tf-side-story-water-troubles-pt2

SHRIMP Agency TF Stories: https://pastebin.com/Pdzmv2ej
Part 1: https://pastebin.com/PtVEq3Pu

It was around 3:30pm and the suburb was still under quarantine. None of the afflicted had transformed back yet and SHRIMP crew were working around the clock to find out what caused this entire mess. Mr. Franklin and his crew were down at the stream that little Mary told him about to collect water samples. No inch of the river was to be left unchecked in order to get accurate results. It was tedious work but needed to be done because every sample collected was one more step towards producing a cure.

“It’s amazing none of the wildlife has been affected,” said Nora, one of Mr. Franklin’s top scientists and field agents. “The river is still flourishing with critters and none of them seem phased by it.” Nora scooped up another sample and put it with the rest in a secure container.

“Whatever contaminated the water must have been manufactured,” Mr. Franklin said. “With all the cases we’ve seen it looks like some kind of designer drug. Raw mutagens usually have a greater impact on the wildlife. Hmm... lets move on.”

His crew continued their way up stream for a while collecting more samples. They had trekked quite the distance before making their way to a steep hill where the little river stopped. Across the way multiple drainage pipes could be seen sticking out of the side of the hill just underneath a road. Mr. Franklin broke off from the group to investigate the pipes. He took one peek and saw a plethora of colors mixed together in the standing water. Someone had definitely been dumping chemicals in the area, there was no doubt about it. He started to gather a few samples when the piercing sound of glass breaking came from across the road. Slowly Mr. Franklin got up and peered over but couldn’t see anything past the treeline on the other side. New sounds emanated from the woods as he heard what could only be described as two grown men arguing at each other. After checking that the coast was clear Mr. Franklin crept into the treeline to find the source of the voices. A short distance later he found himself at the treeline with a worn down warehouse in sight. Two men were carrying boxes outside and away from the building. Mr. Franklin was finally able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Alright keep it up lad and don’t drop another case or else you’re cleaning it up by hand. We gotta make this place look spotless by tonight!” said one of the men. The man barking orders was fairly large while the other fellow looked pretty scrawny.

“I’m sorry, Jones. All this dumpin’ and cleanin’ up the place is makin’ me tired out the wazoo. Hmm, maybe we got a muscle drink in here or somethin’ I could use,” said the scrawny man.

“Don’t even think about taking one of them. Boss says no more transformations until the quarantine’s lifted. Tells me they can track you somehow with the displacement of energy or whatever. Some kind of science mumbo-jumbo that I don’t understand. I just listen to what the boss says and you should too!” replied Jones. Mr. Franklin kept his distance in the treeline and followed them across the lot. As they turned a corner the silhouette of a pistol could be seen tucked away in Jones’ pants. The presence of the pistol was enough to tell Mr. Franklin that these guys were serious trouble. Carefully, he crept through the woods to continue watching the two men. Finally, he saw just what he was looking for: tons of glass bottles being poured out into a drainage ditch. That was all Mr. Franklin needed and snapped a few pictures of the scene with his phone before leaving. A brisk walk later and Mr. Franklin found his crew still near the bottom of the hill below the drainage pipes. Nora noticed him sliding down to meet back up with them.

“Find anything? There’s a ton of chemicals near this drainage pipe that somebody dumped. Probably the cause of all this,” Nora said.

“Oh yeah, I found something alright. Take a look,” Mr. Franklin said and pulled out his phone. A few pictures showed the two men dumping crates out into the environment. “You know what this means, right?”

“Looks like some pretty serious stuff. Are we going to call them in?” Nora quietly asked.

“Yep, this is definitely a job for the INT team,” Mr. Franklin said.

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Activity was bustling over the radio as security formed a perimeter around the warehouse. Commander Mason was riding in the back of their armored truck alongside Sergeant Oliver, one of the bold men who took up lead for tonight’s operation. INT (Internment and Neutralization of Transformative Subjects) was called in for a drug bust inside the quarantine zone. A tip from SHRIMP crew earlier in the evening said that some warehouse was dumping out chemicals while trying to clean up. Most likely the cause of today’s outbreak. That was all Mason and his boys needed to hear. They’ve been itching for some action since their last call in December. When INT gets called in it means some serious firepower is needed. Mason ensured all of his men were decked out in not only the finest armaments in the world but also the best hazard protection money could buy. Every suit was tailor made to allow maximum shielding and freedom of movement in close quarters combat. The truck slowed to a stop and everyone piled out into the dimming night. Oliver and his crew gathered their gear and made their way towards the staging point while Mason stayed behind where communications was set up. He promptly got on the radio and started to review tonight’s plan.

