Chapter eleven- Somebody Set Us Up the Bomb


It was a late Saturday afternoon, nearly two weeks after Anna had bought who were now known as the Neuro-Lite Rapists to justice, and Kelly had been turned. Ben Carter had just briefly popped into the offices of The London Daily to pick up a file he had regarding a supposed ghost sighting at the Tower of London. As he walked into the office he was greeted by a woman with short dark red hair, and wearing an orange blouse with a long yellow skirt. She was Elaine Turner, the woman from the pub the night of the last full moon. In truth, she was actually an investigative reporter for the paper.

"Afternoon." said Elaine. "How's your week off been so far?"

"Not too bad, thanks." Ben replied. "How about you? Still sore you didn't get the scoop on the Neuro-Lite incidents?"

"Yeah. I've been investigating those attacks for months, and when I finally make a breakthrough... The rest of the press get there first. And I thought I had a big scoop there as well..."

"The one thing the press haven't been able to figure out is where they got the Neuro-Lite from in the first place, right? Well, I did manage an interview with our two friends yesterday thinking that we'd get some answers."

"Did you? Please say you did! We could still get something out of this!"

"Umm... I could say I did, but... Then I'd be lying. Sorry."

Elaine groaned and banged her head on the desk. But then another thought hit her...

"Hmm. Were you interviewing them because of that wolf they mentioned, by any chance? I know you've been looking into a possible connection between that and the recent animal attacks in London, including the one at the Solsitce Technologies building? Well, there's something I haven't told anyone about yet. I saw it that night. That wolf."

"You what? Are you sure you weren't delirious?"

"No. I wasn't. I mean it was pitch black out there, but I definitely wasn't seeing things. It was a wolf, all right. Sort of. I mean. It howled like a wolf, and growled like one, but when I saw it... It was running on two legs. And I think it had hair. I don't mean fur either- it had human hair on it's head! If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was female, too."

"What the hell? Are you saying it was more human than animal?"

"Did someone say a wolf that looked human?" said a new voice. Ben and Elaine turned around to see a chubby twenty two year old man with brown hair and a beard, wearing a Legend of Zelda T-shirt and blue jeans. He was Max Griffin, a colleague who specialised in information gathering. He was also very nerdy- the kind of person who had pictures of big breasted anime girls as his phone wallpapers- and a furry. As such, Elaine's description on the wolf immediately caught his ears.

"If you must know, Max..." said Elaine. "... I think it was a werewolf. Can't think of any normal animal that walks on two legs. Kangaroos don't count. And there certainly aren't any that have human hair styles."

"Nice..." said Max quietly. "A real life anthro? Was she hot?"

"Max..." Ben groaned.

"I couldn't tell." said Elaine. "It was dark and I couldn't make her out perfectly. Mind you, even if I could say, I doubt you'd have much chance with her. Then again, you'd probably have a better chance with a furry lady than a real one..."

"Ouch." said Max. "Though that's not the worst insult I've ever had thrown at me. I mean, I'm a furry. I'm used to all kinds of verbal abuse."

"It must be nice to have such a thick skin." said Ben. "Not to mention a thick head."

"Hey, how many leads have you two managed to get because of me? And how many of those leads got you a story?"

"You know I'm kidding. We appreciate what you do around here."

"I know. I can tell when someone's joking or not-"

Just then, the editor of the paper, Frank Lewis, walked in. He was a fifty something with thinning black hair and a moustache, and wore a dark blue shirt with a black and white striped tie, and black trousers. He was also Steve's father.

"Hey, Elaine. Something's just come up. The Intercity Shopping Centre was nearly blown up about an hour ago. Can you go and take a look? We need someone to report on the whole thing."

"Bloody hell... Who'd try and do something like that?" said Elaine.

"I'll give you one guess..." Ben replied.

"Not Islamic terrorists, believe it or not." said Frank. "Actually, this one might interest you as well, Ben. The ones who tried to blow the place up- when they were caught, they said they were attacked by a wolf. Just like the Neuro-Lite Rapists."

"No kidding? Think I might take a look as well then, if that's okay with you?"

"You're supposed to taking some time off, but if you really want to I won't stop you."

"We'll take my car, then." said Elaine. "Let's go."

"Can I come too?" said Max, hoping to catch a glimpse of the humanoid wolf.

"No!" said Ben and Elaine in unison.



Earlier that day...


"Man, that was a great movie!" said Amy as she, Anna, Kelly, Kisa and Poppy left the cinema in the Intercity Shopping Centre, which was located in North London. They were here to watch a movie they'd all been looking forward to for a while. Sadly, Alice and Steve couldn't make it because Alice had a dentist appointment and Steve was at work. Nonetheless, this was a good opportunity for Anna to spend some time with her newer friends.

