SilentCreekPack {Origins}

Chapter 15

Dianna jolted awake as the ringing of the bell at three thirty signalled dismissal, triggering a stampede of students of all sizes, all thundering toward the door as a teacher in the midst of the flurry struggled in vain to quiet the crowd. Dianna stumbled out of the classroom, tired from the events of earlier that day, shifted this way and that as students pushed past her, unable to trudge any faster than she was at the moment. Being forced by instinct to take her wolf form on such short notice had drained her, and all she had on her mind was sleep. She'd promised Kai she'd return to the Legion later that day, but that'd have to wait.

She stretched awkwardly as she got out of the door and proceeded to walk home. Suddenly was was jostled playfully by Dustin, who seemed to have much more energy than she did.

"Hey!" He chimed, with a grin. "Where you headed?" Dianna narrowed her eyes tiredly at him.

"Oh gee, I don't know... HOME maybe?" Dianna hissed, rubbing her eyes.

Dustin scratched sheepishly at the back of his head. "Oh.. right." He smiled chuckling. "You look awful."

"I'm tired, Dustin." She huffed gripping the strap of her backpack and walking away from him, hauling it over one shoulder as she did so.

"Well, after that little ordeal today you should be.." He said walking after her amused by her lethargic state, until he suddenly remembered what he'd come to tell her. "H-Hey, wait!" He called out sharply, much to Dianna's irritation. "There's something I need to tell you.." He huffed. "That creepy uncle of yours what's his name, Damian?"

"Desmond."

"Him." Dustin answered. "He's up to something, him and Minson."

"Minson, the old biology teacher?" Dianna narrowed her eyes. "And my uncle, both of whom are probably in insane asylums?"

"Only they aren't. I saw Desmond talking to Minson last night in the abandoned building that used to be the city library." Dustin said urgently, only to have Dianna stare at him.

"That building has been abandoned for years. Windows and doors boarded and everything."

Dustin gripped her by both wrists. "And they still are." He insisted. "Everything except the front door. Minson's gone insane and he's experimenting on animals. I was at his lab last night and I shit you not, I witnessed a rabbit swallow a snake whole."

Dianna sighed, and tiredly rubbed a hand over her face. That sounded like Minson alright. He always had some crackhead vision of prey evolving to eat predators instead of constantly being eaten, the way things had been for millions even billions of years. "Why must predators always eat prey? Why must predators always take, and prey always give?" He'd  often asked Dianna's class. "Why can't the transaction of energy be mutual for both parties, a give and take?" Frankly, it was unsure whether or not he truly understood the amount of havoc that would reak on the balance of the earth, which was probably why they tried to cart him off to the Nut house.

"He's after you, Dianna." Dustin almost whined. "And Demon--"

"Desmond."

"DESMOND, is helping him. He knows shapeshifters exist and wants a live specimen. The only live specimen Desmond knows is YOU. We need to handle this guy before he decides to handle us."

Dianna paused in deep thought for a moment. She thought of Tzuma, Epsilon and Ashen; She thought of Kai. Desmond was already an avid hunter by nature, but combined with his thirst for revenge against Lucaine and her as well, there was nothing stopping him from doing something drastic. Kai's association with her might put him and The Silver Legion in danger as well. Not to mention Tony. She spoke again. "Dustin, was Minson ever IN an asylum?" Dianna questioned.

"I heard he escaped."

"No one just "escapes" from an insane asylum." Dianna added sharply, grabbing her backpack and hauling it over her left shoulder with one strap as she started toward the campus library. "He must have been released. We can't just go after him, we could be dealing with a class four nutcase here."

"Or one really smart asshole." Dustin sighed, taking a step after her.

"Could be both." She added again. "We need to know what we're dealing with here."

Dustin groaned. He could see they were headed toward the libraby, and Dianna seemed to be in a rush. "I feel a research project coming on."

"That's exactly what's coming on. We'll need all the information we can get."

"Hhhng." Dustin grumbled.

"Well you can read can't you?"

"Of course I can."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Come on!"

"But.." Dustin started. "It's just so BORING!" He whined as Dianna hauled him off to the library, his left wrist clasped in her grip.