I do not own Ben 10 or any of its characters
ABC = Talking
ABC = Thoughts or flashbacks.
Chapter 5: Underneath the Beast
"…Not going back…" the white wolf growled, his jaws still clenched around Kevin's arm. Kevin was struggling to force the beast off of him. Unanswered questions were filling his mind as he laid there, blood still dripping from his arm. What was it running from? Why does it look so afraid? Who or what it this thing? The wolf's snarling jaws were getting closer as Kevin felt its hot breath on his skin. Kevin was now strained to push he beast away. Laura had one of her blades out in a defensive position as she looked upon the two, contemplating on what to do.
"This is bad," she began to inquire to herself, "If this continues, Kevin could lose too much blood and run out of energy to fight back." She watched intently seeing how strenuous it was becoming for Kevin to keep the beast at bay. She saw faint hints of him beginning to fade.
"I need to do something, but if I rush in, there's a good possibility that the wolf could hurt him even more," she continued to ponder, "What now?" she was growing more frustrated with herself. She moved her foot slightly and felt it brush against something on the ground. She looked down and saw an aluminum can next to her foot. After staring at it for a brief second, she was struck with an idea. Swiftly, she used her blade under the can to toss it into the air.
"Hey, mutt!" Laura called to the wolf. The wolf's golden eyes shifted to her. He watched as Laura kicked the can hard. The can flew through the air and struck him painfully, right above his eye.
The wolf recoiled slightly and Kevin felt his jaws loosen from his arm. Kevin took the opportunity and quickly used his free hand to absorb the concrete underneath him and then delivered a strong punch to the beast's stomach. The punch caused the wolf to finally let go of Kevin's arm completely and recoil back off of Kevin's body even more. Seeing this, Laura quickly ran over to deliver another kick to the side of the wolf's head and the wolf was sent rolling away from the two. He growled in pain as he tried to lift himself off of the hard concrete.
"You okay?" Laura asked Kevin as she stood over him. Kevin was still lying on the ground, clutching his wounded arm.
"I've been better," Kevin groaned as he looked at the red liquid on his arm. Laura's attention was quickly turned back to the giant wolf as she heard it growl. Her gaze was locked with the wolf's as it stood just a few feet away from her.
"Stay back!" she yelled at the wolf with command. The beast snarled more as he began taking small, cautious steps towards her. Laura held out her blade defensively again. The wolf's golden eye widened in a beastly manner and his fur bristled as his body trembled.
"He's trembling? Why?" Laura pondered to herself as she continued her gaze at the beast.
Then, the wolf let out a loud, ferocious snarl and rushed at the girl. Laura quickly reacted and rushed at him as well, ignoring Kevin's shouts of protest. The wolf slashed at the girl with his claws. Laura ducked just as his claws went over her head. She used the pommel of her blade to strike the wolf in his abdomen. The beast growled with annoyance at this and jumped away from her slightly. Laura rushed at him instantly and swung her blade at him. However, the wolf was too quick. Laura soon heard the loud clang of metal and fangs colliding as the wolf clamped his jaws around the blade.
"This beast sure is strong," Laura thought as the wolf began to push against her own strength. She was now straining to hold her defense as she stared directly into the beast's eyes. Cautiously, she began to reach for her other blade, trying hard to not be noticed. However, the wolf had already noticed and his eyes narrowed at her. He quickly reached out and firmly grabbed hold of her wrist. Shocked by his actions, Laura felt herself fall back onto the ground with wolf snarling above her, still holding her wrist to her side and jaws still holding her blade.
"It's smart too," Laura said to herself as her fear began to rise. The wolf continued snarling at her and his grip on her wrist tightened. The pain of his powerful grip was clear on her face. At this, she felt his grip loosen slightly. She stared back up at him and was surprised by the apologetic and almost human look in his eyes.
"Stop this now," she said to him softly, almost pleading. The wolf was taken aback by her soft tone and he loosened his jaws from her blade slightly. Laura felt relieved by this and did her best to hide her remaining fear.
"We know people who can help. Trust us," she pleaded with him again. The wolf's eyes widened in shock at the girl's words. A part of him wanted to trust them, accept their help, but his feral nature was making him have doubts.
"I…" he was torn. Again, images of the previous night rushed into his mind along with the memories of numerous nights before. Memories of being locked up like the wild animal he had become, no longer being treated as a human. It was during that time he had felt he had lost that sense of humanity. The faithful night he had lost control and killed a man with his own claws. He had run away, it was his chance, and he couldn't bear returning.
"I can't!" the wolf finally answered as the fear returned to his eyes. Then he felt a sudden pain to the side of his face. He was sent tumbling off of Laura and collided with a wall after rolling along the ground. He let out a small whimper as he lifted himself slightly off the ground.
"You can't? What a bunch bullshit," Kevin huffed at him as he stood above Laura, who was now getting back up. The wolf stared back at him, shocked by the sudden punch he had delivered especially considering his condition. Kevin's arm was still bleeding quite badly and he was trembling slightly as he stood. He looked as though he could collapse.
"Why do you two care? It's not like you could understand what I am," the wolf snarled, averting his glaring eyes to the ground.
"You really think so," Kevin muttered with a quiet chuckle, holding his bleeding arm. The wolf side glanced at him with slight confusion.
"Why did you cause that accident? You could have hurt people," Laura questioned the wolf.
"I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to get as far away as possible," the wolf replied, his body trembling as he did.
"Far away?" Laura pondered, confused.
"They'll send people to hunt me down and take me back, but I can't!" he continued in a shaky voice.
"You did something horrible, so you're running," Laura stated sincerely, beginning to feel sympathy for this creature.
"It makes sense," Kevin spoke up. Both Laura and the wolf turned their attention to him. "But they'll catch you eventually. There's nowhere to go in here," Kevin stated blatantly to him, staring directly at him. The wolf's eyes widened slightly at his words, knowing that he was right. He was about to reply, but his ears then perked up at a far off noise coming from the alleyway and his eyes shifted towards the darkness. Kevin noticed this, but before he could say anything, the wolf lept up and dug his claws into the wall behind him. In just two swift moves he disappeared over the wall onto the roof of the building.
