Chapter Eight

DOM wakes up in chains. A tall wraith-like woman in full
plate mail stands before him. She is hauntingly beautiful and looking at him
with a mixture of hurt and anger on her face. Her face and hands glow eerily
with a pale light. “Why do you forsake me?” she asks him.

“I don’t understand,” DOM growls, testing the chains that
bind him. “Who are you?” The last thing DOM remembered was he and DANI using
the ring LEIDECKER gifted him with to cross the Gauntlet. He had just received
a S.O.S from FBI headquarters, recalling all agents because the building was
under attack.

“I am the Mother of All, the one who blessed you, and yet
you deny me and insist on consorting with the Twisted One. You need to submit.”
From around her, weaving in and out of the shadows, an amorphous number of
wolves surround DOM. They all have glowing tribal glyphs etched into their
bodies, but one glyph in particular is the same for all. That glyph seems to demand
DOM’s attention.

“I don’t submit. It’s not in my nature.” DOM sneers, testing
the strength of his chains once more and growing in size.

“You are denying your nature. The wolf does not hunt alone.
You have not gathered your family. You will be stronger together. As you are,
you are weak.” The singular glyph glows stronger on each of the wolves as they
close in.

“My family has been dead a long time…” DOM snarls, and uses
every ounce of his strength to break the chains that bind him. As the chains
fall away, the wolves attack. DOM shifts to his battle form and meets their
assault. How dare they call him weak and foolish. He would tear them apart!

KILLIAN wakes up in the middle of the night. He can see
LAURA asleep in the chair in the corner of his hospital room, but something
doesn’t feel right. A cool breeze blows through the room, rustling the curtains
around his bed. Did LAURA open the window? He shrugs after a minute – if she
did – no big deal. The breeze actually feels rather nice. KILLIAN is about to
settle back down to sleep when the curtains rustle again. This time they move
toward him, brushing lightly against his face…then they start to take shape.
Well that definitely wasn’t right… As KILLIAN’s heart skips a beat, the
curtains form into a large beast of a man, dressed in full plate mail with a
holocaust cloak shadowing his features. The curtains that were lightly brushing
is face become a gauntleted hand that presses into his chest.  “Why are you here?” he growls. His breath is
cold and smells of death. “What is happening in this place?”

KILLIAN considers how he should respond, then suddenly feels
obligated to tell this dark knight everything he knows about the case. “I’m
with the FBI. We were working a missing persons’ case at a different hospital. There
were creatures there in the boiler room. They killed two people. We think they
might be somehow linked to a mental patient named ALEXA WOODS – possibly her
nightmares come to life. She has been having debilitating nightmares since she
returned from being a guide for a research team in the artic. The research team
was attacked by creatures that came up from underneath the ice. She claims a
hunter alien helped her escape. The psychiatrist working with her is a DR. WAHNSINNIG.
We thought we had the situation contained when we evacuated the patients here
and locked down the hospital, but the reason I am being treated is because I
fought and killed another one of those creatures in the boiler room here after
a janitor went missing.”

“Hmmm,” the dark knight rumbles “I think I need to talk with
this…DR..WAHNSINNIG. Now, go back to sleep.” KILLIAN drifts back to sleep. When
he awakes with a jolt sometime later, MASON is gone, but the implications of
what he said finally hits KILLIAN as he realizes DR. WAHNSINNIG’s life is in
serious danger, and the team hasn’t gotten what they needed from him yet.

“HOUSTON wake up! We have a problem!” LAURA uncurls herself
from the chair in the corner and gives KILLIAN a withering look.

“That was funny the first time. Now, not so much,” she
grumbles. Then changes her tune as KILLIAN maneuvers himself to the edge of his
bed and tries to stand. “Oh…you’re serious!”

“Uh…*Yeah*! WAHNSINNIG
is in danger! We need to find him! Help me stand up and call my team.”

DANI unfolds herself to reveal not just NEMO, but an elderly
Chinese woman as well. She cocks her head in confusion as dust from the
crumbling FBI building settles around them. They are in the middle of the
courtyard, surrounded by debris. NEMO regains consciousness first, “Did I get
them?”

“Get who? What are you talking about?” DANI asks.

“The FBI, LIEDECKER, you know, the cause of all our
problems,” DANI looks at NEMO incredulously, shaking her head as NEMO’s gaze
shifts to the elderly woman beside her. “What is CHABI-KHAN doing here?”

Still shaking her head, DANI responds, “Look around you - this
is what’s left of the FBI building… you did this? *That’s* CHABI-KHAN?” DANI sniffs CHABI-KHAN as NEMO looks around at
the destruction and bodies around them, admiring her handiwork. CHABI-KHAN
definitely wasn’t human – DANI guessed she was probably Fae. And NEMO smelled
like that too. Did CHABI-KHAN somehow *possess*
*NEMO? That would explain why she seemed to care so little for the people*
that lost their lives in the destruction. Most Fae had little regard for human
life. “Come on NEMO, we need to get out of here.” DANI turns to pick up
CHABI-KHAN but the Fae is gone. Then her phone rings.

