Lloyd yawned loudly as he began the long, boring walk to school. He hadn't slept at all last night. After news about Dr. Kiken spread through the pack everyone was on high alert and Lloyd doubted anyone had gotten any sleep from all the group messages he found this morning. Cole and Jay were relieved that it was all finally over and they could stop looking over their shoulders now.
Harumi was worried about her father finding out about the doctor being back, but thankfully, it seemed that he was still in the dark.
Kai, Morro, and Nya also didn't like the idea of that woman still out there. Out of all of them, those three knew firsthand what she was capable of when she wanted something. Pixal was choosing to stay out of this. She was too busy to reassure Zane after his close encounter with the mad doctor. According to Pixal, Zane was a nervous wreck and although she and his father tried to convince him to take a day off school he insisted on going.
Lloyd wished he could take the day off school.
Unfortunately, before they left, his mother and uncle kicked him out this morning. After finding out that the White Wolf Corporation had sold out their secrets for Kiken's silence the adults were pissed and wanted a meeting. If Kiken thought that she could stalk, harass, and terrorize their children and walk away with everything she ever wanted then she was sorely mistaken.
As far as the public was concerned she was still a delusional scientist.
All they had to do was file a police report against her and she would be going to prison. Nobody wanted to go through all that, however. As much as they hated her, their parents didn't want them to have to deal with the police or the courts or anything like that. So, to put everyone at ease, the White Wolf Corporation agreed to a meeting with the parents, Dr. Kiken, and the legal team.
Ray and Maya were going as they were familiar with White Wolf Corporation and how they operated.
Dr. Julien insisted on being present as it was his son that she tried to abduct. As the unofficial leaders of their pack, Misako and Master Wu also went to attend the meeting. They probably wouldn't be back until tonight at the earliest. That gave Lloyd a free day off from his mother and her nagging about college. Lloyd had nothing planned tonight except a relaxing movie night and a peaceful night's sleep.
That is until a familiar, unwelcome scent invaded his space.
He stopped in his tracks and began looking around, knowing that he was being watched. Suddenly Krux and Acronix jumped into the trail in front of him. The three werewolves were all standing there, staring at each other. None of them made a move or a sound. Finally, Lloyd made to break the tension, but before he could his sense of smell was assaulted by the horrid scent of blood.
"Come! Now!" Acronix suddenly shouted and he and his twin took off back into the forest. Lloyd was stunned for a second. A part of him wanted to run back home and call his pack for assistance, but the metallic scent of blood was still burning deep in his nose. The wild werewolves hated the human world and would never come here willingly, so they must be here for a reason.
Steeling his nerves, Lloyd chased after them.
He quickly found them and something else. He was horrified to find his father crouched over a pale and shaking Skylor. A glance over showed Lloyd that the blood he smelled earlier was hers.
"Dad! What's happened?!" He cried as he rushed towards them.
"She's been shot," Garmaddon replied as Skylor let out a weak groan. Thinking quickly, Lloyd instructed the three adults to carry her back to the house. "A traveler was on our territory and he came looking for us with a gun; Skylor took wolf form to lead him away but she wasn't quick enough," Garmaddon explained as they carefully carried the injured alpha back to the house.
During the walk, Skylor barely made a noise.
Lloyd didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He wasn't a doctor or even knew first aid. He had to get her inside and call Zane. He was studying to be a doctor, his dad was a doctor, so Lloyd rationalized that he must know what to do. It didn't take long to get back home and Lloyd led them inside.
"Put her on the sofa for now." He ordered as he went to grab the first aid kit and pulled out his cell phone to call his friends. He frowned when he got no response. They must already be in class and had their phones on silent. All he could do was send everyone a message and hope someone checked their phones soon. As he put his phone away he realized that it was still silent in the living room.
He looked in and suppressed a groan of frustration.
Krux and Acronix were still standing in the doorway with Skylor between them. They were born in the wild and didn't know what a sofa was. They had never been close to a human house, never mind inside one. Thankfully not all of them were born wild.
"Here," Garmaddon instructed and they carefully placed Skylor on the sofa. "I thought it would heal; we have the remedies to prevent infection." He explained as they removed her coat, getting a wince and groan of pain from her. It was then she finally weakly opened her eyes.
