ic Moonshine Madness

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ah.. the little lady calms you?" said Sunshade, slinking along the floor. 

 

"Hell! What's that!" screamed the youth, hopping into the air to avoid the animated shadow.

 

"Ooooh... so much emotion," hissed Sunshade. "Have you ever noticed how close anger and anxiety are? Physiologically almost identical. The same spark in the brain, except one makes you fight, one makes you flee. Hmmm...."

 

"The Shadow started forming, becoming a full figure standing on the wet tarmac. "You, Slipstream, is it? You keep your anger bottled up, I think. And this whippersnapper!" he pointed at the youth. "Something very angry in you, isn't there? What is it? No friends? FML?"

 

"Screw you!" said the Teenager, as the ice wall materialised around him. 

 

"I'm like a donkey with three carrots! A lot to feed on! And that Ice wall might save him from the wolves, teddy bear, but not me. mmm.. Teddy bear. Yes, I will call you Teddy from now on."

 

Even as he spoke, the spirit started becoming more solid. 

 

"Now, the more I feast the stronger I get. And my appetite is infinite. The bottled anger is the sweetest meat!"

 

And on the subject of meat, the six wolves stopped sniffing and started walking to the heroes and the teenager, growling and slobbering. 

 

"Looks like these beasts are angry, but not bottled. Shame..." said Sunshade. 

Edited December 20, 2024 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

The redness of Lynn's cheeks deepened slightly at Jack’s continued compliments. But the young speedster tried to focus past that, her mind starting to race on how to possibly react to rapidly escalating situation. Jack reacted rather quickly, throwing up an icy barrier between the wolves and teenage boy. 

 

She was just coming up with a idea for a course of action when the shadow creature that Jack seemed to know went from just being a very unnerving shadow to a full-fledged humanoid shaped shadow. The shadowy demon brought back terrifying memories of watching her brother’s transformation back in her original timeline, and all the terrible events that followed.

 

As all those memories came rushing back to the front of her mind, Lynn tensed up, taking a couple of steps back from the shadow figure. "No….no….no." she muttered in a terrified tone as behind her goggles her eyes began to tear up.
 

[Jack]

Jack allowed himself a brief smile at Lynn's deepening blush, warmth blooming in his chest at the sight. But the moment of tenderness evaporated as Sunshade's nonsensical ramblings filled the air. Jack could barely follow the shadow demon's twisted logic - something about anger and anxiety being similar? The bear spirit rumbled in confusion, equally baffled by the entity's words.

 

He opened his mouth to demand clarification when Lynn's voice cut through everything else. The terror in those soft "no's" hit him like a physical blow. His enhanced senses picked up the sharp spike of fear rolling off her in waves, the subtle trembling in her limbs as she backed away from Sunshade.

 

"Lynn?" Jack kept his voice gentle, reaching toward her with concern. He'd never seen the confident speedster like this before. She radiated pure prey instinct now - something had triggered a deep, primal fear in her.

The bear spirit's protective rage exploded through Jack's consciousness like an arctic storm. His muscles tensed as fury crystallized in his veins, turning his blood to liquid nitrogen. This was Sunshade's doing somehow, hurting Lynn with its mere presence.

 

Jack's control shattered at the sight of Lynn's terror. The bear spirit's protective fury merged with his own rage, ice crackling across his skin as his transformation began. His muscles swelled and shifted, bones cracking and reforming as his body grew even larger. Frost erupted from every pore, coating him in a crystalline armor that grew and changed with his metamorphosis.

 

His face elongated into a massive bear's muzzle, teeth lengthening into razor-sharp icicles. White fur sprouted through the layer of frost, giving him an ethereal appearance in the dim light. His hands became massive paws tipped with claws of pure ice, each one capable of rending steel. The temperature around him plunged further as his transformation completed, vapor rising from his massive form.

