X-Men: Eye of the Tigress
Chapter 3 – The Metamorphosis
Since she wasn't taking the bus, Savannah knew she had to run, and fast, if she wanted to make it back to the building just before eight. Using all of her talents to the best of her ability, she stayed hidden in the shadows when needed, and hurried out from them and through the city when she could. And if she encountered any street guys on the way, well, they would be wise to avoid her just by the look of sheer determination on her face. Tonight, she couldn't let anyone or anything distract her from her goal. She had a plan in mind, and part of it was not allowing her opponents to believe, even for the most fleeting second, that they had the upper hand.
Fortunately, she met no opposition on the way, at least not until the building lay within sight. As soon as she saw it, Savannah's rapidly beating heart flew to her throat at the mere knowledge that she, in either of her identities, was not welcome there. But no criminal activity in any way was allowed in the city she protected either, and no amount of opposition was going to stop her. That especially included the two guards that stood at either side of the employee entrance. Savannah kept her eyes on them as she snuck into the shadows of the nearby foliage, and crept forward until she hid behind a tree just slightly more than a dozen yards away.
For a moment, she just stared in confusion. Savannah knew Raff would probably take extra precautions to keep his secret hidden. But she didn't think he'd go this far. She noted the handguns they kept on their belts, which could allow them to easily shoot her on sight, and the walkie-talkies they both kept, which they could use to immediately alert Raff or one of his cronies to her presence. Once she got past them, she'd have to rid them of their arsenal quickly. And fortunately, she had already concocted a way to get them away from the door they guarded, and walk right into her trap.
Leaning just far enough from her hiding place behind the tree, Savannah took off one of her gloves, raised her fingers to her lips, and let loose the loudest whistle she could summon. When two minutes passed, and she still didn't hear footsteps, she tried again, twice for good measure. The moment she heard voices, she crouched down under the tree's protective shadow, and waited patiently for her prey to walk right into her grasp. All she willed herself to hear was the beat of her own heart, and all she willed herself to feel was the pulse in her head, tuning herself out to the rest of the world, until finally, another shadow walked right next to her.
Not wasting even a second, Savannah instantly wrapped her arms around the guard's neck, and pulled him back against the tree. She placed one hand over his mouth before he could cry out, and the other over his nose in an attempt to drive him into unconsciousness. Still, he fought and struggled to get free of her, leaving her with no other option. The moment she spotted his gun on his belt, she took the chance, grabbed it, and hit him over the head with it hard enough to knock him out. Immediately, he went limp, and she let him go, allowing him to fall to the ground.
And not a moment too soon. Right then, the other guard came into view, but Savannah was ready. She repeated her previous moves, attempting to make him unconscious through suffocation. When he too started to fight her, she took hold of his own gun and did the same with the other guard, knocking him out as well. Her But her business wasn't done. After making sure no one else was coming after her, she took off the belts of both guards and hid them in another patch of foliage nearby. She then looked across at the entrance and noted not only the exposing light above it, but also the moving camera that sat on the wall to her left, vigilantly watching for intruders like her. Even if the light didn't reveal her, the camera would.
Still, that wasn't too big a problem. As soon as the camera started moving away from the door, Savannah looked both ways to make sure no one would see her, took a deep breath, and ran across as fast yet as quiet as she could. Only when she was finally inside with the door closed behind her did she finally let out a soft sigh, both in the fact that she made it, and in the thankfulness that she'd done her research regarding technical security before coming. But her biggest challenge still lay ahead: getting through the building, finding Raff, and demanding he stop his cruelty.
The hallway ahead of her, and the ones leading to the right and left, were dimly let, only by one light each. Obviously another way for Raff to keep his deeds a secret. And at the beginning of the hall in front of her was another moving camera. It may have looked simple, but if there was one thing Savannah learned about being her, it was to never let your guard down. Not only did she have to keep the cameras from spotting her, but she also had to keep any guards she encountered from alerting the rest. Even so, she was now inside the building. And there was an already abused tiger about to be abused even more. No. She hadn't let anything make her turn around and flee before. She wouldn't start now.
