FullMetal*Panic!

There are things in life that are forgettable. Nothing about them warrants a second thought or a front row seat in the brain’s neurons and supportive cells.

Then there are things that are unforgettable. Something wonderful. Events, sounds, sights, or smells so special, that they are burned into the soul itself.

For Kaname, this night would be neither of those.

There are also events that by their very nature, should be unforgettable. But, because they are so horrid... so harmful.... so scarring.... the mind puts them within wall after wall, behind anatomical locks and emotional keys.

Little that she could possibly face in life would surpass the sheer terror and loss of this chill evening.

The line between fantasy and reality would henceforth be blurred.

There were more howls. Followed by more screams. Then, more gunfire. A bright spot appeared in the sky, framed by distant drifting smoke before it faded away.

‘Sousuke. What are you doing? What have you found? Is it coming this way? Why aren’t you here? Sousuke....’

Someone had to do something.

The student body was becoming increasingly edgy.

It wouldn’t take much to send them into a panic.

"Those noises are coming this way, guys. I don’t think we should just stay out here roasting our buns near the fire!" Kaname felt a need to take control. "We should get everybody on the same page. Fast."

Her friends around the fire nodded their heads, but when she shouted to people at the other fires, they looked at her as if she were speaking in tongues. This wasn’t school. They weren’t in class any more. No one was inclined to listen to a class representative or student council vice president.

They were too scared.

Too worried.

Rightfully so.

"It’s only noises, so far!" Kaname said as loudly as she could. "We should stay in control. Be brave. We need discipline. PLEASE!!!"

No one was paying any attention to her.

The noises were too close.

The sounds down below were too disturbing.

The students’ imaginations were running wilder than they were themselves.

The impartial full moon shone down upon them all, casting grotesque shadows on the hard-packed dirt of the camp site. The creeping fog worked hard to erase those ill-defined shapes, blanketing the area square foot by square foot. The tall ancient trees took no notice of the actions around them. Shivering monkeys, clinging to one another in animal desperation, watched will baleful eyes.

Kaname shrugged sadly, her heart filled with disappointment and her spirit weakened by duress. She turned her attention to the people around her own fire.

"We should probably head towards the cabins while we can. Pick up anything that looks like it might serve as a weapons or means of defense. Valor is superior to numbers. And opportunity is superior to bravery."

She felt her heart jump in her chest.

That quote came from Sousuke. Kaname couldn’t remember where he had gotten it. Some old Roman guy. The words ‘flavor’ and ‘vegetable’ tweaked her thoughts mischievously. She shook her head angrily. There was no time for mental shenanigans.

Even in calmer times she wouldn’t have remembered Flavius Vegetius Renatus. "It is not a problem...." She trembled after reassuring herself. She never really realized just how safe she felt around Sousuke, despite the fact that his mistakes and judgment often set her on edge.

Still, not being able to recall something he had said---even if it was a stupid useless dead guy’s name--- made her feel uneasy and irresponsible. He was out there. In the middle of whatever was going on. Alone.

If Sousuke were here, maybe he could have done something drastic enough to get the mob to work together towards a common goal.

Another quote snuck into her head as she waited for her friends to follow her advice.

‘A handful of men inured to war proceed to certain victory.... while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multiples of men dragged to the slaughter.’

No one here had any experience with the fear and danger of battle. Even those who acted in disciplined fashion at school had thrown that characteristic onto the fires along with twigs, sticks and branches.

The word ‘slaughter’ echoed inside the confines of Kaname’s mind.

Her pulse quickened.

Every pore in her body worked at a feverish pace, helping to cover her in a coating of fresh sweat. He shirt clung to the contours of her chest under her sweaters.

Her breathing came in short quick bits, as the exhaled cloud of her breath merged imperceptibly with the chill fog.

She twitched ever so slightly, her ‘Fight or Flight’ mechanism trying to convince her to adopt the latter.

Her heart strove to burst free of her chest, beating wildly and impatiently.

‘Listen to yourself,’ Kaname forced herself to think. ‘Slaughter? There might not even be anything out there to truly worry about. Gunshots? Even so. You know Sousuke....’

A frantic wave of monkeys burst out of the forest. They were scared of the Jindai students, but not nearly as frightened of them as they were of something not far behind them. Their eyes impossibly wide, and saliva trailing out of their open mouths, some monkeys were so spooked that they actually singed themselves jumping through the campfires.

"Perhaps we SHOULD begin moving towards the cabins...." Atsonobu’s strong calm voice was like a beacon to ships in a foggy harbor. Still, not everyone cared for his advice.

Further down the clearing, a pair of deer rang out into the clearing. One jumped over a frightened girl who fell to the ground, just avoiding a hoof to the head. Another stepped into a small charcoal pit, shattering the bone in its leg. Bleating with fear, it hobbled along on three legs, periodically collapsing to the forest floor before disappearing from sight.

"NO! We should stay by the fire. Wild animals don’t like fire. Grab some of the longer branches. We can use them as torches HURRY!!!." One boy followed his own advice, picking up a flaming tree branch, nearly catching a nearby girl‘s hair on fire..

"I said I believe that Kaname is right. We should head to the cabins, getting as many girls inside as we can. Only young men should be left outside if there is room for the ladies." Atsonobu adjusted his glasses... grabbed Ren’s hand... and pulled her to her feet. He whispered in her ear and pushed her towards a cabin. She hesitated. Her eyes were troubled for him and afraid of whatever was drawing near.

A wild boar skittered this way and that, its eyes crazed and its muzzle red with cuts from brambles and sharp stones. It took no notice of the running humans. There was only one instinct at work. Run. Run more. Run until there could be no more running. Survive.

AHHHRRROOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooo

"Screw that!!!" Another boy took of at top speed, heading for the nearest cabin. He knocked down one girl who stumbled into his path. "Move it you stupid bitch!"

