A/N: I want to apologize in advance for the coming week. Have some things I need to do and not sure how much work Ill be able to get done. Not to worry though, Ill be sure to make it up. Not that I ever have any, but patience please.

Canuckle and Retro - thanks for the reviews as always.

N1elkyfan - welcome to the group. Thanks for all the reviews and amazing feedback. Hope you like what I have in store. I know it was Canuckle that led you here so thanks for the assist Canuckle. As for Colton...you'll get a chance to have your question answered and

Greer felt like she was dreaming...and numb...and terrified...and furious

She really wasn't sure what she was feeling. She just couldn't believe what was happening. How did everything go so wrong so quickly...Glancing up she saw that Colton's head was still fixed on the floor as the two of them were marched out of the conference room. Why wasn't he fighting back? Why wasn't he taking down the guards? None of this made sense...He hadn't said anything or done anything since Stryker had appeared on screen and told them that everything had gone according to plan. That it had all been part of their...programming.

That none of it had been real...But he couldn't believe that...

"He's wrong." Greer knew Colton could hear her whisper, "Colton are you listening to me? He's wrong..."

"Shut up." One of soldiers surrounding the two felines barked but she ignored him.

"I don't care what Stryker says. He doesn't control us." Greer reached out to take Colton's hand.

"I said shut up you fuckin' animal!" The soldier directly behind Greer stepped forward and swung a baton at her head but Greer was more than fast enough to catch it, a growl filling the hallway. But the soldier didn't flinch as dozens of guns were cocked and pointed at her and Apex's heads. Greer maintained her growl but Colton didn't even flinch.

"Stupid animal." Greer had been glancing at the other soldiers but looked back in time to see the soldier's smile when the electricity hit her, the charge forcing her hand to keep it's grip on the baton until the soldier finally stopped it. The fur on her hand smoking as Greer dropped to a knee taking shaky breaths as the soldier proceeded to beat her, enjoying the way she flinched as he heard something crack.

"Had enough freak?" Greer felt like her body had been on fire and now in a car wreck, but that was nothing to the rage she felt building. Why wasn't Colton doing anything? He promised to protect her...she knew he'd protect her. But if he wasn't going to get them out of this, she would.

"Animal..." the tigress raised her eyes towards the soldier that had struck her, "I'll show you animal!"

Greer lunged from her crouched position claws ready to tear the bastards throat out when a hand grabbed her by the back of the neck and threw her sideways into the wall. The force of it denting the plaster and sending a spiderweb of cracks across the wall. Greer was able to land on her feet but a clawed hand slammed her back into the wall and stayed pressed against her chest, pinning her.

But Greer didn't feel any of that. All she could see was Colton...growling low as his hand pressed against her with the other ordering the guards to stand down, causing them to glance at each other in confusion. Causing her to glance at him in confusion...She searched his face for any hint that this was just some show he was putting on as a distraction. But those eyes...there was no recognition there...no warmth. Besides, she had taken that hit...it just felt too real to be an act. Colton had never done that to her before...not since they first met.

"Colton?" she asked softly. Her eyes revealing the betrayal that was building up in her system.

"What are you doing?"

The panther didn't answer her and instead growled to one of the guards without taking his eyes off of Greer, "Cuffs."

'Cuffs?' Did she hear that correctly?

Greer snarled low in her throat. Thirty seconds ago she had been certain that Stryker had been lying…But looking at Colton now… Looking at how he was just staring at her blankly like he didn't know her… How he was calmly reaching for the cuffs with his free hand…Had this all been a lie? It couldn't be… Could it?

Greer lowered her head… Colton… Apex… didn't exactly have a perfect track record of being honest with her…She always seemed to stumble upon his secrets sooner or later. Had this all been a giant secret as well? The pieces...they fit so perfectly together now that she really thought about it...Stryker seemingly letting her go without consequence...Which resulted in her bringing Colton straight back to the X mansion...That's where she learned to trust him… And trust him completely...So completely that she allowed him to teach her how to kill...To train her for missions...Wait...were those really training or just some way to get her to willingly tap into her feral state...Which was exactly what Weapon X had wanted...And that's where they are right now...Right back where they started...Like Stryker had said...she'd never really left.

Greer felt her eyes widen in realization before something seemed to explode within her. More violently and quickly then ever before, her eyes immediately clouding to their crimson red. With a savage roar she brought her arm up and violently clawed Apex across the face. Making sure the claws cut into the fur... Into the flesh. Apex didn't even attempt to block her or avoid the claws...he just took it. But she saw it...how his eyes had narrowed slightly from the pain.

'Good.'

But her joy was short lived when Apex quickly pinned her arm to the wall. Cuffing it… Greer growled and struggled as he used her second strike as momentum to twist her around and cuff her other hand.

The guard that struck her, the commander, lowered his hand after witnessing the violent exchange with a chuckle, "Stand down...she won't be giving us any more trouble. Will she?"

Neither feral answered, the fury evident on Greer's face as Apex closed the cuffs around her wrists. Moving his hand to the back of her neck, he forced the tigress in front of him who just snarled at the touch, her tail thrashing behind her.