But still, before she started moving, Savannah took one more deep breath, knowing very well the risks she was facing. She took one step, then another, until she was confidently descending down the hall, keeping out of the light as much as she could, and staying underneath the camera until it turned away from her direction. For now, this would be her strategy. Even so, while she repeated her movements in every hallway, she stayed alert to any sound, any feeling, anything that told her to hide. And it saved her more than once. As soon as she heard the voices or footsteps of guards coming her way, she crouched down behind a corner and kept silent. Only when they were out of her sight and hearing range did she finally move again.
And throughout it all she had to keep the strong beat of her heart and the way her adrenaline coursed through her body under control. With the ever present threat of being exposed by the hall lighting, the cameras, or the guards, it was far from easy. It was even harder to banish thoughts about turning back from her mind. But still, Savannah pressed forward, urged by her desire to see Raff behind bars. That alone was enough to keep her going through this veritable cavern.
She eventually stopped at the corner of the hall that led to Raff's office, where she eavesdropped on his conversation only hours before. When she got home looked at the layout of the building and where the cameras were located, she'd breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there wasn't one above the office door, which would have revealed her instantly to anyone watching. Even now, she dared to let out the softest of sighs, not only because of her remembering that, but also because she knew that she was now close to the center of the building, having spent the last ten or fifteen minutes wandering through the death-maze of hallways.
Her back against the wall, Savannah inched her way down, holding her breath as she passed just underneath the ceiling light. As soon as she made it to the corner, her eyes caught more light in the distance beyond the hall to the right. Her heart pounding against her chest in anticipation, she bit her lip, and made her way forward toward it. The closer she got, the more narrow her eyes, and the lighter her step, became, until she eventually came across a set of stairs and quickly traveled up them. She then pressed her back against the wall again, and slowly moved forward, until she finally realized she'd reached her destination.
It was a large, somewhat towering room, one she didn't recall entering earlier today. Savannah immediately noted the single cameras which stood above each entrance, along with the solitary guards which stood at each as well, which made her take a couple steps back when she saw one near her. She also saw a series of counters encircling the enclosure that stood in the center, which descended down to the previous floor. On the counters stood all sorts of what appeared to be medical equipment. Knives, scissors, surgical blankets. And beside them stood some technical equipment that looked like what you would see in an operating room, such as a heart-rate and breathing monitor.
But what stood out the most to Savannah were the large needles and bottles of strange looking liquid she saw sitting on the counters as well. Things that were obviously intended to be used on the tiger. It made a gasp escape her lips and a shudder sliver up her spine, but she immediately put her body under her control again. She turned her head though when she heard voices combined with footsteps only a few dozen feet away from her. Her mouth came open and her narrow eyes went wide the moment she saw Raff and two more guards enter the room. She couldn't hear clearly what they were saying, and couldn't risk leaning closer out to do so, but she had a pretty good idea of what they were talking about the moment Raff showed them the needles.
And all of her suspicions were finally proven true when Savannah heard a tiger's growl echo throughout the room. She couldn't see down into the enclosure, but she bit her lip again, harder this time, and willed her eyes to stay dry when she heard the sound get louder. She could tell clearly from the tone that the tiger was not happy about being yanked from his new home so soon, but she knew he would be even more distressed the moment he saw the needles. It was all she could do to stay calm and not blow her cover in order to help the poor animal. But she would, and that scumbag of a scientist would soon find himself in a cage of his own if she had anything to say about it.
First though, she had to get him out of the room before they could do anything, and she already had an idea. She slipped out of the small hallway and went back down the stairs to the first floor, before making her way down the hall to the left and then only two more. After crouching down in a corner to avoid detection from the oncoming guards, she turned to the right, and smiled softly when she saw the door leading to the room holding the electrical system. After looking in both directions and listening out for any other signs of trouble, she darted across the hall and then inched her way to the door, pleased to discover that she could unlock it from the outside. Whoever built this place obviously made a mistake.
As soon as she was inside, she took the risk of turning on the light. But once she did, Savannah noticed to her frustration that the electric box was closed, and likely locked. She needed a key. And Raff was the only one she could think of who might have one. Wait. What was that? She turned her head to look at something she spotted from the corner of her eye, and gave a slight smile when she saw a small knife on the floor nearby. Oh, if only it would work. She took it up, put it to the lock, and turned it left and right, her teeth biting her lower lip nervously. By the time she was feeling sweat trickle down her back like an anxious rain, she heard the glorious sound of the lock being picked, and immediately pulled it open as her now victorious smile grew.