 

Where Jack had stood moments before, there now loomed a titanic werebear of ice and fury. Standing nearly twelve feet tall on his hind legs, his white fur rippled with patterns of frost that caught what little light remained. Each breath released a cloud of frozen mist into the air, the very ground beneath his paws crackling with spreading ice.

 

The bear spirit's consciousness merged more fully with Jack's human mind in this form, their shared protective instinct focused entirely on Lynn. A deep growl rumbled from his chest, the sound carrying harmonics of cracking glaciers and winter storms. His eyes, now a brilliant arctic blue, fixed on Sunshade with predatory intensity.

 

Steam rose where his freezing fur met the warm night air, creating an otherworldly aura around his massive form. The transformation had taken mere seconds, but it felt like time itself had slowed to witness the emergence of this primal force of winter's fury.

 

A thunderous roar ripped from Jack's throat, echoing off the zoo walls with primitive force. The sound carried all his protective fury, but also served as a dominance display aimed at the approaching wolves. He drew himself up to his full height, ice armor gleaming as he broadcast his status as apex predator. Given their unnatural state, though, Jack wasn't certain the wolves would respond to normal pack dynamics. Still, he had to try - for Lynn's sake.

 

"Vat did you do?!" Jack asked the demon in a deep rumble. He put himself between Lynn, the wolves, and Sunshade. He didn't know how else to help Lynn at the moment. if he had to fight the demon and the wolves by himself, then so be it.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Darnation. Thats what you humans say these days, isn't it? Darnation? You change your style so quickly. Like, well, like style I suppose. Nylon one year, silk the next. Cotton, Polyester. Next you know, it will back to bearskins! Har har har!"

 

Sunset chuckled, but it was mirthless. He was frowning. 

 

"I hate it when you let all your anger out. Its like shoving a chocolate choc chip cake under your nose, then snatching it away. I think I may have goaded you too far. On the other hand, these wolves look pretty scary..."

 

They did indeed, six slobbering beasts. For all their ribs and skinny appearance, they drooled well. 

 

And when they charged, they were fast, strong - more ferocious and powerful than Jack (or Lynne for that matter) had ever seen!

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn was still gripped with fear as she recalled witnessing the beginning of her timelines destruction after her brother had turned into….some time/space horror. However, even as tears ran down her cheeks, she was still aware of what was unfolding around her as her goggles fed her images of everything around her, the system making the darkness as clear as day.

 

Although still unnerved and doing all she could to avoid looking at the images of the shadow creature that were provided by her goggles, the blonde speedster tried to stay focused on the wolves. Unfortunately, she had been too shocked when the shadow creature had taken a vaguely human form to try to shut the wolves in before they escaped, but at least for the moment Jack had put an ice barrier in their path.

 

With her limbs trembling slightly, Lynn was uncertain about how effective she could actually be if she tried to engage the wolves. Thankfully, there were other things she could do that did not exactly require her to be in top form. They were just a indiscriminately destructive, but thankfully the wolves were far enough away from Jack and the teen that she could avoid hurting them.

 

The blonde speedster was then gone in a blur and with a *WOOSH* of air, zipping around the ice wall and over behind the wolves in a fraction of a second. Once she was sure she was far enough away behind the wolves that no one else would be caught in the shockwave, she accelerated at just the right speed to break through the sound barrier with a loud *CRACK*

 

That was immediately followed by a very loud *BOOM* as Lynn set off a localized sonic boom. She was already gone as the shockwaves washed outward from where she had triggered it, smashing into the wolves and everything else within forty feet.

 

Then, almost as soon as she had left, she was back over next Jack, skidding to a halt to see if the shockwave dealt with any of the wolves. The sixteen-year-old felt a bit more confident after taking some action, her fear subsiding some, although she still tried to avoid looking directly at the shadow demon as much as she could.
 

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Wolves were caught in the blast, and taken off their feet. 

