Your wings flap irritably in the fresh holes you've cut into your upper garment, it makes you rethink how you should go about dressing yourself in the future. Minute discomfort aside, you're greatest challenge until now has been getting used to the drastic changes you'd undergone the previous evening. Everything from merely balancing on your feet to walking and sitting have become strange obstacles for you to overcome and, now, even more pressing matters await your scrutiny.
Looking around the office that you find yourself in, you can see that everyone you've called for is in attendance. Amelia, the arctic fox, is leaned back into her chair with her foot-paws crossed on the table; Anders is to your right, leaned forward with his wolfish muzzle resting in his claws; your brother, Cameron, is at the opposite end of the table to you, it looks as though his transformation has progressed significantly since the day before - you flush a little, remembering the... conditions under which he had changed - he looks a lot more tiger-like now. And finally, Cass, the doe-woman who has become the defacto leader for the group of survivors you rescued from the school; she sits next to Cam.
"So, you've got us all here... What's the plan?" Cameron asks looking up at you. He's been fiddling with the pair of dog-tags he keeps around his neck, one of very few articles he had decided to wear before attending; the other being a pair of cut-off cargo shorts he had found.
You start to feel the pressure of everyone's gaze on you, "Right, well..." You start to say, you can see Amelia grinning up at you in equal parts amusement over your stage-fright and anticipation of your decision. At least, that's what you assume. "Okay, I've decided that the best course of action is for us to head back to ground-zero. The laboratories where all this shit started..."
"Hold on just a minute!" Cass interjects, standing up, "We got enough problems on our hands as it is without going off looking for more danger! We need to focus on the folks we've got shacked up here first, we have to find them a way to get back to their lives and their families!" Cass sits back down and crosses her arms. The doe has a point, but isn't finding some way to reverse the transformation a part of that?
"I understand where you're coming from, Cass, but we need to know more about how we can fight or reverse this transformation thing..." You try to appease the cervine, "Who knows how far this chaos has spread. If we try to leave or split up, how long before we get picked off by another gang, attacked by unchanged folks who don't know what's happening or even arrested by whatever police or military force that might be waiting to throw us in labs of their own for testing?" You can see Cam reach a paw under the table to stroke Cass' thigh in comfort. The deer seems unsure of how to proceed.
Anders speaks up, "Well, I may have something here that might be of interest..." Everyone looks at the wolf-man, "There's a shortwave radio in a small comms room just down the hall. I was able to hail some of the remaining officers still out in the city using my call sign. They didn't suspect I was changed and let me know that what remains of the PD has been rolled into a joint force of emergency responders that are now working with the military on sorting out the 'wild animal' problem in our quarter of the city."
He lets his last point sink in a little. The military has, in fact, been called in to action, so any solution that involves leaving the city just got a lot more complicated. "They seem interested in rounding up all of the changed people in town for one reason or another, not least of which is capture and study... Our one saving grace seems to be that they are not authorized to enter the exclusion zone on regular patrols, they mostly enforce the borders of the quarantine."
"So that leaves our route to the labs fairly clear, except for whatever might be skulking in the streets..." Cam concludes, "At least we can see if there is a viable solution to our problems that doesn't involve throwing ourselves on the mercies of a bunch of jumpy national guard." Cass still doesn't look very pleased.
"What about supplies? We've raided this place for the basics, but we'll run out of food and water soon if we don't move or resort to scavenging and looting." Cass makes her point, clearly hoping that things don't get so desperate. Anders ponders for a moment before speaking again.
"Well, it might not have to come to that. If I can get in touch with my contacts in the department again, I might be able to convince them to airdrop disaster relief supplies to look after displaced civilians who've taken shelter at the station." You smile a little at Anders' half-truth. Why let them know you're all changed when they'd just as soon believe you aren't? Cass looks a bit more relieved at least.
"Okay... okay, that will have to do. Not like we've got much choice?" You all shake your heads, nope, not like you've had a choice since this whole thing started, either. Amelia breaks the awkward silence.
"But hey! When you've hit the bottom of the barrel, there's only one way you can go, right?" Ames stands up proudly, "Sure, things coulda gone better! Heck, I could still have a home! But, what I've found in my time outside with you guys, is that no matter what life throws at ya, you keep coming back harder and faster! If you keep fighting for what you believe in, you can make anything happen. I mean, how did we manage to get a bunch of malnourished escapees out of a building while outnumbered dozens to one? We're so fucking awesome at what we do, I feel sorry for whatever life has in store for us next!" Amelia is panting at this point, she's really worked herslf up.
Well... you think to yourself, That was oddly inspiring, if a little unorthodox. A+ for enthusiasm, though. "Alright, if we're in agreement, let's get ourselves ready to head out. Cass, we'll need you to stay and look after the rest of the group, if you're willing." Cass nods her head, she wouldn't leave her group behind no matter what you asked of her.
"I'm going to stay behind as well." You turn and look at your brother in surprise, "I think Cassie will need the help-" Cameron gets a nudge in the side from the doe at that, but continues, "Plus, someone will need to stay to coordinate the supply drops, I learned how to operate this kind of radio back in my army days, all I need are the call signs from Anders." The wolf nods and you just shrug your shoulders, at least everyone will be safe here. You also suspect your brother's burgeoning relationship with Cass is the primary reason behind his choice.
"Okay, I know I can count on the two of you to keep everyone safe. Good luck." You motion for Anders and Amelia to follow you.
"You, too." replies your brother just before turning to exit the office, followed closely by Cass.
So, off to where it all started. You, Anders and Amelia move out of the headquarters and on toward the labs, Anders is held up for a moment to relay some information regarding the radio to Cam, but quickly makes it back to you. It'll be a bit of a trek, so you hope for an uneventful one. You look back at the station one last time before marching down the street...