sees two pairs of booted feet walking towards the boulder in the middle of the road, all the while muttering something in their foreign tongue.
Wasting no time, the Ghost reaches towards the gears and other machinery above him, squeezes his fingers into the smallest of crevices and slowly pulls himself up. He next carefully raises his feet off the ground, keeping them away from the edge and slips them into the space between the bumper and the vehicle. This isn't the safest way to travel, but it's the only way. Damon lowers his head back down slightly and watches as one booted feet rolls the boulder out of the way while the other remains standing close by the vehicle, probably covering his buddy.
Finally the obstacle has been removed, and judging from the cursing and groaning from the Fed who just did the manual labor, Damon guesses the guy must have sprained his back or the likes. His companion just chuckles before getting back on the driver's side of the jeep while the other practically limps into the passenger's seat.
The vehicle vibrates above Damon, shaking the Ghost slightly before the hideous odors escapes from the exhaust pipes. Damon tries not to breath the toxic air in as the jeep jumps forward a bit before the engine is finally ready and they take off down the road with the trucks following close behind. Miraculously unaware of the passenger they just picked up.
Max watches as the vehicles pulls out before approaching the road. He lowers himself to the snow covered floor and wriggle his way forward before coming up on the plot of land where he is sure was the last place Damon was. He sniffs around and sure enough the Ghost's scent slips away in the direction that the other mobile machines have rumbled off to. Now certain that Damon is no longer there and is probably on his way to hostile territory, the young wolf raises his head and howls.
Not long afterwards another howl sounds off in reply.
Meadow lowers her head after sending up her howl before rushing back deeper into the trees. She runs thought the snow like a whirlwind before coming to a stop before the adult wolves in front of her.
"He's gone," she reports, with a hint of sadness and slight anger within her tone.
Winston sighs, "I was hoping he wasn't serious when he told us how he was going to enter the Federation territory."
"Well he Cleary wasn't," voices Kate, looking fierce and war like as the moon slowly rises above them and shines on her, giving her a warlike appearance, "the question now is are we going to let him go in there alone or are we going to help him?"
"I say we help," Humphrey immediately voices, "this is our home and yet he's the one putting everything on the line, it should be us risking our lives not him."
Winston shakes his head, "I never thought I would say this, but Humphrey, for once, you are making a good point."
The grey wolf starts to grin, "Well, thank you Winston I, hey…" he trails off a bit as he thinks of the Alpha's words before asking, "for once?"
Winston ignores him before turning to Garth, "Run back to the school and inform Tony to bring all the Alphas who he believes is best trained for fighting humans."
"What about us?" demands Ann. Winston sees the fire in her eyes along with the hurt before he shakes his head, "Another time young one, return back to the clearing with the others, now."
"But-" Ann's argument is cut off when Meadow bumps into her friend's shoulder and speaks, "Of course Winston, we'll going to go get Max and then we'll head back to the clearing, you guys be careful." With that the brown wolf turns and walks off in the direction Max's howl has originated from. The adult and young wolves look to each other in wonder before Devan, Ann, and Talia falls in behind her.
Winston gives the group a suspicious look before shaking his head slightly and turns back to his children, "Lilly, Humphrey, I need you two to remain with the pups and keep them safe."
The small pack of wolves are surprise when Humphrey steps forward and says, "But Winston, I want to help, Damon is my friend, and I want to help defend our lands just as he does for his pack."
The old Alpha sighs before looking up at Humphrey, "I don't doubt your courage Humphrey, but the pups needs to be cared for, you saw how crucial that was earlier today."
Humphrey opens his mouth to argue when Kate leans into him and says, "It's alright Humphrey, just go," the grey wolf turns to his mate, looking hurt by her command. She looks down not looking at him before leaning in to lick him behind his ear, but instead of licking him, she whispers, "I'll howl if we need you."
It took all of Humphrey restraint not to look surprised, relieved and happy all at once. His mate, at long last, his mate is depending on him! Humphrey steps back and let out a shallow sigh, but when he and Kate locks eyes, they can see his true excitement ablaze. The grey Omega tries to speak in a hoarse voice, "All right, see you guys later," with that he turns around and heads back up to the meadow to take up guard duty.
Winston watches him before turning to Garth and Lilly and says, "Make sure he gets there." His daughter and other son in law nods his head before running after the diminishing shape of Humphrey.
Once she and her father are alone, Kate asks, "What are we going to do dad?"
The Alpha turns to his daughter, "we are going to meet the other Alphas at the cliff over looking the valley, from there we shall plan what to do next."
The young wolf nods to him before they both turn and runs off in the direction of the Federation held territory.
No sooner were they gone did Meadow and her friends raise their heads above a nearby snow bed after hearing everything.
Devan speaks first, "So, I guess after we get Max we aren't going back to the school are we?"
Meadow gives him a wide grin, "you can bet your tail on that."
Tiny pebbles are thrown up at the underside of the jeep by its tires, along with the freezing snow that covers them. Damon tries to ignore the thousands of tiny stones that are striking him as he feels his fingers starting to tremble. He isn't sure if his body is cold or hot; the underside of the vehicle is close to boiling, but the cold snow and wind that keeps slamming into his underside freezes his bottom side.
Damon tries to comfort himself, but all he feels is anxiety as he approaches his target. This will be the first time he goes in solo, he has done some lone recons before but there has always been his team or reinforcements waiting to move in if he needs help and he had a fully functioning, well rested body. But this time he's going in completely alone and partially disabled.
The barrage of pebbles and snow doesn't light up for what feels like hours and once his numb digits lost their grip on the underside and he almost fell under the vicious spinning wheels of the jeep. He grabs the gears again before hitting the ground, but he scraped his bum pretty badly, leaving what feels like a burning rash on his rear end.
Without a doubt it was the longest two miles in his life. Yet as he feels the vehicle slowing down and the calling out of a guard, Damon breathes and allows his left hand go to check if his weapons are ready. His silence gun is locked and loaded, pistol is holster and his knife still in its sheath. Grenades are still attached and the vest is locked securely on his chest. This is as ready as he's going to get.
He couldn't see the gate guard's feet until he realizes the guard is standing beside a fire pit that has been constructed by the gate. The driver of the jeep shouts out something, to which the sentry replies in an annoyed voice, allowing the small patrol to move on. They didn't even check to see if the vehicles are secured; if they are this sloppy then maybe the mission wouldn't turn into a blood bath after all.
