Trilly's Nano-Thing-Attempt (Trilly is Done!!)

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Time for chapter nine. I liked writing this one a lot, since it was the first really optimistic part of the story. You start to see a side of the main character that might not have been there before, and this part does wonders for Emmet's character... just in time for things to get worse.

Good part. I like it.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Nine: Afterglow

After finally arriving back at the apartment, I flopped down on the couch, deciding vaguely that I’d never get off it again. It had been that kind of day.

“Do you have any food?” NaKaranth asked eagerly, putting the stolen file down on the table in the kitchen.

I snorted. “Don’t think you’re getting out of giving me an explanation.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t think of it.” he said innocently. “I just haven’t eaten anything since... this morning, I guess.”

“Fine. There’s a sandwich in the fridge,” I said drowsily. “You can have it if you open me an ale and bring it here while you’re at it.”

“A sandwich?”

“It’s food. It’s the thing on the blue plate.”

I put my face flat on the ratty surface of the couch. I closed my eyes and dozed off.

I awoke to a crash in the kitchen, and I sat bolt upright. I leapt to my feet and raced to the kitchen to see what was wrong, and found NaKaranth holding a dented frying pan in one hand, and a bottle of ale with the neck broken off in the other, looking surprised.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, handing me the bottle.

“What did you...”

“I opened it. There wasn’t a hole in it already, so I had to break the top off the bottle and make a new opening. I think this bottle was defective.”

I fought the urge to slam my head against a wall. Repeatedly.

“There’s this little device known as a bottle opener,” I explained slowly, picking up the tool and showing it to him. “Believe it or not, it opens bottles. Because of this invention, you don’t have to hit bottles with frying pans in order to get at whatever is inside.”

NaKaranth took the bottle opener and looked over it. “That is so clever!”

“Yeah, this coming from the person who puts fridges back together.” I looked around the room, and noticed something else that was strange. “What’s burning?” I asked, sniffing.

He shifted uncomfortably, putting down the bottle opener. “What kind of animal was in the food you gave me?”

“Animal?” I asked. “You mean the meat? It was ham... a pig. What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t eat meat. No one in my race does.”

“Oh, umm... sorry. You ate the rest of the sandwich and just threw away the meat, then?”

He winced. “I didn’t throw it away... see, in my culture, when people or animals die, their remains are burned, since it is the only way we can be sure that--”

I had already realized what happened. I grabbed a towel from beside the sink, opened the oven door, and yanked the blackened ham out. “You were incinerating the meat!”

He nodded.

“Why?” I asked in frustration. “You didn’t act like this before--”

“You didn’t know what I was before,” he replied simply, removing his headscarf. “Now that you do, I’m not going to pretend. And this head-covering hurts my ears like crazy.”

That was it. “You. In the living room. Now!”

“Fine,” he sighed, as if I was being irrational and he was just too polite to tell me. He trotted past the half wall and hopped up onto the couch. I was actually surprised at how willing he seemed to be to explain things now, after making such a big deal out of it in the elevator. “Ask away.”

I sat down on the opposite side of the couch, pondering my first question. I decided to try to get a more satisfactory answer for my first question than I had originally received. “Okay. What exactly is a Navigator?”

“We’re a race, as I said before. A better question would be ‘where are you from?’.”

“Go with that,” I said. “Or if you really want, you could just talk until I’m satisfied that I know what’s going on, and forget about me asking individual questions.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re not making this very fun, are you? You’re supposed to be all creative with the questions, and... oh, well. To answer your--I mean my-- question, Navigators aren’t Terrestrial. We’re like humans, actually, a lot like humans, but we’re not from this planet.”

As inane as what he was saying sounded, I actually found that particular concept easy to grasp, if not believe. “You mean you’re an...alien? An Extraterrestrial? A man from Mars?”

“Well, not from Mars, obviously. Bad climate. But that is the basic idea.”

“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “Any scientist who ever suggested there was life on other planets ended up being laughed out of the scientific community. Aliens are the stuff of bad horror films.”

Despite the incredulous tone of my voice, I wasn’t terribly surprised, and my mind had already accepted what he said as the truth. If normal humans could mutate into new creatures for what seemed like no reason at all, the possibility of other sentient species would seem downright normal in comparison.

“Thanks. It’s nice to see that your species is so enlightened, and so open-minded about things they don’t understand.”

I was about to protest, but I thought better of it. “I guess you’re right about that.”

“Right I’m right,” he said. “Any other questions? That’s most of the important stuff. I honestly expected the first person I met on another planet to learn I was an alien a little bit more... interestingly, I guess. It’s just my luck that you planet is so full of weirdness already, or you may have at least had the decency to faint.”

I chuckled. “Maybe I would have, but beside the ears, you look exactly like a normal human. You don’t exactly inspire fear.”

“I’m not exactly like a human with pointed ears,” he admitted wickedly, shifting slightly. “Look.”

It was a slim, tufted tail.

“So... not exactly a human.” I remarked, hiding my shock as well as I was capable of. You’d think that after a certain amount of this, nothing would surprise me anymore. “I’ll buy that. Just one more question, though. Why are you here?”

He considered, tail twitching back and forth. How had I missed that, again?

“I didn’t lie, when I said I was here because it was interesting. I was curious, and new things are happening that have no explanation,” he said eventually. “I’m not technically supposed to be here, though. There are rules that say I’m not allowed to be here, and there are very good reasons for those rules. Imagine if you got ahold of something of mine that could be dangerous--anything that happened afterwards would be my fault. There are other reasons, like if people found out what I was and decided to execute me as a demon or something. It’s not safe for your species, or mine.”

“That’s why you didn’t want me to know what you were,” I said, comprehending. “And why you’re willing to tell me. I’m a freak anyways, so it wouldn’t matter to me what you are.”

He shrugged. “I told you because you promised not to give me away, that’s all. It’s really stupid, but, as I said before, for some reason I can’t help but feel I trust you. I’m usually a good judge of people.”

I laughed. It was a broken, hoarse laugh, and I didn’t like the sound of it. “You think I’m trustworthy? Is it because I’m a warm and comforting person, or because you just think I’ll be too drunk to remember you when you’re gone?”

“Neither. You just seem like an essentially honest, decent person under all those layers of cynicism,” he said. “You should try being a little bit more optimistic.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say in response to that. “I’m going to bed,” I decided, standing up and relocating my un-drunk bottle of ale to the fridge. “It’s crazy late, and I want to be up before tomorrow evening.”

NaKaranth sighed, like he’d been hoping for a reaction from me that he didn’t get. “Okay, goodnight. Think happy thoughts.”

“Whatever,” I muttered, and only had time to change out of the day’s clothes before I fell into bed, and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

***

I woke up slowly the next day. I sat up carefully, and saved my head a beating with the ceiling. For the first time, I had woken up without bashing my head in.

Thrilled by this new success, I would have leapt to my feet if it wouldn’t have resulted in me banging my head anyways, but I did manage an enthusiastic stumble over to where I had left my overcoat on the floor the night before. I reached into the pocket and pulled out my watch, checking for the time.

2:00 p.m..

How had I slept in until 2:00 p.m.? The train should’ve woken me up at 6:30....

Unless I had simply been so tired that I slept through the train’s rumbling entirely.

I thrust my fist into the air; I had shown that train who was boss. Completely destroying my sense of victory at that moment, my fist hit the ceiling and punched right through, showering me in plaster dust. I coughed, startled, and sheepishly pulled my hand out of the hole. At least no one had been around to see that particular mishap. I wondered what my chances were of convincing the landlady that the hole had been there since I’d first rented the apartment.

About half an hour later, when I was fully awake and wearing clean clothes, I went out into the kitchen. My stomach immediately rejected the idea of stale cereal. At any rate, it would probably be more worth it to just have lunch.

After a brief check around the fridge, I decided that I didn’t feel like ham again, and may as well blow the budget on something useless. Like food from a restaurant, or something. It had been a long time since I had eaten something that someone else had prepared.

I was going to ask NaKaranth if he wanted to come, but he was still asleep on the couch when I went into the living room to speak to him. He was curled up like a cat, with his ears lowered into a relaxed position and his tail wrapped around him. He looked very non-threatening, but at the same time, he clearly wasn’t human. It wasn’t just the ears and tail, either. The more I saw him looking like this, the more I realized that there was something, and I didn’t know what, that made him look obviously not human. It wasn’t bad, just different.

It was odd, though. It seemed like everyone in the city, myself included, was convinced that being a witch or a Changeling was a bad thing, that being one automatically made you a bad person. NaKaranth was even less human than I was, but I couldn’t help but think that he was, for all intents and purposes, a good person. If I was wrong about NaKaranth, then maybe everyone else had a good reason to dislike Non-Humans. But if I was right, then could it mean that everyone was wrong about me?

I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts out of my mind. In a way, it may even be worse to learn that maybe, just maybe I was still a good person, even if I was a Werewolf. It would make it more painful to know deep down that you didn’t deserve the dark looks people gave you, instead of just going through your life accepting that you were lower than humans, and just become numbed to it over time.

I decided to let NaKaranth sleep. I would probably also prefer to spend some time alone.

I left my apartment, and as I walked down the street I couldn’t help but notice that it was an uncommonly nice afternoon. The smog was thin today, and a bit of sunlight filtered thinly down through the dust, illuminating the shabby street in such a way that it almost looked passably charming.

I walked past the bakery, and saw a flurry of motion behind the glass. Within a second, Mandy had appeared from inside, wielding her customary tray of cookies--still chocolate chip-- and wearing a surprisingly wicked expression for someone who looked so sweet and innocent.

“Can I change your mind today, Mr. Emmet?” she asked, holding out the tray. “You can’t refuse free food forever.”

“Just watch me,” I said. “You know I’m not a fan of cookies.”

Her mouth twisted wryly. “No, I guess that you’re not a fan of cookies. That’s the problem with you, Emmet. You haven’t told me anything. All I know about you is what I’ve seen or speculated upon.”

I hadn’t realized she might be put out that I wasn’t opening up to her. “What do you want to know? My height, favourite food, or maybe a catchphrase? How about the story of my secret life as a musical sensation?”

“How about this,” she said thoughtfully, tapping a fingernail against the rim of the cookie tray. “Every time you turn down one of my cookies, you have to answer one question as a penalty. You’re not allowed to lie, even if I do ask you about your singing sensation career.”

“That’s hardly fair,” I protested.

She smiled. “Then take the cookie.”

I gave up. “Ask your question.”

She sighed, looking a bit disappointed. “Let’s start out small, shall we? What are your favourite things?”

“Umm...” I hadn’t thought about something like this in a long time. Maybe NaKaranth was right to recommend that I needed to think positive, if only to avoid having to scramble for answers whenever I was asked what should be a relatively simple question. “I like... cars. Cars and driving. I also like... having fun, and doing exciting stuff.”

That sounded lame, but there was no ways I was going to tell her I liked drinking and aliens and getting into dangerous situations.

Mandy was nodding. “Interesting. I’m looking forward to hearing the answers to the next questions I get to ask... unless, of course, you decide to take the cookie.” She went back to the bakery doorway and waved cheerily. “Talk to you later, Emmet.”

I managed a half-wave in reply, too stunned to speak. That was the most I had ever said to Mandy. Ever.

***

I found a way to occupy myself for the next couple of hours when my aimless wandering took me to the entrance of a cinema that boasted a large, full-colour poster advertising a new alien-invasion horror film. The poster showed a screaming blonde in a white dress and matching diamond necklace in the arms of a muscular man with chiseled features, who was holding an ostentatiously large gun. I didn’t recognize either of the actors, but that wasn’t surprising, considering I usually didn’t have much use for film productions. The green tentacles depicted on the poster made me curious enough to buy a ticket for the matinee and enter the theatre, however, since I was struck by a new desire to learn a bit more about how people viewed things they didn’t know.

I bought a large popcorn and three hot dogs in the lobby, and ate them in the dark theatre as the film played. Despite the colour poster, the picture was in black and white. This small fact apparently made no difference to the makers of the film, because there was still blood flying everywhere in all its monochromatic glory. The plot had something to do with a famous princess of a make-believe country that sounded vaguely Russian, who was trapped in some kind of building by flesh-eating aliens and had to be rescued by a former soldier turned monster-hunter. I’m pretty sure almost everyone died within the first twenty minutes, but I lost track of the haphazard and virtually unintelligible plot because I was too busy laughing at how they portrayed the aliens in it. The massive, three-eyed creatures bedecked in fangs and other sharp protrusions, who had legs like spiders and a mess of tentacles for arms bore very little resemblance to the slight creature I had sleeping on my couch at home.

I was feeling quite a bit lighter after seeing the film, if I was being honest with myself. If aliens really weren’t as bad as everyone said they were, maybe I didn’t have to be a monster. I practically danced out of the theater, and almost knocked over a teenaged couple who looked like they were going to be sick. I was more careful after that.

I arrived back at my apartment a little bit later than I had expected, because I was once again stopped by Mandy and this time forced to reveal that I preferred sunny weather to rainy weather. When I finally entered my room, I found NaKaranth seated on the couch, pouring over the file we had stolen the night before.

“Did you get anything to eat?” I asked offhandedly. “I went out for lunch, and saw something that you’d probably find hilarious.”

He didn’t answer, just kept reading. He looked pale and confused, and I knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” I asked, coming to sit on the other end of the couch. “Does FuturTech know how the mutations are caused?”

He looked at me. “They’re the ones causing it,” he said, flipping through the booklet. “It says as much in here, and I’ve only just started reading. Apparently there’s a catalyst that they put in engine fuel that makes it burn hotter, and it makes things faster and more fuel efficient. It contains the chemical that causes people to become Changelings.”

That was strange. “Haven’t they been able to do anything about it?” I asked. If they knew where the problem was, surely it would be a small matter to fix it.

“Emm,” NaKaranth said. “They’re doing it on purpose.”

[Trilly (18426 words)]

At a recommendation from Tamia, I will now be updating two parts a day. I'll get through the story way faster this way, and that'll be a good thing.

So... Chapter Ten. This is the part of the story at which my characters began running the show themselves, despite my plans for them.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Ten: Breaking Point

I was stunned. “You’ve got it wrong,” I said finally. “FuturTech is trying to solve the Changeling problem. They would never have started it, and destroyed so many peoples’ lives. It’s unethical, and they’re scientists...”

“I’m just saying what it says in here,” NaKaranth said, indicating the file. “Apparently they were well aware what they were putting into their fuel. They were planning to do something, though, and I haven’t gotten to the part where it explains why. They wanted to study Changelings, Emm, so I guess they... made some.”

I slammed my fist down on the table with all my human strength, and a portion of my werewolf strength as well. I sucked in a breath, and let it out in a furious hiss.

“Emm?” NaKaranth inquired nervously. “Are you okay?”

“Didn’t they have any idea that those were actual lives they were playing with?” I snarled, causing the alien to jump backwards in shock. “All those stupid letters, saying that they wanted to do some good, when all this is their fault?”

“Emmet, just calm down. You’re--”

I was changing, and I knew it. There were the first alterations, like the teeth and claws, then the fur appeared and bones grew. It was painful, and only made me more angry. Once the bones started to reform themselves, there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop myself from changing the rest of the way.

I could smell everything. My eyes were weak, but I could navigate a room blind with just scents gleaned from the surroundings with my nose. I had four paws on the ground, and was ready to move in any direction with a second’s notice.

I was faster, stronger, tougher, and desperately hungry. Nothing could stand in my way.

It was time to hunt.

There was another creature in the room with me, and my nose told me that this animal would make decent prey, even though he smelled odd. He was slower than me, and weaker.

I prepared to spring, and the prey backed away. I moved slowly, calculating. I would wait for him to move again before I attempted to leap.

The prey was standing still, with only a small, weak table between us. He looked to be pondering his next move, and I could smell the fear coming off of him. He must know that the second he moved, I’d be able to attack.

He made up his mind, and made a dash for the couch. I pounced, jaws wide open, ready to bite into flesh--

I landed with all four paws on top of the prey-creature, but my jaws were buried in upholstery, not flesh. The prey had pulled one of the seat-cushions off the couch and used it as a shield.

A small, not-so-hungry part of my mind was impressed.

I attempted to wrench my teeth out of the foam, but it was difficult. I began to tear the material, and shreds of cloth and padding littered the floor. Still, I couldn’t get free.

I was on the verge of freeing my last few teeth and taking a bite out of the right thing this time, when I felt something different. Different but... nice. Good.

The prey was scratching my ear. His face was all twisted around oddly in a strange expression for some reason, but the scratching felt nice. I lay down, no longer desperate for food at that very second. I would just stay still for awhile, and enjoy it.

The scratching continued, and I eventually dozed off.

***

Once the large, reddish-brown wolf that had been Emmet had closed its eyes and begun to breathe evenly, NaKaranth withdrew his hand. Thankfully, the werewolf didn’t lunge to his feet as soon as the scratching stopped. He seemed to be well and truly asleep.

Of course, it had been way too close. NaKaranth had known how dangerous werewolves could be, and yet he had met with one anyway. Not only that, but he’d gotten attached, and become comfortable to the point that he hadn’t been careful enough.

At the very least, he’ll be angry about the seat cushion, he thought, surveying the wreckage.

Still being extremely quiet, NaKaranth opened the apartment door and slipped out into the hallway outside. He closed the door.

Once he was a fair distance away from the door, he summed up all his feelings by burying his head in his hands and shouting out the longest string of curses he’d ever uttered.

***

I came to with a splitting headache, and for a moment I was confused. I had been drinking even less than usual, and had been feeling pretty darn good. Did I have bout of the flu coming on?

Then I remembered.

I richly deserved this headache. I deserved worse.

I had lost control, again. Even after I had made a promise to myself to never shift again, after the first time. This went to show me that I didn’t have anywhere near as good a grasp on my emotions as I had hoped.

I raised my head, and found that I was lying on the floor, amid a heap of shredded material that had once been the seat cushion on my couch. My mouth tasted like lint. I only vaguely remembered what I had been doing while in my wolf form, but I remembered enough to know that the chunks of foam with tooth marks in them were directly related to the reason why there were bits of couch in my mouth. I was disgusted with myself.

NaKaranth.

Where was he?