“Alright team we got a big one here. Multiple sightings of armed individuals across three floors of this warehouse. I want each and every one of you at the peak of your game because tonight it’s time to get serious. These crooks ruined this nice community so now we’re going to ruin theirs. Follow protocol and watch out for each other’s back, I want this clean and simple. Sergeant Oliver will be head of Alpha team, entering through the east side door and will sweep the first floor. Sergeant Williams will be head of Bravo team and enter through the west side entrance and up the stairs to clear out the second floor. Finally, Sergeant Troy will lead Delta team who will climb up the south side fire exit to clear the third floor office and rafters. AO is hot until I receive the all clear from each team leader. Safeties off boys, lets do this.”

Sergeant Oliver lead his men across the concrete lot underneath the glow of the starry sky. The squad quietly stacked up against the east door, waiting for the next command.

“Alpha team ready to breach, over,” Oliver whispered into his headset.

“This is Bravo team. We are in position, over,” replied Sergeant Williams over the headset, situated on the opposite side of the building.

“Delta team here. Ready as ever, over,” said Sergeant Troy atop the south side fire exit.

“Team we are clear for operations. Breach on three: one… two… three!” Commander Mason spouted over the radio.

Oliver kicked the door open and swept his rifle across the room. The beam of his flashlight illuminated two individuals surprised by their entrance.

“FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!” barked Oliver.

“Don’t shoot! I surrender!” said one scrawny man with his arms in the air. The second fellow had no choice but to follow suit and quietly put his hands above his head.

“Turn around and get on your knees! Men, zip time ‘em,” commanded Oliver as he kept his aim on the two thugs. Both slowly turned around and got down to the ground and his squad proceeded to restrain them.

“Area clear, sir!” replied one of his squad members.

“Alpha team to talk, we have two captives and the area is clear. Proceeding to next room, over,” Oliver spoke into his headset.

“This is talk, proceed as planned, over,” said a voice over his headset.

Alpha team stacked up at the next door, ready to breach.

“Bang and clear on my command,” said Oliver, preparing a flashbang. He pulled the pin and opened the door, tossing the ordinance into the next room. One loud bang a second later and his team rushed in. Two individuals were blind by the grenade and fell to the ground. A third peered around a pillar and fired a few rounds at the squad. Alpha team quickly returned fire with the target slumping to the ground after a few shots. A quick sweep later and the room was clear with Oliver’s men cuffing the two disorientated men. The third sat on the pillar withering in pain. The man was still conscious but received a few gunshot wounds to his right arm.

“Alpha team to talk, we have two more restrained individuals and one that has suffered light bullet wounds, over,” said Oliver over comms.

“This is talk, restrain the third and continue as normal, over,” said the operator back to Oliver. He then cuffed the injured man and secured his pistol before continuing to the next door. The AO was still hot and the squad couldn’t afford waiting around for medical personnel to arive. They breached into the next room and were met a hail of gunfire. One squad member was hit in the chest before Oliver and the rest could return fire. A quick burst later and the assailant was down. Oliver rushed over to treat his comrade.

“I think I’m good, sir. Only hit the plate from what I can feel,” said the squad member with a loss of breath.

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, looks like one might have hit you on the side here,” Oliver said pointing to his squadmate’s side. The bullet just slightly grazed his suit but no blood or wounds were to be found. “Alright, looks fine. Up on your feet soldier we still got a mission to complete.”

Alpha team regrouped at the next door and prepared their next breach. Meanwhile, gunshots could be heard from the second floor. Sergeant Williams and the rest of Bravo team were engaged in a firefight down a lengthy hallway. Two armed individuals were taking pot shots from behind separate doorways while Williams and his men had taken cover. In his right hand Williams prepped a stinger grenade, a non-lethal ordinance that would propel rubber bearings in a small radius with extreme force. Once the gunfire paused and the assailants reloaded he tossed it their way, landing perfectly between the two individuals. It let out a loud bang followed by the sound of multiple projectiles bouncing everywhere. The two men dropped their weapons and fell to the ground screaming in pain. Bravo team quickly moved up to detain them. A short sweep later and the hallway was clear. Everyone was stacked up and ready for the next room. Lieutenant Richards was part of Bravo Team and followed Williams into the room with the rest of the squad. The place was completely barren and after a quick search everyone headed back out. Unfortunately, on his way out Richards stepped on a very loose floorboard and plummeted down to the first floor. Due to the unexpected fall Richards landed face down and cracked his helmet.