She then scanned the red switches and their respective labels, searching for the one that would turn off the power in the center room. After anxiously wondering if she wouldn't even find it, Savannah finally caught the switch at the bottom, and, after making sure she was still alone, pulled it. The moment she did, her smile gained a hint of mischief, as she briefly imagined Raff's puzzlement and confusion at seeing that the lights were now off. Still, she wasn't about to let anyone reverse her plan. After noticing a fire extinguisher next to her, she grit her teeth, lifted it up, and began hitting the switch until it fell off, leaving it impossible to turn the lights back on. She then let out a small sigh and wiped her forehead of its sweat, knowing that she had to get out of here before she got too tired.
Even so, she also knew someone was inevitably going to come and attempt to fix it. And her exit from the room couldn't be more timely. As soon as she ducked down into the shadows, Savannah saw a guard come her way, with a walkie-talkie in his belt. Her heartbeat then increased rapidly as opposing ideas began to enter her brain, until she finally forced herself to pick one. Well, if it was now necessary to reveal herself, even if it was just for a brief moment, she would. Daring to stand up from her place against the wall, she stood straight, her fists ready, and called out in a small but clear voice, "Hello there."
Instantly, as she expected, he saw her and began to pull out his gun. Knowing she had to be quick, Savannah dove forward, snatched the weapon from his hand, and smashed it against the side of his knee. Before he could strike back, she spun, and then delivered a downward kick on his back, causing him to drop to the floor. After making sure he was out, and seeing and hearing no more threats, she gripped the man's vest, pulled him up, and swiftly tossed him into the electrical room before locking the door. With her cover now likely to be blown though, she knew she had to flee before someone could even come looking for her, and she hurried down the hall to the left. Unfortunately, against her wishes, it wasn't long before she heard voices down the next hall she was about to enter.
"Morgan! Hey, Morgan!" one guard called, "What's goin' on out there?! You alright?!"
Immediately, Savannah crouched down behind the nearest corner. Daring to look slightly around it, her eyes widened and she instantly turned away when she saw them headed toward her. She was already forming a plan in her mind, when she suddenly heard them turn down another hallway. Maybe, just maybe, she could still get away undetected. Deciding to take the risk, against what she presumed to be her better judgment, she stood up, slipped around the corner, and began making her way quietly down the hall. She turned her head, and saw that their backs were turned to her. She bit her lip, looked forward again, and was about to continue on the path, when she heard that unmistakable sound that made her heart stop.
"Hey!" one of the guards called out. "Hold it, freeze!" another shouted. And freeze she did, at least for the moment, while the four guards began to surround her, their guns drawn. With her cover now blown, Savannah's adrenaline and heartbeat went into overdrive, but thankfully, so did that part of her brain where ideas were formed. Forcing herself to be calm, she quickly began looking for any possible way out, until her eyes settled on one of the guards. He was shorter than the rest, even shorter than her. And even though he had taken the same gun-drawn stance as the other three, Savannah knew she had to move, now.
Immediately, she rushed head-on toward the shorter guard. Her arms flew out, she grabbed his shoulders, and then hoisted her body up until she flipped over him. Once she reached the floor, she continued running down the hall at breakneck speed, while the rest of the guards behind her continued their pursuit at nearly the same pace. Even so, Savannah started to form her next plan on how to stop them. And as soon as she had one, she quickly put it into effect.
After darting around a corner, she put her hands together. The moment one of the guards was next to her, she acted fast and rammed both elbows into his chest before throwing a punch, smacking him in the jaw. When one of the others tried grabbing her, she wrapped her arm around his neck in a headlock, and kicked the third who was about to attack her in his chin, sending him to the floor. For her final moves, she knocked her elbow into the side of the guard she had in a headlock, then grabbed hold of his nearest wrist and hurled him over her onto the ground in a flip. And once she knew that she had felled all three guards, she couldn't help but smirk when she saw the results.