Icy panic clutched my chest. I hadn’t... no, I couldn’t have. I’d remember if it ended in that, wouldn’t I?

I pulled myself up off the floor, ignoring the nausea that threatened to overwhelm me when I moved my head too quickly. I could worry about that later, but right now I had to find NaKaranth.

I looked through my entire apartment--which wasn’t any great feat, considering it’s so small--and didn’t find the alien anywhere. There weren’t many places to hide, but I checked the few I thought of, almost too afraid of what I’d find to continue. I kept looking despite this, but I wasn’t successful.

I finally found him when I exited the apartment, thinking that maybe he’d run away. He was sitting against the wall right outside the door, knees drawn up to his chest. He didn’t look hurt, and that did instill a surprisingly strong sense of relief in me. I was still angry, however. I was angry with myself, for the most part, but also with FuturTech for causing all of this in the first place, and even NaKaranth, although I knew it was unfair. None of this was his fault.

“You shouldn’t stay out here with your ears and tail showing,” I remarked blandly, “Somebody could see you.”

He looked up. “Sorry,” he said. “I should’ve--”

“Just shut up!” I snapped. I really was a beast, to not even be capable of controlling myself now. “It wasn’t your fault; it was mine. I was stupid, and I got clumsy. I can take responsibility without you coddling me!”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It didn’t work.

“I thought I could handle myself around people,” I managed a voice that was only strained, not shouting. “For the first time ever, it actually felt like I could have some semblance of a normal life, and I wanted it so badly I wasn’t careful enough. I was a fool.”

NaKaranth’s ears lowered in a frustrated way. “You were doing fine until I read you the file, so don’t be so quick to judge yourself. Anyone would have been furious after finding out that someone had purposely hurt them. The important thing is nothing happened.”

“No, the important thing is that something very nearly did happen, and will presumably happen again the next time I get angry. You should be dead,” I said bluntly. “I’m not going to change, because this is what I am.”

“But if you get cured, then...”

I snorted derisively. “Someday I may get cured. Someday there’ll be a paradise where this festering city used to be. Someday they’ll be able to make people be nice to each other. I can’t spend my entire life waiting for someday to come around, NaKaranth. My options right now hinge around a witch who gives me potions that never work, the multinational company who caused the Lycanthropy mutation in the first place and has no interest in curing it, and a teenaged alien who’s not even supposed to be here.”

His ears drooped further, and I knew he couldn’t think of anything to say to contradict me. Everything I had said was starkly, glaringly true. “So what’re you going to do now?”

I leaned my head against the wall, thinking of Mandy. She was probably more vulnerable than even NaKaranth. If I shifted while I was near her, I’d kill her for sure. I knew what had to be established now, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’d known it for a long time. I’d just been running, always running.

I liked some people. I liked Mandy. I liked NaKaranth. I even liked Danielle, even though I sometimes doubted that she felt the same for me.

“I’m going to do nothing,” I said, keeping my face as carefully neutral as possible. “You are going to stay far away from me.”

“What?” he asked, shocked. “You want me to go away?”

“That’s what I just said. You can get your stuff out of my apartment first, though.”

“But what about your cure? I can still help you!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t even set all my equipment up yet!”

I shook my head. “Forget the cure, okay? You stopped owing me anything when I nearly killed you. You got to solve your little mystery about what caused the Changeling mutations in the first place, so we’re even. You got what you came here for. We’re finished.”

“So you’re going to go back to the way you were before, sitting alone in your apartment waiting to die?” NaKaranth asked bitterly. “I’ve seen you fight trained soldiers and break into a secure building, and you just treated is as if it was nothing amazing. I figured you were either insanely brave or just insane; I never imagined you’d be a coward.”

“I may be many things, but I’m not a coward,” I snarled. NaKaranth could enrage me like no one else could.

“You’re running away! You’re too afraid of yourself to leave your apartment. You just hide there, in a dark little corner, and you eventually forget who you are.”

“NaKaranth,” I said, shutting out his voice. “Go home.”

He opened and closed his mouth several times, before shutting it fiercely. He stood and shoved past me into the apartment. A minute later I heard the clatter of his supplies being packed roughly into their bag again.

I slumped against the wall with a sigh. Deciding to cut off my few ties with other people would be so much harder now that I had actually admitted I cared for them. NaKaranth would leave, and I’d probably never see him again. Any friendship I might’ve had with Danielle would dissolve, and we’d simply be in a business relationship like we always had. Mandy... my throat contracted. I would avoid her. If she insisted on speaking with me, I’d have to say or do something to chase her away.

I think I love you, Mandy. I’m sorry.

NaKaranth returned from inside the room, once again wearing a headscarf over his ears. His tail was also hidden, presumably in the leg of his pants. Despite the disguise, I no longer thought that he looked particularly human at all.

He looked at me, and at first I thought he was going to say something, but he turned away, not quite soon enough to hide the mixture of sadness and disappointment in his eyes. He readjusted his bag on his shoulder, and began to walk away from me. Before he reached the end of the hallway, however, he hesitated and turned back to me.

“It isn’t my problem now, but I never did read far enough into that file to find out what FuturTech actually wanted the Changelings for,” he said bluntly. “You may want to.”

I gave a noncommittal shrug.

He hissed in exasperation. “Good luck, then. You’re really going to need it, with the sort of life you’ve chosen for yourself.”

Then he was gone.

And... eleven. We meets a villain. ^__^ He's a walking pile of cliches that I designed on the spot, but he was just SO FUN to write about. I know, it's really sad.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Eleven: Words of a Crow

My life continued on as if nothing had happened.

There were only a few small differences that could even prove to me that I hadn’t dreamed the whole thing up. My fridge worked, my couch had been flayed to pieces, and NaKaranth had left his old bandanna here, the one that had caught on fire during the break-in. It was charred pretty badly, and he had left it in the pile of ripped cushion, so I assumed he’d just intended that it be thrown out. I obliged.

Then there was the file. I was initially surprised he hadn’t taken it with him, but I suppose he just didn’t have any use for it anymore. He’d solved his little mystery, and where he was going, the file would be useless. I remembered him saying he’d even consider returning it to FuturTech when he was done with it. Maybe he wanted me to do that, or actually thought I’d want to read it. Some kind of ‘know your enemy’ crap.

I kicked the file under what was left of the couch. I wasn’t going to read it, and I wasn’t going to give it back, either. I’d see how FuturTech liked that.

I pulled a drink out of the fridge. It was the one that was already open, with the neck of the bottle broken clean off. I hadn’t so much as taken a sip out of it the previous night, and hadn’t felt any sort of craving for it. Now I felt hollow, like not all the food and alcohol in the world could fill me up again. I took a deep draught, heeding the jagged edges.

The rest of the week passed in much the same way, day and night alike both lost in a dreary stupor. I barely moved from the apartment, and instead sat dully in the middle of the living room, occasionally smirking slightly at the horrible yellow paint the walls and the open-and-drying-out can of paint lying on the floor. It gave a clear picture of how I had tried to pull my life back together: by covering up everything I had done or felt in the past in a thick layer of good memories from the span of a very short while. I didn’t hide the bad stuff, I just made it look all the more sickly by trying to obscure it.

I might’ve stayed in my apartment a lot longer than just a few days, but an entire year’s worth of habit clicked in, and I remembered that I had to once again meet Danielle at 8:00 at... well, the Old Smoke, if it was even still standing. My wandering on that one, happy day before I had learned about FuturTech’s connections to the Changeling mutations hadn’t taken me the the entire way to the Inn, and neither had I given much thought as to what its fate had been.

I pulled on my overcoat, and when I checked the time, I found that I was early. I shrugged to myself; it didn’t matter. At least I wouldn’t have to risk Danielle’s fury if I arrived there in plenty of time.

The walk was longer than usual, since I took an alternate route. I wanted to delay the inevitable next meeting with Mandy for as long as possible, since I knew it would have to end in me saying I never wanted to see her again. It would hurt like hell, but I would make myself do it for the simple reason that I knew without a doubt that she deserved better than me.

I pushed any lingering thoughts of Mandy out of my mind as I approached the Old Smoke Inn. The main building was still standing, amazingly, if looking a bit worse for wear. There was charring here and there on the siding, especially around the windows, but it looked like the fire had been brought under control before the outside of the building was seriously damaged. The only real blemish was a large, blackened hole in the wall from where Sister Patience had incinerated the drinks counter on the other side. There was a large ‘closed’ sign on the door, so I made an intuitive leap and guessed that most of the damage was on the inside. It looked like Danielle and I were going to have to do business somewhere else.

I sat against the building and prepared myself to wait for Danielle. There was no reason to assume that she would be early as well, and if anything she’d go out of her way to be late, assuming I would be, too.

I was wrong, as it turned out. Danielle showed up at the building at 8:00 sharp, and instantly spotted me.

“You’re here on time,” she remarked sarcastically. “Maybe this is the sign of an improvement on your usual sorry self.”

It would do no good to direct a smart answer at Danielle, so I stayed quiet.

“Well, since we’re both here, we might as well get this over with. Do you want to walk with me?”

“Sure,” I said, standing. “Anything is fine.”

We walked slowly, not saying anything to each other. Normally our meetings could be strained or even vaguely hostile, but there was a void, today. We weren’t speaking, and I wasn’t even clamoring for my next potion. Danielle eventually grew suspicious, and turned to me.

“Explain to me something, Emmet,” she ordered.

I inclined my head, indicating I was listening.

She glared at me, her face twisting into an expression of irritation. “How is it that you were exactly the same as always just a week ago, convinced your life was terrible and practically crawling for the potion I promised, then so much better when you came to visit me at my house? You looked alive, not at all like the reanimated corpse you usually are. And explain why exactly--” she gestured angrily, “you’re worse now than I’ve ever seen you. You used to be obsessed with finding a cure. It was unhealthy, but at least it gave you some drive. Now you just don’t seem to care about anything.”

She looked at me accusingly, and I snapped, “I don’t see why you should care.”

“If I’m spending a great deal of time and effort on someone who no longer wants my help, I have a right to know,” she hissed. “What happened to change you like this?”

I looked away, refusing to answer. From the corner of my eye, I saw her lip curl.

“You’re pathetic, Emmet.”

I spun around angrily, startling several people as they passed by. “Say that to my face!” I shouted.

Danielle just smirked, or it would’ve been a smirk if it weren’t so... disappointed? It seemed everyone was, these days.

“Did you really think I was stupid, or batty?” she asked sarcastically. “Poor, clever Emmet. You really think I believed you walked all the way out into my little patch of wilderness to ask my opinion on whether you should be a test subject for FuturTech or not? We both know you’re not the saintly type--you’d never let someone control you, even if it meant you could help someone. I very strongly suspect you just wanted a bit of insight on the company, especially seeing as you probably played some part in the big break-in at FuturTech barely a day later. You made yourself their enemy, after I specifically told you to beware of them, and on top of that, you hid the truth from me. You used me without hesitation, and now you’re going to duck your head down and feel sorry for yourself just because you’ve hit a few rough patches in your safe and boring existence.”

“How could you possibly know about that?” I hissed under my breath. “How did you know I was the one who broke in?”

“Who else would be stupid enough to? I knew you had developed a sudden interest in the company, and I also know you, Emmet. I probably know you better than you know yourself. I know just how far you’d be willing to go for a cure.”

“That was not the reason why I did it!” I exclaimed. “I made a deal--”

“But finding a cure was always your main motivation,” she finished coldly.

My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t deny it.

“Don’t feel too bad about it, though,” Danielle said to me, her face mocking. “I liked you better when you were obsessed with that one thing, rather than just stumbling around like a one-legged sleepwalker.”

She walked away from me, calling out behind her, “I don’t believe we’ll be requiring another appointment, Emmet Jackson. Have a good life!”

She laughed harshly, and for a moment I was reminded intensely of a crow. Glossy black, with a hard and cold laugh that was anything but sincere. Crows were the birds that picked corpses to bits and left them in a mess. How appropriate.

Danielle was gone, as well. Mandy, although she may not know it, was as good as gone forever. I had never been this alone.

***

I walked back to my apartment the long way again. I found it amazing that, after everything Danielle had said, I still believed her to be wrong about one thing: I did care about something. I still cared about Mandy, although it could be argued that, if I really did, I’d leave her alone.

The ‘long way’ involved cutting through an alleyway just a few buildings away from my apartment. It was filthy in that alley, but that was a sacrifice I was fully willing to make. Not only did it keep Mandy from seeing me, but I was also out of sight of everyone else, as well. Now that Danielle and I had gone our separate ways, I really didn’t see any reason why I had to bother letting people see me.

I was surprised because of this, as I walked down the alleyway that night. I had expected to encounter no one, but as I was just approaching the middle of the walkway, some people appeared at the end of the alley, blocking my way out. Hopeful muggers?

If they were, they were shortly going to be very, very sorry that they caught me on one of the worst days possible.

“I have no money,” I snarled at the newcomers. “I’m poor, and in a really bad mood. I swear that if you think for one second of attacking me, that I’ll rip your arms off. Glad we had this conversation.”

I walked up and prepared to shove past them, but I was pushed backwards by one of them. The others all pulled out guns.

I growled. Not a very bright bunch of muggers, if that was what they were. Whether they were armed or not, I was still a werewolf, and could do a lot of damage to them before they finally managed to subdue me. Didn’t they realize that?

“You are Emmet Jackson, correct?”

I was taken aback, for a moment. “What’s it to you? “ I asked, deciding that he question was probably rhetorical. They already knew who I was, and would probably be even more ticked off if I lied. Maybe I should be careful, for once.

But if I was thinking about being careful, what did that mean? Did it mean that, even after all that had happened, my life still mattered to me? If I was focussing on self-preservation...

“So you are Emmet Jackson. Very good. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to have finally found you. An address is no good if the occupant himself isn’t at home,” spoke the same voice that had asked me my name. I was confused, and quite convinced I didn’t recognize it, although the speaker sounded familiar with me.

I glanced nervously at the guns; not one had been lowered. “What do you want, if you’re not thieves? And what do you mean, my address? Where did you get that from? Who are you?”

Now I was blabbering. Classy.

One of the men stepped forward, and I was relieved to see that he wasn’t armed. I couldn’t tell much about his appearance, however, because he wore an enveloping overcoat, as was the current style, and a scarf that covered the entire lower half of his face. He also wore a hood and a pair of round sunglasses, which effectively covered the other half of his face as well, and pretty much confirmed my earlier suspicion of the men being thieves. He seemed quite eager to keep his identity hidden.

“Which question would you like answered first?” he inquired with a surprisingly cordial gesture. His hands were gloved. “I believe we can handle this like gentlemen.”

I wanted to punch him, not only for having a bunch of people threaten me with guns, but for being so darn polite about it.

“Let’s start with ‘who are you?’, and move onto the others after,” I said, keeping my temper in check. I wanted to get all my questions answered before I went berserk.

“Very well,” The man said, and pulled a skinny plastic-wrapped item from his pocket. He unwrapped it and broke it, and instantly the object began to glow. Everything in the alleyway was instantly visible, despite the late hour. He tossed the light source on the ground, saying, “I’ll let you see for yourself.”

I could see the other men now, the ones who were armed. They weren’t at all the greasy, drunk-looking criminals I had been expecting. They were in uniform, although the theme was decidedly functional, and not dressy. Those solid grey coats were a dead giveaway, however.

Military.

All of a sudden, this situation was beginning to make a terrible amount of sense. The last--and only--time I had ever directly clashed with the military had been when I stole the file. Presumably, they were here for the same reason. That darn file was giving me a world of trouble.

But the real question was... did they know that I took it, or were they just guessing? Did they just happen to remember that I had been at the building the morning before the file was stolen, and decided to investigate me? Or did they have proof?

My stomach flipped. What loose end could I have left that would connect me to the crime?

The man observed me, then shook his head. “I can see that you now know exactly why we’re here, as well.”

I decided to play it stupid, on the off chance they were just taking a shot in the dark. “Sorry, I don’t,” I said in as casual a voice as I could. “Could you do some explaining?”

The man chuckled. “If we want to go about this the long way, I suppose I could accommodate you. It will be like a game.” He bowed, “First off, I’d like to introduce myself. Only polite, as I already know your name, and a game isn’t especially fun if you don’t know all the players. I am Doctor Fraser, geneticist and head of the Lycanthropy project for FuturTech.”

“You’re the Doctor Fraser I heard about?” I asked, remembering the name Doctor Craig had told me during our meeting. Despite the situation, I felt myself beginning to relax ever so slightly. Doctor Fraser seemed a fair sort, and if he worked for the Lycanthropy project, then there may be some other reason he was here.

“Yes,” he said. I think he smiled, but all I could see was a slight flutter of fabric on the scarf where his mouth would be, so I wasn’t positive. “I thought you had an interest in that project, Mr. Jackson. Apparently I was correct.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I don’t want to be stuck like this forever.” I was instantly on my guard again.

“Yes, I suppose if you were desperate enough, you would be able to justify doing anything in a vain attempt to become human again. The fact remains, Mr. Jackson, that we have solid proof that you were the one who took a very important file from FuturTech headquarters last week.”

So that was it. They either had proof, or were lying to get me to confess. Either way, they were almost positive that I had been involved somehow. This boded badly.

“What proof?” I asked, my throat dry.

“See, that’s an interesting story!” Doctor Fraser sad, sounding unreasonably pleased. “One of the scientists who was in the file room when the file was stolen actually recognized one of the two thieves as they escaped. Apparently, this scientist had been knocked over in the hallway by the same man earlier on the exact same day! He also conveniently remembered that his ID tag had been missing since that event.”

My heart began to pound. They knew exactly what they were talking about. They did have proof.

“Now, although we now knew that at least one of the thieves had entered the building legitimately earlier that day, there was very little we could do. We didn’t know the suspects, only had a bit of an idea as to what they looked like, and we knew one was a werewolf. We had no names, and no locations.” Doctor Fraser said. “However, the same scientist who recognized one of the thieves earlier made a new discovery several days later, and brought it to my attention. The werewolf he had run into earlier had been carrying a paper, which he had forgotten when it was mixed together with the stack of papers the scientist had dropped. This paper, amazingly, had a name and address on it. A certain Doctor Craig later confirmed your identity, and the rest, they say, is history.”

