Serenity didn't like any of what was going on. True they had the blue/sky blue female wolf, and true Felicity's "transform" on her had given her the most information she'd learned about the pack, but things were still dangerous. Ashley hadn't mentioned the gargoyles or their abilities, but had mentioned that most if not all of the Pack's victims were unwilling, including Jensen himself. Which means Jensen was just as much a victim of the game as Ashley was.
But things were getting out of control. The Hardys had reused the wording from Trevor's transform to lock their forms, which in Serenity's mind would only let the madness continue. No matter what their cause, the Game would surely come back to bite them. Things would come back to bite them, somehow.
Still, she tried to think on a positive side, the information that had been given. Jensen was really Jennifer Smith. Serenity didn't really recognize the name, but decided maybe some calls with the local high school would be helpful. If at least to figure out how the girl thought before she was transformed by Kyle Perkins, who was now the Pack's Alpha Female, whose new name had not been revealed.
"Jensen is not to be killed," Serenity breathed out after a few moments.
"WHAT?!" Brian practically roared at that, "After what that monster has done? After he wrecked our home. Forced all of this on us."
"You did that to yourselves willingly," Serenity countered, "Jensen didn't put a gun to your head and make you become lion-people, and neither did he make you lock your forms. This is not going to work well. Lions like all social predators work well in large groups. Instinctively, you will not want any of the twelve that join you to leave your pride, and you can't guarantee the Game won't affect them differently. It is again, why I urged you NOT to do this..."
Serenity paused for a moment and then continued, "and Jensen is a victim, just any of his Pack is."
"That doesn't change what he's done," Felicity countered.
"Yes, but that doesn't justify killing him," Serenity said, "and legally speaking, the police would probably prefer he be arrested, not killed."
"Why?" Brian questioned.
"Because the Old West died years ago," Serenity spoke, "We don't kill people at random because they happen to be criminal."
++++++++
Meanwhile, just across the street from the Hardy's home, Jensen and the bulk of the pack came out from the side mirror of a car parked across the street. Alice, this time, came from the mirrors as well holding a scrap of paper. Jensen intended for this to be an impressive show of force. They would either change the Hardy's into something harmless, or if that didn't work... they'd have the numbers to kill them, and put an end to threat to pack at once.
Mr. P lead the way, his head close to the ground as the crossed the street. He stopped as he reached the Hardy's driveway.
"What is it?" Jensen asked.
"Ashley was taken outside, Master," Mr. P spoke, "I have her scent, three lions, one human, the familiar's, an orangutan's, and another human."
"One human has to be Serenity," Jensen commented.
"The other was likely a police officer," Darla commented, "when the attempt to grab Serenity failed and Ashley was captured, they likely called the police to pick up Ashley for breaking into someone else's home."
"Which is why Zack wanted Amy along on the first mission," Jensen nodded, "to cover up our tracks..."
Jensen was quiet for a moment. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment.
"They're at the police station," Jensen sighed after a moment or too.
"What do we do?" Kaylee asked nervously.
"We evacuate," Jensen said once again in a grim voice, "we can not just storm into the police station. They'd shoot us before we'd even confront these lions. Rescuing Ashley can be done with Alice and her sisters, gathering more information as we go."
"Dear?" Kaylee asked, not wanting to leave her comforts behind.
"If Serenity has gone to the cops with these lions at her side, with Ashley as a prisoner, they're bound to learn everything about us, about the pack, about our defenses," Jensen answered, "it would start an all out war between the Pack and Glendale. And you know I do not want that."
"We all do, Master," said Fran, "we all wish to be left alone to live in peace and expand as necessary to insure the survival of the Pack."
"But this was a risky venture, Master," Darla added, "invading some's home is legally a crime, regardless of the game, which was why everything depended on it going entirely as planned. Now, the police will have a perfectly good reason to arrest you, with no ties to the game, whatsoever."
Jensen then cursed, silently. If he had gotten there sooner, they might have caught the arriving officer off guard and overpowered the lions. But as it was, they were too late.
"I apologize if I took too long, Father," Alice spoke to him as she nervously approached Darla's head.
As much as Jensen wanted to be furious with her, he couldn't as he turned and looked into her glass eyes.
"It is alright, my daughter," Jensen sighed heavily, "You merely did as you were told. It is not your fault they decided to leave quickly. I am mad at the situation, not at you."
"We are to return to the manor, then?" Fran asked.
"And then to evacuate before this war can destroy our pack, and we can be left alone," Jensen spoke in a grim voice.