Damon breathes slow and easy breaths as they enter the camp. Hardly anyone is out; it's nearing midnight, snowing and (in the Fed's eyes) no enemy to be worried about. The vehicles head into the motor pool, still unaware of their secret visitor. Mercifully the jeep came to a stop, along with the catapulting rocks. The doors open and the two Feds steps out. Watching the way they are twisting and bending their boots, Damon guesses they are stretching their sore muscles.
He lowers himself a little to the ground and looks to his left where he hears multiple thumping sounds. The two trucks have parked right next to the jeep and along with the drivers, the soldiers riding in the bed of the trucks jumps off as well as they too stretch. After a moment they all begin shuffling their feet as the cold hits them all with a fury and to Damon's relief, they turn and starts trudging off in the direction of their tents.
Damon lowers himself to the ground and stays there for a bit. He wanted nothing more than to lie there on the floor, but instead he rolls out from beneath the vehicle and crouches behind the wheel of the jeep as he checks his gun one last time. It will work and shoot accurately in close quarters; it's the handmade silencer that worries him, he has yet to test it and if so much as a bang goes off then the whole camp will be on alert.
At the thought of an active enemy camp, the Ghost slowly raises his head and scans his area. He has been behind enemy line before, but he never thought he would be in the middle of it. He sees next to the vehicles he has come in with are the other three trucks, the two machine gun fitted vehicles and finally the two tanks. He continues his sweep all around, in the center are the two plastered buildings, one he is sure Estrada is in, and the other with the antenna must be where the radio is housed. The two plastered buildings are surrounded by the three barracks tents. The fencing is barely visible but the sheen the metal material offers allows the moon's light to shine off of it. The watch towers are stationed around the perimeter, two in the back corners and two up front on either side of the main entrance. Bonfires spark here and there randomly throughout the camp and on its perimeter, but the soldiers sitting around them give no notice to the Ghost.
Damon slips back behind the truck tires as he runs through his plan once more in his mind. Priority one: get to a radio and call for help, at this point he doesn't care if the only ones he can reach are the Canadians, he needs help now. Two: find and destroy as many weapons caches as possible, the fewer fireworks the Feds have, the better. Finally: find Estrada, take him down somehow short of killing him and force him to talk about Archangel. One way or another, Damon is going to find out who this guy is, avenge his team, and ensure the safety of America after he deals with this Benedict Arnold.
He has his objectives; time to move out.
He slowly works his way forward in a crouch, keeping his gun steady as he moves. He pauses and glares back at the two tanks behind him, he wishes he can dismantle them, but he doesn't have any weapons at the moment…maybe he can borrow some if he has the chance and the opportunity in the near future. With that in mind, the Ghost pushes towards the plaster building with the antenna.
The snow continues to drizzle downwards at a slight slant, allowing Damon to be nothing more than a shadow, and with visibility this bad, a sentry may take him for a fellow Fed soldier rather than an intruder. As he nears one of the fire pits, Damon lowers himself to the ground in a squat and walk sideways crab style while keeping his gun trained on the guards, but they are too busy staring at the fire and muttering curses to one another. The same with the barracks, as he passes the tents, he could easily see that the occupants within are either fast asleep or sitting on their cots shivering.
The sight of the soldiers was strange, not that they were speaking Hispanic, but there is something else. As Damon continues along towards the bunker like building, he suddenly realizes what it is that he found different; the humanity. He has been with the wolves for too long he forgot the simple smells, the reek of oil, the dioxide of smoke and even the body odor. Damon may be human, but he feels like a wild child from one of those old story books he used to read, a savage man experiencing the wonders of civilization.
The Ghost shakes his head. He'll have time dwelling on the wonders of human life when he gets out of there. Damon is bow approaching the antenna building, he levels his gun as he moves, trying to pace himself and stay alert at the same time. He doesn't know how he's going to get out or how much time he needs, but sooner or later, something is going to happen that will endanger the mission.
As if hearing his thoughts, a steel door on the side of the building he is approaching opens, revealing a figure stepping out of the confides as he is illuminated by the light from within. The figure didn't seem to notice Damon at first, but when his head begins to turn in the Ghost's direction, he reacted.
Despite months of forgoing training, his Ghost instincts are still slick. Damon's gun is already up, he looks down the sight, estimates the target no more than a few feet away, and fires. Damon's gait turns into a sprint as he fires two bops that are emitted from the gun. The figure goes rigid as the first shot hits his chest, and a mere nanosecond later, the second round hits his skull. Blood is splattered on the inside of the door and the white snow as the body begins to sway. But before it falls, Damon grabs the limp figure by the front of it's jacket, pulls it close to him, and carries the body back inside the building, hoping all the while that the silencer worked and the falling snow will hide the blood from the small encounter.
On top of a nearby cliff face overlooking the base, the gathered Alphas let out a small gasp at what they just witnessed. They have been trained by a friendly and open human who trained them to protect themselves from other dangerous humans. One of the things he taught them was to always take prisoners, offer mercy whenever possible, and never kill when its unnecessary.
Well they just witness the said Ghost killing a man who just stepped out of a building, not offering him a chance of surrender or showing so much as an ounce of mercy.
Hutch finally asks, "What did we just see?"
"A liar being exposed," growls Tony as he looks to Winston, "do you see now Winston? The human has been playing us for fools, he claims to be better than those soldiers down there, and yet we just witness him killing just as relentlessly as them."
Garth suddenly jumps into the conversation, "Dad, I'm sure there's a good reason why Damon killed the human."
"Like what?" asks Viola who continues to gaze down into the valley, "he told us to only attack and kill humans with guns, well that guy didn't have a gun."
"But he's in hostile territory," Kate says, now getting involved, "if he didn't do it, then he might have been exposed."
"What does this mean?" asks a fellow wolf.
"Has he lied to us?" voices another.
"The humans are all the same, we should kill them all when we get the chance!" It is unclear who it was that voiced this last remark for all chaos erupts. Garth, Kate and a few other wolves starts to argue on Damon's behalf while the other shouts about human brutality. Winston and Tony snaps and snarls trying to contain order, but the wolves begin to squabble among each other, making it near impossible for them to hear their pack leaders.
Unaware to the Alphas, a small group of pups hidden from their view had seen the violence as well and are just as confused as the adults. They look at each other before turning and begin walking down a winding trail that will eventually level out on the valley floor.