The form I was supposed to fill out. darn it, that was the slip, the fatal mistake I had made. If I had just been more careful...

... But it didn’t matter now. Lying would still get me nowhere, so I needed a new plan.

“So you’ve come to get the file back?” I asked. “You have an awful lot of men with you for a retrieval mission.”

“Hmm...” Doctor Fraser hummed. “True, we did come for the file, but we also have to minimize the damage caused by that file. I assume you read it?”

I hadn’t read it at all. NaKaranth had read some, but I’d made him leave before he finished.

“Yes,” I lied.

“As I thought.” the doctor said. “We have to kill you.”

[Rikku]

Love NaKaranth. So very very much. xD

The dialogue in this is so snappy. It reads a good deal like a real book, in fact. But ... Emmeter.

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Nov 29, 2008 2:38:11 GMT -5 Rikku said:

Love NaKaranth. So very very much. xD

The dialogue in this is so snappy. It reads a good deal like a real book, in fact. But ... Emmeter.

Yes, there are few book characters I've seen who are quite as Emmety as Emmet. For very good reasons, probably. Reasons I should know about, but unfortunately don't.

...Beware the background info ramble.

NaKaranth was fun as well. Thing is, though, I actually changed his personality slightly so that it was more realistic than that of his Neopian counterpart, so that threw me for awhile. It took a pretty long time for me to get even decently comfortable writing about him like that, but it kind of grew on me. As a result, I have two parts of the story not narrated by Emmet, but by NaKaranth.

The easiest person to write about by far was Danielle. The hardest was Emmet, and the character whose personality changed the most was Mandy. She was supposed to be extremely timid and shy, but I realized that a girl who lived in one of the City's slums couldn't be all that delicate if she expected to survive for any length of time. Now she's a tease. Poor, poor Emmet. Every character in this story makes fun of him or insults him at least once.

So, Chapter twelve!

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Twelve: The Game


“What?”

When I had noted the presence of the military, I had assumed that I would be arrested, at the very worst. What kind of company would be able to justify murder in response to a theft?

Then again, what kind of company would expose an entire city’s population to a chemical that they knew would cause them to mutate?

“You know too much,” Doctor Fraser said with a shrug. “I am a bit sorry, actually. You’re not like many of the Werewolves I’ve met. You’re... interesting. I would’ve liked to speak to you some more, and maybe in a more pleasant setting.”

He really did sound sincere, like I was a good friend. A good friend he was perfectly willing to kill.

He gestured to the soldiers. “Fire.”

I fell flat, and a volley of bullets zipped through the air where my head had been a second earlier. As soon as the bullets had passed me, I leapt up, and viciously attacked the marksmen as they attempted to reload. I bit, kicked, and punched my way through the group of people, but they didn’t double over. They fell back a bit if I hit them hard enough, but sprang right back up to fight me again.

Then suddenly, they were on the offense.

I moved as fast as I could, ducking and lashing out with all my strength, but they easily kept up with me, and worse, surpassed me. I was fighting for my life, while I should’ve had the obvious advantage. They couldn’t use their guns at close range, and I was a werewolf. I should’ve been way stronger and faster than a bunch of humans.

One of them punched me in the face with far more strength than any human I had ever encountered. I tasted blood. One more blow to my back, and I was down, with several soldiers holding me in place. The rest had the nozzles of their guns pressed against my skull.

Doctor Fraser shook his head, eyes calm behind his tinted glasses. “I applaud your effort.”

“What the hell are these things?” I snapped, spitting out blood. “There’s no way they’re human!”

The doctor looked at me. I saw his eyebrows raise in surprise. “I thought you said you read the file. You should already know.”

I stared back, waiting for my answer. If I was going to die anyways, I’d rather go after finding out what was going on.

Understanding crossed his features. “You didn’t read it.” Suddenly, he threw back his head and laughed, “You don’t know a thing!”

“I know about your company causing the mutations,” I snarled, angry about being laughed at, despite the more serious aspects of this situation.

“But you never stopped to wonder why we caused them in the first place?”

I shook my head. “No....”

He snickered. “I’m glad you’re still alive, then. This game is just getting so interesting, it’d be a shame to end it now. You there, louts, let Mr. Jackson up now,” he ordered the troops.

The soldiers withdrew, and I stood, confused. “What is this all about?” I asked cautiously. A second ago he had wanted me dead, and now it seemed he didn’t. What was going on?

Doctor Fraser pointed at me. “You want to play a game?”

I was silent.

“Oh, come on,” he said. “I know you do.”

“Why’s that?” I asked blandly.

“Well, I’ll have you killed here and now if you don’t, but you don’t seem to be that terrified of dying, so there’s another reason. While it’s all well and good that you’re ready to give up your life, if need be, there’s very little fun to be had by just killing you. That’s why I think that it would be more interesting to play a real game. One with prizes.”

I had next to no idea what he was talking about, but I didn’t like the one of his voice. He was a sly, shifty one underneath all the genial mannerisms.

“You see,” he continued, “you’ve completely forgotten about one other element that can be brought up in order to set the board for this game, as it were. I’m talking, of course, about your accomplice, the one with the pretty green eyes and the silly bandanna on his head.”

I stiffened. NaKaranth? If they’d already caught him...

“We decided to go after you first, since we had a good idea where you were. The plan originally was that, since we don’t really know where he is right now, we’d find and kill you, then search for him afterward. However, I’m flexible, so I thought we had the makings of an interesting game, here. You don’t care about yourself, but what about someone else...?”

I gritted my teeth. “What’s the game, then?” I hoped desperately that NaKaranth had left the planet already, because if he had, there was no way this madman could find him. I had even thought Doctor Fraser was fair, at first. He now seemed completely unhinged.

“The game is simple. The first one to find and keep your accomplice is the winner. After that the game is over, and the two sides can fight it out however they want. The winner, however, has an advantage, since they may even have time to get away again before the opposing side arrives. During the game, you will be left alone. Neither I nor any of these good gentlemen,” he made a sweeping gesture at the soldiers, “will hinder your progress. You are allowed to go anywhere and do anything, but as soon as the prize is successfully captured, all truces are null and void. Got it?”

I nodded, realizing that I had no choice. Doctor Fraser knew exactly what type of bait he’d need to dangle in order to get me to play his sick game.

“What else did the file say?” I asked.

The doctor chuckled delightedly. “Don’t be such a spoilsport, Mr. Jackson. The only reason I’m giving you this chance is because you’re so woefully naive. If you knew what was going on, I’d have no choice to kill you right here, right now. But...” he continued... “I’ll make you a deal. If you lose the game, I’ll tell you before you die. A consolation prize, of sorts. How’s that for generous?”

I swallowed.

“Well, then. You’d better get moving,” Doctor Fraser said as he and his soldiers moved off. “The game begins now.”

***


I ran out of the alley after them, but by the time I was out, I could no longer see the scientist and his soldiers. I headed off towards my apartment as fast as my legs could carry me, hoping for a number of unclear things. In a way, I almost hoped to find that NaKaranth had come back and was waiting there, but I also knew that Doctor Fraser had probably already been there, and that meant it was no longer safe. I was also hoping to find the file where I had left it-- under the couch, where it had landed after being kicked.

Even as I ran, my mind shrieked at me. I had absolutely no clue where to look for NaKaranth, and searching for him could be fruitless. Doctor Fraser had the military and god knew what else on his side, and what did I have? Nothing. Since my chances of finding the alien first were virtually nonexistent, I might be able to put this time to better use, like getting as far away from the City as I could.

But... my mind instantly rejected the idea. I’d never be able to live with myself after doing that.

I crashed through the apartment door, and, without slowing down, raced up the stairs that would lead to my room.

“I told you not to run in the halls, Emmet Jackson!” the landlady howled somewhere behind me.

Ignoring her curses against me, I reached my room door and found it open. The room inside was trashed.

The cupboards were empty, their contents strewn across the floor. Garbage cans had been upended, and the furniture had been moved.

They’d already been here. I checked the living room, and found the couch overturned. The file was gone.

“darn it!” I cursed aloud. If only I’d read it when I’d had the chance, instead of making myself miserable. Why hadn’t I just listened when NaKaranth suggested it?

I slumped against the wall. My apartment had been a dead end, and I was no closer to finding NaKaranth or learning what was going on than I had been before. Worse, I had wasted precious time, and the longer I waited, the more likely it became that Doctor Fraser would win our little game.

I was thinking clearly now, looking back over the past few days with disgust. What kind of a person was I, a man who goes out of his way to be unhappy? Did I really believe I didn’t deserve any kind of happiness because of what I was?

Like it or not, I was a lot better when I was around NaKaranth, or Mandy. It wasn’t just excitement or danger that woke me from my unhappy stupor. It was pressure, or the feeling that things could change without a moment’s notice that brought me back to who I had used to be. Maybe that was why nothing ever felt more right than driving my car at dangerous speeds. Maybe that was why I hadn’t been able to make anything of myself after I lost that feeling.

But that should mean that this was the kind of situation I did well in. Wasn’t there something I could come up with?

I looked at my feet, and saw the half-burned bandanna I had thrown out earlier lying a short distance away. At first I wondered why it was there, but then I remembered that the intruders had upended the trash cans, and garbage was scattered everywhere. It just happened to be there.

I stared at the scrap of cloth for a few moments, and an idea struck me out of the blue. It was probably a stupid idea, and it might prove difficult to get cooperation from someone who, unfortunately, I needed help from, but it was something. And if it worked, I could maybe, just maybe, find NaKaranth before FuturTech found him.

I stood, picked up the strip of fabric, and put it in my pocket. Then I exited the room without bothering to lock the door.

***

I knew I was capable of walking to my destination, but I needed to be fast, and I wasn’t confident enough in my endurance to attempt to run that far.

At least, that was what I told myself in an attempt to sooth my guilt-ridden conscience.

As soon as I left my apartment, I made my way south, towards the middle of the city. People who lived further into the city were far richer than those who lived on the outskirts, and were therefore more likely to have certain luxury items that not everyone could afford.

Like cars, for instance.

Also, they were less likely to have to sell their house to pay for a new car if, for instance, one was stolen. Some of the people who lived where I was going had more than enough money to buy a new car, and in fact could comfortably buy several cars. They’d barely even miss one if it went missing under mysterious and highly unfortunate circumstances.

And I would do everything I could to bring back the car in one piece, so it wasn’t like I was being needlessly reckless. These lovely cars were just sitting there, unused, and I did have a pressing need for one, so there was really only one logical course of action. Anyone would agree with me.

I walked up the street, ignoring the fancy houses and instead turning my full attention towards the cars. They were all gorgeous, but I’d already told myself I’d take the oldest, or ugliest, on the off chance I scratched the paint or blew a tire.

That was the plan for about five minutes, until I found the perfect car.

It was glorious. Bright cherry red, with white trim and chrome highlights here and there. It was big, well-polished, and looked like it had serious engine power. Just the sight of the moonlight reflecting on the flawless paint job was enough to make me fall in love with the sleek machine. My old race car hadn’t even been half as nice as this beauty.

I decided to stuff my plan. If I gave up an opportunity to test-drive this baby, I’d never forgive myself. That would be more of a crime than actually taking it.

I glanced around quickly, but no one was on the street. There may have been people in the windows of the ostentatious houses, but that was a risk I would have to take. I hopped into the car, and learned that even the seat cushions were nice polyester. Comfortable enough for sitting in for hours, and hours, and hours....

I snapped out of it. I reached under the dash and pulled out two wires, connected them, and the engine started. I knew how to hotwire a car because, I had to admit, I was obsessed with cars. I knew all sorts of useless trivia about them, and knowing how to start an engine without the key had given me brag rights. I had never dreamed I’d actually use the skill.

It had been nearly a year since I had last driven a car, but I felt like I knew exactly what I was doing the second my hands were on the steering wheel.

Home.

As soon as I had backed out of my parking space by the curb, I slammed my foot on the gas and, unprepared for the speed, zipped down the street and nearly crashed into someone’s house when I reached a turnoff. I learned that the breaks were every bit as powerful as the acceleration as I screeched to a stop, leaving thick black streaks of rubber behind me.

Okay, so I was a little bit rusty.

I stepped on the gas pedal more carefully this time, and drove at a more reasonable speed towards the north. I had quite a distance to drive, and I wasn’t even positive it would be worth it to go, since I didn’t I know how I would be greeted when I reached my destination.

I had to talk to Danielle again.

Hopefully, I’d get a chance to get a few words out before she decided to kill me.

Chapter Thirteen. ^^

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Thirteen: Where and When

Once I was out of the City, with all of its nasty traffic, pedestrians, and sharp turns, I decided to see what my stolen transportation could really do. The road that Danielle lived on was loose gravel, not nice pavement, but I still found myself enjoying the trip immensely. The gradual bends in the road were ideal for coasting down at good speeds, and it was so wonderfully isolated out here. The moon looked particularly fantastic as it peeked out from behind the clouds.

And the stars... were beyond description. The city smog blocked out the view of the night sky where I lived, and until now I hadn’t realized how much I had been missing. It kind of made me wonder what else I had been missing, while I had been stuck in my normality.

I felt like I didn’t have to slow down for anything.

Despite the fact that I was having fun driving a gorgeous car, I never once had to remind myself what my real purpose was. I just felt like, well... things were bad, but I was doing something about it, and had at least a pretty good shot at pulling through. I hadn’t had that feeling in a long time.

I reached Danielle’s signpost within only ten minutes, only a fraction of the time it had taken me to walk the entire way, last time. I drove all the way up to the yard, although the driveway was so badly overgrown that I couldn’t tell where the driveway ended and lawn began. The tires flattened all the grass they rolled over, and I hoped passionately that Danielle wasn’t fiercely protective of her forest of weeds.

I turned the engine off, and hopped out of the vehicle. After once again wading my way up to the small house’s doorstep, I actually summed up the courage to ring the brass bell that hung beside the door, despite the small bundle of herbs that hung off it and the circle of white stones at my feet. If I was just going to panic about any spells I encountered, I wouldn’t be here. I didn’t have the luxury of caution anymore.

The door opened, and Danielle was framed in the opening, lit from behind by lights inside the house. She wore dusty crimson and black, as if she dressed that morning with the intent of looking as utterly terrifying as possible. I swallowed, at a sudden loss for words.

“You are aware I suggested strongly that we should never speak again, Emmet,” Danielle said in a dangerously quiet voice. “Since you obviously didn’t get the message the first time, is there something I can do to make the lesson stick better?”

I gritted my teeth. “I know you’re mad, and I understand that you don’t want to see me, but I need your help--”

“No.”

She said it in a voice that indicated that her word was final.

“Please! Just this once--”

“I think I’ve stuck my neck out enough for you, Emmet. Do you really think the other witches approved of me helping you? They all said you were useless baggage, that you were in a downward spiral and nothing anybody did would ever change you! I really believed you could change if someone even made an effort to help you, not that you would become worse than before. Thanks for proving all the others right.”

I was shocked to hear the frustration in Danielle’s usually controlled-yet-detached voice. Had she been holding that annoyance inside every time we met to do business? I couldn’t believe I hadn’t managed to pick up on any of that whenever we spoke.

Then again, I had been worse than useless for nearly a year now. I hadn’t picked up on much of anything.

“Satisfied, now?” she asked cooly, her voice under control again. “Leave now, and do not return. I’m sure you can find a new potion supplier, if it even matters to you.”

She slammed the door shut.

The feeling of hope I had been holding like a delicate soap bubble since I had come up with my idea burst into a million little drops. So that was it; my only hope was gone. There was nothing more I could do.

I wanted to sulk, instinctively. To give up and just let whatever bad things were going to happen to me happen. I’d weathered other bad things before. I may come out a bit bedraggled and beat-up in the end, but I could wait out most problems. This was hardly any different than anything else that I’d faced.

But this was different, I realized. All those other times, I could afford to be selfish, because if I failed I would be the only one to take the fall. This time, if I gave up, NaKaranth would die.

NaKaranth. He was such an idiot. So incredibly fascinating, but at the same time he was the most annoying person I’d ever met. He was so cynically brilliant, but such a naive fool. There were times I was sure that I couldn’t stand him, but he was a friend. For some strange reason, we seemed to be able to put up with each other, and our flaws.

I could justify giving upon myself, but I wouldn’t do it for someone else.

I straightened, and pounded on the door.

“Look, Danielle,” I shouted as I struck the wood with my fist. “You’re right, I’m not saying you’re not. I just... this isn’t about me, okay? I just need your help on one thing, and I promise I’ll leave and never come back!”

I knocked for a minute longer, and almost gave up all hope of Danielle coming back, until the door opened again, and I saw her standing there, a look of suspicion on her face.

“What favour would you need from me that would merit you finally leaving?” she asked. “Besides me giving you another potion.”

I took a deep breath, reached into my pocket, and pulled out the bandanna I’d picked up earlier. Now that I was here and it was time to explain myself and my reasoning, I felt especially stupid. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to suggest was really a form of witchcraft, or just the product of idle gossip.

“This belongs to a friend of mine,” I said, handing her the sad bit of cloth. “He’s in trouble, and I need to find him, but I have no idea where he is. Can you find him for me?”

The witch looked at the fabric she held for a while, then looked me in the eye for even longer. I held her gaze solidly.

She hissed softly. “This had better not be some kind of trick, Emmet...”

“It’s not,” I assured her. “You know I’m terrible at lying.”

Danielle nodded. “You are,” she agreed. Eventually she sighed, “Maybe I’m giving you too many chances, Emmet. I’ve humored you so many times before, but... I’ll do it again this once. Prove to me that you’re not hopeless, if you can.”

My heart leapt. “You’ll do it?”

“That’s what I said,” she said in the familiar bored tone of voice. “Although I understand that you’re not renowned for your intellect, so you may need it repeated twice....”

I took her abuse with an acquired tolerance. What she said about me didn’t matter, as long as she actually agreed to this.

“You’d better come inside,” she said, gesturing me into her house. “You’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

***

I had expected the interior of Danielle’s house to be dusty and sinister, with spiders and cobwebs and maybe even human skulls scattered in the corners, but what I saw was actually quite pleasant. The house was old and the furniture simple, but everything was spotlessly clean. There were even some simple, pretty things on the walls here and there, like decorative bundles of dry herbs that gave an almost homey touch to the otherwise plain building.