"H…hey!" Laura shouted to him as he scaled the wall.
"Wait," Kevin silenced her as he stared out into the alleyway, "I think someone's coming. Act natural," Kevin said to her. Laura could only nod in understanding. The two began making their way back out of the gateway. Laura placed Kevin's uninjured arm around her shoulder, acting like she was helping him walk though he could easily do so. It didn't take them long to meet up with a young Plumber who was running down the alleyway. He had a gun pointed straight at them which startled the two when the man came out of the darkness.
"Put your weapon away," a voice commanded the young soldier from behind.
"Sorry sir, I was just preparing for the worst," the young man replied as he turned to the figure behind him, putting his gun away. A scruffy-looking man appeared from the darkness and walked up directly to Laura and Kevin.
"You need to relax a bit," the man told the soldier, looking down at the two kids, "you could've have hurt these two even more," he finished, seeing Kevin's bleeding arm.
"It's fine. He just startled us, but thanks for the concern, sir," Laura said to the man innocently.
"I'm no formal kind of general, young lady. It's Darius," Darius responded in a kind manner. He then kneeled down and took hold of Kevin's injured arm to examine it. "Looks bad, what exactly happened?" Darius questioned the boy as he saw the wounds.
"We were walking down here and a feral cat jumped out and attacked," Kevin lied to the man as he yanked his arm away.
"Are you sure it was a cat?" Darius questioned with a cocked brow.
"Well what else could it have been," Kevin replied nonchalantly with a shrug. Darius narrowed his eyes slightly at the boy.
"Alright, look," Darius began as he stood back up and shifted his gaze back and forth between the two, "The last thing I want to do is bring children into this, but the matter is important. You see I been assigned to capture a dangerous…animal. It could be a threat to anyone who confronts it, so we need to find it quickly," he explained to them seriously. Kevin and Laura remained silent under his intense gaze. Kevin was unwavered by this man and he narrowed his eyes back at him.
"I'm asking you now, if you anything about or have seen anything like a large rabid animal wandering around here, to tell me what you know. Well?" Darius finished staring directly at Kevin. Silence fell between the two as they continued to glare into the other's eyes. Laura glanced at Kevin, feeling a bit of worry for the situation.
"It was a cat. Strays are common around here. Nothing unusual," Kevin replied casually to the man without breaking his gaze. Darius narrowed his eyes at the boy with suspicion; however, Kevin remained calm under his gaze. Darius then let out a heavy sigh.
"Okay, sorry for being so serious with you two," Darius said, his attitude turning chipper. Kevin and Laura were taken aback a bit from his change of attitude.
"We understand," Laura stated to him with a kind smile, "It's your job after all. We'll be heading home now," she finished as she began to walk past the man.
"Hold up," Darius said, holding his arm out to stop them. Kevin and Laura both felt their heartbeats quicken. "I can't just let two children wander the streets, especially if one's already injured," Darius finished, staring blankly down at the two.
"We're fine," Laura stated, "We wouldn't want to bother…"
"It's no trouble," Darius interrupted. He then turned to the soldier standing behind him. "Get the car ready. We're taking these two home," he said to him in command. The soldier replied with a "yes sir" and walked away from the three.
"We don't live too far away. We can walk," Laura tried to convince the man again. Darius turned back to her and smiled.
'It'll be a quicker drive then," Darius stated humorously. He then turned to walk back out of the alleyway, motioning for Kevin and Laura to follow.
"Let's just do as he says," Kevin whispered to Laura as the man walked away.
"You trust him?" Laura questioned, also whispering. She began to follow Darius, holding Kevin up by his arm as she did.
"No, but he obviously doesn't trust us. We just have to hold out till we get back to your aunt and uncle," Kevin replied with a hint of annoyance. Laura could only let out a frustrated sigh but complied as the two follow the man out of the alley.
Up on the roofs, the group didn't notice the pair of golden eyes staring down at them. The wolf let out a small whimper as he watched Kevin and Laura follow the scruffy looking man.
"They didn't turn me in," he stated to himself, confused, "Even after I attacked them. I could have easily killed them both," he continued to ponder, wincing slightly. He saw the images of both of them cowering under him flash before his eyes and could still slightly taste the leftover blood on his fangs. His animal side was savoring the taste, but his still present humanity allowed him to spit it out onto the concrete of the roof. He growled at himself. He hated it; running away, hiding from everyone, basically being nothing more than a stray. He then remembered something that the girl had said to him.
"Trust us."
"They sounded sincere, but," he thought to himself as he began to walk away, "I can't. I don't want to hurt anyone else. It's for their sake." That was his reason. He couldn't think anymore on it now. Right now, he had to find someplace to hide.
Gilliam and Vanessa we're sitting at the counter of their electronic shop. Vanessa finished helping another customer and sent him on his way. After the customer left, Vanessa turned to look at her husband. Gilliam was sitting on a stool working on a broken laptop. She flashed a smirk at him. Gilliam saw this and cocked a brow at her.
"What?" he questioned curiously.
"You're bothered by something," Vanessa answered him, still smirking.
"No I'm not," Gilliam stated abruptly, turning back to the broken laptop.
"Yes you are," Vanessa stated back, "I know you well enough. Plus I found this," she finished and pulled out the day's newspaper from under the counter. On the front page was a story talking about another small riot that was contained on the eastern side of the city. Gilliam glanced at the paper and let out a small chuckle.
"Were you snooping around my office," he joked with a smirk.
"I also read these, you know," Vanessa stated amusingly to her husband, "and I also worry," she stated seriously. Gilliam gave her a solemn smile.
"Just not as much as me, right?" he questioned.
"I wouldn't say that," she replied, "This was just a small one, right, and easily contained too."
"They wouldn't publish it otherwise," Gilliam began, "My guess, it was probably a couple of guys who had just joined with the Splitters. To prove themselves, they decide to just rush and take the Plumbers head-on. Not the wisest decision."
"The Splitter leaders didn't do anything to help them. They must have figured it wasn't worth the risk," Vanessa stated.
"It's no different than putting rookies out on the front lines of a battle. They know the risks," Gilliam said solemnly.
"Still, even with both sides at standstill with each other, there's more trouble to come," Vanessa added, also in a solemn tone.
