Chapter sixteen- Who Can I be if I Can’t be Me?



Wednesday, 12:20 PM.


“Okay, so let’s go over this again.” said Anna to Poppy as the two of them walked with Amy to Kelly’s house. “Kisa’s returning home today, and so you’ve invited her to spend the night with you so you can keep an eye on her just in case she really has been turned. You sure this is a good idea?”

“I don’t know, but it’s the best I can come up with.” said Poppy. “On the one hand, if she doesn’t become a werewolf, we’ll just have a fun movie night together. If she does, she’ll transform right in front of me and when she sees I’m not afraid of her, she’ll hopefully realise she has nothing to be afraid of herself.”

“And the worst case scenario?”

“I couldn’t say. But all we can do is wait and see. When- or if- she transforms, I’ll do what I can to reassure her everything will be alright.”

“I still say we should just tell her everything.” said Amy. “I know! How about if Anna stays with you? Then, once she shows up you can both tell her. If Kisa doesn’t believe it, or she starts to worry about becoming a monster, Anna can just shift in front of her. That’ll be enough to convince her, right?”

“It might.” said Anna. “But I really can’t. The aim tonight is fighting crime while searching for any more ferals. Maybe even see if we can find any info about this master Kelly mentioned. But the more ground we can cover, the better. Sorry. It sounds like fun, but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”

“That’s okay.” said Poppy. “I know you’ll have your hands full with Amy as well. It sounds like it’ll be a very busy night.”

“Well, Miyuki will be the one who’ll have her hands full with Amy as she’ll be the one teaching her the ropes. At least she won’t have to teach her how to fight too, since she already knows Capoeira.”

“Yeah. She won’t have to worry about me chucking her halfway across the pub. Unlike a certain someone else!” said Amy, chuckling. Anna rolled her eyes at the comment.

“Yeah, yeah. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out. I’m kind of excited to see how you look as a werewolf. And honestly? I actually kind of hope Kisa really did get turned.”

“Because we could use the extra help?”

“There’s that. But I was thinking more along the lines of how she’d look, too. If she’ll look anything like me when I shift, she’ll definitely be one hell of a babe. More so than she already is.”

“I’m sure she will.” said Poppy. “But we’re probably getting a bit too ahead of ourselves. We still don’t know what really happened to her back at the museum. All we can do right now is play things by ear and hope it all works out.”

“Yeah.” said Anna. “Let’s just hope everything turns out oka-”

Suddenly, the trio heard a popping sound from Kelly’s garage, followed by something hitting the garage door with a loud thud.

“Ow!” came a voice from the other side of the door.

“What… was that?” said Amy.

“My first guess? I’d say Kelly dun goofed on something.” Anna replied as she walked over to the garage door and knocked on it.

“Uh… Is everything okay in there, Kel?”

The door opened opened slightly and smoke drifted out of it. The door then opened just enough for Anna, Amy and Poppy to duck under it.

“Better get in quick, before someone sees me.” said Kelly, as the others slipped through the door. As they looked at Kelly, they saw that she was in her wolf form, and wearing the same white hoodie she wore on her first full moon. She was also wearing her baseball cap like she normally did as a human. Amy couldn’t help but think she looked a little silly like this.

“What?” said Kelly.

“Oh, nothing.” said Amy. “Just thinking that I’m looking at a pink haired werewolf wearing a baseball cap back to front. Now I’ve seen everything.”

“Kelly… Why are you a wolf right now?” said Anna as Kelly closed the garage door.

“I figured if anything went wrong while I was working, any injuries I’d take would heal a lot faster.” Kelly replied while tapping her head with her finger. “Brainpower and initiative, my friend. Brainpower and initiative.”

“Unless you catch fire. One of our big weaknesses, if you weren’t aware.”

“I am, but it’s not like being human makes that much in the way difference there. Besides, nothing has ever caught fire in this workshop. I guess I’ve always been lucky like that.”

“Um, Kelly?” said Poppy, pointing to a container. “That container’s on fire.”

“Oh, shit!” said Kelly as she saw the container that had caught fire somehow. She quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out before it could spread, before turning back to Anna.

“Ahem. Almost nothing has caught fire. So, yeah. That little experiment didn’t go too well. On the plus side, my other experiments went way better. I’m sure you’ll want to take a look at them?”

“That’s why we’re here.” Anna replied. “Did you cook up anything new?”

“Sure did, but first I have a few other things to hand over.”

Kelly opened up a drawer and pulled out a box which contained four watches identical to the ones Anna and Kelly were wearing.

“So, Amy. Since you’ve decided to help us out, I figured you’d need one of these smart watches. These let us keep in touch, and have a variety of other features as well. Also, as Anna requested, I added a tracking beacon to each one so we know where we all are when we go our separate ways. I made one for Amanda and Lucy too, of course, and there’s also one for Poppy. Even though she’s not officially part of the team, I figured it might be useful for her to have one as well. Especially when it comes to keeping in touch over Kisa tonight. So yeah, feel free to take one each.”

Amy and Poppy complied and took one watch out of the box each, both placing them around their wrist. Kelly then went over to a cupboard and took out a bag, which she put on the table and opened. Inside was a variety of gadgets, all of which looked familiar to Anna.

“And here’s a selection of some of the gadgets I developed for us. I’m sure Anna will know these, since she used them the last time she was out crime fighting. But since you’re new to these, Amy, let me give you a quick rundown. First off, we have Stasis Discs for slowing down bad guys, Foam Capsules which explode into incapacitating foam- does exactly what it says on the tin- and some smoke bombs for concealing yourself. Finally, there’s a grappling hook to help you get to those far off places a lot quicker.”

“Neat.” said Amy. “But you do know I won’t be using any of this stuff tonight, right? Since Miyuki’ll be teaching me how to use my abilities and all that.”

“Oh, I know that, but it won’t hurt to know what you’ll be using afterwards. In any case, there’s also some new stuff which I know Anna will be interested in seeing.”

“Ooo, do tell.” said Anna excitedly.

“That’s exactly what I was going to do.” Kelly replied as she pulled out a pair of gizmos that Anna hadn’t seen before. One of them appeared to be a red version of the Stasis Disc, while the other looked like a strange metal blue pebble with a two way switch on the side.

“Alright, this here’s what I like to call the Shock Disc. When thrown at a bad guy, it provides them with a small but sharp electric shock which stuns them for a little while. Don’t worry, the voltage isn’t too high so it’s non lethal. Try not to use it near water, though. It won’t actually activate until you press this button here, so if you so happen to fall into a lake or something while carrying one of these, it won’t do any damage. And the other item is a sonic wave transmitter. This can be used in two ways- first, move the switch to the left and it emits a shrill beep which can be used to distract bad guys. Or, move the switch to the left and push it in, and it’ll release a huge sonic wave that’ll knock anyone close by off their feet. That’ll include you too if you’re not careful, so... be careful, I guess?”

“These look awesome.” said Anna. “But I gotta know. How do you make these things? You’re not sneaking equipment out of Solstice Technologies, are you?”

“Oh, of course not. That’d be silly. I just used their testing area a few times to test the Sonic Wave Transmitter when no one else was around, that’s all. No, when it comes to the parts I need for these things? I get them from the junkyard. There’s actually a metalworks there where I spend a lot of time putting things together when I’m not here at home. The guy who runs it is a friend of mine, actually. Even a mentor. Taught me much of what I know about putting stuff together. I’ll have to introduce you some time.”