"Go! Run. Come on!" Shinji shoved Kyouko, then Mizuke. That broke their trance. "HURRY!!!" He grabbed Ryo’s hand and nearly dislocated her shoulder.

"What’s going onnnnnnnnnnnn...." Ryo tried to keep up with her friends. It was hard to keep track of them. Every step away from the fires brought geater cold and deeper darkness. Every meter run brought them into a tighter and tighter knot of frantic students.

The herd instinct had taken over. Once a fair number of guys and gals started running, many others followed suit. Things progressed rapidly from disorder to pandemonium.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHH AHHHRRROOOooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Slow down. Give each other room. We don’t even know what it is. There might be something we can do as an organized group. As a team!!!" Kaname shouted herself hoarse, trying to make the best of the rapidly deteriorating situation.

"Get the Hell out of the way, idiot!" One charging boy bumped hard into Kaname, sending her tumbling over a folding chair. Atsonobu bent to help her up. Those actions saved both their lives.

No howl.

Not even a growl.

A furred rocket of sinew and teeth bound out of the forest... over the one fire... past Kaname and Atsonobu... and directly onto the trial of the ruffian. He never had time to look behind him before the beast grabbed him in both arms and leaped back out into the blanket of darkness.

"Nooo I ahhhhhhhhhhhhargrllllgrlllll...."

The terrible shout and gurgling sound was followed by snarls, the ripping of cloth, and the crunching of bone.

The sounds pushed the students to the brink of pure mindless action. Elbows were thrown. People were purposely pushed aside or thrown down. The lightless interior of the huts and building that had seemed so foreboding before now reached out its shadowy arms for a loving embrace. This was like a lottery. Winners had a chance to live. Losers had to face a waking nightmare closer up.

AHHHROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo

AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOooooooooooooooooo oooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooo

Whatever that fanged monstrosity had been, it was clearly not alone.

Darwin would have been shocked. Not by the beasts, as he was no stranger to the wonders of Nature. No, he would have been shocked. This was not survival of the fittest. Watching the Jindai class members, he would have theorized survival of the fastest, most frantic, and more ruthless.

Then again, maybe not. The saying ‘be careful what you wish for... you may get it!’ was in play. The first escapees who had made it into the cabins stood a good chance of being crushed or suffocated by the teaming mass of bodies following behind them.

"Kaname. Give me your hand. We should go. We can’t stay here." Atsonobu helped Kaname to her feet. "This way. Let’s use the trees as shields, as best we can."

They both froze. The first beast rose out of the underbrush, a hideous glow in its eyes and a warning growl in its throat. It was not looking for another kill just yet. The hackles on its neck rose, and it snapped its jaws shut fiercely, time and time again, driving the two students back so quickly they tripped over each other and fell. It was protecting its meal.

Taking an ankle in its foul drooling maw, the monster ran off into the forest, dragging the remnants of the boy’s body behind it.

"Sousuke...." Kaname murmured. She didn’t have time to think about him. She just wanted him there.

Two more dark shapes jumped and ran into the campsite. The first leaped off of the back of a running girl, knocking her into the heart of a large blaze. She screamed, her clothes on fire. Her cries quickly died out as the second beast took her neck in its jaws and partially decapitated her head. It dragged the still flaming body into the middle of the clearing, where it contentedly turned around a few times before settling on all fours, beginning to feed.

Kaname couldn’t help herself. She fell to her knees and vomited. She was not the only one.

Man is not the only cruel animal. Not if the one beast was any general representation of its breed. The monster ran just fast enough to drive the running boy this way and that, ignoring the boys and girls it brushed up against when the boy tried to find safety in the crowd.

Finally, the urge to eat overriding the instinct to play, the smallish creature swiped out twice with both claws, ripping open the boys back and sending him rolling across the ground.

He landed on his back, quite conscious. His last moments were spent looking up at the frightful snarling creature, as it stood over him waiting, prolonging his agony. Eternal sleep came when its bite tore off more than half his face.

"WHAT ARE THEY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y!!!"

The scream echoed across the foggy little hollow. The two visible beasts lifted their heads for a moment. Folding their ears back, they sent their own cries out towards the emotionless moon.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AHHH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Suddenly, their posture changed dramatically.

Bang bang bang bang

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO URRRRRRRRRRRRR AAAAAAAAAAAAH

Gunfire. Down the slope, but not at the other campsite. A different kind of howl. It was not in answer to the other howls. It decreased in loudness, tailing off into a near whimper.

The two monsters abandoned their kills. Their fur stood on end. The guttural sound deep in their chests spoke of emotion and anger. Ears flat back against their heads, they looked at one another... at the corpses near them... back at the struggling mass of humanity.... then off into the forest in the direction of the dying cry.

They ran off in that direction. Silent. One close on the tail of the other. On two legs at first, then on all four.

"While they’re gone, everyone LISTEN!!!" One boy further down the way made his attempt at restoring order. "We have to try and help each other. We have to attempt to protect one another. COME ON!!!"

"He’s right. We’re NOT animals." A girl added.

"We might stand a better chance if we WERE!!!" A different boy pulled one girl out of the door in one cabin, taking the last place of safety before the other cabin dwellers shut and barred the door.

"No. NO!!! It’s not fair. I was there first. I... WAS... s-o-b... THERE... s-o- b... FIRST. I... s-o-b... WAS... s-o-b... FIRST..." The girl’s tears coursed down her face like water too plentiful for the gutter of a small house.

"Who says they’re gone. How many are out there?" That girl’s question was one no one wanted to ponder. There minds had been pushed far beyond the breaking point by what they had already experienced.

There was the sound of a struggle inside the house. The door opened. A moaning body was thrown out---the boy who had pulled the girl from her place of potential safety.. That girl now walked into the building sobbing her thanks. The door closed again with the sound of a sinking reality. Those who now stood closest to the overstuffed edifice were also the furthest away from any other such structure.