"Right...now, get moving!" Greer didn't even feel the hit to her side as they moved from the hallway to the elevator and eventually the roof. The entire way Apex kept his hand on Greer's neck, guiding her onto the waiting helicopter.

Greer was chained to the middle seat with her hands behind her. Apex sat across from her, his eyes still locked onto hers. One of the soldiers moved to chain him as well but a look and a growl had the soldier looking towards the commander.

"No...Weapon 22 knows his place." With a smirk the commander slid in next to Greer so that they were facing backwards, while the rest of the soldiers took positions on each side of the two ferals. Soon the chopper lifted off the roof...and headed back towards Weapon X.

Greer just kept growling as they traveled over forest and soon a large body of water. Her eyes never leaving Apex.

It wasn't even hatred she felt...or betrayal. It was just rage...pure feral rage. The commander kept yelling all the terrible things he knew they had planned for her...memory wipes...surgeries...Cyber...Creed...much to the enjoyment of the other soldiers, but she never heard any of it. She just felt that rage.

That's why it took a number of minutes for Greer to pick up on the slight movement he was making with his hands. It looked like he was simply flexing them but to Greer...was he...was he telling her to jump?

For the first time since they got on in the chopper Greer stopped growling and tilted her head to the side as Apex just continued to keep his eyes on her. But Greer wasn't certain...was it just another trick? Was she just seeing things she wanted to see...

"Sir?" the commander turned his attention from harassing Greer towards the pilot.

"What!?" The chopper was open to the air, the wind blowing over Greer as she saw Apex start counting down from five...four...

"Ummm...I'm picking up a possible bogey approaching from the south. Fast." The commander ripped off his headset and unbuckled himself so he could get a look at the radar. Something was coming up their tail and the pilot was right...it was coming straight for them.

"Sir! We've lost communication!"

A bead of sweat trickled down the commander's neck as he kept his back to the two ferals and slowly went for his pistol.

"What the hell did you do!?" The commander tried pulling his firearm mid-turn but Apex was ready for him, kicking him from a seated position and launching him back towards the pilots. He used the confusion to slice the chains holding Greer allowing her to slide her hands under her feet as Apex proceeded to crush the skull of the soldier to his left with an elbow to the face. The soldier to his right was able to lift a rifle but Apex blocked it, causing him to shoot the remaining soldier next to Greer as Apex slit his throat.

That just left the commander and the pilots. Greer saw out of her peripheral vision that Domino's Quin Jet, side doors open, had pulled alongside them as Apex grabbed the commander by the throat. The pilot was cursing as he attempted to keep the chopper level...turned out a bullet had shot the other pilot in the back of the head.

"Tigra! Jump!" Greer moved and braced herself against the frame of the door...but stopped to look between the chasm separating herself and the jet...and back at Apex, still unsteady from the sudden turn of events. Apex could see her hesitation.

"NOW!" The roar was enough to shake her out of her own head and with a quick stream of curses Greer launched herself through the air, her heart stopping for the brief second she soared across the open space only to beat through her chest as her claws scrambled across the jet's interior as she grabbed a hold.

"Miss me?" Greer ignored Domino's gloating and instead kept her eyes locked back across the sky. She saw Apex draw the commander close before dragging him to the opening...and tossing him straight into the rotatory blades.

"Shit!" Domino swerved on reflex at the explosion, increasing the distance as Apex mimicked Greer's launch out of the now burning helicopter. Greer watched as he hurtled towards her only to brace herself as Apex latched onto the hull of the jet causing it to shake from the impact before slipping inside and closing the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" It took a lot to frazzle Domino, but having an explosion and two giant ferals launch themselves into her jet midair did it. Greer meanwhile was still just staring at him...

Apex knew he had to explain himself to Greer. But first he needed the still cursing mercenary to focus.

"Scan this. Find the source." Apex handed over the device he pulled from Cassidy, it was roughly the size of a phone but had a surprising weight to it.

"Fuckin' cats flying through the air and blowing shit up when -"

"It can lead us to Stryker." That got Domino to give him a final glare before grabbing the device over her shoulder and placing it into a slot in the console. Apex hoped the communication jamming and downing of the Weapon X helicopter would buy them enough time to track Stryker before he could evacuate. He wasn't certain the device could do it but it was their only lead.

Turning away from Domino, his attention went back to Greer who had sat herself down in a corner, her eyes away from him...Her head in her hands.

Apex felt his ears lower. How could someone he know so well be so hard to read so often...Taking a breath he slowly approached her. He needed to make sure that she understood.

"Greer?"

The tigress didn't seem to hear him and Apex tried again.

"Greer."

Apex felt the punch before he registered it. The sound of the impact resonating around the copter so loudly even Domino went quiet for a second. Greer's lip was curled back. Her shoulders quivering...

"Did you know...was what Stryker said true..." Greer was close to going feral and Apex knew it.

"No...or at least what he said I have no memory of any of it. I swear. Now please, let me explain..." Apex took a step closer but Greer just held her hand out and growled.

"You better have a damn good explanation...But right now...Right now just leave me alone." she warned softly before sitting back down leaving Apex staring at her.