"Time for bed," she said softly. The instant she finished speaking though, her head jerked back forward as she heard someone shout in the distance, "You idiots!" And not long after, Savannah spotted none other than Raff running as fast as a human being could down the hallway to her right. As soon as she did, her eyes narrowed, and a growl subconsciously escaped her lips. She had spotted the object of her anger, and she wasn't going to let him get away without knowing it. Wasting no further time, she took off in his direction, intent on catching up to him before he could even have a chance to leave the building.
Her ears never lost the sound of his footsteps ahead of her, and she managed to steer clear of more guards. But the longer she stayed in her pursuit, the more frustrated she became. Suddenly though, another idea entered her mind when she realized both of them were headed in the same direction. Daring to go through with it, Savannah ran even faster than before to make it to the nearest corner. Once she made it, she waited until a near-blur came up right next to her, and would have passed her completely had she not lunged forward, grabbed him, and held him firmly with her back against the wall.
"What the, ack!" He tried to speak, but Savannah tightened her hold on him to keep him from doing so. She then gritted her teeth, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, she whispered in his ear, "Not a sound. Not one word, you hear me?"
He promptly obeyed, standing stock still as a statue in her hold and allowing her to continue conversing with him. "I know what you're doing here, Raff," she said in the same low, somewhat menacing voice she'd long saved for him, "I know your secret."
"What?" he asked, daring to speak up, "Who…?" His own voice trailed off, and Savannah immediately saw why as she spotted realization dawn on his face. "Wait, I know who you are," he said. For a moment, she feared the worst, until he spoke again. "I thought you only helped out people."
Her relief at him not saying something else was short-lived, and replaced by an annoyance that now crept into her tone. "Why do you think I'm talking to you?" she asked. Then, deciding not to wait for an answer, she added, "People, animals, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're busted."
"You can't do this to me," he then said, prompting Savannah to kick him in the shin and grab him by the hair, turning him around to face her.
"Oh can't I?" she asked. Her eyes now blazing with hostility, she added, "Listen up. Unless you want to go one-on-one with me – and I'm a pretty darn good fighter – you'll do as I say. Do I make myself clear?"
His eyes, if not his whole face, showed the debate that now seemed to war in his mind. Part of her wanted to tell him to hurry up, but caution told her he could be hiding some hidden strength, using his cooperation as a ruse to let her guard down. But she was too smart for that. She kept her eyes on him, urging him silently to decide if he would still cooperate, until he finally pressed his lips together and let out a sigh. "Fine," he added.
Savannah smiled behind her face-mask. "Good," she nodded, "Now come with me. I promise I won't hurt you, as long as you return the favor." She then walked forward, and Raff immediately did the same, since he was still being held in her firm grasp. And until she was done with him, she had no intention of letting go.
"Where are you taking me?" Raff asked.
"You don't need to know," Savannah replied.
"Do the police know you're here?"
"Like I'm gonna tell you. Now shut up!" Savannah said with a hiss. She wasn't about to let this guy blow her cover again. Although she could go against more guards if she needed to, she wasn't in the mood for it, having fought five of them already. Fortunately, with the way Raff was behaving so far, it was likely he was going to keep his mouth shut, keeping the odds of the whole situation in her favor. All she could focus on now was getting him to his office, where she would keep him while she called for the police. Of course, there was the matter of whether or not they would believe her, but she would deal with that when the time came.
For the next few minutes, Savannah escorted Raff through the maze of hallways, fighting the urge to smirk since she had just busted her new boss. Yet still, she had her suspicions. People like Raff usually had a backup plan or two if they were caught. She remained vigilant as she had ever since she arrived, looking around and listening out for any possible threats, not just from the halls, but from Raff as well. Before long, they were coming near to his office, when Raff spoke up again.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Not a rare question, but Savannah couldn't help but roll her eyes. "No one important," she assured him.
"Are you sure?" Raff pressed her, "You could at least give me a clue. Either me or, my friends."
"You're friends aren't here to help you," Savannah retorted, her instinct for danger now kicking in.