"More trouble, huh," Gilliam mumbled. He then narrowed his eyes in thought, "Where are Kevin and Laura?" he asked.
"I imagine they're out in the city somewhere," Vanessa replied. She noticed the worried expression on Gilliam's face. Talking about the Splitters must have caused it. "I'm sure they're fine. How much trouble can they get into?" she inquired. Then the two heard the front door of the shop open. They turned to see a Plumber guard holding the door open as Kevin and Laura walked in. They both looked down to see Kevin holding a cloth to his wounded arm.
"A lot apparently," Gilliam mumbled softly. He stood up and walked over to the two. He leaned down to slightly remove the cloth around Kevin's arm. He narrowed his eyes in concern as he saw what looked like large fangs marks covering his arm.
"What happened?" he asked, glancing at both of them. Kevin and Laura shot worried looks at each other, unsure of what to say.
"They said it was a stray cat," Darius said as he walked in. Gilliam stood to greet him. He quickly glanced down to Kevin again before speaking to the man.
"Really? Well, thank you for bringing them home. We'll take care of them," Gilliam stated. He motioned for Vanessa to take them upstairs. She complied and led the two away.
"I hope they weren't too much trouble," Gilliam said to the man as the three left. Darius shook his head with a low laugh.
"Not at all. I was out on the streets patrolling anyway," Darius stated confidently.
"Patrolling? You look like a guard from the base. What are you doing out on the streets?" Gilliam questioned. Darius smirked.
"You're Gilliam, right? I heard that you were a former Plumber that lived out here," Darius stated matter-of-factly, "It might help if you know. I've been sent to track down an escaped chimera. A wolf splice to be exact," Darius explained. Gilliam listened carefully and kept his calm composure.
"An escaped chimera. I haven't seen too many before," Gilliam said, still remaining calm, "I wish you luck then." Darius narrowed his eyes at the man in suspicion. He was still curious about those two children. He felt that they knew something.
"The boy looked like he was attacked by something fierce. You saw the wounds also, were they really from some cat," Darius questioned him further. Gilliam merely shrugged in response.
"There are a lot of strays, cats and dogs. You can't just immediately jump to a conclusion without any proof," Gilliam stated sternly. Darius stared at him silently for a few seconds, eyes still narrowed. He then let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright, I should be going now," Darius said as he turned to leave.
"Right, good luck and thank you again," Gilliam said with a nod as the man left.
Darius walked out onto the sidewalk in front of the store. He had a frustrated scowl on his face. He let out a couple of huffs before calming himself. He didn't trust those kids. They knew something and he was sure it had to do with the chimera. Maybe he could use them somehow.
"Sir, are we ready to go?" the soldier asked Darius, breaking him of his thoughts. Darius was silent for a few minute, staring at the young soldier. A smirk then appeared on his face.
"Go home, you're off duty," he stated to the young man and walked towards the car.
"But…" the soldier tried to say, stunned.
"I'll be working solo for now on. Go back to the base and give your report," Darius ordered as he got into the driver's seat.
"What should I say sir?" the young man asked.
"Tell them I should have the beast by tonight," Darius answered, "and maybe some accomplices as well," he finished with a devilish smirk before speeding off, leaving the confused soldier behind.
Kevin, Laura, and Vanessa were sitting in the living room upstairs. Kevin sat on the sofa with Laura and was wrapping his injured arm in bandages. Vanessa sat on a chair facing them, waiting for them to tell all.
"So, are you gonna tell us what you didn't tell those officers?" she asked the two.
"We're not too sure about what happened," Laura admitted to her aunt.
"What do you mean? You said you attacked by an animal," Vanessa stated to them in confusion.
"Well, we out on the streets when we saw there was an accident," Kevin began to explain, "The people said there was a large dog involved. When Laura and I went looking for it, we were attacked by it in an alleyway. It didn't look like any regular dog though. It was a huge white wolf that could stand like a human. Like a werewolf I guess," Kevin finished explaining, still sounding unsure of what he saw. Vanessa was silent as she listened to and thought about Kevin's story.
"The wolf, could it speak and act like any other human would?" she questioned further.
"Yeah, it was a smart as any human," Laura answered with a nod. Vanessa let out a quiet sigh before answering.
"Did it also have what looked like a leather collar around his neck?" Vanessa asked them. Kevin thought for a minute, back to when the wolf was snarling above him. He then remembered something. Though he could barely see it through its thick white fur, he faintly recalled seeing a silver tag.
"I did see a round silver tag. It looked like it had a wolf paw print on it," Kevin replied.
"Sounds more a chimera then. That tag symbolizes what type it is. A wolf-splice," Vanessa stated.
"That's what the man said he was hunting for," Gilliam added as he walked into the room. Kevin and Laura were both confused at this.
"A chimera? What's that?" Kevin asked as he glanced over to Laura.
"I've never heard of anything like that," Laura said with a shrug.
"Not surprising, they're not publically talked about that often," Gilliam stated.
"You see, chimeras are under the direct control of the Plumbers," Vanessa began. Kevin and Laura both listened intently, "Chimeras were created by the Plumbers to be super soldiers. The idea of splicing human DNA with animal DNA was first intended to make someone stronger or faster. However, the process began creating human-animal hybrids."
"So…he's human?" Kevin inquired, more curious about the wolf chimera than before.
"Yes," Vanessa continued, "there aren't many chimeras out there, but the ones there have an ability to change between their human and animal forms, due to their mutation," she finished explaining.
"The chimera said he was running away. I guess he was running from the Plumbers," Laura inquired as her aunt finished.
"The Plumbers would want to keep something like this secret and under control, so not to worry the public," Gilliam stated. He was silent for a few more seconds, obviously thinking about something. "I'm going to make a call," Gilliam stated and turned to walk up the stairs. Kevin immediately got up and quickly followed the man. Laura also followed suit while Vanessa remained in the living room. Gilliam walked to his office and sat down in his desk chair. He then began to make a call.
"Who are you calling?" Laura questioned her uncle as she and Kevin walked into the office.
"I want to know more about this chimera," Gilliam answered her as the phone began ringing. Gilliam put the phone on speaker and the three waited for the other side to answer. "Come on, I know you're there," Gilliam muttered. Just then, there was an answer.
