“But-” He says in a cool voice. “-we get you a hoodie and some baggy clothes. My car has a nice tint to it, but you do nothing, you say nothing and you touch nothing. The last thing we need is somebody making a big deal out of you. Got that?”
Luna nods her head quickly in response. Satisfied with that answer, he pulls his fingers back out of her nose and notes the slickness that had bathed them. He grumbles as he wipes them off on the side of his pants, shooting the werewolf a look of mild disdain. Luna grins back towards him, a wide smile creeping up on her muzzle.
“Good god kid...you are going to give me cavities.”
∆∆∆
It took some time and some digging, but Miguel managed to find Luna something to wear. A grey hoodie that had been taking up space in his closet and a pair of old jeans. Using the cover of night, they snuck out of Miguel’s apartment and into his car without raising an alarm. The snow from the days past had been appropriately disposed of, leaving the streets cleaned and lightly salted. It’d grown late enough for the street lights to be on, but the evening traffic hadn’t quite settled down into the late night quietness.
Luna sits in the passenger seat, looking around the city from the view in the car, careful not to get too close to on window. Miguel’s driving with one hand on the steering wheel confidently, though shooting nearby cars a glance to see if anyone was behaving oddly. So far, nobody had seemed to notice his unusual passenger.
“So…” Luna began, turning to look at Miguel favorably. “So...what do you do for a living?”
Miguel sidelines a glance towards the werewolf. "I was a field medic in the army and I'm also a former police officer."
“...Former?”
“Uh...yeah. Well, the police officer part anyway. You could say I’m between jobs.”
“Can I ask why? Did you get fired or something?” Luna leans in slightly, growing curious.
“Eh...you could say that the boss and I had some disagreements, and I left. To be honest, it was a long time coming, and I needed to get some stuff off of my chest. He and I just didn’t see eye to eye, if you get what I mean.”
Luna nods a few times and settles back in her seat, watching the various street lights go by. The car goes comfortably quiet for a few blocks before the conversation picks up again.
“I know it’s really early to be asking this kind of question, but...you are okay with me staying with you...right? I don’t want to be a burden or anything, especially since you don’t have a job.”
Miguel’s car rolls up to a stop light, sliding to a halt. He turns to look at her, his passive expression unchanged from when he was driving. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I have a decent amount of money saved up, but only for a little while. Besides, there’s some stuff I need to do before I go about worrying about getting a new job.”
“Oh...well that’s good I guess. I know I’ve cost you a lot of money already and I just don’t want to make it any worse than it already is.”
Miguel smirks as he presses his foot down, accelerating the car back up to normal street driving speeds. “Outside of finding a mechanic who would work on Christmas Day, it wasn’t too bad. You leave the money thing to me for now. When you can help, I’ll let you know though honestly unless you know of a costume shop, you are gonna have a pretty hard time getting a job. I mean..like what? Werewolf Barista? Could you do that?
Miguel turns to look at Luna, a sarcastic smile pulled onto his lips. Luna looks less than pleased, her expression flat and unamused. Miguel snickers and recenters his eyes back towards the road, pulling an even right turn into a fairly unpopulated grocery store parking lot.
“Nah, probably not. I mean, they don’t make full body hair-nets, do they?” He pulls on the parking brake and turns off the car, wrenching the keys out of the ignition. Luna folds her arms defensively and leans her head back, tilting a good-natured side-eye towards her friend.
“Oh, we’ve got jokes, do we?”
Miguel pushes himself out of his car, turning back to respond to the werewolf. “You’d be surprised how often you need a sense of humor to get through both of my former lines of work. Seriously though, don’t blow your cover in there. I know what I need to get so I won’t be long. Stay. Put. I mean it.” He points a commanding finger towards her before shutting the car door, walking around the car to head towards the grocery store. It wasn’t too long before he was gone altogether, the flooding lights from the door of “All-Mart” guiding him in.
