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Pacifism Part 3: A Turning Point

A lion, fairly tall in diameter with slick fur, and a fierce look about him sat on a chair inside a small room with a large table. The table was brown, the same color as the doberman's fur that sat next to him who was busy checking if the rounds in his pistol were loaded. He sighed contently, and pushed the magazine back into his pistol.

Around the large table, ten chairs, not including the two that were taken up by the lion and the doberman were present, each one made of fine leather. The walls in the room were a mediocre white while the floor was made of beautiful wood that reflected against the artificial lighting of the room. Two windows on the left wall of the room showed the city landscape, proudly displaying large skyscrapers, and puffy white clouds that adjourned the landscape.

The lion, annoyed at the Capitol's politicians not arriving on time, put his hands on the armrest of the chair, and started to strike the chair with his index finger impatiently. "It's been over 30 minutes. The Capitol's best were supposed to meet with me on...the terms and conditions of our agreements."

The doberman felt a tingle of nervousness, and gulped, but still kept his composer stiff and rigid, not giving the lion any reason to yell at him. He tried to speak, but his voice was muffled slightly by an airplane that flew overhead, and said, "They were. I notified them before hand. Trust me, they will be here, Scar."

"I told you not to call me by my name." Said the lion named Scar in an irritated voice. "You better, or you better watch your back, Rock."

Giving a gruff sigh, Rock thought, "It could be worse. I could end up on the side of the road with a bullet in my head. At least he didn't lose control again..."

Digging his claw into the armrest of his chair, Scar heard a tearing sound as he tore the soft fabric with his sharp claw, and he smiled to himself, "I forgot that this chair was made for humans. Not Shifters." He smirked at his own comment, and Rock didn't know what to do so he just sat with a frown on his face.

"It could be worse." He thought silently. "It could be worse..."

As the two Shifters waited, a clock with a white background, and black hands ticked, the long hand clicking over to the three, signaling that it was 4:15 p.m. and the lion still grew more impatient. "Where are they Rock? This isn't a trick is it?" Scar said with a glare as he looked up his associate up and down.

"I do not know. They are supposed to be here..."

At that, the wooden door to enter the room opened swiftly, and three gentlemen in tuxedos walked in, and a glint inside the pocket showed they were armed with a small arm each. One walked over, extending a hand to Scar who accepted the shake. The human and animal looked eye to eye with each other, scanning for any signs of betrayal.

"You wished to see us today Scar? I assume it is in business?" The man in the tuxedo said. He had a smooth voice, one that a person would hear on a radio station. His brown hair was tattered, and his hair matched his eyes as well. He had a gaze that could crack information out of any person.

Scar though was no ordinary person.

With a look that mirrored the man's, Scar gripped the man's hand with a firm grip, and said, "Yes, simply business. Bring in the council please."

"Of course."

Walking to the doorway, and standing on the side of the doorway to allow the council of the Capitol entrance, the men all saluted when the ten council members walked through the doorway, and took their seat. It was obvious that the men in tuxedos were more than just introducers. They were guards, and their duty was to make sure the council stayed safe. Scar realized that the council did not trust him.

After each member was seated, the armed guards went to the corners of the table, and stood watch like eagles waiting for the enemy to make a wrong move. Sitting on the ends of the table was male, old in age, and his hair proving his age. He wore spectacles that kept falling off of his nose, and he had to push them back up. He wore an expensive silk tie with a buttoned down shirt, and black pants. Sitting against a wall stiffly, his wooden cane sparkled as sun from the window shined on it. A gold trim worked its way across the top, and finally ended at the bottom. It was beautiful. It was also a sign of the oldest member of the council.

On the opposite side, a female in an expensive dress sat on the other side. Her hair was a beautiful blond, and her eyes were a golden yellow with a mix of brown. She blinked slightly as she scanned the environment, and her face looked stern yet amused. Scar gave a puzzling look at the women, knowing he had defiantly seen her somewhere. He shook off the feeling, thinking it was déjà vu, but something was eating at him. He defiantly saw her somewhere. Her attire consisted of a expensive suit that she wore proudly, and a beautiful diamond necklace that shined like the sun.

When she looked at him in the eyes, he knew he saw her somewhere. Her eyes are what gave her away. What was it? What was it that he thought he saw in this women? He shook the feeling off once more, and cleared his throat to address the group that was before him.

"So, thank you for attending this meeting! I feel we can come to a conclusion this way...peacefully."