“Sounds cool.” said Amy. “So, we’re all getting these, right?”

“Yup. Amanda and Lucy too. And you’ll all be getting a utility belt to store all these things as well. Which reminds me- there is one more thing I have for you all, but you’ll have to wait until later to get that.”

“Aww. I hate surprises.” said Anna. “Anyway, I think we’re done here for now. What time did you say Kisa was coming over, Poppy?”

“Well, her train should be arriving at around 6 0’clock, so I’d say about twenty past six or so? That’s still a couple of hours before the full moon. We’ll see what happens from there. What were you guys going to do?”

“We’ll be heading over to Amanda and Lucy’s place at around five. Miyuki will be there too, so we’ll hand Amy over to her after the full moon and the rest of us will go patrolling the streets. See what we turn up. Crime, Ferals, whatever.”

Anna turned to Amy and realised that she seemed to be spacing out.

“Is everything okay, Amy?” she asked. “Wait... Are you feeling dizzy right now? Maybe your vision is a bit off?”

“Wait, you didn’t tell her?” said Kelly.

“I thought you did!” Anna replied.

“Tell me what?” said Amy. “Is this another werewolf thing?”

“Pretty much. Both Kelly and I had that the afternoon before our first transformations. Pretty likely that’s what’s happening to you too. Don’t worry too much about it though. It’ll pass pretty quick. It’s when you’re about to transform for the first time where it gets a little nasty.”

“Uh... I thought you said it wouldn’t hurt?”

“It won’t. It’s actually quite pleasant. The lead up to it is a little rough, though. You’ll want to be ready for it as the sun goes down. Just a heads up.”

“Oh boy, sounds fun. Ah. Okay. I think it’s going away now.”

“Good. You should be fine for now. But like I said, just watch yourself once the sun goes down.”

“Well, then. If that’s now over and done with, I guess we now have some time to burn.” said Kelly as she shifted back into her human form. “Maybe you guys would like to stick around? Have lunch, play some video games, maybe even watch some Kamen Rider? I’ve got a few episodes to catch up on. Afterwards, we’ll drive Poppy home and head over to the others. Sound good?”

“Sure.” said Amy. “You guys?”

“I’m up for it.” said Anna.

“Okay, I guess we can do that.” said Poppy.

“Cool.” said Kelly. “I’ll just go get dressed, and I’ll be with you shortly. Make yourselves at home!”



Kisa yawned as she made her way to the train station. Her train wasn’t leaving for another hour, but she felt it would be best to leave plenty of time to get there. After all, there was a chance she’d be stuck in the queue to get her tickets. Always better to be half an hour too early than half a minute too late, she always said. Still, she felt a little tired. The birthday party she helped plan had gone very well, but it also went on into the early hours of the morning. As a result, Kisa didn’t have much sleep. She soon reached a crossing with busy traffic. As she waited for the green man to appear so she could cross, she thought about Poppy.

“Hmm. Hope she’s doing alright. I forgot to ask how she was when I called her last week. I just hope the others have been keeping an eye on her...”

Suddenly, the green man appeared on the crossing screen and the traffic stopped, giving Kisa the chance to cross. About halfway across though, she began to feel dizzy and her vision became blurry. It quickly went from bad to worse, and she nearly stopped still partway across the road. Knowing the man was about to turn red again, Kisa just barely managed to compose herself to get across before the traffic started up again. Immediately after making it to the other side, Kisa stopped to take a quick rest. She felt awful. It couldn’t have been a hangover, so what was wrong with her?

“Are you alright, dear?” said an old lady who was right next to her. Just as she said that, Kisa felt the odd symptoms fade away. She quickly felt better again.

“O-oh. No, uh... I mean yes. I’m fine.” she replied, smiling. “Just didn’t get much sleep last night is all. Thanks for your concern!”

“Alright. Be sure to get plenty of sleep tonight, then. You don’t want to go without too much of it!”

“You’re right. Thanks!”

The old lady smiled back and walked away. Kisa stopped to think about what just happened to her. Why did she feel so strange all of a sudden, and why did it go away just as quickly?

“Huh. Whatever that was, I’m better now. Better hope that was just a one off. Might not be a bad idea to book a doctor’s appointment just in case, though.”

With that, Kisa continued her journey to the station, little aware that the symptoms she just felt were just the beginning...



“You holding up okay, Amy?” said Anna as Kelly parked her car outside Amanda and Lucy’s mansion. After spending some time at Kelly’s house, the gang drove Poppy home before heading over to the others.

“Yeah, that funny spell didn’t last too long.” Amy replied. “You and Kelly really had that happen to you before you became werewolves for the first time?”

“Yup. As I said before, you’ll feel even worse once the full moon shows up. Stick with it though, because once that’s over the actual transformation feels great.”

“Geez, you’re really not helping me look forward to this you know...”

“Sorry. Just making sure you don’t have any nasty surprises, that’s all.”

“Consider yourself lucky you didn’t have to work on your first full moon like I did.” said Kelly as she shut off her car’s engine. “Luckily, Dr. Ellis let me go home when he saw how ill I was. If it hadn’t been for that, I probably would have shifted in front of a lot of scientists. That... wouldn’t have ended well for me. At least you’ll be with people you know and trust with your secret when you shift for the first time.”

“Yeah, I heard you had to try and escape from the building without getting seen that night. You’re right, though. It’s nice to be with friends when you’re going through something like this.”

“And at least you two knew it was going to happen beforehand.” said Anna as the group got out of the car. “Me? It totally caught me off guard. I was even afraid I’d start going on a rampage as well. Amazing how quickly things change, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” said Kelly. “I mean, I wasn’t there for your first and second full moons, so I don’t really know how things went down with you. But I’d say you’ve really taken this whole situation and made the best of it. I know I’m gonna be the same, as will Amy.”

Kelly moved to the trunk of the car and took out a big bag from it. It contained the group’s gadgets.

“It’ll be interesting, I think.” said Amy. “I’ve never seen myself as the superhero type, but I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it.”

“Here, take this will ya?” said Kelly as she handed the bag to Anna. She complied and carried the bag over her shoulder.

“Glad you are. I could really use all the help I can get out there.” she said. “Oh yeah, Miyuki said that she’d teach you how to shift between human and wolf forms at will, like she did with us. Of course, that’ll have to wait until tomorrow since you can’t become human again during a full moon, but at least you can be more active even without it.”

“Cool. I’m sure I’ll be learning a lot over the next few days.”

“Hi guys!” said a voice coming from the front door. It was Amanda, who was waving at the group.

“Hey!” said Anna as she approached Amanda. “You and Lucy holding up okay?”

“We’re fine. I’m kinda nervous about tonight if I’m honest, but Lucy’s been pretty excited. She’s been especially busy these last few weeks.”

“I know. I’ve barely seen her on the shop floor lately.”

“Hi Amanda.” said Kelly. “As you can see, we come bearing gifts. I’m sure Lucy has some stuff for us as well.”

“Yep, she definitely has. Hi Kelly. Hi Amy. How are you both?”