 

Jack had to dodge flying wolves, all of them blasted into unconsciousness. Whoosh! Whoosh Whoosh! Wolves flying past his ears. You don't see that every day, not even in Freedom City. 

 

One wolf gamely held on, claws scratching grooves in the zoo tarmac, shielded from the worst of the blast by the others. In turned around and growled. 

 

Fear? 

 

No. It was rage. No sensible animal would stick around after its pack was decimated. But this brazen animal did. It turned, and - with a ferocious burst of speed, leapt at Slipstream, sinking teeth into her shoulder. The jaws - nay, the whole thing - were of unholy strength, like a steam powered vice. 

[Jack]

Jack watched in awe as Lynn transformed from terrified to tactical in mere seconds. The sonic boom she created sent wolves flying through the air like furry projectiles. His massive bear form had to dance and weave to avoid getting hit by the unconscious bodies whizzing past his head.

 

"Vow! Maybe I should just go home, da? Seems like little speedster has everything under control!" He let out a rumbling chuckle that sent frost crystals dancing in the air around his muzzle. The bear spirit within him swelled with pride at Lynn's display of power, though it remained alert and ready. 

 

The sight of her taking charge despite her earlier fear made his chest warm despite his icy exterior. His massive form shifted slightly as he dodged another airborne wolf, ice armor crackling with the movement. The bear spirit particularly enjoyed watching the wolves - creatures that normally struck fear in their prey - getting launched like tennis balls by Lynn's speed-generated blast.

 

Jack's world narrowed to a single point of horror as the wolf's jaws clamped onto Lynn's shoulder. The bear spirit's protective fury merged with his own terror, creating a maelstrom of primal emotion that erupted from his throat in a thunderous roar. The sound shook the very air, crystals of ice forming and shattering in its wake.

 

Without conscious thought, his massive paws shot forward. Ice-covered claws wrapped around the wolf's jaws, one above and one below. With strength born of desperate rage, he wrenched the creature away from Lynn. His grip shifted to the wolf's throat, lifting it effortlessly into the air. The beast thrashed and clawed at his frozen fur, but might as well have been attacking a glacier for all the effect it had.

 

Jack stood motionless, watching through arctic-blue eyes as the wolf's struggles grew weaker. His grip remained firm, shutting off its air supply with methodical precision. The bear spirit within him growled in satisfaction as the creature's movements slowed, then ceased altogether as unconsciousness claimed it.

 

For a brief, dark moment, Jack considered ending the wolf's life. His claws tightened fractionally. But even through the haze of protective fury, he knew this wasn't the creature's fault. Something had driven it to this unnatural behavior. With a rumbling sigh, he carefully lowered the unconscious wolf to the ground.

 

Turning back to Lynn, he dropped to one knee beside her. His massive form seemed to shrink in on itself with concern as he focused his powers. Water molecules pulled from the humid air, swirling around his claws in an intricate dance before flowing toward Lynn's wounded shoulder. The liquid glowed with a soft blue light as he channeled healing energy through it, willing her injury to mend.

 

 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn had been rather satisfied with the results of her sonic boom, although she felt a bit of regret at having to harm the wolves at all. Although no longer overwhelming, the teen still felt feelings of anxiety and fear swirling around inside as she tried to avoid focusing on the shadow creature.

 

That was when the only wolf that had avoided the worst of the sonic boom quickly closed on her and bit into her shoulder.

 

The blonde teen screamed in pain as its teeth sunk into her shoulder. Before she could react, Jack was there, pulling the wolf off her with apparent ease. As she was freed from the jaws, Lynn took a couple steps back, reaching out to her now tender shoulder as she watched Jack choking the wolf into submission.

 

For a brief moment she thought he might kill the animal, stepping back towards him as she raised her uninjured arm to touch one of Jack’s massive arms. "No…don't…permanently harm it." She said, hoping the words would get through.