"Oh I beg to differ," Raff replied. In that moment, Savannah knew what he meant, and her eyes went wide as she was suddenly surrounded by eight guards, more than she'd ever faced in her career, let alone her life. They all came out from behind a series of corners, their guns drawn and their stances defensive. "Security!" one shouted. "Freeze!" another called out. Immediately, Savannah stopped in her tracks. And for the moment, all she could do was look around as the guards slowly began to zero-in on her, threatening to overwhelm her, leaving her the one captured instead of Raff, and possibly with her identity revealed. Maybe, maybe they would even kill her.
"Surprise," Raff said smugly.
"Dirtbag," Savannah muttered under her breath. Like before, she immediately began looking around and trying to think of a way to escape. If she didn't, the consequences would only be disastrous. But she wouldn't, couldn't let any of them happen. She hadn't come this far only to fail. She continued to think and do it hard, until she realized she was still holding onto Raff. No wonder the guards hadn't fired at her yet. Deciding to take even the slimmest opportunity to have the upper hand, she tightened her grip on her former boss, holding him firmly against her, and turned to boldly face the men.
"Not another move," she threatened, "or…I'll break his neck!" Savannah hoped she delivered that line convincingly enough, because if they had really took the time to listen, everyone would know she was bluffing. She didn't think she could actually do that. Not only had she never learned how to, but she didn't believe she could bring herself to do it. Even as her, she had never killed anyone, at least not intentionally. It was part of her policy, one of the things she believed separated her from the criminals she fought. Now though, even if she couldn't do the deed, she had to make everyone believe she was capable.
For what seemed to be the longest, yet shortest time. It seemed to work. The guards began to back off, and Savannah was already planning her next move. She couldn't recall another time when she felt more on her toes, more full of adrenaline, knowing she had to make the right decision and make it fast. But before she could actually form it in her mind, something happened that neither the guards, Raff, or even Savannah could suspect. It happened so fast that none of them even had a time to blink in reaction. Right in front of everyone's eyes, a young woman, or at least what appeared to be one, came not around the wall, but through the wall itself. She then hurried past everyone, even pushing them aside, and for a moment the rational part of Savannah's mind could only wonder if she had actually seen what her eyes declared she saw.
But before anyone could do the same, it felt as though the ground was beginning to shake, like a precursor to an earthquake. But instead of an earthquake, another person came through the wall, with a more explosive entrance. This person looked like a big, hulking, heavy-weight wrestler, and he let out a deafening yell that matched his enormous size. But that was all Savannah managed to see and hear before the impact of the wall being demolished caused her to crash to the floor, along with everyone else. That alone was enough to shake her on the inside as much as the outside. She'd never been practically blasted off her feet before, and it made her heartbeat skyrocket.
It also made her realize that, no matter how confusing those two sights just seemed to her, she now had to escape. Not just from the guards, but also from whoever had blasted his way through the wall. Savannah saw that they now looked distracted, having obviously been as shocked as she was, and that the guard nearest to her had dropped his gun. She took hold of it, aimed it at the light right above her, and pulled the trigger.
"Hey!" one of the other guards shouted. But she didn't respond. She instead got right back on her feet, the gun still in her hand, and took off down the hallway. She heard one, then two gunshots behind her, and saw two bullets hit the wall in front of her, but the guard had missed. She then took her own gun and fired at the other light in the hallway she was now traveling, before she finally dropped it. Despite all the times she fought criminals with guns, she herself had little experience with them, and didn't want to fire it at the right time. Right now, all she was concerned about was getting out of the building before something else unexpected happened.
And apparently, so was everyone else. Savannah came across more guards, but they didn't try to attack her. Or if they did, she only shoved them aside, shouting, "Move!" Her panic, which she had largely kept under control, only increased when she felt and heard the earth begin to shake again. Where was the nearest exit? Would she remember? Could she make it there without being pounded? Well, all she knew was that she had to, and she had to get out fast. Unfortunately, having spent most of her time here fighting off bad guys and using much of her mental energy in trying to stay hidden, her body and mind were now both begging for rest. For a while, she refused, until all of a sudden, the impact of what seemed to be a distant blast somehow reached her, causing the floor to swiftly meet with the rest of her. Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to get a brief breather.