“Good, thanks.” said Amy. “Felt a bit funny earlier, but I’m fine now. Though Anna said I’d feel worse once the sun goes down...”

“Yeah, that’s how it tends to be. Don’t worry though. You’ll be fine. Anyway, please come in. Lucy’s been pretty hyped to show you what she’s been working on.”

The group followed Amanda inside, and they were herded into the main living room. There, they saw Lucy and Miyuki both sitting down with a cup of tea each.

“Hi everyone.” said Lucy. “Would you all like a drink before we get started?”

“Yes please.” said Anna. “I definitely feel like a cuppa right now.”

“You have a Coke?” said Kelly. “I’d like one of those if you would please.”

“Just some water, please.” said Amy. “I’m not much of a juice or fizzy drink person, and I don’t feel like anything hot right now.”

“Alright, you got it.” said Lucy as she got off the sofa for the kitchen, leaving everyone alone with Miyuki.

“Hey, Miyuki. How’s you?” said Anna.

“I’m doing well, thank you.” said Miyuki. “I just hope you’re all ready for tonight.”

“I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” said Amy. “Even though I won’t be joining in the fun tonight...”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you fully understand the basics of your werewolf form before the night is out. Then you’ll be able to join the others when they go out on patrol. As for the rest of you...”

“Don’t worry.” said Kelly. “As long as none of us try to fight a feral on our own, I think we’ll be fine. Especially with my gadgets.”

“I just hope that’ll be enough. Of course, if you can find out anything more about the feral activity in the city lately, that should bring us a little closer to putting a stop to it.”

“Let’s hope so. I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt over this.” said Anna as Lucy returned with a tray of drinks.

“Here you are. Tea for Anna, Coke for Kelly and water for Amy.”

“Ooo, thanks.” said Kelly.

Following their drinks, Lucy left the room again and came back with a large cardboard box.

“Okay, so we all agreed that we should have costumes to wear while we’re out on patrol.” she said. “Well, I’ve been working pretty hard on these over the last month, so I hope they’re to your liking. Anna, I’ll give you yours first.”

“Our costumes, huh?” said Anna. “That’s neat and all, but I already have one of my own.”

“Trust me. You’ll like this one even more. Why not step out and try it on? It should fit you perfectly. Just don’t shift or anything. Trust me.”

“Uh... okay. I mean, it’s supposed to be for my werewolf form, but I’ll take your word for it...”

Anna was a little confused at Lucy’s words, but she nonetheless left the room to change into her new costume. As she did, Lucy handed the others their outfits as well.

“They look pretty nice, Lucy.” said Amanda. “But why did you tell Anna not to shift when she tries on her outfit?”

“Ah, wait and see.” said Kelly. “Let’s just say this has been something of a joint project between the two of us!”

Anna then walked into the living room, now wearing her new outfit. It was almost identical to her old costume, except there was no mask. In it’s place was a choker with a heart motif in the centre.

“What do you think?” said Lucy.

“I love it!” said Anna. “Dunno why you decided on the heart choker, but it’s adorable. Yeah, this looks cuter than the old outfit, but it’s still sexy too. Good job!”

“Glad to hear it.” said Lucy. “Now, can you now shift for me, please? I want to see how it looks on your wolf form.”

“Uh... You what?”

“Won’t she rip her costume if she shifts while wearing it?” said Amy.

“Go, on, Anna. Shift. It’ll be okay.” said Lucy.

“Well... Okay. Though I won’t take any responsibility for any damage I do to this thing.”

Though initially reluctant to shift, Anna eventually did as she was told. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in her wolf form, as Miyuki had taught her. She swiftly began to change, and as she did her outfit stretched out with her. Her height, her fur, even her increasing bust size- her outfit managed to withstand her entire transformation. Before long, she was completely transformed, and her outfit had stretched perfectly to fit with her body.

“W-woah!” said Amanda. “It didn’t rip at all!”

“That’s amazing.” said Amy. “I thought you were crazy telling her to shift with that thing on, but it’s still intact!”

“Impressive.” said Miyuki.

“I’ll say. How did you do that?” said Anna, looking at herself. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

“Wait a second. Kelly, didn’t you say you invented a fabric that stretched like Lycra, but had the texture of materials like silk or cotton? Is that what this is?”

“You got it!” said Kelly, excitedly. “I was struggling to think of a use for this stuff, but then I figured that it would work for our costumes. That way, we can wear them under our civilian clothes, and we don’t have to waste time changing into them. As you can see, they can withstand a werewolf transformation no problem. And yes, all of your outfits use the same material. Not bad, huh??”

“Awesome!” said Anna. “I dare say, you’ve done it again!”

“It’s awesome, alright.” said Amy. “Nice work there, Kel.”

“Don’t just thank me.” Kelly replied. “Thank Lucy as well. She’s the one who actually made them.”

“No thanks is necessary.” said Lucy. “I just made them to everyone’s own specifications. Anyway, why don’t we all try on our outfits and see how we look in them too?”

“Okay, sure.” said Amanda as she walked out of the room. “No peeking now!”



After being dropped off at her house, Poppy had spent the rest of the evening preparing for her movie night with Kisa. Or at least, that was what she was hoping for. Although Anna had stated that she hoped Kisa had been turned, Poppy wasn’t so sure. All she really wanted was to have a nice quiet night watching movies with her- especially since she hadn’t seen her in a month. Still, whatever will be, will be, she thought to herself. She sat on the sofa, looking at the snacks she had prepared on the table for the night itself, still wondering what was really going to happen. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. She immediately got up and sped over to it, opening it up to Kisa.

“Hi Poppy! How’ve you been?” said Kisa as she gave Poppy a big hug.

“I’ve been okay.” Poppy replied. “Still afraid to go out on my own right now, but Anna and the others have said they’d help me get over both that and my fear of men... How about you? Was the journey back okay?”

“Yeah, no worries. Caught my train on time, and made it here with no issues. I did feel a little off on the way, but I think I was just tired. Definitely feeling a lot better now.”

“Good, good. So, uh... Do you want to take your stuff upstairs? You’ll be sleeping in the usual room, of course. After that, we can talk a bit more about what you’ve been up to this past month? I’m pretty curious.”

“Aside from the birthday party last night, Not much really happened. It’s been pretty quiet. But sure. I want to catch up with you as well!”

“Yeah... Well, here’s hoping for a fun night ahead!”



As the sun began to set, the group gathered in the mansion’s back garden. They were all now wearing their new outfits, with Anna still in her wolf form and Miyuki now in her kyubi form.

“Looking good, ladies!” said Anna as she admired her friends’ attire. Amanda was wearing a two piece grey and yellow coloured outfit- a skimpy top with straps that was cut just enough to show a small amount of cleavage, and a pair of shorts that went down to her mid thighs. The look was completed with a small pair of black leggings that only went up to her mid shins and were cut away at the toes. Lucy was wearing a backless silver coloured outfit that resembled a Chinese dress, but with most of the front cut away, showing off underboob cleavage and her navel. She was also wearing white leggings that went up to her knees and were cut away at the toes, and a pair of white gloves that went up to her elbows. As for Kelly, she was wearing a red leotard with small white frills around the leg holes and bust line, a pair of small, fingerless red gloves and black leggings with the toe area cut away. She also had a pair of goggles on her head. Finally, Amy was dressed in a belly dancer’s outfit, coloured dark blue. It consisted of a skimpy top which showed off her small but cute cleavage as well as her midriff. The bottom was a pair of dark blue leggings that went from her waist to her ankles. She also wore transparent dark blue gloves which went from her elbows to her backhand, and were fastened by a ring around both her middle fingers.