Maybe it was time to work together after all.

"The bodies. We can’t leave the bodies like that! O God. That’s Kimi..." One girl’s shouts suddenly ceased when she recognized the tattered remains of a skirt worn by the girl who sat next to her in home room.

"No. O, why him. It’s Kutsumi. The other is Kutsumi..." The captain of the Baseball club recognized the risqué T-shirt worn by his one time left fielder.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion for Kaname. She saw Shinji push Ryo and Maya into one hut, giving up the last opening to one of them. The image of Atsonobu and Ren wrapping their arms silently around each other seemed straight out of a dream. Caught up in the moment, Kaname involuntarily smiled when the quiet girl lay her head on his shoulder.

Students down at the other end of the campsite were fashioning torches and grabbing large sticks to make into rude spears. Some stood back to back, in areas between closely situated fires. Some were trying to dig under the few huts that sat on short stilts.

Most were too frightened to think clearly. They were no more intelligent at that moment than the monkeys, deer, and boar. Few were as well-equipped for their own survival.

Kaname put her head between her knees. It was not fear. It was not nausea. She was not catatonic, and she was not resigned to her fate.

Something hurt in her head. Strange numbers and letters swirled in her mind and before her eyes, as if the entire surrounding world was just her private movie screen. Babbled words pored out from her mouth---words she did not quite understand, phrases and bits of sentences that she would never recall beyond that moment.

"Lycanthropy.......... restriction endonuclease fabrication.......... genetically modified organisms and human stock.......... embryonic stem cells.......... gene transfer between eucharistic and prokaryotic vector cells.......... site directed autogenesis.......... argent and quicksilver contingency......... expression vector multiplex.......... Forced canine and vulpine genome incorporation..........gene product purification for human transmogrification.......... Human Proteome Organization culpability.......... DNA introduction by tailored bacteriophages.......... lunar activation and reinforcement.......... clone library of original source........

The world was spinning. She was so dizzy. Where was she? When was she? Why was she?

As with many of her Whispered moments, Kaname would remember very little if anything of the scientific jargon she spoke. Even if she would remember it, she might never realize what it foretold. A shadow group with nefarious plans. Scientists drunk on the idea of playing God. Power players sitting in smoke-filled rooms, dreaming up the ultimate weapons: obedient soldiers.... with animal strength, speed, and cunning.... and a burning need to rip and tear the opposition.

Even the smart can be outsmarted. The vile and vicious will always meet their match. Often, the innocent will suffer as a result of the hubris of those selfish greedy men.

They had chosen the wrong legends as their inspiration.. Their scientists had done their too well. The security and safety measures were a veritable affront to all of mankind.

Somewhere beyond the crest of the mountains, a secret laboratory lay in ruins. Deep in the mountains, a new form of creature signaled its claim for the top of the food chain. Mechanical weapons can be stopped. The circle of life is much more resilient.

"Kaname. Can you hear me. Kaname, are you OK? Kaname Chidori, Vice President of the student council. Can you hear me?"

When Kaname’s focus snapped back into focus as swiftly as it had left, only two things held her attention. There was a strange feeling deep within her head. She had no idea what it meant.

The other thing was more ominous. Quite deliberately, something made its way into the clearing.... slowly.... almost majestically.... walking on all fours.

It was one of the creatures. Huge. Its fur silver, with slight black tips. Thick corded muscles shifted beneath the silky fine fur. A terrible intelligence blazed forth from its dark black eyes.

It sniffed the air. It listened to distant calls of its kind. Sitting back on its haunches, it opened its muzzle and looked to the sky.

O OO OOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO O OOO OO OOOO OOOOOO OOOOO O OO OOO OOOO OOOOO

Kaname placed both hands at her temples.

She looked past the great silvery monster. There were glowing red spots at the fringe of the forest.

One pair.

Two pairs.

No, three pairs.

Make that at least four pairs of red glowing eyes.

"SOUSUKE...."

Where was Sousuke?


*************************************

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Sousuke paused a moment to catch his wind.

Each breath in sounded louder than a than a thundering waterfall. Each breath out seemed louder than a straining jet engine. His body heat could be a beacon to skulking bloodthirsty monsters. The sharp smell of his sweat could be more damning than a trail of breadcrumbs.

On the trip down the hill, he had taken little notice of each step he took...every breath he labored with...every muscle that cried out for attention. Not much about his surroundings had registered on him.

Now, forcing himself to move as quickly as he could up the sloping and unyielding landscape, things were quite different. The adrenalin rush that had propelled him before had burned itself out. Having met the foe face to face, and having taken note of its extraordinary abilities and gruesome proclivities, he couldn’t help but view every tree, bush, outcrop, or embankment as a place of concealment.

Fear pumped through his heart along with his blood. His thoughts were shadowed by the gossamer strands of desperation. His bodily functions were beyond his mental control. He felt an urgent need. There was no recourse but to answer the call. Fly down, he voided his bladder on the nearest tree, watching it splash and trickle much like the blood had done at the prior encampment.

Even the simplest of acts could draw more creatures to him. But maybe that was a good thing. The more that followed him, the fewer that could terrorize Kaname and her friends. He had played the role of bait many times before. But, in those instances, the bait might be killed, but it wouldn’t actually be eaten.

His tired eyes watched the slowly rolling fog, imagining amorphous forms within it. Creatures out for his blood. People from his past. Enemies he had fought and killed. And one particular girl, whose very existence befuddled him challenged him, tugging at his heartstrings the way a woman might jerk on a dog’s chain.

A blue-haired girl who needed him.

Howls echoes through the mountain air, coming back from the place he had just left. Either some angry creatures discovered the death of heir fellows, or the ravenous beasts were after the barricaded survivors again.

He didn’t wish the other humans ill fortune, but he wished the monsters would stay down there, at least for now. Who know how many might be headed in the same direction he was. He was more concerned about the numbers that were headed for the same specific destination.