He gave a smirk at the comment, and walked over to the table. He put a paw on the wood, and said, "I know that our kinds have never really gotten along, but with this law, we can come to an agreement."

He placed an envelope on the table, a red stamp across the middle that had the symbol of a claw that was sharp and long. A claw that could kill.

The symbol of the Exorcists.

The older gentlemen that was part of the council cleared his throat, and put a hand on the envelope, feeling the contents inside. "And what does this law entitle?"

Giving a shrewd chuckle at the question, everyone in the room looked at Scar like he was insane. "Why that is obvious isn't it? Let Shifters into the Capitol! We are tired of living in the slums you give us for homes! The Thirty Year War should not put us in bondage! We should be allowed to live like humans. Like you."

He pointed a claw at one of the many Capitol ambassadors.

"And you."

"And you."

"And you."

Until he was done going around the room with a fire in his eyes, he finished, and said finally, "We are no different from humans. We deserve the same rights!"

One of the members, a short man with silver hair stood up, and said, "We would gladly give you those rights. The only problem is groups like yours Mr. Scar who disrupt the peace of the Capitol. We cannot allow a mass migration of Shifters into our cities. There would be panic! We only allow as many as society would allow us without uprooting commotion, and chaos."

"Yes, Mr. Slavic. But I have proven to you that Shifters can be helpful. We, The Exorcists, have captured many potential wanted criminals. Not only have our men integrated into society, but we have integrated into your ranks as well. We can help you. The useless accusations that you have bestowed upon my group have no ruling if you, of course respectively, don't have any evidence." Said Scar while raising an eyebrow at the Capitol ambassador.

"We have all the evidence! The murder of thousands of innocents! The evidence is everywhere!"

"Pipe down Slavic. We have no complete evidence. We cannot convict him of anything."

This time it was the women that spoke. She gave Slavic a piercing glare, and then returned the glare to Scar. Scar smiled to the defense of his statements and couldn't help letting himself smile foolishly, saying, "And who might you be? A lady like you running around these parts is uncommon. Plus, your fresh blood. I have not seen your face before."

The congregation flinched at the term "fresh blood" being used. Usually if the Exorcists are around, its blood being spilled not preserved.

The women grinned, and said, "I am known for being...different." She slid a piece of paper across the table which was stopped abruptly by Scar's quick to react paw. Scar felt the weight of the envelope, and pondered on what would be inside. Instead of just opening the envelope, he left it sealed, and asked, "And what might be in this sweetheart?"

"Papers for the agreement between our races."

Scar gave a scowl of resentment, and said, "We are not two races. We are the same."

"Whatever you say kitty cat."

Feeling his nerves be pushed slightly by the irritating women, Scar had a growing feeling that he has seen her before. He wanted to jump across the table, and look face to face with her, but all he could do was sent waves of resentment across the table like a connection that burned between them.

"But before you sign," The older ambassador said, "What is in it for us?"

Scar smiled deviously, and said, "Our skills and assets to make The Capitol great. I can promise you this."

Cracking open the envelope with a claw, he removed the slip easily. He gave a nod to Rock who removed a pen from his coat pocket, and handed it to Scar. Clicking the pen, and reading the document carefully, he signed it, and slid it over to Mr. Slavic.

"Consider us in an agreement, Scar. You find us what we are looking for, and I can guarantee your wishes. I promise you this." Mr. Slavic said before extending a hand. "We are friends, for now."

Scar accepted the hand, and squeezed somewhat hard making the man flinch slightly before retreating back. "Yes, friends Mr. Slavic."

After the main chunk of the meeting was done, the group talked about more trivial topics such as disease that was spreading through the poorer districts and whether or not to send vaccines. Scar was content with his plans and waited in thoughts until the older gentlemen snapped him out of it. It seemed the congregation used the time to talk about their own problems and just pushed Scar and Rock out of their matters like they were invisible.

"I feel it is time for us to leave..."

"Quite. Us too. I excuse you from this meeting. Thank you for allowing us to talk."

The Capitol ambassadors each left, one by one until the room was cleared out with only Rock and Scar left. That was until the women ambassador peeped around the corner again which startled Scar and he had to quickly regain his composer.

"What is it that you would like madam?" Scar said abruptly.

The women smiled and said, "I want to know what your true plans are."

Scar's composer was wiped away with a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Let's just say, people have been watching you. There are eyes everywhere and they seem to be taking a liking to your newest plans."

Faking confusion once more, Scar shrugged saying, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Of course you don't."