“RICHARDS! Are you alright? Can you hear me?” cried out Williams as he peered into the hole.

“Yeah, I’m- cough cough- okay,” Richards replied back. “My helmet’s cracked though and I might have broken my arm. I'm not too sure though I can still move it.”

“Stay there, Alpha team should be close so I’ll call them in for backup. You fell in some unexplored territory so watch yourself!” Williams said then quickly activated his headset. “Alpha team this is Bravo, requesting immediate backup in storage room zeta. I repeat, requesting immediate backup in storage room zeta. Richards fell through the floor and needs assistance, over.”

“Copy that Bravo, we’ll be on our way, over,” replied Oliver.

“Just hang tight Richards, Bravo is on their way,” said Williams.

“Yeah, yeah I heard them. You guys better get going you’ve still got a job to do,” said Richards then took a quick look of his surroundings. There was barely any light so he took out a spare glowstick and bent it. The room lit up to show multiple rows of boxes filled with glass containers. Each jar held a small amount of liquid varying in color. Richards took off his helmet and picked one up to examine it. Printed on a small label read “Nu-Yu Potions” and each bottle listed a variety of effects ranging from animal type to body modifications.

“Good lord it’s like a zoo packed into these boxes. Just what were these freaks up to?” Richards asked himself. Before he could come up with an answer a wood panel smacked him across the back of his head. Richards stumbled forward and crashed into a tall pile of boxes. A few bottles spilled out, some cracking on impact with his head. Richards tried to pull out his sidearm and aim before the mysterious attacker knocked it out of his hands. The pistol slid off into the darkness and Richards could barely focus. A punch to the chest knocked him to the ground landing on a few more bottles.

“Well, well, well... what do we have here?” said a fierce voice from within the darkness. “INT boys trying to stop the boss’s work, huh?” The man walked out of the darkness to reveal a scruffy wolf-man gnashing at his teeth.  “Sorry but you just missed him along with everything important. All these leftovers? It’s nothing to us now. But since you’re here… I might as well have a little fun.” Richards was almost out of it when the wolf-man got down on his knees and started collecting bottles. A pink trail of fluid could be seen rolling down Richards’ head onto his face. “Hmm, already picked your favorite color huh? Lets try this one!” The wolf-man popped open a bottle of dark blue liquid and poured it into Richards’ mouth. “Ooh I’m feeling exotic today how about some of this too.” He popped open another bottle and the wolf-man added some gray liquid to the mix. Right as he was about to pour one more the back door busted open with Alpha team rushing in.

“FREEZE, PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!” yelled Oliver at the wolf-man. Disgruntled by this interruption the wolf-man reluctantly put his hands above his head. “Cuff him, be careful though I think he’s holding something.” One of Oliver’s squad members approached the wolf-man and restrained him with ease. He then took the unopened bottle out of his hand and set it aside. “Get him out of here, I’ll check on Richards,” Oliver said. Carefully making his way over Oliver got down to check Richards’ injuries.

“Still breathing, but unconscious. Damn it what did he do to you Richards?” Oliver said to himself as he noticed the mess of liquids all over him. “Talk, this is Alpha Team. We’ve secured Richards but he’s badly wounded and contaminated. Requesting immediate extraction, over,” said Oliver into the headset.

“This is talk, extraction approved. Bring Richards through the north exit. Parking lot is secure, over,” replied the voice.

“Copy that, we’re on our way,” replied Oliver.

“Sir, what about this guy?” asked one of his squadmates who had restrained the wolf-man.

“Bring him with us, I don’t trust this one to be left alone. Don’t lose your grip on him for a moment,” said Oliver as he propped up Richards on his shoulder. “Okay, lets move out and get Richards some help ASAP!” While all of this was going on between the first two squads Delta team was having a much more smoother time clearing the third floor offices. Sergeant Troy made quick work of sweeping the area while encountering zero resistance. Not a single person was found on the third floor. Troy and his squad soon approached the last room which was locked behind a very big steel door.

