3/16/2022
Gotham City/Mercy Hospital
"Fuck." I said as I slowly opened my eyes due to the level of pain I feel. My head feels like it's about to explode and my body feels even worse as I raise my head and see that I am in a hospital room, and I am handcuffed to the bed with both wrists being restrained by cuffs that feel like they're melting through my skin. The pain was constant but not nearly as bad compared to when Bane almost snapped me in half like a toothpick, so I grit my teeth and bare the pain.
I also feel something tight around my chest and stomach, but I can't see what it is since I'm wearing a patient gown with no way to lift it up and see what's underneath it.
"Your awake." An unfamiliar voice said to me as the person entered the room. This person is a heavyset woman in a black business suit as she has dark brown skin with a no-nonsense haircut. "The names Amanda Waller and we need to talk."
"About what?" I asked her bluntly as I tried to remember anything that might have led up to this but all I remember was Bane crippling me before I felt the pull of my inner beast…Of fuck. What happened after I blacked out?
"About your abilities. You're a Metahuman Werewolf who almost killed his own teammates in the field after you transformed. We placed you in silver cuffs to prevent you from leaving since they dull your abilities." Amanda explained and that was something I needed to remember. Silver is my kryptonite, and I can't feel my enhanced strength so that means that I can't just break out. My Blink ability isn't working either.
"You're saying I attacked them?" I asked as I tried to remember but my mind was just blank, and I didn't want to believe that I attacked my teammates in a blind rage.
"You did and you left a nasty scare on Cassie Cage too." Amanda said as I didn't say anything back and lowered my head. "You also seemed to have healed enough to fight despite the injury Bane inflicted on you which means you have some sort of healing factor tied to your Werewolf transformation."
"I couldn't care less about that." I told her as I tried to move but again my body refused to listen and just felt pain.
"You should. You only healed up enough to fight but your internal organs and bones are still heavily damaged. Granted it isn't to the extreme point that they had originally been damaged but the fact remains that you're not going to be fit for combat anytime soon. Hell, if you weren't as durable as you were. Bane would have literally ripped you apart." Amanda told me before she pulled up a seat.
"What happened to Daegon and his flunkies?" I asked after taking a deep breath.
"Daegon, Dollhouse and Bane are locked up. Bane is still going through a few surgeries to repair the damage you did. Rabbit is in the wind as always and we had reports of Deathstroke being on the island for a short time, but your group didn't seem to run into him which is probably for the best. We don't need to complicate this matter any more than we have to." Amanda told me and frankly I don't feel sorry for Bane, but I do feel sick about the fact that I attacked Cassie specifically.
"Are you doing to lock me up?" I asked her.
"Not right now. You did your job and got Daegon and his helpers behind Argus bars and despite your little episode Sonya Blade hasn't decided to remove you from the Titans yet. So, whatever happens now is up to you, but I will tell you this. Argus has a close eye on you now and if you become a threat. We'll take you down." Amanda said coldly before she stood up and left the room while I laid down in the bed in cuffs.
"So, you've awoken your inner beast." A familiar voice said to me as I saw the Outsider appear in front of me and across from my bed as the world around us faded into the void. "I warned you about the power and now your upset that it has been used."
"That's not why I'm pissed. I'm pissed that I couldn't control it and that I almost killed my friends." I told him back as he chuckled.
"A wild beast cares not for friends or bonds and only hunts. If you want to tame the beast you must become one with it in mind, body and soul Andrew. Remember that." Outsider said before he vanished, and I was back in the hospital room before I laid my head down onto my pillow.
"I need to stop being upset. The Outsider isn't wrong. I took this power despite the risks and now I have to deal with the fallout." I told myself before a nervous nurse entered the room and saw to my needs.
My body isn't normal, and it freaks out the hospital staff but luckily Argus has them by the throats, so they don't try to dissect me or anything as a doctor comes in and explains the situation to me. Under normal circumstances it would take an extremely long time to heal from my injuries but due to my abnormal body I won't be stuck here for months, and I should be back to one hundred percent relatively soon.
4/18/2022
Gotham City/Argus Station
I didn't get any visits while I was in the hospital and frankly, I understand why. The people at our base are now scared of me while some seem angry as I am now walking around in basic clothes that got dropped off in my room when I was asleep. My cell and suit were taken to Star Labs which was my first stop as Nikki and Futaba seemed a bit concerned for me which felt a bit nice but now I have to face my team.
The doctors also told me that despite the fact that I can move and run around I should still take it easy until my body is back in tip top shape. They gave me pain killers and told me to avoid action for the time being, which sucks but again I understand.