With that, the women walked up to Scar and said, "I know about the eighteen year old who ran away. I know what happened on that ship that you own. I know everything you don't want me to know." Rock, gripping the pistol inside his coat pocket tightly, waited for Scar to give the go to eliminate the women. She obviously knew too much.

Gulping, Scar said, "You know nothing."

"I know everything. And I wish to become part of your organization."

That surprised Scar. Making a motion for Rock to relax himself, Rock stopped gripping the pistol, and let Scar handle himself. But Rock had to admit, he had a bad feeling about the women and still watched her closely.

"I see. Here is my card." Scar handed the women the card with the eagle claw marked distinctively on it. Scar looked around to see if anyone could hear. "If you want to know more details on Kyle Robbins, let me know and I am sure we can set up a business agreement."

"Will do. By the way, you can call me Rev."

Scar nodded and said, "Very well Rev. I am sure you have a bright future with us. You have made a wise choice."

Rev nodded and walked out of the room with the card in her hand, knowing full well what she had just accomplished. Scar was excited about his new gain to his ranks. He now had ears inside the Capitol. He can look for information whenever he wished.

Scar turned to his companion and said simply, "That went better than expected. It seems we have an agent we can use inside the Capitol itself. I also have a new job for you."

Leaning in close to hear the lion whisper his words into his awaiting ear, Scar smiled childishly before whispering into Rock's ear. The lion's fur tickled Rock's cheek, and his words slithered into his ear with a cold embrace,

"Kill Mr. Slavic. He is a burden to our plan. Keep an eye on our new recruit Rev by the way, she needs to be watched. I want to know everything about her. Before killing Mr. Slavic, interrogate him and demand everything he knows."

Rock nodded, knowing full well what his objective entailed. He clutched his pistol once more, feeling the slick metal across his palm. His finger was on the trigger.

"You can count on me."

Scar nodded. "You fail and your next."

Rock knew the plan. It was insurance. If he was caught or if he failed, he would be killed. He would know too much.

"Go now."

Now there was one more death on the newspapers.

I woke up in my house, the sun shining in through the window making me stir. I blinked twice, rubbing my eyes. The sun flowed over my body, warming me as I stretched in the bed. My orange-tinted eyes trailed over the calm white walls of my room, feeling at peace. A dresser near my bed was tattered with clothes, some sticking out of the dresser unceremoniously. A picture of my family with my mom smiling and my dad scratched out with a permanent marker.

I forgot about that...

I forgot about him.

On the dresser, many other items were scattered about. A shark tooth necklace from the Florida Keys before the Thirty Year War was around the picture frame and I remembered I got the necklace from my father who got it from his father.

A table with a holographic clock spread the numbers "9:30 A.M." across its melancholy, transparent blue background. I rolled out of bed and walked over to the dresser. I had to admit, my room was rather large for a person who lives in the Capitol. A bathroom with the door ajar was near my own dresser for easy accessibility.

I yawned, scratched my back and walked over to the dresser, pulling out a tee shirt and jeans. I snapped my hands and the clock blinked to life and beamed a hologram over onto the palm of my hands.

"The weather in the Capitol is a high of 70 degrees with a chance of scattered thunderstorms. Kyle Robbins, please dress appropriately."

I smiled at the wisdom that the hologram gave me and pinched the screen that showed the weather until it was a small circle the size of a fingernail. I flicked it towards the clock once more and it shined the time brightly with pride again.

"Technology these days."

I jumped at the words that were not spoken from my tongue. I looked over to see a fox with black fur covering his body except for his chest which was a dark green and his tail tip the same color as his chest.

He walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his face and fresh water glistening on his fur. I blinked twice and said simply, "Ya. Technology is insane. By the way, clothes may not be considered technology but please put some on."

He grinned at my comment and walked over to my dresser. He grabbed a pair of cargo shorts and a tee shirt, closed the dresser, and held them up to his body. "How do I look?" He asked.

"Like Streak." I said simply before opening the door to my room and heading for my parent's room.

Well, "parent" room.

I peaked in the doorway and saw that the sheets of my mother's bed were ruffled and unmade. I sighed and walked over to the bed. Touching the flannel sheets, I decided it would be best to make the bed for her since she always has stuff on her mind. I made the bed and turned around to head down the stairs but nearly jumped backwards when Streak blocked my path. He scared the crap out of me. He seems to be getting better at doing that.

Ever since Streak and I met in the forest, we decided to catch up on each other's past. Streak told me he was in deep with some of the gangs around town and I knew what he meant. He was an undercover agent.