“Thanks.” said Lucy. “But I think we can all agree this isn’t quite enough...”

“You think we should shift now and see how our outfits look on our werewolf forms, don’t you?” said Amanda.

“Well, say no more. Let’s do this!” said Kelly, immediately closing her eyes. Seconds later, she began to shift. Amanda and Lucy did the same, and before long everyone except Amy were transformed. Much like with Anna, everyone else’s costumes had stretched out to fit their werewolf forms. Amy looked at them all in amazement.

“Wow, you guys look even better now.” she said. “Definitely carrying that superhero vibe quite well. Though... Why do you have goggles on your head, Kel? Are they special ones or something?”

“Nah, I just thought they’d add some personality.” said Kelly. “Though now that you mention it... Special goggles do sound kinda neat. Gonna have to look into that idea and see what I can do with it.”

“So, what now?” said Anna. “Do we head off now and leave Amy with Miyuki? Or do we stay and watch her shift for the first time?”

“I think we all know the answer to that.” said Miyuki. “It’s probably best if you stay and help her through her transformation, since you all know what to expect.”

“Right.” said Lucy. “We’d work better once it’s night time anyway. The cover of darkness would help conceal us from the public.”

“True enough.” said Anna. “Not long to go now, anyway. Let’s just hope it’s not too stressful on her...”

“A-ah!”

As soon as Anna had spoken, Amy grabbed her head in clear pain.

“It’s starting, isn’t it?” said Kelly, grabbing hold of Amy.

“I-is it?” she replied. “My head’s spinning, and it hurts like hell right now.”

“Yeah, that’s how it was for me and Kelly.” said Anna. “This is the worst part, so try to hang in there, okay? We’ll stay with you all the way.”

“Thanks- ah... Ow!”

Kelly continued to hold on to Amy as she tried to bear through the pain. Miyuki approached her and put her hand on her forehead.

“You’re feeling hot.” she said. “Yes, it’s definitely starting. There’s not much else I can say, so just do as Anna says and stick with it. It’ll be over before you know it.“

“Hah... O-okay.” Amy replied. “I’ll try.”

“Are these common symptoms of the first transformation?” said Amanda to Miyuki. “I don’t remember this happening to me, and Lucy shifted right after she was bitten, so I don’t know all the details myself.”

“Yes, this is how most werewolves shift for the first time.” Miyuki replied. “Of course, with some the effects can be different, as it was with you and Lucy. But for the most part, this is what usually happens.”

At this point, Amy’s head was starting to clear up. However, she felt her heart beat a lot faster than usual, and she began to feel sick.

“Do you need anything right now, Amy?” said Lucy.

“Yeah. A bucket would be nice, please.” said Amy, gasping. “I’m totally gonna barf right now.”

“Don’t worry too much about it.” said Kelly. “You won’t, I promise you. Besides, it’s just about time...”

The group looked up at the sky and saw the full moon. Amy looked at it with a fascination she’d never had before.

“How are you feeling now, Amy?” asked Amanda.

“Better, honestly.” Amy replied. “Though my heart’s still going crazy- oh my...”

Suddenly, Amy felt her body spasm as a feeling of sheer bliss overcame her. Kelly let go of her as she saw her ears begin to point up and paw pads began to appear on her hands and feet. Fur started to spread across her back and arms, while a tail began to sprout from the base of her spine- right through the conveniently place hole in her leggings.

“Huh.” said Kelly. “Her fur looks pink. That’s interesting.”

“Says the girl with pink hair.” said Anna. “But yeah, it looks like she’ll be a cute one!”

“Ah... Ah! Oh man, this... This feels great!” said Amy as she continued to transform. Her feet began to change shape into a pair of digitigrade paws as her fur spread over them and her legs while her ears became a fluffy looking pair of wolf ears. She grew in height, her outfit stretching with it with no issues whatsoever. Her fur spread over her face and the rest of her body while her nose turned black and began to grow out into a muzzle with her mouth. Surprisingly, her hair didn’t change colour, save for a few pink streaks appearing in it. Her teeth sharpened into fangs, her nails into claws, her tail growing out even more... Before long, her transformation had completed itself, and Amy fell on her knees and let out a mighty howl at the moon. The other wolves did the same, and their howls rang out through the night sky.

“You okay?” said Anna as she helped Amy back up on her feet.

“Better than okay. I feel amazing!” Amy replied. Everyone took a good look at her as she dusted herself off. Her fur was mostly pink, though her muzzle, chest, stomach, inner thighs and legs were a lighter pink. Her hair was mostly the same, just a bit longer with pink streaks. However, one thing was particularly noticeable about her- something that Amy had just come to realize.

“H-hey! Wait a second! I’m... still shorter than you guys! Oh, come on! I though for sure that being a werewolf would mean I’d actually be as tall as you, but I’m not!”

“Well... You’re a little bit taller at least.” said Kelly.

“Not by much! I’m still shorter than any of you! Now that I think about it, my boobs aren’t any bigger, either. Ugh, that’s so disappointing. I was hoping I’d at least have a nicer rack like Anna has. Oh well. Other than that, this does feel great. I already feel stronger. More graceful too, if that makes any sense? Yeah, this is nice.”

“Glad to hear it.” said Amanda. “Anyway, now that all that excitement is over, how about we let Miyuki do her stuff, and we can set off to do ours?”

“Of course.” said Miyuki. “I’ll make sure Amy is well looked after.”

“Thanks.” said Amy. “And hey, you guys sure you’ll be alright out there tonight?”

“I hope so.” said Lucy. “Miyuki’s trained us pretty well, but we’re not going to instantly become stronger just like that. Still, we should be fine as long as we’re careful.”

Suddenly, Anna’s watch started to beep.

“That’ll be Poppy.” she said. “Wonder what happened with Kisa?”

“Let’s just hope it’s good news.” said Kelly as Anna answered the call.

“Anna!” said Poppy over the phone. Her tone was rather panicked... “There’s... I mean... We may have, um... I-it’s...”

“Okay, okay. Calm down, Poppy. What’s up?”

“Okay... Uh...” said Poppy. “Kisa is...”



Fifteen minutes earlier...



Kisa and Poppy had spent the last hour or so sitting on the sofa eating popcorn while watching an action movie. However, although Poppy was enjoying herself, Kisa was starting to get a headache. She wondered where it had come from all of a sudden, but tried to pay it no mind. After all, she was probably feeling tired again after the trip home. The movie probably hadn’t helped matters either. Still, her head was pounding. Trying to take her mind away from it, she glanced over at Poppy’s wrist and noticed her new watch.

“Oh hey, I just noticed your watch.” she said. “Looks nice. Where’d you buy it?”

“Thanks. I didn’t, actually. Kelly made it for me.”

“She made you a smart watch? I know she’s an inventor and all that, but that seems like an awful lot of effort...”

“She insisted. I was looking at some watches in a catalogue, and she was all “Nah, you don’t need to spend any money on those. I can make one just as good!” And so she did. It’s actually really well made considering it wasn’t an official product.”