I'm not Superman or anything and I don't have rapid healing to instantly fix my organs and bones. Bane fucked me up and instead of sulking I am taking it as a motivational lesson in the fact that I need a shit load of more power.
"Look whose back." Jin said as entered the meeting room and saw my team plus Johnny, Sonya, Raiden and Stryker. Jax wasn't here surprisingly but I don't mind since I think he would try to fold me in half for endangering his daughter. Granted Johnny and Sonya will do the same but with them I have a higher chance of talking things out peacefully.
Before I speak, I see that everyone has different reactions when I enter the room and they are a mix of angry and cautious which actually feels like a knife in my heart. Especially when I see Cassie.
"It might not sound like much, but I want to say I'm sorry to all of you. I fucked up bad and if you guys want to kick me off the team then I'll pack up my stuff and leave." I said to all of them. Amanda said I wasn't off the team yet but that might mean that Sonya wanted to tell me to leave herself.
"You're not leaving Andrew, but you are going to be benched until further notice. You can train with your team, but actual field work isn't something you're going to be apart of." Sonya said sternly as she looked at me with anger in her eyes.
"I understand." I said before Raiden spoke up.
"It's a good thing that you're here Andrew. This news reflects your future as well." Raiden said as that made me look at him with a bit of confusion.
"Raiden was telling us about how fishy it was for Daegon to go down as easily as he did." Johnny explained before the god of lightning spoke up.
"Daegon is the son of Argus one of the Elder God's and with all due respect he wouldn't normally be defeated as easily as he was. There is also the fact that he created artificial dragons out of normal humans and despite searching the island we found nothing but forgotten notes and experiments that lead us nowhere. Daegon isn't a fool and there is no doubt that being imprisoned is somehow a part of his bigger goal." Raiden explained in a serious tone of voice.
"So, you're saying he wanted to be locked away?" Cassie asked.
"Indeed. However, I still don't understand what he is after and why he is going to all these lengths for his plan." Raiden said as I tried to think about something to add but I had second thoughts about it. Ultimately the meeting concluded with more questions than answers for everyone involved as I started to wander the compound a bit to try and clear my head as well as ignore the looks people are sending me.
"Andrew." A familiar voice said which made me turn around and see Stryker himself.
"What's up?" I asked him and I tried to sound positive but I still can't shake this shitty feeling.
"I know things are a fucking mess for you right now and I can't pretend I know the struggles of being a fucking furry, but I do know something about fucking up on the job." Stryker said as I looked at him a bit confused. "Before I joined up with the E.D.F which is now Argus I was a member of a few police and FBI task forces and one day when we made a big bust, I destroyed the case."
"How?" I asked him.
"The guy we were after was a hardcore crime boss guilty of a dozen crimes, but he was known in the criminal underworld as the guy you go to for sex slaves. He sold little kids to pedos and had the kids so fucked up on drugs they couldn't even remember their names let alone run away or try calling for help. When we got him, he didn't go down easy, and I beat the living shit out of him so badly that I gave him serious brain damage. He died on the table soon after and I got locked up.
They took my badge my respect and my pride because I didn't play nurse feel good with some scum of the earth. Everyone just saw some bad cop and said that he was better off being locked up. I didn't fight the charges though. I knew what I did, and I don't regret it. When I was in the pin fighting for my life on a nearly daily basis Amanda visited me and offered me a job and the rest is history." Stryker explained as I listened to every word he spoke.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked him as he chuckled.
"I'm telling you this because I know how it feels to fuck up and have everyone turn against you. The stares and the way people talk about you behind your back when they think you can't hear them. But I will tell you that eventually you'll find your place again. It just takes time so keep your head up and prove to everyone that you're not some monster to be scared off." Stryker said as he held out his hand to shake and I gladly returned it.
"Thanks. I needed to hear that." I told him honestly as I actually did start to feel a bit better.
"Glad I could help." Stryker said before he walked away as I let out a breath, I didn't know I was holding before I started making my way out of the compound. If I'm going to cheer myself up, I need to start by getting some fresh air.
"Yo Andrew. Hold up a sec." Another familiar voice said as I started walking the streets of Gotham and when I turned to see the person calling me I saw Cassie in some civilian clothes which made me a bit confused.
"Cassie I'm seriously sorry about what happened so please don't kick me in the nuts for what I did." I quickly said since I enjoy having my nuts where they are instead of having them burst or get lodged into my intestines.
"What? No, I'm not here to hurt you or anything I just wanted to talk. Also, I don't kick teammates in the nuts unless they are seriously asking for it." Cassie explained and that still didn't make me feel safe.
