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LYKOS Second Skin Chapter 19 (Fracture) The lessons Wes had endured growing up had been many and they had been brutal. Every variable he had to keep in the forefront of his mind had been drilled into him - not a single one could be missed - and on top of all that, he had to be ready and focused to respond to any new stimuli without any lag time. It was almost painfully ironic how few of those variables applied when hunting prey in an underground labyrinth. There was no wind direction. There was nothing to mask sound or scent. It all came down to responding faster than supernatural creatures that had every physical advantage.

Wes moved along carefully, keeping his feet flexible to roll his weight and lessen the sounds of his movements. His gun was at the ready, his senses were primed. Wes came up to the edge of a hallway and froze, hearing a single scuff of something on the floor... hardened rubber. The werewolves were barefoot. Wes brought the muzzle of his weapon up, aiming it at the wall ahead. He slipped a finger to the side of the weapon and tapped the laser sight for a split second, sending a single green dot out.

There were only one of two outcomes to giving away his position. Wes aimed his weapon, ready to blow anyone away that came around the corner, but his eyes remained glued to the spot he'd marked. Another green dot appeared two inches below where he had marked. Wes smiled. He wouldn't have to make the first move, the other hunter would come out of cover first. One of Wes's men stepped out, looking a bit haggard but none the worse for wear. Wes reached out to clap him on his shoulder in solidarity.

"Thank god, Franklin, I knew you'd make it." Wes whispered.

"What's the plan, boss?" The other hunter asked, looking concerned. Wes looked over his shoulder, checking his flank before looking back.

"There's only one way out at this point and they're going to make a break for it." Wes said, taking a moment to reload his weapon, "We're going to cut them off and keep them from escaping any way we can."

"And the others?" Franklin asked. Wes licked his lower lip to wet it.

"Any we can save, we will, but they know what's at stake. If those wolves get out, they'll cause havoc. We have to protect everyone outside of this place, and we have to keep our brothers and sisters from having to deal with the fallout if we fail. We'll get through this, alright? One last hunt, and then we'll be done with these monsters." Wes said with a grin. Franklin nodded assertively at that, rising back to his full height, ready to take point. Wes knew his speech had been good, but he wished he'd had the benefit of inspiring himself as much as he'd inspired Franklin.

Wes edged past his partner, keeping his eyes peeled for any last-minute ambushes. The wolves had retreated so fast, he had to believe the masked stranger had advanced intelligence. They didn't have a lot of time, but they knew the lay of the land. Wes made it to the control console for the dock, inputting his authorization before bypassing the normal release. The heavy door shuddered before it clicked, leaving Franklin to take up the defensive. Wes grabbed a hold of the reinforced door and put all of his body weight into it, managing to get it to budge just wide enough to squeeze through.

Once he made it to the other side and did a quick sweep, Wes turned his weapon around, aiming it through the barrier. Franklin followed after as fast as he could. In a split second, Wes lowered his weapon and moved in tandem with Franklin to force the door shut and slide a crate between the lip of the door and the frame. Wes input one last command to lock the door back up behind them.

"Find cover and take up a position on that wall there." Wes pointed, "They'll be coming through from that direction.

"There's no door there..." Franklin said in confusion. Wes shrugged.

"Not anymore, but I have a feeling that's not going to stop them. Get ready. I'm going to rig some surprises." Wes said with a broadening smile. Regardless of the outcome, he was going to have some fun and make the monsters pay for every inch they wanted to take.

**** Unease... It was the only word Marco could think of to fit how he felt, but it was still so far from the mark. He'd been through so much in such a short time, going from the lowest lows to the highest highs, and now... he was following a stranger in a mask, wearing what seemed to be some sort of modern day superhero outfit with an electric shepherd's staff. Everything about the situation was laughable, terrifying, confusing, hopeful... and in the end, it all boiled down to a feeling of unease.

If there was one aspect of it that felt like a relief, it was that this stranger seemed to know where he was going. If there were two aspects, it was that the stranger was supernatural. He didn't smell human, not completely, but he didn't smell like a werewolf either. Marco's brow furrowed as he tried to figure it out, to sort through his senses, to put meanings to the natural impulses. There was the scent of dried grass, a bit of a tang like alkaline... and a soft, subtle spice. Marco's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my god..." Marco whispered, shaking his head.

"What is it?" The stranger asked without looking back, too focused on making sure the pathway ahead was clear. Marco shook his head slightly. The voice was all wrong, the height too, and the shoulder width. Marco exhaled a bit.

"Sorry, I think being trapped down here is getting to me." he muttered. Udo reached up, resting a hand on the back of Marco's shoulder.

"We'll get out of here. We've already taken out a bunch of them, there can't be that many left out there, right?" Udo asked. The stranger turned, the glowing eyes of his mask scanning over the werewolves.

"My guess is four to six left, but they'll be dangerous. They're more motivated than ever. This place was designed to keep as low of a profile as it could and to limit access points. They'll still be waiting for us up ahead." the stranger remarked.

"You're a keeper, right? And if you say anything to the effect of not quite or not yet, I'll punch you." Marco said. A light chuckle came from beneath the stranger's mask.

"Yeah... I'm a keeper, a protector really. Same vein." he replied, checking the intersection one last time before continuing on. The werewolves remained as quiet as possible as they crossed, waiting to resume their talking until they had more cover on the other side.