The workroom that she led me into was as spotless as the rest of the house, if not more so. The scarred and burned worktable was scrubbed, and various jars of ingredients were lined up on it and the surrounding shelves, in alphabetical order, of course. There was a small, neat brazier in the corner, a safe distance away from the chemicals. Danielle was meticulous about keeping everything safe, clean, and organized.

I couldn’t help but wonder how many pieces of furniture and potion ingredients had been funded by what I had paid her for her Lycanthropy potions.

She put the headscarf I had given her on the worktable and began gathering supplies. She pulled several stubs of candles out of a drawer and set them up in a circle, then began selecting containers from the shelves with confidence that could only have come about from years of practice.

“It may take me awhile to set up,” she told me. “You’ll probably want to sit down now.”

I slumped in the chair she directed me to, and I closed my eyes, listening to Danielle mutter to herself and the clink of bottles.

Almost as if she had intended it, I was asleep within seconds.

***

I awoke to Danielle shaking my shoulder. “Wake up, now, Emmet. It’s done.”

“Huh?” I blinked blearily up at the witch. “What time is it? How long was I asleep?”

“Several hours. It is nearly 6:00 a.m..”

“What?” I launched myself up. “Why would you let me go to sleep?”

I immediately felt bad about the begrudging tone in my voice. She had stayed up the entire night while I had slept, and now I was the one acting hard done by.

“Sorry,” I said, although I wasn’t quite able to keep the frustration out of my voice entirely. “Is everything ready?”

Danielle nodded, and beckoned me with a wave of her hand. “Not only have I set up, but I’ve also already located your friend for you. I’ve completed all of the scrying I’m going to do.”

I leapt to my feet. “Danielle, you are the absolute greatest, most gorgeous person I’ve ever met!” I might’ve hugged her if I didn’t know for an absolute fact that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with sunflowers growing out of my ears, or something. I moved over to the worktable, and saw the remains of the spell. A large piece of parchment had been spread across the surface, and was splattered with runes and intricate designs in ink. The candle stubs had been arranged around a painted circle, and were now melted to the point where they were nearly unrecognizable as having been candles at one time. The parchment in the center of the circle was burned spectacularly around the edges of a plain, round mirror.

I was suddenly glad I hadn’t been awake while Danielle had been scrying. I was already leery of magic, and would have probably been traumatized by everything the witch had done. I might’ve even made her botch the spell.

She had undoubtedly also considered this possibility.

“So, do you know where he is?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I opened my mouth to ask her where, but I closed it suspiciously when I saw the look on her face. She was hard to read, and her expressions were subtle, but I was getting better at figuring out what she was thinking.

“You know where he is, but you want something from me in return,” I said slowly. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Not quite. I wasn’t just scrying,” Danielle said. “I also looked at some of the signs in your near future.”

My chest tightened. “What does that....”

“What is your connection to this friend of yours?” she asked bluntly. “Do you trust him?”

I shrugged, my mind racing. Did I trust NaKaranth? Yes, of course I did. But why did I?

“I guess so,” I said eventually, with a cautious note in my voice. “Why?”

She looked away. “I can’t see anything from your future. It’s not the first time something similar has happened; if your future is full of unmade decisions and chaos, then it is impossible to discern anything. I hope that this is the case, or... I do not believe I should tell you where to find your friend unless you understand this without a doubt, Emmet. It will be dangerous for you to leave now. Extremely dangerous.”

“What do you mean?” I swallowed. “What are you saying?”

“I’m asking you to consider staying here for the next while. It is isolated here, and even if anyone found it, they’d never get past my protective spells. You’re safer here than you are anywhere else.”

I couldn’t believe it. Danielle was worried about me?

“I couldn’t,” I shook my head. “I have to go. It’s a matter of life and death.”

I saw her lips tighten. “You don’t care about the danger? And you are completely set on leaving?”

I took a deep breath, and nodded.

Danielle let out her own breath. How long had she been holding it for?

“You’d better leave, then. Your friend is on Parkside street; go now if you want to get there in time to find him,” she said, leading me back through her house in a brusque manner. She had her hand wrapped around my wrist painfully and was practically dragging me.

I stumbled out the door, and turned back toward her. She was closing the door behind me.

“Wait!” I exclaimed before she was gone. I was disconcerted from the hasty way she had escorted me from her house, and how she could seem worried about me one second, then want me gone the next. “What else could it mean, if you couldn’t see anything in my future?”

Danielle hesitated, then said in a disturbingly calm voice. “It may mean that there is nothing of your future to see. It may mean that you’ll be dead by the end of today.”

The door closed.

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Chapter Fourteen.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Fourteen: What You’re Looking For


The sun was peeking out from behind the rocky hills as I drove away from Danielle’s house, painting the cloudy sky with dusty pink and lavender. My mind, however, couldn’t have been farther away from nature’s beauty than it was now.

I didn’t want to die.

How many times had I told myself that I didn’t care what happened; that I’d not mind dying, or that maybe a break from the monotony would be a blessing. I had told myself that I had nothing to live for, but I would be dead sooner or later, so it wouldn’t matter.

Every boring, listless day I had spent sitting on my couch, thinking of what my life could’ve been like and how it never would be seemed infinitely precious to me now. I had had so much time then, so much potential... now, I may not have an entire day. Worse still, I’d see my death coming and not be able to stop it. Maybe it was my fate to die as soon as I remembered how to live.

I wasn’t ready to die.

There was so little I had done. I had always assumed, deep down, that someday I’d be cured or have enough control to actually trust myself to be around Mandy as more than just a stranger on the street. I’d thought I’d have time to get to know her better. Now I’d probably never see her again.

Although my mind quailed at the implications of what Danielle had said, but my foot on the gas pedal was steady, and not once did I consider turning around and throwing myself at her for protection. I had already made up my mind, and my stubborn pride wouldn’t let me do anything different than what I had said I would do. Even if it led to my death.

On a sudden impulse, I didn’t continue along the road that would lead me straight to Parkside street. I instead turned onto my own street, deciding that a quick detour wouldn’t make much difference in how quickly I found NaKaranth.

I drove up to the bakery and took my foot off the gas, allowing the car to shift into idle. It felt a bit different to see the familiar surroundings from inside a fantastically luxurious car like the one I was in now, but the basic emotions were all there. I wanted to see Mandy, and felt the usual stew of frustration, fear, attraction, and interest that plagued me every time I thought of her.

She showed up at the bakery door, like she always did whenever I passed by. I think she makes a point of being nice to people who look like they need saving. I thought she looked particularly lovely this morning, in robin’s egg blue that set off the blue in her eyes and made her dark honey hair look lighter than it actually was. I could have been be biased, though, since this might be the last time I would ever see her, and I don’t know if anyone looks at Mandy the same way as I do.

“I thought that it was you in the car, but I almost convinced myself I was seeing things,” she said, laughter in her eyes. “Times have been good, I guess?”

I looked down, embarrassed. “It’s complicated.” Here I was, maybe seeing her for the last time, and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

“So, where are you heading?” Mandy asked.

“Umm... Parkside,” I said quickly. “But that’s not really why I’m here. I just stopped by to say ‘hi’.”

She looked surprised. “You stopped by just to say hello? You can’t get away fast enough whenever I so much as speak to you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I said sheepishly. “I’ve got to get going anyhow, so good-bye--” I prepared to make my escape.

“No; wait,” she said placatingly. “I didn’t mean you should leave, I was just surprised. I always got the feeling you didn’t have time for idle chatter from random shopkeepers.”

I shook my head vehemently. “No, I really like you--talking to you, I mean,” I stuttered. “It’s just...it’s stupid. It’s not because of you.”

She nodded in understanding, then gave a rueful smile. “Although I suppose you’ll still give me the same answer if I ask you if you want a cookie.”

I chuckled. “Absolutely.”

“So, do I get my question now?” she asked sweetly.

I did a double take. “Question?”

Her smile widened. “I get to ask you anything I want whenever you refuse a cookie. That’s our deal.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to any such deal,” I muttered. “But.. fine, ask your question.”

“Hmm...” she thought, chewing her lower lip. “This should be a good one....”

She thought for a few moments longer.

“You say it’s not because of me that you always seem so unhappy whenever you talk to me. Why is it, then?” she asked finally.

My heart fluttered, and my palms felt sweaty. I’d really rather not get into that answer right now, and I was a terrible liar. “It’s because... well, you don’t make me unhappy in particular, I’m just usually not exactly a ray of golden sunshine. I’m not a very happy person, as a rule. I’m also... I’m a werewolf,” I said, as if confessing to some obscene sin.

Her answer couldn’t have shocked me more.

“I know,” she said. “It’s pretty hard to miss the orange eyes.”

I had thought for sure she’d been clueless about my Lycanthropy. That theory died a premature death.

Covering up my surprise, I finished quickly, “So my life isn’t exactly ideal. I’m usually in a really bad mood, but I don’t really dislike you.” Oh, I’m great with words.

She didn’t look convinced by my feeble half-truths. “Hmm...” she considered. “Well, I suppose we have plenty of days left where I can offer you cookies that you’ll turn down and have to answer all of my questions. I’ll have to come up with some good ones.”

I winced.

“See you soon, Emmet,” Mandy said as she walked way, and disappeared once again through the bakery entrance.

I stared after her for a long time, wishing I’d know for a fact that I’d live to answer more uncomfortable questions about myself. She was really something.

I had been pretty popular back when I was a racer, and I’d dated a few girls. I’d thought that that was love, but next to Mandy... all of those more-beautiful-than-life models seemed silly and false. Mandy wasn’t gorgeous by anyone’s standards; she was pretty enough, but that was all. Yet when I compared Mandy, with her normal looks and kind heart to any of the other girls I’d known, I knew instinctively which was the real beauty.

I turned back to the wheel, and gripped it in both hands.

I was wasting time that I didn’t have.

Shoving my regrets into the deepest corner on my mind, I began driving again, and this time I would go straight to Parkside street, without making any detours. It wouldn’t be too difficult for me, since there was no one else I wanted to say goodbye to, if I was really going to die.

I wouldn’t die that easily though, not with the promise of seeing Mandy again. Doctor Fraser had better be ready for his little game to blow up in his face, because I was no one’s pawn. If I had to go, I’d go out with a bang.

***

Parkside was as pretty as my Northside street was derelict. It was a solid line of neat little shops with clean display windows and restaurants with open-air patios. It was potted flowers lining the sidewalks, dazzling my eyes with their bright colours. It was people smiling and being nice to each other as they prepared for another day of business.

I had forgotten that the world wasn’t painted entirely in dusty greys.

I felt distinctly uncomfortable in this polished setting, despite the fact that I was sitting in a car that looked like it belonged to some jet-setting film star. I felt filthy behind the car’s glossy paint job, like I was a tremendous fake. What was NaKaranth doing in a place like this?

On the other hand... I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as my eyes scanned the curb for a parking space. What had NaKaranth been doing with me? I was sure there were other werewolves he could’ve teamed up with who hadn’t killed before, if he was set on finding a werewolf. There were probably werewolves who had become independently wealthy as humans or were responsible and caring and had their lives figured out. Why me?

Well, he would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb if he would’ve tried to inconspicuously blend in in a place like this, I decided eventually. That must have been it.

I found an open parking space in front of a charming hat store and hopped out of the car, thinking regretfully that it would have been reported stolen by now, and would probably be towed back to its owner before I returned, or if I even did. This was goodbye.

I patted the hood affectionately. “Take care, gorgeous. Thanks for the lift.”

It really was the most beautiful car I had ever seen.

I turned away, and, ignoring the curious looks people gave me, began my search for an alien in a crowd of humans. I suspected that werewolves with long ponytails and beat-up overcoats who show up suddenly in top-of-the-line automobiles were considered rare in this part of the city, as they were in most other places.

I made slow progress as I wandered down the crowded sidewalk, held up by both the mass of people and the task of scanning every passing face for something familiar-- a pair of green eyes, that stupid bandanna-- and at the same time, almost unconsciously checking to see if anyone looked like Doctor Fraser or one of his military allies. I doubted that Doctor Fraser could have found NaKaranth already, even considering the time I had wasted sleeping at Danielle’s house. They had no more of an idea as to where he was than I had earlier, and quite possibly less. I at least knew exactly what he looked like, and knew a bit about him. They may have had a rough description given to them of what he looked like, but that was all they had.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself whenever I began to worry that I hadn’t seen a sign of him yet.

It was also possible that he’d gone somewhere else, in which case I was back to where I had started.

I almost completely overlooked him when I did finally come within a few short yards of where he sat. I had been so positive that he’d be easy to spot that I hadn’t even considered the possibility that he’d blend in as well here as he did on my street. He was perched on one of the shiny metal chairs that were scattered around circular tables outside a small coffee shop, perched being the operative word. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and his heels hooked onto the edge of the chair’s seat, and was looking suspiciously at a small mug of frothy coffee that sat on the table in front of him. He looked so utterly... NaKaranth-ish that I was surprised I had almost missed him.

I didn’t run up to him, but I did walk rather quickly, and I may have elbowed a few people who were in the way and didn’t dart away quickly enough. He didn’t notice me come up, despite the fact that I was being anything but stealthy, and nearly spilled coffee all over me as he leapt to his feet in surprise when he finally noticed. I sidestepped the scalding liquid as it splashed on the cobblestones next to my left foot.

“Emm?” he asked in disbelief. “What’re you doing--”

I grabbed his wrist, ignoring the confused and, in the case of the coffee shop workers, hostile stares, and began to half lead, half drag the alien away.

“Let go of me!” he hissed, wrenching his wrist free and spinning to face me, rage in his eyes. “I don’t need you following me. You told me to leave; I left. I thought you were being a coward, and you are, so let’s just leave it at that and--”

Even though he was furious with me, it was nice to see NaKaranth again. “And you thought you needed coffee?”

“It’s plant-based,” he scowled. “Now it’s my turn. I’m telling you to go away. We’re making a scene, and I can’t afford any attention--”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said in as quiet a voice as I could manage. “FuturTech is coming.”

“Wha... what do you mean?” he asked, anger fading into alarm.

I glanced around. The crowd seemed far too interested in our little display for my liking. I suspected it was time to make a disappearance.

“Come with me,” I whispered quickly. “I’ll tell you as soon as we’re out of earshot.”

He gritted his teeth, apparently running over possible choices in his mind.

“Fine,” he sighed eventually. “I can’t exactly go back to that hot drink-thing now--I wouldn’t get a moment’s peace from angry employees. Thanks for that, incidentally.”

“No problem,” I replied, glancing around the crowd nervously. “Just come with me-- quickly is better than anything else. I don’t know how close they are.”

“You’d better have a really good explanation,” was all he said in reply.

NaKaranth held a grudge, it seemed.

Chapter fifteen, which happens to have been the funnest part to write. I feel kind of mean about that, but I never once had to scramble for some idea as to what happened. Also, this part sets the stage for the entire climax sequence in the end. Oh, yeah... it's also extremely long.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Fifteen: Gone


I explained the events of the night to NaKaranth, who listened without speaking or acknowledging me in any way. I told him of how I had met Doctor Fraser and the game he had proposed with some hesitancy. I doubted it was very pleasant to be told you were being used as bait in a disgusting game that you were previously unaware of.

I skimmed over a few of the details at that part, and instead moved onto how Danielle had found him by scrying with the help of his old bandanna, and I mentioned that there was something about FuturTech--something big--that we didn’t know.

“Well, I told you before I left that you should read the rest of the file, and find out what they were studying Changelings for,” NaKaranth said in an airy voice. “I guess it’s too late now.”

“You didn’t finish it either, so this is as much your fault as it is mine,” I snarled. “More, since you’re the one who wanted to steal the file in the first place. You have no right to act high-and-mighty.”

His jaw clenched and he turned away angrily.

We walked in silence for a while, taking less-crowded streets and alleyways when we could, both knowing with unspoken certainty that groups of people could not be trusted. We were now in the manufacturing district, a largely deserted part of town dominated by grey buildings, smokestacks, and chain-link fences. I didn’t know where we were going, and I don’t think NaKaranth did either, but I think we both realized that there was nowhere we were safe. We were running, and that was all.

“You’re right.”

I looked at NaKaranth, unsure if he’d actually said anything. The words had been so quiet, I might’ve just been imagining them.

He was looking at me sadly. “I was being unfair to you,” he said. “It is my fault as well, I guess, and I shouldn’t be blaming you for everything. You may have gotten angry and sent me away, but you still came and found me again. I’m... I’m sorry.”

He sounded extremely sincere, especially after his earlier harsh words.

Unsure of what had brought on his uncharacteristic apology, I mumbled, “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m serious.”

“Why?” I challenged.

“Do I really need a reason? I was wrong,” he said with a shrug. “You should be happy I’m actually agreeing with you, because I assure you, it doesn’t happen often. I never admit I’m wrong.”

“So that’s it?” I asked incredulously. “You’ll make an exception for me, and we’re good? Just like that?”

“Yep,” he said, and hugged me.

I was startled, to say the least.

“Okay, get off,” I said as I shook him off. He was still grinning at me. “What’s with you?”

“I thought you were a nice person when I saw you for the first time, but you were so unhappy. I’m glad you’re good underneath all that mopeyness on the outside,” he said cheerfully.

I laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “How would you know what I’m like?”

He rolled his eyes. “Emm, you can hide it with your words and actions, but your emotions are so easy to read.”

“What?”

“Well... you asked me what made me ‘special’ once,” he said carefully. “It was before you even knew what I was. I’m not super-strong like you and I can’t shapeshift, and I can’t get hit by a vehicle and be virtually unaffected like a Walker, but I can do something you might find a bit... weird.”

He looked at me for a reaction, but I kept my face carefully neutral.

“I’m an empath,” he explained with a half-shrug. “I read peoples’ emotions, to an extent. It’s not exact, but I already told you that I’m a pretty good judge of character. That’s why.”

“Have you been reading my mind?” I asked, alarmed.