KIDA wakes up on the shore of the San Francisco Bay, cold
and wet. She sits up, confused as LALEH cautiously approaches her. “KIDA…you
okay? Are you, yourself?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be…myself? Well, other than being
cold and wet. What am I doing here? What happened?”

LALEH takes a deep breath – so KIDA didn’t remember anything
about what happened on the Bridge. Fortunately, she is spared having to explain
further as KIDA’s phone rings. It’s KILLIAN requesting that they meet him and
Detective HOUSTON at DR. WAHNSINNIG’s private office. She helps KIDA to her
feet and the two of them head back up the bank.

DANI and NEMO arrive at DR. WAHNSINNIG’s office first. It is
located in a building with several other professional offices. It is well after
hours, so the main entry door is locked. Eager for something to distract NEMO
from her recent violent excursion, DANI motions to the door, “You’re up.”  NEMO makes quick work of the lock and the two
make their way up to WAHNSINNIG’s floor. It is mostly empty, but there is a
light on in WAHNSINNIG’s office. DANI can hear the sound of typing within. A
few minutes later, KIDA and LALEH arrive, and the four convince a reluctant DR.
WAHNSINNIG to open the door. KILLIAN and LAURA arrive shortly thereafter. WAHNSINNIG
confirms what the group already knows about ALEXA WOOD’s case and finally
admits to trying an experimental procedure on her. He is reluctant to share the
specific details of the procedure, stating it is beyond the group’s
understanding. He does eventually let slip that this procedure was his crowning
achievement in his effort to prove he had what it took to be part of the
Council. “Council? You mean the Wizard’s Council?” DANI asks.

“Ah, maybe one of you is smart enough to understand…” WAHNSINNIG
smirks.

“You used magic on her?” DANI continues, “What exactly did
you do?” WAHNSINNIG then explains he implanted a spell in ALEXA WOODS head that
pulls her nightmares out and destroys them.

“I see images manifest and then dissipate. She’s making
excellent progress.”

 DANI describes the
face huggers and the nightmare creatures to WAHNSINNIG, “Are those the images
you are pulling out?” As the doctor nods in affirmation, DANI continues, “You
idiot! You’re not destroying them, you’re allowing them to manifest in the real
world! I just fought one of those creatures at the hospital.”

“Well, that explains an awful lot…” WAHNSINNIG mutters as
DANI continues to berate him. “Wait, I can fix this. Bring ALEXA to me and I’ll
dispel the spell. Better yet, let me make a call – I’ll have them bring her to
me right now.”

The team reluctantly agrees to allow ALEXA to be brought to
his office after he assures them she won’t be harmed. As they await her
arrival, DANI insists WAHNSINNIG turn over all of his research on ALEXA to the
FBI – what better way to present it to LEIDECKER and get the doctor the
recognition he so desperately desires… WAHNSINNIG agrees – he has notes spread
all over his desk, but insists everything is on a flash drive that is currently
inserted in his computer. JASON and DOM arrive as the doctor finishes his
preparations.

ALEXA arrives heavily sedated and is brought upstairs in a
wheelchair. The team requests the paramedics wait for them outside. ALEXA does
not seem to be afraid of WAHNSINNIG, merely resigned to what she knows needs to
happen. She thinks he is preparing for another session. As the team watches, he
lays her down on his couch and begins his spell. ALEXA moans softly as images
start forming and dissipating. At the same time, everyone else in the room
except LAURA starts experiencing a sharp pain in their head. DOM, DANI and
JASON are able to shake it off rather quickly, but for NEMO, KIDA and LALEH,
the pain builds with the spell, eventually driving them to their knees. LALEH
decides to try and fight back, focusing on the pain and trying to deconstruct
it. It seems to be working until something inside her shatters and her vision
goes red.

As the spell reaches its zenith, DOM, JASON and DANI shutter
as LALEH’s moans turn into growls and she starts growing in size. DANI realizes
with horror that LALEH is undergoing her First Change. DANI motions for JASON
to get LALEH out of the room, but it is too late. LALEH lashes out NEMO, who is
unfortunate enough to be closest to her, and takes a chunk out of NEMO’s arm.
NEMO gasps and stumbles backward as DANI attacks, trying to redirect LALEH’s
attention. JASON and DOM follow suit. ALEXA collapses into unconsciousness as WAHNSINNIG
dives for cover behind the couch. LAURA screams in horror and runs, and KIDA
and KILLIAN back away from LALEH’s raging form. Fortunately, DOM, JASON and
DANI are able to hold LALEH’s attention until they are able to do enough damage
to force her to run. LALEH crashes through the window and hits the ground four
stories below in a full run. JASON shifts to his large wolf form follows after
her as DANI and DOM try to regain control of the situation. WAHNSINNIG peers
fearfully over the top of the couch, but is suddenly lifted off of his feet as
the curtain behind him morphs into MASON. The dark knight holds the little man
helplessly by his throat, keeping him from speaking or moving.

“What are you doing here?” DOM demands.