 

Thankfully he either heard her or decided on his own not to kill the wolf, setting its unconscious form down gently on the ground. Lynn had started to focus on whether there was any other threat when Jack knelt next to her and reached up with one hand as what appeared to be magic caused water to circle around his claws before flowing to her shoulder as she felt a strange, cold tingling that seemed to numb the pain from the bite.
 

[Jack]

Jack focused intently as he channeled the healing energy through the water and into Lynn's shoulder. The bear spirit's protective instincts guided his powers, directing the flow of magic to knit flesh and ease pain. As the bite marks faded from her skin, he felt a sharp sting in his own shoulder - the injury briefly manifesting on his massive form before dissolving into wisps of frost.

 

The transfer of wounds was something he'd experienced before when healing others, though it never lasted more than a moment. His ice-based healing seemed to draw injuries into himself before dispersing them completely. The bear spirit grumbled with satisfaction as Lynn's shoulder returned to normal, not even a scar remaining to mark where the wolf's teeth had pierced her skin.

 

Despite the lingering tension in the air and the unconscious wolves scattered around them, Jack couldn't help but let out a rumbling laugh. His massive bear form shook slightly with the sound, sending small ice crystals dancing through the air around them.

 

"You have such vay vith animals, da?" He grinned down at her, his bear features somehow managing to convey both amusement and warmth despite being formed of ice and frost. "Maybe next time ve try petting zoo instead?"

 

 

 

Jack's enhanced senses flooded his awareness as he scanned the area, his massive ursine form still and alert. The bear spirit within him helped filter through the cascade of information his heightened senses provided. His nose twitched, parsing layers of scents - the acrid tang of Lynn's fear-sweat still lingering in the air, the metallic undertone of blood from her now-healed wound, and the wild musk of the unconscious wolves scattered around them.

 

His muscles remained coiled and ready beneath his icy fur. The temperature around him dropped further as he focused, frost crystallizing on nearby surfaces with each measured breath. Through the bear spirit's instincts, he detected subtle changes in air currents, picking up traces of scents from deeper in the zoo.

 

The familiar smells of various animals mixed with something... wrong. His nose wrinkled as he caught whiffs of decay and corruption that shouldn't exist in a well-maintained zoo. The bear spirit growled softly in his mind, recognizing the wrongness in the unnatural odors.

 

His ears swiveled independently, catching the smallest sounds - the soft breathing of the unconscious wolves, Lynn's slightly elevated heartbeat, and distant echoes of other creatures stirring in their enclosures. But there was something else, something that made his fur bristle and ice crackle across his armored form. A whisper of movement that didn't match any normal animal patterns he knew.

 

Jack lowered his massive head closer to Lynn, his icy breath creating small swirls of frost as he whispered, "Is like calm before storm, da? Something not right here." The bear spirit within him paced restlessly, sensing more wrongness beyond the barrier he'd created.

 

His arctic-blue eyes swept across their immediate surroundings, taking in the scattered forms of unconscious wolves. The unnatural scents still tickled his sensitive nose, making his fur bristle with unease. Even in his transformed state, Jack fought to keep his voice steady and quiet, not wanting to add to Lynn's lingering anxiety.

 

Turning his massive head toward the ice barrier he'd created earlier, Jack called out in a rumbling voice that echoed off the zoo walls, "Hey! You still breathing over there, comrade?" He kept one paw protectively near Lynn as he waited for a response, ice armor creaking slightly with the movement.

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"I'm... I'm pretty cold, actually...." said the lanky teenager in the ice shelter. Jack could hear teeth chattering alongside the speech. "But, but I'm st-still breathing. I think. How are you g-g-guys doing..."

 

The Teenager had been dressed lightly for the cool night air anyway, just a thin pac-man shirt. No wonder he was cold. 

 

A little sound-a crack. A few shards of ice flicked into the air. At the top of the ice prison had landed a bullet. 

 

A living, shiny bullet. 

 

It was actually a very small person, his flesh replaced by silver. The little silver man was about an inch tall. 