"And you work for Futurza?" Marco asked. At that the stranger paused, looking back again. There was a hesitation before a slight nod.

"None of this was supposed to happen, to get this far. There are too many moving parts. The secret got out, the public learned of the werewolves. The plan had to change to minimize the impact of how the discovery changed things for everyone." The stranger explained.

"So you've risked your cover to come in here and get us out?" Marco asked.

"More than just our cover. These hunters are some of the best out there, I don't think they'll stop at just firing me if we fail." he said softly before pointing ahead to a recessed portion of the wall, "That's our way out."

"That... is a wall." Udo said simply. One of the other wolves behind them smirked. The stranger shook his head and stretched to his full height, brandishing his staff. He used the base to tap along the wall, listening to the sound it made before he heard a hollow echo. The wolves watched in confusion before the keeper jammed his staff into the wall, sending bits of plaster scattering to the floor.

Using both arms for leverage, the stranger began wrenching the staff down, sending more pieces of plaster crumbling away, revealing a metal surface behind it - a surface marked with the same kind of numerals as the various doors in the facility. Marco moved over to the other side of the recessed wall, pounding his fist along the plaster until he heard the same kind of echo. Once he found it, he plunged his claws into the softer surface and started to cut and drag his way through.

Pieces fell away, then larger chunks until a square access hatch was revealed. Dust hung in the air from their demolition, the powder and debris scattered out across the floor. There was no dignified way to hide their mess, only the option to press forward. Udo sniffed the air and turned, looking back the way they had come from. He was still trying to learn what certain scents meant, but that was one he knew well - fear.

"There are still hunters out there, going after the other wolves... Duncan's out there too." Udo said softly. Marco looked a little deflated at that.

"There will come a point where I double back to make sure the other wolves get out. I'm not just evacuating everyone, I'm going to bring this place down so no one ever has to suffer in this place again." the stranger said softly. Marco nodded at that.

"Then what we need to do is focus on clearing the path out of here. Then you can guide the wolves out." the alpha said with resolution.

"It won't be easy. They'll know we're coming, they'll even figure we're coming this way because the main door will be blocked. They'll open fire as soon as we break through and you won't get close enough to use your claws until we get them to back off. You're going to have to use this." The stranger asked, offering Marco the gun they had taken from the hunters. Marco took it with a bit of apprehension, but he understood the need.

"So, we'll get the door open, let them shoot. Shoot back long enough to get them to duck down as we check for cover. We're going to have to fight for every inch and keep as much between us and them until we can get to them, right?" Marco asked. Despite being the Alpha, he had little to no combat experience. He had to rely on the stranger for a game plan. Marco waited for an answer, but the masked figure seemed to be focusing on something else entirely, something much further away than the access hatch. "What is it?" Marco asked softly. The masked figure looked back at Marco and even with his features hidden, Marco could sense an unease of his own, but it wasn't fear. It was something more optimistic.

"I feel something. Something's different. Something's... here." He said softly, turning back toward the access hatch. The keeper raised his hand slowly and rested it on the metal, lowering his head slightly. The illuminated slits on the mask made it appear as if he was ever watching, but it was clear he was focused on whatever he was sensing nearby.

A moment passed, then several. The keeper shut out the world directly around him, pushing his awareness out, further, trying to connect. It felt like a strong wind was blowing over his body, curving around his skin, trying to blow him back as he closed the distance in his mind. He left behind the fear and doubt of the werewolves, even past the seething hate and paranoia of the hunters, reaching out further and further until he felt it, until he felt him.

"Haechi..." the stranger whispered, his smile unseen beneath the mask.

**** The sunset along the bayou should have been a beautiful experience, one to cherish and treasure. The sky was painted with long streaks of pink and gold and cream as the last shreds of daylight tried to hang on against the tireless march of night. Even the air smelled alive, fresh, living. Winter time was different in Texas, and this day was like no other, but all of it felt wrong to Fletcher. It was a painful, beautiful, terrible time and his boyfriend was in danger. His friends, his family, werewolves of all kinds and creeds, and they were the only ones that could help.

Fletcher closed his eyes and rested his hand on the large metal barrier, the last obstacle keeping them from their loved ones. They'd come so far, they'd done so much, and they were so close. Fletch could feel it, he could feel... them? The sensation was startling, enough that Fletch yanked his hand back away from the metal. In an instant he had felt like he was in two places at once, he'd felt the stuffy, humid air of the base on his skin, and then it disappeared just as fast.

"Are you alright?" Yom asked from the side of the ramp, noticing Fletcher jump.

"Yeah, I just... I guess I'm on edge." Fletcher answered, moving back over, "Any progress?" he asked, crouching down. Yom shook his head, looking back at the mess he'd made. They had found a small panel in the wall with cables and diodes behind it, but there wasn't anything to interact with. No switches, no levers, no buttons.

"I can't make heads or tails of this. It looks like a spider web to me." Yom sighed.

"It probably works on some NFC or infrared frequency. Remote their way in to the secret base." Fletcher murmured. Yom growled, bearing his inhuman fangs.

"I hate this. I can fight hunters, I can't fight wires." Yom snarled.

"I know, but we have to figure out something before Cira gets back with our rides." Fletcher said, taking a breath, "Have you ever hotwired a car?" he asked. Yom's eyes widened.