“Alright, no trouble yet but don’t put your guard down. They could be held up in this room for all we know,” said Troy to his team. “Hmm, this looks like a job for Mr. See-Four!” joked Troy as he pulled out a stick of plastic explosives. He placed it upon the door and secured the detonator. “Breaching on three, ready? One… two… three!” he shouted and squeezed the detonator, causing the steel door to almost fly off it’s hinges with a loud bang. Troy and his team rushed in to find it abandoned just like every other room.

“Clear, sir!” said one of his squadmates. What looked like the main office had paper files scattered all over the place. The chair behind the main desk at the end of the room was vacant. A map of what appeared to be the surrounding area was on the gigantic desk.

“Hmm, this will make for some valuable intel. Leave everything intact, I’m going to report in,” said Troy then started to talk through his headset. “Delta team here, third floor is clear with no souls in sight, over.”

“Delta team this is Talk, we hear you loud and clear. Alpha team extracted with wounded and Bravo just finished their sweep. Backup has cleared the remaining areas and the AO is clear, over,” said the voice back to Troy.

“Copy that, we’ll be on our way out, over. I hope the other teams are okay,” Troy said as his team exited out the stairwell.

Alpha team had already made their way out of the building with Richards in tow. The AO had been secured and the entire scene was surrounded by security forces. They had only taken a few steps outside when Richards suddenly perked up with a burst of unexpected energy.

“Oh God why am I so itchy? Itchy itchy itchy ooh ooh ow!” Richards exclaimed as he started to hop around clawing at his suit.

“Oh shit!” Oliver said and dropped his gear to help out Richards.

“Heh, I was wondering when my work would start to take effect,” said the wolf-man.

“Shut up, you! Get that freak outta here!” yelled Oliver at the squadmate holding the wolf-man. They proceeded to leave while Richards got on the floor rolling around in agony.

“Hold still Richards! I can’t help you if you don’t stop moving!” said Oliver, trying to restrain him.

“Ahhhh ooohh okay okay okay! Sorry, it just itches so bad!” Richards responded. He had managed to get control of his self and started removing his gear with the help of Oliver. By the time the outer protective suit was off the changes had already taken effect. Thin pink fur started to grow all over Richards while his regular hair turned a dark purple. Richards’ mouth started to expand outwards, taking on a more feline form. Oliver noticed his ears had moved to the top of head and formed into a triangular shape. Long whiskers popped out around his nose while his eyes shifted into a pair of green cat’s eyes.

“Oh fuck, I’m turning into the fucking pink panther,” Richards said as more changes took place. The fur had spread to his arms and legs while not deviating from the bright pink tone. Sharp retractable claws extended from his fingers while his feet slipped out of his boots. They had transformed into paws and his legs changed into digitigrade. A smooth pink tail popped out from behind him, twitching sporadically. “Okay, I think it’s over. Please tell me it’s over!” Richards said with his head completely transformed.

“Yeah, I think it’s over-” Oliver said before noticing the new growths just below Richards’ waist. “Oh shit it’s not over yet, quickly take off your pants!”

“Huh? What do you mean- oh hell! The pants are coming off I can feel the changes!” Richards said with his lower body beginning to expand. Right before he could fully undress his legs started to shift away from his upper torso, forcing Richards to lay down on his side. A second set of legs started growing out from the waist while more furry mass began to accumulate behind him. His lower body grew perpendicular to his upper half as his new front legs finished taking form. Oliver managed to remove Richards’ pants before any more harm could be done. Finally, the growing had stopped and Richards found himself lying on the ground as a brand new pink panther-taur. SHRIMP personnel had made their way over and with the help from Oliver hoisted Richards’ fluffy body onto a big stretcher.

“Oh God what kind of freak did he turn me into? Everything is so loud and all this fur is driving me crazy!” Richards screamed as crew rolled him over to the mobile lab. A SHRIMP worker then approached Oliver.

“You better come with us, sir. Who knows what kind of contaminates are all over your gear,” said the worker.

“Sure, looks like Richards needs the help anyways,” said Oliver and followed the crew with Richards.