"What about the other tame wolves? One of them is a healer, right? Will he help?" Krux asked anxiously, whether it was for his alpha or being inside a human house Lloyd didn't know nor care.
"He's not here right now."
"W-What... happened..." Skylor croaked hoarsely. She wasn't an idiot. She could tell something was bothering Lloyd and it wasn't just her being shot.
"Dr. Kiken found out about us and some people at a werewolf organization offered a job for her silence, so my family and a few others went there to discuss the terms." He explained and she hummed in thought but said nothing.
"You said they'd be here to help, and they're not!" Acronix shouted.
"How long will they be gone?" Garmaddon asked his son.
"They probably won't be back till tomorrow morning."
"So we brought our alpha for nothing?" Krux snarled.
"No, Lloyd and his pack can help," Garmaddon argued and turned to the teen. "Can't you?" He asked and Lloyd froze.
"Of... c-course, he c-can," Skylor muttered and all four of them turned to him. Lloyd could only gulp and hope that Zane got here quickly...
When school started that day, the whole pack noticed Lloyd's absense but none of them had an explanation. At first, they thought his family took him to the negotiations but they knew that was not possible. They were worried, given everything that had happened, but unfortunately, they couldn't do anything now. Teachers had already taken attendance and then suddenly leaving school grounds would raise more questions that none wanted to answer; so they had no choice but to continue with their classes and get an explanation later.
Pixal and Zane were in the middle of science when the text came in on the group chat.
-Zane! Need ur help! Skylor's hurt!
It was short and to the point, but this confused and frightened the pack. How was Skylor back in Ninjago? How had she been hurt? Was it an accident, and if not, the thing that hurt her followed her here? Were they next?
That last question scared Zane the most, but he couldn't let that distract him. Out of all of them, he had the most medical knowledge. He had to get out of here and get to Lloyd's he didn't know how without the teachers taking notice. The others tried to press Lloyd for more details, but he wasn't responding to anyone anymore, even Zane. He must have been too busy helping Skylor to answer them.
The group chat descended into chaos as everyone tried to figure out what was going on.
Cole and Morro wanted to leave right now, but they were stuck in gym class. Harumi suggested they should call an ambulance, believing that if Skylor was as injured as it seemed she would need proper medical attention, but the others told her that wasn't possible with Morro promising to explain why later. Jay was freaking out, sending rapid texts into the group chat and to Lloyd's phone.
Kai and Nya had actually tried to escape the school from their drama class, but they had been caught by a teacher and were now on their way to the principal's office.
"How do we get out of here?" Zane whispered to his girlfriend. Pixal thought for a moment before she noticed the chemicals they were experimenting with. She immediately recognized them and knew that if mixed in a particular order it would cause a very unpleasant reaction. Taking a quick look to make sure that no one was looking, Pixal grabbed a couple of the chemicals and poured them into a beaker.
As soon as the chemicals made contact with each other there was a reaction.
The liquid turned a sickly brown color and bubbled over, spilling over onto the desk. A rancid stench erupted into the classroom and everyone gagged and rushed to open the windows in a desperate attempt to get fresh air into their lungs. Pixal wasn't too worried. Although the smell was horrifying, it was harmless and it did the job.
"Pixal! What did I say about the ammonium sulfide?!" The teacher cried out over the class as they rushed out of the classroom. As they all gathered in the hallway the students in the other classrooms heard the commotion and came outside, filling up the halls even more. Everything soon descended into chaos as the students panicked and the teachers tried to maintain order and figure out what was going on.
Pixal and Zane took their chance and escaped through a fire exit...
After Lloyd received confirmation that Zane and Pixal were on their way, he released a sigh of relief. Zane had messaged him, saying that they were making a stop at his house to get some first aid supplies and then they would drive to his. Even though she wasn't out of danger yet, Lloyd was happy that Skylor would soon be getting the medical attention that she desperately needed.
Yes, he knew that Zane wasn't a real doctor, but he hoped that he could stabilize her until Dr. Julien returned.