The rest of the parking lot wasn’t terribly interesting, though there were several aesthetically pleasing trees planted around the outer edges. Miguel had parked his car at the very back, which left her with a nice view of the street and its traffic, as well as the infrequent pedestrian. The werewolf reclines in the car, leaning the seat back and staring out towards the street to collect her thoughts.
Just like Miguel, Luna had quite a few questions about her new form, most of which she just flat out didn’t know the answer to. She frequented the internet quite a bit and liked to look up stories of the occult and weird, but nowhere was there a mention like this. Was this a temporary change? The moon was full when she was still living at the Oswalds, but those only last so long, and she continued to feel fine. And the sun didn’t dictate her changes either, as she remained fuzzy the whole day or so she was unconscious. Conventional wisdom about werewolves she’d picked up from popular media didn’t seem to be holding to her, so it’s entirely possible that she actually might be something else entirely.
But clearly, she was something like that, because she should have died when Percy shot her, not to mention the fall off the mountain and the fall off of the overpass. Despite all of that, the only thing that remained a physical reminder of those events is some soreness around her midsection. Luna’s hand wanders underneath her hoodie, pressing a clawed hand towards the tender area. The bandages around her abdomen were nice and tight, to the point of it feeling like she almost had on an odd undershirt underneath everything.
As she pulls her hand back to rest in her lap, a rather large man wearing a thick black trench coat passes alarmingly close to the car. He looked to be an older, rounder gentleman with a newsboy cap covering his head. Even though the windows were rolled up, a strong smell wafted into the car, instantly catching her attention. In the man’s hand looked to be a hot dog, likely purchased from some sort of street vendor nearby and supported by a foil tray.
Even without being able to see it, her nose instantly locked identified the condiments graciously drizzled upon it. It was mouthwatering, even from his rapidly retreating form. Luna presses her nose up against the windshield as the man stops for a second to take a bite out of his snack, oblivious to her presence. What she wouldn’t give to have one of those right now...but even if she wanted to, she didn’t have any money on her. An unfamiliar, guttural voice suddenly speaks out clearly, almost as if it was right next to her.
~”Take it.”~
She perks up immediately, standing upright in her seat and searching for the sound of the voice. That...didn’t sound like her consciousness, and it certainly wasn’t something she’d actually go and do. The voice speaks up again, even louder than before.
~”TAKE IT. He is not worthy.”~
Luna blinks hard, raising a hand to her chest to press her back against the seat. The voice sounded...rough. And spoke to her in a way that immediately interrupted her own thoughts. Unsure of her other options, she quiets her mind to address this new voice.
~”Who are you? What are you doing in my head? Is this...telepathy?”~
Her skin prickles with tenseness, almost of it’s own accord. The voice didn’t seem to answer her, going quiet for as long as it took for her to casually notice the man still eating his hot dog. The smell wafts over her nose again.
~”He is weak. Take his food. TAKE IT. Steal it! Quickly!”~
Luna’s hand finds itself at the car door’s handle, her finger hovering over the unlock key. She forcefully pulls her hand away, tho
ugh nervousness begins to unsettle her. Who was this? What was going on? The gruff voice returns, tearing it’s way back into her consciousness.
~”STEAL HIS FOOD. THERE IS STILL TIME. FIGHT HIM. BEAT HIM. HE IS WEAK.”
Her mouth waters of it’s own will, as her lips pull back to reveal the full extent of those sharp teeth. Her hand moves over towards the unlock button, her finger starting to click down upon it when the smell vanishes from the air. The man finishes his hot dog and balls up the foil tray afterward, tossing it on the ground next to him. He shoves his hands back into his pockets and turns to walk away.
Luna relaxes considerably when the man finally leaves, though her eyes were wide with worry. Without the smell, the voice, whatever it was, didn't return. A few tense moments pass as she listens for it, but with no success. Just as soon as the man was out of sight, the locks on the vehicle make a loud clicking sound. Luna double checks her hand, finding them both in her lap where they belong.