Frightened monkeys ran past him in one direction. Not much later, a wild boar sow and its two young streaked by him in the opposite direction. A number of roosting birds took to the wing. He even heard a distant grunting noise that sounded like a bear.

The forest was in an upheaval. The night was no longer a time of safety and a chance for rest.

Those animals were not the only ones driven by terror.

Sousuke had nearly died in the grasp of Venom, breaking free of its grasp only moments before the self-destruct mechanism detonated.

He had been afraid then.

He had run the gauntlet many times in more countries than he cared to remember, facing tanks, planes, Arm Slaves, and nuclear devices. He had been mere seconds away from contamination with deadly pathogens, and had come close to dying by means of molten metal and liquid gases.

He had been afraid then as well.

There had been any number of times when he had seen his own blood pooling at his feet. That had been frightening as well.

None of that could compare to the situation he found himself in now.

Not only did he face a nightmare in the flesh, but he was forced to struggle against the beast within himself. He had been little more than an animal during his early life. Killing had become more than a thing to do--- it had become a reason to live. Those feelings waited patiently behind a dam, quietly coaxing him to open the spillway once more. Weren’t those feelings family of sorts? Hadn’t they been his father and his mother after his real parents had been murdered? Hadn’t they become the playmates his brother and sister never had the chance to be?

"NO!" Sousuke’s shout echoed through the foggy night. "No! Please." His whispers sounded just as loud in his ears.

He was NOT an animal.

He was a man. A rational being. There were still ways for him to tap into the raw and naked aggression centered within him, without giving control over to his baser instincts. That was what Kaname would want. That is what would serve Kaname the best.

The smell of burning wood was carried on the wind, and rode along with the patient fog. But there was no laughter to be heard. There was no smell of food cooked with friends. There was no feeling of joy or staisfaction one might find with friends. Those things should have been there. The trip should not have turned into something like a demented horror comic.

AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo

The call was further up the hill. Sousuke looked down at the locator he had pinned to the outside of his bag. The noise came from the direction of his camp.

"Kaname." This time his first utterance was too quiet to hear. "KA.... NA.... M-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E...." The subsequent shout welled up from deep inside. For a moment, he didn’t care who or what heard it. The words were as much a challenge to himself as they were to the creatures that stalked the night.

"K-A-A-A-A-A-A.... N-A-A-A-A-A-A.... M-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E- E-E- E-E-E-E-E-E-E..."

His mind snapped into the sharpest focus. His hands curled into claws, scarping at the bark he rested against. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his heart sped up more and more. He was a battery, a power cell. The fear had now charged him to the point that he needed to release his energy. He had rage to spare.

But, his rage did not lead him by the nose, pulling him down a path of blind fury and thoughtless action. Quite the opposite. His thoughts came quicker than he could sort. Facts, evidence, and supposition swirled in his mind, a mental blender.

What exactly was he up against?

How exactly could it even exist?

Did it have any particular weaknesses?

What instincts might he use against them?

AHHHRRROOOooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOO AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

There was danger ahead. There was danger behind. There was danger everywhere. For himself. For everything human. For Kaname.

His body twitched with anticipation. He was rested enough to run again. The full clip of mercury-tipped bullets was now in his pistol. He pickled it up from where he had left it. A large combat knife was in his other hand.

Time to move.

Time to kill.

Time to save those who had come to mean something to a young and lonely soldier.

Sousuke’s heartbeat was as loud as jungle drums.

Thump

Thump

Thump thump

Thump thump thump

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump

As his body jumped over fallen trees and skirted rocky spars, his thoughts rushed down channels of analysis and through tunnels of guesswork. With every step, his will to fight grew stronger. With every breath, his mind reached further back into his memories, sorting through everything he had read, seen in movies, or heard in rumor. It was like driving a car and daydreaming at the same time. There were two simultaneous visions---the one his eyes actually saw, and the pictures flashing across the screen in his mind. Thoughts that a man might chew on for days sped through his head in a matter of seconds.

The monsters. The creatures. The hideous beasts.

Where had they come from? That might help understand what they were!

With each swing of his arm, tortured muscles cried out their displeasure. With each swing of the leg and impact on the ground, his feet, calves, and thighs put in their two cents worth as well. His chest burned with each deep breath. There was a ringing in his ears. His eyes ached and his tongue felt dry.

His thoughts ran much faster than he could. Whole legends, tales, and remembrances ran through his head on ‘fast forward.’ It was akin to the things people see or think when they say their life flashed before their eyes. Was that a portent of sorts? Was his own time winging its way towards him.

Adrenaline served as a fertile medium, as logic trees took root in his conscious thought. There were two big possibilities to consider first--- they were of this Earth, or not. Their blood was red. They did not use advanced technology. Unless they were like the Predators in the movie of the same name---using the planet as a private hunting preserve---the latter fact steered him away from that possibility. True, they could be the guard dogs or soldiers for an even more terrifying intelligence, but that was stretching the limits of possibility too far for his acceptance.

If they were indeed of this Earth, did more than one Realm exist? Was there a Spiritual world or dimension? Did the fire and brimstone of Hell or similar places truly rest somewhere near enough to his own to allow entrance? Were the stories and legends of his forefathers more than myth or primitive man’s best effort to explain the mysteries around him?

AHHHRRROOOooo oooo ooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooooo oooooooooo ooooooooooo oooooooooooo

The terrible noise was becoming commonplace. How did the mind do that? How could such horror be made to seem passe?

"Think, Sousuke. Stay on target."