Eager to share the good news, Lloyd headed upstairs to tell Skylor. They had decided to move her into the spare bedroom to keep her comfortable rather than the couch. When he got there he found his Dad standing over Skylor, wiping her forehead with a towel; Krux and Acronix were standing at either side of the door, guarding the door.
"So, how can you help?" Acronix hissed as soon as he saw the teen.
"H-hospitals." Skylor croaked out. "With you doing the t-talking, we could go there."
"You can't do that," Garmaddon answered for him. "The hospital will call the police and they'd do blood tests and find out what we are."
"Then, what are you going to do?" Krux growled at Lloyd as if he were the cause of all the problems in the world. "We must return her to the pack soon or it will fall into chaos."
"Erm... well, we'll get Zane over! His Dad's a doctor so he must know something about medicine." Lloyd tried to explain but the thought of more waiting just seemed to annoy the two wild werewolves.
"Wait outside, Garmaddon will stay with me." She suddenly said and, although reluctant, Acronix and Krux obeyed and left the house. She waited until she could see them outside through the window before turning to Garmaddon. "T-Tell him the truth." She told him and he turned to his son with a distraught expression on his face.
"The bullet is too deep to remove and it's poisoning her; if we don't get it out she will die." He said and Lloyd felt himself growing pale and cold.
"They don't know, do they?" Lloyd asked and Skylor laughed bitterly.
"They'd replace me as pack leader if they thought I wouldn't live; it is their nature to need a strong alpha." She replied and Lloyd looked out the window at the two of them, who were staring back at him. Outside, the two were less than happy to be kicked out by their alpha and replaced by a tame werewolf. It felt like an insult to them. They couldn't even hear what was being said. Who knew what that boy was saying to their alpha?
"This is all wrong brother, we should not have brought her here," Krux growled as he watched Lloyd carefully through the window.
"This is her way, werewolf and humans helping one another."
"I don't trust that boy's - or his father's - faith in humans." He snapped, but his anger quickly turned from the house to the sound of a vehicle approaching. Both he and Acronix wiped around, their eyes glowing and feral and their fangs bared as the car came around and stopped in front of them. Zane and Pixal got out and Zane stood protectively in front of his girlfriend as the two wild werewolves circled them.
"Where's Lloyd? What have you done with him?" He demanded, his tone as cold as his eyes. The brothers smirked and made mock jabs at the two, freaking the couple out. Suddenly Lloyd came running out of the house.
"Back off, you two! They're here to help!" He shouted and ushered his friends inside. He tried to stop Acronix and Krux from entering, but they pushed their way into the house. There was no way in hell they were going to leave their injured alpha alone with a human. When they got to the bedroom they found Zane examining Skylor. Pixal hadn't been allowed into the room, in case Krux or Acronix attacked her. Instead, she headed downstairs to wait in the living room.
"Zane... You need to help her." Lloyd pleaded, but Zane gave him a disbelieving look.
"Are you insane? I can't remove a bullet!" He exclaimed and Lloyd almost cursed in frustration. Why couldn't things go right for them for once? Why couldn't she have turned up on the dark moon? Then maybe they could have taken her to the hospital. He would give anything for a werewolf doctor right now, or even some kind of miracle. As Zane fretted over their injured friend, it hit Lloyd like a sack of bricks. He pulled out the business card and made the call.
"Hello? It's Lloyd Garmaddon; I need your help, I need a werewolf doctor." He said quick as lightning as he stepped out of the room. Everyone was confused for a few minutes until he returned with a large grin on his face. "It's going to be OK; Seliel's bringing a doctor from the White Wolf Corporation."
"What is this White Wolf Corporation? Is it a pack?"
"It's a giant company," Lloyd replied and almost hit himself at the confused look on the two wild werewolves' faces. Of course, they didn't know what a company was. "It's like the human version of a pack but with werewolves in it, and most of the humans don't know."
"This healer will be a werewolf?"
"No, they will be the best doctor available - human or werewolf," Zane said, but they didn't look happy with that answer. Soon everyone left the room. Lloyd excused himself to the bathroom and Krux decided to head outside for some air and to guard the house. Zane and Acronix stayed by Skylor's side. Eventually, Garmaddon excused himself too, feeling like he needed some space. With nothing to do, he started wandering around his old home to see what had changed since he was last here.