“Yeah. I can see from here that it’s really sturdy looking. Well, Kelly always seems to be the sort who knows what she’s doing, so- U-ugh!”

Kisa’s headache flared up even more, and she began to feel dizzy.

“That looks bad. Are you okay?” said Poppy.

“Agh... I-I don’t think so. Got a really bad headache all of a sudden. I feel dizzy and... kind of hot, honestly. I... I think I need to lie down for a bit.”

“If you feel that bad, I think you should. Don’t worry, we can continue our movie night some other time. Just focus on getting better.”

“Thanks. If I fall asleep while I’m in bed, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Just don’t overdo things right now, okay?”

Kisa nodded and left the sitting room. As she went upstairs, Poppy thought to herself.

“Hmm. Didn’t Anna say that Amy would feel even worse when she’s about to shift for the first time? Will that happen to Kisa too? I should keep a close eye on her...”

Kisa was almost staggering by the time she reached her room. She’d had migraines before, but not even those were anywhere near this bad. Part of her wanted to go to the bathroom to get something for her head, but she felt so awful that she just wanted to go and lay on her bed. Stumbling into her room, she quickly stripped down to her underwear and flopped on the bed, hoping that she’d feel better soon. Within minutes, the headache and fever started to fade, but she still felt very dizzy. Furthermore, she began to feel sick and her heart started to beat much faster than before.

“W-what... Am I... Am I dying or something? I’ve... never felt this bad before...”

Despite Kisa’s best attempts to think of something else to try and ease things, she just felt too ill. At this point, she just wanted to go to the bathroom so she could throw up in the toilet. Suddenly, she was hit with the strange urge to look outside the window. She crawled out of her bed and made her way to the window, opening it. As she glanced out to the night sky, she caught sight of the full moon. She began to stare at it. It had always been so pretty to her, but now it seemed to be even more captivating. The more she looked, the less ill she became. Her headache, dizziness and sickness went away very quickly, but her heart was still beating rapidly. She also began to feel very hot- so much so that she undid the shoulder straps on her bra. Kisa gasped out for air, but she could only breathe in a heavier manner. It was at that point she saw her hand- and noticed that not only were dark grey looking hairs starting to grow out of it, but her nails were growing out.

“Oh my god- W-wha- Ah- Ahhhh!”

Kisa tried to scream, but instead began to moan passionately as she felt her spine tingle. Her feet gradually became paws, with her pads forming on her toes and the front of her feet, and fur covering them. Fur was also starting to form on her thighs, shoulders, and just above her breasts. She slumped onto her knees as her nose turned black and started to jut out slightly, and her ears began to point upwards and cover in fur as well. The fur spread it’s way down her back, putting a lot of strain on her bra. Despite her still changing hands and still being in a state of pure ecstasy, Kisa was still just about able to reach back and undo it before it snapped. Looking at her bare breasts, she was shocked to see them being covered in fur as well.

Meanwhile, Poppy had come upstairs to check on Kisa. She knocked on her bedroom door to see if she was alright, but there wasn’t any answer. Worried, she put her ear to the door and listened in- only to hear Kisa’s groaning.

“Shit, that doesn’t sound good. Keese? Hello? Are you okay in there?” she called out.

However, Kisa wasn’t paying any attention to the door. She watched in half pleasure and half horror as her fur continued to consume her body, covering her arms and legs and starting to spread over her face. That was when she felt her spine tingle even harder than it previously did. She staggered to her feet again, though as a result of her now digitigrade foot paws she stumbled and nearly fell. She just managed do press her palms on the wall to keep her balance. She then pressed her forehead onto the wall so she could use her hands to remove her panties- Just in time for a tail to develop from the base of her spine. The fur just above her breasts had gained a little bit more thickness than the rest of her fur, creating an attractive tuft that rested on her increasingly furry cleavage.

By now, Kisa’s nose and mouth had fully developed into a canine muzzle, and her ears had become a pair of pointy and fluffy wolf ears. Though still terrified at what was happening to her, all she could to was lean on the wall and continue to pant in pleasure as her fur reached her crotch and buttocks. Her hair turned a cream colour and her eyes a stunning yellow as her fur fully covered her face. Her tail grew out to her ankles, completing her transformation as she let out a howl at the moon. The pleasure subsiding, Kisa took a few deep breaths and took a look at her newly transformed hand paws.

“W-what... Oh no. Oh nonononono... No, this can’t be! I can’t be... a werewolf... What now? WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?“

Kisa started to panic. She had just become a werewolf, and her mind became flooded with fears of being a hideous monster with only one thing on it’s mind- killing. That was how werewolves usually were, right? The very thought terrified her. And just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse...

“Keese?” said Poppy, still on the other side of the door. “What’s... going on in there?”

Kisa started to panic even more. There was no way she could let Poppy see her like this. Even worse was the prospect of her attacking Poppy, like any werewolf would. She knew she couldn’t stay here. She had to get out and go somewhere she couldn’t cause any harm. And she knew just the place...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Poppy had heard Kisa’s howl. There was now no doubt she was a werewolf. She didn’t know how she was taking it, but she nonetheless had to talk to her and try and reassure her that things would be alright.

“Keese?” she asked, feigning ignorance. “What’s... going on in there?”

There was no answer.

“Keese?”

Poppy knocked on the door again, and gave it a minute. But still, no answer. She decided the best thing to do would be to enter the room herself.

“Sorry Keese, but I’m worried. If there’s anything wrong, you know you can always...”

As Poppy entered the room, she saw it was empty. All she could see was Kisa’s clothes on the floor- including her underwear- and the bedroom window, which was now wide open. Poppy immediately began to worry after seeing the scene.

“Oh no... She must have jumped out the window. T-this is really bad! I’ve got to let the others know, and hope they can find her before she gets into any trouble...”

Fretting over what Kisa could do, she pushed the communicator button on her watch...



“Great.” said Anna after Poppy explained the situation. “So Kisa really was turned, and now we have another werewolf running about doing God knows what. So what now?”

“I don’t know.” replied Poppy. “She could be in serious trouble, if she isn’t causing it herself.”

“If you didn’t even get a look at her as a werewolf, she could even be a feral for all we know. We need to find her. But where do we even begin? Do you have any ideas, Poppy?”

“Well... There is one place I can think of where she could have gone. Pretty deep in the forest just north of the city is a small lake where Kisa and I like to hang out during the Summer. It’s a pretty secluded spot, nice and quiet too. We’ve always found it a nice place to go to if we ever needed some time to ourselves. If I know Kisa, she’ll probably have gone there.”

“Wait, I might know that place! Isn’t there a small empty clearing around there too?”

“Yeah, there is. This is a little deeper in, though. Have you been there before?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been using that clearing to shift in private the last few full moons. So the lake is further away from there? We’ll check it out then. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

“I hope so. Please be careful, we don’t really know how Kisa is taking this.”

“It’ll be okay. We’ll handle it as best we can. Talk to you later.”

Anna ended the transmission and turned to the others.

“Welp, Kisa’s a werewolf. Not only that, but she ran away from Poppy’s house. In other words, it looks like we’re gonna have to put our original plans on hold and find her.”

