Protector

CHAPTER 8

I had the right to freak out for as long as I did. I don't think anybody would have reacted any differently after changing from a HUMAN BEING to a CAT. Luckily, the pain was completely gone so I could focus on the fact that I was now walking on four paws instead of two legs.

After getting over the initial shock of actually transforming from a person into an animal, I quickly adjusted to my new view on things. Everything seemed to be in high definition and looked different in this perspective but then again, everything was much clearer.

The walking and moving around part of changing body forms was hard. It took me a couple of minutes to stop tripping over my own feet while I tried walking on all fours but I got the hang of it quickly and was able to move swiftly and easily within ten minutes after the transformation.

I couldn't bare looking at everybody's faces when I could finally focus on them and not me. I knew that disgust would be burning in their eyes and clear on their faces so I chose not to look at any of them and bolted.

I ran straight for the trees that bordered the institute and didn't stop until I thought I was a safe distance from everyone. I had many valid reasons for running away, most of which being driven by my own fear of facing them but there were others as well.

I didn't want to hurt them. I could only imagine the thoughts swimming around in their heads as I couldn't use any of my normal powers while in this state, I quickly found that out the second I transformed and their thoughts were cut off. Even as I tried to lift objects around me or search their heads for anything they were thinking, I couldn't.

Steve would probably be the one thinking of my stability, wondering if I was in control of my own actions or if I had been lost to the animal I had become.

Tony would be thinking of how many tests he could run on me at one time, probably just for the knowledge of it all and not to try and turn me back to a person.

Clint would be wondering where his 'little girl' had gone and stressing about how he was going to tell Laura her daughter had transformed into a big cat.

Natasha would only be thinking about how to take me down if it came to it. Immediately on the defensive in case anything was wrong and wondering how she would do it without hurting me.

Pietro and Wanda would both be equally confused about what had happened and would probably be wondering if this was also Tony's fault seeing as I had been in his care for the past four days.

If all of them didn't know what had happened to me, and I didn't know if I was stable or if I was actually in control and not half controlled by animal urges, I couldn't be sure that I wouldn't harm any of them. I needed to make sure they were all safe so I wouldn't have their blood on my hands and the best way to do that would be to run away.

I don't know how long I was amongst the trees, left alone with my own thoughts while I paced up and down a tree branch but it didn't seem to matter because I was found eventually, despite my efforts to stay hidden.

At first I just watched as the blue blur ran underneath me and all around the trees and the speed of sound, but then when I realised that Pietro had started climbing the trees to get a better view of where a huge black panther could be, I had to flee from my spot on the branch and began running.

I knew it was a lost cause before I had even started but I had to try, if not for the fact that I wanted to stay hidden from everyone then because I couldn't bare hurting him.

Before long he had caught up to me and was standing directly in front of me so I had no choice but to skid to a halt before I crashed into him though I did so unwillingly as all I wanted to do was continue running until I was safely away from all of them.