"Have you?!" he asked. Fletcher grinned a mischievous smile, crouching down as he dipped his hand into the mess of wires.

"This is either going to go great, or we're going to make things worse." Fletch said. Yom shook his head.

"It couldn't get much worse. We have to try." Yom said. Fletcher nodded at that and took a breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He took another breath in, then out. In, then out. He thought about Marco and Udo, about all the wolves that were taken from the canyon. He thought about how he'd been powerless to help them, inches away from danger, hiding. He'd never feel that way again. He was going to do whatever it took to get his pack back and keep them safe.

With a flick of his hand, Fletcher's claws emerged from his fingertips, honing into sharper and finer points than Yom's werewolf claws. As Fletcher opened his eyes, there was a strong citrine glow that rivaled the last embers of sunset around them. Yom watched in quiet awe as Fletcher's cheeks grew fuzzier, hair spilling out with ease. His upper lip pushed out a bit, making room for his thickening tusks as they descended downward, taking on their saber tooth form. Fletcher looked down at his claws, moving his head back and forth, even spotting a patch of brown hair covering his chin.

It was an exhilarating moment and it had come so easily. It was everything he'd wanted for so long, even if it was a bit different than what he'd imagined. But Fletcher knew it wasn't time to relish his change. It was time to put it to good use. With a quick flick of his hand, he sliced through the first few wires. Yom reached out, rubbing Fletcher's shoulder.

"You can do this." Yom said gently. Fletcher looked at Artyom, appreciating the support. They'd been through so much, he knew he'd never have made it without Yom's strength.

"I can do this. We can do this." Fletcher said, cutting another few wires with his claws. Most of them were coated in plain black sheathes, but there was one that had white dots along the length. With any luck, that was a line with power. Fletcher took hold of one end, then grabbed a different wire and brought the two together. As night spread across the bayou like a blanket, one bright flash of light erupted in the darkness, followed soon after by another.

**** The recessed wall shuddered with the impact, then it cracked. There was no subtle way to push through. The pieces fell away in fragments before the access hatch scraped its way open, already receiving a hail fire of bullets. Sparks rang off of the metal as the door was struck and clouds of plaster erupted from the false wall. It had been a necessity of construction to have a way to move supplies in and out, but for security it had been important to restrict access. Apparently, they hadn't restricted it enough.

Wes had the honor of the opening salvo, but he was the distraction. The wolves knew where he was, not Franklin. Wes peeked over the edge of the catwalk he was using but had to pull back as a muzzle flashed from the crack of the doorway. Bullets ricocheted off of the metal lattice on the upper level. The hunter dropped, having to pray he wouldn't take a stray shot. He crawled back to the edge and fired back towards the access hatch.

It would have been a stretch to consider it a game of cat and mouse. It wasn't even a case of hunter versus prey. This was a battle between predators, two different kinds of hunters each trying to ensure their own survival. Wes chased thoughts out of his mind about what got him into this situation. He had to focus on how to get out of it. It was still manageable at this point, there was still hope. He just had to keep the heathens from storming the gate.

Across the dock, Marco felt a lot more concerned. He could smell the gunpowder from the weapon, he could feel the heat against his fingertips. It was sensory overload for his hearing. No doubt Fletcher would say that was why there were no movies about werewolves wielding automatic weaponry. Marco smiled despite himself. He had to do this for Fletcher, to get back to him and Yom and any chance of a normal life.

With only a short moment to steady himself, Marco looked out and opened fire, letting it rain out across the catwalk in a wide sweeping arc. Wes stopped firing long enough to duck back down, allowing Marco to charge out of the hatch, keeping low, making his way towards a large cargo container full of supplies. He'd made it about two thirds of the way when a burning, singing heat erupted through his shoulder and hit the wall behind him.

Franklin grinned at his lucky strike, but the weapon was just warming up. The first shot had been slow, but the second came faster, the third faster still. The machine sped up as Marco slid down behind the cargo container, but the rain of bullets was far from over. Franklin's arc cut through the cargo container like corrugated cardboard, punching holes and splintering out a cloud of wooden dust. Whatever was inside was absorbing the weapons fire, though a few shots came out at random angles.

The hunter didn't slow. Slugs punched through the false wall, chipping away at it before embedding in the real barrier behind it. Marco looked back at the way he had come, smelling the blood leaking from his shoulder, the burning pain of his body trying to put itself back together. The plaster was chipped away, the bullets eating into the metal barrier behind it. Sparks flew, bullet holes denting the superstructure.

The seconds passed before the heavy gun halted. There was a rattling, clicking. The hunter had to be reloading. Marco knew the other one was ready for that, for him, but the others were depending on him. Marco slipped around to the far side, nursing his bad shoulder. He was breathing hard, his hot breath blasting through his dark mustache, a fleck of saliva beaded on the curve of his thick beard. His ears were ringing, but his eyes still worked fine.

Marco raised the gun and came around the edge of the cargo container, getting ready to fire when he heard a strange sound... the sound of something bouncing off the floor, followed by another. Marco's eyes widened before he dove out from cover, skidding towards the backside of a large black truck, ducking under two metal balls as they rose up from the floor, splintering out into fragments.