"Yeah, it was fun alright." said Kelly. "Quite sad at the end, but I kind of liked that. I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings."

"I certainly enjoyed it." said Kisa. "So, who's up for lunch? I'm starving."

"Me too." said Anna.

"How can you still be hungry?" said Amy. "You had three hot dogs back there. Three! Plus a bag of Rolos. How much more can you need?"

"I dunno. I guess I just have a bottomless stomach."

Kelly said nothing. She knew the real reason Anna had all those hot dogs. And that reminded her...

"Say, Anna?" she whispered. "Were you okay in that cinema? You seemed to be screwing up your face at points. Didn't you enjoy the movie?"

"No, I thought it was great." Anna whispered back. "But it was bloody loud. Watching a movie in IMAX when you have the hearing of a wolf is no laughing matter. I really need to bring earplugs next time."

"Your hearing's still better than average when you're human? I didn't hear any difference myself.."

"Yeah, my hearing's still better than any normal human, but the effects are lessened when I'm not transformed. As for you, I don't think your senses will improve until you actually change for the first time. That's how it was for me."

"So until my first transformation, the only werewolf ability I have after being turned is my quick healing?"

"Pretty much. Then again, from what I've heard different people change differently. I still know very little of the details myself."

"What are you guys whispering about?" said Amy, looking at Anna and Kelly.

"Nothing in particular." said Kelly as Kisa stopped in front of a Burger King.

"You guys wanna eat here?" she said. Everyone nodded, including Poppy, who had been very quiet the whole time. She really did appear to be a shell of the person she was just two weeks ago...

Twenty minutes later, everyone was at a table eating. Or at least they would have been, had they not been watching Anna stuff her face with a good five burgers. It was quite an odd sight, and even Kelly was surprised at just how much she was eating.

"What?" Anna asked, realising all eyes were on her.

"Seriously?" said Kisa. "How many of those things have you had so far?"

"Enough for now, I think." Anna replied, finishing off her last burger before starting on her drink. Everyone sighed and started eating their own food. The mood was a little awkward, so Kelly decided to talk about something else.

"So, hey Keese. Have you had any photoshoots recently?"

"Just yesterday, actually. It's been a little hard after what happened to Poppy, but I know I have to carry on and have some fun. And I think I had some fun with this one. I even have some of the photos on my phone, as it happens. Want to see?"

"If you can find them, sure." said Amy.

Kisa checked her phone to look for her photos. She quickly found them, and handed the phone to Anna. The photos were all of Kisa in various states of undress, and even a few tastefully nude ones.

"Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how gorgeous you look." said Anna.

"No Photoshop either." replied Kisa. "A lot of magazines like to use it, but I hate that kind of stuff myself. I much prefer the natural look."

"Sooo... That means you're..." Kelly started. Kisa knew exactly what she meant.

"Completely plastic surgery free. What you see is exactly how I've been since puberty. Boobs and all."

"That's... impressive." said Amy.

"She's quite proud of it as well." said Poppy, trying to let out a little chuckle.

"I'll bet." said Kelly. "I'm a little jealous, I must admit."

"Don't be." said Kisa. "I think you're great just the way you are. I always believed it's important to just be yourself, you know?"

"True enough. And I am happy with how my life is going. Even after that attack."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to go to the ladies room..." said Anna, getting up from the table.

"I'm not surprised after everything you've eaten today..." said Amy.

Anna headed for the nearest toilet, which was on the second floor. After she had done her business, she washed her hands at one of the basins. As she did, she couldn't help but think of the sexy pictures of Kisa she saw earlier.

"She really does have an awesome body." She giggled to herself."Though I have to admit, I'm just as sexy as a werewolf. I wonder how she'd react if she saw me like that?"

Anna began to imagine how that encounter would play out. She pictured herself in her werewolf form, holding on to Kisa and making a variety of sexy poses. She continued to giggle at the thought until she opened her eyes and saw something unusual in the mirror.

"W-what the?!"

Anna saw that her irises had turned yellow and her teeth had grown out slightly. She then had a quick look at her hands, and saw they were turning into paws. Before she realised it, she had begun to transform again.

"Oh nononononono! What's happening? How can I be changing right now?"

Anna did her best to try and stop the transformation, but it was too late. She was already changing at a rapid rate. She was growing in both bust and height, bursting out of her clothes. Her quickly spreading fur was doing little to help matters either. Her shoes split apart as her feet also become paws, and both her jeans and panties were ripped apart by her changing legs and growing tail. It took less than a minute for Anna to go from human to wolf, and it seemed the only item of clothing to survive was her hoodie- and even that had split at the sleeves. Anna looked at herself in shock.

