(A/N) Hey guys, sorry about the week late update. In order to make it up to all of you, there will be another X-Ray and Vav chapter posted on Sunday this week. But I think this one just might be awesome enough to make your wait worth it. Written by the always amazing Tall on the Inside, this chapter really delivers, comically, actionally (?) and...well...in kickassitude! So, without further ado, here you go!

Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven – The Big Bad Wolf

Ray Narvaez Jr / X-Ray

Written by Tall on the Inside

"A realisation washed over her in that cold, dark space: this was how virtually all living things born on Earth have died- with teeth tearing through their muscle and bones. We humans have computers and soap and houses but it doesn't change the fact that everything that walks is nothing but food for something else." - David Wong, This Book is Full of Spiders

It was a yawn from Vav that made X-Ray realise both how tired he was, and how late it was. For a moment he was struck with the idea that he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes open at work, before of course remembering that the shop had burnt down. His stomach clenched with fear; he still didn't know if Ryan was alright. He blinked a few times, as if blinking could shake away his worries, then fixed his gaze of Vav once again. Said British hero was not quite done yawning and was scratching the back of his neck.

"Anyway," X-Ray said finally, quietly, the two still lurking in front of the station, "That was a thing."

"Yeah," Vav nodded, his eyes dazed and tired, "it certainly was."

The two stood in silence for a moment longer, before both speaking at once, with Vav mumbling, "We should probably head home now," and X-Ray stating, "Man, I'm exhausted."

The Brit broke into an uneasy smile at their joint attempt to break the silence, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you think crime'll give us a break, just for tonight?" X-Ray continued. "I could use a good night's sleep."

Vav chewed his lower lip, and the two began to move, keeping as low a profile as they could manage (X-Ray knew from experience what a pain it was to be seen in this goddamn cape), and asked, "What do you think's going on? Because I don't know about you but I haven't a bloody clue."

X-Ray shrugged. "I don't know man, I don't know. I mean, there are just too many random things going on, like the gang-leader-dude and that Wolf thing... Like what's up with that?" He flashed Vav a smile. "Think we're dealing with a werewolf here Vav?"

The Brit scoffed. "Don't be stupid, werewolves don't exist. This is-"

"Neither do superheroes," X-Ray interrupted solemnly.

Vav shook his comment away, almost as though refusing to acknowledge it and just spoke louder. "This is a serious conversation," he repeated. "We have no idea what that Enderwolf is, or whether this was an attack by the Community or whether it was something completely different!"

"It's probably not completely different," X-Ray suggested, "I doubt we'd have that many weirdos running around, fucking shit up."

The pair stopped, having reached the point they'd split. Vav hesitated, and it almost seemed as though there was something he wanted to say, but he just shook his head and sighed. "I don't know whether to hope the incidents are related or pray they aren't," he admitted.

"Yeah," X-Ray chuckled. "We're pretty fucked, aren't we?"

Vav sighed. "Stay safe," he said. He gave X-Ray just enough time to mumble, "You too," before turning, his cape fanning behind him dramatically, and reminding X-Ray just how badass they must look to people who aren't them; or at least, how badass the suits looked to people who didn't have to suffer through the rash they left.

Unlike Gavin, Ray didn't live in what most would consider the "good" part of Achievement City. Nor was it the "nice" part, or the "wealthy" part, and X-Ray showing up in it would cause a scene, so after the two had split up he'd made sure to ditch his costume the first chance he'd gotten, which meant an extremely awkward fifteen minutes of struggling with the costume in a dark alley, barely able to see and praying that he wouldn't be seen. Having a secret identity was vital, but, at times like this it didn't half piss him off, especially since the costume was so fucking uncomfortable and nigh-on impossible to get on or off. And once it was off he had to find something to do with it. He wasn't Superman; he didn't have the ability to keep this shit on under his clothes. He had to be more resourceful than that.

Eventually he settled on just shoving the thing inside one of his boots. He'd iron it or something tomorrow. It wasn't like he'd need it again until then anyway, and now, instead of X-Ray turning up in his neighbourhood, it was just Ray with a new pair of boots.