His assignment was to investigate drug trafficking in the forest that I was roaming around in. He saw me, innocent Kyle Robbins walking around in the forest letting earlier memories flow through him. He attacked thinking I was a drug trafficker.

Now that we both understand each other's situation, Streak stayed at my place for the night and decided to sleep on the floor since he didn't want to disturb my parents. He defiantly grew up. He is the same age as me now, eighteen. He even goes to school as a human.

My school.

It made me sick to my stomach to realize he was hiding under my nose for quite some time, blending in with society like he was a ghost. And it worked too. I didn't even know he lived in the Capitol.

But there is so much I don't know about Streak. I know it from the way he tosses and turns in his sleep. He is hiding something. I just don't know what. I don't know if I want to know what either and the way he acts now is so much more domineering. I can tell he enjoys to be in control and steer people in the direction he wants them to go.

I figured that out this morning.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me downstairs and put a bowl in front of my face and poured cereal from a nearby cardboard box that had a man dressed in green attire dancing around the box erratically. I realized they were lucky charms and he grabbed a gallon of milk from the fridge, poured it onto the cereal like a mother, and plopped a spoon in.

"You look stressed this morning. It is always important to get a good breakfast." He said simply and ruffled my hair like I was a child. I huffed at him and said, "So you coming to school today with me or do you have some illegal activities to break up?"

"I think I will be at school today. By the way, I think Rev might have a surprise for you afterwards. Thought you'd like to know." He gave a flourish with his tail and opened the door to leave. "I will see you at school. I have a meeting to attend to. Behave."

"Ya, ya whatever. You're not my father you know." I said with a grouched tone hidden within the words.

Stop mentioning my father.

He opened the door and disappeared. I sat alone in my chair, eating cereal that started to become mushy and soggy due to the fact I was too busy thinking to even care about eating. I got up off the chair, grabbed a jacket, and walked out the door with my backpack on my back and the sun to greet me on my way out.

The Capitol to greet me on the way out as well. A man rode by on a new hover board and almost crashed into a tree. I couldn't help but chuckle. My mind wondered to what Rev had planned for me. After I went into hiding from my kidnapper that tried to use me for diplomatic reasons, I escaped barely with my life. That is where I met Rev, a Shifter who could morph between her human form and golden retriever form.

I had no idea what agency she works for, I still don't and she turned me into a Shifter so I would be bumped off the grid and impossible to find without tons of digging. I realized later that I had been kidnapped by one of the most prominent gangs of ultra-shifters that the Capitol has ever seen. They were called The Exorcists.

Wanting to bring Shifting into the Capitol as much as possible, the Exorcists are one of the biggest and most radical organizations. From assassinations to smuggling, they have integrated Shifting into society little by little. Not like that is a bad thing, but it is their methods that have some people weary.

Terrorist organizations that use violence to get their objectives in order are not highly looked up upon. Especially the Exorcists. Although they are high on the ladder in politics, they didn't acquire a chair legally.

I walked down the sidewalk and saw the trees that were planted were changing color and into beautiful shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. Fall was coming full steam ahead. I felt a cool air brush across my dirty blond hair and ruffle the white polo I was wearing. I reflection in a nearby puddle that was the spawn of a storm overnight showed my blue jeans around my legs.

Blinking twice as my eyes adjusted to the light reflecting off the puddle, my glasses tinted slightly to protect my most sensitive part of my eye. I smiled to myself. I looked totally different in human form. Not even a Shifter would recognize me.

Or so I thought.

When I got to the school building, I stood at the entrance and heard the bell ring shrilly at Hawks Elementary and Curricular Highschool. Named after Joseph Hawk who built the school in the year 2030, it serves as an education system that does its job. It has some of the brightest students who come all over the Capitol to get an education.

Luckily, I was blessed with intelligence and common sense. Street smarts, not so much. I realized over the years that, being a senior in high school, I would have to make my own choices. Some of them came easier than others. Like all teens, I was different in the ABNORMAL way. I played piano, never really talked much but am popular because of the way I keep my cool. People laugh at my jokes that I find not really all that funny and I have a bad habit of always rambling on in band class about how my band teacher can be a total jerk one day (If he has not had his coffee) and an actual caring person the next. Sometimes I wonder if he just makes up mistakes he hears just so he can yell at the trumpets.

The school grounds were a mixture between rural and concentrated. On the large eighty acre property, there are green houses on the south end for agriculture classes and the study of botany while on the north end was the fountain area that was inside the school. The school is made in a square shape with each hallway connecting to a certain rectangle that housed rows of lockers and classrooms.