He looked disappointed. “How many times have I heard that one? No, I don’t read minds. I read feelings and intentions, at the very best. It’s a very imprecise skill and it’s sometimes extremely annoying to know how everyone within a ten meter radius is feeling, but it does come in handy occasionally.”

I nodded, feeling slightly reassured that my thoughts were safe. “So you thought I was... nice in the first place because of this...empathy? How exactly?”

He snickered. “There were a few times that a few good feelings--or intentions, whatever-- escaped into your mind amidst all the self-inflicted misery, but they were squashed down too quickly for me to be sure. As I said, it’s not very reliable, so I decided to see for myself if you were the heartless loser you liked to pretend to be. I was curious.”

What was it with people trying to prove I was actually a nicer person than I seemed? Danielle had been doing the exact same thing, seeing if I could change from what I was, and now I learned that I had never stopped being one of NaKaranth’s lab rats. He’d been studying me all along.

What about Mandy? Did she want the same thing, to find out if I was really as bad as I tried to be?

I really wouldn’t be surprised.

“Emm?” NaKaranth asked cautiously. “Are you angry?”

I shook my head, although I knew that it was useless. He would have picked up the brief flare of annoyance I had at the thought of being ‘observed’.

“It’s nothing,” I said, although I was positive that he knew it wasn’t.

“Sorry,” he said again. “I’m--” he broke off, frowning.

“What is it?”

He bit his lip. “Someone’s coming up. Just one person, I’m guessing. They seem... happy. No, not exactly... more cheerfully giddy? It’s really hard to tell, everything’s jumbled.”

I stiffened. “We’re getting out of here. Now,” I ordered, pushing NaKaranth along ahead of me.

“Is this happy person really a threat of any sort?” he asked in disbelief, looking back at me.

“You tell me.”

“I told you all I felt,” he said defensively. “Why are you so jumpy?”

I glanced behind me nervously. “‘Cheerfully giddy’ reminds me a bit too much of someone I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t like to meet. We’re leaving now.”

“But where are we going?”

I shrugged anxiously, my mind racing. “Somewhere else. Anywhere.”

“What’re you--” NaKaranth began, but broke off as soon as he turned to face the front again.

I knew exactly why he broke off. Standing directly in front of us was a man in an overcoat, scarf, and sunglasses; a figure who was terribly familiar to me. The scarf was creased in such a way that I knew for sure he was smiling underneath.

“Hello again, Mr. Jackson. I see you’ve brought your friend with you this time,” he said with genuine delight. “I’ve been wanting to meet him for awhile now.”

I shoved NaKaranth behind me. “I won your stupid game,” I snapped. “Satisfied?”

“Oh, yes! I’m very pleased with your dedication. Unfortunately, you’ll recall that the rules of the game said specifically that as soon as the target is found, all truces are called off. If you are assuming I am somehow obligated to let you go free, I’m afraid I have to correct you,” he said apologetically.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I glanced back to see NaKaranth standing there, a worried look on his face. The soldiers who had been with Doctor Fraser the previous day were back, and they had us surrounded.

“I can’t hear any of them,” he whispered. “I can’t read their emotions.”

I remembered the way they had easily incapacitated me, as if they had been immune to all of my werewolf-given abilities. Now they were immune to NaKaranth’s as well. What were they?

I turned back to the doctor. “So... what now?”

“What indeed,” he said placidly. “I’m afraid all of the questions that are undoubtedly piling up in your mind right now are going to go unanswered, at least for the time being. But don’t worry, I’m not a liar. I will keep my promise to tell you the truth before you die.”

I stiffened, every muscle in my body tensed to spring. The only thing that kept both my feet planted was the undeniable knowledge that the second I moved toward Doctor Fraser, the soldiers would have a clear path at NaKaranth. That was unacceptable.

I forced my tightly-wound body into a semblance of a relaxed position. The only way to salvage anything from this situation would involve me doing something rather distasteful. I wouldn’t have even considered this course of action if I wasn’t so desperate.

I gave up.

“Fine, then. Kill me, capture me or whatever, but let him--” I jerked a finger toward NaKaranth, “--go. It was my stupid idea to break into your company headquarters, and I did everything by myself. I even blackmailed him into coming with me in the first place, and he doesn’t know anything about what was in the file.”

“Emm!” NaKaranth exclaimed. “Don’t--”

I was saved from having to compose a reply to NaKaranth by Doctor Fraser’s abrupt laugh, although the genuinely happy sound utterly chilled me, and I didn’t appreciate the distraction as much as I might otherwise have.

“There are several flaws with your argument, although I’m impressed you tried. Very impressed, actually. First of all, I can tell you’re lying simply because--well, let’s face it-- you’re a terrible liar. You put so much effort into finding someone somewhere in a huge city who you seem to want me to think means nothing to you, and that doesn’t add up in the least. “

I opened my mouth to give an excuse or retaliation, but Doctor Fraser continued before I could get a word out.

“Furthermore,” he continued, “it actually doesn’t matter to me who knows more about what we’re up to. Well, it matters to Mr. Blyton, of course, since the way he sees it, you’ve imperiled his company and deserve to die, but he doesn’t own me. Although at times I wonder if he actually thinks he does...” he looked thoughtful. “Well, never mind. Suffice it to say that I’m not obligated to follow his every whim, since he should consider himself extremely lucky to have me working for him in the first place. But I digress, I’m afraid. This isn’t actually all about the fact that you’re a threat to the company, Mr. Jackson. Actually, it isn’t really about you at all. You are unimportant to me, but I mean it in the nicest possible way.”

“So you’re saying...”

“I don’t care about the file, or who reads it,” he said lightly, making a waving hand gesture reminiscent of someone brushing away a troublesome insect. “What I am interested in, and have been for awhile now, is actually finding and obtaining your accomplice.”

NaKaranth made a small sound behind me, but I silenced him with a glare. “Really?” I said, trying to sound cool and calm, but I kept having to beat back feelings of dread and blazing anger to achieve a properly detached expression. It was hard. “Why are you wasting your time chasing a human when you could have a werewolf?” I taunted, trying to keep my tone suitably derisive.

“Oh, but he’s not just a human, is he?” Doctor Fraser asked, but the way he said it made the question sound rhetorical. “Don’t look so surprised, Mr. Jackson. These days, it would be foolish to assume that everybody who looks human is actually human. It would be even more ridiculous to actually believe that a Changeling and a human could ever stand to work together.”

I had thought the same thing, not long ago. My mind suddenly brought up an image of the thin girl from the Old Smoke, the one who had defended her Walker companion from Sister Patience’s judgement. I realized that I never found out if they got out of the tavern safely that night. I hoped they did; how common were people like that anyways? Were there other such relationships between humans and Non-Humans? Was it even possible?

“...and now that I’ve seen him in person, I know for a fact that he’s something new. Since you’re a werewolf, you may even have noticed. He smells different, doesn’t he? Not like any of the Three W’s, or a human,” Doctor Fraser said, his eyes bright with interest. “A new type of Changeling, perhaps? Although I’d assumed that the only possible mutations were the Werewolf and Walker variations, but maybe... yes, a partial mutation...? Anyhow, it is fascinating. I must have you.”

“Go suck a lemon,” NaKaranth spat.

Great, antagonize the person who wants to kidnap you for use in scientific research. That’s bound to make everything better.

“Stay back!” I snapped, directing the message as much toward NaKaranth as to the soldiers, who had begun shifting gradually closer. The last thing I needed was for him to go rushing out and get snatched, and he had no idea of how strong his would-be opponents were.

The scientist was pretty much done talking, and the soldiers were ready and awaiting orders. A confrontation couldn’t be delayed for much longer. About the only possible advantage I could scrape up was the element of surprise, and even then, it would be assuming a lot to believe that any good would come of it.

But it was the best I had at the moment, and I took it.

“Get behind me, and for god’s sake run away if you get the chance,” I hissed at NaKaranth and, not giving him time to reply, I leapt at the nearest soldier and planted the full weight of my momentum square on his forehead. He fell backwards reassuringly, confirming that they could actually be knocked off their feet--with a great deal of effort. I felt myself grabbed around the neck from behind, and I sunk my teeth into the exposed flesh of the man’s wrist. The taste of his blood was weird-- bitter and a little bit chalky.

The man didn’t withdraw, or react to the pain in any way. He didn’t draw back his arm, or twitch, or curse, or anything. This went far beyond mere toughness.

The arm had me in a chokehold, and my vision started going fuzzy around the edges. I was becoming angry enough to start growing sharp teeth and claws, and I used them wherever I could, slashing and snapping as the soldiers pressed in closer around me. There was very little I could do, and the only advantage of this situation was that the soldiers couldn’t use weapons at such a close range.

I saw two soldiers holding a viciously struggling NaKaranth, and that was when I really lost it.

My fingers began to curl around into paws, and fur sprouted in rough patches all over my body. I was still only half-changed, but that didn’t matter as much as some people would like to think. A half-changed and furious werewolf is every bit as dangerous as the real thing, if not more so. Full werwolves have no concept of revenge, but if they still have vaguely human thoughts, the combination of human ideals and a strong, animalistic body can be a deadly one.

I gripped the arm of the soldier who had me around the neck, and wrenched his arm forcibly off me. Strong they might be, but I was a werewolf, and I was in mid-change and utterly berserk.

To give the soldiers credit, they didn’t break off or hesitate with this new development. Their expressions didn’t even change.

I didn’t even try to control myself, for the first time ever. If I was going to beat these people, I would need every advantage I could get, including unpredictability. I needed to be faster, stronger, and have the advantage of always being one step ahead.

I laid out one of the soldiers who was restraining NaKaranth with a fist, and the other one clouted me on the side of the head. My ear rang, and I snarled, turning to face my new opponent. He blocked my returning blow with his forearm, but he wasn’t paying enough attention to my other hand. I grasped his neck tightly, and shoved him against one of the chain link fences that lined the roadway, ignoring the pain of the metal digging into my knuckles. Whatever I was feeling couldn’t be worse than what the soldier was experiencing. Although they could take almost any kind of damage without blinking, even they weren’t immune to having all of the air squeezed out of their lungs.

His gasping stopped, and his body went slack.

I backed away, shock chasing the wolf from my mind. The patches of fur receded, and my hands began to look less like paws. I unclenched my hand from around the man’s neck, and saw blood on my claws. The man fell forward, and lay on the ground. He didn’t move.

Dead.

Dead...

I staggered backwards, unable to comprehend what I had done. NaKaranth had once told me that I had been one of the few werewolves he’d ever met who’d never killed someone in a rage, and now I had done this....

To help NaKaranth, a part of my mind desperately assured me. He might’ve been hurt, and you might’ve been killed.

That didn’t make it better. I might have beaten them without killing. I could have....

I heard a sharp crack, and a noticed a slight pressure on the left side of my ribcage. I looked down and, uncomprehendingly, saw a small hole in my light brown shirt that hadn’t been there before. Within seconds, there was blood--a lot of blood-- soaking the edges, and immediately after, a sudden searing pain. I doubled up and collapsed, writhing in agony.

“Emm!”

NaKaranth was at my side in a heartbeat, speaking frantically into my ear. “Put pressure on it! You have to, or you’ll--”

I looked up through a haze of pain, and saw Doctor Fraser standing over me. He was pocketing a revolver, and I heard NaKaranth make an angry hissing noise.

“Take him,” Doctor Fraser said simply, and I heard NaKaranth’s struggles and furious shouts as the remaining soldiers dragged him away. My mind could barely comprehend what had happened, how everything had gone so wrong....

Then it was quiet, but the sounds that had been cut off resonated in my ears. I couldn’t stop hearing the gunshot, and NaKaranth. I wondered if I’d hear them until I died.

The doctor crouched down next to me, drumming his fingers against his leg. “I never really was a good shot,” he confessed, as if to a friend. “I wanted to make it quick, but... it’s just your luck, right? A roll of the dice that you lost?”

I growled low in my throat and, in a gesture of rage, raked my claws across the scarf that concealed his face. The fabric was torn to ribbons, and I saw the face of my opponent for the first time.

I cringed. There were criss-crossing gashes across his entire face, and they appeared to be old and partially healed, but they were... decaying around the edges. I couldn’t even begin to guess what had caused that kind of injury.

“What the hell,” I gasped, “are you?”

He fingered the shreds of his scarf thoughtfully, and touched his face.

“I did promise to explain things to you, of course. This is actually connected to that, in a way. You see, when we first began experimenting with Changelings, our methods were quite risky and unpredictable. One such needed a willing volunteer, and I couldn’t get one person to agree to the tests. So I did the only thing I could to complete my research, and used myself... unfortunately, it backfired.”

“What... were you trying to do?”

He smiled. “I tried to graft Changeling DNA to myself. My body rejected it, and now I’m a failed experiment. Instead of gaining greater endurance and higher healing capacities, my body lost the ability to heal itself, but unfortunately, it retained the ability to decay. Unlucky, really. Those soldiers, however,” he whistled. “They’re the real deal. Three entire years, and we’ve finally got some positive results. It’s very exciting!”

“They’re...”

“Perfect soldiers,” Doctor Fraser finished proudly. “They don’t get hurt or feel pain, thanks to the Walker traits they’ve been given, and they’re every bit as strong as werewolves, although maybe not bloodthirsty werewolves. And unlike regular Changelings, they have these abilities in perfect balance. No mental difficulties or extreme rage to have to handle. They’re a phenomenal success.”

I choked out a reply. “You’re sick.”

He shrugged. “Really? The way I see it, technology is becoming more groundbreaking every day, so why can’t people also evolve into something greater? It’s almost a romantic notion.”

I glared.

The scientist sighed, upset to see his vision was unappreciated. “I’m actually a bit sorry, you know,” he said. “You were also interesting, I suppose, but there are so many other werewolves. You’re... unoriginal. Redundant.”

He stood up and began walking away. “That injury will be fatal without medical treatment, even with your increased healing abilities, Mr. Jackson. I’m actually sorry that I’ll never see you again.”

I would have punched the ground, but I didn’t have the strength to do it. It was like the car accident all over again. Flying, crashing, pain....

But then what? I had never died before.

I rested my cheek on the ground, not noticing the sharp prick of gravel on my skin.

As far as I was concerned, it was over.

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Kay, since NaNoWriMo is over, I'm just going to post the rest of this blasted thing, and call it quits. Sounds okay?

Chapter Sixteen

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Sixteen: Monsters

It was dark.

Not dark and cold, just dark. The temperature was a kind of neutral-warmish, not that it was important. My ribs hurt too much for most other things to matter. I almost hoped that death would hurry up and come, just so that it would stop hurting so much.

Then again, I might’ve been dead anyways. Maybe this was punishment.

If I would’ve been conscious or capable of moving, I may have shrugged, then possibly hit something. I’d never been the religious type, especially considering I was a demon, according to some beliefs. Nothing brings you down more than being told that you’re the anti-Christ.

Suddenly, something in the dark void changed: I began to hear voices, in all-but-inaudible tones. It was jarring. The warm-ish, dark place I inhabited had no sound.

The darkness brightened, bit by bit. Also wrong. Why was it changing?

I opened my eyes.

The world around me was painfully bright. It wasn’t soft sunlight, either. It was harsh, buzzing, stark bottled light. What was it called again...?

Oh, yes. Electricity. I had forgotten.

The walls were pale yellow, which only enhanced the effect of the bright light on my eyes, which had only seen darkness for the last... how long, exactly?

And better yet: why was I awake? Why was I even alive?

I glanced around. A window with the blinds closed... a tray on wheels... some equipment in dull cream colours... I looked down. Probably the most uncomfortable bed I had ever been on, an IV needle in my arm....

That was it. I was in a hospital.

How in the world had I ended up in a hospital?

I tried to sit up, but grimaced at the sudden lance of pain that shot through my torso, and fell back down again. I craned my head around as far as it could go, and just managed to see the bandages that were wrapped tightly, and rather painfully, around my ribs where Doctor Fraser’s bullet had gone in. The bandages were slightly reddened, but I suspected that the worst of the bleeding had stopped.

So I was alive.

How?

A lab coat-wearing doctor entered, carrying a clipboard, and I only just bit back a feral snarl. The last doctor I had encountered had shot me, and I wasn’t feeling charitable. Maybe it was unfair, since doctors had also saved me, but I was still distrustful.

“I see you’re awake,” he said, in quite a pleasant voice. He had small square-framed glasses, and a completely unblemished face. He didn’t look a thing like Doctor Fraser, and I relaxed slightly. “You’re lucky you’re a werewolf, or you would’ve died before we managed to get you here. How are you feeling?”

Another person who didn’t seem to mind Changelings. They were becoming more common every day, it seemed.

“Sore,” I confessed.

The doctor smiled. “I’m sure that’s an understatement. We had to do surgery to remove the bullet, and even with your ability to heal, there were some very close moments. You were mugged, I assume?”

I nodded, barely even hearing the question. “How did I get here?”

He looked slightly surprised. “Why, your friend called an ambulance after you were shot and your money stolen. The friend who was with you during the incident... don’t you remember?”

The only people who had been there had been there during the ‘mugging’ had been myself, Doctor Fraser and his cohorts, and...and NaKaranth. Doctor Fraser had wanted me dead, and NaKaranth was gone. Captured, or dead.

A spasm of pain went through me, and it had nothing to do with the gaping hole in my body.

“Yes, of course,” I said dully, in an attempt to disperse the doctor’s suspicions. “That friend.”

He nodded in an understanding way. “You lost a fair amount of blood; it’s not surprising that your memory is a little bit blurry.”

I only wished my memory was blurry.

“Well... he said, looking at his clipboard and straightening his neat little glasses. “Now that you’re awake, are you up to a visitor?”

“A visitor?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes, your friend,” he elaborated, although not as much as I would have liked.

I shrugged, trying to look calm. “Sure, why not?” If it was just Doctor Fraser back to finish the job more ‘dramatically’, then I’d shortly show him that the fact I was injured didn’t mean that I couldn’t still knock someone out with a punch.

He nodded, and I hoped he didn’t see any trace of those particular thoughts reflect on my face. He left, and a second later, my ‘friend’ entered.

My jaw dropped, and I didn’t even attempt to hide it.