Greek myths and legends mentioned Lycaon, the first king of Arcadia. He... or perhaps his fifty impious sons... had entertained Zeus at a great feast. They set before him a dish of human flesh, causing the great god to push away the plate in disgust. He had killed them with lightning, or turned them into wolves. So one version of the tale went. In another, the king had sacrificed a child to Zeus on the altar on Mount Lycaeus, and immediately thereafter the sacrifice turned into a wolf. That gave rise to a myth about a man turning into a wolf at each yearly festival dedicated to Zeus---the man would regain his form if he abstained from human flesh for ten years.

The term Lycanthropy could be traced back to the awful king.

Could the pantheon of gods actually exist, without making their presence and displeasure know to man over the eons since their worship faded away?

Was there a place in this world for any concept of magic?

Jumping over a twisted and broken tree, Sousuke realized too late that there was a drop-off just beyond it. For one terrible moment, he wondered if he had just leaped off or an unseen precipice, hundreds of feet above a rocky death. He had not. Nonetheless, the ten foot fall ended with him twisting an ankle and deeply bruising one forearm. Pain raced throughout his body. He fought to pull his torn clothing off of a series of sharp stubby branches.

The temptation to use a painkiller took hold of him. There was an auto- injector in his bag. No. Any such substance would cloud his mind.

Climbing up a muddy slope, he slipped on some leaves and went down hard again.

"Damn the darkness." Even the moonlit areas were potentially treacherous. Still, he must get going again, as swiftly as possible. His thoughts needed a jumpstart as well. He gave them one.

In Chinese and Japanese mythology, the spectral wolf was a most dangerous being, one which would rapaciously destroy both humans and beasts. That was at odds with the tales that implied the okami were the messengers of the gods, especially of Yama-no-kami, the Mountain-diety. In the role of divine messenger, wolves watched over mountains and forests, seeing that there was no undue cutting of trees or poorly placed fires. They worked to prevent the pollution of sanctuaries throughout hill and dale. Were they to find wrong-doers, they would report back to their mistress Yama---if she wished to punish the miscreants, a great string of wolves would descend from the mountains.

Images from the film Princess Mononoke formed, dissolved, then formed again. He pictured blood on the mouth of a giant white wolf.

AHHHRRROOOooooooooo AHHH AHHH AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

There was more than that movie touched upon. In some stories, the wolf could take the form of a person of someone it had previously devoured, likely for some nefarious purpose.

Such old and dusty tales couldn’t have any basis in truth, could they? Were there ancient and powerful forces at work in the Earth that made the TDD-1 and Arbalest look like the toys of a pompous and misguided waif?

He and his classmates were in the forest. They had created huge blazes. A large number of students were traipsing over the land---could someone have done something to upset the spirit of the woods?

Part of his mind laughed and said ‘ridiculous.’ How could any ‘spirit of the woods’ exist?

Then again, how could the monsters he had seen and fought exist?

Darker possibilities taunted him.

Witchcraft. The occult. Pacts with unholy agencies. The lycanthropes of Greece The volkodlak of Russia. The varcolak of Poland. The loup-garou of France. The werwolf of Germany and the werewolf of English speaking countries.

Inexplicably, Sousuke’s thoughts derailed, and he thought about a historical footnote.

The Werewolf Order was an organization of guerrilla fighters set up in the closing days of World War Two when Germany was on the verge of defeat. Its leader at the time of the surrender was SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Pruetzmann. The Werewolf Order was essentially a resistance movement who fought in uniform. They were also a paramilitary auxiliary of the Wehrmacht. They fought behind the Allied lines to create diversions.

The American soldiers who encountered these fanatical fighters of the Hitler Youth, were appalled to discover that their age ranged from eight to seventeen---this did not stop them executing many of them as spies. Most of the Hitler Youth trapped in the last desperate battle had no intention of becoming prisoners.

They preferred to fight on until all of them were killed.

Surrender was unthinkable.

However, in his first speech as successor to Hitler, Admiral Karl Dönitz ordered all members of the organization to cease operations. This order was obeyed by the surviving Werewolves. But when men of the 8th Parachute Division were sent in by Dönitz to end any possible defiance by the Werewolves, they found most of these Hitler Youth lying dead among the trees. Twenty-four hours earlier their beloved Führer had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin.

Hitler had wanted to make the ferocity and cunning of a wolf his own. He became almost wolf-like during some of his speeches.

His voice sounded gruff, as he barked at the adoring crowds.

His favorite companion was a wolf-like Alsation dog.

Hitler’s pseudonym within his circle of advisors was "Wolf."

Wolfsschlucht---Wolf’s Glen---was the code name for Hitler’s headquarters at Brûly-de-Pêche in June of 1940.

Wolsschanze---Wolf’s Lair---was the name of Hitler’s field headquarters during the late days of the War.

Hitler obviously identified with wolves. It is hardly surprising to discover the last of his "pack" calling themselves "Werewolves." But could there have been something more than that? Sousuke’s thoughts became wild... undisciplined... almost fanciful.

Scientists in Nazi Germany had exploded many boundaries. They had been on the verge of nuclear weapons, and few people knew that the Germans and Japanese had worked together to build a massive U-boat capable of launching aircraft---those aircraft had incorporated within their structure atomic weapons of a different type. Dirty bombs.

San Francisco was the target of a planned strike by the Japanese---the attack was scheduled, and the operation was in motion. The date chosen happened to be twelve days after the afternoon the first atomic bomb would end up being dropped over Japan.

It had been that close.

Those scientists and medical personnel had also carried out human experiments. Some members of the military had a fascination with the occult. Could some evil genius have developed a means of creating some unholy hybrid of man and beast? Was it be possible for such creatures to spread around the globe unnoticed? Might some of the beasts been sent to Japan, to help that nation’s war efforts---what might such creatures have done to a massive invasion of the homeland, had it come? Was there some lost secret to controlling the monsters?

AHHHRRROOOooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

"I must focus. Kaname scolds me when I go off on tangents. Kaname needs me now." Sousuke’s words helped him return to his last purposeful train of thought.