 

"So, you did my job for me, did you?" said the Little man in a squeak. 

 

"I am SILVER BULLET. The hunter of werewolves!"

 

He was well named. For he was the size of a bullet and was made of silver. 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

As Jack's cold healing magic thoroughly dealt with the injury to her shoulder, Lynn took several deep breaths, helping to calm herself some more, as there were still feelings of fear associated with the shadow creature that was nearby. While the feelings where still there, the teen was at least able to keep it from overwhelming her.

 

When Jack joked about her way with animals, Lynn managed a smile that was partially force given her anxiety still making things difficult. "I…they didn't leave me much choice." She replied as she rotated her arm to confirm there were no lingering effects from the bit. "And thank you," she added, this time managing a warmer smile.

 

The blonde speedster nodded in agreement to Jack's statement that things were very off before he went over to check on the other teen. And then there was the crack and the small silver man appeared on the ice prison.

 

"Silver Bullet? Werewolves? What is going on here?" Lynn asked.
 

[Jack]

Jack's massive ursine form rumbled with satisfaction when Lynn thanked him for the healing. Through the crystalline ice of his transformed state, his features softened into what passed for a bearish smile. The bear spirit within him preened at her gratitude, proud to have protected their friend.

 

Turning his attention to the ice barrier, Jack focused his powers. The frozen wall began to shift and groan, particles of frost dancing in the air as he willed the structure to part down the middle. Like massive frozen curtains drawing aside, the ice separated to reveal the shivering teen beyond. The bear spirit grumbled with concern at the boy's obvious discomfort from the cold.

 

Before Jack could offer any assistance to warm the teen up, a metallic ping drew his attention upward. His enhanced senses picked up the tiny silver figure perched atop his ice creation. The bear spirit's confusion mirrored his own as they tried to process the bizarre sight of the inch-tall silver man declaring himself a werewolf hunter.

 

Jack's massive head tilted to one side, ice crystals tinkling as they fell from his fur. His arctic-blue eyes blinked slowly as he processed the strange turn of events.

 

"Da, vhat she said," he rumbled in agreement with Lynn's questions, his Russian accent thick even in his transformed state. "Is very tiny hunter for such big problem, no?"

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

A shadow congealed around Jack's feet, whispering to him in a hiss only he could see. 

 

No anger? Nothing to fight? How I delight in the grind of your fury and your will! But... this is mysterious... yes... I foresee something awful! Muahahahaha!

 

SIlver Bullet, all one inch of him, put his silver hands on his silver hips and lifted his silver chin. 

 

"It's not the size that counts!" he said. "In fact, being small is an advantage. Werewolves have very keen senses, and it is very hard to sneak up on them. This size, almost nobody can see me!"

 

He pointed an accusatory finger at Jack. 

 

"And WHAT are you? A were bear? I haven't had to kill one of those before, but I can expand my menu! Come on, spit it out! What are you and what are your weaknesses? Silver? Stake through the heart? I haven't got my notebook, but I can remember..." he said, tapping the side of his silver head with a silver finger. 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn had been so focused on the small man calling himself Silver Bullet she had not noticed the shadow figure had disappeared. Instead she focused on the interaction between the small figure and Jack.

 

When Silver Bullet accused Jack of being some sort of were-creature and asked about his weaknesses, the blonde speedster spoke up. "Hey, he is no were…anything. He can control when he changes and change back when he wants. He doesn’t need to do anything to justify himself."

 

"In case you hadn't notice, we were the ones that stopped these…things," she gestured to the downed wolves scattered about the area. "And helped protect others," she indicated the teen in the T-shirt. "Where were you?"
 

[Jack]

Jack felt Sunshade's presence coiling around his feet like a slimy serpent, making his fur bristle despite his transformed state's natural cold immunity. The shadow entity's gleeful whispers sent an uncomfortable shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with temperature.