She looked around, and saw the door of what appeared to be another office. Savannah quickly stood up and dashed for it. The moment she was inside, she slammed the door shut, locked it, and then turned around, not caring where she was. All she wanted was to sit down for just a few seconds. Then she would continue searching for an exit. For now, she pulled down her face-mask, allowing her to breathe cleaner air for the first time in what felt like forever. And once she realized her back had found another wall, she sank down to sit on the floor, panting like someone who had just been asked to run a marathon, during an earthquake.
Unfortunately, while her mind began wondering wildly over what she'd just seen, her newly-found sanctuary didn't remain peaceful for long. Before she completely, another blast similar to the one she saw only a short while ago erupted near her, coming from the ceiling instead of one of the walls. And down came what looked like another heavy-weight wrestler, but this one was like none she'd ever seen. While he certainly had the muscle-power, what immediately made her eyes widen in shock was his skin. It looked like it was made of metal, maybe steel, because when he hit the floor, it sounded like metal clashing against metal. Instantly, Savannah unconsciously let a gasp escape her lips. If she was confused before, now the situation at hand seemed to make absolutely no sense.
The man of steel immediately began to get up from the pile of debris he caused, and as he did, he made eye-contact with her. Savannah could only look with a gaping mouth, and wonder if he might even harm her. Against her expectations though, or whatever ones she had left, he only made an attempt to smile and said in a somewhat polite voice, "Sorry." And before Savannah could ask what was happening, he turned, headed toward the door, and crashed his way through it like the first man she saw previously. While she didn't have a clue where he was headed, one of the possibilities that formed in her mind was going to find that other heavy-weight wrestler.
But even as she began to crawl forward, Savannah was immediately halted by a sudden and sharp pain to her head. She sat on her knees and pressed her hands to her temples, and instantly tried to massage them in an effort to lessen it. Just then though, the pain began to inexplicably travel from her head, down her back, to her torso, and then to her limbs. And as soon as it did, the pain steadily got worse and worse until it felt like her entire body was on fire.
Inwardly demanding an answer yet somehow not able to put it in words, Savannah only cried out, yet no one came to her side. She was left alone to face the pain that now seemed to reach her very bones. And in a literal sense. It felt as though someone had found a way to put nerve-endings in marrow, to the point where it was becoming unbearable. Not only that, but the pain in her abdomen was becoming especially sharp, and she could also feel a strange, foreign substance cover her body. The sensation of all this distress, both physical and mental, made her scream again. But still, she remained alone.
Desperate to make it all stop by any means necessary, Savannah began clawing at her face, which now seemed foreign to her. By now, the pain was so horrific it was like she was being pulled apart at the molecular level, and she was begging someone to just shoot her and end the torturous misery. It built within her, bit by bit, threatening to explode like a giant bomb, until she finally let loose a third scream that put any other she ever unleashed to shame. What she didn't completely realize though, was that her scream quickly changed into what sounded like a roar, one that only ceased when the pain slowly started to.
Savannah panted even harder than before. If it felt like she had run a hundred miles before, now it felt like she'd run a thousand, even a million. Still, all she knew was that the pain was finally leaving her after what seemed like hours, and she felt exhausted to the point of wanting to lie down and sleep. Yet somehow, in spite of this ordeal, her mind remained intact, and reminded her that she was still in a building full of overly-muscular maniacs, and that she had to leave. Not being one to easily avoid what her danger instinct was telling her, Savannah began to pull herself together, because now was no time to wallow in what had just happened.
And yet, when she tried to stand back up, she found she could only crawl, or just walk on all fours. Wanting now more than ever to know what had just occurred, she located a nearby mirror, and wasted no time making her way toward it. As soon as she saw her reflection though, she immediately backed away in shock. But the longer she looked at it, the more it grew, until her previous panic finally gave way to frightened disbelief.
What she saw was not a twenty-year-old human female in all black clothing, concealing the stripes only slightly darker than her skin. Instead, she saw a creature unlike any she'd seen before. It looked like a tiger, and a large strong one at that. But instead of white fur with black stripes, it had black fur with white stripes. Wide, bright, blue eyes stared back at her, reflecting the emotion that whirled like a wild hurricane within her. Her mouth continued to stay open. But once she tried to speak, all that Savannah could let out was a growl or two. Thinking the mirror might be playing an unbelievable trick on her, she looked down, expecting to see hands. But what she found instead were a pair of large paws, fitted with sharp claws. And apparently, that new appendage she felt in the back was her tail, waving nervously back and forth like someone would wave their hand to call for help.