Jogging around one cluster of wide trees, Sousuke made use of an established trail that headed in the direction he wanted. It allowed him to pick up speed. His satisfaction was momentarily halted, however.

A large boar stepped out onto the path, looking in his direction. It stood stationary, showing no likelihood of fleeing.

Sousuke slid to a halt. The animal was partially illuminated by beams of light, fading in and out of view as clouds passed across in front of the moon. An animal that size, with those rather serious-looking tusks, presented a serious danger. He couldn’t take the chance of an attack, and couldn’t spare much time.

Not wanting to waste a mercury-tipped slug, Sousuke reached inside his weapons bag. Not a moment too soon. The boar snorted and charged at full speed. Grasping the pistol grip of the TMP, Sousuke squeezed on the submachine gun’s trigger, firing through the bag.

The boar fell heavily to the ground. For only an instant, Sousuke put a hand over his belly. He thought of roast pork. He thought of roaring campfires. He hadn’t eaten that night.

"Move. I also haven’t been eaten. Kaname must not be."

He ran onward, not watching as the ever-reaching fog obscured the body of his erstwhile challenger. Monkeys looked down silently from the trees. An owl hooted plaintively, unconcerned.

His thoughts ran forward again, as well.

Was the large number of myths about shape changers in various cultures merely a result of man’s fascination with the power and majesty of the most dangerous animals of his land? Or, might there be a kernel of truth at the heart of it all?

Herotodus spoke of a tribe called the Neuri in eastern Europe. Thy were said to be able to transform themselves into wolves. Virgil wrote of the transformation of men into wolves. Armenian stories told of women whose deadly sins condemned at night to take the form of a wolf for seven years--- the instincts they took on with that form caused them to kill and eat their own children... then their relatives’ children... and later the children of strangers. In France, during the 16th century, murderers with a fetish for cannibalism confessed with extraordinary readiness to being werewolves, even describing the details of the metamorphosis. In Russian tales, men became such monsters through incurring the wrath of the Devil.

There were countless whispered tales that described how men could become werewolves. Putting on a belt made of wolf-skin. Perhaps the entire skin. Rubbing magic salve all over the body. Drinking water out of a wolf’s footprint. Enchanted streams. Draining a special cup of beer while speaking and repeating a set formula. The actions of some Satanic agency. A child born to a werewolf. Being bitten or scratched by a werewolf. A full moon was required in some stories.

The single common thread was that the werewolf was evil, and had a taste for human flesh. The actions of the creatures may or may not have been evil. Sousuke had little information to go on to make such a judgment. But, he had ample evidence of their eating habits.

Yes. Werewolf legends likely came about because wolves were often the predator that most concerned man in Medieval Europe. In those earlier days, not yet fearing men, the animals may have been much more aggressive, attacking men and women with some degree of frequency. They may have been more than simply a plunderer and swift pitiless marauder against grazing flocks of livestock. Some may have viewed them as a remorseless enemy of man. Some true tales may have taken on a patina of the supernatural. The latter may have come to be the most memorable part of the stories passed from mouth the ear in hushed gatherings and noisy taverns.

His musings jumped ahead, just as he was forced to do, coming across an upended tree laying across the path. The cold night air reached within his torn clothing, causing him to shiver and shake a bit. His mind was warmed by a brief vision of Kaname.

When Christianity arrived in Europe, priests condemned the pagans who were worshipping wolves. They equated the myths of werewolves with Satan. Authorities such as St. Augustine believed that werewolves did not actually change form, but rather deluded their victims with illusion. "The Devil creates no new nature, but is able to make something appear to be which it is not" was his proclamation.

Sousuke shook his head. St. Augustine should have seen the creature he had killed this night. It did not transform nack to the appearance of a man as he might expect---or as the wolfman movies often showed.

AHHHRRROOO AHHH AHHRRROOOoooooooooooooo oo ooooooooooooooooooooo oo

Now the noises were becoming annoying. They were a sign of a job Sousuke had to do, a job that was far from finished. He should have stayed at his own camp. He shouldn’t have left his fellow students defenseless. It didn’t matter that students were not supposed to bring weapons on a camping trip. He had done so.

"No time for recriminations. Do not make it more of a problem than it already is."

In any case, the Church’s proclamation did not dam up the river of legends... it opened the floodgate. Werewolf scares spread across Europe like the plague. The people of the time did not have Communists, Islamic terrorists, nuclear weapons, or computer hackers to go hysterical over--- they had to make do with witches and werewolves. There were over thirty thousand reports of loup-garou in France between 1520 and 1630.

Sensational trials did nothing but fuel the phenomenon.

In 1589, a series of wolf attacks occurred in the duchy of Westphalia in what is now northwestern Germany. Those looking for the ravaging beasts came across a man named Peter Stubbe who was walking in an area where a wolf had supposedly vanished. Under the dark cloud of ignorance and superstition, the incident took on overwhelming proportions. A number of people claimed that they had cornered a wolf.... Set their dogs on it.... And attacked it with sharp sticks. The wolf didn’t run away. Instead, it stood up and turned into a man. Peter Stubbe.

Under torture, he confessed.

Broken on the wheel---and his flesh torn with hot pincers---he told of the murders of sixteen individuals, including two pregnant women and thirteen children. He claimed to have been obsessed with sorcery, practicing the art since the age of twelve. He had even made a pact with the Devil. He took the form of a wolf and attacked with great brutality, tearing victims’ throats and sucking at their warm blood. The savagery of his confessed crimes was beyond imagination. Young girls who played together or milked their cows in the fields were his frequent victims---he would chase them like a hound... catch the slowest one... rape her and kill her... then drink her hot blood and eat her tender flesh. His most gruesome crime struck close to home. He claimed to have taken his own son to the forest... cracked open his head... and eaten the poor boy’s brain.

His legs were broken.

His head was cut off. That head was placed on a tall pole, made to have the features of a wolf.

