Stormy Night

Tracy hated sleeping under a roof. The stars and the morning rays of sun were always blocked from a person. With a nearing thunderstorm and massive winds though she didn't want to take her chances. Creaking open the door of the abandoned factory she slipped in as quietly as she could, cringing when the door slammed shut with a bang. A strike of lightning lit up the warehouse while a muffled thunderclap shook the it. She snuck her way around the crates and tried to find a hiding spot. With all the crazy things that were happening in Atlanta she would be surprised if fellow mutants had taken shelter here.

Taking a bottle of water out of her pack she drank quickly and carried on. shivering she grabbed a seat on the ground, her eyes wide open for any other lifeforms. Shivering once again she wondered how a warehouse could be so cold if it was so warm outside. Out loud she said,"Is anyone else in here?" although to her she sounded like an idiot she still wondered what other things this warehouse hid. Getting up she continued her search.

Azrael was woken up by the opening of the doors. He was on the upper floor of the factory and went to go check it out. He saw a girl calling out to see if anyone was their. He didn't consider her a threat so he kept the area "warm." Why yes! Their are! Who are you! He said coldly because frankly he was cranky. He let out a sigh of cold air and walked down the stairs closer to her.

Loika laid curled up in a corner in the old factory. For having a naturally high temperature she was still freezing. Her shoulder still ached where an idiot hick had taken a shot at her a few days before hand. It had healed outwardly but the muscle was still healing. This had hindered hunting anything bigger than a rabbit so she was hungry on top of things.
She was finally starting to doze off when she smelled something. Her ears perked and she lazily opened an eye. It smelled...good. It smelled earthy and pleasant. Which didnt make sense because she was inside. She was getting curiouser until she heard a voice calling out if anyone was there. It sounded like a young girl. She couldnt take any chances though. chances were she was a human and humans were bad. She struggled to her feet and carried her backpack in her mouth. She limped along as she looked for an exit.

Startling at the sound of the man she shot out her thorns in preparation for an attack. Relaxing only slightly she kept her guard and replied,"Tracy...I'm Tracy Hanner. And who are you?" backing away from the man. Was he a mutant too? Then something moved out of the corer of her eye, was it another mutant. Keeping her attention on the first person though she gave him a watchful eye and watched his every move. Eventually the thorns disappeared but her careful gaze did not.

Loika limped along the back wall. The only door she could find was the one the male came in. She wasnt going to get out any other way. She was going to have to suck up her pride, or possibly die. either way could have the same result.
She shifted back to her human form and slipped her backpack over her good shoulder. She used the wall to help herself shakily to her feet and held her hand over her injured shoulder. She walked gingerly towards the others but made sure to stay in the shadows. "Who a-are you guys. What are you d-doing here?"

He started to get a little angry at all these midnight intruders. My name is Azrael and frankly you're all in my resting place..... It suddenly got alot colder until he saw the condition and age of the 2 girls. He calmed himself down and returned to his normal apathetic self. You two... Look fatigued.... Come upstairs... I'll get some blankets and food. He went back upstairs to his little bed area and pulled out some blankets and with a lighter he had hidden lit a litttle fire. The place lacked electricity in some places and his room was one of them, since he liked the clothes. In here! He sat on his bed with some water and bread. He was tired but since he had guest he stayed awake.

Loika followed slowly after retrieving her clothes she had lost in her transformation back to human. She peeked in the room where the boy named Azrael was. She was trying to figure out what his scent was. She couldnt put her finger on it. Her stomach rolled at the smell of the bread but it was food. it could get her by until she needed to hunt again. She looked at him shyly from her spot where she was hiding in the doorway. " are you sure?..."

Looking from Azreal to the other girl she wondered what she was getting into. Was it still too late to sleep somewhere else? A crash of thunder only confirmed her decision. Gesturing for the girl to follow them she followed Azreal upstairs. When he offered bread she shook her head. Thanks to her powers, human sustenance was not her primary source of nutrition. Plus she had her own water so she was good in that department. Helping the girl up the stairs, seeing as she was injured, the gleam of the fire caught her eye. Frowning at it she inched farther away. The light still reached her face, lighting it up to show that it was a light green that matched her hair.

"Are you sure we won't be a burden, Azreal?" she said still a little suspicious of this man.