"*Victor, es que usted?" a voice floats into the back as the Ghost crouches over the body. He quickly makes sure the Fed, a rather barrel chested big guy, is dead before looking up.
He does a quick scan and sees that he is in the rear of the building, a storage room by the looks of it, with small shelves erected and filled with various machine parts. Reaching into one of the bins, Damon pulls out copper wire and turns to the door he just came in through. He quickly loops the wire around the handle and ties the other end around a supporting joint of a shelf closest to it. This will keep people from coming in through the same way and will help hide the blood stain on the door, or at least in one way.
"Victor?" the same voice calls out again, "*es que usted?"
Damon hears the edge in the voice as he slowly moves to the front room as he imitates a rough voice he hopes the deceased soldier would have made, "Si amigo."
The voice floats back, "*Bueno aquí y ayúdame estúpido!" Damon could only understand the last word, which he is sure is translated as stupid.
The Ghost picks up his pace and quickly moves forward, making large foot steps to imitate a large body moving. He runs through the doorway and enters the front of the building. The front is what he is looking for; a large computer room. To the right is a floor to ceiling memory module, to the left are five desks overfilling with strange paperwork, and the other occupants of the room are two doors, one window and one Fed. The Fed is sitting in a chair at one of the desks and is slowly banging his fist against a piece of machinery; one that Damon recognizes as a radio.
Damon withdrew his knife and slowly approaches, now cautious not to make a sound. The Fed doesn't seem to care if he no longer hears his comrade's footsteps as he busies himself with beating the radio. He mutters a few curses as he continues to bang against its frame before calling, "Victor!" and begins to turn around in his chair.
That's when Damon rushes him. The Fed's halfway turning around when the knife shoots by his neck and is drag back across it. The man falls back on his desk, gasping and sputtering like a fish while his body begins to shake uncontrollably. Not wanting the man to suffer any longer, Damon grabs his head and gives it a firm twist. The Fed goes lifeless; the Ghost puts the arms in front of the body and let them cross each other before pushing the head down on top of them. From a distance it'll look like the guy is asleep and in this fashion people won't see the bloodied neck.
Damon inspects the wound real quick and winches. The damage is terrible, it looks like the knife acted like a hack saw and nearly tore off the man's neck. Damon could only pat the decease man on the back before reaching over it as he tries to work the radio.
It's a standard rebroadcasting radio design to send messages to nearby squads, but with enough power he can send a message to allied forces. Damon works slow as he twists knobs and flick switches, he was trained to use radios but that was more of Swans's field of expertise. It doesn't help either that most of the labels are written in another language. Another problem was his isolation; he struggles to remember the frequency of the U.S military air waves and what his challenge and answer codes were. Soon he now he understands why the Fed was banging his fist against the thing, it was near impossible to get it to set on the right wave length due to its shaky knobs.
As he twists the knob to another frequency, he hears the static dropping to clear wind and a voice was talking; a voice in English. Damon switches it back to that relay to find the voice gone but with the same clear channel.
Feeling a little excited, Damon picks up the mike and speaks into it, "This is…First Sergeant Joyce" the words rolls off his tongue as foreign as the Feds and he still can't remember the code words, but at the moment he is becoming closer to desperation. There is no answer so he attempts it once more, "I say again, this is First Sergeant Joyce of advance strike team Comanche, I am in deep in…"he lets out a sigh, "Jasper Park Canada," if any Canadians are listening then they now may think Damon is a terrorist cell.
There is only silence in response to Damon's calls for help. He lets out a shaky sigh, he either called the right people and they know where he is at, or he could have called the wrong people and practically gave them his address, or the stupid thing didn't work at all and he was just speaking to empty air.
Damon gets ready to move out once again, planning on moving on what he assumes to be the main HQ building when the radio suddenly goes live.
There is a second of static before a voice asks, "First Sergeant Joyce?"
Relief floods the Ghost as he shoots back to the radio, almost knocking it off the small desk as he answers, "Yes! Confirm, this is First Sergeant Joyce, I need assistant, TIC in Canada, I say again, TIC with Federation troops in Canada, have multiple casualties, need immediate assistants, over."
There is silence before the voice answers, "you are within the Federation base, Si?"
Damon's blood runs cold, just as the person on the radio chuckles before saying, "This time, hold still First Sergeant like a good soldier, Fuego."
No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Not again! Damon sprints towards the nearest exit, a door set a little ways from the desk he is at. He doesn't caring what he will find outside since he'll be a dead man if he doesn't move soon, he whips the door open just as he feels the heat on his back.
The last thing he remembers is a burning sensation covering his body, flying high into the air and bright lights before it all goes dark.
Finally after minutes of shouting and threatening, the Alphas all calms down, glaring at each other due to their compromise; agree to disagree. Winston shakes his head as he is now unsure of what to do. They originally came to help Damon in the defense of their land, but now it is apparent that the wolves are now willing to kill Damon along with the rest of these Federation soldiers.
Winston knew his children are thinking the same things he is wondering about now. Damon trained them to fight dangerous humans, and from what they just saw, Damon is probably the worst one of them. The aged Alpha remembers the stories of the Ghost first told by his children, he should have known then, he saw the aftermath of the battle himself, he should have known Damon is more then what he appears; no ordinary person could have survived a fight of that magnitude. Then there were the pups tales, which forces Winston to admit that deep down he really did hope those made up stories of Damon breathing fire and jumping over trees were true. Sometimes, the truth is much more horrible then the fairy tales.
He self cautiously glances at Tony who is scowling in the direction of the Federation base. He hated humans, no doubt about that, and his hatred only grew when Damon stayed with them, and more so when he begins to change the laws of the pack. This entire time the wolf has been waiting for Damon to step out of line so that he and a couple of other wolves can tear the human apart. Now he has a reason; for the safety of the pack.
Yet this can't be right. Who is at fault here, the wolves for assuming that Damon is always the fun and understanding person he is even in the heat of battle? Or Damon for not telling them what he is truly like when he is not with them? Has his easy going and somewhat innocent appeal to everything around him have been nothing but a lie, a trick? Are they seeing who Damon really is right now? A sneaky, murderous human warrior?
Meadow and her small pack of friends make it to the bottom of the hill. Following their Alpha training, they quickly duck underneath some nearby bushes and slowly begin to make their way towards the human territory. They are already in the valley and the tree line is drawn about a couple of yards away from the thing that Meadow has heard Damon call a "fence."