The punch hadn't hurt...it was something else that hurt...it was that she wouldn't look at him. As if he didn't exist. Without a word Apex turned and joined Domino at the front. Trying his best to keep his eyes concentrated on what was ahead of them.

"You've messed up big time didn't you Panthro?" to which Apex only responded with a growl.

A few minutes of tense silence passed before the console blinked red.

"Shit...it's no use. The equipment we're using isn't powerful enough." Domino was checking the readings on the device while Apex had taken over flying.

"That was on Cassidy. It can lead us to Stryker but we're running out of time."

Domino furrowed her brow for a moment before flipping a switch and after providing a series of clearance codes, explained their situation to whomever was on the other side.

"Right...I'll just drop them...but shouldn't I...alright we're on our way." Domino plugged in the new coordinates and took over from Apex who was obviously waiting for an explanation.

"Looks like whatever you grabbed is important enough to get the VIP treatment. Fury wants us to bring it in now. Get comfortable...it's gonna take us couple hours to get there."

Apex nodded and leaned back in his chair to rest. He reached up and fingered the bandage that was wrapped around his arm...and tried to not think about just how long Greer could stay mad at him.

...

Two hours, forty-five minutes and eight seconds.

Apex noted the time as turned to look over his shoulder to check on Greer. He had been doing it throughout the flight both to make sure she was alright and if she would give some sign of being ready to speak with him. This time she glanced away from the window for a brief moment and gave the smallest nod.

That was good enough for him. Ignoring the smirk from Domino, Apex slipped out of the cockpit and slowly took the seat next to Greer who gave him a very unfamiliar...cold look.

"Greer I -"

"No. No you don't talk. Just sit there and listen." Greer's voice sounded controlled...focused. Apex had been expecting Greer to be emotional, angry, yell...but that was the old Greer. Not the one in tactical gear sitting in the back of a jet headed towards an undisclosed SHIELD research base.

"I'm sure you have an explanation for what you did. I bet it's logical and objective and strategic." Greer's eyes were fixed on the floor in front of her, "And I know that everything Stryker said...about you...about me...I can't even process it all right now." Obviously she had been attempting to figure out why he had done what he did...why he allowed her to believe that Stryker had been right, the he had abandoned her, betrayed her...hurt her. He was ready to explain, knowing Greer she'd want all the details and -

"But right now I only want to know one thing," Greer turned her gaze back towards Apex who hadn't taken his eyes off of her, "Did you know Stryker wouldn't be there before we went in?"

"No."

Greer emitted a very low growl.

"I wasn't sure. But -"

"You told me that there wouldn't be anymore lies. That you wouldn't keep things from me anymore. And instead...instead you tell Domino but not me."

"Hey, keep me out of it." Domino muttered from the front but the ferals ignored her.

"I only told her to keep watch. I didn't know what would happen."

"I don't care. We'll deal with us after this thing is over. But I swear, you keep something from me again, mission or otherwise, lie about it and we are done. I will walk and I won't look back...Ever." Greer finished with a cold growl. Apex moved his head back as Greer turned her head back to the window. He just stared at her for a few moments before giving his head a small shake and moving to head back to the front.

"Did I say you could leave?" Greer raised a questioning eyebrow and her tone was challenging as she kept her eyes focused on a spot far off over the nights clouds.

"I assumed you wouldn't want me near you. I wanted to give you your space."

Greer turned to look over her shoulder at Apex, giving him a slow up and down. And while he might have seemed as stoic as ever, she noted the slightly down ears...the way his tail dragged on the floor, before settling back to his face.

"For someone that claims to be good at analyzing people...you never learn do you?" her questioning tone piercing as ever as Apex just stayed frozen, his eyes on her.

"Don't make assumptions on what I want. Ever. Stay by me, just...Don't talk to me," Greer turned back to face the window, "and don't move."

Apex raised an eyebrow of his own before carefully settling back into the seat. Greer gave a grumble before slouching so that her shoulder rested against his...much to his relief. The two stayed like that the remainder of the flight. Though Apex noticed how after half an hour Greer had her head resting against his arm as well...the scowl on her face subtly disappearing.

It was a good thing Greer had passed out when they finally approached the SHIELD base, the sun just beginning to tip over the horizon. Otherwise the hologram disguising the hangar as a solid cliff face in the middle of the Mexican desert would have likely given the feline a brief heart attack. Even Domino had to call in to the base a number of times to be convinced she wasn't heading for a fiery end.

But once they passed through the illusion they found themselves in a hangar dominated by one very large airplane and a number of other smaller vehicles, both ground and air. Greer woke up from the landing and after a quick stretch and a grumble for coffee, joined Domino and Apex as they opened the doors. Greer stood close to Colton...but not as close as he would have liked.

Regardless of Apex's desire to keep Greer close, the trio was to met by perhaps the most unassuming man Greer had ever seen. It was certainly not what she had been expecting at some super-secret SHIELD base. Then again...the only other one she had been to was disguised as a shack.

"Hi there, my name is Agent Phil Coulson. Seems we're supposed to be doing some business today that...well that never actually happened."