***

NaKaranth sat cross-legged in a little room with pristine white walls and an extremely shiny floor. There were no windows and no pieces of furniture to take away from the loud whiteness, and the only defining feature of the room was an equally white door that had no handle on the inside. It looked like it was soundproof, perfectly cut off from the world outside.

He looked listlessly at the small tray of food in front of him. There was nothing wrong with it, nothing in the slightest. He’d expected stale bread and water, but the quality of this meal seemed fine, or even better than fine. Still, he wouldn’t so much as touch it.

If he tried to open his mouth he knew he’d throw up.

It wasn’t because of the meat. It was because the food was a sandwich.

Just looking at it reminded him undeniably of Emmet, who had first shown that type of food to him--Emmet, who was dead.

NaKaranth buried his head in his hands. Had the werewolf had any idea how much danger he was putting himself in by coming after him? Had he known he would die trying to help someone who had criticized him at every turn, and called him a coward?

He kicked the tray away. He wouldn’t eat anything they gave him. They had killed Emmet.

He sat for a bit longer, then stood and walked over to the door. He was no longer wearing his bandanna, and his tail was showing, but he didn’t care. The scientist had already seen him like this, and hiding it now would do nothing. With luck, he could just convince them he was an odd type of Changeling, and keep them from guessing about the existence of his race. It was all he really had left to work toward.

He pressed his ear to the cold metal of the door, struggling to hear something--anything-- from the outside. He was rewarded after several minutes of intent listening, as the sounds of low conversing and footsteps reached his ears. Not completely soundproof, then, at least to ears as large and sensitive as his.

Backing away from the door, his gaze fell once again onto the tray, and he smiled sardonically as a highly ill-advised idea popped into his head. The tray’s contents were scattered and a little bit worse for wear from their unceremonious boot across the floor, but he wasn’t looking at the food. He was looking at the plate that the food had rested on.

He picked up the plate, shaking off a few stray shreds of lettuce and bread crumbs onto the floor. The alien weighed it experimentally in his hand as he heard the sounds of a lock clicking, and the door began to open.

The second a body stepped through the open doorway, NaKaranth flung the dish with every ounce of force he could muster. He didn’t know what a frisbee was and had never seen one thrown before, but the effect was the same. The figure toppled backwards with a shout, to crash into his companion who was approaching from behind.

NaKaranth allowed a grim smile to spread across his features. He had a long way to go before he got satisfactory revenge for Emmet’s murder, but this was a start.

The figure that eventually entered first wasn’t the one who’d received NaKaranth’s little token of appreciation; it was a man wearing concealing clothes and a long scarf. The alien recognized him as the doctor from earlier. The one who had shot Emmet.

NaKaranth’s lip curled viciously. Too bad, he had been hoping that he would’ve hit that doctor; he certainly deserved it.

The man who came next was paunchy, and no taller than NaKaranth himself. Quite possibly shorter, even. He wore a grey suit and had a heavy face framed by a great deal of greased-back black hair, and, in contrast with the...solidity of his appearance, sported a small curly goatee. NaKaranth recognized this man as well, from when they had broken in to steal the file. He was obviously someone of importance.

His face was purple, and there was an angry red line across his forehead that brought to mind the dimensions of the plate that NaKaranth had thrown earlier. Needless to say, the man did not look happy.

“Doctor Fraser,” he hissed, but it sounded a little bit more like huffing. “I want you to take that...that little beast out and shoot him!”

“Oh, come on now, Mr. Blyton,” Doctor Fraser said placatingly. “He’s a fantastically rare specimen, and quite possibly unique. That would be such a waste.”

“He’s psychotic!”

Doctor Fraser chuckled. “Of course he isn’t--”

The rest of the food tray hit the wall directly next to the scientist. A few slices of bologna followed, and one lucky shot struck him wetly in the face. His sunglasses fell off and clattered to the floor.

Saying nothing, Doctor Fraser calmly peeled the slice of meat off his face and scarf, and picked up his glasses. He began methodically polishing their dark lenses on his sleeve when he finally continued speaking.

“This behavior is to be expected with new specimens,” he said calmly. “Even ones as odd as this. It will soon stop.”

NaKaranth chuckled grimly to himself. That’d be the day.

Mr. Blyton was staring at the alien with utter loathing in his face. “I let you have all the Changelings you want, Fraser. Why do you need this one?”

“Because he’s not a Changeling,” the scientist said excitedly. “Look at that tail, and the ears... at first I thought he was a partially mutated Werewolf or Walker, but neither of those would account for the tail or ear shape. This is something new entirely.”

“I was born human,” NaKaranth snapped, trying to keep his voice derisive to hide the lie. “I thought that meant I’m a Changeling.”

He could swear that Doctor Fraser smiled at him. NaKaranth wanted to tear his throat out.

“You’re not a Changeling. You know it, and I know it.”

Mr. Blyton looked up at Doctor Fraser suspiciously. “What is he, then? I’ve put up with your insane ideas for years now, but I’m not about to let you bring some unknown creature... a monster into my company headquarters! You’ll jeopardize my business!”

Doctor Fraser sighed. “He’s already in your company building, and you didn’t even have to allow it. Isn’t it wonderful how things work themselves out?”

“I won’t take that from you, you unhinged wretch!”

“You know what, I think you will,” the scientist said pleasantly. “After all, with all due respect, I happen to like working here only when I’m given room to move around. I don’t have to work here if you no longer wish to accommodate me... I could always take my research elsewhere.”

Mr. Blyton inhaled angrily, but his breath came out slowly, as if he were considering the implications of what the doctor had suggested. “Fine,” he said finally, the purple gradually leaving his face. “Do whatever you want with the Non-Human.”

“I thought you’d feel that way, sir,” Doctor Fraser said with satisfaction.

The heavyset man shook his head and left the room.

Doctor Fraser turned back to the captive just in time to catch a brief glimpse of NaKaranth as he piled into him. They both fell back onto the floor, but the alien used his momentum to roll free of the scientist’s grasp. He leapt to his feet and ran for the door.

Recovering at an almost unnatural speed, Doctor Fraser sprang up and intercepted NaKaranth before he could escape through the open doorway. Within bare moments, the scientist had restrained the would-be escapist’s hands behind his back and forced him to the floor, his face pressed against the cold tiles.

“I like to think of myself as a good-tempered individual,” Doctor Fraser said conversationally as NaKaranth growled at him. “But you are beginning to try my patience.”

“I’ll kill you for killing Emmet,” the alien snapped, his voice muffled by the floor. “You deserve to die.”

“Hmm... you know what, maybe I do,” Doctor Fraser said thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, people don’t always get what they deserve, as I’m sure you can attest.”

NaKaranth whimpered slightly at a sudden pain in his upper arm. Twisting around, he saw a large syringe that had been sunk into his flesh. He would’ve struggled, but the tube was already empty.

“And who knows?” he continued, as if nothing had happened. “I always have good reasons for what I do. In the long run, the things I do will save more people than they harm. My intentions are perfectly pure. How are yours?”

The medication began to take effect, and NaKaranth was asleep before he could come up with an answer.

Chapter seventeen... the required mush chapter. I may become diabetic from all the sweetness.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Seventeen: Moving Closer


I tried to form several words, but my voice didn’t seem to want to obey my mind. A detached part of my brain was comfortably convinced that this entire hospital was a hallucination, and I was still dying on the ground in the manufacturing district of the City. That explanation certainly made more sense than the alternative.

Mandy had entered my hospital room as the doctor had left.

She smiled a my look of utter confusion. “You look better,” she said with satisfaction, but her smile faltered a bit as she spoke. “For awhile... I really thought I’d come too late.”

I didn’t like seeing her look unhappy, especially since it was because of me that she felt like that.

“Well, I’m feeling great now,” I said with forced optimism.

Mandy looked at me, and I could tell that she saw right through my facade. She knew that everything wasn’t all right instinctively, or maybe she just knew me far better than I’d ever dreamed she did. I couldn’t even begin to guess which.

“Emmet,” she said carefully, like she was going over every word in her head before uttering them. “You weren’t mugged, were you?”

I opened my mouth to lie, but thought better of it. I shook my head.

She nodded slowly, and sank down into one of the green plastic chairs that were set up at the foot of my bed. “When I found you... I had no idea what had happened. It looked a bit like you’d been robbed and shot, but I had trouble imagining you being beat up that badly by a few humans.”

I would’ve found that idea pretty unbelievable not long ago, as well. Now that I’d seen humans with Changeling abilities....

“Then I remembered how strange it was when we met earlier,” she continued. “I doubt that that car you had was yours, and if you really had stolen it, I figured you would have to have been desperate. You were also acting strange, jumpy and kind of upset. I knew something was wrong because you actually came to see me for no reason other than to say ‘hi’. That was completely unlike you.”

I winced at the memory. Of course it had been completely unlike me to be pleasant. “How did you find me?” I asked, unable to keep the wonder out of my voice. It seemed so impossible.

I was pleased to see her smile return. “You told me where you were going, yourself,” she teased gently. “I asked you where, and you said you were going to Parkside. After you left, I was suspicious, so I took the my boss’s--the chief baker’s-- car and drove there myself.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation I was in, I felt a large grin spread across my face.

“You stole your boss’s car?” I asked, reflecting that Mandy had much more to her than I had thought. I liked it.

Her mouth twisted wryly. “I told him I was going to the store for more milk and eggs. Of course, I’ll have to come up with a few really good excuses as to why I took two entire days to get a couple of groceries that we already had, but I’m not too worried. I won’t get fired.”

“But even if you knew I was going to Parkside, that wouldn’t have helped you much,” I said, when my chuckles had subsided enough. “I left not long after I got there.”

Mandy nodded. “I thought I’d lost track of you, but I saw your car parked at the side of the street, and knew that you were probably nearby. I parked my car, and began looking for you everywhere I thought you might be. When that didn’t work, I asked some people if they’d seen someone who matched your description, and I got some very helpful information. People didn’t have much trouble remembering you, Emmet.”

“I know.” There were only so many ragtag werewolves with long hair and leather overcoats who drive shiny red cars and make a scene in coffee shops. I just happened to be one of them.

“So I went the direction I was told you had left in, and kept walking. I could only guess at where you’d gone after leaving Parkside, but when I heard a gunshot...” she trailed off. “I went towards the sound, and when I got there, I found you. I knew I couldn’t carry you, so I did my best to stop the bleeding, then left to find a building with a telephone. I called an ambulance from an inn a block or two away, and they picked you up. I went back to my car, and followed you to the hospital.”

I was staring.

“Umm... that’s it,” she said, misinterpreting my stare.

“That’s amazing,” I breathed. “You did all that for me?”

She looked at her feet, hiding the blush that spread across her cheeks. “It wasn’t much. I just thought you were in trouble, and I was worried. I had to do something.”

I fidgeted, feeling as if I should be doing something, but wasn’t quite sure what. “Thank you,” I said with feeling, “for saving my life.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied quietly. “Just... tell me one thing, please.”

I nodded.

“What did happen to you?”

I bit my lip. I didn’t know how much of the truth, or indeed if any, I should tell her. The information I had acquired had been dangerous enough to bring an insane scientist and a troop of genetically-altered humans after me, and I didn’t want Mandy to be hurt.

There was another reason why I didn’t want to tell her the truth, and it was far less noble. I didn’t want her to know what kind of a person I really was: how I just let my life fall to pieces around me, the fact that I broke into a building just to get a bit of excitement, and finally, how I’d been unable to keep one of my best friends from being hurt. I didn’t want her to know how utterly useless I really was.

But... I had the distinct feeling that if I ran from her now, I’d lose her respect forever. I couldn’t do that now that things seemed to have changed between us. There was an invisible line that had been crossed, and I felt closer to her than I ever had before.

She had saved my life. I owed her the truth, or at least as much of the truth as was safe.

I ran my fingers through my tangled hair, something that seemed to be developing into a sort of habit I fell into whenever I was thinking. “I’ll tell you as much as I can,” I said finally. “But you probably won’t like it.”

Mandy nodded, and looked even a little relieved.

“Well...” said, not sure exactly where to begin. “I’m a werewolf, right?”

“Yes.”

“I hate being a werewolf,” I said bluntly. “I’d do anything to get a cure, including some not incredibly legal stuff. I met someone who would eventually become a friend of mine, and he asked me for my help in finding out how the Changeling mutations were originally caused.

“Needless to say, I didn’t want to help unless I got something in return. This friend of mine is... well, brilliant, I guess. I got him to agree to try and cure me in exchange for my help, so I teamed up with him, and we... broke into FuturTech’s headquarters. He seemed to think that they’d know something about the mutations.”

I took a deep breath, not willing to look up at Mandy. I didn’t want to know what her reaction would be to most of what I was saying. I was also going to have to be extremely careful not to tell Mandy too much in the next few explanations. I didn’t want her to be in trouble because of me.

“We made it in and out of the building, and took a file with us,” I continued. “We learned about what was causing the mutations from it, and it wasn’t what we expected, to say the least. We parted ways after that, but a little less than a week later, some... people came after me. When I talked to you last, I was on my way to try and find my friend, who I’d learned was on Parkside street and was in trouble. We tried to get away, but the people we were running from found us first. They shot me and took my friend.” I finished, feeling ill as I recalled the brawl with the soldiers.

Mandy was silent, and I chanced a look at her face. It was expressionless.

“So that’s how it is,” I said, my mouth dry. “I’m not proud of myself, but what’s done is done. I’m going to try to make it a bit better now.”

With a sudden conviction, I realized that the last statement I had said was completely true. I wanted to fix my mistakes.

I would find NaKaranth again, and get some new proof that FuturTech was conducting illegal experiments. Then I’d make sure absolutely everyone knew what was going on, and see FuturTech get exactly what was coming to them.

I forced myself into an upright position, ignoring the pain that made me want to lay back down and go to sleep until I was completely healed. I cautiously touched both my bare feet to the cold hospital floor before setting my full weight down on them, and only wobbled slightly as I took a step away from the relative safety of the bed.

Good. I was up to walking.

“Emmet! Lie back down!” Mandy exclaimed, alarmed. “It’s only been two days since you were shot; you’re not ready to be moving yet!”

I looked down at myself and snorted. The hospital staff had taken my clothes, and as a direct result I was now wearing a horrible pale green hospital gown in front of the girl I had a crush on. I felt ridiculous, and not at all heroic.

“I have to go,” I assured her, staggering over to a small chest of drawers beside my bed. I began looking in the drawers desperately, although I tried extremely hard to look cool and collected in front of Mandy. It was difficult to seem in control when you weren’t wearing any pants. “Do you know where they put my clothes?”

“You can’t go now, Emmet! You can barely walk!”

I shook my head, giving up on the chest of drawers and beginning to scan around for other hopeful spaces where clothes could be hidden away. “I’m a werewolf, remember? I heal quickly.”

“Not that quickly, Emmet,” Mandy said seriously. “Just stay here for a few more days. How much difference can a few days make?”

“They took my friend away,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue. “They could kill him in a couple of days. I’ve wasted enough time as it is, and I still can’t find my darned clothes!”

I was frustrated, overwhelmingly so. I sat back down on the bed, wanting to hit myself for being so useless. Two days. What could FuturTech do to an alien in two days?

I was ready to believe that they could do a lot.

Mandy had a blank expression on her face as she rose from her seat at the foot of my bed, and exited the room.

My stomach turned over painfully. That was it, I supposed; I had crossed the line when I had snapped in frustration, and she’d thought I had been yelling at her. That, and she was ticked about the fact that I’d confessed to being selfish and a criminal. I should consider myself lucky if she didn’t call the police on me.

I felt lost, alone. Despite the fact that I’d barely even spoken to her in the year I’d been living in Northside, Mandy had become an integral part of my life, or what passed for my life. I had become addicted to just seeing her occasionally, and maybe hearing her voice once in awhile. I hadn’t even been strong enough to break off my few weak ties to her when I wanted to keep her safely away from me. The very thought that she’d no longer want to see me was... unbearable.

I buried my head in my hands, only looking up when I heard someone enter the room.

It was Mandy again, and my heart leapt in a most undignified manner.

“Here,” she said, handing me a bundle of fabric that I immediately recognized as my clothes. “I managed to convince the staff that you’re going straight home and are planning to spend the next week in bed. Make sure you look weak and tired when you walk out the doors, or they’ll be suspicious...although I don’t think you’ll have to do much acting to convince them you’re still in pain,” she said, real concern in her voice. “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Emmet?”

“I’ve never been more sure,” I replied, taking the clothes. I really didn’t know Mandy at all, I realized.

She turned around while I pulled on the familiar pants and long coat. The shirt in the pile wasn’t mine, but I remembered that the shirt I had been wearing had recently acquired a large hole and numerous bloodstains, and was probably in the trash somewhere. My coat and pants had thankfully escaped unharmed, I was pleased to see, and appeared to have been cleaned.

“So... why did you change your mind?” I asked.

Still facing the wall, she replied, “You seem set on it, and I can hardly criticize your reasons for wanting to. I almost think I should be angry, but then I can’t help but tell myself it would be worse if you were to abandon your friend. It’s a difficult situation.”

“It is,” I agreed.

Did I ever know about difficult situations.

“And... I’m glad you’re actually willing to make an effort at something,” she continued, in a quieter voice. “I was worried about you.”

I came up behind her slowly, wanting to see her expression. “You barely know me,” I said, almost sadly. “Why would you be worried?”

She faced me, and I saw the same kind of confusion in her eyes as I was sure lay in mine. Maybe that was why I was so drawn to her-- we were more similar than I had thought. We just had different ways of showing the things we were both feeling.

Mandy was far smaller than me, but when she stood on her tiptoes, she just managed to kiss the lowest part of my cheek.

I was thunderstruck, but it was over before I could even think of a suitable response. My face flushed belatedly red.

Mandy took my hand and led me out of my room. I followed in what probably looked like a drunken haze, and barely noticed when we stopped at the front desk. The receptionist smiled.

“You’re taking your friend home now, Miss Dennings?” she said cheerfully. “I’ll just sign you out, then.”

Mandy smiled and thanked her.

As she was leading me away, I heard the receptionist call after us, “Be sure to keep an eye on him, and don’t let him attempt any strenuous physical activities for the next little while. It looks like he has a bit of a temperature.”