His carcass was burned to ashes. His daughter and mistress were burned alive.

Word of the trial and execution spread across the lands. People began believing that creatures with the shadow of wolves lived among them.

But that was all legend and misunderstanding, wasn’t it? There was nothing there that modern man couldn’t explain away, right?

At times in Europe, various forms of foodborne illness struck, including Ergot poisoning---the fungus growing on rye plants could have caused mass hallucinations, hysteria, and paranoia, all due to an LSD-like substance. It could have caused individuals to believe they were a monster, or may have led entire towns to believe they had seen such a beast. Ergot poisoning had even been suggested as a possible cause of the Salem witch trials in America.

But, it did not explain the prevalence of such legends in vast areas that had not Ergot.

Other researchers pointed to things like rabies, hypertrichosis, and porphyria---known medical conditions that might explain violent behavior, excessive hair growth, or an odd appearance to the skin. There is even an actual rare mental disorder called clinical lycanthropy, in which the affected person has a delusional belief that he or she can transform into some form of animal, not necessarily a wolf. The spiritual concept of therianthropy involved people thinking that they had the spirit or soul of a wild beast. Historians would also point out that when ancient societies lived in fear of some animal, they fantasized about becoming that animal.

Sousuke could see small glowing points of light up the slope. He was getting close enough to see the camp! Not too much longer now. He hoped to have enough strength left to stand and fight when he got there. He prayed there would be people alive for him to fight for.

"Keep moving. Must keep moving. No time for another break."

Secret deeds and desires always attract storytellers. But, the creatures that Sousuke faced were not stories. Stories do not tear people apart and feast upon their dead or dying bodies. Could the legends be true, at least in part? Did modern man, no longer fearing wolves, dismiss legends that told of a threat that still walked among them?

AHHH AHHH AHHHROOOooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o ooo oo o

Alien beings.

Spirits of the land.

Unholy creatures.

Sousuke’s mind fought hard to deny such possibilities. They couldn’t be true. He did not want to accept them as true. But, if those were not the answer, what was? Was it any less unrealistic to believe that some natural creature could exist unseen for long stretches of time, in an age where science ruled supreme and populations were expanding to every corner of the globe? Saquatch. Yeti. The Loch Ness Monster. None could be proven real.

‘Science ruled supreme.’

Science.

He briefly thought back to his thoughts about Nazi scientists. There was no need to stretch things that far. Why should he?!! He was an Arm Slave pilot. He had first hand experience with the Lambda Driver. He had spent long hours aboard a miraculous undersea craft. The wonders of Black Technology may have become more commonplace to him than the bloodcurdling howls, but he had not lost his sense of awe about the mysterious knowledge.

Could such hidden secrets---and the bounty of the Whispered---be applied to the biological realm as well as the mechanical?

It was a scary thought.

Did it fit the frightening reality he now faced?

If so, what exactly were the beasts? What unknown physical or mental abilities might they possess? Would conventional weapons kill them, or might someone have built in physical fail-safes?

The possibilities ran rampant in his mind, so much so that he had to clamp down hard, stopping any further analysis or origin. Only one major consideration faced him. Could they be killed. If so, how?

Silver? There were argent items in his bag.

Mercury? He still had one clip and part of another remaining.

Wounds that destroy the heart or the head? He could do that. That would be an aiming priority.

Salt water? There may not be time to create any, and he doubted the cooking supplies they had brought had sufficient salt.

Holy water? He had none, and no means to get any.

Exorcism? Werewolf tales spoke of little success there, and spiritual beings protecting the forest would have nothing to exorcise. It didn’t matter, neither he nor any of his classmates were priests.

The wood of an ash tree? Those trees dotted the hills, competing with the towering pines and firs for light. No, the stories said that climbing such trees might help one avoid supernatural danger, not conquer it.

Cold iron bar to the head? What exactly did cold iron equate to in this day and age? Did he really want to get that close to one of the creatures? Could he expect it to stay nice and still for him?

The question of time also begged for attention. Why? Yes! Were the creatures merely nocturnal, or did the cycle of the moon actually play a role? Would he and his companions be safe if they could make it to morning? Sousuke grimaced, looking at his watch. There were almost six hours until sunrise. Even the few minutes he had faced the beats before had seemed like an eternity.

What?

Something!

Sounds.

Where?

Coming!

More than one?

Yes!

Together?

No, from different directions!

His senses snapped to the forefront.

The time for reflection and planning was over.

"Lupus in fabula." ‘The wolf in the tale‘---speak of the wolf and he will come. "Aureus teneo lupum." ‘I hold a wolf by the ears‘---I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go. The Latin quotes were the last thoughts that Sousuke would let allow his mind. The time for thoughts had passed. It was once again a time for action. It was time to fight. For life. For Kaname.

AHHHRRROOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooo

That sound did not come from the approaching entities. Those were very quiet, but not quiet enough.

"I am coming, Kaname. Be well. Please be well."

Whether by means of intelligent thought and communication, or the workings of natural instinct, the two creatures that left the camp and left their kills behind were closing in on Sousuke from two different angles. One would usurp his attention while the other would follow shortly thereafter, hopefully finding him easy prey.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. They same could be aid for werewolves, or whatever name one wished to give the fearsome products of unwise scientific manipulation.

"No waiting. Make my own advantage!" Sousuke chose one sound and began running towards it. They would meet head on, at a place of his choosing. The question of the food chain would not be answered---he had no desire to feed upon his foe. Dominance was another point entirely. He had something to learn. Perha[s he also had something to teach.

"Ignore fatigue. RUN!!!" He took no notice of his aching muscles or the weight he still carried. Leaping over obstacles, he felt as if he were an animal himself. The feel of the pistol grip and the knife handle was negligible---it was as if they were a part of him, bonded in absolute continuity. They were his teeth, his claws.