The poorly lit dock filled with blinding, crackling light as electricity arced from the pieces of the frag taser. The complex, ever changing web of light scattered across where Marco had just been. Marco panted hard, yelping as the tire next to him blew out. The vehicle's center of gravity shifted, lurching toward him. Marco felt his skin soaked with sweat as well as the blood he was losing, but so far, he had to give himself a bit of credit. He felt even better as he heard another weapon open fire from the ground level.

One of the other wolves had come through the hatch, firing up at both Wes and Franklin. He avoided the first set of cover, choosing instead to rush the lower wall and get underneath the catwalk. Wes snarled at that and sprung to his feet, firing as the wolf charged. The werewolf managed to make it under the catwalk and fired upward, the two exchanging weapons fire. Marco used his chance to drop to his stomach and open fire as well, trying to angle up at Franklin, though his shots went too low. He couldn't get a clear shot.

Marco started crawling back, hoping to move around the edge of the truck for cover. He'd almost wriggled all the way free when he saw the glint of metal as another frag taser bounced off the floor in front of him, rising up a few inches before the crook of the keeper's staff hit it, sending it sailing away like a rejected golf ball. The pieces arced out harmlessly across the floor, disrupted from their intended targets.

"Get down!" Marco shouted as the sound of Franklin's weapon opened fire again. The stranger slid to the side, but he didn't duck down behind cover. He bought himself just enough time to bring his shepherd's staff up, aiming it toward Franklin before slamming it downwards. The trail of bullets had been following the stranger from where he had been to where he had wound up, but with the simple gesture of the staff it took only one bullet to jam, then a second to compound the problem.

Franklin's shout echoed out into the dock as his gun exploded, sending out fragments of metal across the catwalk. He yelped and slipped back, nursing his hand, wincing in pain. Wes spared a glance back at his partner's peril before looking back down at the werewolf shooting up at him. Wes grimaced before he reached down, grabbing a device clipped to his belt. The wall beneath the catwalk erupted outward in a cloud of fire, dust and debris, sending the ambushing werewolf skidding out.

"No!" Marco exclaimed as Wes trained his gun on the wolf and opened fire, putting a certain end to his defiance. The hunter spared no time, spinning to fire at Marco's shout. The windows of the truck burst as bullets ripped through them.

"Franklin, can you reach it?" Wes asked. Franklin looked up, breathing heavily from his pain before he nodded, scooting himself back over towards a cylinder on the floor. It was harder with a wounded hand, but he grabbed onto it and used his good one to spin the top. There was almost no delay before an ear piercing, oscillating, painful shriek of sound spilled outward, filling up the dock. Marco dropped back to the floor, grabbing his ears, shuddering in pain. It was the same pain he'd felt during the Rising Sun airport attacks.

The keeper stumbled at the sound, affected as well. His gloved hand flexed as sharp, narrow claws emerged from his fingertips. It had been an instinct to fight back the painful sound, but instinct wasn't enough to do what he needed to. The stranger reached up to the side of his helmet, pressing his finger to a small silver strip at the back edge of the metal. The banshee like wail of the sonic stunner was muffled into silence, allowing him to focus on his true targets.

A spark rang off his mask, then another. Wes was trying to take him out again, but the wolf that had fallen had opened an opportunity. The two shooting at each other had undermined the integrity of the catwalk. The metal was stressed, fully ripped open in parts. It was all the keeper needed. His staff swung up, lingering for a moment before he brought it down swiftly. Across the large room, Wes felt the sudden shudder of the metal giving way as the catwalk collapsed beneath him.

The metal toppled down, throwing the hunter out across the floor. Marco was still holding onto his ears, barely able to move. His head was ringing. He felt dizzy. It was too much, all of it. He couldn't tell what was going on around him. It wasn't until the ground beneath him started to vibrate that he realized something had changed drastically. Marco looked up, then around, realizing that he saw something he hadn't expected to see in ages... stars.

Wes and the Keeper turned as well, each seeing that the heavy dock door was slowly sinking down into the ground, revealing the stars, the canopy of trees, and the ramp back up into the reserve. Wes looked back at the control panel, then the emergency fuse box. The werewolves hadn't gotten anywhere near it. Wes grinned slowly, scrambling back to his feet, opening fire at the keeper again.

"You idiots, the cavalry is here. My support finally arrived! This is your only chance to have an easy death. Come out with your claws up!" Wes said, though his words went unnoticed. Marco couldn't have heard him over the wail of the sonic stunner and the Keeper's mask was canceling out all sound. The door dropped lower and lower, but as Wes watched, it did not reveal any more hunters or any more trucks.

The barrier dropped down into the ground, revealing two individuals on the other side. One was a snarling werewolf, his long flowing hair billowing behind him as saliva dripped from his fangs and his eyes gleamed a bright amber. To his side was a shorter but just as ferocious creature with citrine eyes, his sabertooth tusks dipping down in front of his mouth. Wes' eye twitched before he turned to open fire on the two new beasts.

The keeper took the opportunity to charge forward, swinging his staff up. The open edge of the crook came around Wes' neck as the stranger brought it down rapidly, raising his boot up before slamming it down on the staff. The center of gravity changed, and a snap echoed up through Wes' spinal column. His eyes went wide before his body crumpled to the ground, his gun falling free from his hands and toppling along the floor.

Fletcher growled, his ears throbbing in pain, his orange eyes narrowing as he heard the horrendous sound. He looked around, not entirely sure what he was looking at until he saw a hint of cinnamon toned skin peeking out from beneath a truck, surrounded by blood. Fletcher's heart raced. He broke into a sprint, running for the truck just as shots rang out from Franklin's gun.