"Lieutenant Grant speaking," Grant's voice answered.
"Grant, it's me," Gilliam said to him.
"Hey," Grant's voice turned casual, "Why would you call me on my cell. I could be working you know."
"If you were able to answer your cellphone, then you're obviously slacking off," Gilliam argued at him.
"True," Grant stated, "What do you want, that you wouldn't ask over a military line?" he asked, turning serious again.
"It's about the escaped chimera," Gilliam stated abruptly. There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute or two.
"So, you found out. Not surprising," Grant finally spoke with a slight chuckle.
"More like the chimera found us," Kevin finally spoke up. Another laugh came from Grant when he heard the boy's voice.
"I see you're getting into more trouble, kid," Grant teased the boy.
"What else is new," Laura also teased. Kevin only shot her an annoyed looked.
"Anyway, what can you tell us about the chimera," Gilliam stated to the lieutenant. He heard the rustling of papers on the other end. Grant must have been looking at some documents.
"The wolf-splice escaped late last night and apparently ran till morning," Grant began to explain, "One of the lab guards, Darius, was sent out to locate him."
"We know that. We already ran into Darius and he seemed pretty determined to find the chimera," Laura stated in the middle of his explanation.
"He should be," Grant stated abruptly, "He can't afford to mess this assignment up. Consider it was given to him by the head of the command, Magister Xavier." Gilliam's eyes widen slightly at the mention of the leader of the Plumber base.
"Why would the head Magister be concerned with a chimera?" Gilliam questioned.
"Magister Xavier is always concerned with keeping peace and order in the city. The chimera has already killed a man during its escape," Grant replied.
"So he's worried that it'll cause more chaos in the city," Gilliam stated solemnly, "and it'll be easier to just get rid of it."
"Since you don't like those details, then you're going to love these next ones," Grant stated sarcastically. Gilliam became intrigued at this as he heard more documents rustle on the line.
"The chimera's real name is Anton Crier and he's only twelve years old," Grant stated with a hint of sadness. Kevin's and Laura's eyes widen in shock, along with Gilliam's.
"Wait! He's just a kid like us! Why would the Plumbers use him for these experiments?!" Laura questioned frantically.
"I know it's hard to imagine, but I'm sure the Plumber weren't directly involved with it," Grant stated calmly.
"The fault would fall directly on the scientists involved," Gilliam added.
"It was the head scientist that was killed during the escape," Grant stated. Gilliam smiled sadly at the situation.
"A man so desperate to play god, that he would resort to using a child. Did the Magister know about that too?" Gilliam stated solemnly.
"Who can say. I'm not going to ask," Grant stated.
Kevin had remained silent for a while now. He had thought back to when he was fighting with the chimera. The one he could remember clearly was the apparent fear in his eyes. Kevin growled softly to himself before turning to leave the room. Laura watched him leave with concern on her face. She then heard the door to his room close with a slam. She looked back at her uncle, who only gave her his own concerned stare. She then turned back to follow Kevin.
"What are you going to do, Gilliam?" Grant questioned, breaking the silence. Gilliam thought for a minute, staring at the doorway where the two left.
"Nothing. At least nothing right now," Gilliam answered.
Meanwhile, Kevin was lying on his bed with his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about the chimera, Anton. Why was it bothering him so much? He was broken from his thoughts when he heard his door open. He glanced to the side and saw Laura standing there with her arms crossed.
"You're worried about the chimera," she stated to him matter-of-factly.
"What? Why would I be?" Kevin questioned her sternly.
"Aww, you do have a heart," Laura teased him innocently.
"Knock it off!" Kevin exclaimed as he sat up. Laura chuckled softly and went to sit in his small desk chair.
"I didn't like what I heard either, but why does it bother you so much?" she asked him seriously. Kevin stared at her briefly before averting his gaze to the floor.
"It's hard to explain, but I guess I know how it feels to be a monster, like him," Kevin admitted solemnly. Laura's gaze softened a bit. He had told her about when he was a monster before he came here and it was an experience he didn't like to bring up often.
"You know, what happened to you isn't quite the same as what the chimera went through," Laura stated in a consoling manner.
"I know, but it doesn't matter. I didn't like being feared as a monster and I'm sure he doesn't either. It's even worse for him, he can't ever return to normal like me," Kevin stated to her. Silence fell between the two. Laura knew he was right in a way. Based on what she heard, a chimera can look human, but on the inside, they know what they really are. Again, she was feeling that sense of sorrow she felt for the wolf before.
"Plus, you didn't get a real good look at his eyes. There was fear in them," Kevin added in a solemn tone. Laura gazed down at the floor.
"What are you going to do?" she asked him. Kevin looked out of the window in silence, gazing at the darkening sky outside.
"It's getting dark," Kevin stated obviously as he saw the sky. He then let out a sigh, "I'm going out to find him again," he said as he got off his bed.
"And when you do?" Laura questioned further.
"I don't think that far ahead," Kevin replied with a smirk, "I suppose you're going to try and stop me from…"
"Stop you? Don't count on it," Laura interrupted with her own smirk, "I'm coming with you. I might have to save your ass again." Kevin was surprised by her at first but soon smirked back.
"Okay then, make sure you bring your swords. I might know where we can find Anton," Kevin stated to her and walked out of the room. Laura nodded slightly and quickly followed.
It had quickly become dark in the city. Kevin and Laura had easily snuck past Gilliam and Vanessa to wander the city. The streets were empty, normal for this time of night. Kevin was leading the way, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious and it wasn't just the rouge chimera he was worried about.
"You're sure you know where you're going?" Laura questioned him from behind.
"You don't trust me?" Kevin questioned back.
"Well," Laura mumbled.
"Don't answer," Kevin said, sounding a bit annoyed, "Look, back in New York there were times I had to hide from thugs or…cops."
"Hmmm," Laura said, not sounding shocked by this.
"Just listen," Kevin said to her, "I would take shelter in places like under bridges, in abandoned subway stations, or even… construction sites," he finished as he stopped in front of a closed-off construction site. It appeared to another tall building in the middle of construction. Only a few walls on the bottom floor were up while the rest was just the steel foundation of the building.