"T-this is impossible! How did I change without Miyuki or the full moon? This is REALLY bad... I'm in a busy shopping centre! How can I get out of here without being seen? More to the point, how can I turn back? And what am I gonna do about my clothes? It can't get any worse than this..."

And then Poppy came into the toilet, joined by Kelly.

"You want me to stay outside? Or should I come in with you?" said Kelly as they were about to go in.

"I- I think I should be alright on my own. I mean, it's the ladies toilet. No one here who could possibly-" Poppy started before stopping in her tracks. She was startled by the sight of a navy blue coloured wolf standing on her hind legs and wearing a torn hoodie, with other bits of torn clothing scattered across the floor.

"Hmm? Is something... wrong?" said Kelly, as she also saw the creature. Anna wasn't so concerned about Kelly, as she already knew her secret. Poppy on the other hand... She started shaking at the sight, scared for her life. Anna wasn't sure of what to do, so by pure instinct she raised her hand paws like a dog and started wagging her tail.

"Uh... Umm... Ah, haha... Um... W-waff?"

Though Anna was acting in an adorable manner, Poppy was still scared. Just as she was about to scream, Kelly stopped her.

"Whoa, there. Don't panic. It's okay. It's only Anna. She isn't going to hurt you."

"W-what? That can't be Anna. Can it?"

"U-um... She's right." said Anna sheepishly. "It's me. I'm... kind of a werewolf. I'm not dangerous, though. I don't go around hurting people. I'm still Anna, just furrier. So calm down, alright? You're perfectly safe."

Poppy took a deep breath and calmed down, as she was asked to. However, she was still in shock at Anna's appearance.

"I don't believe it. I can't believe it's really you, Anna."

"I must say, you're really easy on the eyes like this." said Kelly, who then turned her attention to Anna's chest. With her hoodie halfway zipped, and her T-shirt destroyed, she was showing off an ample cleavage.

"And you've had one hell of an upgrade. Easily comparable to Kisa, I'd say."

Anna impulsively zipped her hoodie all the way up so her breasts weren't showing before finally speaking.

"Please, Kelly. You aren't helping."

"Sorry. Still, at least this confirms you weren't lying about this whole thing."

"Wait a second." said Poppy. "You knew about this, Kelly?"

"Yup. In fact, not only do I know, but I'm gonna be a werewolf myself when the next full moon comes. Isn't that awesome?"

"S-say what?! You're one too?"

"She will be." said Anna. "She's already been turned, but as she said, she won't actually transform until the next full moon. That thing that attacked her two weeks ago was a werewolf, and so was the one that attacked me back in February. That's how we're like this."

"So what I don't get is..." said Kelly. "...what caused you to change now?"

"No clue." said Anna. "Maybe it's something to do with emotions? I remember after learning about what happened to Poppy two weeks ago I was really angry, and I felt a change coming on as a result of that. It took everything I had to keep myself from transforming in front of everyone that day."

"You aren't feeling angry now, though?"

"Not at all. But I’ve had a few... shall we say... lewd thoughts just now. Maybe those thoughts were what caused me to change?"

"Could be. What kind of "Lewd thoughts" were those, anyway?"

Anna sighed.

"Shut up..."

"Okay, okay. But what are you going to do now? I don't think you want to wander around looking like this."

"Good advice, Captain Obvious. Honestly, it's a miracle no one else has come in here yet. I need to get out of here, and fast. Not to mention try to find a way to turn back."

"You're nearly naked as well." said Poppy. "Even if you did turn back, that hoodie is all you'll be wearing..."

"I know, I know... This is one hell of a bad situation."

"Ah, I have an idea!" said Kelly, looking up at the ceiling. "Check up there. There's a cover for an air vent. If you can get up there, you might be able to go through the vent."

"Not a bad idea." said Anna. "Thing is, it's not like the movies where I can just remove the cover. I'm pretty sure it's screwed in place."

"Lucky I always come prepared, then." said Kelly, pulling out a screwdriver.

"Why do you carry a screwdriver with you?" said Poppy.

"You never know when you'll need one." Kelly replied. "Like now."

Anna wasn't complaining. Kelly gave her a boost to the vent cover, but the two toppled over in an instant.

"Geez, you're heavy." said Kelly. "I thought I was supposed to be stronger now I've been turned?"

"How many times do I have to say "Not until you actually transform for the first time" before you actually get it? In any case, maybe I should give you a boost instead. Besides, if I go up you'll end up seeing too much, if you know what I mean."