Despite the change in the decor, Garmaddon could still recognize this as his old home.
Nothing had changed, except the lack of dozens of baby toys. The house felt like it had always been here. Every brick was older than his great-grandmother. Garmaddon knew that his family had lived in the area for hundreds of years, evading detection as werewolves from the inhabitants of Ninjago. The house was exactly like he remembered it. The way he had been dreaming about it. As a child, this house always made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't quite put into words. Now, as an adult and living in the wild for over a decade, he knew exactly what those words were. He was afraid of the house and the truth is, even after all these years and visiting a few times lately, he never thought he would come back to this house.
Hopefully, that doctor would get here and Skylor would be better so they could return to the pack.
As walked down the halls, he saw many pictures on the walls. Some were of relatives long dead, even before his time, and some were from more recent events. He quickly noticed that there were no pictures of him anywhere. Even all the childhood pictures of him and Wu growing up together were taken down. There were plenty of Wu and their parents but it was like he never existed. He did not doubt that it was Misako's doing.
She could be very spiteful when she felt wronged.
Garmaddon quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Why was he getting so upset? He didn't live here anymore and he never would again. Things like these photographs were a human's way of holding onto the past. In the wild pack, their loved ones are remembered by the pack through the stories told about them. If there were no stories told about you then you deserved to be forgotten. Still, despite disowning his old life and pack Garmaddon couldn't help the sense of nostalgia rolling over him as he wandered around these old halls.
As he continued his trip down memory lane, he took note of the photos of Lloyd's friends. It was almost uncanny how much they looked like their parents.
He didn't know how someone small, reserved, and (in his opinion) pathetic like Lou could produce someone like Cole. Honestly, Cole was a werewolf a wild pack would gladly make alpha in a heartbeat. He was large and strong and was probably a good hunter and protector. He could see in these pictures how Cole stood with his pack and how he would willing to hold the weight of his friends' problems on his shoulders if he could.
Yet he could also see the gentle nature in his eyes that Lily once possessed.
Jay had a spark in his eyes that Garmaddon usually saw in young cubs, not werewolves who had experienced several transformations already. If he was in the wild Garmaddon did not doubt that the boy wouldn't last a week out there and that was a shame. He could tell that with Jay's speed and intelligence he would make a great addition to a pack. The old werewolf couldn't help but think that Jay's adoptive parents had somehow stifled his wolf.
Something that wouldn't have happened if his real mother had been around.
Garmaddon had always been against giving him to the Walkers, but none of the werewolves in the pack could take the boy. Maybe Garmaddon should have taken Jay into the wild with him. The Walkers wouldn't have been able to stop him then at least Jay could have given a proper upbringing and been of some use to somebody. Yet, despite how much he wanted to blame his human guardians for Jay's naive nature, he knew it wasn't their fault.
Like Cole, Jay was just like his mother in every way.
The same couldn't be true for Kai and Nya. Those two were just like their parents, but the exact opposite of Ray and Maya at the same time, if that was somehow possible. They both possess Ray's burning passion and Maya's protective nature but they both project it in different ways. The twins were like reflections of both their parents and each other but with their twist on things.
He couldn't help but see parrels between them and his relationship with his brother.
Though he never got to meet Morro's parents, he liked to think that they were somewhat like their son. It was the same that they were no longer around, then maybe Morro wouldn't have had to suffer all those years of feeling lost and alone in a human world. Garmaddon knew better than most what that was like, and although he was glad Morro now had a pack that loved and supported him he still wished the teen had returned to the wild pack.
Zane was an odd one for Garmaddon to read.
The doctor's son showed little to no emotion, something very abnormal for a teenager, at least from Garmaddon's experience. His relationship with Pixal bothered him more than Zane's otherwise chilly demeanor, however. From what Skylor had told him she was obsessed with the strange and unknown wonders of the world and she had almost exposed the secret. How any self-respecting werewolf would date a human, let alone one that posed such a risk to their way of life, Garmaddon had no idea.
Speaking of the human, Garmaddon found her cooking in the kitchen.
