The LAB

Chapter 38

A shadow took over the front of the apartment before a heavy thud sounded, grabbing the cringing attention of Zotic and a tow truck next to him. The noise was from a slightly burned and scuffed up Mercy, soon followed by the heavy landing of the winged Blazer behind her. As Jaslo shifted back to a more normal appearance, Zotic looked over the beaten up car with a lot of questions in his eyes.

"Jaslo, what happened?" he finally asked, looking to the truck beside him that refused to move.

"She kept trying to leap off overpasses, and got me to sneeze so I blasted a bit of fire. I thought catching her once was hard enough, but she won't stop trying to end herself." Jaslo's grille bent oddly in an upturned groan. Mercy slowly got up, coughing slightly before looking up to the truck. The two locked eyes before shedding a tear and embracing each other tightly.

"So, who's this fellow?" Jaslo asked, rolling up next to Zotic.

"This is Preston, or more commonly called PT. He's an old friend of Patrick and after I spoke with him during your frantic call, he agreed to help." The two watched as Preston slowly looked up to them.

"I'm sorry. Took me awhile to get over how... different you are," he said, motioning a tire towards Jaslo. She blinked and tilted her front, asking with just her body language what he meant by this.

"I mean, we've all heard and seen pictures of the beast that flies through the city... but it's something entirely different when that creature is landing before you with wings spread that you really take in the size. Plus, I didn't think you just... kinda... shrunk to normal."

"How'd you think I changed forms? Jus' curious." PT shrugged his tires, patting Mercy slightly as she continued to cry into his fender.

"We're not told that much, so I assumed it was like at night. One guy I work with thinks you transform in the middle of a ball of fire." Zotic snickered at this, and it earned him a heavy thump to his side from the Blazer. Jaslo had to admit, she was surprised her transformation wasn't shown or explained, but hearing how others thought she shifted did bring a smile to her front.

"Alright, enough about me, I need to make sure she's fine here. I can't keep rushin home from work to make sure she's alright on her own." PT looked between everyone there, putting a tire under Mercy's front and lifting her slightly with a smile.

"I think I can handle her from here," he said as he looked over to Jaslo with a very calm grin. Even if that night was hell, the partners were put at ease that their fellow officer was now in more capable tires. Plus, a tow truck would be way more useful to haul someone elsewhere if outside help was needed, so that was a bonus. Jaslo nodded, raising a tire to ask one last question.

"Yes," PT started, "If you could drop off her stuff after your shift, and call me before you do, would be helpful. She'll be fine here, and I'm certain you'll see her soon at work." Zotic looked over to his partner like a concerned parent, but was put at ease by the fanged smile she wore.

"Thank you." Jaslo's words came out with such fluidness that even Zotic was a bit startled, but still thankful as well. Without much else, the two turned to drive off down the road, now that their task was finally over. Jaslo paused to look back, mirror flicking slightly as she watched PT and Mercy drive into the apartment calmly. Despite being super thankful that her friend was now safe, she already missed such a presence in the home. It was not something to dwell on now sadly, as a short whistle from Zotic drew her back onto the correct direction of travel.

"And where was this?" The Sheriff slammed a file down on a desk between him and Jaslo. Zotic took the moment so sink his frame to the floor next to her as the SUV rose with a growl. The image was of Jaslo flying over a few buildings, and honestly neither had the answer for him. It took no time to set off the bomb that was their boss, and without warning he grabbed the desk and threw it against the far wall with a grunt. The desk, being made of cheap wood and bolts, shattered as it came to the ground in pieces. Jaslo didn't budge, but Zotic scrambled behind her as John came close to her front.

"You're not supposed to be the most obvious thing in this damn city! That was the whole point of letting you free!" His snarl threw a bit of saliva onto Jaslo's headlight, something that finally got her to scowl towards him. Much to her amazement, and bewilderment, John reached around and yanked Zotic forward before pinning him into the ground with a heavy tire to his hood.

"What was your job again? Huh? DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER?!" Zotic tried to gasp out, but his jaws were being forced shut under the weight of the Tahoe.

"Sheriff, that's enough!" Jaslo pleaded, turning to face them more properly. John didn't listen, pressing more until the pop, clank, and hiss sounded from a strut and tire blowing with a whimper of pain.

"Sheriff!" Jaslo's calls were on deaf mirrors as the Tahoe kept pressing in more and more with teeth grinding. She had enough, and out of a split second choice, she rammed him off her partner and pinned him into the wall. Before he had time to even regain the air knocked out of him, her fangs sunk into his side as she lifted him off the ground and swung herself. Zotic opened his eyes just in time to see the Sheriff being flung into the same wall as the desk, hitting it hard enough to crack and flopping to the floor with the horrid sound of a frame snapping. Zotic and John looked over in fear as Jaslo stood tall, lip curled in a snarl and eyes amber with thin slits look back at her prey. Her inhale gave a growl that made John wince at whatever was to come, knowing too well what she was able to do. All she did was drive over to her partner and help him stand up, forcing his body back into place just enough to make sure he could drive to get repaired. She nailed the Tahoe back to the wall with the stare of a hunter.

"You're weak... but if you ever wish to fight, then challenge me outside of this damn building." With nothing more, she pushed Zotic out the door and left the battered vehicles in the room.

The entire moment replayed over and over in her head as she hooker herself up to a small trailer and headed out. She didn't understand why her partner was the target, and kept thinking about it the entire time she loaded up to bring PT all of Mercy's belongings. Not even the usual shadows took her mind off track from this, which was odd to anyone that knew her usual actions. Her mind couldn't figure out why it all went down the way it did, and she never did get the answer as she came up to the apartment with a sigh. That issue would have to wait as there were more pressing issues to deal with. Sadly, this stop was the minor one, and she shifted quickly in the night outside the apartment. Gently knocking on the door with her tail, she used a wing to move the trailer into a better spot before launching into the sky with a hiss of an inhale. PT opened the door just in time to see her vanish into the darkness of the sky itself. There was still nothing as amazing as it to him, but once he saw the trailer he knew work was to be done.

No words were spoken out in the valley tonight, even as she softly landed by the lake within the mountain walls. She shifted back to her smaller and more normal form, letting her tires scuff against the still torched earth. They still couldn't figure out what did this, and even if they did, it would most likely be another issue for them to deal with as a group. She walked through the blackened land on her tires, huffing as she came across the fresh marks were some life had passed through recently. The sound of something crunching caused her to spin in place, only to be greeted with the soft eyes of her usual Humvee companion. They both came together, nuzzling slightly before looking across the land. Both knew something was coming, as it was in their nature to fight and kill. Yet, within the darkness of the night, she leaned into him with a light purr. Despite the dread they shared for the war to come, and the fear they had for what beast had done this, they still had most of their original pack from the LAB. His fangs gently brushed against her side as a purr rumbled from him for once. The thought of war could wait, right now was a time of peace anyways. Life always carried on, no matter what happened.