He could hear the couple who lived next door to him arguing before he'd even reached his driveway. He sighed. It was going to be one of those nights, where they screamed at each other for hours before she finally decided she'd had enough, left, and came back several hours later, drunk, louder and angrier than before, and the argument would start again. Great. That was just what he needed.

His door opened with a foreboding creak, and not for the first time Ray found himself worried it would fall off. Its hinges were loose and the key didn't always turn properly; he should probably look into that. He dropped his boots down in the hallway and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Scratch getting a new door, he could do with a new house. The place was a shithole he'd always told himself he'd improve, but never had. There was mould in the kitchen cupboards which had just made him move all of its content into a different cupboard. The carpets were stained and had this kind of musty smell to them that reminded Ray of one time he'd stood next to an old lady who'd forgotten her umbrella and was drenched in rain.

If there was one thing Ray had never thought his house would smell like, it was wet old people. Resolving to finally buy some mould-removal-cream, or whatever the hell he actually needed, he made his way through to the kitchen. He decided he'd buy some paint while he was at it. And some carpet shampoo. He felt like he deserved it. He'd earned the right to make his house stop smelling like wet old people.

His kitchen was barely large enough for himself and his appliances to all be in at once. He grabbed a packet of something from a cupboard and threw it into the microwave. He should have probably put it in a bowl first, he realised as he punched in settings. He shrugged it off. The food was instant and microwavable; it was going to be bland and tasteless regardless of whether he followed the instructions or not. He grabbed a bowl and waited, listening to some of next-door's argument as he did. The bleeping was just loud enough to drown out their yells for a second, then it stopped when he wrenched the door open. He discovered that the meal he'd thrown in there had been rice. His stomach growling reminded him that it was God knows what time, and he was too hungry to give a shit.

He poured the rice in the bowl and shoved a spoon into the rice, stirring it a few times half-heartedly. He grimaced, imaging how awful it was going to taste already, and took the dish through to the living room. He plonked himself down on his sofa and grabbed the television remote. He wasn't really planning on watching anything, he just wanted to hear something other than next-door's shouting. His living room was soon full with the static interview of some British archer who was going to be in the next Olympics or something; the audio quality was extremely poor, so the sound was muffled.

Spoonful after spoonful of bland rice was shoved into his mouth. The archer talked on and on, but Ray wasn't listening. He was too wrapped on in his thoughts. This had to be another attack by the Community, didn't it? That would mean the gang leader was a part of it which would mean the Friendermen knew something but... But why the wolf? Was the wolf a weapon? Something the Community had made or bought or trained or... or something completely different that had nothing to do with anything.

He was in over his head. They were in over their heads. X-Ray and Vav were in over their heads.

He didn't know when he'd finished his rice, but the fact that he'd actually been attempting to eat from an empty bowl told him that was it, it was time to go to bed. He shut off the athlete's interview, dropped his bowl into the sink, and headed upstairs. For a few moments, he debated whether or not he should shower, before realising he'd been in that damned costume and so would have sweated a hell of a lot more than normal people should. At the very least, he'd shove his head under the shower, he decided.

His bathroom was even smaller than his kitchen. He took off his shirt and threw it in the corner of the room, before pulling on the cord. His shower was slow, and, knowing it would take about five minutes for the water to warm up, so he thought he might as well brush his teeth while he waited. He wasn't sure whether using his tap would have any form of impact on how long it took his shower to warm up, but he figured he might as well do it- YOLO, right?

He took a tube of toothpaste from his windowsill and grabbed his toothbrush. He struggled with the tube for a little while, but finally managed to squeeze some of paste out. The room filled with its obnoxiously minty scent instantly. For some reason, instead of being white, or streaked, this toothpaste was bright green, which was somewhat disconcerting, but Ray wasn't one to complain about toothpaste. He turned on his tap and held his brush under the stream for a second. Over the thrum of running water, he thought he heard his bathroom door creak open, but dismissed it almost instantly.

Then he looked up.

Staring back at him, reflected on the mirror's slightly steamed surface, was not just his own tired face. There was also the image of something dark and huge, with two large, red eyes that met his gaze. It took him by surprise and he stumbled back, falling, to his complete horror, into whatever it was that rested behind him.

