As Marshall and the other Bears began to stir Mac reviewed what he wanted to say, he had to sell them on the ‘avoiding being experiments’ line. It would have helped if they had full working lights rather than the emergency reds then they would be able to see themselves better, see the beautiful Bears they had become. Beautiful? Where had that come from?
Billy stood slightly back as Mac paced. The Lion man prepared to back Mac up, he was loyal to Mac even now, and he seemed their best way out of his mess. Billy scratched at his fur, he still found it ironic that Rothman had made him a Lion; it was the only thing he could thank the bastard for. To think he could never go home to his girlfriend or son again…..unless they changed too. The idea was tempting, but he’d rather they had a choice unlike him. Damm you Rothman!
George leaned on the wall as Mac warmed up; he was watching the Bear men as they roused. Marshall was defiantly the nicest, about the same age as him, with the right amount of sliver in his fur. Defiantly a Papa Bear. Ian Scott was the next oldest, late 30’s and just beginning to get fat on his muscle, something the transformation had empathised, he was a good solid Bear with a nice gut to him. Ivers, Harris, and Keith were still young 20’s men and their toned, muscular bodies spoke of youth, even as Bearman. George envied them their youth.
Marshall rolled into a sitting position
“I had this mad dream about Bears” he began then realised how deep his voice was. Marshall looked himself over, running his semi-clawed hands over his furry gut and big chest. “What the fu….” He stammered.
“Don’t you remember Fred?” Mac said. Marshall looked up into the Badger mans black eyes. Realisation dawned.
“You son of a bitch!” he shouted pulling himself up to his paws. Billy moved to behind Mac with a loaded gun pointed at Marshall. Behind Fred he could hear his squad waking. He backed up and turned round, pulling his transformed men to their paws.
“Let me explain” Mac said slowly.
George heard something. Sounded like someone sliding. He wandered away from the scene and tracked the noise. He stopped outside the service lift along the corridor from the security room. The sliding noise stopped by the doors and George braced himself to grab whatever came out. The doors opened and George grabbed blindly
“Hey!" a familiar voice screamed struggling powerfully in the huge paws grasp.
"That you kid?" George growled swinging the Squirrel man into the corridor.
"Who the hell else would it be?" Anton gagged.
"Cleaners!" George grunted darkly, sitting the Squirrel down.
The noise attached Mac’s attention and he broke off his speech
"So what are you doing back here?" Mac asked coming around the corner.
"I had a...a run in with some very dangerous guy's." Anton admitted, deciding not to tell them about Rothman.
"Cleaners?" Mac asked frowning.
"Bad men." Anton confirmed.
"Yep." Mac nodded. "Listen kid I'm glad you ok...and glad your back." Mac was thinking fast, his speech had not gone down too well. Fred was as mad as hell with him. The other Bear men were following Marshall’s lead he needed to *do* something fast. He looked up at the lift doors.
"I got a plan...but I'm going to need your help." Mac said putting a friendly arm around the Squirrels slight shoulders.
Mac moved off with Anton but George stayed. Even from here he could sense that Fred and the others were not happy, he could almost smell their anger at Mac. George didn’t need to deal with that level of loyalty conflict at the moment, not now that he had finally made himself comfortable with what had happened to him.
George began to wander deeper into the level as he thought. Mac’s plan had been simple, steal the virus for TransGene, delete the files and create a diversion while they got away. TransGene were paying them six figure sums each! Now it was all shot to shit. George let out a long sigh that came out as a Grizzly’s ‘whump’. He wondered what Francis would make of him now- he had always been his Papa Bear; Ah Francis- George sighed again- he was an orphan George had adopted though an charity- nice kid he had thought as he had read the letters, then over the years Francis had grown into a nice youth and now a successful businessman- all because of George’s help. Then last year they had met for the first time in 24 years.
Francis was a larger man, though not massive, with a swimmers build. He was hairy and liked to wear a goatee. George had been surprised how physically similar Francis was to himself at that age before age piled on the grey and fat. The younger man was into IT and ironically security systems. They had gone out, took in a ball game, and generally hung out for two weeks. They bonded very well having known each other though letters already. Then Francis had told George a devastating truth- he had a rare blood disease that was killing him- that was his explanation of why he had been abandoned at birth, it was testable in the womb and his parents had not wanted him. George immediately asked if he could help and Francis had given him all the information he needed. George had checked it all out, even got Francis medical records pulled to ensure he was not being swindled. Then he’d found out how much it would cost, and that had led to Mac’s plan.
George realised he’d wandered back to the Project Teams Labs where this had all started. He wandered into the empty red lit rooms. He found his ripped uniform on the floor, he smiled realising none of it found fit him ever again- he also realised his wallet was missing. Had Rothman nicked that along with his Humanity?
A crash echoed through the room, instinctively George adopted a ‘claws out’ combat position. There was a THUD THUD coming from the door to Norcott’s lab. George approached cautiously and peered through the window. Inside the lab was a mess, the tables overturned; the fridge doors ripped off their hinges, and more critically the animorph cage had been smashed apart from the inside. Suddenly a face appeared at the window followed by a THUD against the massively reinforced door. George took a couple of seconds to realise that this was the captive Badger man. The thick built animorph took another run at the door with a resounding THUD.
“Stop bothering!” George shouted at the glass. Inside the Badger man backed away and George could see bared fangs
“Calm down” he shouted “you can’t smash it down” The Badger man came up to the glass and stared out at George “Yes I am an animorph too” he said to the black and white face. The Badger man turned his head and his ears twitched so George knew he was listening.
“We need to break down the door. There is no power. Stay there. I’ll get the others”
The Badger Man nodded, kicked a chair upright and sat down staring at the window.
George withdrew quickly and began to return to Mac and the others. He had an idea of how to get Fred and the others on their side. A rescue always helped unite a team.