"You think he's in there?" Laura pondered as she looked at the area.
"Positive. There aren't any workers here at night and there are plenty of places to hide in the area itself. Plus no normal human could navigate in there alone," Kevin explained to her. He then hopped over the barrier of the area.
"You stay here," he said to Laura.
"Wait, you're going in alone again. That didn't work out to well last time," she argued with him.
"I can handle it," Kevin argued back, "Besides, we already know there are plumbers out looking for him. You're going to be a lookout. If you see anyone, come and let me know," he explained to her then turned to ran towards the unfinished building. Laura knew it was pointless to argue so she complied and leaned against the fence line. All she could do now was wait.
Kevin ran inside of the ground floor of the building. The few walls that were up made it even darker. He stood completely still as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. He began glancing around the entire area, looking for any sign of movement. It was unsettlingly quiet. He felt as though he was completely open to attack. He touched his bandaged arm, reminding himself that there was a risk to all of this. However, he wasn't about to show fear.
"Anton!" he called out to the chimera, hoping for an answer, "It is Anton, right? Come on, I just want to talk!" he continued to plead. Again no answer, but Kevin did feel like he was being watched now. Kevin decided then to sit down on the hard concrete floor, cross-legged, "Look, I'm completely out in the open. There's no one here to help me. You can attack me if you want," he stated to darkness.
"I'm not going to attack you," a voice finally answered. Kevin easily recognized it as belonging to the wolf from before. He looked up and saw the glow of the wolf's yellow eyes above. The wolf then leaped down to land, with animalistic grace, on the floor below, a few feet from where Kevin was sitting. Kevin's heart was beating faster with the slight fear he felt, but he kept his calm appearance.
"Why are you here?" Anton questioned, growling slightly as he did.
"I already told you. I just wanna talk," Kevin answered calmly. Anton cocked his brow at the boy. He felt slightly confused at his actions.
"You called me by my real name. How'd you know that?" Anton questioned further.
"I have a friend who's with the Plumbers. He told me everything about you," Kevin explained. Anton sat up on his haunches still not breaking eye contact with Kevin. He let out what sounded like a sad laugh.
"Everything, huh?" he mumbled solemnly.
"Yeah," Kevin also said in a sad tone, "You're just a kid. Same age as me actually."
"You think I'm pretty pathetic then. Seeing what I am," Anton assumed, chuckling slightly. He found this all very amusing. It had been a while since he talked to someone, let alone someone the same age as him, like a real human being.
"I've seen worse," Kevin said laughing a bit, "Like me."
"You? You look pretty normal to me," Anton stated, slightly confused. Kevin could only chuckle.
"You already saw my powers before, back when we fought," Kevin said to him.
"Yeah, you were able to absorb the ground," Anton said remembering back when Kevin had struck him with his stone arm.
"Well, these powers make me a freak too, maybe a monster," Kevin stated, looking down at his hand. Anton's eyes widened slightly in shock, but remained silent as Kevin continued to explain, "About a year ago, I became this alien monster, because I lost control of my powers. If you at me back then, you wouldn't have guessed that I was just some eleven-year-old kid from the streets. People just saw me as I was, a monster," Kevin finished explained. Anton began to feel a little sympathy for this random kid he had just met yesterday. Yet, it couldn't really compare Kevin to himself.
"You never killed anyone though," Anton stated blatantly.
"No, but I could have," Kevin stated, just as blatantly, "Luckily for me, I was able to return to normal. Well, normal for me," Kevin said in a joking manner. Anton smiled slightly.
"But, I guess it's not the same for you. You can't ever be normal again, right?" Kevin said to him. A low whimper came from Anton in response.
"I didn't want this," Anton admitted, showing a hint of anger, "They made me into this. I didn't have a choice" he finished as he reached up to touch the hidden collar through his fur.
"It was those scientists," Kevin stated to him.
Anton snarled angrily, "That bastard lied to me! He made me into this!"
"Are you talking about the scientist you killed?" Kevin questioned him. Anton shot a glare at the boy before he averted his gaze to the ground.
"Yeah," Anton said simply. Kevin could see that there was something else bothering the guy. Something that had to do with the scientist he killed. He didn't want to question him further on it, at least not right now.
"You know, there is still the offer that Laura made to you the first time we all met," Kevin stated to him. Anton looked back up to Kevin, "We can help. Trust us," he said to him. Anton whimpered slightly. Again, the offer sounded good.
Laura was still standing out by the fence line. She felt bored and tired, but still refused to leave her friend behind. She took another glance back at the unfinished building and let out a worried sigh.
"I wonder what's going on," she thought to herself. She admitted that she was worried. She wasn't quite sure about how Kevin was supposed to convince the chimera to trust them. He certainly didn't seem like the trustworthy type himself. Then again, as she thought about it more, there were similarities between Kevin and the chimera. Maybe a bond could be formed. She then thought back to what Kevin had said before. There was fear in the wolf's eyes.
"I saw it too," Laura stated to herself, "It's hard to believe that the wolf isn't much older than me or Kevin. I could only imagine what he went through while in the labs."
A noise in the distance startled her. She quickly turned, her hand on the handle of her blade. She narrowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the street. She saw nothing. It must have been the wind. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her face to calm down. She looked back to the construction site. Her thoughts returned to the chimera.
"I wonder, what's he really like? As a human," Laura thought. Suddenly, she felt a gun being pointed into her back. She sucked in a deep breath out of fear as she felt warm breath hit her neck.
"Little girls shouldn't be wandering the streets at night," she instantly recognized the voice. It was Darius. "Where's your friend…and his pet?" he asked her menacingly.
"So what do you say?" Kevin asked him. Anton was still unsure. They had asked him to trust them, but could he. More importantly, could he trust himself?
"What if I lose control? I could hurt your family," Anton questioned him.
"You can try and attack me again," Kevin said jokingly, cracking his knuckles, "Just don't mess up, okay," he finished with a smirk. Anton couldn't help but smirk back at him. Maybe he could let his guard this time. However, his ear perked back up as he heard footsteps coming towards them.
"Someone's coming!" Anton snarled as he stood back up, looking behind Kevin. Kevin quickly stood and turned to face the doorway.