My temperature rose a few more degrees as my blush deepened.

Chapter Eighteen.

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Eighteen: Catalysis


Mandy had insisted on being the one to drive her boss’s car back to the little bakery on our street, and I kind of guessed that she’d been hoping that I’d change my mind, and decide to rest up for a few extra days before dashing off into danger again. I made it clear that I had made up my mind.

Mandy stepped out of the car when we reached our destination. “Are you sure you don’t at least want me to come with you?” she asked with a sigh, when she finally realized I would not be budged.

“Absolutely,” I said with feeling. The FuturTech building was the last place I wanted Mandy to follow me into. In a best-case scenario, the company would never know that I had any connection to her. In the worst case, they’d know she was a friend of mine, and maybe even try to hurt her.

She looked unhappy. “I guess I’d just slow you down, if I did come. Just... be careful, okay? Take it easy on yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said as I slid across from the passenger seat to the driver’s. I wished I was half as confident as I sounded. “Anyways, you wouldn’t slow me down, I’d just be worrying about you.”

“And that would slow you down.”

I smiled slightly. “It’s possible.”

Mandy’s boss’s car wasn’t anywhere near as nice as the red beauty I as liberated earlier, I reflected as I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. The paint job was black, and it had possibly been a decent-looking machine at one time, but the metal was rusting in places and the style was outdated by about seven years. The engine was also extremely noisy as I idled in front of the bakery, completely unlike the rumbling purr of my briefly-owned dream car.

Someday... I’d have to acquire one legally. It was something to work towards, and added incentive to get out of FuturTech alive.

“One question, Mandy,” I said, my hand on the gearshift, preparing to put it back into the ‘drive’ position. “If you knew I was a werewolf all along, what was it with offering me chocolate chip cookies every time you saw me? You knew I couldn’t eat them.”

She opened her mouth, and closed it. Her eyebrows raised with a sudden comprehension, as if finally understanding something that had been plaguing her for a long time.

“Emmet, you are such an idiot!” she shouted, slapping her palm to the side of her head in a gesture of disbelief. “They’re raisin cookies! They’re always raisin! I know very well that werewolves can’t eat chocolate, so I always made something I was absolutely sure you could eat!”

Oh, wow.

Suddenly, all the fuss I’d made over the cookies seemed foolish. It was odd to think of how much of our distant relationship had been based on the fact that I’d never eat one of her cookies. It may seem ridiculous now, but it was true.

“Erm... I like raisins,” I said cautiously.

“Oh, you do?” she asked, her distraught expression softening slightly. “So you’ll eat them now?”

I nodded. “I’ll eat all the cookies you want me to when I get back.”

“You have a great many times to make up for, Emmet,” Mandy said, a steely glint in her eyes. “That means a lot of cookies.”

“I’ll take my punishment with dignity,” I said in a lofty tone. My voice took on a more serious quality as I said, “But you’ll be careful while I’m gone, right? Don’t tell anybody that I told you what I did.”

“Will I get a better explanation of what you’re doing and where you’re going?”

“When I get back,” I said quickly. “Well...goodbye,” I said as I turned away from her.

“Hey,” she said. Her face was pale with worry, but she was smiling. “Well talk more later, okay?”

I nodded, catching the other meaning of her words under the simple statement. We’d probably have quite a bit to talk about later on.

I took the car out of idle mode, and drove off in the direction of the City’s center.

***

Once I was about a block away from the bakery, I forced any lingering thoughts of Mandy out of my mind. I needed to concentrate on exactly what I was doing if I wanted to have even the slightest chance of surviving the next several hours.

I was going to have to break into the FuturTech building again, that I knew with absolute certainty. It was extremely secure, and presumably filled to its pretty steepled roof with twisted scientists, security guards, and soldiers. The chances of NaKaranth being there were almost staggeringly high, and if he wasn’t there, someone there was bound to know where he was. It was the obvious place to start looking.

The only hitch was that it was going to be a great deal more dangerous going there now than it had been when I had first entered with NaKaranth. I was alive after they had tried to kill me, and I was a threat. I was not only frighteningly angry and ready to go to extreme lengths to find my friend, but I also knew some things I wasn’t supposed to, and was planning on using that knowledge to do exactly what they were afraid of. I would find NaKaranth before anything else, of course, but after that I was going to make sure everyone knew what FuturTech was up to.

I parked the car in the large visitor parking area outside the FuturTech building, scornfully amused that a company that condoned murder and kidnap would be concerned enough to provide guests and customers with free parking. I really didn’t understand my own world at times.

I sat in the car for a few minutes, running over possible scenarios in my head before I made a solid plan of action. It was daylight, unlike the last time I had entered the building, and that would mean that it would be regular business hours for the company’s employees. Presumably, it was going to be harder to move about unseen.

I briefly considered using the maintenance entrance again, but discarded the idea after a bit of thought. Security on that door would have been doubled, making it nearly impossible to get in. With that option out of the picture, there was really only one logical move.

NaKaranth had called the front door a ‘trap for the idiots’. As it stood, though, going in legally was probably about the best thing I could do at the time. The doors would be open, and I could enter looking perfectly normal, so no one would look twice at me. I seriously doubted that anyone would even expect me to come in that way, much less at all, since I was supposedly dead.

I doubt NaKaranth would argue with my reasoning if he could have heard my plan, since it was his life on the line.

I got out of the car and made my way up to the building. It really was marvelous-- so tall and slim and perfect, with glittering windows and brand-new wall panels. Who would’ve been able to guess the sort of things the polished exterior was hiding?

I entered through the front door, into the bright, pretty lobby where I’d waited for my Lycanthropy session a week earlier. I was on edge, although I tried to hide it. I didn’t like the knowledge that any one of the people who surrounded me could be responsible for adding the contaminated catalyst to fuels to make people mutate. I especially didn’t like knowing that some of them may have been either directly or indirectly responsible for NaKaranth being taken away.

My eyes fell on the secretary’s desk, and an idea of the next step I should take began to appear hazily in my mind’s eye.

It would be a risk, but one I was perfectly willing to take.

I went up to the secretary’s desk, and instantly took note of the fact that the woman sitting there was the same redhead who’d been working the last time I’d been in the building during work hours. My heart pounded and my palms were damp as I hoped desperately that the secretary wasn’t privy to some of the more shady workings within the company. If she was... she would know that I was supposed to be dead, and my rescue mission would be over before it really began.

She smiled up at me. “Can I help you, sir?”

So far, so good. I forced a smile onto my face. “I’m Emmet Jackson. I came in for a start-up session with the Lycanthropy project last week, and was supposed to make it in again a few days later, but I had to work extra hours at my job, and I missed the appointment time. I was wondering if I could just come in for that session now, since I’m fairly sure it’ll be quick...” I said, making up the story as I went, hoping it didn’t sound too unbelievable.

“All right, I’ll look into it.” She looked up my name in a gigantic record book, and competently shuffled through a large array of files until she pulled out a sky-blue folder with my name neatly printed on a label on the front. She opened it and read aloud, “Emmet Jackson, considering becoming a participant for FuturTech’s Lycanthropy project, age twenty-three, Werewolf... you conducted your initial session with Doctor--”

“--Craig,” I finished. “Can I speak to her again?”

The secretary smiled brilliantly. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, if you’re planning on being fast. I’ll ring her up right now, so she can come and get you,” she said as she picked up the receiver of her phone.

“Oh, no. It’s fine,” I said, hopefully not too hastily. “I know the way there, and I don’t want to take up any more of her time than I absolutely have to.”

“Isn’t that sweet of you! Of course you can,” she said, putting the phone back into place. “Not many of our participants are so considerate.”

I winced as I turned and walked down the hallway. Yeah, considerate.

Although things seemed to be going pretty well so far, I could feel worry gnawing away at my insides. It couldn’t even attribute it all to me simply being understandably nervous about getting caught; I was actually more afraid of what state NaKaranth would be in when I found him. I tried to keep my mind off it as much as possible, but my imagination seemed to enjoy dredging up all manner of images to torment me. I was terrified to think I would arrive too late.

When I reached the door to Doctor Craig’s office, I knocked politely, mostly for appearance’s sake. It took a surprising amount of effort not to beat the door down, but that might have made people a little bit suspicious. I heard a “come in” from the other side, and entered.

Doctor Craig was sitting at her desk, scribbling away at a large and complicated diagram of a human body. Her light greyish-brown hair was disheveled, and she looked no better rested than she had a week ago. There were still deep shadows under her eyes.

She looked up, “Sorry. Who are you?”

“Emmet Jackson,” I said, closing the door and locking it. “I was in here for an appointment last week.”

She looked nervous, but she already seemed perpetually nervous, so I wasn’t sure. “I remember you! You did say you weren’t sure whether you were ready to go through with the tests or not, and you never showed up for your follow-up appointment. I assumed you had changed your mind.”

“I told the secretary that I wanted to make up for that appointment,” I said, leaning against the door. I felt absolutely awful. Here I was, ready to do anything necessary to find out where NaKaranth was, and I wasn’t even sure this woman knew anything about it, or was even guilty of anything. “I actually came for a completely different reason, though.”

“What would that be?”

There was just enough guilt in her voice to confirm that she did know something about what was going on. Maybe I had a chance.

“I want to know where you keep your test subjects,” I said simply. “I need to get into Doctor Fraser’s work space and find one of them.”

Her eyes widened, not just in shock, but also in... fear?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’d probably better leave,” she said quietly.

I snorted in anger. “I’m in no mood to do what this bloody company wants me to do!” I shouted. “You know something about what this company is up to, don’t you? You know exactly what Doctor Fraser is doing, because you’re part of it!”

She looked wearily up at me, still seated in the desk. “You know?”

I nodded curtly. “I know all about the Changelings, and what you were studying them for. Your wonderful boss, Doctor Fraser, tried to kill me for it, and he took my friend. I want him back. Now.”

“He’s not my employer,” Doctor Craig said in a surprisingly sharp voice. “Believe it or not, Mr. Jackson, our company is still interested in curing the Changelings. It is Doctor Fraser who decided to make that deal with the military, and create mutants in the first place. I wasn’t even aware of what he was doing until about a month ago, when he showed me one of the soldiers he had made. He was so pleased,” she said bitterly. “So pleased to have made the mess I was trying to clean up. And the worst part is, my research helped him do it.”

I frowned. If what the doctor was saying was true, then it was very possible that her apparent tiredness had resulted from her being unable to sleep at night, because of guilt for what she had done. If she felt bad, would she be willing to help me without me having to resort to violence?

“So you know about the catalyst, and the soldiers,” I said. “Really, I was mad when I found out what they were doing, but it really didn’t matter that much at first-- I certainly wasn’t going to do anything about it. But then he came and wrecked what little I had of my life, and now I’m going to tell everyone what’s going on. First, though, I have to find my friend, and to do that, I have to know where Doctor Fraser is keeping him. Tell me where.”

“You’re going to let the authorities know about the experiments?”

“I’m going to let everyone know,” I said angrily.

She sighed, and the lines on her face deepened. “A number of people who work in this company have no idea what is going on,” she said ruefully. “If you were to go through with this plan, however, I would be arrested alongside Doctor Fraser, as an accomplice. I knew exactly what he was doing, and never came forward. That can be interpreted as an obstruction of justice.

“Although... maybe that would be better,” she mused. “Maybe I deserve to be punished, for not telling the truth about what was happening. In a way, I’m worse than Doctor Fraser, because I actually knew that it was wrong, but kept quiet anyways.”

I held my breath as she pondered.

Eventually, she set down the pen she had been writing with on the diagram. Several drops of ink dripped onto the thick paper, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Doctor Fraser works on the eighth floor,” she said listlessly. “I’ve never been there before, but I know enough to avoid that place. If your friend is still alive--or even if he’s not-- he’ll be there.”

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Chapter Nineteen

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Nineteen: Beneath the Dust

I was considerably relieved to have managed to get some worthwhile information out of Doctor Craig without having to resort to brute force, and as I exited the room and made for the elevator, I began to wonder if I really would’ve had it in me to force answers out of someone. I wasn’t sure, but the idea made me queasy. I had already proved I was capable of killing another person in self-defense, and that was one experience I would rather not repeat. I really didn’t want to become the sort of person who used violence in every situation.

There were several people also in line for the elevator behind me, but none of them made any effort to enter once they saw the floor number I dialed in. They all looked nervous, and a bit alarmed at my desire to go there.

Doctor Fraser’s reputation proceeded him, it seemed. It looked like all, or at least many of the employees here lived in almost constant fear.

I felt my boiling hatred for the company lessen slightly, as it became more apparent that it wasn’t the organization as a whole who had done me wrong, but rather just a small group of individuals. I even began to pity people like Doctor Craig, who couldn’t sleep at night because they knew what was going on but were too afraid to come forward. It wasn’t easy to find jobs, and I supposed there were all kinds of things one could turn a blind eye to if it kept a bit of food on the table.

The elevator grates closed, and things began to move: the elevator went up, and my stomach plummeted. I didn’t think I’d ever be comfortable with leaving the ground.

Floor two...floor three....

My bullet wound ached a bit. I hadn’t done anything especially taxing yet, but the constant walking was bound to have an effect on it. Hopefully, I’d have this entire sordid affair over with before the pain began to really hinder me.

Floor four... floor five....

I fidgeted. I really didn’t have any sort of plan past getting into Doctor Fraser’s lab, I realized as the elevator carriage continued to climb. I hadn’t given a thought as to how I’d liberate a prisoner and still get out without arousing too many suspicions. I obviously couldn’t just walk out the front door, and the chances of me even getting that far were slim to none. I’d have to get past Doctor Fraser first, and I could tell that he was regrettably brilliant. He was insane and had no sense of what was ethical and unethical, but there had to be some reason as to why the company put up with him. I suspected that a great many of FuturTech’s most incredible breakthroughs had been made by him, or with his assistance. I was only just beginning to wonder what the cost had been for each fast new airship, each gallon of engine fuel that the company produced for the public.

Floor six, then floor seven passed by...

I took a deep breath.

Floor Eight.

The glossy metal gates opened, and I stepped out into a pleasantly cool hallway. It was plain and intended for work only, like Doctor Craig’s office, but the walls were a tasteful blue and the tiles were an alternating checkerboard pattern of black-and white. It looked like nothing more than a perfectly cleaned hospital hallway, and not even the least bit sinister. I had been expecting something showy, or maybe a dark and evil lair of some sort. Not this... normality.

The hallway was empty, but I stepped as lightly as I could, convinced that my footsteps would echo loud enough to bring Doctor Fraser’s soldiers running at me if I so much as put my foot down to quickly. My paranoia was kicking in again.

I passed by several doors, each one labeled clearly with a different name-- storage, technological planning, organic chemical mixing...

I stopped as I reached that door. It did sound a little bit promising, and I had to be thorough with my search, or I might miss something important. I opened the door.

The room was tiny, and mostly filled with different-sized beakers and tubes of coloured liquids; not at all what I wanted to see. There was one scientist working inside, a short, pudgy man with a very small amount of white hair clinging desperately to his scalp around his ears, who looked extremely startled to see me in the doorway.

“You don’t work here, do you--”

He broke off quite suddenly as I jumped at him and got him in a headlock. I was incredibly careful not to strangle him, as I had done with the soldier, but he didn’t know that. He wailed and struggled and carried on in general until I was forced to nudge the door closed with my foot just to make sure no one heard the racket he was making.

“Shut up,” I said in what I hoped would pass as a foreboding voice. “I’m only going to kill you if you refuse to cooperate with me, or if you don’t stop that awful screeching.”

He fell silent immediately, and his struggling stopped.

“Very good. Now, I’m looking for someone.” I said authoritatively. “A prisoner who was brought here... probably two days ago. He wouldn’t look like a normal Changeling to you. He’s skinny, with brown hair and a pair of almost floppy pointed ears.” A normal Changeling--oh, the irony. I was now counting on the fact that the scientists had at least noticed that he didn’t have ordinarily-shaped ears. “Have you seen him?”

“Umm... well, sir, I’m....”

“Have you?” I snarled menacingly.

He quailed at the sound of my voice. “I’m... not exactly sure,” he stuttered. “If he’s here, he’ll... be in Doctor Fraser’s main test lab.”

“Where is that?”

“Just... just down the hall, s-sir. It’s the room on the end.”

Hmm, all right, then,” I released him. “Do you have any keys?”

He shakily reached into the pocket of his lab coat, and I noticed that beads of perspiration rolled down his red face. The ring of keys he took out jingled in time with his quivering.

I took the keys from him, and asked, “Which one locks this door? If you lie, I’ll change my mind about not killing you.”

He eagerly pointed to a small silver key. “That’s the one, right there. And that one,” he pointed to a larger brass key, eager to give me more reason to spare him, “opens Doctor Fraser’s lab.”

I nodded. “Thank you very much.”

I left the room, and locked the door with the silver key. That was one scientist was out of the picture, and I hadn’t even had to kill him.

I made my way quickly down the hall after that, ignoring the other doors that I passed. The speed made my ribs hurt, but now that I knew where I was going, I was full of adrenaline. I finally came to the room at the end of the hall, and found the door to be locked. When I used the key the plump scientist had recommended, however, the door clicked smoothly open.

My musings on the advantages of scaring people for information were interrupted by the scene that appeared in front of me. Doctor Fraser’s lab looked as much like it belonged in a hospital as the corridor outside, but the far walls were almost entirely made out of glass, and looked out spectacularly over the rest of the city. The majority of the glass was located above the thick, downy layer of smog that engulfed the city, and the sky was a breathtaking summer blue above the dust. Sunlight filtered thinly through the windows, and fell neatly across the smooth floor.

I couldn’t believe something that beautiful could exist under so much filth. Or in this case, just above it, out of reach.

I was somewhat surprised that someone like Doctor Fraser, after all the terrible things I had seen him do, was still human enough to appreciate such a beautiful sight.

I tore my eyes away from the endless blue, and instead allowed them to rest on the actual contents of the room. It was harder than it should have been, but I saw next drove any thought of the sky out of my mind altogether.

There was a line of hospital beds on one end of the room, and two of them were occupied. I ran over, my the sound of my heart pounding loud in my ears. My mouth was dryer than sandpaper by the time I reached them, and I was almost too terrified of what I’d see to actually look.