“Shit.” said Kelly. “If that’s the case, she could be anywhere in London. That’s a lot of ground to cover.”

“Maybe not. Poppy mentioned a lake to the north of here. She thinks that’s where she’d most likely go, so I told her that’s where we’d start.”

“Let’s hope we find her there, then.” said Lucy. “Otherwise, we could end up searching for her all night.”

“Right, we’d better get moving in that case.” said Amanda. “Guess Anna should lead the way.”

Anna nodded before turning to Amy and Miyuki.

“Amy...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay here so Miyuki can teach me how to werewolf better. You just try and find Kisa.”

“Right.”

“When you do find her, bring her over here.” said Miyuki. “I’ll explain everything about the Inner World and the rest to her. Perhaps I’ll even teach her a few things, if she’s willing.”

“Sure, we’ll do that.”

With that, Anna, Kelly, Amanda and Lucy sped off into the night.



Frank had finally made it home after a long day at work. Being the editor of a newspaper was never going to be an easy task, and the day had been a particularly slow one. Not only that, but there had been heavy traffic on the roads, which meant it had taken him even longer to get home. Still, at least he could finally put his feet up for the night. As he shut his car engine off however, his phone rang.

“Of course.” he sighed as he looked at the screen. The call was from Elaine. “This had better be good... Hello?”

“Hi Frank, it’s me.” said Elaine. “Sorry, I forgot to ask if you read my report before you left?”

“The one about a possible connection between the Neuro-Lite rapists and the bombers who tried to blow up the Intercity shopping centre? Yes, I read it. You really think they’re related?”

“Yeah, and not just because both parties mentioned a wolf. There’s just something... really fishy about this. Neuro-Lite is a banned substance, and that bomb was state of the art. Yet, ordinary civilians were able to get a hold of them. They must have got them from somewhere, and I’m willing to bet it’s from the same place. I know there’s something more to this than what we know, and I want to know what. So, what do you think? You think it’s worth investigating?”

“It does sound a bit off, I’ll give you that. By all means, if you get the spare time to look into it, then be my guest. Just don’t do anything stupid, alright? If you’re right, it could also be dangerous.”

“I hear ya. Thanks. Anyway, got to go. See you later!”

Elaine hung up, leaving Frank to end his side of the call. He quickly flicked through his contact list, and saw one name that he hadn’t called in a while.

“I really do need to have a talk with you, Steve...”

Frank sighed again. Ever since the death of his wife, he had to take care of Steve on his own- something that proved difficult due to his position at The London Daily. While his job kept the two of them afloat, the fact that he was so busy left him with little time with his son. While Steve did ultimately understand why his father wasn’t able to spend much time with him, it still meant the two had grown distant. Frank wondered how long it had been since they last talked? He looked once again at his phone. Maybe now should be that time? But what should he say? Could he say anything that wouldn’t result in an argument? Was there really any way he could reconnect? These thoughts continued to flood his mind until suddenly...

THUD!

A loud noise from the roof of Frank’s car pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What the hell was that?!”

Before Frank could think any further, a shadowy figure leapt down from the roof to the car’s bonnet and onto the pavement before running off.. Due to how dark it was, he couldn’t properly make it out, but it looked like some strange mix of human and animal. Was that...? Shaken, Frank reached for his phone again and called a number.

“Hello?” said Ben on the other side of the line.

“Ben? It’s me.” Frank replied. “You know that wolf you’ve been looking into? I think I may have just seen it...”



Anna and the others raced north through the city to the spot Poppy told them about, making sure to stay away from crowded places when it could be helped, and sticking to the shadows and rooftops when it couldn’t. Everyone seemed tense, and it was perfectly clear why. Kisa was officially a werewolf. The group knew that she had run away, but that was all they knew. They had no idea if she was a feral or not, or how she was really taking her transformation. With so little to go on, everyone was fearing the worst.

“Alright, we’re almost at the forest.” said Anna. “Just beyond these streets and there we are.”

“Thank god.” said Kelly. “You sure she’ll be there?”

“Nope. Poppy only thinks that’s where she might have gone. As for whether or not she actually has... We’ll just have to find out for ourselves.”

“I really hope so...” said Amanda as the group sped along the rooftops. They soon reached the end, and saw the forest on the other side.

“Right, just need to get across here.” said Anna. “Just aim for the trees on the opposite side.”

“That’s a pretty long jump.” said Lucy. “You really think we can make it?”

“I’ve done it before, and if I can, I don’t see why anyone else can’t. It’s about the only way we can get there without being seen, anyway.”

“Guess we’ll just have to, then.” said Amanda as she took a run up. She then rushed forward and jumped off the roof. With her super speed, she was easily able to reach one of the trees on the opposite side and grab onto it. Lucy then did the same, and while she didn’t have Amanda’s speed she was still able to reach the reach the other side. As Amanda and Lucy climbed down the tree they grabbed, Anna made her jump- hoping to land on the branch on another tree. She just barely managed to land on the branch, and despite it wobbling a few times, it didn’t break under her weight.

“Yes! All that practice with shifting my weight on branches paid off!” she said triumphantly. That only left Kelly to make her jump.

“Yeah, don’t fancy my chances with that.” she said as she pulled out her grappling hook. She launched it at a slightly higher tree and used it to zip to the other side, landing just above Anna.

“Show off...”

“Hey, as long as we all make it, it’s all good. Anyway, let’s get down and see if we can find Kisa!”

Anna nodded, and the pair climbed down their respective trees to regroup with Amanda and Lucy. With that, they ran into the forest. They soon reached Anna’s usual shifting spot at the clearing, where they decided to stop for a second.

“Nice little spot this, actually. I can see why you like to come here.” said Kelly. Anna wasn’t listening, though. Her ears had caught the sound of something...

“Shhh... You guys hear that?” she said. The others swivelled their ears around and heard the same sound as she had. It was distant, but it was there. It almost sounded like sobbing.

“There’s someone else here alright.” said Lucy. “You think it’s Kisa?”

“Only one way to find out.” said Anna as she ran in the direction of the sound. The others followed suit.

The group followed the sobbing and soon found their way to another clearing, this time with a fairly small but deep looking lake to the left of them. Everyone made a quick survey of the area, but it was clear the person making the sounds was right in front of them. A beautiful wolf girl with cream hair, light grey fur over her inner thighs, buttocks, torso neck and around her muzzle, and dark grey fur everywhere else. She had her back turned to the group and was on her knees, crying.

“Is that...” said Kelly.

“Yeah, pretty sure that’s Kisa.” Anna replied. “Looks like she isn’t a feral, at least.”

“But she doesn’t look happy.” said Lucy. “We need to convince her she’ll be okay.”

“I know. We’re gonna have to be careful, though. She’s clearly upset. There’s no telling how she’ll react to us...”

Just then, Kisa’s ears caught the sounds of the group’s voices, and she quickly snapped around to see the four werewolves in front of her.

“What- Th-there’s more of you?”

Anna slowly walked towards Kisa, hoping not to frighten her.

“Keese? Is that you? Look, I know you’re confused right now, but-”

Kisa edged backwards, trying to get some distance from the strange wolf girl that was moving towards her.

“How do you know my name? What’s going on?”