"Very good, you have some sharp senses," Darius said as he came into view. Anger then appeared on Kevin's face when he saw him holding Laura by her arm.
"But it doesn't matter now," Darius stated menacingly as he threw Laura down onto the hard floor. "This hunt is over," he stated and took out a small sphere from his pocket. He hurled it at Anton. Metal tentacle came out of the device and clamped around Anton's body and he was thrown to the floor. He desperately struggled to break out of the cuffs but to no avail.
"I can't move!" he exclaimed while still struggling on the ground.
"Those cuffs are designs specifically for someone of your enhanced strength. You won't be able to break them," Darius stated with a cocky smirk.
"You bastard," Kevin growled at the man.
"Bringing the chimera in will complete my assignment, but bringing in some accomplices will earn me some extra points," Darius stated and fired his gun at Kevin. Kevin quickly rolled to dodge the bullet and absorbed the concrete beneath him to cover his body.
"Just try and take me down!" Kevin mocked the man. Darius snarled angrily and fired more shots at the boy. Kevin held up his concrete arms to deflect them. The bullets struck the hard stone and left small cracks as they bounced off. Though not fatally wounding him, Kevin experienced the same stinging pain as each one hit. Then, in an effort to end it, Kevin raced forward and tackled Darius to the ground. He tried to punch the man with his stone fist. However, Darius moved his head away so that Kevin's fist would only strike the floor beneath him. Darius tried to shoot the boy in his head, but Kevin quickly grab hold of the gun in his hand to keep him from firing. As the two struggled on the floor, Laura took the chance and ran to Anton, who was still straining to free himself from his shackles.
"Hold still!" Laura commanded him as she ran to his side. Anton willingly obeyed as he stared wide-eyed at the girl. Laura quickly examined the restraining device on his chest. She tried desperately to remove it, but it was no use. The metal arms were securely strapped around his body. Laura then lifted here blade. Anton winced as she swung the sword down to strike the device. The strike was enough to cause the device to malfunctions and the arms retracted as sparks flew out.
"Thanks," Anton said to her as he frantically threw the broken device away from them.
"Don't mention it," Laura stated to him.
Then, they both heard a loud grunt. They looked to see that Darius had delivered a strong punch to the side of Kevin's face, knocking him off the man. Darius then turned his furious gaze over to the two. Seeing that Anton was free infuriated him even more and he pointed his gun at them. Anton reacted quickly and grabbed Laura by her waist before she could do anything else. He ran to avoid the numerous shots that hit the wall behind him. He continued to run until he took shelter behind a pile of wood planks, Laura still in his grasp. Darius continued firing, now chipping away at the planks with each bullet. The bullets stopped as Kevin came up from behind Darius and to hold of his gun, pointing it away from his friends. Kevin used his other arm around the man's neck to restrain him even more. Shots were now being fired at the ceiling as Darius tried to struggle out of the boy's surprisingly strong grasp. Kevin was able to finally knock the gun out of the man's hand only to have Darius reach behind him to grab hold of the boy's shirt and throw him to the ground. Kevin collided hard with the concrete, letting out a pain-filled grunt as he did. He couldn't stay there long though. He looked up to see that Darius had pulled out a hidden combat knife with a crazed look in his eyes. Darius grasped the blade firmly as he swung it down at the boy. Kevin rolled out of the way and saw the hot sparks appear as the blade cut across the stone. Darius's eyes slowly shifted over to the boy as he held his blade out menacingly. Kevin stood back and took a defensive stance, not willing to back down.
"Kevin's in trouble again," Laura stated in a whisper as she glanced over the wooden planks. She pulled out her second blade, waiting for an opportunity to enter the fight. Anton remained silent and his breathing was heavy. He slowly turned his head to look at the exit, the only means of escape.
"Are you going to run?" he heard Laura ask him. Anton didn't answer as he glanced back at her. He looked back at the exit as low growls emitted from his throat.
"I can't believe you," Laura muttered angrily while shaking her head.
"What do you want me to do?" Anton snarled at her.
"How about you start acting like a wolf instead of a big scaredy-cat," Laura replied in frustration, "Stand and fight!"
"You don't understand!" Anton growled, "I can't afford to go back if I am captured! You have no idea what I'll go through if I do!"
"No, I don't!" Laura stated abruptly, "but that's why I can understand why you're afraid," she said her, her tone and expression becoming sincere.
"Let me tell you something, though," Laura began as she turned to look back at Kevin. Anton followed her gaze. Kevin was still fighting with Darius as he dodged another swing of his blade. Kevin retaliated with a punch, but Darius easily moved out of the way and side-swiped him with his own fist. The blow made Kevin stumble backward, but he remained standing. His hand covered the spot where he was struck. He slowly retracted his hand to reveal the chipped away stone and skin underneath. Though he looked beaten, his dark eyes were still set with the determination to win.
"Look at him," she said staring straight at her friend, "Kevin has been in the same situation as you before. He knows what it's like to be locked up and viewed as a monster, and you don't think just as scared as you are! If he gets arrested, he surely going to go back to being a prisoner, something that he doesn't want to become again. However, he's not willing to just accept that with a fight, he's not going to run. In fact, he was willing to offer you help, even when he knew the risks involved! Now you're not going to do the same for him. I can't believe you," Laura finished, disappointment coming from her tone.
Anton was taken aback by her words as his gaze shifted to the floor. He felt somewhat ashamed, but again the sense of fear was overwhelming him again. He felt that he should just run. He heard another painful grunt as his eyes shot back up to look at Kevin. Kevin was on the floor, struck by another blow from Darius. Kevin's body returned to normal as he lay on the floor. Darius stood over him with a manic grin and his knife gripped firmly in his hand. Anton looked upon the beaten boy with a worried look on his canine features.
"Do what you want, but a life of constant running is no better than prison. That's what I believe, anyway," Laura stated to him sternly before she ran to Kevin's aid. Anton watched her with a look of shock and worry. His gaze then shifted back to the exit as Laura's words replayed in his mind.
Laura rushed at Darius with both her blades raised. Darius saw her coming and quickly raised his knife to block her first blade. He then jumped back to dodge her second blade. Laura was persistent as she thrust her blade forward. Darius sidestepped to avoid the strike and grabbed hold of her wrist.