For example, the northeast "square" we like to call it, houses all the science classes and the lockers of the freshmen. The northwest houses English and foreign language classes with the sophomore's lockers. The south east portion houses the junior lockers and has the art and band classes and the orchestra studio where the band practices and finally the south west portion holds the seniors and the elective classes like P.E, art appreciation, agriculture, the study of Shifters, and many others. The school has many clubs that can be signed up by the one thousand students that attend daily.

I walked through the doors, and my feet made a loud clacking sound when they hit the marble flooring. The "lobby" looked more like a hotel. To the right, a sign that read, "Principal's Office" in black letters was trimmed by a gold looking metal. The light from the small chandelier on the ceiling gave off a small glow. The marble quickly smeared with a lush red carpet that had the tint of a red rose petal opening its leaves to let the sun inside.

The principle Rancloff's hologram walked by me and smiled at me, knowing that I could be either a student coming to school or on a tour. The hologram wore a brown suit with pants to match and black shoes that shined brightly. He wore a gold pin that resembled the bird of prey, the hawk, and on the right was an identification card that read, "Jack Rancloff." The fake principal said as he saw me near him, "Welcome! May I please see your identification card?"

Reaching into my pocket until I dug out my brown wallet, I handed him my card which had me frowning and making a ridiculous movement with my eyes. I was always the charmer.

The hologram scanned the card with its hand, waving over it like it was going to make the card levitate. "Ahh, it seems you are Kyle Robbins! Welcome back! Rancloff is in a meeting and is a very busy man but if you would prefer to talk to him personally, I can set up an appointment if-"

"No, that is alright." I interrupted simply. The hologram didn't seem to mind. He just kept the smile that showed his white teeth.

"The classes you have scheduled today are in the science department and then you have history in the electives department. Have a pleasant day!"

The hologram hovered away from me to another student who walked through the door. I used that as a chance to go to the fountain. Being one of my most favorite places to relax for a moment before the school day started, I would sit and ponder. Usually not knowing what to ponder on, I just clustered many thoughts together. The beautiful water always washed my troubles away.

Checking my watch, it read 7:50 A.M and I had ten minutes until classes started. I walked to one out of the four main hallways and looked out of the glass windows to see the beautiful fountain. I walked out another door to the open patio area. Many benches were set around the fountain which had several chatting students. Some sat around the fountain doing homework that is due next class while others sat on the edge of the fountain, admiring the koi fish that swam around in a yin yang pattern in the crystal clear waters.

"Hey Kyle!"

I jumped at the words and noticed a boy about my age. He had dirty blond hair and a friendly smile was plastered on his face. His shirt was unchecked, flowing over his khaki pants that his mom forces him to wear. He had a pair of glasses placed on his nose and his soft shaded skin and demeanor made him a very unintimidating person, yet an open and friendly one nevertheless.

From experience, I knew the man was shy, timid, but when you got him chatting and became friends with him, he opened up his feelings. And he was my best friend.

His name is Joseph Braun, a writer and one of the best in his class. Receiving an extreme amount of prizes for his works, he is defiantly established a stamp upon the school's history. I waved to Joseph and walked over to him. He was sitting on a bench near the fountain, a book in his lap. It was physics and many equations were laid out before him.

"How are you doing?" I asked politely and took a seat by him.

He glanced at his book and then back at me. His face looked weary and stressed. His parents were always strict with grades and I always see him with his nose in one book or another.

"Not good. Cramming for physics. You?"

How was I? There were multiple ways I could sum that up. I was taken away from one of the most powerful gangs of the century, turned into a talking animal, and basically could be attacked at any moment.

"Fine." I replied briskly. He shook his head with that reply. "No you are not. You seem different. Did something happen?"

I wanted to tell him everything about what had happened, but I knew I couldn't. I knew that Rev did what she needed to and wanted me to keep it a secret. Shifters were not highly looked upon and I couldn't flaunt my transformations around like a gold medallion.

"Nothing happened. Same old stuff-"

I was cut short by a piercing bell that rang throughout the whole school. I knew that the bell signaled for classes to start.

"Well, time to fail a physics test. Talk to you later." Joseph said before closing his book and giving me a smile. I knew he wasn't going to fail. He says that because he wants to take a day to be a teen instead of a genius.

Smiling back, I said goodbye and realized that I should probably head to class as well. I clicked the watch on my wrist and it projected my schedule for the day. I had P.E first which was an alright class to start out with. The exercises were mostly fun and games like basketball, baseball, golf, hiking, and sometimes hockey.