Kelly looked down at Anna's crotch. Since she wasn't wearing anything underneath, it was almost on full display.

"Gotcha. Okay, let me climb on your back and I'll get this thing open."

Anna nodded boosted her up to the vent. Kelly then unscrewed the cover and removed it. As she was doing so, Poppy picked up what was left of Anna's clothes on the floor and put them in her bag.

"There we go. You should be able to get in there now." said Kelly. "Best do it quick, though."

"That's what I was going to do." said Anna. "Oh yeah... Can... you and Poppy go and buy me some replacement clothes please? I'll pay you back..."

"Okay, but you'd better pay up as soon as you can. You owe us big for this."

"Don't I know it. Thanks."

Anna slipped into the vent just as another shopper walked in. Kelly and Poppy sighed in relief at dawned on them how close Anna was to being discovered.

"I guess we have some clothes shopping to do." said Poppy.

"Yup." Kelly replied. "This is so not how I was expecting to spend my Saturday..."



"This is so not how I was expecting to spend my Saturday..." thought Anna as she crawled through the vent. It was tight, cramped and dirty and she was struggling to even breathe from all the dust. She didn't even know where she was going. She had hoped that the vent would to some kind of private area which she could use to hide in until she changed back. Alas, no such luck.

"I feel like I've been in this vent for hours. Where am I even going anyway? I'd really like to change back now. My nose is way too itchy and it's too cramped in here to reach it. I'm probably gonna sneeze if any more if this dust gets up my nose. I'm getting pretty dirty crawling in here. Bloody werewolf thing changing me. Bloody hate everything. Fuck my life."

Anna continued grumbling to herself as she kept going. She could hear quite a few voices from where she was, mostly from the other shoppers. Eventually though, her ears picked up a few voices that didn't sound like they were here to buy anything...

"Hurry up with that thing, will ya? If we stay here, someone's gonna find us."

"Yeah, keep your knickers on. It takes a little while to arm."

"Arm?" thought Anna. "That doesn't sound good... Better check it out."

Anna followed the voices until they led her to a big room near the back of the building. Peering through a vent cover just below her, Anna saw three young looking people gathered around some kind of device. Two males on the left and right, and a woman in the middle.

"Finally." said the youth on the left. "Now let's see 'em try and diffuse this bad boy!"

"Diffuse?! Oh god, what have I stumbled into now?" thought Anna.

"Heh, that'll teach 'em to fire us!" said the youth on the right. "We were too lazy, were we? Swore too much in front of kids, huh? Well, the little shits'll have more to worry about now than just swearing. It'll serve ‘em right!"

"Just hope this was worth the money we spent on this thing..." said the left hand youth.

"How long we got until it blows?" said the woman.

"About... twenty minutes from the looks of things." said the youth on the left. "Better make sure we're as far away as possible."

Anna couldn't believe it. She realised these people were trying to blow the whole place up.

"Ugh, and the problems keep piling on. Damn. What can I do now? Guess the best thing to do would be to wait until they leave, then check out that bomb and see if I can diffuse it. Of course, I know jack shit about bombs... Why do these things always happen to me?"

Just as Anna was thinking about what to do, she heard the vent creak. The noise did not go unnoticed by the three would be terrorists.

"What was that?" said the youth on the right as the three turned to look at the creaking vent. Suddenly, it split apart and dropped Anna onto the floor- straight into the youth's eyes.

"Agh, Fuck me..." said Anna. "How the hell am I more agile in this form, and yet heavier? That makes no sense at all..."

Suddenly, Anna heard three clicks, and found herself looking at the barrels of three handguns.

"Oh... Shit. Guns? Really? Where the hell did you get those?"

"The fuck are you?" said the youth on the left, seemingly desperate to pull the trigger. "Some kind of freak? A prick in a weird costume?"

"She must be one of those weirdos who like to dress up in those furry suit things" said the woman. "Dunno why she'd be doing that here, though."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." said Anna. "But I do notice you have that bomb there. Might not be a bad idea to turn it off. You know, just in case it goes boom and we all die."

"Kind of the idea, love." said the youth on the right. "Well, we don't intend to die. We're gonna get out of here before that happens."

"Not bloody likely." said Anna, standing up. "If you won't turn it off, I might have to do it for you. Or force one of you to do it... Either way, we can do this one of those ways. So which is it gonna be?"