"You may be from the Cross family, but you're still just a child," Darius said in mock. He then delivered a strong kick to her chest. Laura was knocked down to the floor, groaning in pain. She had dropped her blade in the process, only to be picked up by Darius. He glared at the girl with a dangerous look in his eye. He then heard slight groaning coming from Kevin as he turned his gaze to him.
"Still conscious, I see," Darius stated as he walked over to Kevin, dragging Laura's blade along the floor. Kevin tried to sit up, but Darius placed his foot on the boy's chest, pushing him back to the ground.
"You've really pissed me off, boy," Darius growled at the boy.
"Yeah, I have a habit of doing that," Kevin mocked as he stared up angrily at the man. Darius gave him a cocky sneer as he lifted the blade in his hand, ready to stab the boy.
"Not anymore. It really is nothing personal," Darius said to him. Kevin winced slightly, preparing himself for the attack. Just then, Kevin saw a blur of white pass in front of his eyes and heard a painful yell coming from Darius. Kevin quickly turned his head to see that Anton had forced the man off of him with his teeth clamped around the man's arm and he was snarling more fiercely than ever.
Anton was staring down at the man with pure rage in his eyes. Darius was glaring back with a mixture of fear and anger in his own eyes. He watched streams of blood coming from his arm, but he pushed back against the wolf in a desperate attempt to free himself and was still gripping Laura's blade.
"Let go of me you damn beast!" Darius exclaimed angrily. Anton narrowed his eyes and tightened his jaws even more. Darius could hear the bones in his arm cracking under the wolf's strong jaws. Then, he finally felt his arm snap. Darius screamed in pain and let go of Laura's blade. Anton then picked up the man by his arm, still between his teeth. He then flung him across the room and the man collided hard with one of the walls. Darius stood up slowly, but he didn't remain standing. Anton rushed at him and grabbed hold of him and banged him up against the wall. He then delivered another punch to the man and sent him tumbling against the ground. Darius was now trembling on the ground, holding his broken arm.
"Look who's shaking with fear now," Anton stated to the man. He walked over to him and grabbed hold of his shirt collar and pinned him to the ground.
"Go on, kill me," Darius spat at the chimera. Anton snarled even more as his grip tightened.
"Anton!" Kevin called out. Anton ceased his snarling and turned his head to look at him, "We need to go," Kevin stated to him in a calmer tone. Anton stared at him silently for a few seconds before giving him a small nod. He released the man's shirt and walked away. Darius glared at the wolf, still breathing heavily. He then shifted his eyes and saw his gun just lying a few feet away. Quickly he scrambled to grab it. Once it was in his hand, he pointed it towards Kevin and Anton, much to their shock. Before he could shoot though, Laura rushed behind him and struck his head with her blade handle. Darius fell to the ground, unconscious.
"What an annoying prick," Laura stated as she walked over to Kevin and Anton, putting her blade away.
"He might wake up, so let's get out of here," Kevin stated. Laura nodded in agreement and the two began running towards the exit. Anton remained still, staring at the unconscious man.
"Hey, Anton! Are you going to stick around here or are you coming with us?" Kevin asked him from across the room. Anton turned to see Kevin and Laura smiling at him. After some silent staring, Anton smiled back and bounded after them, following them home.
As the three left, they didn't notice a pair of greenish-blue eyes observing them. Mason was perched high above on a metal beam of the building. He had watched the scene with a calm look on his face and a cigarette in his mouth. He looked different from before though. He was wearing short black pants that only reached just above his ankles. He wore an open sleeveless vest that revealed his now scaly tan skin. The scales cover his body from his chest, to all over his arms, and feet and legs. Claws also replaced his toenails as he remained perfectly balanced on his perch. He blew out another puff of smoke and it swirled around his scaly face that also had small horns growing from his forehead. Around his neck was a leather collar with a silver round tag that bore the symbol of a snake head.
"Well this has been interesting," Mason stated aloud with smirk. He swiftly leaped from bean to bean until he finally landed on the concrete ground with ease. He stalked over to where Darius lay unconscious. He gazed down at the man as he let out another puff of smoke.
"I suppose I have to call you in now," he said to the man. he pulled out his badge to contact the base. Before he did, he gazed once more out to the exit where the other three left. His eyes narrowed as he debated on going after the wolf-splice. He remembered how he had arrived shortly before the fight ended. He was about to step in when he saw that Darius was nearly going to kill the children. However, he stopped when he saw the wolf defend the two. He could've have killed Darius easily, but he didn't. The boy told him to leave the man and come with them, and he willingly obeyed.
"A chimera is expected to loyally obey his master's every command," Mason stated to himself as he reached up to touch the silver tag on his neck, "Kronos's order was to only interfere when I believe it necessary. Technically, I haven't felt the need to confront the pup," he inquired as a smirk grew on his lips, "I'm sure that pup will be fine."
Gilliam was sitting on the couch with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He looked as though he was lost in deep thought.
"If you're worried, then go after them," Vanessa suggested from the kitchen. Gilliam cracked one eye open to look at her.
"I'm not worried," he told her blatantly, "They should be back any minute."
"You sure sound confident," Vanessa said in a sarcastic matter. Gilliam merely chuckled at her. He then turned his head to the side as he heard the stairway door open and saw Laura walk into the room.
"Laura," Gilliam acknowledged her, slightly concerned upon seeing a few scratches on her face.
"Hi uncle," Laura said nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Listen, can you come up to the roof? Kevin and I have something to show you," she asked. She then turned and walked quickly up the stairs to the roof. Gilliam didn't question her. He told Vanessa to stay put and followed his niece.
He finally made up to the roof and opened the door to see Kevin standing there. He looked slightly nervous and also had a few scratches on his face, like Laura. However, what shocked even more was what he saw behind the boy. The white wolf was sitting up against the chain-link fence with his head hung low. His head then perked up as he heard Gilliam step closer.
"This is wolf splice that everyone's been hunting?" Gilliam questioned as he looked down at him with crossed arms.
"Yeah, we told him he could come with us. He doesn't have anywhere else to go," Kevin stated to Gilliam. Gilliam quickly glanced at Kevin. Kevin winced slightly under his stern gaze.
