Trapped Rp

As conversation dwindled, and the one called Rose suddenly called out, the serpent raised one brow before taking his own measurements of what had drawn her attention. His sharp eyes flicked over their surroundings, tongue sliding out slowly before whipping back as his lips curled into a smirk. Seeing as there were only about two scents he could possibly recognize in this open place, it was not hard to know what was approaching. It was the bear. Even if he could not see him, he would know it. But the creature was not making an attempt to be stealthy. Otherwise, he presumed it would have been much more difficult to detect. "I believe it is your bear." he mused wryly, head cocking to the side and swiveling in the direction from which the scent was the strongest, and now a shimmer of movement was within range. It did smell…odd however. As he came closer, it was made obvious why, the heat waves of the sun peeling back to reveal a man rather than beast.


It was not the behemoth of an animal he had met previously that was approaching, clearing his throat in case they had failed to recognize the more subtle signs, but a human. Given, it was a human who had the scent of fur and earth about him, rather than mere flesh and sterilized gloves. The white jumper was simply an affirmation of what he had already assumed. So this one could change completely. His gaze flicked to the woman before back to the other again. Perhaps she could as well. It made him a bit uneasy, feeling mildly at a disadvantage amongst such shape shifting creatures, but he did not allow it to show, a grin flashing his pale fangs. After all, perhaps they had the upper hand in stealth and other matters when in their more bestial forms but he did have the advantage of his senses always being at his full disposal. "It is good to see you again so soon." his low voice purred, but it was hard to define his tone as sincere or not.
 
"I'm not anyone's 'bear'," he whispered sorely, slate-grey eyes befalling duo, addressing primarily the serpent. With condemnation he studied them, the hybrids. How incredibly efficient it would be to hold their advantages without reprehension from their bodies. Feeling immediately self-conscious, he flexed his fingers, feeling the lightness of the flesh where claws had resided only hours ago. The sun beat down, cruel and unforgiving, on his bare skin. It hurt, it burned, and it made him want to withdraw from the open area. He was far too weak to do much for himself now, and thought it better to be in the company of others like him who could defend him if needed... but what troubled him was the lack of confidence he had towards them. Surely they were on the same team; and the scientists were their rivals.


With a solemn nod, he supposed in a sort of way it was nice to see that damned snake again. However, he remained quite bitter about the "bear" thing. He spited the idea of being a pet. Brows somewhat scrunched in a look of aggravation, he glanced at Rose. She was a husky... and a cheetah... How unusual. And then there was a tiger and a snake, which was equally as original. And then there was he, a bear--plain and rather unimpressive. Chewing on his lower lip, he wondered if the sudden quake in his stomach was for food or anxiety over the vulnerability of his current state.


--- Merged Double Post ---


(I can't speak for Fox, but I enjoy RPing with you too! :])
 
As the creature rustled out of the bushes Rose instinctively dropped into a crouch. Even as she discovered that the "creature" was Nero she remained in that position but relaxed her muscles so that they were not on edge. "Morning," she called almost in a question. Formalities weren't Rose's strong point but she did try to have manners that is what her son would have wanted. He was always reminding her to be polite even to the scientists who he did not understand.


She snapped out of her daze re-focusing her eyes from the tree behind Nero to his actual face than Dragon's. She felt a little jumpy and couldn't remain focused on either of them for much longer. Her eyes kept skipping and swerving because focusing on one thing, even if it be inanimate, felt awkward. She had a growing need for movement.
 
(I like rping with you guys as well. :) . Sorry for the lapse there. The past 48 hours have been spent in Skyrim.)


The bears response made the serpents eyes glint in amusement, holding up his hands as if to say 'no offense' while not actually voicing the sentiment. But the smirk on his lips bellied the sentiment, leading one to believe he very well could have said it to offend intentionally. It was difficult to read. The combination of human and snake features gave him the air of being unpredictable and almost wicked even when idly standing by and it wasn't helped by his rebellious and sharp edged temperament. "Apologies. It is only that I do not know what else to call you." he mused wryly. The way the man who had formally been a bear shifted and nibbled at his lower lip didn't go unnoticed. Of course he could not know what anxieties were running through the mans brain, but he could see them, tongue darting out as if he might be able to scent out the cause. Rose too seemed…fidgety. It was the only word he could conjure up to describe the way her gaze flickered, her body seeming ready to take off at any moment. As with most such ailments, it was infectious. The serpent felt himself beginning to become uneasy in the strange sort of unwilling meeting that had been assembled out on the golden plane. In some ways it felt as if they had come together through the mutual urge for company and numbers only to realize that none of them were very well equipped to deal with each other. How utterly ridiculous.


Sighing lowly, the serpents eyes scanned the horizon briefly before examining his reluctant comrades. Perhaps a united goal would relieve the tension. Or at least moving about might make the females eyes stop bobbing about. It put him on edge. His tongue scented the air a few times, picking up traces of smells, smaller, warm beings moving out in the artificial world. "Are we fed like kept rodents once more or are the creatures I smell out there meant to be our prey?" Though he had thought about broaching the subject of food in hopes of relieving tension, he realized now that he was indeed hungry. The last feeding had been a day before or more now. When left in the cell, he could run easily on few meals, having little need to burn energy. But recent strains were making it apparent that his body was going to demand more attention if he was to be in motion more frequently.
 
( :lick: :o :8D: )


Rose shifted her head a bit letting the soft wind brush across her nostrils. "That is our breakfast, they like to monitor our hunting patterns," she said finally jumping off the rock so that she was eye level with everyone. Would she have to shift once more to catch our prey or could she possibly try it in her "human form". Rose stared at her hands flexing them, her fingernails elongated before sheathing back into her cuticles. No, she did not have full out retractable claws but when she needed to grab something she could definitely grip it with these babies. Wiggling her toes Rose smiled noticing how the pads on the bottom of her feet let her feel everything but they protected her feet from sharp stones.


