Chapter 2: Don't Feed the Animals

Now the guy had gotten up and run away, that made Revenant's job so much easier. "Alright, now that he's gone," Revenant calmly said, readying himself. "Why don't I send you to a nice kennel, eh?"

It growled to his words, showing it understood it's meaning. After that it still stayed in place, only lowering it's self and getting ready for another pounce.

Now this was just getting silly. Both of them stood opposite each-other, ready to attack.....and yet unwilling to make the first blow. "Okay seriously, are you gonna attack or not?" Revenant asked. "Because if the answer is no--and I hope it is--then why don't you just sit."

It pounced at Revenant as he was talking to catch him off guard hopefully. What he got mistaken that this creature was intelligent and was just simply waiting for the right moment. Claws ready to scratch their way though his armour.

Barely seeing the pounce before it happened, Revenant sidestepped it, shoulder going into the wall of the alley as the cat passed by. "Fast kitty cat ain't ya?" he muttered, before he lashed out with his arm in a tendril attack, arcing it up as it went for the creature.

Zeru was looking around when he saw someone with a few holes in his shoulder run past him out of an alleyway."she better not be in trouble when i get there"he said turning into the alley following the trail of blood to it's source reaching for one of his guns just incase.

The cat skidded along the snow and turned quickly to face Revanant, a tendril came at it and it too made a sidestep to avoid the attack before once again running towards it to pounce.

Jumping back and out of reach of the attack, Revenant immediately said "No Luca no!" Then he launched himself off his rear foot and aimed a punch right for the cat beasts head.

The cat would slightly reel back from his attack, it's head harder than any normal Cougar, it would make a slice with both it's claws, lifting itself higher by standing on it's hind legs for the attack.

Landing the blow cost Revenant; it brought him within reach of the counter attack, the claws sparking off his armor. They were no ordinary claws, cutting through the nano-epidermis and into his own skin......and through the shirt. Of course. "Dammit, I liked that shirt!" he yelled as he stumbled back.

Zeru had heard the rour so he sped up the pace drawing his gun before getting to a corner and looking around the edge to see what was going on.

The Cougar after landing, gave a laugh to his words. It was a hackled, inhuman laugh but still their. After the small laugh it would continue its assault with yet another pounce teeth aiming for the throat.

This time Revenant let the cat get closer, before backhanding it to the side in a slap that sent it crashing against a dumpster. "Okay," Revenant uttered, "I have seen mutated people, giant suits of armor and even supernatural psycho zombies. But a laughing cat? That won, hands down, the award for scariest fucking thing of my life."

When the cat lunged and revenant sideswiped the cat zeru rounding the corner gun drawn and aimed"both of you freeze right there"he said as he did it.

The Cougar got up from the dumpster that now owned a dent and looked to the new human. This one smelled familiar too. In a few ways as well but as of now it looked like an easier target. The cat once steadied would begin to run past Revanant if he didn't stop it and try to lunge at the new prey that walked into the fight.

"Seriously, I just wanna go home!" Revenant yelled in frustration, before moving to grab the running cat's tail. "Now heel!"

The cat yelped as it tail was pulled on my strong hands and turned to slice at metal man.

Zeru moved closer but staying alert incase either run made a rush."i said calm the fuck down".

Letting go at the last minute, James finally heard from Gestalt.

Wait James. I think this is Effigy. Remember, in October we were aided by a......talking cat--can't believe I actually said that.

Son of a......you're right. Well if that's the case why is she acting like this?

The cat ignored Zeru as it made it's way towards Revanant, step by step until it stopped and started to cough up blood. Once it was done, it made another pounce towards Revanant. it's arms wide as to try and grab him.

"Effigy stop!" Revenant shouted, diving to the side as he avoided her attack. "It's me, Revenant friend of Shadow!" What the hell had gotten into her? Why wasn't she stopping or realizing what was happening?

Zeru put away his weapon and moved even closer to the duo this time.

When the cat stopped after the attack, it stopped. The names shook though it violently. Effigy, shadow. Revanant. These names were something the human remembered. Not it, it didn't remember these. It shook it's head once again before coughing up even more blood. Stumbling around on spot a little it tried to pounce on revenant one last time, doe the lunge was a little clumsy.