Anna immediately felt a bullet go straight through her abdomen. The youth on the right had already started shooting at her, and the other two youths followed suit. They pumped all the bullets in their guns into Anna, hitting her arms, legs and stomach. However, she didn't drop. She just stood there, taking the shots. They stung, and bloody bullet wounds could be seen all over her, but she wasn't going down. Before long, the bullets that stayed inside her were pushed out onto the floor as her wounds healed.

"Excuse me!" said Anna. "That's extremely rude! Plus, this is my favourite hoodie! You just ruined it. Honestly, kids these days. They just don't have any manners..."

"W-what the fuck are you?" said the woman. "You should be dead!"

"Quick, reload and aim for the head!" said the youth on the right. "Let's see if she can heal that!"

Anna wasn't taking any chances. She knew that a headshot would still kill her, and she also remembered what Miyuki had told her about transforming without a full moon. The moon was the source of a werewolf's power, and without it Anna would be more vulnerable. She took those earlier bullets without issue, but she wasn't willing to find out if her healing would keep up multiple injuries in her current state. She quickly rushed towards the trio on all fours and pounced on the woman, taking care not to scratch or bite her. Still holding her down, Anna lunged out her leg to knock the youth on the right off his feet with a clumsy but hard kick. She then got back on her feet and landed a punch on the youth on the left, who was about to shoot her at point blank range. He dropped his gun, which Anna then picked up and scrunched up like paper so it couldn't be used.

"Phew. I'm not very good at fighting. I hit hard but my movements seem to be kinda clumsy..." she said as she stepped on the other two guns, rendering them useless too. But she had no time to be complacent. The bomb would be going off soon, and she had to stop it. Before she could even take a look however, the woman and one of the youths got up again.

"You really wanna try again?" said Anna.

"Fuck you, bitch." said the woman as she tried to land a punch on Anna. She dodged, only to find herself facing another punch, this time from the male youth. It landed, causing a small amount of blood to trickle from her mouth. She wiped it off before throwing an uppercut at the him, sending him flying. As he hit on the ground hard, Anna turned her attention back to the woman. She tried to land a few kicks, but Anna managed to guard against them before grabbing hold of her leg in the middle of the last kick. Anna held the leg in place for a little while as the woman eventually lost her balance and fell over, taking Anna with her. Before the woman could get up again, Anna punched her in the face, knocking her out. Now that the youths were finally down, Anna examined the bomb.

"Okay, sod the guns. Were the hell did they get this bomb from?"

The bomb didn't look like a home made device. It seemed to be quite state of the art. There didn't seem to be any kind of keypad- just a timer that was ticking down and a slot below it. And there were less than ten minutes remaining. Anna frantically tried to think of something, but couldn't figure out head nor tail of the bomb. But she knew someone who just might...



Meanwhile, Kelly and Poppy were searching around the clothes shops for clothes that looked at least similar to Anna's. They already had most of what they needed, all that was left were a pair of jeans.

"I just hope they won't be as expensive as the trainers." said Poppy. "Sixty quid is a bit much, honestly."

"You said it." said Kelly. "I really hope Anna will pay us back quickly."

Just then, Kelly's phone rang. After checking it to see who it was, she answered.

"Hi, Anna. You safe yet?"

"Er... That depends on how you define "Safe". Do you know how to diffuse a bomb, by any chance?" said Anna.

"What do you mean..." Kelly started before lowering her voice so no one would hear her. "What do you mean, a bomb?"

"A pretty weird one. Not crudely made. This is some high tech shit right here. And... uh... It's gonna blow in less than eight minutes."

"I haven't got a clue about bombs. Who planted it?"

"A bunch of kids who were angry about being fired, or something. Seems like kind of a petty reason to blow this place up. What really gets me is how they got their hands on this thing in the first place. It looks way too advanced for these guys to have made themselves."

"Well, no point in thinking about that now. Is there an input device on it?"

"I see a slot for something and there are a couple of buttons on the timer, but that's it. Nowhere I can really open it to get at the wires, either. This is well made."

"How big is it?"

"Erm... About the size of a sixteen pack of toilet roll? It's pretty lightweight. Listen, do you think it's possible to evacuate everyone from the building?"

"Easier said than done. The best we could do is find a fire alarm and use it. That'll be hard though, since there's far too many people around. We could get arrested for using it without a real reason, and I don't think they'll buy the whole bomb story... The only thing we can really do is hope you can diffuse that thing."

As Anna was talking to Kelly on her phone, the remaining youth had got up on his feet and slowly approached her from behind.

"No pressure or anything." sighed Anna. "Any ideas?"

"I already told you this isn't really my area of expertise. However, you said there's a slot? Maybe something can fit in there, like some sort of activation key?"