The young pups' lie on their bellies in the snow, shivering slightly as they observe the strange human habitat in front of them while trying to pick Damon out from the other shadow like figures.
So far they couldn't see him and as they wait to locate him and help in any way possible, Meadow begins to wonder what it was the adults were talking about.
She knows what they are talking about, she has witness it first-hand. One of the most horrifying things to have happen to her was for her and her friends to be cornered in the forest and watch as a Federation soldier killed Seth with no remorse. The soldier merely throws the body aside with no respect as he and his fellow "Feds" continue on their way.
She thought Damon was different; she knew he was different after everything he has done for them. He cares about them, especially the lowly Omegas whom he spends more time with, training and caring for their well-being. She remembers how worried he was when the Federation troops almost found them and how close he hugged them when they were reunited. She remembers hearing of how he traveled through the forest with the help of some wolves as he buries the dead soldiers, respectfully digging each of them a grave. She remembers being told by a friend of how the Ghost cried as he told his story of his lost friends; the very words still moves Meadow deeply.
And now…now she is unsure what to think. He told them of how dangerous the Federation is, how they kill without hesitation, have no respect and are always willing to kill. She knew this is true when they witness the death of Ann's brother. Now they just witness it again, but this time, the foul deed was committed by Damon's own two hands. He was acting like a Federation soldier.
She turns her gaze and look to either side of her, trying to gage her friends feelings as well. Max excited expression has faded away as he stares into the strange den area, looking more serious then she could ever remember seeing him. Talia eyes keep flicking on and off the human realm as well, as if she is afraid at what she will see next. Devan has a semi-worried expression and without looking, he starts to carve a hole into the ground with one of his claws. And Ann…Ann looks horrible. Darkness seems to shroud her, she lies on the snow, but her claws keep extending and tearing at the snow until there is moist ground beneath them, it isn't long before she is starting to dig a hole with more vigor then Devan. Her expression is unreadable, but her eyes are blazing with coldness, hatred…and sadness.
Feeling suddenly fearful for her friend, Meadow crawls next to her and rub her fur against Ann's.
"Ann?" Meadow asks, "Are you alright?"
The brown wolf just shakes her head, unable to or unwilling to by anybody's guess. Meadow knows the death of her brother has been hard on her and Meadow couldn't help but feel ashamed. She has been Ann's friend since they have been little pups, it is apparent that Seth has been a big part of Ann's life and Meadow hardly knew him. His death has been so great that Ann has almost stopped taking part of life; it was only due to Meadow's coaxing and playful nature that Ann didn't fall into deep depression. But it was at times like these that Meadow has no idea what to do for her.
"Do you trust him?"
Meadow thought she was hearing things, but when she looks into Ann's eyes, she knew it wasn't as she asks again, "do you trust him?"
Meadow is a little appalled by this before saying, "Of course I trust him! It's because of him that we are still alive."
"Are we?" Ann's question startles Meadow further, "how do we know all of this hasn't been a great big trick?" she looks Meadow in the eyes as she asks, "How do we know Damon isn't something worse than the human soldiers?"
Meadow opens and closes her mouth before blabbering, "he isn't!"
"Well how do you know?!" Ann responds back, "How do you know if we can trust him? Just think about it Meadow, really think about it, don't let any of his past actions cloud your judgment."
"What actions?" Meadow demands.
"He won your heart, as well as every other Omega here," Ann looks back at the base, "what will happens after these soldiers are gone? What if he is trying to win your support so that he can move in with his own kind and take over and we won't even put up a fight because he is our 'friend'," she says sarcastically.
Meadow couldn't stand the thought of it, couldn't stand the thought that everything that the human has done was all based on a lie. He played with them, saved them and cares about them. He has been kind to her, far greater than any other wolf ever has, believing in her when her own parents doubts her. It couldn't be a lie. She refuses to believe it.
"Ann," Meadow begins again in a calmer voice, "Damon risked his own life for us, he wouldn't have done that for just anyone would he?"
Ann turns her gaze back to Meadow, "If that's true, why didn't he save my brother?"
Meadow gawks at the she-wolf, "because he couldn't! He didn't even know Seth was there, how could he save someone who he didn't know needed it?"
"Well he's always looking so self-aware and sure of himself, he should have known," she snarls, "he always knows when you are in trouble, why didn't he know it was Seth who needed help that day!?"
Meadow looks to her friends and sees that they are all wearing the same shock and slightly fearful expressions she feels that mirrors her own. Meadow steady her nerves before turning to Ann who is trembling with emotion and speaks calmly, "Ann-"
She is interrupted when the ground shakes and a light blinds her. The pups all let out stated yelps before diving into the ground, slightly digging holes for them to cower in. But as soon as the explosion is over, all that is left is a bright orange light that illuminates the entire valley. Cautiously, they all stand to see what has just happen.
I see no evil, I hear no evil.
Damon also can't see or hear anything else for that matter.
The Ghost lets out a groan as he opens his eye. He is staring up at the starry night as snow now gently falls to the ground as it once did earlier that evening. The large white moon overhead takes up most of his attention. It appears to be brighter than ever before and a lot closer as well. Off in the distant he hears what sounds like a wolf howl, a long and beautiful note that is almost angel like.
Am I dead? That question is answered when he tries to move but feels pain blossom all over his body. No, still alive, I wouldn't be able to feel anything if I was dead, right?
Painfully, Damon pulls himself up as he tries to piece together what just happen.
A smoky black skeleton of the building he was in was all that remains of the place. Fire and smoke still burns in the center, must have been a remote bomb he didn't see earlier. Damon looks around and feels his heart sink.
He is surrounded by Federation soldiers, all of who are aiming their weapons directed at him. They are all dressed and are all combat-ready; there are twice as many of them as the original sentries that were posted as the guard. They were are all set for battle, in fact, none of them wore a look of surprise on their faces, as if it was an everyday thing that one of their buildings exploded. It was a set up; they knew he was coming.
Damon feels the same anger he had felt when he discovered Archangel's betrayal, but this is far worse, the only way the Federation soldiers could have known he was coming is if a wolf told them.
Suddenly one of the soldiers shouts out a command, and before Damon could translate, two soldiers break ranks and grabs Damon's arms. Damon was almost blown to pieces and he is still feeling a little sore from the grizzly bear attack, but his guard goes back up and he returns to fight mode.