The clumsy lunge allowed James to easily dodge it, though he noted how Effigy was still coughing up blood. Dammit, something's wrong with her, he thought to himself. Looking to the newcomer he said "We need to subdue her now!"

Zeru nodded and rushed the creature to attempt to subdue it.

The creature tried to back up but wasn't having luck, the human wanted out. It coughed up some more blood and felt the human girl kicking at it's inside. Making it cough more blood up.

Now James wondered which would happen first; they'd save the girl, or she'd die of blood loss. They were gonna need a mop soon considering how much was being coughed up, and he had no idea how to force the girl to change back. But he figured getting her to lay down would be a good start, so he ran behind the newcomer. "Take the legs, I'll take the head!" he yelled.

"got it"zeru said going for the legs and attempting to hold her down.

While the new guy got the legs, Revenant wrapped his arms around the big cats neck, trying to wrestle her down to the pavement of the alley. "Easy, easy there girl," he said in a low voice while the cat struggled.

The cat gave up as it was held down to the ground. It coughed up some blood on Revanant before making a choking sound. It was choking on something, it could have been it's tung or it's own blood but no. It was choking on a hand.

At first, James thought it stopped moving because the cat was relaxing. Instead, he realized it was choking on something. "Dammit," he hissed, moving to its mouth hoping to dislodge whatever was there. When he saw the hand though he nearly screamed. "Jesus!"

Bella tried to get her other hand though the throat to try and rip the it apart. "Hmmp. Helmm." She tried to call out to the two. Before realising something.

Zeru turned his head when he heard rev call out jeus and then the 2nd voice,"what the hell is going on up there"he asked worried.

A second hand joined the fray, and James slowly realized that whoever was inside was not only alive, but actively trying to claw their way out. "Okay I stand corrected, this is the freakiest thing I've seen all day," he muttered before moving to try and help.

She was able to split the jaw a little. Flesh tearing away just enough she could try and get her out though.

Deciding to help--nauseating as it was--Revenant formed the fingers of his right hand into four scalpel sharp blades, using them to cut into the body of the cat though being careful to avoid the girl.

Which was easier said than done. He wasn't a surgeon for fuck's sake and his hands were shaking like mad from nerves. Gestalt had to intervene and steady his arms slightly, enough that he missed eviscerating Effigy.

Once enough of the muscle had been cut, Bella moved a little back into the cat's body, a little embarrassed to come out. "Um strange man. You wouldn't have some clothes would you?"

Zeru took off his jacket and offered it to her"here take this".

"Jesus Christ.....Effigy. No, I have no spare clothes. Which sucks for you since it's about fifteen degrees out here," James said. Fantastic, save the girl from the cat but can't save the girl from the cold. There was no winning. At least until the stranger gave her a jacket. It was something but unless it was a trenchcoat with warm socks and boots plus thick pants her legs would suffer.

"Effigy? No the names Bella." Bella took the jacket and wrapped it around her the best she could While inside a body, hoping to hide just about everything. She climbed out of the body but moved away from the two. "Where am I. Who are you two. You both smell familiar."

"it's me zeru bella don't you remember?"

"Don't you remember? I'm Revenant," he said. "I'm a friend of Shadow, and he's very worried about you. Also holy shit we need to get you some pants."

"i might have a spare set of snowpants in my backpack let me check"zeru said looking through it.

"Why the hell do you have a spare set of snow-pants in your backpack?" James then asked the new guy, apparently named Zeru. "Where's room for all the other important stuff?"

"I tend to forget things for a long time after I come from one of those. Some memories gone and others stay. I don't remember any of you and I don't know a shadow. Unless thats Marcus." She then looked down and slightly blushed. "Yea can we do that please. It's cold and your both... Yea."

"dude it's winter you should always have spare supplies it's incase of emergency and it's called other pockets"he said digging the snowpants out and handing them to bella.

"Thanks.. Could you both turn please?" Bella asked as she took the pants.

"ok"Zeru said as he turned around.

"Spare supplies like torches, a thermos of hot soup maybe. Not spare clothes, you save that for when you're in a fucking cartoon," James muttered. Looking back to the girl, now named Bella, he said "Well there's a place nearby you can go to, you'll be safe there." Then he turned around, the mask hiding his blush.

When they both turned she Pulled the pants on and looked around. "Thanks arr. Zeru and Revanant.. What are you wearing?"