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Mr. Franklin had entered the messy office through the busted down door. The explosives the INT crew used sure wasn’t subtle. Papers were strewn about the place as if somebody was in a rush to leave. Whoever ran this operation did everything by hand with no electronics whatsoever. It was no wonder they were able to stay out of sight for so long. Mr. Franklin made his way over to the desk where the gigantic map was found. On it showed various supply routes and other supposed distribution centers for this “Nu-Yu” drug. The existence of the map itself bothered Mr. Franklin as he tried to make sense of it. Was it left here by mistake? Did they not have time to pack up or destroy the evidence? A reasonable assumption but it didn’t match up with the rest of the scene. The whole office was already trashed when the INT team arrived. It was as if somebody was looking for something. Did a rival gang come in and take over the place before any of this went down? Maybe whoever was here wanted them to find all this. Maybe they just didn’t care. There wasn’t enough evidence to make any solid conclusions at the moment. Another puzzling thought came to Mr. Franklin’s mind: how were they transporting all of their supply? Most of storage was empty when INT arrived with the exception of a few crates. No signs of vehicles being used could be found either. A majority of the drug must have been dumped beforehand. Something was still unfinished here because plenty of the gang’s members were present at the time of the raid. INT was busy interrogating those captured at the scene so hopefully some new information would be extracted from them soon. Mr. Franklin pondered at the scene for a moment. He wondered why everyone in the warehouse was human except for the wolf-man. More questions just piled on the more Mr. Franklin thought over it. He found a moment of relief when Nora walked in with a tablet in hand.

“I knew I’d find you here. We’ve finally got some good news on the situation,” Nora said to Mr. Franklin.

“Oh good. I needed something to brighten my… night. Ugh, I need some more coffee,” Mr. Franklin said.

“After reviewing some samples taken from the raid we managed to synthesis a disinfectant for the water. It might not be a cure for those afflicted but it should restore the local water sources back to normal. From what we’ve analyzed in the water and warehouse samples anyone transformed should turn back to normal in about three days. Testing has shown no lasting side effects except the usual aches and pain. Whoever made this stuff made sure it worked right. We’re working with real professionals here,” Nora explained.

“That’s a relief. The sooner we lift this quarantine the better. Now we just gotta figure out what these guys were up to. Where did all their supply go? Surely they didn’t dump it all out,” Mr. Franklin said.

“Hmm… let me see that map,” Nora said and took a long look at it. “Oh, I got it! Maybe they used a secret tunnel or something to transport everything? In fact, it looks like some of these supply routes follow the local water supply system. Maybe they were using the sewers to transport everything. That’s probably how the water got so contaminated. Some of the cargo must have leaked during transport.”

“Now why didn’t I think of that? Notify everyone to start looking right away for hidden tunnels, compartments, or anything that would give us a lead!” Mr. Franklin said with enthusiasm. A few minutes passed and their theory proved to be correct. Cleanup crew found a secret tunnel hidden away behind some recently moved kitchen applicances. It was just big enough to transport crates by hand or cart. Extremely simple but very effective for avoiding detection from the surface. The crew continued their work investigating the warehouse and newly found tunnel. Meanwhile in the mobile lab Richards and Oliver were being briefed over their current situation.

“Give it to me straight, doc. How long am I going to have to live as this stupid, gigantic pink fur-ball?” Richards asked as he sat on the stretcher impatiently. Both Richards and Oliver had gone through decontamination and Richards was extremely fluffy after drying off. Oliver just sat to the side trying to keep himself from laughing at poor Richards.

“Calm down it’s only temporary,” said the SHRIMP worker. “And just call me Angela, okay? I’m not a real doctor, at least not yet.”

“But HOW temporary? Are we talking maybe a day or two?” Richards desperately asked.

“Well… with how much you ingested test reports estimate two, maybe three weeks max,” Angela replied.

“You hear that, Oliver? She said it’ll only last for two or three weeks- WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO OR THREE WEEKS?” Richards yelled. The fur on both of his backs stood up and his tail was flicking like crazy. “I HAD PLANS! A NICE VACATION ON THE BEACH RIGHT AFTER THE OPERATION. HANGING OUT WITH ALL THE LADIES AND SUCH! YOU CAN’T GET LADIES WHEN YOU’RE A GIGANTIC PINK FUZZBALL!”

“Hey, give the gal a break will ya?” Oliver piped up. “She along with everyone else here are doing their best to fix you up. Besides, you better be glad you’re sitting in here as Mr. Pink Panther than someplace else like the ICU, or worse.”

Richards let out a sigh and calmed down. “Yeah, you’re right Oliver. It could have gone much worse. That wolf guy we found was a complete psycho. It’s a miracle I didn’t turn out worse. Who knows what kind of concoction that maniac would have mixed up for me if he had the chance. I’m sorry for yelling at you Angela.”