“Keese, it’s me, Anna. I’m a werewolf, just like you. But don’t worry. We’re not going to hurt you. I promise it’ll be alright-”

“No! Stay back! I-I’m warning you! I don’t want to be like you!”

Kelly, eager to back Anna up, also moved towards Kisa.

“Hey, calm down. We’re not the hunting and eating people type. We’re not asking you to join our little pack either, but at least hear us out. We know someone who can help you understand the situation. We want to help-”

“Shut up! Why should I believe you?! Y-you’re the ones who did this to me, aren’t you? You’re the ones who attacked me last month! I don’t want to be a monster! I don’t want anything to do with you! Leave me alone!”

“Keese, don’t worry. You’re not a monster. None of us are. Please...” said Anna.

“I said LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Kisa launched a strong roundhouse kick that knocked Anna and Kelly off their feet. She then tried to run away, but was stopped by Amanda. Kisa tried to run in multiple directions, but Amanda used her super speed to block her every time before finally grabbing her.

“Please, listen to us!” she said. “You have to settle down and let us help you. Anna- No, all of us are worried about you. All we want to do is talk.”

“LET... ME... GO!”

Kisa managed to wriggle her way out of Amanda’s grip, but not before scratching herself on her claws. The wound was fairly deep, enough for a few drops of blood to drip on the floor. However, the scratch healed itself before anyone could even blink.

“W-wow...” said Lucy. “Did you see that? She healed that wound even faster than we heal ours!”

“I saw it, alright.” said Anna. “So she has even faster healing than we do. Maybe that’s why she didn’t have any wounds on her when they found her last month...”

“I don’t think that matters right now.” said Kelly as she reached for a shock disc. “We need to calm her down somehow. Really don’t want to do this, but she’s not leaving us with much choice...”

Kelly pressed the button on the shock disc and threw it at Kisa, who was trying to make her escape again. It hit her in the back, and she suddenly felt a sharp pain that left her unable to move. Kelly then grabbed her from behind, giving Anna the chance to move in front of her.

“C’mon Keese, you’re better than this!” she said. “We’re not here to hurt you, we’re not here to hurt anyone, we’re not trying to force anything on you. We only want to talk. Once we have, it’ll be up to you what you want to do next. You may think this is a curse, but that’s only true if you let it. You don’t have to be a monster, either. You’re in control. What you do with this is up to you.”

“Bullshit!” Kisa replied. “I’m a werewolf. We attack people! I already told you that’s not what I want to be! I don’t want to hurt people!”

“You don’t have to. We don’t go around attacking people. Catching bad guys, yes. Actually hurting and killing them? No. We’re all in control here, and so are you. So please, Keese. Calm down and let us explain. Our friend is very wise and can fill you in on everything you want to know.”

Kisa stopped for a moment, tears streaming down her furry cheeks.

“No. No way. More like this friend of yours wants to teach me how to hunt and kill, and make me part of their pack. Like they clearly did to you! I’m not a killer! You hear me? I’M NOT A KILLER!”

With that, Kisa sprang up while still in Kelly’s arms and booted Anna square in the chest, knocking her back towards the lake. Anna stumbled as her feet reached the edge of the lake, and she lost her balance and fell in. As she splashed about, desperate not to sink, Kisa landed on her feet and used her weight to throw Kelly onto the ground. She took quick advantage of the confusion and made her escape.

“Anna!” said Amanda as Kelly got back on her feet. Everyone focused on Anna, who had become tired from all her splashing and began to sink into the water. It became clear that she couldn’t swim, and she needed immediate help. But Kisa was also getting away...

“You two try and catch Kisa!” said Lucy. “I’ll save Anna. Hurry!”

Kelly and Amanda nodded and bolted off after Kisa. She hadn’t gotten too far before they caught up, and Amanda pulled out a stasis disc from her belt.

“How do I use this thing again?” she asked Kelly.

“Just throw it at her.” said Kelly. “It’ll work as soon as it hits her.”

“Huh. Easier than it sounds.”

Amanda threw the disc at Kisa, but she managed to dodge it at the last minute.

“Easy to use, hard to actually aim...”

This wasn’t working. They needed a new tactic. However, a plan quickly formed in Amanda’s mind. She sped off ahead of Kelly, and rushed straight towards the still fleeing Kisa. As soon as she got close, she dived forward and caught Kisa’s legs, causing her to fall. Amanda then held onto her legs tightly to make sure she couldn’t get away this time.

“N-NO!” screamed Kisa as she struggled to get free. “LET GO! I DON’T WANT... I don’t want...”

Kisa burst out crying as she saw another figure walk in front of her. Another werewolf? This so called friend the others had mentioned? However, as the figure came into view, Kisa immediately recognised her. Kelly and Amanda also turned to look.

“Keese?”



Anna had given up trying to escape as she sank into the lake. She knew she couldn’t swim, and the lake seemed to even deeper than she thought. This was it. Even a werewolf couldn’t survive long underwater. She was going to die here. She didn’t think it was going to happen like this. As she blacked out, she began to think of all the things she hadn’t done yet. She had really wanted to make this super hero thing work. She really wanted to find out what was going on with the ferals and the one who was supposedly controlling them. She really wanted to find out more about the Inner World... She thought about all the friends she had made in London, both in the Outer and Inner Worlds. Kelly, Amy, Amanda, Lucy, Poppy, Kisa... Miyuki, Ethyl, Orion, Angus, D’argesh... Anna knew she wasn’t going to see any of them again. Nor Steve. More than anything though, she thought the most of Alice. The first friend she’d ever made. The only person outside of her mother who stood by her during her school years. The only person who ever stood up for her when the bullying was at it’s worst. What was she going to think when she learned her best friend had drowned in a lake? It seemed everything had ended before it had even begun. And so, Anna’s muscles relaxed, waiting for the inevitable.

Just then, she felt something grab hold of her and pull her up. What was this feeling? Was she being taken to Heaven? No, it couldn’t be. Then what...? Before she knew it, she felt herself reach the surface of the water, where she was finally pulled out and dragged onto the ground. She gasped and coughed up the water that had gotten into her lungs before coming to her senses.

“You okay, Anna?” said Lucy, who had just dived into the lake to rescue Anna.

“I-I’ll be... okay... I think...” Anna replied, struggling to talk as she coughed and spluttered. “You... You saved... me...”

“Hey, we’re a team, remember? We need to look out for each other. Can you walk?”

“I... I might need... a moment...”

“Okay. Take a moment to catch your breath. I can’t believe you can’t swim, though.”

“Y-yeah... Never could... I was always... afraid of drowning... even in the pool. So I never... learned...”

“I see. In any case, I’m glad you’re okay. Just consider yourself lucky I didn’t have to give you CPR!”

“Heh... Heheh. I can think... of worse things... than getting CPR from you. Wait... You... hear that?”

Lucy swivelled her ears and heard voices in the distance.

“Sounds like Kelly and Amanda are talking with Kisa. Did they finally calm her down?”

“I dunno... They’re not... alone, though. I think... I think that... also sounds like...”

Lucy put her arm around Anna and started to walk towards the voices with her in tow.

“Yeah. Let’s go and find them.”



“Keese?”

Everyone was surprised to see Poppy standing before them. Kisa was particularly surprised to see that she was calm, and didn’t look afraid of either her or the other two werewolves.