“Solving a problem,” MASON responds gruffly. DOM and DANI
spend the next few minutes trying to convince MASON that this is mage business
and should be handled by LEIDECKER, as the head of the High Council in San
Francisco. MASON disagrees and DOM moves to challenge him but is stopped by
DANI. She knows the legend that surrounds MASON and fears he is too powerful,
especially since there are still four other humans in the room that could be
caught in the crossfire. DOM backs down but requests to be able to take WAHNSINNIG’s
head back to LEIDECKER. With a barely noticeable twitch of the dark knight’s
wrist, WAHNSINNIG’s neck is broken. MASON separates the doctor’s head from his
body and peels the skin off, presenting DOM and DANI with his skull, which NEMO
is eerily excited about. Given her history with the doctor, though, it is not
totally unexpected.  MASON proceeds to
gather up all the papers strewn about the doctor’s desk and tucks them within
his cloak. DANI starts to argue, but then realizes MASON hasn’t touched the
flash drive. She manages to delay MASON from smashing the doctor’s computer
long enough for her to retrieve the flash drive. The dark knight catches her
wrist as she backs away, demanding to know what she retrieved from the
computer.

Fortunately, DOM has DANI’s back, “It has information on it
we need to help her,” he explains, motioning to NEMO. “She was also one of his
patients.” MASON seems to be satisfied with the explanation and releases DANI,
disappearing back into the night. DANI pockets the flash drive, and they
prepare to take ALEXA back downstairs. Before they get to the elevator though,
ALEXA starts screaming as her body seems to pulse. Alarmed, they knock her
unconscious again and DANI asks KILLIAN to see if he can retrieve some
sedatives from the paramedics waiting below. She believes they should keep
ALEXA sedated until LEIDECKER can see her. Obviously, WAHNSINNIG’s spell didn’t
work so now LEIDECKER may be the only one that can help undo whatever he did to
ALEXA. The team tries unsuccessfully to reach LEIDECKER as they get ALEXA back
downstairs and loaded into the ambulance. The activity at the doctor’s office
has unfortunately attracted a lot of attention from the surrounding
neighborhood, and people are starting to gather. KILLIAN is acting strangely
and seems to be responding to stimuli that aren’t there. KIDA and NEMO huddle
together and are also acting a little off.

Suddenly ALEXA starts screaming loudly inside the ambulance.
Her body starts pulsing again, with greater intensity, which seems to agitate
KIDA and NEMO. The paramedics are at a loss and don’t know what to do. DANI
watches as NEMO and KIDA move toward the ambulance. KIDA bends down feinting
tying her shoe and pulls a knife from her boot. There is fear and sad
determination in her eyes as she approaches ALEXA. DANI gets a sickening
feeling of Déjà vu. KIDA intends to end ALEXA’s suffering, just like JASON had
to do with DR. OFFENSPIRE. Since they weren’t able to get a hold of LEIDECKER,
this seemed to be the only option left. Either that, or a lot more people were
going to die at the hands of the nightmare creatures. The needs of the many…DOM
realizes KIDA’s intentions at the same time and starts to clear the crowd,
using his FBI influence to convince them there is a CDC concern and risk of
contamination is high. The crowd disperses quickly as KIDA completes her dire
task. DOM sends the paramedics inside to retrieve WAHNSINNIG’s body as well and
orders both bodies to be destroyed due to risk of contamination. Then he turns
to DANI and KILLIAN, “You got this? I should go after LAURA and make sure she’s
okay. Can you finish up?” DANI nods, and as DOM turns to go, JASON returns
empty handed. He unfortunately lost track of LALEH. All they can do now is hope
she finds her way back safely.

DOM manages to track LAURA and finds her several blocks
away, holed up in an abandoned store. She has obviously been crying, and seems
madder that DOM saw her weakness than anything else. She can’t explain what she
just witnessed and it caused her to lose control. LAURA didn’t like not being
in control. She beats her fists against DOM’s chest in frustration. He lets her
vent, then makes sure she gets home safely. He is about to head back to his
team when he is confronted by LEIDECKER. LEIDECKER explains that given the
recent unwarranted attack on the FBI building by the Fae, a war council is
gathering and asks DOM to accompany him to the council as his bodyguard. DOM
refuses, though. He has figured out what the mysterious woman and her wolves
were trying to tell him. DANI, JASON, KIDA, KILLIAN, LALEH and NEMO were his
family…his pack and they needed him now more than ever. His focus and his
loyalty needed to be with them, not the FBI or LEIDECKER.

Back at WAHNSINNIG’s office, JASON studies KIDA, KILLIAN and
NEMO with interest as they wrap up the investigation. They are indeed acting
strange. Given what just happened to LALEH, JASON is able to finally put the
pieces together. His three teammates are displaying all the signs and symptoms
of Uratha about to go through their First Change. Right before the Change, the
supernatural world begins to reveal itself to the Uratha. They see, hear and
smell things they have never noticed before, things the mundane world fails to
acknowledge. JASON shares his insight with DANI, who nods in agreement. They
need to find a safe place away from society for their friends to stay over the
next couple of weeks.

*The Story Continues*

Current Developments - Chapter Seven - Chapter Nine