Yom watched in horror as the fire was directed right at Fletcher, but each shot seemed to sail right past him, hitting the wall and the truck beyond him. One shot made sense, two and three were a coincidence, but they kept missing. Yom turned his attention from Fletcher to the threat and broke into a sprint, using the ramp to gain speed before he pushed off, lunging upwards. His claws grabbed onto the closest edge of the catwalk and he pulled himself up over the guard rail.

It was hard to even keep his eyes open as he got closer and closer to the sonic stunner, but as Franklin turned his weapon away from Fletcher, Yom grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. The hunter kicked his legs about beneath him as he dangled. Yom growled, his eyes gleaming brighter as more and more of the lycan features slipped out of Yom's body. Fur began spreading higher from his cheeks and the backs of his hands, his pants dipping down as a tail started to push out.

The hunter hissed and kicked, hitting at Yom's chest with pitiable weakness before Yom threw him over the edge of the catwalk, letting him fall to the ground below without his weapon. Free of the human, Yom snarled, looking around before he saw the source of the terrible noise. He snatched it up and held it in his paws, not sure what to do at first until he saw that the top rotated. He twisted it sharply until sparks shot out.

Marco exhaled deeply as the terrible sound stopped, slumping against the ground. His ears were still ringing, but at least the pain ended. He blinked a few times before gasping as arms came around him. Marco rolled to defend himself but as lips pressed against his, his will to fight melted away entirely. Those were lips he recognized, lips he remembered... though the tusks were new. Marco pulled back, panting harder.

"Fletch..." Marco said with relief, feeling the comfort he'd only had in his imagination before. Fletcher looked at him, tears rolling down his cheeks as he kissed Marco's lips, then his forehead, then his lips again for good measure.

"I found you... I really found you. You're here, you're alive!" Fletcher said. Marco chuckled with a wounded, vulnerable fondness.

"I am. You found me, you saved me... The others are hanging back, just waiting for the all clear. We have to get them out of here and then we can be together, we can find somewhere safe. We just have to get them..." Marco said softly, appreciating Fletcher's changes.

"You did your part... I'll get them out." The stranger commented as he moved over, looking to Fletch, "I assume you took care of a way to get these people out of here?" he asked.

"Yeah, Cir... I mean, yeah, part of our plan covered that." Fletcher replied. Marco looked even more alarmed at what Fletcher had started to say, but the access hatch groaned as it swung open and Udo peeked out, looking around. He saw Wes' body first, then the other hunter curled up a few feet away, then Marco and... Fletcher. Udo's eyes widened in disbelief before he pushed out, stumbling toward them both.

"Fletcher! Oh my god, Fletcher!" Udo exclaimed. Fletcher looked up and grinned, nearly falling over as Udo skidded to them.

"This isn't the time for the reunion, get out of here!" The keeper snarled, moving toward Franklin. He whipped his staff around, hitting the hunter with the base of his staff hard enough to knock the human out cold. Udo grabbed onto Marco and Fletcher and started hoisting them up to their feet, though they were a good deal heavier than he expected, especially after being cooped up for so long. Udo groaned until Marco managed to get his footing and helped in the effort, the trio rising back to their feet.

"Our ride is this way." Fletcher said, pointing to the ramp. Marco nodded, leaning onto Fletcher and Udo, his shoulder still burning. The Alpha lifted his head, looking back toward the catwalk.

"Come on Yom, we gotta go!" Marco shouted. Yom was still standing on the catwalk, looking down at where the hunters bodies were, holding the sonic stunner in his hands. Marco slowed, "Yom?" he called up, giving him another moment, "Artyom!" Marco shouted. Yom jumped, looking around before his eyes locked in on his Alpha. Yom grinned at seeing Marco upright. He dropped the stunner and jumped over the guard rail, dropping down to the floor below.

He nearly fell over as he broke into a sprint, reminding Marco of an overeager puppy. Fletcher groaned and braced for the impact as Yom slammed into the three of them with open arms. Despite his efforts, it was too much and the quartet fell over onto the ground. Marco yelped as his wounded shoulder was impacted. Yom grabbed onto Marco's head with both hands and gave him a kiss, filling his mouth with a very eager tongue.

Despite the pain, despite the torment, even despite his injury, Marco felt a jolt of arousal in his loins to have Yom so happy and eager to see him again, not to mention the power of his pack reunited. They were together and unified, but their task wasn't finished. Marco gave Yom's tongue a playful bite before he pulled back.

"Soon enough my loves, we have to get everyone out of here first." Marco said. Yom nodded dutifully at that, climbing back to his feet. He grabbed onto Fletcher with one hand and Udo with the other before he tugged them back to their feet, Marco suspended between the two of them. Marco glanced back over his shoulder, seeing the Keeper holding the hatch open as more werewolves started moving out into the dock, following after them.

Marco's pack kept inching him up the ramp and back toward the surface, but the Alpha watched as he saw more and more familiar faces coming out behind them. Tofino was among them, his blond hair streaked with a bit of crimson where a bullet had grazed him. More wolves came, then more. The flow was only interrupted briefly as the Keeper went against the flow, moving back into the facility itself. Marco kept watching, waiting for a face he wasn't sure if he was ready to see, uncertain if he would see it after everything they had gone up against.