"Okay." I said in an unsure tone.
"Look what happened on the island is pretty fucked up since Bane is lucky to be alive but he also damn near broke you in half and anyone else would have become a puddle on the ground. Your powers kept you alive and I'm just glad you're not dead or anything. I would have visited you in the hospital and told you this, but I was nursing my own wounds and I was ordered to give you space like the rest of the team." Cassie explained which made me think for a moment.
"You were ordered not to see me?" I asked her as she nodded her head.
"Yeah. Commander Blade's orders where to leave you be until you got discharged. She's pretty pissed at you but knows it wasn't fully your fault. My dad and uncle Jax on the other hand are looking to kick your ass at the first opportunity." Cassie explained and that made me very scared for my life.
An angry Johnny and Jax will prove very unhealthy for my lifespan.
"I don't blame them. I'm a werewolf who can't control himself and I almost killed my teammates." I said back before I turned around.
"I'm going to just wander around for a bit and maybe see if my suit got repaired. I'll talk to you latter Cassie." I told her before I left. She didn't follow me.
Soon enough I am in Star Labs where Nikki managed to gather some charms and another Rune for me to use as well as telling me that my suit isn't going to be combat ready anytime soon.
"So, I guess I have to make triple sure not to get spotted when I go out looking for Runes." I told her as she was standing by a desk in her new office while I sat in the chair in front of her desk.
"It's not ideal but it's the best we can do right now until the suit is repaired. Honestly, we aren't made of money Andrew. You can't keep breaking the suit willy nilly and expect us to fix it up as good as new." Nikki said to me as she rested her hand over her eyes.
"Sorry. You're right, I need to be more careful. My durability helped but so did the suits defensive abilities when I fought Bane. Without the suit my injuries would have been much worse." I told her as she sat behind her desk.
"Doesn't matter now. Your healed up now." Nikki said before she took out some papers from a drawer in her desk as she started doing some paperwork.
"The doctors told me to take it easy until I'm fully healed so I'm not at one hundred percent just yet." I told her as I held the Rune made of bone in my hand. "I don't know if I told you this but I'm really glad we met. Without you and Futaba I wouldn't be where I am right now so thank you." I told her as she actually blushed at that and stopped doing her paperwork.
"You don't have to thank me. Helping someone chosen by the Outsider is more than enough thanks. Now why don't you use those Charms and Runes to upgrade your powers a bit." Nikki suggested as she quickly changed the subject while trying to hide her red face as I smiled at that.
You have 4 Charms and 2 Runes!
Vitality is now Rank 3!
Vitality-Rank 3: You have a decently healthy body as your lifespan has increased by 40 years and now you have a lot more vitality compared to the average person and now you have an extremely minor healing factor! [Next upgrade requires 5 Charms or 2 Runes]
You have 1 Charm and 2 Runes!
I am looking over my available abilities and right now something in my gut is telling me to get a new power. So, I look over the list of abilities and make my choice.
New Power Available!
Backlash-Rank 1: You have learned to control and manipulate the Ether/Void energy in your body in order to generate a protective shield over your body acting as a new protective layer of skin to absorb hits with a moderate drain of Ether/Void energy to keep active and nullify minor damage! [Next upgrade requires 2 Charms or 1 Rune]
Backlash is now Rank 2!
Backlash-Rank 2: You have learned to control and manipulate the Ether/Void energy in your body in order to generate a protective shield over your body acting as a new protective layer of skin to absorb hits with a moderate drain of Ether/Void energy to keep active and nullify moderate damage! [Next upgrade requires 4 Charms or 2 Runes]
Strength is now Rank 3!
Strength-Rank 3: You have the Strength of a lesser superhuman and as a result are much stronger than a normal human can hope to be, and you are now able to lift extremely heavy objects with ease! [This power is now maxed out!]
"Oh shit." I said as I used my last Rune to upgrade my Strength but I sure as hell didn't think that I would hit some kind of level cap for my powers, and I definitely didn't think that it would happen this soon.
"What's wrong?" Nikki asked me with a hint of concern in her voice as I looked over at her.
"I enhanced three powers with the Charms and Runes, but I reached the limit of one of those powers and that power happens to be my physical strength. I am now stronger than an Olympic athlete, but this Strength isn't near good enough." I told her as I balled up my fists. I am keenly aware of my physical strength and how to hold it back or let it all out now, but I am still frustrated by this development.
"If you've reached a limit on your power then that must mean the Outsider didn't see that power as something crucial enough to keep enhancing." Nikki said as I took a deep breath and thought about what she said.