When I finally gathered my courage, I looked at the first bed. It was occupied, but not with the Navigator. It was the soldier I had killed days previously, and my throat tightened to see the pale corpse with purple bruises standing out plainly on his neck.

Well, of course they wouldn’t have left his body on the street, I reasoned to myself, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. The Changeling-soldiers were supposed to be kept secret. But what really bothered me was the fact that the body was here, in this place. What were they planning on doing with it?

I glanced over at the other bed, and saw a familiar shape with a shock of brown hair, pointed ears and a slim tail.

NaKaranth.

I felt triumphant as I moved toward him, but my optimistic feelings grew steadily weaker the closer I got. His eyes were closed, I now saw, but not closed naturally in sleep. They were all scrunched up, as if he was in pain, and his skin was extremely pale. He was curled up tightly in a ball, as if trying to hide from whatever was happening to him.

I touched his forehead, and it was far too hot. He had a fever.

I tried to take his pulse, but the wrist I chose had an IV needle stuck in it. I snarled to myself, fury building up inside me towards the person who had done this, and was about to pull the needle out when I heard a voice behind me.

“You really don’t want to be doing that.”

I spun, and saw Doctor Fraser sitting at a desk off to the side of the room, reading a thick manuscript with his feet propped up on the desk. I hadn’t even noticed him there. It was still such a relaxed, casual position that I almost didn’t recognize him, but I would know that voice anywhere.

I felt like I should’ve been afraid of him, since he had already proven that he could shoot me and not feel guilty in the slightest, but I was too angry to be scared.

“Oh, I think I do,” I snapped.

He looked up from his reading and grinned, or at least I thought he did. He had obtained a new scarf, which hid his face every bit as effectively as his old one. “No, you don’t. Trust me on this one.”

“Trust you? You shot me!” I shouted.

He sighed. “Yet here you stand, alive. I am very impressed, by the way; not only at your miraculous recovery, but also at the fact that you actually managed to get this far.”

I snorted. “So you expected me to come here?”

“No, I expected you to die,” he said, in a perfectly reasonable voice, as if I had just made an obvious mistake and he was simply correcting me. “I just imagined that if you could, you’d make some insane attempt to rescue your friend, and probably fail miserably early on. You surprised me. But now that you’re here, I’ll let you go back the way you came, as a sort of reward for being more interesting than the average werewolf.”

I glared at him, wishing I could’ve become a Changeling with the ability to burn people to a crisp with my eyes. “I’m not leaving without him.”

“Believe me, you’ll want to,” he replied, without missing a beat. “Want to know why?”

“Why?” I hissed. Anything to buy a little more time for me to think of a way out of this situation--

He stretched out his arms, and folded them behind his head in a laid-back manner. “You know, Mr. Jackson, we’re not the monsters you seem to think we are. Yes, we created the Changelings because the military offered to pay us a great deal of money for the perfect soldiers, and we needed to study people who had the abilities they wanted. Yes, we caused problems for a great many people, and we’re willing to admit that. Better, we’re doing something about it.”

“By offering to change us back?” I asked drily.

He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, that’s it exactly. Since we’ve completed the soldiers now, we no longer need Changelings to study. It’s only natural that we want to turn them back. In fact, we’re actually extremely close to finding a cure now, but there’s a slight problem.”

Despite how much I hated Doctor Fraser, despite what he’d done to me and NaKaranth, I felt my heart beat faster with excitement. I wanted a cure, and I wanted to know what could possibly stand between me and getting one.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

Doctor Fraser wordlessly pointed his finger at me.

“What? Me?” I exclaimed. “What did I do to keep you from getting a cure?” There was no way, I had done nothing that would hurt the chances of FuturTech curing Changelings-- I couldn’t have.

“Nothing, yet,” he said calmly, lowering his hand. “You won’t do anything, either, because you’re going to leave your friend, and walk out of here the way you came.”

“Not likely!” I snapped. “I’m taking him with me, and you can just keep on doing whatever you’re doing until you find that cure you’re always talking about. I won’t bother you, you won’t bother me.”

“If you leave here with him, you’ll never be human again!” the doctor snarled.

I had never seen him lose his temper before. Ever.

“What do you mean?” I asked slowly. “How is--”

Doctor Fraser chuckled darkly. “See that Non-Human there?”

I looked. He looked so sick, so... still. I wasn’t used to seeing him not running or jumping or talking nonstop. The person on the bed didn’t look all that much like the NaKaranth I knew.

“Yes,” I said, venom dripping from my voice.

“He’s your cure.”

Chapter Twenty

SPOILER: Click to show

Chapter Twenty: The Cure


“What?” I snarled angrily. “Just say it to me clearly: what does NaKaranth have to do with any of this?”

On the inside, my thoughts were a thick slough of indecision. What if what Doctor Fraser said was right? What if by taking NaKaranth away, I’d destroy any chances of ever being human again?

“Do you know how you became a werewolf in the first place?” the scientist asked, completely ignoring my question. “When you crashed your car in that race a year ago, its fuel tank burst. You got gasoline all over yourself-- it’s the fuel coming into contact with your bare skin that allows the tainted catalyst into your bloodstream, where it goes to the rest of your body, and...changes you. You were a full werewolf within a couple of hours of reaching the hospital.”

“Why does this matter now?”

“You need to understand how the changes take hold, if you’re going to understand what I’m trying to tell you. As I was saying, mutations themselves are quick and painless. Now, your friend here was exposed to at least twice the amount of catalyst as you were, about a day and a half ago--”

My teeth sharpened into fangs; I was utterly furious. “You did what?”

Doctor Fraser carried on, nonchalant. “I decided to see if I could turn him into a Changeling. Needless to say, he’s still--well, not human, but not a werewolf or a Walker, either, and the catalyst has had more than ample time to take effect. He has, however, developed a rather high fever. This shows me that his body is treating the chemicals in the same way as it would an ordinary infection.”

I was silent. The significance of what he was saying was beginning to make sense to me, but I don’t think I really wanted to believe it. Not after I had finally made a conscious decision of where I wanted my life to go. I had been ready to do the best I could with what I had, which was a case of Lycanthropy, and nothing else.

“He’s completely immune to mutation, Mr. Jackson,” Doctor Fraser said simply, as if he wasn’t discussing something that could change my life forever. “From here, it would be a relatively simple matter to determine a way to isolate whatever it is that gives him resistance, study it, perform tests, and replicate it. That’s your cure.

“But I can’t do that if you go walking out of here with the only specimen I have to work with, so I’m going to give you an extremely generous break. Walk out of here alone, and not only will I let you live, but you’ll also be able to go back to being human in a few months, after I’ve had time to finish my tests. Extremely generous, yes? A sort of thank-you for helping me out.”

He could’ve offered me anything, anything other than that, and I would’ve turned it down on the spot. But a sure-fire cure... that was the one thing I wanted. I wanted it so much it hurt.

I had been thinking, when I had been with Mandy, of possible ways I could pull my life together as a werewolf. It would be extremely difficult, and there would still be people who hated me because of what I was, and I’d have to be so careful--always on guard--to make sure I never lost control of my emotions.

But with the possibility of being cured... life would be so easy. I’d be accepted as a car racer again, and probably even be adored after retelling the tale of how I had triumphed over my terrible condition a few times. Things would go back to the way they had been before.

And it wasn’t even just me who would be better off: everyone else who’d been afflicted with Lycanthropy would be able to return to normal as well. Surely the good of the hundreds of Changelings was worth one small life.

“What would happen to NaKaranth--my friend?” I asked dully. I couldn’t think; the answer seemed so glaringly obvious, but I had to know for sure. I had to know all that I possibly could.

Doctor Fraser smiled slightly, and shook his head. I knew then that NaKaranth’s life would be forfeit. He wouldn’t survive whatever tests the scientist was planning.

“darn it,” I muttered. “darn it, darn it.”

I had been so close.

Doctor Fraser seemed only slightly puzzled at my abrupt cursing. I turned away from the scientist with difficulty, and gently pulled the IV needle from my friend’s wrist.

Doctor Fraser’s look of confident satisfaction melted first into surprise, then disbelief, and eventually faded into incredulity. “What are you doing?”

“If I was going to say that it’s worth it to kill one person to benefit the many, that would make me the same as you. If I were to say that and knowingly condemn one of my friends to death, I’d be something, much, much worse,” I said, keeping my voice calm, but it was all I could do not to scream, or burst into tears over losing something that had been so important to me for so long. At times, the thought of a cure was the only thing that had convinced me to stay living. It had given me my drive, and now it was gone.

“You are the biggest fool I have ever met!” Doctor Fraser laughed uproariously. “I thought you were different from the others--interesting. You knew that there wasn’t any black and white, just different shades of grey, and yet you still judge everything to be either good or evil. If I were to judge you, Mr. Jackson, what would you really be? A drunkard? A sinner? A murderer, even? What right does someone like you have to judge me?”

I looked down, gritting my teeth. The truth hurt. “I don’t,” I said. “And I don’t intend to do any judging. I just want to leave now, and go and do whatever I can with whatever time I have. It’s the best any of us can do.”

“Oh, just stop preaching,” he snapped, and hurtled himself at me. I fell backwards, landing hard against the floor. The wind was knocked clean from my lungs.

“You’re lucky I don’t want to use my gun,” he panted savagely, “Might break the nice windows.”

I kicked him away from me. “You place more value on those than on all the lives you take?” I spat.

“Ah, but you see, the windows are so beautiful,” he chuckled lightly, sending a cold shiver down my spine. “Not like humanity. Filth and greed are what defines us as a whole, and I’m the one who feeds the fire. I know I’m no better than anyone else, so I don’t try to be. I act as I’m expected to.”

I stood, rocking unsteadily. My injury from earlier throbbed with pain. “That doesn’t make it all right,” I gasped.

He shrugged. “Of course it doesn’t. Why would it?” He ran at me again, aiming a fist at my head. I ducked backwards, and heard the blow whistle through the air above me.

As soon as he was recovering, I launched an attack of my own, which he countered effectively, dancing out of my field of vision.

“As you may notice, this isn’t the first time I’ve gotten into a spat with a werewolf,” he remarked, as I spun to face him again. How had he managed to get behind me? “You may recall the marks on my face--that’s how I got them. I found out later that because of the unfortunate combination of werewolf and Walker traits I’d given myself, they’d never heal properly. Still, it was a good fight, and I learned quite a lot.”

“I’m sure,” I snarled, allowing my claws to extend. Another weapon was always useful. I spun to attack him--only to find that he was no longer there.

Something solid struck the back of my head, and my vision went dark. I fell to my knees, stunned, and looked up to see the scientist holding his pistol by the nozzle, having used it as a club. A popular method, I was beginning to realize.

“If you were going to play unfair,” he gestured towards my claws, “so was I.”

He pulled back the hammer, and pointed the gun at my head.

“I thought you said... the windows....” I panted.

He smiled at me. “I’m being careful. If I shoot from here, there’s no chance of me damaging one of my beauties.”

Oh no, he wasn’t being careful. His back was to the window; he wasn’t being nearly careful enough. That would cost him dearly.

I leapt.

I planted both of my fists into his stomach, and he doubled up. My momentum carried us across the short distance to the window, and we were hurtling backwards through the air. At the last possible second, however, I pulled back and managed to halt my breakneck motion.

Doctor Fraser, however, flew full into the window and crashed through, leaving a jagged scar in the perfect pane of glass. Shards scattered out into the sunlight along with him, and glinted in the golden sunshine as they fell.

Without a word he was gone, fallen into the layer of smog. And beyond that, eight floors of open air.

And then there were two... my mind put in for me. Two people who are dead because of you. Are you proud to have the ability to cause pain?

I tore my eyes away from the broken window with more difficulty than I would’ve ever imagined. After all I had said to myself about not becoming a killer, it was well on its way to becoming my defining trait.

Emmet Jackson. Drunkard, sinner, murderer.

In some ways, Doctor Fraser had known me better than anyone else had. It was a disturbing notion. I looked at my unstained hands. Maybe I was a monster in every way--

“Emm!”

A pale and disheveled, but nonetheless familiar person bounded up to me and enveloped me in a hug. I was so surprised I hugged back, just this once. The contact, simple as it was, was exactly what I needed right now to take away from the hollowness I felt inside. I forgot to mope, or feel sorry for myself, or contemplate a drink of something strong enough to knock me out until Christmas.

“You should sit down before you fall down,” I accused, somewhat hypocritically, since I could barely stand either. “You shouldn’t be walking around in this state.”

NaKaranth made no move to pull away. “I thought... I thought you were dead.”

“Yeah, well,” I hesitated, unsure of what to say next. “I came through okay. I’m sorry, though, about... everything.”

He really didn’t look good. Ill and weak and in dire need of something along the lines of food. I felt like it was all my fault.

“Stop it,” he said, probably reading my emotions again. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. “You don’t have to apologize for what one member of your race did.”

So that was all. It wasn’t my fault in the plainest sense, but if I had sold NaKaranth out, then it would’ve been. I would’ve been responsible for the death of the alien, but Doctor Fraser would have lived. Since I refused... well, things had gone the opposite way.

I could’ve been cured and had a life of fame, but instead I had an annoying alien tagalong who would probably destroy all of my appliances in a vain attempt to make them “better”. A more clinical, rational part of my mind thought I was out of my mind for refusing Doctor Fraser’s offer.

But standing there, at that moment in time, I knew it was all worth it.

I let go, and walked slowly over to the late scientist’s desk, all the while favoring my aching ribs. There was a phone on the wall next to the desk, and I smiled when I finally got a good look at the manuscript that he’d been reading before I had arrived.

It was the file we had stolen, which they had stolen back.

I dialed up the police hotline, and explained that someone had just fallen through a window at the FuturTech building. The police assured me they’d come as quickly as possible, although they sounded a little bit skeptical. They probably wondered if it was even an authentic call, or some sort of joke. They wouldn’t be thinking that for long.

I hung up the phone, and made sure the file was in plain view on the desk, so the police would have no trouble finding it. My own little way of thanking the company for everything it had done: giving the police enough evidence to put them away forever.

“So, should we leave before anyone finds out we were involved?” I asked, in a passably bright voice. It would probably be awhile before I was feeling recovered enough from the experience to really be happy, but I felt... okay. Hopeful.

NaKaranth cast me a dubious glance. “The less-noticeable exits would be the best to try to use, but I’m pretty sure they’ll all be locked.”

I held up my stolen keys proudly.

“You’re a quick learner,” the alien smiled.

Epilogue. ^__^ It's uber-short.

SPOILER: Click to show

Epilogue

Several things occurred shortly after, as a direct result of what I had done.

Three months later, about twelve genetically modified humans were taken into custody, and the government had the military put under an investigation. A good half of the staff who had been employed in the former-company FuturTech were sentenced to various prison terms for unethical experiments and obstruction of justice. A great many others were let off with fines, but even those who were deemed completely innocent were punished. With the closure of one of the largest companies in the City and indeed, the world, hundreds of people were put out of jobs.

Technological development ground to a standstill. There were still Changelings living in every nook and corner, trying to scrape together a living in a world that was unfriendly to them. In many ways things were worse than they’d ever been, but even good can come out of a situation that seems impossibly bleak.

With the absence of FuturTech’s massive factories, the smog began to lift for the first time in almost twenty years.

Even then, I couldn’t pretend that everything was great. A lot of people had been hurt by my choice, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It doesn’t make me evil, but I don’t regret what I did.

I walked along the street one day, enjoying the way the sun streamed through the thin clouds of dust so much more freely than it had before. Although it wasn’t perfect weather in the slightest, since winter was just around the bend and the air was chilly, I was blissfully happy. I walked side-by-side with Mandy, our hands close but not quite touching. It was a comfortable sort of companionship.

I missed NaKaranth, but he was off again, doing whatever it was that he did. I suspected he was visiting ‘home’, but he never said one way or another, and avoided the question whenever possible. I had a feeling he’d be back someday, though, since he had promised me that he would keep searching for a cure on his own. I had told him everything Doctor Fraser had told me, and I sometimes wondered if he didn’t feel guilty for making me lose my best chance at humanity.

Danielle still liked to say horrible things to me, but I no longer pestered her for potions every time we met. I had finally done what people had been hoping I would all along: I had accepted my lot in life, and was going to do what I could about it.

A car drove by. A gorgeous red car that looked to me like it was sent down to earth by God himself.

Mandy frowned. “Emmet, isn’t that...?”

I grinned, and took her hand. “Yes, it is. Not only that, but it will also be mine, very soon.”

So I was lying. But it didn’t really matter, since I had my whole life left to find a way to get my hands on that car again.

And a lot of things could change in that time.


THE END

Well, if you stuck with it and read the entire doggone thing, I applaud your patience, and hope you may have found it at least slightly entertaining. I'm pretty happy with it despite its all too numerous flaws, and really think that the twenty-five days I spent writing it were worth it.

Thanks for any comments!

[Rikku]

^_^

<3

... Yup.

[Kathleen]

Awesome. =D

My jealousy knows no bounds. xD

[Shadaras]

Brilliant. ^_^ ..wonderful story, Trilly, even if it took forever for me to read it. *blames her computer*

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Aww, thanks so much. ^^ It's high praise coming from you three, since I absolutely love all your stuff.

And Shade... over 100k words is freakin' awesome. I'll have to read it all sometime. ^__^

[Shadaras]

Grah. This page takes forever to load, for some reason. Anyway. If you want me to send you In Their Eyes to read, I'd be happy to. It's only 85k of the 100k, but that's plenty. xD

[Trilly (18426 words)]

I'd love to read it. ^__^ If you could send it over, that'd be great.

The really sad thing is... I'm already looking for ideas for next years' novel, if I do decide to do one. It feels weird to not be doing one right now, after a month's worth of habit clicked in.

[Shadaras]

Do you have a email or something I could send it to? I mean, I suppose I could break it up into sections and PM it to you or something, but email would be easier.

xD ..I'm doing that too. Which is highly amusing, in some ways, and just sad, in others.

[Trilly (18426 words)]

Oh, I thought everyone could see my email address anyways. ^^ I'll send it to you.

*Looking forward to seeing it.*