A feral snarl forced him into action; he barely had time to think before his eyes were burning, and he was pivoting around. He felt the blast before the thing did, his vision blurring and his head pounding as unbearable heat seared through his irises, concentrated on that dark mass, and that mass alone. The thing made a canine yelp as it flew backwards, powered by the blast Ray had fired at it, hitting his bathroom wall with enough force for the plaster to crack.

Ray didn't want to do this, not when he was tired, not when he had his normal glasses on, not when the only weapon he could find in his bathroom was a fucking toilet plunger, but the thing was already pushing itself off of the ground and shaking splinters of rotten wood from his now-shredded door out of its fur. He didn't have a choice. He threw his toothbrush down and grabbed the plunger, deciding to make do with what he had until something better presented itself.

His eyes still sore and his vision hazy, he charged at the thing, which he was becoming increasingly more certain was the Enderwolf that Adam guy had spoken of. It was huge and canine, with a snout and large teeth and Ray really didn't want to think about what those teeth could do, he just wanted this thing out of his house.

The beast had drawn itself to full height, which happened to be so large it hunched back slightly, not quite fitting into Ray's home. It let out a low, menacing growl and Ray did the only thing he could. He thrust the plunger into its chest.

It did absolutely nothing.

With a sweep from a powerful clawed paw-like hand, Ray was flung across the room. He collided with something hard, which could have been his bathtub or his toilet. He didn't really concern himself with it at this point.

He put himself on auto-pilot. He tore his glasses off, and blinked a few times. He could still make out the wolf as it drew nearer, its growling getting louder, its breathing heavy. His eyes igniting once again with that smouldering heat he was becoming so accustomed to, he squinted slightly. If he messed this up, it was over. He did not want to die tonight, and he did not want it to be at the hands of some demonic wolf-thing. He pushed himself up, that heat still building, still building, his movements matching the slow, precise movements of the wolf. Then he lunged.

Throwing himself at the beast, he let off the blast that he'd been building, and this time the wolf literally tore through his wall as it flew back. The effort from such an attack left Ray woozy, but he could barely leave himself a moment to recover. He tore out of the room, the wolf covered in dust and paint and plaster letting out a thunderous groan. Ray flung himself down the stairs, hearing the wolf push itself up behind him and knowing it would be hot on his tail.

He owned no weapons, he skipping at least two steps at a time, and stumbling somewhat on the final two. He had nothing to attack this thing with other than his fucking eyes, which were already protesting to staying open. Every blink was agony, but his previous exhaustion was lost to adrenaline. His heart was racing, but his mind was moving even faster, desperately trying to think of some way, any way, to beat this thing.

He had a broken broom in one of his kitchen cupboards. He didn't know what use that would be against a fucking massive demon-beast-wolf-monster-thing, but it was the best he could think of. He could already hear its pounding footsteps on the stairs behind him. His back was aching from where he'd hit it and he'd landed far too hard on his ankle while he'd catapulted himself down the stairs, but he had to keep going. He had to keep going even if his head was spinning and his vision was blurry and his eyes, dear God his eyes, were screaming with anguish.

He raced through his living room, no idea of how much time he had. Almost sliding on the panelled floor of his kitchen, he ripped open the cupboard door and thrust his hand inside. The splintering handle of the broom now in his grip, he slammed the door shut and, gulping, headed back to the living room to meet his aggressor.

The wolf was pacing. Ray didn't know if pacing was a thing wolves did, but this one was doing it. As soon as he entered the room, it snarled at him, brandishing those teeth, teeth like broken glasses gnashing together, teeth that couldn't wait to close around Ray's throat and pull.

It had been years since Ray had played any kind of sport that wasn't virtual, but he remembered the basics of baseball and adopted that stance, legs slightly apart, broom handle wielded like a bat. "Come at me," he spat, his breathing heavy and laboured. "Hit me with your best shot!"

He didn't know why he was yelling at the wolf, but in a matter of seconds a huge mass of fur and teeth was barrelling towards him. He had to get his timing just right, come on, wait, wait, don't think about the teeth, do not think about the teeth-

He brought the broom round to meet the wolf's face, the splintered edge whipping across its muzzle and the force turning the beast away from him. He stepped back, letting go of the handle as the wolf circled back around the room until it was facing him again. Ray wasn't sure, but it looked like his hit had, despite all odds, done some form of damage; the fur on its snout was matted with something dark, and Ray was praying it was blood, praying he'd landed a hit.