“Apology accepted. Hopefully you won’t have to wait a full three weeks if we can develop a cure in time. Otherwise… enjoy your pink fluffiness while you can Mr. Whiskers,” Angela said with a huge smirk across her face. Oliver couldn’t hold it in any longer and released an outburst of laughter.

“Stop laughing at me, this is serious!” Richards yelled at Oliver who continued to giggle. He pouted and his pink, pointy ears drooped down to the sides. “What am I going to do now? I can’t work until I’m back to normal so I’ll just have to waste my vacation time like this, I guess!”

“Maybe- sniff- maybe you can find a nice cat lady who will take you in ahahaha!” Oliver joked which caused Angela to also break out in laughter.

“Not. Helping,” said Richards as he started to growl with a grumpy look on his face.

“Aww, there there little kitty,” Angela said and walked over to Richards. She started to pet him alternating between his head and lower half. “We’re just messing around, no hard feelings.”

“Mmmh, that feels really nice please don’t stop,” said Richards and calmed down again. His tail swished back and fourth in rhythm as he stretched himself out. Pretty soon he could be heard purring.

“Hey, I don’t hear you purring do I? Sounds like you’re enjoying this more than I thought you were,” Oliver said.

“What? No, I’m not purring! I’m just… humming to myself that’s all,” Richer touted. Oliver just smiled and decided to rest for the moment.

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The interrogation cell was a bit too cold for Officer Trevor's tastes but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. He had been posted there for the night to keep watch on one of the detainees from the warehouse raid just a few hours ago. Specifically the mysterious wolf-man who wouldn't give up a name. Reports said he was the guy who caused Lieutenant Richards to undergo some unpleasant transformations. For the time being he was in cuffs and sitting in a dimly lit chair across the cell. Trevor kept his cool but could still feel the wolf-man's beady visage stare right through his soul. The cell door abruptly swung open and Commander Mason stomped into the room.

"Well, if it isn't the big man himself," said the wolf-man in a greasy tone.

"Shut it, freak," Mason barked and stood across the desk separating the two.

"You know this is all for naught, right? Those thugs you arrested won't say anything because they don't know anything, just what the boss commands them. As for my boss? He was already long gone before any of this happened. Hell, he was out of here way before the quarantine was in effect," said the wolf-man.

"That may be, but we still got you we can pry some information out," replied Mason.

"Ha! Sure you can. I would ask to speak with my lawyer but I can already tell that chance is long gone. What I say doesn't really matter now, though. Everything surrounding that warehouse is, lets just say, outdated info. It won't do you any good," said the wolf-man.

"Yeah? Well, what about your boss's plans huh? What were you still doing in the warehouse if it was already abandoned by your boss?" asked Mason.

"Oh, I just wanted to see the fruits of my labors, that's all. The boss doesn't tell me anything in advance either. He just sends me requests and I work my magic. By the way, how's your poor soldier boy doing? I'm just dying to hear how my mixture turned out!" said the wolf-man, slowly licking his chops. Mason just stared back silently. "Nothing, eh? Well, the Pink Panther should be enjoying a few extra limbs right about now ahaha!" The wolf-man manically cackled as he rocked back and forth in his chair. This angered Mason greatly as he knew he would get nowhere with this lunatic. He turned around and started to exit the room.

"Keep your watch and don't let anything he says get to you," Mason said to Trevor. "I'll be right back."

Just as Mason opened the door the wolf-man gritted his teeth. In an instant his body disappeared with his clothes floating down onto the chair. Mason had his back turned and before Trevor could even react a hawk flew out from the pile of clothes and clawed at Mason's head. He screamed and tripped through the doorway, falling flat on the ground with the door wide open. The hawk released its grasp from Mason’s head and swiftly made its escape.

"Hey! Catch that bird!" yelled Mason only to see the hawk fly around a corner and out of sight. A few officers in the hall ran after it but Mason knew it would be useless. Trevor rushed to his side and helped him up.

"You okay, sir?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a few scratches... Damn it! I should have seen something sneaky like this coming. Lets just hope those thugs don't try to do the same. Warn the others before anything else happens," Mason directed towards Trevor.

"Yes sir!" Trevor replied and left the room. Mason was visibly upset and stood inside the cell for a moment. The wolf-man was probably right, the others wouldn't know anything and all of this would just be a waste of time. Just then something shiny caught Mason’s eye from underneath the pile of clothes left on the chair. He shifted through them to find a tiny white cap in the shape of a tooth. Whoever these guys are were serious and Mason knew this was only the beginning.