"Kate!" Winston suddenly said, "why did you howl? You could have revealed our location to the humans."
"Because I think we could use the help," responds Kate.
"What help, everyone is here?" questions her father, which causes Kate to go silent, unsure what to say.
"She must have called Humphrey," guesses Tony, "the helpful Omega."
Kate is about to retort but Winston beats her to it, "Tony," he snarls, "that Omega is a part of your family now, as well as mine, remember that."
Tony suddenly steps forward, "Is that a challenge?"
Garth leaps in between the two Alphas, "Stop! Stop!" his shouts were heard by everybody for they all turn to look at him, "this isn't helping anybody, we are just dividing ourselves over who believes in Damon or not." Some wolves growl at this as Garth continues, "The main problem isn't Damon; it's the Federation soldiers. Let's deal with them first and then we can…talk to Damon about this."
The wolves continue to glare at Garth before finally lowering their gaze and mumble their hesitant agreement.
"Uh, guys," the wolves all turn to Hutch who is looking back down at the camp, "you might want to see this."
Meadow and her friends panic when they see the Federation soldiers hoist Damon up. They wanted to help, but have no idea what to do, with the fire the soldiers will see them if they approach and they have no idea how to get through the fence and then there's the soldiers themselves who will kill them on sight before they could do anything of use.
Meadow feels like an average Omega again in these situations; helpless as a new born. One of the reasons why she wanted to be a Alpha is because Alphas are never afraid and they are never helpless, but that statement has been proven false as she watches the soldiers take Damon prisoner.
"What do we do?" asks Max looking at Meadow, it wasn't long before everyone is looking at her. She led them there, but to be honest she wasn't sure what they could do that can help. Especially now.
Meadow takes a breath before saying, "I don't know," she looks at each of them and sees their downhearted expressions, even Ann looks sadden, "let's go tell the adults, maybe they can think of-"
She is interrupted when they hear a scream and look back to see what is happening in the soldier's habitat.
Damon has shaken off one of the soldiers holding his right side, leaving his arm free. He strikes the other man in the face, causing him to loosen his grip slightly, Damon grabs the arm of the hand holding him and goes down in a kneeling position, shoulder throwing the soldier in the process. Meadow flinches when she hears the crack as the human's head smash against the ground.
The Ghost slowly rises back to his feet but the second solider he hit early runs forward and tackles Damon to the ground. Meadow is sure Damon is as good as dead now, but the surrounding soldiers didn't shoot, or intervene in anyway, they keep their weapons on the Ghost, but didn't interfere. The same cannot be said about the Federation soldier who is on top of Damon as he continues to pound the Ghost's head with relentless fists, yelling all the while. Finally Damon raises his arms and blocks some of the hits until he grabs a striking arm and gave a mighty shove. Next to Meadow, Talia lets out a gasp and Devan's mouth drops open; something is now sticking out the back of the Federation soldier who is now screaming at the top of his lungs: the object protruding from the back is a blood covered bone. The soldier's fellow comrades look away, one actually falls to his knees and started vomiting. It isn't long before Max looks away and starts hurling himself. However Damon isn't done yet, he pulls the soldier down next to him, takes out a small gun from his belt and starts shooting point blank into the Federation's head. Meadow feels sick now as the red matter flies out of the back of the man's head, soon it was Ann's and Talia's turn to start spewing.
Why is he doing this? Meadow thought, can't he tell they're already in pain, why is he making them suffer before killing them?
Damon stumbles back onto his feet but this time three Feds breaks the circle and rushes towards him, shouldering their rifles as they ran.
Damon lifts the small gun and fires one shot at a time. The first soldier is brought down first, shot twice in the chest before faltering and getting shot a third time in the head. The other two are now engaging before Damon can fire another shot. One Federation soldier knocks the gun out of his hand while the other bends down low and rams into Damon. He continues running with Damon on his shoulder, the soldier looks ready to throw him off, but the Ghost begins hammering his elbows into the soldier's back and again the pups hears the screams. Damon is place back on his feet as the soldier slows down, crying in pain before Damon grabs him around the midsection, turns, and throws the soldier into the crowd of watching Feds, most of whom drops their weapons as they struggle to catch their screaming comrade.
The remaining soldier rushes forward and starts delivering kicks at the Ghost who is forced to retreat under the blows. One kick got lucky and struck Damon's backside, causing him to wail in pain. Pressing the assault, the soldier takes out a knife and rushes forward. He lifts it in the air and plunges it down, but Damon catches it and twists within the soldier's inner guards space until he is on the outside and gives a savage yank upwards. Again, bloody bone is visible as it sticks out from the man's arm and the soldier howls as the blade drops from his hand. The Ghost plucks the blade out of the air before it hits the earth and with quick precision, stabs the knife twice into the soldier's chest before pressing the blade against his neck and slides it across, causing the soldier to whirl and tumble into the snow, withering in pain.
Meadow's breathing is starting to become more labored as she watches. The grim red smile that appears beneath the soldier's neck…was almost an exact replica of the killing blow done to Seth. Meadow turns to Ann, who has stopped spewing her dinner, but now her teeth are bared and her eyes are full of hate, whether it's for the soldiers or for Damon, Meadow couldn't guess. Out of the corner of her eye, she watches as three more soldiers rush forward, yelling out battle cries, but there is something else among them that cause her to whip her head around; she hears the sound of barking.
For one wild moment she thought she saw a fellow wolf rushing towards Damon, but soon she can tell that it wasn't a wolf, it was too small and was wearing what looks like a vest similar to Damon. She then realizes that it is a creature that the humans call a dog.
The creature is the first to reach Damon, it jumps, maw open, and plunges into Damon as they both roll around in the dirt. The pups watch with their full attention on the fight now. The dog resembles a wolf, one of their distant cousins as Meadow parent's told her.
He wouldn't, she thought, he's been with us for so long, he would at least consider-
He didn't consider. They stop tussling in the snow with the dog on top of Damon. With a snarl it snaps its teeth forward to catch the Ghost's throat, but suddenly Damon's hand shoots out and grabs the dog by the neck while the other hand grabs the top of its head.
Please hesitate, Meadow begs as if the Ghost could hear her, please show us the mercy you always speak of, ask them to surrender.
With a quick twist, Damon snaps the dog's neck, cutting off its whine before it even left its throat.