The wolf lunged forwards again, Ray barely dodging its attack. He was getting tired. The wolf was getting pissed.

It took him a few moments to form a plan. A shitty plan, but a plan all the same. If he could just move so that the wolf was facing the window-

Sharp teeth bit the air to his right. The wolf had only just missed him. He was running out of time. He was running out of options. The window was his only hope.

He moved so he was stood in front of the window. He was gonna do that bull thing, he decided. He didn't know if that would work with a wolf, or without a cloth or whatever, but he yelled, "Hey! Wolfie!"

It let out a low but bellowing roar. Ray felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It threw itself at him, leaping, almost as though it was planning to attack him from above. He dropped to the floor and crawled as fast as he could to avoid it, friction from his carpet shredding his raw, unprotected knees, jumping up as the wolf's claws tore through empty space, and putting everything into this, into his one final attack.

He turned slowly, letting his eyes close for a fraction longer than he should, feeling that familiar heat, that scorching irritation beginning to gather behind his lids. His eyes snapped open, the burning warming his face. He felt a few trickles of sweat slide down his boiling cheeks, and he let it go, he just let the explosion happening inside his eyes loose, firing everything at the wolf in a beam so bright he couldn't see whether or not he was even hitting it.

But he heard the crash as something heavy broke through glass, and blinked the beam off. He'd never had to concentrate so much energy on a blast before, and even after he stopped it, he still felt it there, his eyes still on fire, even though he wasn't actually using any power.

He heard the wolf let out a high-pitch yelp as it pushed itself up, and, moving closer to the window, saw that it was holding one of its paw-like hands at a funny angle. Lights in the houses across from his started to flicker on; curious neighbours who had no doubt heard the crash waking up unsure whether it was their window that had broken. The beast fixed its blazing eyes on Ray for a moment, letting out an angry huff of breath, before it glanced up at those lights, and turned away from him, attempting to escape.

Ray didn't have time to savour any feelings of victory. He was shaking and exhausted and the wolf was injured. It would be slower than usual. It would be easier to catch.

He reached into his pocket, grabbing his phone, and hurriedly stabbing in a few numbers. Holding it to his ear, he raced into the hall and pulled his creased, wrinkled suit from his boot, cursing his idea to shove it in there in the first place.

Gavin didn't pick up. Ray scoffed and threw his phone down, using both hands to tear off his shorts and shove his suit on. He hated changing into his suit, and it was harder than usual, what with his hazy vision and shaking hands, but he did it, eventually, feeling a damn sight calmer with his super specs on.

From upstairs, he could hear the steady trickle of water. From downstairs, the vibrating of his phone. He grabbed it before tearing through the front door and into the street. Fuck being seen. Fuck his nosey neighbours hearing a fight and looking out to see a man in a cape leave the scene. Fuck everything.

"Did you phone me?" came the static voice of a drowsy Gavin.

"Yeah man," Ray panted, slowly starting to run in the direction the wolf had headed, "you will not believe what just happened."

"What just happened?" the Brit asked, still not quite awake. Ray didn't have time to envy him for actually getting some sleep. He was fuelled entirely on adrenaline now, slowly forgetting about his many aches and pains.

"Okay so, you know that wolf thing from the video? The one that attacked the warehouse?"

"The Enderwolf, yeah..."

"Well, let's just say that that isn't the only house that it's attacked."

There was a pause. "I don't understand," Gavin mumbled. "You mean-"

"I just got out of a fight with it, yeah," Ray assured him. "A kick-ass fight. And by kick-ass fight I mean that wolf got its fucking ass handed to it. By me. It ran away like a little bitch. I'm suited up and pursuing it now."

Ray assumed Gavin's silence was one of shocked awe. "Oh man," Gavin was probably thinking, "Ray is really cool. Like so cool. He just beat up a fucking wolf. Man."

If Gavin had been thinking that, he didn't say it. Instead, he told Ray, "I don't understand what you're saying."

"I'm saying grab your guns and stupid hats; it's wolf-hunting season."