"Look, sir," Anton said to the man. Gilliam returned his gaze to the wolf as he continued, "I'm sorry if I hurt your family, but I want to make it up to you guys. Please, that's all I ask. I'm done running," Anton pleaded with the man, hanging his head low again.
"Technically, I should report you back to the Plumber base. You have done some horrible things that you need to atone for," Gilliam stated blatantly. Anton let out a soft whimper at his words. Kevin and Laura also wore concerned looks.
"However," Gilliam began. Anton shot his head back up to look directly at the man, "The Plumbers said they were looking for a large, white wolf, not a twelve-year-old boy," Gilliam finished, smirking down at the chimera. Kevin and Laura also smirked at the man's statement.
"Are you saying I can stay here?" Anton questioned in a hopeful manner and stood up.
"Only if you are willing to let your guard down and show us who you really are. Only then can you stay," Gilliam explained.
"It's been a while. I don't if I can change back," Anton said solemnly.
"I don't believe that," Gilliam said while shaking his head, "Can't you at least try?" he asked him. Anton glanced over to where Kevin. Kevin gave him a silent nod, still wearing a smirk. Anton let out a heavy sigh.
"Okay," he muttered. He let out another deep breath as he tried to concentrate. He felt his mind become calm as his animalistic instincts began to fade into more human ones.
Everyone watched in awe as Anton's body began to shrink from its bulky size. The white fur retracted into his body and his muzzle began to revert to a normal human nose and jaw. His tail also disappeared. The fangs grew smaller and, though still looking slightly canine, became inconspicuous in his mouth. His claws became normal hands and feet, and his leg formed back in a more human shape. Finally, where a giant wolf was stood, now there was a normal twelve-year-old boy. Anton's skin was slightly tan and had a few scars from when he was still in his animal form. He was still wearing his torn-up blue jeans and the leather collar around his neck was clearly visible with a bright silver tag hanging from it, with the wolf paw print engraved on it. His short hair was the same pure white color that his fur previously was. Anton then opened his eyes to reveal that they were still the brilliant color of gold. Anton's breathing was slightly heavy and he looked completely exhausted. He then felt himself fall forward, only to be caught by Gilliam before he hit the ground.
"You okay?" Laura asked him with concern.
"Yeah, just tired," Anton said to her with a smile, showing off his fangs.
"Switching between your animal and human form will do that. You'll get used to it though," Gilliam said to the boy. He then turned to Laura, "Laura, go tell your aunt to make the couch ready for him to use, at least until we can get another bed. Kevin, you don't mind a roommate, do you?" Gilliam asked. Kevin shrugged.
"It's cool. As long he doesn't shed everywhere," Kevin joked.
"You're hilarious, Kevin," Anton said sarcastically. Kevin walked up to him and placed one of Anton's arm around his shoulder. He then helped his new friend over to the stairwell and down to his new home.
Darius was pushed into the office of Magister Xavier. He winced slightly as he held his bandaged broken arm. Apparently, as soon as he was called back to the base, Xavier requested an immediate audience with him. Darius cursed and struggled against the general that brought him.
"Magister Xavier, I brought Darius as you requested," the general spoke. He shoved the man forward.
"Thank you, Ramsey," Xavier said. Levi Ramsey was another general at the base. he was dark-skinned with a bald head, had brown stern eye, and was clean-shaven. he held himself in a professional matter as he saluted the Magister.
"Don't yet, Levi. Sit, Darius," the Magister commanded him as he sat behind his desk. Darius obeyed quickly as he sat in the chair in front of the desk. Magister Xavier looked incredibly distinguished with his peppered grey hair combed nicely down and the same could be said for his goatee. His dark blue eyes glared sternly at the man in front of him.
"L…Look, I know that I don't have the chimera yet, but give me another chance. I'll get this time," Darius pleaded desperately.
"Fortunately for you, the chimera is no longer of concern. I've received intel that states that young Crier is under a watchful eye in within the city," Xavier stated to the man.
"So, what does that…"
"I'm not finished, Darius. Place your badge on the table," he commanded.
"You're discharging me?!" Darius exclaimed.
"This failure, among others, as well as some discouring conduct tonight has forced my hand. You're leaving tonight," Xavier stated.
"Ridiculous!" Darius exclaimed.
"You knew this was coming. Don't act so surprised," Levi then stated.
"Don't you start!" Darius sprang up and faced the general, "I know some things. Things that could be very bad for you."
"Is that a threat, you scum," Levi growled back.
"Enough!" Xavier broke them apart, "Your badge Darius." Darius grunted before throwing his badge violently on the magister's desk. "Get him out of here, and there will be no more talk of whats happened." Xavier dismissed them both. Levi grabbed Darius and yanked him quickly out of the office.
"Do you like being the golden boy Ramsey," Darius baited the general. they were in the hallway, well out of the Magister's ear. Levi took the chance and promptly punched the man in the face.
"You're a disgraceful drunk, Darius," he chided the man as he steadied himself on the wall.
"Yeah, well you won't have about me sullying this precious little organization," Darius spat.
"I should lock you away," Levi growled.
"For what? Are you scared of me? There a lot I could tell about you and a hell of a lot of people in this place," Darius taunted.
"The Magister wouldn't like that," Levi stated.
"I've been discharged. He can't do anything to me now," Darius said then turned and walked away, "I know where the exit is," he gave one wave before walking away, ignoring the burning glare in his back.
"Bastards," Darius cursed as he walked the streets. He really wanted a drink, "Brandy's should still be serving," he muttered to himself. A sudden shiver went down his spine. He turned around. There was no one. it must have been his imagination. He sighed and started to turn when a sudden knife to his neck stopped him. he heard someone snicker from behind.
"Pathetically easy," a cruel voice laughed. Darius's eyes widened. he knew that voice!
"You-," he was cut off in a serious of mangled gargle. The blade swept easily across his throat in one clean cut. Darius collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll. his world slowly went dark. His last view was a man in a green plumber uniform walking away whistling into the night.
Phew, another really long chapter, but I'm okay with. Mainly because Anton was one of the OC's I was the most excited about. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. now I need a small break.
Please review