Entering a huge moonlit patch of forest, Sousuke felt as if he had just entered an arena. He was a gladiator walking into the Coliseum for the first time. The trees and stones were his audience. His first opponent’s body shone in the glowing beams as it leaped, fangs bared and taloned fingers spread wide.

A huge clawed hand swiped close to Sousuke’s face. Sousuke’s knife struck across the abdomen of the beast, coming out read and sticky with blood. The creature landed, snarling. It leaped again without a moments rest. The mouth closed loud like a bear trap, coming away with some of Sousuke’s hair.

Bang bang

One shot missed. The second hit the monster in the shoulder. It rolled to the ground in pain, a startled yelp leaving its black drooling lips. One ear stood up. It had detected something.

So had Sousuke. The other creature was not far behind. No time to waste. His time to charge.

"NOW!!!" He ran, then took a risk. He sat down on the ground. It was the right move.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The first monster jumped again, its arms wide, determined to grapple with its victim...hold it tight... then tear out its tempting throat.

It grasped nothing but air.

Reacting as the beast streaked overhead, Sousuke fired at point blank range.

Bang bang bang.

The monster landed on its feet, then turned. It growled. Then it shifted slightly from side to side. Blood fountained out of its mouth. Crimson red trails rand own its pelt, glistening in the moonlight. It wobbled, fell, and bit at the ground. Clawing its way forward, it tried to reach Sousuke.

It died.

AHHHRRROOOooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

The second creature had seen its pack mate die. It made no pretense at subtle. The human genes used in its creation had given it more than intelligence. They conferred upon all such monsters all of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in man’s anger.

It leaped and swiped. Sousuke had stood and backed up against an unseen and unwanted tree, The bests claws ripped off huge chunks of bark, leaving deep furrows in the wood. The young sergeant had ducked just in time.

Landing, the creature had left itself within Souske’s reach.

"My turn!" Sousuke could have fired the M1911 at its back. His own emotions and instincts took over. This was somehow personal. It was almost a duel, with honorable rules. He wanted the kill to come at his own hand. Moving incredibly fast himself, he brought his knife down, driving it deep into the creature’s spine.

The reflexive swipe of the monster’s arm hit Sousuke hard in the face. He was thrown hard against the tree, sliding down to the ground. Fortunately it had been a backhand blow. Still, his lip felt torn and blood ran down from his mouth.

"GRRRrrr." That noise came from Sousuke as he brought himself back to his feet.

The monster was silent as it leaped into the darkness, looking to use the night to its advantage.

"Damn!" Sousuke didn’t want to play this game again. There wasn’t time. He had heard the howls coming from up the hill. They had stopped, but were starting again, in greater number. He had to get to Kaname.

He dropped his bag, intending to take out the thermal goggles again.

The monster struck.

One hand gripping the tree, it swung around and used a move that was very much un-wolflike. Two furred feet struck Sousuke in the back and knocked him away from his bag. His gun fell from his hand... struck a rock, giving away its location... then fell amongst the moist leaves.

Sousuke rolled painfully across a sharp fallen tree branch, scraping his cheek against a patch of brambles. He scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible, unarmed. His knife was the only thing that saved his life then. It had done its job, if incompletely. The beast was not paralyzed, but the arm and leg on one side were weakened and its actions were slowed considerably.

A overhand blow was visible only because the beast’s arm passed through a huge shaft of moonlight. The claws tore through Sousuke’s shirt, just missing the skin beneath. The force of the attack broke the stout tree branch into smaller pieces.

Grabbing one piece of wood, Sousuke rammed it hard into the creature’s mouth, intent on shoving down its throat. It was a desperate reaction, but might buy him some time. He succeeded, just barely removing his hand with all fingers intact.

As the monster worked to keep from choking, Sousuke ran towards the location of his pistol, seeing a glow of light reflecting off of something metallic. He leaped. But, something grabbed him around the ankle, jerking him to a halt in mid air. He fell hard to the ground, his breath knocked out of him.

He fell short of the gun. He rolled over on to his back. He saw the airborne monster descending upon him, teeth first.

"Shit!!!" Sousuke swung his legs upward, avoiding the fanged snout and impacting hard on the creatures massively muscled chest. The move catapulted the beast over him, giving him another lease on life.

The creature landed and turned, snarling louder than before. Fury burned hot in its eyes. A tongue protruded and licked its lips. The fingers on its hand flexed slowly. Its toes did the same.

AHHHRRROOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO

It charged. Fighting for breath, Sousuke did the same. He caught each clawed hand in his own, and just manged to duck under the snapping mouth of his adversary. Head against its chest, he rammed a shoulder into its midriff and pushed it backward. It struck the scarred tree hard. The knife in its back was driven in even further.

OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOO OOOO OOOOO OOOOOO OOO OOOO

With unbelievable strength, the creature broke free of Sousuke’s grip, sending him flying. The young soldier struck his head on a rock, dazing him. He was stunned and could not move. His vision was blurry. The furred monstrosity started forward. He was momentarily defenseless.

The creature spasmed. It fell to the ground. Its limbs continued to twitch briefly, then went still. The knife blade had transected its spinal cord.

Sousuke stumbled to his feet too soon, then fell again, ending up with a mouthful of dirt and moss. Spitting the stuff out, he coughed and stood again. Still a bit light-headed, he walked over and picked up his pistol. It was unnecessary. The beast could not move and did not present him with any further danger.

Still, he walked over to it and looked it in the eyes. For a moment, the monster’s ferocity vanished---those eyes widened for a second, looking up at its opponent. Then they shut. The beast started to howl again.

AHHROO---

Bang

The bullet that blew apart its head and splattered its brains all over the tree and forest floor ended that act of defiance.

There was no time to rest on his laurels. There was no thunderous applause from the audience. His prize was simply being the victor, able to continue living and keep on fighting. He needed to move, as quickly as his aching body would allow.

"I’m coming, Kaname."