“P-Poppy? What are you-” she said.

“I’m here because I had a feeling you’d be here too. And I was worried about you. Why did you run off like that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Look at me! I-I’m a monster... I didn’t want you to see me like this. I didn’t want you to be scared of me, I didn’t want to attack you. I had to get out of harm’s way... I-I’m scared...”

Poppy nodded to Kelly and Amanda, and they let go of Kisa’s feet. She then helped her up and hugged her.

“Poppy?”

“Don’t be scared. Lucky for you, I already know a few werewolves myself. It’s... true there are some bad ones out there. But there are good ones too. Like Kelly and Amanda here. And they really are harmless. They’re still the same people they are when they’re human, it’s just they’re also now a lot faster, stronger and, well, furry. There’s nothing to worry about, I promise. You’re still you, no matter what.”

“Kelly... As in Kelly Stevenson? So she’s a werewolf too?”

“Yes. And Amanda is the same Amanda who runs the costume shop with Lucy, who’s also a werewolf herself.”

“You’re not, though? You’re really not scared of us?”

“I admit, I was scared when I saw Anna as a werewolf for the first time. I had no idea they were even real back then. But I quickly learned the truth. And no, I’m not one myself. Otherwise I’d be as furry as you are right now!”

“Good point.”

Suddenly, a thought hit Kelly.

“Hold on a sec, Poppy. Did anyone come here with you?”

“No, I came here on my own. Why?”

“So, you weren’t with anyone? You made the trip from your house to here alone?”

“Yeah, I did. What’s your poi- Oh.”

Amanda smiled.

“It seems like you were so worried for Kisa, you put your fears of being outside on your own aside. You actually got here without anyone to accompany you. It’s a bit early to say you beat your fear, but I think it’s safe to say you took the first step!”

“Y-yeah. You’re right. You’re right!”

Delighted, Poppy jumped into Kisa’s arms and hugged her again. As she did, she caught sight of two more figures in the darkness. It was Anna and Lucy, both soaking wet but mostly unharmed. They had also overheard much of the conversation, especially about Poppy showing up without anyone with her.

“Hey, congrats Poppy.” said Anna, now feeling better. “It’s as good a start as any. I’m proud of you!”

Poppy said nothing. She could only smile at what she had managed to do. Kisa was also happy to see Poppy conquer at least part of her fear.

“You actually look happy now, Keese.” said Kelly as Kisa wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Yeah. I guess I am. I mean, Poppy just took the first step to beating her fears, so of course I’m happy for her. Wow, I guess I really am in control, huh? I’m kind of shocked. I thought I was some kind of hideous beast, but I haven’t really felt the urge to attack anyone. I mean, I did attack you guys, but that was more in self defence. I’m so sorry. Especially to you, Anna. I nearly killed you...”

“It’s okay.” Anna replied. “Everyone’s okay, and that’s all that matters. And trust me. You’re not hideous. In fact, I’d say you look even better as a wolf as you do as a human, and that’s saying a lot.”

Kisa laughed.

“I haven’t really had a good look at myself yet. I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.”

“So, are you willing to listen to us, now?” said Lucy. “We’re not forcing you to join our pack or anything, we just want you to understand what’s going on. It’s up to you what you want to do afterwards. It has to be your choice.”

“I can’t say I had much choice in becoming like this, but sure. I’ll at least hear you out now. I want to know what’s going on.”

“Great!” said Amanda. “Well, we said we have a friend who’s willing to fill you in on the details, so we’ll take you to her. If you want, she can even teach you a few things about your new body.”

“We’ll see. But sure, lead the way.”

Suddenly, everyone caught the sounds of footsteps coming from multiple people in the far distance. They weren’t alone...

“Crap, who do you think that might be?” asked Anna.

“Dunno. Might be the police, might be the army. Either way, I doubt they’ll be friendly.” said Kelly. “You sure you came alone, Poppy?”

“Positive.” said Poppy, who couldn’t hear the footsteps due to her normal human hearing. All she could do was take the other’s word for it.

“Well, we should get out of here.” said Lucy. “Who knows what’ll happen if we stick around.”

“Right, let’s go then.” said Amanda. “Oh- one thing though. Once we’re clear, you and Anna are gonna have to dry off. You’re both soaked!”

“Haha, I guess we haven’t had time to dry ourselves. Sure, we’ll do that once we’re safe.”

Anna chuckled.

“Okay, let’s make ourselves scarce before anything bad happens. As long as we distance ourselves from the footsteps, we should be fine.”

Everyone nodded, and set off away from the footsteps. Kelly decided to carry Poppy on her back so she didn’t have to worry about falling behind the rest of the group. There were still a few unanswered questions ringing in Anna’s head though. Would Kisa still accept her gift the way the rest of the group had? And if she did, would she join them in their new crime fighting crusade? Either way, it would surely only be a matter of time before she got her answers...



“You sure we’ll find anything here? It sounds like a wild goose chase if you ask me.”

Barely five minutes after Lucy and Anna had left the lake area, the space had become under surveillance by a squad of soldiers wearing the same SWAT style gear as the soldiers who had been wiped out by the feral werewolf the previous full moon. They were under orders to scour the area and try and find any more similar creatures- or at least any evidence of them. Two of the soldiers were having a conversation while the rest of the squad searched around.

“Not bloody likely. They’ve been using this forest for training purposes for years now, and that attack last month was the first time anything like that has ever happened. Shit like that happens even once, and Dr. Gray thinks there’s more of them out here. The old coot’s getting senile.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Even if there were more around here, does he really think we can take them? Since just one managed to kill nearly the whole squad, do we honestly stand a chance-”

“Alright, knock it off you two.” said Blue Leader to the two soldiers. “I know it’s a drag being here, but we were given a mission. We have to follow it through.”

“Yes sir!”

Both soldiers took their leave while Blue Leader surveyed the area. He took off his helmet, revealing short blonde hair underneath. In truth, even he felt somewhat nervous being here. He knew he only got lucky against that monster last time around, and now here he was with more soldiers in the hope of finding more of them. They were right. Would any of them really stand a chance against creatures like that even with their training? It felt like suicide. However, his thoughts were interrupted by another of his men.

“Sir! I think we’ve found something!”

“Oh? Lead the way.”

Blue Leader was led to a spot where more soldiers were taking samples from the ground. One of them turned to him and showed him something.

“Here. Take a look at this. We found traces of fur on the ground here. Different colours too, which suggests there was more than one of them. Also, we found a few drops of blood. It looks like there was some kind of fight here.”

“A fight? So, if there really are more of those things around here, it looks like they may not necessarily be on the same page? I don’t know what the deal is, but keep looking. There may be more samples lying around.”

“Yes sir. We’ll inform you if we find anything interesting.”

As the soldier went back to searching for more evidence of werewolf activity, Blue Leader went back to his thoughts. So there really were more of them. Wonderful. A whole group- or pack, even- of those beasts just waiting to tear everyone apart if they were unlucky enough to encounter them. He really hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Still, as he previously said, they had a mission to complete and they were going to complete it. With that, he pulled out his radio and turned it on.

“Hello, Dr. Gray? It looks like you were right. We’ve found evidence of more of those creatures. It’s not much, but perhaps you can take a look at the samples we’ve found? They might be what you’re looking for...”