The youth continued to creep up on Anna, hoping to grab her from behind. But unbeknownst to him, Anna could hear him perfectly despite having her back turned. As soon as he came into range, she flicked up her tail right between his legs. The youth grabbed his crotch in pain and collapsed.

"What was that?" said Kelly.

"Someone trying to get the drop on me. Good thing my hearing is better than a regular human, eh? No time for that though. I only have..."

Anna looked at the timer again.

"...Just over three minutes. Agh, what to do, what to do?"

It was at that point Anna noticed something on the ground next to the youth she just put out of commission. She picked it up, and saw it was some sort of card.

"Huh. It's about the same size as the slot on the bomb. I wonder?"

Anna quickly inserted the card into the slot, and after a few seconds, a message replaced the timer.

"ACCESS APPROVED. DO YOU WISH TO ABORT?"

Two of the buttons started flashing. Without thinking, Anna pushed one.

"SEQUENCE ABORTED."

"Yes! It worked!" said Anna, quickly getting back on her phone to give Kelly a call.

"Hey, Kel!" she said excitedly. "Guess what? I sorted out the bomb! Turns out there was some sort of card key, and it made these two buttons start flashing and I pushed one at random and-"

Kelly sighed.

"Okay, calm down. Good to know we aren't going to die and all, but I think you're feeling a little too much of an adrenaline rush right now. Breathe a little, and tell me what happened."

"Okay, okay... Right. That guy I dropped had this card key on him, and I used it in the slot. I then got this message and two buttons started flashing. I pushed one at random and the bomb stopped!"

"You pushed one at random? You didn't stop to think about which one to push? Geez, Anna. I know you mean well, but if you want to be a superhero, you're gonna have to be more careful than that. Especially when there's a lot of innocent lives at stake."

Anna suddenly heard more footsteps. She didn't know if it was more would be bombers or security, but either way she knew staying where she was would not be a good idea.

"I know... Listen, I hear someone coming. I'm gonna have to get out of here. I'll call you again when I'm out."

Anna ended the call and immediately left the room. As she explored the back areas of the shopping centre, she heard an announcement telling everybody to evacuate the building. She immediately realised they'd found the bomb. Searching around some more, she finally found what she was looking for- a door leading out. She opened it just slightly so she could peek outside to see if anyone was there. There were a few, but they mostly had their back turned. Retreating back behind the door, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Kelly.


I'm out. Near the back of the place. Can you and Poppy meet me there? I’ll be hiding behind a door.

Anna


As Anna waited, she finally felt herself changing back. She watched her hands return to normal as she shrank down to her human height and her fur receded.

"Finally! 'Bout bloody time. Been kinda sick of having to hide everywhere. Plus I can actually hide my crotch properly now. Just hope Kelly and Poppy get here soon..."

It didn't take too long for Kelly and Poppy to show up. They both had a bag in their hands each- Kelly was holding what was left of Anna's clothes that got torn when she transformed, and Poppy was holding the replacement clothes they bought for her. They had already tried several doors in the back area to try and find Anna, but she hadn't been specific about which door she was behind. Eventually, Anna caught a glimpse of them while peering through her hiding place.

"Psst! Over here!" said Anna, beckoning Kelly and Poppy over. They hurried over to their friend.

"Hey, Anna." said Kelly. "Back to normal, I see. You okay?"

"A little stressed out, but otherwise I'm fine. Mind you, I think this experience taught me I'm not very good at fighting. I need to improve on that. Anyway, did you get some spare clothes?"

"Right here." said Poppy. "It was £120 in all. Just give us sixty each and that'll be fine."

"Sure thing." said Anna, reaching for her wallet. Unfortunately it was riddled with bullet holes, as were the bank notes inside.

"Shit. Looks like I need to find a cash machine."

"No need to pay us back right now." said Kelly as Anna put her new clothes on. "It's been pretty hectic today. Just do it whenever you're ready."

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

Anna’s replacement clothes fit just fine, and somewhat resembled her previous attire. The hoodie was the exact same as the one she normally wore, and the jeans were only slightly darker than her other ones. Her trainers on the other hand were completely different, so Anna hoped no one would pay any attention to them.

"You guys seen Amy and Kisa around?" she asked.

"Not since we left them." said Poppy. "They're probably worried sick about us."

"Yeah. We should look for them. They should still be around here somewhere."

"Say, Anna?" said Kelly. "About what happened with you transforming..."

"Still no idea what triggered it. However... I wonder if she'd know?"

"Who?"

"Remember when I said I had a few friends who could help you with your new abilities? I'll introduce you to one of them shortly. First things first though, we need to find the others..."