Just then, the sounds of a shopping cart close in on the car, the hard wheels rattling jankily against the frozen concrete. The SUV’s rear door pops open, and Miguel soon appears, with a cart completely full of grocery. Luna turns to look at him plainly, though her tail couldn’t help but wag slowly against the chair.
Miguel begins shoveling in the plastic bags, offering a wave towards Luna. “Told you that wouldn’t take long. Didn’t miss me did you?”
Luna blinks away a tear, wiping the excess off with her finger.
“Maybe a little.”
Chapter 7
Done My Way
The next few days of recovery were terribly dull for Luna. She’d been kicked off of Miguel’s comfortable bed and sent to the couch in the living room, the computer was off limits while he was ‘working’ (which was all the time), and television was as boring as it ever was. Even the pleasure of Miguel’s company was missed, because anytime he seemed to be coming in, he was grabbing something and immediately departing again.
The night’s hours were in the double digits as Luna sprawls out on the couch, her head turned towards the razor thin television. It wasn’t as nice as the one back at home, but it was plenty big enough and was made of a material that wouldn’t likely shatter on impact. All of the lights were off, letting the glow of the entertainment screen illuminate the apartment’s living room. Luna had it set to a local channel as there didn’t seem to be any extended programming available. Just before the next show started, Luna heard the telltale signs of Miguel returning home, the sound of his cybernetics and his shoes being easy to pick up on.
The door opens as Miguel steps into his home, Luna instantly improving her posture and turning to look back at him, her tail wagging subconsciously. Miguel seems quite pleased with himself, a grin forming over his mouth as he seems to be muttering in tones too quiet for Luna to hear. A small silver briefcase dangles from one of his hands, one that she’s never seen before and looked expensive. Luna starts to speak up as he approaches but Miguel passes right on past her, seemingly not even recognizing that she was there. He heads into the kitchen table and clicks on the light, opening up the briefcase with two clicks from the latches.
“Kenneth Dragon, you wonderful, wonderful man. Oooh-ho-ho-ho look at these…they’re perfect!”
Her curiosity piqued, Luna rises from the couch and starts to creep up behind Miguel, turning her head around him to look at the contents of the case. Soft black foam lines the contents of the case but she couldn’t determine anymore than that before Miguel slams the case shut. He turns to look towards the werewolf with suspicion.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
Luna’s ears lower a little bit as she looks upon her friend. “Uhm...well I was wondering what you were so happy about. What’s in the briefcase? Can I see?”
Miguel’s pleased mood vanishes entirely, replaced by a grim expression and a reigned in tone.
“It...it doesn’t concern you. They’re...they’re tools. For tonight.”
Luna’s ears heighten. “What’s going on tonight?”
Miguel tenses up and leans backwards a little bit from the werewolf, seemingly unwilling to answer.
Luna speaks again in a flat voice. “Mr. Morales...what’s going on tonight that’s so important that you won’t tell me or show me the ‘tools’ you picked up?”
More silence.
“You’ve been gone in and out all the time and you won’t tell me where you are going and the three seconds you are home, you just go onto the computer. I mean, I did that too all the time at...the other place but I was just playing video games. What are you doing?”
Miguel squeezes his eyes shut to avoid looking into Luna’s inquisitive ones, but eventually he takes a deep breath and exhales.
“I finally...finally have a lead. After all of these years.”
“Wh-what? Lead? On what?”
“On the bastard that killed my family.”
Luna goes quiet, lowering her eyes in sympathy. Miguel steps to the side and opens the briefcase, letting the werewolf see inside. Inside of the case was a multitude of gear, each one neatly arranged within it. The bulletproof vest was the most noticeable thing, with it taking up the most room. There were also four spheres Luna guessed were grenades of some variety, judging by the size. She turns to look up at him raised ears.
“So...what, are you planning on going to go...get him?”
Miguel takes out the vest and a pulls off his coat, laying it on the table next to the briefcase. He starts sliding the vest on over his head.