Azrael got up from his bed and passed bread to the wolf girl. "It is no problem at all! I'm guessing you two are now my guest so make yourselves at home... I don't recommend walking around the factory. They're a few others here and they are... Very cranky people... Other than that mi casa tu casa." he went out of the room for a moment to get some medical supplies. He came back and said "Here you two! Some disinfectant and bandages. I'll just leave it here..." He set the medicine on his little table near the fire and sat back on his bed.

Still remaining distant from the fire she asked Azreal,"So tell me are you a mutant? I mean I don't want to pry, but let's just say I'm a little curious..." directing the question to no one in particular she sipped the water from her canteen. "I mean I'm just going to get it out of the way now that I assume that everyone here is pretty much a mutant. For me, ya' know, it's kinda obvious," gesturing at her face and hair,"But what are your stories?" sipping the water again she looked around curiously and dubiously. She was still unsure about these people and proposing a campfire storytelling session should help her learn more about them.

Loika slipped into the room, took the bread, and quickly moved to the farthest corner she could from them. The bread was kind of tough, but her long and sharp canines made easy business of them as she ripped through the bread. She was so hungry she could almost ignore the low growl/groaning sound her body seemed to make involuntarily.
She finished the bread quickly and curled up as tightly as she could against the wall. She didnt want to look at the other two as she spoke. " I dont remember anything before four years ago. I was in a research lab. They did alot of stuff to me. They tested me, cut me, alot of stuff.One of the lab techs used to tell me my parents gave me to them willingly....i guess they would have every right to."
She stood up slowly but kept her head down. She took a deep breath and let it out. Her pale skin soon started to give way to soft fluffy fur ( think mystiqe's transformation when she goes blue. its similar except for loika goes all black furry). Her back arched and slowly went into all fours. The entire transformation took less than a minute. She stood before them in her wolf form. She was entirely black with silver flecks. Her eyes stayed the deep piercing blue. "They have every right to. because im a monster."

He looked over at the wolf girl. He sighed and grabbed more bread and walked over to her and kneeled. "No... You aren't a monster... We are all just... unique.... Here have more food. He placed the food in front of her and went back to his bed.
Me... My story.... Hmmm... Well... He sighed and laid back down. I came from a good home... However they were all afraid of me... So i left... I moved her a few months ago and stuck around. I sculpture for my living. Here is my art... He than got up again an clapped his hands together and separated them forming a long cup made of ice. He than passed it to Tracy and smiled. Here.. A gift.. I made sure it won't melt... Do what you wish with it... He went to the wolf girl and formed a small coin in his hand and placed it in front of her. Here you have a gift as well. He smiled and went back to his bed.

Taking the cup she looked at it in slight wonder. No one had ever given a gift. Stuttering a small thanks she was silent before stuttering into her story. "We're not the monsters, it's them that are the monsters. I was born a normal child. After my first birthday the chlorophyll in my blood changed to become more prominent and my hair and skin turned green. That's when they hated me. The looks that you would receive from an enemy were in my parent's eyes. Slowly they began to neglect me. They tried to act as though I didn't exist. When I turned ten I finally got the hint and left..." her hand was shaking as she clasped the cup tightly. She still remembered every minute of her time there. Her father pushing her of the swing seeing if maybe she would get an injury and die. Or even her own mother slapping her telling her to get back up to her room so that she would be seen. Shaking a little more violently she tried to calm herself down."As for my power I think that it's best if I just show you." Staing a little farther away she stretched her arms up letting them elongate into thin branches. Her body thinner and turned into a rough bark. Leaves sprouted from the tips of her fingers and sides if her arm. Now a simple tree had taken her place at the fire.

Loika laid down on the floor. She didnt bother shifting back. She didnt have the energy. She laid with her muzzle right next to the bread. She didnt like feeling so vulnerable, but she had no choice. "Thats why you smell so nice...I like it. Its relaxing."She looked up at the boy. "You on the other hand..erm paw. You smell cold. Its interesting." Her eyes started to get heavy, her strength finaly zapped. She probably shouldnt have shifted. It didnt help her shoulder any.
She rolled over on to her side, getting more comfortable. Her head was calling her an idiot for leaving herself open, her heart was telling her it was ok. She could feel herself starting to drift off to sleep. "I was shot at by some idiots a few days ago.I healed for the most part. The skin healed...but i didnt get the bullet out. The muscle is healing around it."

Zero sighed and as he noticed he was talking to a tree and a wolf. He looked over to them both to them, Listen you two... Just cheer up... Trust me it'll all get better sooner or later... Just gotta stay strong... And if you heal fast enough... I could remove the bullet if you want. He formed a scapel in his hand and toted with it a little.