"Right. They shouldn't be too far away, touch wood."



A few hours later, Ben and Elaine were at the scene. The building was once again full of people as if nothing had even happened. For now, Elaine was interviewing the manager about the incident.

"Yes, it started when one of our security team came across three unconscious youths in the main utility room while on patrol, as well as a strange device. The alarm was instantly raised and the building evacuated. When the device was examined, it was revealed to be a bomb, albeit one quite unlike anyone on the bomb squad had ever seen. It was taken away for analysis."

"What can you tell us about the suspects?" asked Elaine.

"They were former employees who were fired last month for bad behaviour. They weren't best pleased about it, but I never thought they would try and blow the building up. We don't even know how they could have acquired such a device in the first place."

"We were told the bombers said something about a wolf. Did you see anything like that around here?" said Ben.

"No, none saw anything resembling a wolf. I can't help but imagine they were making the whole thing up. They were probably just looking for more attention."

"Can we see the spot where the bomb was found?" said Elaine.

"If you want. I'll take you there."

The manager led Ben and Elaine to the spot where Anna had fought the bombers and dealt with the bomb. There were definitely signs of a struggle, as well as the broken air vent on the floor.

"Damn. Looks like someone had some fun here, all right." said Elaine. "Was there anything else unusual here?"

"Yes. Apparently the bombers had guns, but they were found on the scene smashed to bits." said the manager. "Except for one, which was all scrunched up."

"Wow. What could possibly be strong enough to do that?"

"It gets better." said Ben, who was examining the ground. "Check this out."

Ben showed Elaine what appeared to be hair. Elaine gave it a feel.

"This... feels more like fur than hair. Think this came from our wolf?"

"Quite possibly. However, notice that it's blue? What kind of wolf has blue fur?"

"One that got a dye job? Some people are sick enough to do something like that..."

"Maybe. But if you ask me... Your werewolf story is starting to sound less implausible."

"Hoo boy. This is starting to sound familiar. Bad guys causing trouble with equipment they shouldn't even have... Attacked by a wolf... It's starting to sound an awful lot like the Neuro-Lite case. Think there's a connection?"

"I wonder..."



Following the incident, Anna and the others had found Amy and Kisa among the crowd back at the shopping centre, and after a mild telling off from Amy for leaving them so worried, they went home. After dropping off Kisa, Poppy and Amy, Anna and Kelly stopped off briefly at Kelly's house before walking over to The Lucky Fox. Anna thought about taking Poppy as well, but she wasn't sure how the regulars would take to an ordinary human at the bar. Kelly suggested taking her car, but Anna refused, saying it would be best if they walked. Given the long walk there, Kelly had to imagine why it was better. She would get her answer soon enough...

It had been a relatively normal afternoon at The Lucky Fox. Many of the regulars had already arrived and had spent most of their time drinking and chatting with one another. Ethyl had been keeping an eye on things as usual, but as far as she was concerned, it had been about as normal as you could get in the Inner World. Suddenly, she heard two voices coming from the lift. One of them was Anna, and the other was someone Ethyl had never heard before.

"Ooookay... I wasn't expecting that drop..." said the new voice.

"I know, right?" said Anna. "I still haven't gotten used to it myself. Still, we're here. Believe me, you'll love this!"

The lift doors opened, and Anna stepped out with Kelly. Kelly took a look around the pub silently, and the regulars all stopped talking to look at her. They then looked back and went back to their business, much like they did when Anna first came to the pub.

"So, yeah." said Anna. "They're kinda suspicious of humans, but once they know you're a werewolf they stop paying you attention. So, what do you think?"

Kelly looked at Anna with a confused look on her face.

"Um... I see furry types, dwarves, an orc or two, and I swear one of these people is a humanoid dragon. And that's a bunny by the counter."

"Hello there, Anna." said Ethyl. "You bought someone new, I see. Is this that friend who you said was turned a few weeks ago?"

"Hi Ethyl." said Anna as she walked over to the main counter with Kelly. "Yeah, this is her. Meet Kelly. Kelly, this is Ethyl. She's the landlady here at The Lucky Fox."

"Uh, nice to meet you." said Kelly, shaking the bunny's hand. "So, Anna?"

"Yeah?"

"What the hell is all this?!"

"Well, this is The Lucky Fox, as I just said. It's a pub that's based in the Inner World. Now, I know what you're thinking. "The Inner World? What's that?" Well, there's someone here who can explain it far better than I can..."

Kelly looked at Anna in puzzlement. But then her eyes turned to another figure who appeared behind Ethyl...

"Holy shit, a nine tailed fox woman... person... thing...!"