 

"Muahahahaha!" The theatrical evil laugh made Jack's massive ears twitch with irritation. The bear spirit within him growled softly, equally unsettled by the shadow creature's cryptic warning about 'something awful' to come.

 

Jack forced his attention back to the tiny silver man, trying to ignore Sunshade's dark promises of future chaos. The shadow entity clearly hoped to stir up the kind of emotional turmoil it fed upon. Jack refused to give it the satisfaction, keeping his temper in check for the moment.

 

Still, dark thoughts crept unbidden into his mind. What twisted scheme was the shadow demon plotting? The bear spirit's protective instincts flared, concerned about potential threats to Lynn and the others. Jack shook his massive head, ice crystals tinkling as they fell from his fur. Dwelling on Sunshade's manipulations would only feed the creature's appetite for emotional conflict.

 

Better to focus on the immediate situation - a tiny silver man making outsized threats and a shivering teenager who needed warming up. The rest could wait until there was actually something to deal with.

 

 

 

Jack's massive ursine heart skipped a beat as Lynn jumped to his defense. Through the crystalline ice of his transformed state, his features softened into what could only be described as a besotted grin. The bear spirit within him practically purred with satisfaction, equally taken with the fierce little speedster standing up to the tiny silver man.

 

Here was this amazing girl - faster than lightning, brave as any warrior - putting herself between him and accusations without hesitation. The same girl who'd shared appetizers with him at art galleries, who'd trusted him enough to let him heal her wounds, who made his heart race every time she even half smiled.

 

In that moment, watching her as she confronted Silver Bullet with fierce protectiveness, everything clicked into place for Jack. The warmth spreading through his chest had nothing to do with magic and everything to do with Lynn. He loved her and the realization hit him like an avalanche - powerful, overwhelming, and absolutely certain.

 

The bear spirit rumbled its approval, recognizing in Lynn the same qualities that had drawn them together - strength, loyalty, and an unwavering determination to protect those she cared about. Jack knew then that he would move mountains, fight armies, or face any challenge to keep her safe and happy, if she'd let him.

 

 

 

Ice crackled along Jack's massive form as he nodded in agreement with Lynn's words. Her fierce defense of him made the bear spirit within practically glow with pride. Through his crystalline features, he fixed the tiny silver man with an arctic stare.

 

"Da, what she says is truth," Jack rumbled, his Russian accent thick even in bear form. "I am what I am - no more, no less. Have nothing to prove to tiny silver man."

 

Frost swirled around him as he shifted his massive bulk, positioning himself protectively near both Lynn and the shivering teen, who noticed the temperature around him warm up a bit. The bear spirit's instincts urged him to simply swat the annoying little figure away, but Jack kept that impulse in check. 

 

"If you here to help with wolf problem, then good - ve can use help," he growled. "But if you just here to make accusations..." Jack's massive shoulders shrugged, sending a shower of ice crystals tinkling to the ground. "Then maybe find other werewolves to bother, da? Plenty of other places to be tiny silver hero."

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"I am not sure I believe you, Bearman! There is something funny about you. Something possessed, something feeding, all very suspicious...."

 

A vague zephyr blew over the tiny silver man carrying the words. "Were... bear...."

 

Sunshade cackled as he oozed around Jack's feat. 

 

"What was that?" said Silver Bullet, eyes wide, looking around. "Werebear? Werebear?"

 

He raised his pinpoint fists, ready for a microscopic feat of puglism, when another sound clambered through the air. 

 

A growl, low, ferocious, drawn out like a rusted gate opening in slow motion. 

 

Coming from the artificial cave of the wolf pen. 

 

"Err... that dosen't sound great, does it? Do we run?" asked the teenager, rubbing his hands together. 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn felt her irritation and anger growing as the little silver man continued to make accusations against Jack. She was still something of a whirlwind of emotions as the moment, and this was not helping. "Suspicious?" She asked, looking down at the little man.