She smelt nice? Looking over at the girl with a puzzled look she saw the wolf girl laying on her side. So she got shot, hmm? Frowning slightly as she sat down she thought of what she could do to help. She had never really been bother by injuries excepting a few scratches on the knees. Watching Azreal pull out or rather form the scalpel she held up a hand. "Although this is her problem I think that using a scalpel might not be the best idea. I mean, I don't exactly know an alternative but a scalpel could bring back memories that don't want to be resurface..."

Loika was starting to doze off. The line between awake and asleep was starting to blur. Was she dreaming she was in a a dilapidated old factory or was she really there. Were these people in her dream or were they real. She decided it was all a dream. And if it was a dream then she couldnt get hurt right?
"Yea...sure...take it out."She mumbled softly.

He sighed and got up and walked over to her. He affirmed which shoulder it was and he prepared both himself and her. "ok... This will hurt but only for a second..." Living life on the road taught him how to do these things like bullet removal and etc. So he made another reasurance... On another hand i decided to numb it down first..." He put his hand on her shoulder and started to make it really cold. In a matter of moments he knew she had gotten numb and started. He cut into the shoulder and made himself a few medical instruments. he started to cut deeper until he saw the bullet. It was wedged in their so he made himself some pliers and pulled it out. Ok their we go! I hope you heal fast...I'll keep you numb so you don't feel it but let me disinfect it and dress it." He Went and got the disinfectant and placed it on the opening. Than with the bandages he dressed the wound. He smiled at a job well done and patted the wolf. He than went and sat on his bed once again.

Loika yelped at first. Were things supposed to hurt in dreams. She tried to move but a very strong hand was holding her still. She could feel something could but her shoulder was so numb she could barely feel it. Her shoulder really began to hurt like hell on the inside. Then just like that. The pain was gone. Thank god the pain was gone.
She felt something pat her and she almost involuntarily licked whoever's cheek it was and went back to sleep. For the first time in days the pain was gone. She could feel her skin and muscle knitting back together as she fell into a deep sleep.

Tracy had inwardly cringed during the process and continued to look into the flames as though hypnotized. Resting her head in the crooks of her arms. She wondered if the fire helped her with the photosynthesis. Well on the other hand she wasn't hungry so that was one need out of the way. Looking over she saw the sleeping wolf and wondered how a person could just lock another human bein up and expect everything about that person to be fine. "Whu do you think they hate us?" drawing circles in the dirt she pondered the possible answers.

He laid back on his bed, doing something like that was tiring. The tree than asked her question. Everyone fears what they do not understand... And in some cases they dear what they can not control.... That's my opinion anyway.... So what brings you to good ol' Atlanta city for?" He said with apathy as he had heard and answered the same question before but whatever.

Loika fidgeted in her sleep. She was really deep in her sleep but she was still dreaming. she laid curled up under one of the blankets Zero had offered earlier. Her strength was entirely going into healing her shoulder. Normally a would like that would heal quickly and effortlessly. She was however, dealing with exhaustion and malnutrition. While still sleeping she shifted back into a girl. Luckily she was asleep under the blanket that helped cover her body. Her shoulder had already stopped bleeding, and was actually healed shut under the bandage.
As she slept, she dreamed of home. Memories that she would never really be able to conciously access again.

"I've always lived in Georgia. when things got to stuffy at my home, like I said, I ran away and I've been wandering since. Then I heard that here in Atlanta that they were offering a sort of school for people like us mutants. So I made my way here..." pausing for a moment she looked over at the other girl and continued saying,"maybe it's time to turn in." Standing up and grabbing a corner she took out a receipt that she had taken earlier and began to sketch the ice cup that Azreal had given her before settling down to sleep.

He nodded in approval ya it was time to sleep. He said nothing to the sleeping people he just covered himself in a thick ice dome because well he didn't want his guest to kill him in their sleep. He laid back amd went off into the land of Z's.

Loika was the first to wake in the morning. The other two slept silently. The one under a done of ice. She quietly got up and got dressed. Afterwards she flexed her shoulder and moved it around a little. It certainly felt alot better. She had to give props to the guy, he was good. Only reminder left was a small scar on her shoulder. The scar was so white it was almost silverish and cold to the touch.
She smiled to herself and grabbed her backpack. She couldnt stay in one place for long, that lab was still after her. She shouldered her bag and headed for the door.