I walked out of the patio until I heard the soft sound of water slowly move away from me as I walked towards the gym. Accompanying a bench of giggling girls who were whispering the latest gossip to each other, I overheard some of their conversation.

"Did you hear about the Shifters gaining a seat on the Council?" A blond haired girl said as she walked with another blond and brunette.

The brunette nodded and said, "Yes. That is crazy! I don't want walking animals around! I heard they are all beggars and thieves."

The other blond shook her head and laughed, "That is true. I don't know about the whole situation."

"Me either. So who do you have a crush on Melenda?"

They both giggled as they talked about cute couples and I just walked behind them like I heard nothing. Many people are indecisive about the Shifters. Some see them as a nuisance while others see them as the same as everyone else.

I still don't know what I think.

I laughed at my own words. I am a Shifter. Why should I be against them? But something didn't feel right. I felt like the body I have has two parts; my animal inside and my human side. It seems they equal out, but I don't know. Being transformed into a Shifter happened too quick.

Everything happened too quick.

In my train of thought, I didn't realize where I had walked to. I was inside the male's locker room, a duffel bag around my shoulder. I must have picked out my work out uniform from my locker. We all get assigned lockers where we put our clothes that we use for P.E and I always keep mine in 234, a red locker that was slightly over aged and beat up but the lock still works so I can't complain.

I looked around the locker room and noticed I was all alone inside its now empty space. It was so quiet I could hear myself breathing. The sound of my feet hitting the tiles on the floor made an echo throughout the locker room. The white and black tiles of the flooring matched the white walls of the room and it gave me a sense of familiarity.

I sat down on a nearby bench and brown wood was polished by the wet bodies that took a shower before. I could feel the bottom of my pants becoming a bit wet from the water left behind. I sighed, thinking about how I was going to explain that I was Shifter to Joseph but my mind started to wonder to the girl's words before...

"I heard they are all beggars and thieves."

I started to realize that I could never fit in with society again. I had to hide my second side, my animal side from society. Joseph can never know. I don't know how he will react, but from what the girl's words were before, I don't think it would be positive.

Swapping my clothes with gym pants and a black tee shirt, I walked over to the mirror that hung over a sink. I looked in the mirror to see my reflection back at me. I was changing, more rapidly than before, even in my human form.

My fingernails were tougher then before and my eyes a darker shade of orange like my fur when I am a Shifter. My eyes were more animalistic and my I noticed I was gaining flexibility when I could put my leg on the sink that was up to my stomach and feel fine. The effects of the animal I transformed into are bleeding into my human form.

I opened my mouth to see my teeth becoming sharper and more to a point and I feel my senses heightened more whenever I concentrate.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up..." I said to my reflection.

I walked out of the locker room and into the open area of the gym. The wood beneath my soles made a loud echo throughout the gym like in the locker room. Many people were already stretching when I finally ran out onto the gym floor. The gym was very open and inviting, and two large basketball hoops were on both the sides. The bleachers stood tall over the court like a watching guard. The hallway I walked out of led to the locker rooms while a hallway on the opposite side led to the hallways to get to the science department. An archway on the other side that was closed by doors led outside into the fresh air. On the floor, a picture of an anthromorphic hawk was spinning a basketball on his finger, the main sport we were known for.

Bellow the hawk, it read "Hawk's Hawks."

"Sorry I am late." I said to the P.E teacher named Mr. Wombacher. He was a tall man with a brute figure. He had a well trimmed beard around his face and his brown eyes looked me over like he was scanning for a sign of a lie. His long jogging pants covered the top of his tennis shoes while a simple tee shirt that said, "You snooze you lose" on the front showed how he felt about laziness.

Mr. Wombacher shook his head and pointed to his shirt saying, "Its fine. You are never late anyway so I will discard this as a tardy. Please stretch before we play dodge ball."

I nodded and walked over to where my other classmates were stretching and continued with them. I made small talk with another senior named Jack Lambit. He was an open minded individual for sure and expressed what he disliked about the school which was just about everything. He complained about how the principle was for the Shifters and how our school will be full of evils if Shifters are ever allowed in the Capitol. I just listened.

Didn't do much else.

It seems no one really noticed I was gone for almost four days in a row. News doesn't really spread fast and I didn't think anyone would believe me if I told them I was kidnapped by the Exorcists, turned into a Shifter to fall off the map, and now trying to live a normal life in hiding. Not even my mom knows where I have been. Rev just told her I was off with a friend and the Capitol Security Forces blocked me from getting into my district.