"Your mom is going to be so relieved..." Fletcher said with a smile. Marco's amber eyes reverted back to their hazel color almost instantly.

"You WERE about to say her name! You brought my mom here?!" Marco asked in horror. Fletcher winced a little.

"We had to, we didn't have anywhere else to turn... and your dad was a great lead, he had an in with the company. He got us everything we needed to find you." Fletcher admitted. Marco slowed a little, the other three bumping into him as he hesitated. Marco looked back into the battered and smoldering dock of the facility that had captured and tortured so many.

"Futurza... Futurza did this?" Marco asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. Yom looked back at the building and then at his Alpha.

"We can figure out what we're going to do later. Right now, we have to get out of here." Fletcher said, guiding them up the ramp towards the surface. Marco let his head slide back a little, looking up at the stars. He felt the cool wind on his cheeks and blowing through his hair. He felt dust at his feet, smelled the plants all around them. Even the night was embracing after so many days of unchanging lights.

"What day is it?" Marco asked, slowly looking back at the others.

"November fifth, almost sixth depending on what time it is." Fletcher said. Marco said nothing, trying to do the math in his head. Nine days... Everything he'd been through had happened in nine days. It seemed so short, so insignificant, like a blip on the radar. All of that in barely more than a week, and so many lives had been lost.

Marco nearly fell down onto his knees as he stepped off the artificial ramp and onto natural ground, but Fletcher and Yom managed to catch him and pull him back upright. Udo was unable to suppress a slight whine.

"Marco, you're losing a lot of blood still. We need to get you help." Udo said softly.

"I'm healing, it'll be alright. We just need to figure out what... we're going... to do." Marco replied, looking around, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Yom growled a little more at that.

"We're going to get out of here, and we're going to get the wolves out too." Yom said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a flashlight. He aimed it down the road before flicking it on and off three times. His signal was met with the sudden illumination of four headlights and the accompanying growl of a very large engine roaring to life. Marco looked on in confusion as a very large, very wide tour bus began lumbering its way down the remote back road towards them.

"Are you sure I didn't pass out back there? My mom's driving a tour bus?" Marco asked.

"I wasn't sure what she'd come back with, we needed something that could carry as many people as possible." Fletcher said, "It's still not going to be enough, we're going to have to do multiple trips." As he spoke, Marco looked at his boyfriend and reached out, running a hand down Fletcher's fuzzy sideburns.

"And you're... you're beautiful, just like always." Marco said fondly, "Haechi was right." he smiled. Fletcher looked even more concerned.

"Stay with me Marco, help's almost here." Fletcher said, the pack moving off to the side of the road. The bus was still approaching from one side while werewolves streamed out of the facility behind them, moving up the ramp and over into the brush, hunkering down on the side of the road, still in shock after their ordeal and sudden escape.

Marco sank down to the side of the road, feeling wave after wave of fatigue kicking in, filling his brain with a fog that sapped away his strength. He knew he'd expended a lot of energy in the fight, lost blood and nearly been deafened. Even remedial health classes had taught him the importance of staying awake in situations like this one. Marco tried to find anything to occupy himself, looking at how handsome Fletcher was in his were form, then back to the ramp.

So many faces were pouring out of the facility... So many lives interrupted, so many people hurt and experimented on. There were so many he didn't know, but as one particularly fuzzy faced young man stumbled to the surface, Marco met eyes with the man he'd nearly lost and brought back from the brink. Duncan froze at the top of the ramp, seeing Marco there with his pack. His shoulders shrank back a little in embarrassment before he started moving closer.

Marco watched Duncan, knowing if his tail was out, it would be between his legs. Duncan slowed a few feet from the rest of the pack, looking sheepish. Marco shook his head and patted the dirt next to them. Duncan gave a weak smile and moved the rest of the way over, crouching down next to them all. Marco smiled softly at that, though he had to close his eyes as the bus rumbled up in front of them, kicking up dust from its tires.

The door to the bus squeaked as it slid open. Cira sprung from the seat, nearly skidding down the steps, dropping to the ground and then into the puppy pile of werewolves. Her arms inserted into the masculine mass like a skilled surgeon's scalpel, managing to find the direct path to come around her son's torso. Marco shook softly before a cry escaped his lips as he held onto his Cira.

"Mom..." Marco murmured. Cira stifled a sniffle of her own.

"I know. I know and I love you my big, strong boy. I know all of it but it's time to go home." Cira said, standing back up, looking back toward the road filling with more and more people. Marco grunted as his shoulder ached as Yom and Fletcher helped hoist him back up to his feet.

"I should make room for them..." Marco said, though as Cira and Yom both shot him a look he recanted, letting the others help him up onto the bus. Cira looked over at Udo, recognizing him. She smiled and reached out, giving him a pat on his shoulder.

"Udo, right?" She asked. Udo smiled and nodded.

"A pleasure to meet you misses Iona." he said softly. Cira smiled even brighter at that and gave him a nod.

"Do you feel well enough to help me get as many people onto this bus as we can?" She asked. Udo nodded at that.

"I can help too." Duncan said from where he was standing.

"I'm in no position to argue. Haku's bringing something else, but we need to prioritize those that can't walk as well and those that are hurt... And we need to do it without creating a panic. Think you can help me with that?" Cira asked, getting a nod from the boys in response. She smiled again, "Alright, let's get these people out of here."