The pups now lie back down. They are shock…and scared. Their friend is so willing to kill. They didn't think about it at first, his tone is always sad when he speaks of battles, but he never said he was the source of most of the brutality. Meadow feels a whine slowly building up, along with the rest of her friends except for Ann who growls. They are unsure what this all means, but now they don't want to help Damon, they don't even want to see him, if he is so ready to kill anyone and anything, how could he be trusted or how could they keep themselves safe for that matter?
What kind of monster have we befriended? Wonders Meadow.
Damon throws the limp German Shepard off him as he turn to face the three Feds who are now upon him and begins their assault.
All at once they start throwing fists, forcing Damon to back up as he blocks and counter each of their hits. He tries to use the knife, but more than once they caught his arm until he twists out of the trap and push them away. They are too much; he needs to narrow it down.
Damon decides to risk his skin for a moment as he goes on the offense. He catches a thrown fist and pushes the Fed to the side while the other two advance. Damon is able to counter and elbows one Fed in the jaw causing him to reel backwards, but he left his flank open and the other assaulter took advantage of it. He kicks Damon in the back, causing the Ghost to go rigid and let out a cry as he stumbles forward. The same Fed moves in and kicks again, but this time Damon is ready. The leg slams against Damon's ribs, but the Ghost grabs the leg and holds it as he brings his blade up. He plunges the knife into the man's thigh and drags it through arteries and bone, all the way down to his ankle. The Fed is screeching an inhuman scream as Damon pulls the blade out and releases the soldier who falls to the ground crying and wailing as he hugs his ripped open leg as galleons of blood spill onto the snow.
He hears advancing footprints behind him and knew he was coming under fire again. He waits until he is sure the person is directly behind him before lashing out. Damon twists in a three-sixty movement, bringing his knife up to eye level as he does so. He meets slight resistant as the blade slices though the man's eye. Damon is still twisting in a circle as he goes down into a crouch and plunges the knife into the soldier's knee cap, twists, and roughly yanks the blade out. Another screaming, bloody body falls to the ground, leaving Damon with one last Fed.
He rises to face the final soldier who is shaking like a leaf as his gaze flickers between the Ghost and the bodies he has brought down. Some of the Feds in the circle calls out some encouraging words, but the assaulter wasn't listening, in fact he looked about ready to cry. Damon jerks his head towards himself as he hefts the knife in a challenge. That did it, the Fed turns and runs back to the safety his comrades provides. There are a few boos from the crowd as Damon looks around, trying to see what their game is about when he hears a gun shot. He, and just about every other Fed, goes into a crouch, wondering who the shooter is.
The question is answered when the body of the Fed that had just run is thrown forward by a large person. The body hits the ground and his lifeless eyes gaze up at the moon as blood from the bullet cavity in his head slowly works its way down his cheek. Damon looks up at the shooter and feels his pulse spike.
Strutting forward in a combat forest green camouflage uniform is none other than Estrada himself. The six foot man is no longer wearing his leather jacket, or the rifle on his back, but his very presence just causes a vibe that can instantly tell a person that this guy is bad. It has been moths since Damon has seen him, even when they arrived at the Alpha school Damon has hardly seen the guy walking around. His light mustache has thickened a little; his dark brown eyes are full of amusement and he smiles as he approaches.
He holsters his pistol then spreads his arms wide as he practically shouts, "Hola, my dead friend" he chuckles a bit, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you walking around" he laughs at the end of this as well. The few Feds standing close to him let out forced laughter as well, obviously terrified.
Damon could only shiver in response. This is the first time they are meeting in person, but he has heard that voice before. He heard it speak before the RPG was fired, before his face was messed up. He heard it in his dreams, it was a perfect match. And now he realizes that it was his voice he heard on the radio before the building exploded. The Ghost's stay in Jasper Park would have been considered nice, but it was because of this man that his time there has been nothing but chaos. He knew it was Archangel who betrayed them and led them into the death trap, but it was Estrada who gave the order, moreover, it was he who practically pulled the trigger.
Anger begins to build as Damon curls his fist as he remembers being forced to watch his brothers die while this man continues to live and mock them.
The Colonel smiles, "I see you wish to test me," here he withdraws his own knife as well, "so do I."
Damon is breathing heavily as he tries to calm himself, tightening his grip on the knife as he demands, "Who is Archangel?"
The smile is so wide now that Damon just wants to throw a punch and watch it shatter into a million pieces, "now that's the secret is it not senor?"
Damon only responds by raising his knife up to eye level. Estrada grins as he spreads his legs and levels his blade which looks more like a machete then a knife.
"Tell…me," Damon demands in a low and dangerous voice.
"Make me," replies Estrada.
That was all that Damon could stand. He launches himself forward and leaps forward in an attempt to slice off Estrada's neck. Estrada evades the slice and delivers a two punch combo, with the knife in one fist he uses it and swipes a bloody red mark against Damon's forehead. The Ghost stumbles back, slightly blinded by the flowing red liquid. The crowd is now starting to cheer once more as the tide turns.
He's too fast, Damon analyses, I'm exhausted from the first few fights and the explosion, but this guy is well rested, I need to exhaust him.
That's easier said than done for this time Estrada went on the attack. Damon tries to avoid him, to evade until Estrada tires, but the guy knew every trick. He throws his knife at Damon who ducks to avoid it, but as he is down, Estrada runs forward and knees him in the jaw. The Ghost is wheeling backwards when Estrada stuck again, this time he went in and start delivering different combos and kicks. Damon tries to block and counter, but Estrada has his own counter techniques that came close to crippling Damon. He catches Estrada's leg in a kick to a thigh, but, for an old guy, he has great agility and he flips himself in the air, twisting Damon around as well. They both land on the floor, but Estrada was prepared and breaks his fall while Damon did not.
The Ghost lies on the floor in a semi-stun state, trying to figure out what just happen when Estrada appears over him, grabs his vest, hoists him to his feet and throws Damon close to the still blazing fire of the destroyed building. Slowly Damon rises to his feet, feeling blood seeping out of his body from somewhere, but he is too preoccupied to deal with it. He reaches close to the massive fire and picks up a large burning board. He turns to smack Estrada but once again the old man moves in and strikes first. He brings his foot down on Damon's leg, if Damon didn't turn with Estrada's boot, then he might have shattered his knee. Damon continues to turn and raises the burning floor board to strike the Fed officer, but the man catches his arm and raises his own arm and brings his elbow crashing down on Damon's. The Ghost lets out a cry as he loses feeling to his arm as it goes limp. The limp limb drops the piece of wood, but Estrada grabs it from the air. He smiles wickedly as he carefully aims the burning board of wood at Damon's head. He tries to move, but as he starts to stumble away he hears Estrada shout "For!"
