Workers restrained the mutants hands to her sides in leather straps. Now that she was hooked up to a blood bag again her writhing ceased and was now lying on the cold steel table taking deep breaths to stretch her developing lungs.
Dr. Arnsen figured now was a good time as any to start running tests. Without Striker's overbearing presence he could concentrate. Arnsen first began taking tissue samples, careful not to disturb her calm state. Then he reached to the tray for a syringe. He pierced the wrinkled flesh and pulled out the blood. Little was he aware that a wide pair of gold eyes were studying him. The gleaming embers were catching and analyzing every movement. Her claws extend and fingers flexed. As Arnsen was examining the vile of blood against the light above the table he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He could feel his heart stop and his blood run cold and slowly he turned to look at his subjects face. The shocking fire of her eyes and growl that escaped her throat caused Arnsen to yelp and jump 5 feet away, dropping the vial of blood in the process.
He reached his radio "Striker I need men here now! She's awake and these restraints wo-"
She pulled against the leather effortlessly ripping them and lunged at the prey in front of her who was now running out the door. Dr. Arnsen managed to set off the alarm with the tips of his fingers just before he felt claws sink into his shoulder followed by her weight on top of him pushing him into the floor. He managed to let out a loud scream before sharp teeth cut into his cords.
Jimmy and Victor grabbed their bags from the jet. Jimmy let out a sigh of relief as their feet touched solid ground again. They made their way to the base gates when they realized something was very wrong. Victor could see soldiers running into position readying weapons. The gates were locked, Jimmy gripped the chain link fence and shook.
"Hey! What's going on here?!" No one answered, instead soldiers continued running like chickens with their heads cut off. The fear was coming off in waves hitting Victor's nose. He looked over, Jimmy smelled it too. Since no one was going to bother answering them or be nice enough to open the gate Victor would find out for himself. Effortlessly he got over the gates followed by Jimmy . When they reached the entrance to the base his airways filled with the metallic smell of blood.
"Logan! Victor!" Striker ran down the hall, and for the first time in a long time, the smell of panic matched the desperate expression on his face.
"Where's the rest of the team? What's going on?" Jimmy demanded.
Striker was out of breath, "They're safe-"
"Safe? Safe from what?"
Striker looked back and forth at the brothers not ready to tell them.
"We have an escaped prisoner...a mutant."
Victor stared at him "All this for a mutant? Let Zero or Wade take him out."
"No, no, they can't, she'll just heal and get agitated."
She? Now this was something...
"You two came back just in time, I need you to go down there and take her out. She probably won't die but I just need her to be out long enough to put her back in a fucking cage." Striker said through gritted teeth. Victor was ready, claws itching to take a life 'this should be interesting, let's see what this bitch can do' he thought. Jimmy, on the other hand, was wearier, not knowing what to expect.
The lowest level of the base was cold and dark except for the red emergency lights glowing on and off.
The smell of blood filled the air almost suffocating the ferals. But underneath the blood was an even sweeter scent. Silently, he ran down the hall to where the smell was getting stronger with Jimmy not far behind. Around the corner, the brothers stopped in their tracks not expecting the gory scene before them.
Her eyes snapped open in irritation as the two figures halted at the other end of the hall. She took one last mouth full of blood before plucking her teeth from the body and tossing it on the floor with a thud.
Her human conscience was dominated by the bloodlust her animal side needed. Immediately she sized the males up. 'Predator or prey?' The beast was ravenous, everything with a beating heart was her prey. She crouched, preparing to attack not breaking eye contact, and let a hungry growl escape her chest.
Victor was surprised to see such a little frail do so much damage. A dozen soldiers were sprawled on the floor between them. She dropped the last of them to the side, ember eyes piercing forward. He knew what she was doing, she was sizing them up. Victor broke eye contact to see unclenched fists hanging at her sides, claws growing, dripping in blood. Now that he wasn't expecting.
Blood was smeared over her hollow cheeks. Gleaming eyes like two flames contrasted to the gray skin hanging from her face and limbs. For the first time in a long time, Victor was speechless. The sight of her reminded him of the bodies left out on the field during the Civil war. Skin turning greyish green and sinking into the grown, even crows wouldn't eat from it. At least they had been dead. But here was something different entirely, staring him down like prey.
He saw her position for attack. Victor let his claws extend and bared his teeth. Jimmy unsheathed his claws as well, 'this bitch must be stupid, or have a death wish'.
As soon as she leaped forward they did too. Victor was prepared to make this quick, claws waiting to sink in and tear pieces off.
She hurled herself off the wall towards the two brutes barreling forward. Dodging Victor, she hurtled into the lean brother with such force it almost drove him through the wall. As soon as the Victor turned back to charge, her claws lifted Jimmy by his ribs and threw him towards Victor. Both brothers immediately leapt back to their feet.
The two stood quickly ready to attack but the mutant was nowhere to be found. The only sound in the red lit hall was their own heaving.
"back to back!" Jimmy barked.
The two pressed their backs together, ready for an attack to come either way but nothing came. Victor traced his eyes up to the ceiling to see to gleaming pits of fire watching him.
His reflexes took too long and she pounced on him from the rafters. Instantly her claws slashed at his throat again and again until Jimmy tackled her to the grown. The two rolled on top of each other in a power struggle. Each of them throwing punches and slashes at each other.
Victor was seething, no one cut him like some fucking frail, especially not some scrawny bitch.
Immediately his wounds healed and he leaped forward and drove the bitch into the wall, off his brother.
In an instant, he had her held captive by the neck, his right hand raised back, ready to drive his claws into her. But to his surprise, both of her feet came off of the ground to deliver a kick to his abdomen strong enough for his vice grip to loosen. She grabbed his arm twisting it quick to hear a bone pop and used his own weight to drive him into the wall. Her eyes were locked on her target. Her hands plummeted into his chest driving him into the wall again and again. So fast and so hard she was cracking the wall behind him.
Victor attempted to raise a fist but continually felt his spine colliding with the cement. He looked into the flaming pits of her eyes and she roared. But then the pounding stopped as he saw Jimmy's bone claw protruding out of the front of her skull.
The once fiery eye's rolled back as Jimmy slid his claw out from the back of her head and let her body fall to the blood covered floor.
Victor could finally catch his breath, Jimmy looked at him. Victor didn't need to say thanks, they had a mutual understanding that they would always look out for each other.
Both eyes fell to the body on the floor. It took everything for Victor not to kick the bitch's face in.
"Let's see how long it takes her to come back from that."
Victor knew from experience that holes through the head took a while, just enough time to hand her over.
Before tossing the body over his shoulder they got a good look at her. She looked old, maybe 60, scraggly gray hair. It was hard to see her face under all the blood but they did see the claws that were currently in the process of retracting. The brothers looked back at each other confused.
''A feral." Jimmy breathed.
"Never seen a female before." Victor moved her head with his boot to get a better look. " Definitely not one in such a shit state either."
It was true, female ferals were rare. Most were killed by males and any that did live were very good at hiding. What they didn't understand was how a feral with the ability to heal could look so old.
Regardless of the million questions going through his mind, Victor took the body back to Striker.
"Better bring her back before she wakes up," Victor growled, still seething that a frail almost got the better of him.
"And find her a stronger fucking cage."