++++++
"So this is what you planned to do?" Gill asked as he looked at the lion man and woman standing beside Serenity and the lion girl between them, "Just make things worse?"
"This wasn't my plan, and you know it," Serenity spoke, "I've been trying to stop the Game."
Gill looked Serenity's two "friends" over. The male was badly hunched over, as his size was too much for his office. The female was still standing erect, but her ears brushed the ceiling.
"The three of you have done something VERY stupid," Gill scolded them.
"But..." Mary tried to argue.
"No buts," Gill answered, "I may prefer to stay away from the Game, but that doesn't mean I know what it can do... it's partially why I stay away from it. I've already got a pack of wolves in one part of town using the game to curse people, and now I'm likely to have a pride of lions, including several of the officers doing the same. All you are doing is giving me more trouble."
"They are trying to be noble," Serenity spoke up, "stupid, maybe, but still with good intentions."
"And how many good intentions have actually done something good?" Gill questioned back, "white men had "good intentions" when they wanted to "civilize" my people. Instead, they gave my ancestors diseases they couldn't fight off and no medical care, killed off others to steal their lands, and forced the survivors onto ground that was otherwise worthless. Having "good intentions" is no excuse in my book for doing bad things."
Serenity nodded. Gill was three fourths Native American, though she could never remember which specific tribe, and knew Native American history better then most.
"We have no intention of doing anything illegal," Brian spoke.
"There are a lot of things that are legal but aren't right," Gill commented, "remember that."
"We're getting side tracked, Gill," Serenity spoke.
It was at that time that officer that had come to the house came into the office.
"Yes, Bobbi?" Gill asked.
"The suspect is in our best cell and isolated from any human prisoners," Bobbi spoke, "She says she doesn't want a trial and will take whatever punishment you deem worthy of her."
"I'm afraid that's not how the system works," Gill sighed, "She can plead guilty, but there must be a trial."
"That is what I told her," Bobbi nodded, "but that was her statement, and was all she gave me."
Gill nodded, "Serenity, this is Bobbi, one of the twelve officers who was to come to that home this evening..."
"Things have changed," Serenity spoke.
"Oh?" Gill asked.
"This Pack... I'd thought it was started by some criminal male out to use it for his own advantage," Serenity sighed, "but instead it is more a classic example of someone using spite to start the game and having things quickly go out of control from there."
"Isn't that how it always goes?" Gill asked.
"Yes, but it gets worse?" Serenity sighed.
"How can it be worse?" Gill asked.
"One of Jensen's "daughters", Alice, has worded a transform that has locked their forms," Serenity sighed, "I don't think you'll ever get Frank or Daryl back..."
Gill looked down with a very sad look on face.
"And it's even more likely that the pack's loyalty to Jensen can be broken," Serenity continued, "but if we can talk with him there might be a way we can change things so that maybe we can compromise."
"Compromise?" Gill and Brian asked.
"Let Jensen keep his pack, but freeing them to be able to go their own way if they choose it, interact with their families without feeling a blind urge to bring the into the Pack," Serenity finished.
"But that gives him what he wants!" Brian protested, "We need to KILL him!"
"I will not condone murder," Serenity spoke, "Jensen and his pack may need to be restrained, which is where the Hardy's idea comes in, but I will not see a victim of the game murdered. No matter what he's done."
"And you think this is a good idea?" Gill asked.
"I might be the only way to get Frank and Daryl back, even if they're taller, furrier, and decidedly feminine," Serenity pointed out.
"Not that there's anything wrong with being feminine, right?" Bobbi asked.
Serenity nodded weakly.
"So you now intend to turn these big bad wolves into good wolves?" Felicity growled, "they need to be punished... SEVERELY!"
"They are victims," Serenity repeated, "blindly toeing that line will cause problems, especially since all of it revolves around the game. It's one of those things where it doesn't hurt to "bend" things a little."
"And what about the suspect?" Gill asked.
"Felicity here has already done to her what is our only option," Serenity sighed, "I doubt she can escape criminal prosecution for what she did... although, I'm not entirely sure how long she'd be sentenced."
"About a year, at least," Gill sighed, "Bobbi, gather the other the rest of your group. If these two want a fight so bad, let them have it. Serenity, I'd ask that you call this Jensen. If you really think the only way to end this is make them "good", then you'd best contact them before they decide to leave Glendale."
++++++
Meanwhile, in a chair outside the office, Trevor woke up with Mary's stuffed animal and Paul sitting beside him. He looked to the orange furred great ape and asked, "Did that she wolf really say Jensen was Jennifer Smith?"