"Your right." I told her after a small pause. I'm not looking to fist fight the god's or anything like that. I'm looking for power to help me survive and now that I think about it. Strength isn't my only option in survival. I need to be smart and strong in this world. "Sorry I got a little agitated. I guess I'm still a bit messed up from everything that went down."
"It's only natural for you to feel that way. You where seriously injured and almost killed your friends. If you treated this like a normal everyday thing, I would be seriously worried about your mental health." Nikki told me as I chuckled.
"I live in a world of God's and Monsters. I don't think any of us are mentally healthy enough to deal with this world." I told her as she chuckled in return.
"True enough I suppose. Now run along. I'll let you know when your suit is ready. If you come here a third time, I might just have to ban you for the rest of the day." Nikki said as I took my leave and was once again wandering Gotham's streets.
"I guess this means I need to be more thoughtful about what powers I'm upgrading and since I didn't use the Charms or Runes on the beast shrine, I don't think I'll be calling upon my inner wolf anytime soon." I said as I put my hand to my chest half expecting to feel the beast again, but I just felt nothing.
Then someone suddenly bumped into me. I stayed standing while the other person fell on their butt.
"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" I asked as I looked down and saw nobody there, but I could have sworn I felt something. Then suddenly an idea comes to mind as I use Void Sense which altered my perspective of the world and slowly getting up to her feet is a reptilian woman who looks similar to Reptile from the danger room, but she is wearing a green leotard that has several rips in it along with several visible cuts along with torn up boots and forearm bracers. She has shoulder length hair that has spots of blood on it. This lady lizard is in pretty bad shape and is barely able to stand.
"Whoa slow down." I told her as I caught her as she was about to fall backwards and by doing that, I see that she has a shocked expression on her face.
"You can see me?" The woman asked in a classic reptilian themed voice.
"Yeah. You're invisible to my normal eyes but I have a trick that lets me see a little bit more but that can wait. I need to get you to a hospital or something." I told her as people walked by me looking at me like I was crazy, but I couldn't care less about them.
"Your human doctors won't help me." The woman said before I picked her up bridal style.
"Then it's a good thing I'm not taking you to a normal hospital." I told her before I started making my way back to the Argus compound where she was placed in the medical wing after disabling her invisibility which caused quite a uproar but after I gave some people a fake snarl and a few threats they agreed to treat her and now that she is visible and I stop using Void Sense I can see her clearly and frankly she isn't too bad looking for a lizard.
"Andrew, you have five seconds to explain this." Sonya said from behind me as she caught up to me outside of the infirmary where doctors went to work on our guest. So, instead of coming up with some grandiose lie or story I simply told my boss the truth.
"So, you're telling me that you literally bumped into a random and badly hurt Saurian woman on the sidewalk and took her back here all while she was invisible until you both made it to the compound and then you threatened various guards until they allowed you to put the Saurian here in the infirmary?" Sonya asked as she was extremely pissed.
"That about sums up everything that went down." I told her as she looked like she was about to blow her stack until she took a moment to collect herself.
"After she is patched up, she is going to be questioned and you are going to stay away from here. Do you understand?" Sonya asked me.
"I understand perfectly but for the record I don't think that she's a threat." I told her as something seemed familiar about her, but I couldn't quite understand what it was.
"And what makes you say that?" Sonya asked me bluntly as I shrugged my shoulders.
"Just a gut feeling I have. She had every opportunity to try and hurt me or something, but she didn't and again for the record she seems like she is mentally and physically exhausted. Like she's been on the run for a long time and is tired of running." I told her as Sonya looked at me with a glare for a moment.
"Just go to your quarters and don't leave until I say otherwise." Sonya said as I made my way to the barracks without putting up a fight and when I get there, I actually look myself over in the restroom and see that thanks to my Vitality, Strength, and Endurance I am cutting quite a athletic frame. I look similar to Liu Kang in MK 11 where he rocks the pure monk fighter look with an awesome sixpack.
Anyway, I make my way to my bed and I just lay down on it for a while and think about what my next move should be as I reach into my Pocket and take out the container of pain pills I was given since my body wasn't too happy with me carrying the woman here even though she felt as light as a feature thanks to my new physical power.
End!
A/N: Another chapter done, and it is a lot of information all coming together. Andrew is learning that he isn't invincible and that some powers are limited. He also meets up with a mysterious Saurian woman is now getting an even worse cold shoulder from everyone due to him losing control of the beast inside of him. Who knows what's going to happen next.
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