This couldn't be happening. It had to be a dream, if not a nightmare. But all that pain Savannah just experienced told her in the form of a very sharp pinch that this was no illusion, no dream. She was no longer a human. Against all rationality and all reason, she had transformed into a tiger that as far as she knew did not exist. She didn't know how, or why. All she knew was that she did, and that she desperately wanted to be a human again.
But how could she get back to being one? Thinking it worth a try, Savannah closed her eyes again, attempting, against her better judgment, to feel that pain again. Yet no matter how hard she tried, every time she opened her eyes, she saw to her dismay and distress that her hands were still paws. Now, instead of being left alone with just physical and mental pain, she was left with the emotional pain of wondering with all of the ability she had left what was going on, why this had happened, and what she needed to do next.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the answer to her third question was immediate. She felt the impact of another blast that seemed to come from a distance, and Savannah remembered once again that she needed to leave the building, unless she wanted to find herself in the middle of a massive wrestling match. While part of her believe that as a tiger, she could easily take them on if she crossed them, that human part of her that remained still wanted to just leave. And considering all she'd already experienced, the latter option looked more attractive.
Whether she was a tiger or a human, Savannah at first didn't care how anyone reacted to her as she began to run, rather effortlessly, down the hall on all fours. All the guards she came across quickly jumped out of her way. But before long, Savannah could tell just by the looks on their faces that they believed they were trying to avoid not just a big cat, but also a monster. Had she retained her tear-ducts, she would have found some tears stinging her eyes right now. Never had she felt the pain of rejection quite like she felt it now. She was surprised she still had that part of her humanity that begged to find someone to look at her without being afraid. But now that she was a tiger, she feared it would never come. Yet she still continued to run, still continued to evade everything behind her and in front of her, no matter how threatening it seemed.
Once she got near the center of the building though, Savannah came to a halt as soon as she heard a big cat's growl that wasn't her own. Cautiously, she turned, and her eyes widened when she saw not just any big cat, but the very she'd helped to unload just that previous morning and had come to try and help. Now he was free, his eyes were locked on hers, and they did not look friendly at all. And though he may have been thin, his body still held a lot of muscle, and those claws and teeth looked unbelievably sharp. No longer did he look pitiful as she'd seen him before, now he looked like the beast he was, intent on reminding this other tiger in front of him that she was invading his territory. Even he viewed her as a monster.
Savannah, immediately remembering the human part of her, wanted to flee instead of fight. All she'd previously and desperately wanted was to get out of this building, before someone captured her for their own villainous research or even killed her. And yet, she also remembered that she was now a tiger. If anything, based on what she saw in that mirror, this tiger should have been afraid of her rather than the other way around. Part of her also knew that even if she turned to flee, the tiger would follow her. And if she got unlucky enough, he would clamp his jaw down on her throat and kill her. It was no use. There seemed to be no substitute. Survival, like with most animals, was now the name of the game. And if this tiger was looking for a fight, she would make sure he never attempted to fight her again.
Trying to transfer some of her martial arts training to her new body, Savannah planted her paws to the ground in an attempt to form a defensive position. She then watched with narrow eyes as the tiger began to walk around her, it seemed. Even while she watched, her old compassion for animals made her want to feel pity for this tiger she'd come to save. And for a moment, she did. Suddenly though, as if in a split second, all of her previous pity faded away as soon as the tiger leaped toward her. Still, she was ready, and as with any other fight, she was determined to win.
But this fight immediately proved to be different from any other she participated in. Knowing she couldn't stand up like a human to punch or kick, Savannah had to improvise. She thought from early on that it would be hard, but after being tackled to the ground and suffering a swipe to the face, she believed she had a feasible way of fighting, one that seemed almost to be natural. But this was no time to reflect on how she could react to that. She leaped at the tiger before her, giving him two swipes rather than one, and before she knew it, the two were locked in a battle of trying to embrace the other and bite them. In between roars, growls, and attempted attacks, the two remained in what appeared to be a stalemate. But it was suddenly broken when the tiger's speed outdid hers and sent his jaw down on her neck, causing a sharp, immense sting and ache combined to erupt from Savannah in the form of a pained roar.