The Ghost hears the whistling, he tries to lean away, but the board shatters on impact with his brain. Damon feels his mind starting to power down as heat licks the back of his head from the blow, but a large pressure builds up too great for Damon's head to contain. Damon couldn't fight the weight anymore as he falls to the ground and lands into the snow.
The coldness provides bliss for his scaling body, but that's all the comfort it could give. Off in the distant he hears a howl again; are the wolves watching this?
He feels something touching his head and slowly the thing pushes him onto his back. When he came to a stop, he finds himself staring at Estrada who is smiling but sweating as well.
"That was the most fun I had since we got here, thank you senor," with that he reaches towards Damon. The Ghost tries to fight back, but as he rises, an unforeseen boot slams into his side, causing him to curl himself slightly into a protective ball. He feels Estrada hand clamping down on his mask, and with a rough tug his mask is pulled off of him.
"ohhh," groans Estrada as he shakes his head and tsk's, "now there's a face that only a mother could love."
Anger tries to rebuild itself inside him again, but Damon knew he is too weak to move. Estrada chuckles as he says, "your saga here must no doubt be interesting my dead amigo, but, like all your favorite gun slingers of your west, this is your ending scene."
Estrada holds up his hand and snaps his fingers. A Federation soldier is instantly by his side and places a large knife into Estrada's hand.
Damon tries to move again, but a federation soldier holds his arms down while another grabs his legs. The Ghost lets out a frustrated growl; he can't die, not yet, he still have to find out who Archangel is, defend his country and make sure the wolves our ok. As if on cue, a third howl sounds off, but Damon notices something about this howl, it has a familiar pitch to it and it didn't sound too far away.
Estrada also notices, he looks around before looking back at Damon and grins, "Looks like even the wolves pity you."
Damon lets out a sigh; yes, that might be true.
The Colonel places the tip of the blade against the Ghost's chest and slowly twists in revolving circles, drilling it deeper and deeper into his clothing. Damon tries to control his breathing but the blade makes it through his clothing and strikes warm flesh. He lets out a gasp to which Estrada smiles before withdrawing the blade, holds it in both his hands and raises it above Damon, getting ready to strike his heart.
"Do not despair senor," he says, letting go of the blade with one hand as he reaches down and grabs Damon's Ghost mask from the ground. He lets it fall and it flutters down before landing on Damon's chest. "Soon," continues Estrada as he rewraps his hands around the knife again, "you won't need that anymore," he holds the knife above him as he says; "you're already a dead man."
Damon squares his shoulder's, gives Estrada a defiant look, before looking up at the moon just as another howl is release.
"Good bye," he mutters before closing his eyes and waits for the inevitable.
He hears the whoosh of the blade as it came down, but a burst of gunfire is heard and Damon doesn't feel any searing pain.
He opens his eyes, sees the knife a mere centimeters away from Damon's heart as Estrada look in the direction of the shots and shouts, "*Qué es!?"
"*Caribú!" a voice from along the perimeter shouts.
"*Qué!?" roars Estrada as he stands, all the Feds look in the same direction as he is while Damon is left pondering on the ground, did he just say-
"*Lotes de caribú!" shouts the same man before gun fire silences him.
Damon is left wondering what is happening when he feels it. The ground is trembling and there is a sound like a thunder storm is approaching. Gun fire is heard from the nearby watch towers and shouts are originating from the location of the gate area. Suddenly a terrified Fed comes running around the corner of a nearby tent and shouts, "*estampida!"
Just as he finishes shouting, something the size of a truck runs into him and both the Fed and creature goes crashing onto the floor. It was like that was the signal for everything to fall apart.
Dozens of caribou came streaming in around the tents, around the buildings and some jumping over people. The Federation and Damon could only stare, unsure if what they are seeing is real until one of the massive deer runs a soldier over. The death of their comrade tells the Feds that this is no comical act; it's a life or death situation. They all raise their guns and attempts to gun all the massive deer down, but the bangs of the weapons only panics the creatures even more, causing them to collide more easily into one another and the occasional Fed. Soon it wasn't only the caribou running around in fright.
Estrada insanely stands and shouts in Hispanic, no doubt trying to get his men back in order, but they are all running, trying to escape the confides of the base before getting road kill. Even the Feds who were holding Damon down lets go and joins the crazed mob.
Realizing he is free, Damon ignores the pain as adrenaline begins to kick in. Harnessing the energy, he stands, just in time too as a large bull runs through the place where Damon has been lying just moments before. He sees Estrada right there in front of him, oblivious to the Ghost. Fueled by anger and a crazed passion, Damon kneels slightly, picks up his mask, and slips it back on.
It's as if Estrada could sense the danger, he turns to look at Damon just as the Ghost grabs him by the front of his shirt. They glare at each as their hands move to strike at one another when Damon feels teeth bite into his bum. The Ghost lets out a cry before the teeth yanks him backwards with enough strength that Damon tore some of the fabric off of Estrada's shirt.
The Federation officer screams in fury, he moves to get at Damon but just then a stream of caribou comes in and nearly runs him over. Once he is sure that Estrada is occupied, Damon looks to see what bit him and is surprise to find a familiar grey wolf standing behind him.
"Humphrey?!" he asks, unsure which is crazier, the caribou stampede in the middle of a military base or the presence of the Omega.
"Yup, it's me," Humphrey instantly ducks as he hears the clatter of machine fire before shouting , "now let's get out of here!" before tuning and taking off.
Damon couldn't have agreed more, he gets ready to follow when he notices something in his hands. He looks down to see the fabric from Estrada's shirt, but also something else, a piece of paper.
"Hey!" Damon looks up to see the Omega who jerks his head towards the gates, "let's go!"
The Ghost pockets the paper before sprinting after Humphrey. Together they duck, crawl, and weave around the freaked out caribou as they run through the base. Damon had to drop when a bucking bull came charging out of a nearby barracks tent. Here and there, Federation soldiers are standing in corners or on top of tall crates as they attempt to mow down all the caribou.