Marco groaned as he sunk down into a seat, barely sliding in along the bench to the window until Fletcher was already trying to bandage his shoulder. He tried to see out through the windows to watch his mom, but already other werewolves were coming up the steps, filtering back to the back of the bus. Everyone that entered was weary, exhausted, battered and tired. They'd all been through so much, but they'd made it out alive... at least most of them had. Their lives had been fractured. They'd never be quite the same again, but they had to find a way to heal and to move forward, or it would have been for nothing.

"I love you Fletch." Marco said softly, "And you too Yom."

"And we love you too, but don't you go doing anything silly... I expect you to stay awake until your arm patches itself up, okay?" Fletcher said. Marco looked down at his shoulder and then back up at his boyfriend.

"Okay, but you didn't tie that right." Marco said. Fletcher looked back down at the cloth he'd used to wrap Marco's shoulder, realizing it was already coming undone. He groaned and grabbed onto it, trying to get it wrapped and tied the right way to keep the pressure on. Marco just smiled, reclining his head against the headrest. The tour bus was a lot more comfortable than the school bus they'd taken to the box canyon... a bus they'd probably never ride in again. Marco realized he was just starting to understand how much their lives really had changed.

**** Blood, sweat and tears. It was more than just words. The pain was etched into the walls and painted across the floors. The dead had fallen, but the living had escaped. The keeper moved along the hallways, ensuring that every werewolf had gotten out. He could feel the magic emanating from Hachi fading as the werewolves grew more distant. He wouldn't have much time left to tap into it.

One last time, the stranger raised his staff. The crook flicked out and locked into place, the open sided hexagon crackling with electricity for a moment. It wasn't the technology that he needed to tap into this time, just the energy of the protection spirit. He had to live up to his promise, his creed. He had to protect all of those that were out there from the dangers that this place posed.

Spreading his legs and taking up a careful stance, the keeper focused on his surroundings. He lifted his staff just a bit higher, visualizing the structure around him. With a great strike down, he summoned Haechi's magic, striking at every imperfection and vulnerable point in the construction. The constant pressure of the bayou pressing in at the walls found its time. Cement cracked, pipes burst, and water began to drip before it poured.

The keeper turned and kept walking, holding his staff out before swinging it inwards. More walls ruptured, and pieces came crashing down, crushing the cages that had held the prisoners. As the masked figure walked, computer screens cracked and erupted in sparks, raining down across his suit and skittering across his mask. Somewhere behind him there was a loud rumble as the reinforcements the hunters had put on a leaking wall broke. Water came rushing in around his feet, washing across the splatters of blood.

As he walked back toward the dock, he felt a stinging on his leg as the cold water hit a cut he didn't know he had. No doubt he had his fair share of injuries, but he'd done his duty. The werewolves had gotten out... or at least as many of them as they could. The Keeper made his way back to the access hatch and turned, watching the water pouring in and building. More pipes burst, and steam erupted out as the lights started to flicker.

Stepping up and over the lip of the access hatch, the keeper turned, holding out his staff. The crook lowered down, dipping into the water. The electricity crackled outward, arcing through the water to strike at every vulnerable outlet or conductive material. The staff shorted out almost instantly, but so did every electronic that the keeper could see. The hallway went dark, punctuated by bursts of sparks and the flicker of components that started to burn.

As it all fell into darkness, only the lights in the Keeper's mask stayed lit, looking out over the facility as more and more of it crumbled, collapsing under the pressure of nature's wrath. He pulled the access hatch shut as more and more of the facility came crashing down on the other side, burying the atrocities that had been conducted there. It was an imperfect solution, but he had to make sure that Futurza could not benefit from the evil they had wrought. Justice was coming, but it wasn't time - not quite, at least not yet.

**** Weight and warmth. A steady, familiar, artificial orange glow played against Marco's eyelids as he slept, tempting him toward consciousness and lifting him slowly upwards. He could feel hearts beating against his, bodies pressed close. It felt comfortable, familiar and right. He could swear he heard the fluttering of the cheap plastic blinds from their freshman dorm room as a fan circulated air around their room - but they weren't home. Even without opening his eyes, he could feel and smell the difference, but wherever they were, it felt so much better than he had in days.

Marco's chest rose and fell, taking in familiar and strange scents all at the same time... He smelled Fletcher's sweetness, Yom's strength and Udo's vitality... and he smelled his mother's perfume, even if it had worn off a bit. Marco's eyes opened, and he inclined his head just enough to look past his packmates, to see his mother curled up in a recliner in the corner of the strange hotel room they had occupied. She was safe, asleep, right there before him.

A vibration began building from somewhere distant. It was unheard, but it was enough for Marco to tense up. The vibration grew until the panes of glass around the room started to shimmy and shake, but the vibration finally brought with it the sound and headlights of a big rig truck rolling by outside. A gauzy curtain waved in a slight draft through a gap in the window as the vehicle passed. Marco relaxed again, easing back into the bed, looking up at the ceiling, then the faux wood panel walls, then his packmates.

He tried to put together what had happened, then he remembered being shot. His head turned, his eyes drifting to his left shoulder. The skin had smears of oxidized red, but it was intact and whole, unblemished. Marco looked back to where Artyom was resting, using his ribs as a pillow. A hand drifted to pet his dark brown hair. He hoped Yom's ears had healed from being so close to the stunner.