 

"I'll tell you what is suspicious, you showing up right as something seems to be happening here with these wolves. How do we know you are not behind all this? So you can claim to have dealt with a threat, pretending to be a hero?" The blonde speedster asked accusingly.

 

But then the growl echoed out of the wolf enclosure, emphasizing that the threat was not gone yet. Turning that direction, Lynn heard the other teen ask his question, her goggles feeding her images of where he was currently.

 

"Just stay back and be ready to find some cover if need be." She said as she focused on the cave entrance. 
 

[Jack]

Jack felt Sunshade's dark presence swirling around his massive paws like toxic smoke, the shadow demon's whispered words carrying on the breeze, likely to provoke the tiny silver man. His crystalline fur bristled with irritation at the entity's meddling.

 

"Nyet, demon. Not now," he growled under his breath, but Lynn was already tearing into Silver Bullet with fierce protectiveness. Through his transformed features, Jack couldn't help but smile. The way she jumped to his defense yet again, challenging anyone who dared question him - it made his heart swell. This amazing girl was determined to drive him absolutely crazy about her, and it was working perfectly.

 

The deep, menacing growl that echoed from the cave snapped his attention back to the present danger. His enhanced ears swiveled toward the sound as the bear spirit within him instantly shifted to combat readiness. That sound was a direct challenge, plain and simple. Jack responded with his own thunderous growl, holding it longer and deeper to establish dominance over whatever lurked in the darkness.

 

When Lynn told the shivering teen to find cover, Jack's protective instincts took over. He moved forward on all fours, positioning his massive bulk between Lynn, the teen, and the cave entrance. Ice crackled along his form as deadly crystalline spikes erupted from his back and shoulders, growing longer and sharper by the second. His transformed body would serve as their shield - nothing would get past him to harm those under his protection.

 

 

[Supercape]

GM

 

"A bear! A were bear! I knew it!" gasped Silver bullet, pointing at Jack with one hand and clamping his other over a shocked mouth. 

 

So shocked, he did not notice the cave entrance. 

 

The beast was preceded by a waft of sickly scent, like pus mixed with turpentine. It was not pleasant. Then, two clawed hands, stubby, hairy, long nailed, planted themselves on the side of the cave entrance, grating the stone like a nail across a blackboard. 

 

A deep growl echoed. 

 

Then, the alpha wolf emerged. On two legs, not four, a snout stuffed full of grinding razor teeth, drooling. Fur, ears, twitching nose. And yet bipedal. There was no doubt about it, this was some type of WEREWOLF!

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn let out an exasperated sigh as Silver Bullet continued to accuse Jack of being some sort of were-creature. But before she could tell him to stop being an idiot, an even larger wolf emerged from the fake cave in the enclosure, one that was walking on its hind legs. 

 

As Jack took up a place in front of her and the others, the blonde speedster reviewed all the images from her googles and went into action. *WOOSH* She was gone in a blur of black and red, zipping around Jack, into the enclosure and over to the cave entrance. Once there, she moved over near the werewolf-thing and launched a supersonic punch at the creature.

 

*CRACK* A miniature sonic boom sounded from the punch, but Lynn was already gone, another blur of black and red as she moved back to where she had started behind Jack. As she skidded to a halt, she began to vibrate her body as incredible speed, making it immaterial should the wolf-thing come after her.
 

[Supercape]

GM 

 

The animal - man moved. Fast. Faster than any normal human could possibly do. There was an awful mixture of rage and cunning, blended with supernatural power in the beast. 

 

The dark eyes, glinting in the moonlight, narrowed as the creature studied Lynn, unaccustomed to anything that could match its own speed, let alone exceed it. It bared its drooling teeth, and it was off. 

 

Leaping into the air like an arrow, pounding the earth with claws that raked gouges out of the tarmac. It moved left, moved right, then round Jack completely, faster than a speeding train. In a blink of an eye, it had raked a claw across Lyyn's back, tearing her costume and skin -

 

- Lynn could feel it!