When Mr. Wombacher blew his whistle, we knew it was time for the sport to start. I decided that P.E will be a perfect time to test out how much of my twin self blended into my human form. Our teacher picked two people to be captains and we were both split up into two teams.

I am usually picked generally in the middle, not last or first due to my body type. I always put out a hundred percent when I play in P.E whether competitively or for fun.

We lined up along the middle of the gym floor, using the center of the court as our boundary. The rules were simple, first team to be completely knocked out loses. Catching a ball allows one of your teammates to come in and the person who threw the ball to be out. The red balls were lined up along the line, waiting for one of us to spring into action and grab it to use for our own gain.

We starred each other down and I literally felt my fangs become a bit longer...

I stared down the person opposite from me and he likewise looked at me with the same tense stare I was giving him. He grinned saying, "Get ready to lose, chump."

I gave a devilish smirk, "Not on your life."

The teacher put his lips to the whistle, ready to push air to unleash the shrilling sound to signal that the game to begin. I readied my stance, leaning slightly over the red ball that my opponent could also take as well. The only problem with dodge ball is there are only enough balls for one team to be fully equipped and ready to destroy their opponent. I defiantly didn't want to be the loser.

Everything felt like it was slowing down until that shrill call of the whistle. That's when my instincts took over. I let out a growl as I dived for the ball, but I was mistaken. My opponent was quicker. He grabbed the ball and ran off into the back of his court and I did the same, watching him move like a snake waiting to attack its prey.

The people around me were battling with their man and I had to dodge a ball coming my way. I saw it before it was even thrown. It was like my eyes just snapped towards the ball. My body swayed and I felt like water as I dodged another ball that was thrown in my direction. They were trying to distract me.

The next ball that came near me I decided to catch and my opponent walked off onto the bench and one of ours walked back out onto the court. He held out a hand and I gave him a high five. He was defiantly grateful.

I held the ball in my hand and smiled as I noticed my opponent had nothing to defend himself with. I locked onto my target and I watched him sway back and forth like a buoy in the ocean. He knew what was coming for him.

A tiger.

I felt my palms grip the ball easier and was surprised to see my paw pads forming as I moved. Feeling the grip on the ball become easier, I aimed and fired. The ball felt light as a feather when I threw it. It made contact with the legs and knocked the person onto the floor with the force it had. My team congratulated me with a cheer.

I was known more for defending in dodge ball and for me to get an opponent out was a rare experience. I felt a new courage bubbling up inside of me as I watched my opponents scatter whenever I got my hands on a ball.

Our team won by a ton.

In the locker room, my team congratulated me on the performance and never knew I had it in me to play that well. They said I looked like a beast out on the floor and I could only laugh at the irony. If only they knew...

All of a sudden on the intercom I heard, "Kyle Robbins to the office please."

Everyone went silent at the intercom. Most of the time if you were called to the office, it was something of upmost importance. I changed into my normal clothes and walked to the office quickly. I didn't know Rancloff would want to see me so urgently.

I wonder what it could be?

I rounded the corner to the entrance that I walked by an hour ago and walked through the doors of Rancloff's office after being stopped by the hologram to see my student ID to identify me. He let me through.

The office smelled of coffee and the sound of computers typing erratically could be heard. A clock ticked melancholy away as its hand was on 9:00 A.M. The receptionist up front had long blond hair that was in good form. Her blue eyes looked into mine and I could sense her emotions. She was worried. I don't know about what but she looked like she saw something she didn't wish to see.

I didn't know what but she quickly hid whatever nervousness she had behind her smile. If only I knew she was being held at gun point from a sniper on the rooftop of an opposite building.

But I didn't.

She smiled at me and said, "Mr. Rancloff will see you now Robbins."

I heard the rambling of something and looked on her ear to see an earpiece placed around her ear and put two and two together that she was receiving orders from someone. I was already on edge about being followed at night after being transformed. This just put me more on edge.

"What for?" I asked, wanting to test her.

"I do not know. Rancloff never shares his information with anyone but himself. He is a very reserved man."

I decided to leave it at that and she extended a hand for me to follow her. I did just that. There was something in her face that I recognized though, a glint in her eyes as she walked in front of me. She opened the door to Rancloff's office and instead of being assaulted by the scent of a principles office, I smelled something else.

I smelled a rat.