“Eventually, when I force him out of hiding. The reason why I’ve been in and out of the house so much is because, unlike the movies, good detective work is from putting in the time and putting your feet to the ground. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.”
He takes out the grenades and holds them split between both hands before gesturing that she follow him, which she does. The two head back into Miguel’s bedroom, which looked quite neat as compared to when she woke up in it. He goes to his closet and pulls out another, much larger briefcase and opens it up, looking over the contents.
“I’ve had a contact from a long, long time ago. Mick the Rat. Little fat son of a gun. More now than he had been before in those days. Managed to help him out of a sticky situation that would have had him dead.”
Miguel slips on two shoulder-strapped gun holsters, one over each arm and tightening them down. A closer eye proved that they were very similar in design, but one was larger than the other.
“Point of the story is, I helped him out but at the cost of becoming an informant. He helps oversee the books down at the docks. You know, who’s coming and who’s going? That kind of deal. Real handy in case some trash starts flowing in, people or otherwise.”
Miguel pulls out his magnum and inspects it for a moment before sliding it into the larger holster.
“I sent him a picture of the man I’m looking for. One Benny Scardino. Big time gangster in this town for years, decades even. Always one step ahead of the law with an alibi in his pocket and good lawyers at his back.”
Luna recognizes the name from the conversation they had when she woke up.
“Scardino? That’s the guy you asked me about right? Why would you ask me about him?”
Miguel sighs and slips his 9mm pistol into the smaller holster.
“Because...those guys..Scar...he’s not human. I don’t know what the hell he is, but him and his cronies move faster than humans and can eat bullets like candy. I figured one freak might know another...no offense.”
Luna rolls her eyes. “Right.”
Miguel shrugs in self defense. “Hey, I’m just telling you what I thought when I asked you that. It’s not how I feel about it anymore.”
He reaches back over towards his closet and grabs a dark blue jacket that looked fairly inconspicuous. Miguel slides it on with ease but upon opening the inside of the garment revealed a number of pockets and loops made for concealing weapons. He starts sliding the gr
enades in first, using the little clip on each one to secure them.
“Mick’s been keeping his eyes on the lookout for Scar and after a few years, he finally found his ass. He makes appearances only at night and near the warehouse owned by Vyers Shipping Company. Funny thing is that no matter how hard I look, nobody seems to know anything about this company. They don’t have a website, a physical address, a phone number, nothin. It’s like it doesn’t exist.”
Miguel graduates to sliding in a clip of ammunition for both guns in either side of his jacket. Luna speaks up now, holding up a questioning finger.
“So..uh...what...are you going to go down there and do exactly? Blow everyone up?”
Miguel puts on a belt that has a knife holster in it and turns shrugs lightly.
“If I have to I guess. I plan on going down and finding out what it is they do and what it is they ship. If I find contraband...well, it’s why I brought explosives. So in short?”
Miguel pulls out a rather large combat knife from the case and shuts it. He sheathes it in the side holster.
“Detective work.”
Luna blinks as the entire conversation seemed to have been properly downloaded and she shakes her head profusely. “Wai-wai-wait what!? H-hang on, that sounds super risky! Won’t those places have like, cameras or something?”
“Weirdly…” Miguel says, closing up his jacket. “...that one doesn’t have any cameras in it. Didn’t want them.”
“What about innocents?”
Miguel frowns as the werewolf doubts him. “Nobody at that warehouse is innocent.”
“What about calling the police or something? There has to be people to take care of this!”
Miguel’s voice grows cold. “Don’t you get it kid? I quit the force because they covered up the whole damn thing. Apparently getting grazed by a few bullets in the arm requires getting Cybernetics in my legs, according to them. They’re corrupt. I tried doing this the right way. And now I’m doing this my way.”
Luna panics as Miguel pushes past her and starts to leave. Looking down at her fuzzy self, she gathers her wits and calls out after him.
Ravenport: Luna's Awakening Page 9