She hadn't heard him coming, so he watched patiently as she finished cooking and put some pieces of meat on a plate. He recognized the items of food as burger patties, sausages, bacon, and chicken wings. As if sensing eyes on her, Pixal turned around and jumped when she found him standing there. An awkward moment of silence passed between them before Pixal nervously lifted the plate.
"I-I... um, made food? For Skylor?" She squeaked nervously. Garmaddon nodded and took the plate, intent on giving it to Skylor when-
"LLOYD!" Zane's sudden scream echoed throughout the whole house and Garmaddon felt his insides freeze. Dropping the plate on the floor he raced back up to the room with Pixal following close behind. When they got there they found Lloyd holding up a disturbingly pale and limp Skylor as Zane examined her. Her eyes were shut and she wasn't moving. Honestly, Garmaddon wasn't sure if she was breathing.
"Is she...?" Pixal trailed off, not sure if she wanted to know or not.
"She is alive, but barely," Zane muttered, not taking his eyes off their injured friend. He didn't know how much longer she could hold out. They needed that doctor here NOW. Then, as if someone had answered their prayers, they all heard a car driving towards the house. Outside, Krux also heard the car and watched as it pulled up right next to him and Seliel got out of the vehicle.
"I'm looking for Lloyd, he asked for my help." She asked, but Krux didn't answer. Instead, he got up into her personal space, breathing in her scent and taking in her appearance. Seliel could tell by the look on his face that he was disgusted by her.
"Where is your wolf?"
"Are you wild?" She asked, keeping her composure as best she could. She had heard many horror stories of wild werewolves and what they did to humans and werewolves like her.
"I am a true werewolf, whereas you scrubbed your wolf out; your hair smells of flowers and the rest of you smells of poison." He spat as his eyes turned yellow and his teeth bared. Before a fight could break out, however, Lloyd came out of the house and got between the two of them.
"Seliel! Where's the doctor?"
"With another patient and it'll be a while till he can get here." She replied solemnly. Upon hearing this, Lloyd was filled with a sudden, burning hot rage.
"WE CAN'T WAIT! SKYLOR'S DYING!" He screamed and as soon as he registered that Krux's eyes widened and he ran back into the house. Lloyd let out a frustrated growl before heading by Skylor. Unsure of what to do, Seliel followed after him and found herself looking into the crowded bedroom.
"This isn't right! She should breathe her last in the wilderness, like the true wolf she is." Krux hissed but Skylor laughed weakly.
"Don't write me off just yet, Krux; you are all my pack, whether you are a werewolf or human." She croaked and they settled into the quiet. By now, everyone knew she was dying and that soon it would be too late to help her. Lloyd wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. Their usual doctor wasn't here, Zane didn't have enough medical knowledge to help her, and now another werewolf doctor wouldn't be here in time. He didn't know what to do. Skylor came here thinking that he would be able to help her, but instead, he was just letting her die.
What was he supposed to do now?
They were out of options. They couldn't get a doctor here in time. None of them knew how to remove a bullet and clean the wound. They can't take Skylor to the hospital without getting exposed. He hated this secret. Times like these only showed how much of a disadvantage werewolves had compared to people like Harumi or Pixal. Humans didn't have to constantly worry about getting hunted or dissected like animals just because they were a little different, and why?
Because they had better senses?
Because they were stronger and faster?
Because they had better immune systems?
Because they had no choice but to transform into wolves on the full moon?
Lloyd gasped when it suddenly hit him. Everyone turned to him, but he ignored them. A plan was forming in his head. It was a long shot, based more on fantasy than real life, but in all honesty what choice did they have? He made one last phone before informing everyone else of the new plan. To say they found it laughable was an understatement. Lloyd's plan was for Skylor to transform into her wolf form, and then they would call a vet. The vet will think she is just a regular wolf and remove the bullet for them. At first, everyone wanted to dismiss this idea but the more they thought about it, the more they realized that they had no other choice. When they all agreed to the plan they moved Skylor downstairs and laid her down across the dining room table.
Just then there was a knock on the door.
The vet was here and everyone got into position. Zane and Pixal ushered Krux and Acronix down into the den and Lloyd went to answer the door.