A shifting in weight alerted him to another that had woken. Marco turned, his eyes meeting with Udo's. Udo looked up at his Alpha. Marco gave him a soft, reassuring smile. Udo tried to return one, but there was a knowing exchange between them. The others were fast asleep, but they... had healing of a different sort to do. They were still scared, scared and scarred by their time imprisoned.

"It'll be okay Udo." Marco said, barely more than a breath or a whisper, "Just rest. I'll watch over us." Marco said. Udo smiled gently at that but shook his head.

"You always look after us. You should sleep. I've got enough strength to take a turn." Udo replied. Marco smiled at that, giving Udo's back a rub before he laid back in the bed, sinking down into the mattress, feeling the weight of three other men against him. He had so many questions... How had his mother taken the news about him being a werewolf? Just what was Fletcher now? But the questions felt like too big to take on in the middle of the night, too big of a mountain to climb. The only thing that mattered was that they were back together. Their broken pack was mended, the fractures were healing. They could face anything together, and their first task was to rest and heal and prepare for whatever came next.

**** There was a deathly silence that filled the spacious office, the absence of any movement or signs of life. Naomi stood at the window, her eyes closed. The overhead lights were off, and the only illumination came from the glow of the Houston skyline below and the very first hints of dawn on the horizon. The highway was filled with traffic, weaving ribbons of red and white. The moment lingered just a bit too long, prompting Chad to shift his position a bit, debating moving closer to her.

"Naomi?" he asked again, breaking the spell. Naomi opened her eyes as if she was waking up, reflecting the glint of the city lights in them for just a moment before she turned.

"I heard you. I just... needed to process it. I needed to think of our next steps." Naomi said softly, moving to sit down behind her desk. She reached to rest her hand on a console on the table and the office slowly filled with light as everything came on again. She pulled out her tablet and started accessing files, "You've seen the site, what are our options?" she asked, gesturing to the chair on the other side of the desk. Chad moved over and sat down.

"We have one advantage. As financial partners with the reserve, we have options. We can take action to generously help with the illegal dumping of industrial waste, but that could lead to more investigations. We do have some assets involved in branches of the EPA and law enforcement to reduce the number of questions asked, but it is still a risk."

"And if we do nothing, dead bodies start washing up in the bayou." Naomi said, shaking her head, "Chad, we have no idea who survived, how many of them escaped. This is my worst nightmare. We just unleashed uncertainty into an already unstable situation." Naomi paused, her eyes growing a little more tender, "But you did... warn me about that before we started."

"Well, I didn't want to be the kind of guy that rubbed your nose in it." Chad said with a soft smile. Naomi pushed herself out of her chair and moved over to the bar at the side of the office. Chad moved to spring to his feet, but Naomi made a soft tutting sound.

"Let me do it for once. You've been so good to me for so long." Naomi said. Chad froze on instinct, caught off guard for a moment before he lowered himself back down to his seat. Naomi pulled ice cubes out of the maker and dropped them into the glasses before opening an old bottle of whisky, "Do you still remember the storm?" she asked softly. Chad smiled a bit sadly and nodded.

"I do. You don't forget something like that." Chad said. Naomi nodded, returning to the desk with the two glasses, setting Chad's down in front of him.

"If you told me then what we'd go through, what we'd see, what we'd do... I never... I never would have believed you." Naomi said softly.

"I don't think I was ever the one telling you what we would do, just what we shouldn't." Chad said. Naomi snorted at that.

"Fair point. Trying to keep me in check and keep me safe. To my dear protector all of these years." Naomi said, raising her glass. Chad smiled and raised his, bringing the two together with a clink of the crystal. Naomi took the first sip, though Chad wasn't far behind. Naomi's eyes lingered on Chad for just a moment before they drifted down to the table, or more accurately her memory. It took a moment for her to look back up, her lips parting as she tried to formulate her words. "You'll stand by me, right? To the end?" Naomi asked. Chad gave a soft nod.

"Like you said, I'm your protector. Whatever happens, I'm here with you until the end." Chad replied. Naomi smiled back, but her lips were stained with a vulnerability and realization.

"It won't... It might not go well for us, but I can't stop until everyone knows, until everyone sees. I know the Beta site was a mistake. I got greedy, I tried to learn too much, but we don't have to worry about that anymore. We're so close. We'll be ready to test Project Luna by the end of the week." Naomi said, clinging on to a fragile sliver of hope. Chad held his glass, feeling the ice slowly drift around the inside edge, slowly rolling as it went.

"It'll be worse than the Blood Eclipse, if we reveal them all to the world. They'll be backed into the corner, the public will be terrified, it'll force the situation." Chad warned. Naomi looked at Chad and nodded.

"It probably will, but there won't be any question anymore. No more mysteries, no more secrets to keep. The world will see them all. No more tricks, no more doubt, no more conspiracies. My grandfather will be vindicated and all of those that died will have justice." Naomi said. Chad nodded as he stood up, taking one last swig of his drink.

"And we'll be together to the end. Until then, I better get the clean up efforts started. Just promise me you won't have too many of these before bed." Chad said, raising his glass in example before setting it down, turning for the door. He didn't wait for an answer, knowing it was a promise she couldn't make - at least not one she could keep.