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Song: Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace
(A/N: Working on some request, but in the meantime... Ladies and Gents, my first ever Ari chapter!)
Ari
I stared at my face reflected in the mirror. Enlongated fangs overlapped over my lips; fur coated my arms, chest, and face. I smiled to reveal more teeth designed for shredding. I was finally an Eraser. I flexed my claws, their sharp tips aching for blood. Bird-kid blood. I ripped open the door on my rooms to face twenty other Erasers fully-morphed, ready for assault. I waved at them and we piled into helicopters.
Two hours later, the dark, shadowy shapes of the Flock faded into view. My attack squadren (named the Maximum Ride Assault Team, or MRAT) launched themselves from the flying vehicles and onto the ground. We ran inside the rinky-dink diner where the Flock was incognito. I let out a satisfied sigh, my breath turning into a puff of icy white. They won't be disguised much longer.
We entered in intervals, establishing a border. I turned to Max and caught her eye. She looked battered, and I couldn't stop a pang of rage from filling my chest. I stood up sharpely. In front of me, my table turned from the force of my knees thumping against it. I growled.
"Well, hello, Maximum." I said smoothly. My voice sounded gruff and scary. Fang beside her went rigid, preparing himself to gather the Flock and escape. I scared him.
Good.
I rolled my shoulders back and tore from my body the long black trenchcoat I had been wearing. I morphed; the hair on my face thickened, my claws came out from their retracted position. I saw recognition on Angel's face.
"Angel...that's no way to look at your friend." I let out a laugh and slashed at the youngest feather-wearer. She screamed and hopped backward to escape the blow. And then, all hell broke loose. The other MRATs could no longer contain their unquenchable bloodust, and they all stood up and stripped their coats to reveal barely-clad chests of muscle. They snickered evilly in unison. The fighting began. Fang's dark wings unfurled and spread, hitting several members in the eye. They howled in pain, but Jeb's work was done well. They quickly recovered and began fighting again. Punches, kicks, and wing slaps were the only noise. The Flock was disappearing gradually. Gazzy had eluded us, and Angel had been taken care of. I sneered distastefully. Fang's work, no doubt. That dark angel had a strong sense of protection and had the force to carry it out. Only Max was left. She was fighting more weakly now. I snapped, and the junior participants of MRAT paused. They backed away as I laughed. I spun to Max's side and pulled her into a headlock, my sharpened talon skimming her exposed neck. I stroked the skin gently.
"I could end this now." I taunted deeply. She gurgled and spat out some words.
"This isn't you, Ari. You were so happy..."
"Shut up!" I snapped. "I wasn't, and you know it."
Max's lips opened for more protests, but I tightened my grip. She clawed at my arm, trying for a weakness. I pressed the claw deeper into her neck. A strip of blood peeked out from her pale skin. However, instead of the dark pleasure I expected, I felt dread deep down. I didn't want to kill her. I wanted to hug her and take her back with me, brother and sister united once more. I forced the thoughts away. They were nothing but a plague to my advanced form now. But still something in me conflicted. In my moment of weakness, Maximum Ride spun from my grasp and looked at me with her chocolate brown eyes. In their pigments contained openly conveyed pain, anguish and pity.
"I don't need your pity, bird girl." Even as I spoke it, I was convincing myself.
"Ari. Please, you're better than this. You're more than an animal, more than a monster."
I turned.
"Not anymore, mutant."
Even as I spat the words to her, I wanted to believe I was more.
Then the darkness of primality clenched its fist on my brain once more, and the whispers halted.