 

Despite her insubstantial status, something spectral in the wolf was beyond mere Material matter. Its claws raked past this reality into something deeper, and she could feel an existential void washing over her...

Edited Sunday at 09:24 PM by Supercape

[Jack]

Jack's enhanced senses picked up the nauseating stench before the creature emerged - a putrid mix that made his nose wrinkle even in bear form. He ignored Silver Bullet's shocked exclamations, every muscle tensing as massive clawed hands gripped the cave entrance.

 

The werewolf that emerged was straight from humanity's darkest nightmares. Razor teeth gleamed with drool, dark fur bristling as it stood upright on powerful legs. The bear spirit within Jack roared a challenge, recognizing a rival apex predator.

 

But nothing could have prepared him for its speed.

 

One moment Jack was bracing for combat, ice armor crystallizing thicker around his massive form. The next, the werewolf was a dark blur streaking past him. His head whipped around, trying to track it, but even his enhanced reflexes couldn't keep up.

 

Horror froze his blood colder than any ice magic as he saw those supernatural claws rake across Lynn's back, shredding through her costume despite her vibrating form. The sound that tore from his throat was unlike anything he'd ever made before - a roar of pure rage and terror mixed with his human voice screaming "NYET!"

 

The bear spirit's protective fury merged with his own desperate need to shield Lynn from harm. But they'd failed. Somehow this monster had hurt her even through her powers. The scent of her blood hit his nose, and rational thought began to fade under a red haze.

 

His vision narrowed to a single point of focus as Jack's humanity retreated behind the wall of protective rage. The bear spirit's fury merged with his own, crystalline fur bristling with deadly ice spikes as they fixed on their target - the wolf that had dared harm Lynn.

 

With a roar that shook the ground, Jack launched his massive bulk forward. His enhanced muscles coiled and released like steel springs as he closed the distance in a blur of frost and fury. The wolf was fast, but Jack's rage made him faster in this moment. His crystalline claws, now razor-sharp weapons of ice, found their mark twice in rapid succession. They sank deep into the creature's hide with a satisfying resistance, drawing hot blood that steamed in the cold air around him.

 

Something primal awakened in Jack as he felt his claws tear through muscle and sinew. The beast had hurt Lynn. It deserved everything he could unleash upon it. His massive jaws gaped wide, aiming to clamp down and hold the wolf still while his claws finished what they'd started. But the alpha wolf jerked back, leaving Jack's teeth snapping closed on empty air.

 

Jack barely registered the creature's retreat, likely from pain or surprise at meeting equally deadly force. It didn't matter. His blood-stained claws had already tasted their prey. They would find their mark again. The bear spirit howled for more, and for once, Jack was happy to oblige. This thing would pay dearly for every drop of Lynn's blood it had spilled.

 

 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

The wolf creature proved to be as fast as might be expected, not nearly as fast as Lynn, but certainly fast enough. It quickly moved around Jack to come at her, the blonde speedster confident that she was currently unable to be harmed by the creature.

 

That overconfidence was quickly shattered, as she felt the claws starting to rake across her back. But Lynn recovered quickly, just as she felt the first pain of the claws, she twisted away from the wolfman, so as it finished its swipe it did little more than create minor scratches across her back, even as it created tears in the morphic molecules of her costume.

 

But even as the physical effect of the attack was minimal, the blonde teen felt something….else, the cold grip of nothing seeming to claw at her soul. Still unnerved from the earlier appearance of that shadow creature, the speedster felt a panic grip over her. Even as Jack began to attack the wolfman with brutal ferocity, Lynn felt the need to run.

 

*CRACK*

 

In an instant she broke the sound barrier, moving at top speed away from the fight. A dull *BOOM* echoed through the zoo from the sonic boom she created, although this one without the destructive effects of the one she had created before.

 

In seconds, she was miles away, running through suburbs far to the northeast of Hanover…