Fortunately, that also caused her own speed to return in full swing. She threw a swipe at the tiger's face and scored, sending him flying away from her. Though the sting and ache remained strong and intense in the side of her neck, Savannah knew the fight wasn't over. Ignoring the bite she received, she hurled herself at the tiger, determined to make him see that she was the stronger one. They tumbled across the room in a red, white, and black heap, leaving blood as their trail, until Savannah finally let out another roar and let loose another swipe. Again, she hit her target. But it only seemed to make the tiger even angrier. Throwing a swipe of his own, instead of hitting her in the face, he hit her in the side, causing a pain much like the one in her neck to shoot through her body. Still, Savannah refused to give up. Deciding to use her own jaw, she again leaped forward and sent it down on the tiger's own neck, returning the favor he so generously left her.
Unfortunately, as they continued to fight, on and on, it seemed, while Savannah scored as many hits against the tiger, she received what she considered the more painful ones. Against the exhaustion that began to return to her body in massive waves, seeing red and at the same time experiencing it, she let out roar after roar and swipe after swipe as she continued to fight the tiger. Until, inexplicably, she realized that she was swiping at nothing. She opened her eyes and saw, to her amazement, that the tiger was running, or rather trying to run, away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake, making it clear that he would likely die from his injuries. And just like that, despite all that had passed between them, Savannah wanted to cry out in distress, now knowing that not only had she failed to actually help this tiger, but she was now probably going to be responsible for his death. It seemed just another life uselessly wasted, and all Savannah found herself able to do was to let out one last roar in place of a cry.
As soon as she let it out though, the critical nature of her own condition then began to sink in. Savannah didn't think she'd ever suffered so much pain in one night, both in body, and in mind. And judging by the pain that continued to throb in her own wounds, she had a feeling that all of the scratches, punches, and ordeals she took would inevitably leave scars, and ugly ones. Yet, somehow, none of that seemed to matter. In spite of all that she experienced tonight, she was still alive, and that, in and of itself was an achievement. And not only had she managed to fight off Raff and his men, but she also somehow fought off one of the kings of the kingdom of big cats, and won.
Even so, before long, Savannah felt the true effects of all this conflict start to reap their consequences. Her vision began to blur, her strength began to leave her, and her world began to spin. Before she knew it, she had collapsed to the floor in the pool of the blood she'd both lost and brought forth. Just when she thought that might be the end though, she felt pain come over her body much like the kind she experienced that caused her to turn into a tiger. And yet, this time, it was different. Instead of being unbearable and making her want to die, this seemed almost, in a paradoxical way, to feel like a cloud was enveloping over her. And unlike before, she didn't try to fight it. After all the punishment she took, she could definitely deal with this.
The next thing she knew, she opened her eyes, and saw to her disbelief yet great joy, that her paws were once again human hands. But all the stinging and aching sensations she experienced just before as a tiger remained, and she had the feeling that this might very well be the end of her. Well, if it was… Wait. What was that? Savannah forced her now heavy head to look up, and as soon as she laid adequate sight on them, she believed she saw human legs. And yet, she wasn't afraid. She had to believe that this person might help her. Though she didn't have the strength to look up at them and see their face, Savannah did have enough to begin to crawl forward. Lifting a now red arm, she pulled her mangled body forward. Once. Twice. Three times. Until she could do it no more.
Just when she felt like she might pass out though, Savannah felt herself being gently lifted up. Needing to know for one more time what was happening, she forced her eyes to open. Her vision, though very blurry, still managed to catch sight of the eyes of the person now holding her. They were fierce, yet somewhat gentle, and she could have sworn she saw them before. But she didn't want to think anymore. She only wanted one thing.
"Help me," she said with what remained of her voice, "Help me." That was all she could manage to say. And yet, it was enough. The last thing she remembered before fading into the now comforting darkness was the feeling of the corners of her mouth subconsciously turn up slightly. Despite all the trials she faced, Savannah knew that she had come out strong. She was a survivor. She was the fighter she always was and always would be.
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