"Did you do this?!" demands Damon as they run through the pandemonium.
"Yeah!" Humphrey says before letting out a sigh, "what a waste of good meat!"
Damon is about to respond when they came to a sudden halt, to which Humphrey says, "uh-oh."
They made it to the gates, but the Feds have somehow parked one of their technicals in front of it and are now spraying machine gun fire at the caribou, shredding them to pieces.
"Now what?!" demands Damon.
"Um…" Humphrey looks back at Damon with an embarrassed grin, "That was all I got."
Brilliant," mutters Damon as he looks around. There is only one way in and out of the complex, but as he scans around, an idea occurs to Damon.
"There's another way out of here," Damon said as he loosens his pained muscles.
"Really? How!?" asks Humphrey as he looks around for the solution.
"You'll see," he looks down at the wolf, "you're going first."
"What?" but before Humphrey could ask any more questions, Damon grabs the wolf lifts him up high and without warning, throws the Omega over the fence. Humphrey lets out a startled yelp as he crashes into the snow. Damon backs up and takes a running start; he jumps, grabs the fence, climbs up and hoists himself over it. He feels scratches on his side as the barbs on top of the fence clings to his skin, but he gives it no thought as he drops to the ground.
He jumps to his feet and sees that Humphrey has landed head first into the snow, leaving his furry hide end and tail as the only thing visible. The Ghost sighs as he rushes over, grabs the unconscious wolf and flings him onto his shoulders like a sack of potatoes before sprinting towards the forest. He looks back to see muzzle flashes in the base and the pained cries of men and caribou alike. As he nears the tree line, he hears a whizz and ducks. A bullet slams into a tree branch a mere centimeter above Damon's head. With that as motivation, Damon picks up speed and runs into the forest.
Damon takes a lot of confusing twists and turns as he heads for the cliff face. He can still hear the anarchy from the base but knew it won't be long before the Fed's get everything back in order and comes after them. Hopefully by then Damon can convince the wolves that they should head back to the dens least they wish to feel the wraith of Estrada.
"Hey, can you slow down?" Damon reduces his speed when he hears Humphrey speak, "I think I'm going to vomit."
At those words Damon practically drops the wolf to the floor.
"Thanks," the Omega mutters before getting back to his feet.
"Welcome," response Damon as he looks back in the direction of the base, "please tell me it was just you back there."
"Yeah, it was" Damon says, "I have no idea where the Alphas were so I took matters into my own hands."
Damon nods, "well thanks, now let's get out of here before-" the sound of rustling leaves interrupts Damon. Both the human and the wolf turn to face the direction of the disturbance that is getting closer. Humphrey gets ready to pounce while Damon gets into a ready fighting stance. They stand as still as statues until five small furry bodies bursts through into the open.
Damon lets his guard down as he sees it's an out of breath Meadow and her small pack of friends. They are all looking down at the ground and breathing hard, seemingly oblivious to the human's and wolf's presence.
"What are you guys doing here?" Damon's voice causes them to look up with wide eyes. Thinking that there is a something wrong, Damon steps forward, but as he moves, the pups' jumps back; looking fearful.
Damon is now really concern as he asks, "What's wrong?"
The pups only shiver a bit, not looking at Damon, seemingly to be terrified.
""Uh Damon," the Ghost turns to Humphrey who motions at Damon's chest. He looks down and sees that he is once again covered in blood, his own and someone else's.
Damon shivers a bit before looking up, "I know it looks bad, but I'm ok."
"What about the other people you gutted?" Ann suddenly asks.
Damon freezes. Did he hear correctly? He looks at the pups that are still trembling. They're afraid of me; he thought to himself, the very idea hurts him to his core. These pups are fun, easy to love and just as easy to feel protective towards them. To lose them suddenly feels painful.
Damon holds up his hands and says, "It's alright guys, I'm not going to hurt you."
"Really?" demands Ann who seems to be pent up on anger, "what happen to offering mercy, or taking prisoners? You didn't do that today; you tore through those humans and that, that, dog without hesitation, without appearing to be remorseful at all."
Damon feels like he's being attacked by the press. He looks to Humphrey who looks confused and slightly afraid, not of Damon, but for the pups.
The grey Omega walks forwards and says, "I don't know what you guys are talking about, but this is Damon, remember? You know Damon, he wouldn't do that."
"No."
Damon feels his chest give a heavy heave at that. He isn't sure what hurts more, the fact that one of the pups have said it, or that it was one of his best friends that had said it. Meadow looks up, having tiredness about her and a bit of anger mixed in as well.
"The Damon we know wouldn't do that," Meadow didn't look at either Humphrey or Damon as she spoke, "The Damon we know is kind, nurturing and merciful," here she looks up and Damon sees the pain in her eyes, "the person we just saw fighting…didn't do what you do." She is now breathing hard as she looks Damon in the eye, "You are not the person you made us believe you are."
The pain in her voice and her eyes are enough to make Damon cry, but he restrains it.
"Meadow," he begins to say, but the brown wolf turns and walks towards the cliff face. The other pups lower their gazes as well as they follow Meadow. "Guys…stop…please," Damon begs, but the pups keep on walking, not looking back.
Damon lets out a shaky breath, feeling the loss of the wolves as if they were family, as if he lost team Comanche again.
Humphrey walks forward, "its ok Damon," he says in comfort filled voice, "soon they'll come to their senses and-"
Damon holds up his hand, cutting the wolf off as he says, "Just…follow them Humphrey, I need to think for a moment."
"But…" the grey Omega tries to think of something to say but closes his mouth instead. Slowly the grey wolf works his way after the pups, casting concern glances over his shoulders at Damon.
The Ghost didn't pay attention to Humphrey's stares as he looks down. Behind him the trees and their shadows are revealed by the burning camp behind them. Damon looks down as the sound of gun fire and dreaded humans and creatures shrinks into the night. For the first time since he left, he holds out his hands and sees the blood splatter upon them; proclaiming him as a killer.
What have I done?
On a minor note, I was thinking the song "Monster" by Skillet would describe Damon's state of mind in the ending of this chapter. Also the action scenes were inspired by the movie, "The Raid: Redemption," which I do not own.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and special thanks to Sabere Commander for the idea for the ending.
*Victor, is that you?
*Well get back here and help me stupid.
*What is it?
*Caribou
*What?
*lots of caribou
*Stampede