"You're sure you can do this?" Garmaddon whispered to her and she nodded before transforming right before Lloyd brought the vet into the room. At first, she looked sympathetic until she realized it was a wolf on the table. When Lloyd called he had been worried she would think it was a prank if he said there was an injured wolf when there were none in Ninjago. So, to make sure she came he told her they had found an injured dog.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Garmaddon; I'm a zoologist and I study wolves." Garmaddon greeted, but the vet was still staring at Skylor.
"We found her in the woods, and called Dr. Garmaddon here but he said we needed a vet because she's been shot."
"What a shame, such a beautiful animal, too." The vet sighed as she reached into her bag and pulled out a syringe. "It's probably best if you all wait outside."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, but this is better than allowing her to suffer anymore." The vet said and their eyes widened in horror. This was not supposed to happen! "That is a wild animal and it knows it's dying otherwise you would have been attacked; I'm sorry." The vet apologized when she saw the looks on their faces. "I have no choice."
"Listen to me; she won't hurt you," Garmaddon assured her. "She just wants to meet you and to get your scent, if you want I will introduce you." He offered and although reluctant, the vet stepped forward and allowed him to take her hands. She allowed him to place one hand against Skylor's snout and the other to brush through her fur. The vet could feel Skylor's labored breathing and strong heartbeat. She looked into the wolf's gold eyes and could see her will to live. "You are a healer, it is what you were born for, so take the bullet out and clean the wound." Garmaddon pleaded and father and son almost cheered when the vet finally nodded.
As the vet got on with her work, Lloyd decided to check on the others down in the den.
He found Pixal and Zane blocking the door as the twins paced around. They were all quiet for a while until Lloyd locked eyes with Pixal and saw the worry in her expression.
"What's up?
"She's under anesthetic, right? So what if she loses the wolf? Becomes human?" She asked and Lloyd froze. He hadn't thought about that.
"Garmaddon won't allow it." Acronix suddenly said, staring up at the ceiling as if he could see right through it. Back upstairs, Garmaddon watched carefully as the vet removed the bullet and started cleaning the wound. As he watched, however, he felt Skylor shift despite being sedated. He looked down and suppressed a gasp when he saw the yellow fading from her eyes. She was reverting to her human form. He spared a glance to the vet but she didn't seem to notice anything. Quickly leaning down he whispered in his alpha's ear, reminding her to stay strong and the pack was relying on her to return. Stepping back, he smiled as the yellow returned to her eyes and the vet continued with her work uninterrupted...
When Skylor woke up again, the clock had struck noon. The first thing she understood was that she was starving. The second was that she was surrounded. As the fuzziness faded from her mind she found that she was back in the guest room on the bed and everyone was staring down at her with worried expressions. She was a little creeped out by their hovering, but considering everything that happened she let it go. Instead, she smiled up at them and all sighed in relief. The poison was gone. She could feel it. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and gorging themselves on Zane's cooking.
It wasn't long before Seliel said her goodbyes.
She had to get back to the White Wolf Corporation and file a report.
Eventually, Pixal and Zane had to get home too before the school rang to check up on them. Zane promised though that his dad would be by tomorrow to check on Skylor's wound.
Krux and Acronix were the next to leave the house. Garmaddon didn't like the twins going back without Skylor, but she dismissed his worries. A pack with no leader had no center, no direction. The pack needed to know their alpha was still alive and would return soon. Krux and Acronix would tell them.
"Thank you, all of you, she would not have survived without you," Acronix said to Lloyd as the teen walked them out.
"No, thank you for bringing her all the way here," Lloyd replied and with that, the twins took off into the forest and back to the wild pack. Garmaddon watched them as they left through the window, unable to stop the growing dread in his stomach. He did not trust those two with a stick, never mind with the pack.
Before Garmaddon could think of all the other horrid things the twins would get up to there was a sudden bang at the bedroom door. Garmaddon whipped around and gulped fearfully when he saw the terrifying sight of his very pissed-off ex-wife shooting daggers at him from where she stood in the doorway.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!"...
NEXT CHAPTER: When Morro, Zane, and Lloyd are accused of poaching they gain some unexpected alibis...