Ethyl looked behind her to see Miyuki standing there.

"Indeed she is. This is Miyuki." said Anna. "Miyuki, this is Kelly. She's the one who was turned recently."

"Pleased to meet you, Kelly." said Miyuki. "Anna's said a fair bit about you. I'm sure you must have a lot on your mind given what you're seeing right now, so I'll be happy to tell you a little about the Inner World."

Kelly looked at Miyuki open mouthed. For once, she was completely lost for words.

"Yeah, I think she could use a little crash course. Once you've done that, I really need to talk to you about something, Miyuki. Something... really unusual happened today, and I think you might know why..."




"Hmm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you managed to shift on your own." said Miyuki as she sipped her tea. She was sitting in the back room of The Lucky Fox with Anna and Kelly, who still wasn't sure what to make of what she had seen in the last ten minutes. Miyuki had quickly got Kelly up to speed on The Inner World, though she was naturally overwhelmed by what she had learned. After Kelly's lesson, Anna got to the business of why she came here- to talk about why she became a werewolf back at the shopping centre.

"Shift?"

"What we call transforming. You know, as in shape shifting. Shifting is the official term we use."

"I see. But I thought I could only shift during a full moon, or when a kyuubi forces it out?"

"Not at all. It's very possible for a werewolf to be able to change whenever they please. It's just a matter of knowing the secret. Did you imagine yourself as a werewolf when you changed, by any chance?"

"Yeah, I did. Don't ask me why, though. It's a little embarrassing."

"That's what did it, then. The trick is simply to relax your body and imagine yourself in your wolf form. The same applies if you wish to turn back into a human. If you'd like, I can teach you how to control it better. Just bear in mind you can't use it to turn back into a human during a full moon. That effectively locks you into your wolf form until the sun comes up."

"That doesn't sound too shabby. Actually, there was something else I wanted you to teach me-"

Suddenly, Anna's phone started ringing. She took it out and saw it was from Alice.

"Sorry, I need to take this. I'll just pop out for a sec, okay?"

"Sure." said Kelly as Anna left the room, leaving Kelly alone with Miyuki.

"So, you can force a werewolf to change without a full moon, right? Can you do that with me? I kinda want to see what I look like when I transform... or shift, rather. I don't want to wait until the next full moon to find out!"

"Not until your first full moon, I'm afraid." said Miyuki. "It's a little complicated, but even though you've been turned, your werewolf abilities are still developing. They won't be fully ready until you transform for the first time. Of course, there are exceptions. Lucy, for example, who changed as soon as she was bitten. But cases like that are rare. I'm afraid you're not one of them, so I can't change you until then."

"Aww. That sucks. But I guess even you have your limitations, huh?"

"We all do. No one is truly ever perfect, as they say."

Just then, Anna returned from the front of the bar.

"Right, Alice heard about what happened and just wanted to make sure we were okay. I told her we were, and Kelly and I went out for a drink. So that's my excuse for being here right now."

"And I don't even need one." said Kelly.

"So, Anna." said Miyuki. "You said you wanted you wanted you to teach you something else? What would you like?"

"Well... You said you used to be a ninja, right? So you know how to fight? Then can you teach me how to fight better, please? When I fought the bombers earlier, I was pretty clumsy. Luckily those guys didn't put up much of a fight, but if I'm going to use my abilities to fight crime I'm gonna have to be better. I need to be stronger. So... Can you teach me, please?"

Miyuki thought about it for a moment.

"I suppose so. But I'll warn you now. I don't go easy on anyone when training. If you want to learn from me, you'd better be prepared for a lot of hard work. I'll be pushing you to your limits."

"I'm not afraid of a little pain. I have to get better. I'm going to try and avoid fighting criminals directly, but there may be times I can't avoid combat. If that happens, I have to be prepared to fight better than I did back there."

"Then come back here tomorrow at midday. I hope you'll be ready."

"I will. Thank you Miyuki."

Anna and Kelly bowed to Miyuki and left.

"You know, you want to be stronger, but I think you need a little bit more brainpower as well." said Kelly. "You got lucky with that bomb, but that won't always hold you."

"I know." said Anna. "I still have a long way to go. But hey, I have you now, right? I'm sure you'll be a big help out there. Anyway, want to stay for a meal and a drink? Ethyl's an awesome cook."

"Why not? It's still pretty early."

As Anna and Kelly sat down at the main counter, Miyuki came out and looked at them.

"Anna... Kelly..." she thought to herself. "I know you have your heart set on being a hero, but I know better than anyone that it comes at a heavy price. If you really want to go through with it, you must be prepared to pay it..."