The Shifter gave me a smile as he watched me in surprise. He held a knife over the principle's throat who was struggling. "Remember me you stupid boy? Your friend before gave me a concussion remember?" The rat said hostilely as he watched me.

Then I remembered. He was the rat at the coliseum when the Exorcists held me hostage and he was the first to be knocked out by Rev.

"Now you have no backup so I suggest you come with me you twerp or the principle will die." The rat threatened as he pushed the dagger against Rancloff's throat.

Part of me wanted to run away at that very spot and never come back, but I felt something swelling inside my stomach as I felt myself lose control and turn into my other self. I felt myself becoming courageous and I let out a growl as fur covered my body and black stripes moved across my fur.

I felt my pupils become tougher and my vision become vividly clearer. My limbs cracked as they grew and I growled as a muzzle start to push itself outwards and my fangs finally grow all the way out. My toenails and fingernails turned into sharp claws and I heard the sound of my shoes ripping.

My chest bulged outward as fur moved across my body and I felt my heart start to pulse faster inside my ribcage. A tail shot out of my backside and I let out an animalistic roar as the transformation became complete. I was a fully standing tiger and I felt my voice rumble when I talked.

"Not on your life." I growled.

"Very well then you house cat..." The rat said as he started to move the knife but before he could, the receptionist beside me fired her pistol at the rat's hand which made him drop the knife. The receptionist then grabbed the rat by the scuff of his shirt and hit his head against the principle's desk.

"Now you have two concussions."

I knew who the woman was.

It was Rev.

I looked at her wide eyed and said, "What the hell is going on?"

She grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the office to the sound of screaming employees as they ran for cover from sniper fire. A bullet went by my ear and rippled the air itself before crashing into a desk.

"I will tell you later. The Exorcists see you as a loose end that needs tying."

"For what?!" I said loudly as another bullet hit the wall behind me, sending chunks of wood everywhere.

"Their plan B. They want to eliminate you from the drawing board. You saw too much, they need you out of the game. DUCK!"

I did as she told me and took cover behind a desk as many other bullets hit the floor around me. I lost all confidence once more.

"Alright, we need to go to the parking lot and grab a car!" She said as more bullets ripped through the desk. One cut my shirt and I yipped as I felt the sting of the heat from the bullet.

"I agree!"

"Good."

We ran out of the office's lobby and out the main doors and away from sniper fire. Many people who were walking on the sidewalk were taking cover behind whatever they could. Dumpsters, mail containers, and even stop light poles.

Rev noticed an unoccupied Nissan with its doors wide open and the keys still in the ignition. Did I tell you how lucky we are? She led me by my wrist and I felt my body being pushed into the passenger seats of the car.

"You might want to take cover." She said as she started the car and put the pedal to the floor.

"Wh-"

But then I realized why. Another bullet passed through the windshield which left a bullet mark the size of a spider web and collided right bellow my right foot and ripped through the soft fabric of the seat I was lying on.

"HOLY SHI-" I yelled before hearing another shot and another.

Rev turned the steering wheel with a jerk and I felt the car swerve to the right.

"Where the hell are we going?" I asked hastily.

"Anywhere but here!" She yelled.

I agreed and I felt the car jerk down an alley and the sniper shots subside as she came to a stop. I felt my body push forward and hit the seat before finally coming to a halt. My head throbbed due to the transformation and my legs felt wobbly.

"You shouldn't transformed you know." She said simply. "You have to have better control of your emotions."

I felt anger rise up. "I couldn't help it! I couldn't just watch!"

She sighed and shook her head. "Well now the principle knows your dirty little secret now doesn't he? I have to cover this up somehow..."

"Well I am sorry! I needed to do something. I couldn't just watch my principle's throat get slit could I?" I said with a growl behind the words.

"I need to help you control your emotions. Without it, you'll only lose yourself to your other half." She said while pointing to my body.

She then had a idea and reached into her pocket and pulled out two white tablets that were housed inside a small, tin foil covering.

"Take these. They will regulate your gene that makes you shift."

She put them into my palm that she had to pry open and I had to open my mouth and swallow them. They tasted bitter and I felt my body shiver as I became into my human form once again. "You should be fine now." She said as she handed me the keys to the Nissan.

"You drive me to your house. We start the official MENTAL training now."

I sighed and gripped the keys. "I never chose this life you know."

"I know. It chose you." Rev said with almost sadness behind her voice.

I shook the previous events of almost being shot out of my mind and forgot about anyone who might have caught me in my Shifter form.

And I laughed again.

I had to.