"We each have separate hunting grounds that fit our specific feeding needs. The dome seems like it expands in all directions but know it has to stop somewhere. I haven't explored much beyond the sahara and this small bit of forest. You know when you have found the right prey because your animal instincts take over. I personally feel like my eyes glaze over and the colors dilute a bit but all my other senses are finer tuned," she finished shocked by all that she had said. Rose had never classified herself as talkative but at that moment she seemed downright chatty.
 
Nero, although about to volley the serpent's dig right back at him, was stunned to hear Rose rambling about herself. If not for having shifted his gaze to her flapping lips he wouldn't have believed it himself. It almost made him want to grin, the key word being "almost." He pondered briefly if he should revert to his feral form, but opted against it for now since it had really taken its toll on his body. He just wasn't built to sustain the animal side of him; a small heart to struggle to keep up with 2,000 pounds of muscle and fur. It was an encumbrance he wouldn't wish on the worst of enemies, for the fatigue that hardly seemed to ever subside was a hellish remind of his mortality despite the sheer size and power. "I suspect you've had much time to comb over the situation," he rasped, hoping to prompt more about her theories. He was able to guess that the serpent was hungry, and it could wait. He wanted to know everything Rose knew, or at least what she thought so he could formulate a greater task. They couldn't just live like specimen, and if ever there was a chance to escape, perhaps now was most favorable. With a nonchalant attempt to twitch a circular ear, he almost chuckled to find that he could not, and instead rotated his skull in that direction in order to amplify the echoing sounds. Bugs clicked and chirped. Grass rustled with the fake drafts. Nothing particularly out of the normal. "You eat...rodents?" he said sharply, breathing out with unmasked abhorrence as he refused to allow his gaze to befall the reptile. He would dare to say that those eyes it possessed scared him half to death, and the malevolent way it moved and spoke didn't help disarm him either.
 
Rose sensed the tension between the males before she saw it. Their body language was stiff and crouched both were ready for an attack. She could tell Nero wanted her to say more but she had nothing more to say. "I have had time but that is as far as my theories extend. You guys need to fill in the blanks," she finished rolling her neck slowly. Each vertebrae shifted then fell into place after she released the stretch. The synthetic wind whistled carrying not only the scent of trees but also humans. Rose was fairly sure scientist roamed the area watching them, fixing cameras, testing anything and everything.
 
Rose was speaking rapidly, and had the bear not seemed to be so very intrigued by her sudden deluge of information, he would have thought it a normal occurrence in the female. Apparently not. As for himself, he was loathe to realize that though he had the instincts and indeed the power to hunt in this form, he had never had the opportunity as of yet to put it to the test. It left him mildly uneasy about the whole affair. Also, he was not so sure about the idea of his instincts telling him which prey was best suited for him. On more than one occasion he had sunk his teeth and claws into one of the human scientist. It had been triggered by hatred, perhaps even a bit of fear but in the end, the blood always turned the encounter deadly if he was given the chance. Was that so odd? His reptile self was indeed small and probably hunted similarly small creatures in the wild, but he was also a cat. Not just any cat either, but the largest in the animal kingdom. Surely that creature was suited for much larger prey but this body was somewhere in between. It was neither as large as his feline self or as slender and small as his reptile aspect. Perhaps the reason he was so volatile around the scientist had as much to do with his own anger as it did with these instincts she spoke of. After all, they were large enough to make a meal for him and ill equipped to fight him off in his altered state. Interesting.


The serpent was pulled from his thoughts by the bear speaking, apparently to him now. His tone made his striped tail bristle a bit, irritated both by the tone of the question as well as his own inability to know for sure what prey he was best suited for and thereby his ability to answer. It was not hard to catch the disgusted edge to his accusation, but when the Dragon turned is venomously narrowed eyes upon him, he found that the bear was keeping his gaze carefully away from meeting his. The slitted pupils narrowed, blue depths glinting with sudden amusement that chased away the brief flash of anger as his tongue darted out briefly. "A snake eats rodents." he purred, but there was an edge of chastising humor about his words, apparently quite happy to test the bears patience. "But I am not merely a snake anymore than you are merely a man. I suppose I will eat whatever I can sink my fangs into. What is it you eat bear? Berries?" the serpent let a disapproving grimace show on his features but it was quickly a smirk moments later as he shrugged lightly. "To each their own."


His pale gaze flitted over their surroundings briefly. What the woman said meant there were many other areas to explore here. As much of a hodge podge as he was, he had a distinct feeling that he was not meant for this open place. He needed cover and shade to hide him while he lay in wait, something more suited for the gray gleam of his scales and the black length of his hair. His tongue darted out briefly tasting the air. He could smell the humans…Though it was hard to say if it was simply because their scent was on himself, and indeed those who surrounded him as well as the enclosure or if they were still close by. "I suppose it would be consider foul play to hunt them…" he mused lowly to himself, though the glint in his eyes said he might just be willing to brave it under the right circumstances.
 
Rose smiled toothily, "I don't mind cheating, you could call sedatives foul play. We aren't really playing dirty if the other team cheats," she purred amsuing herself with the idea of the whole thing being a game. Her amber eyes darted back and forth searching for a new subject of focus. She was beginning to get bored with the people around her. At least that was her excuse in reality she was uncomfertable being around creatures for so long. She felt she had exsposed to much and there was no way for her to take it back. Crossing her thin muscled arms Rose tug her fingers into the soft fur on her biceps. She placed each finger on a darkened tone of a spot. From a distance she looked freckled, a result of her cheetah DNA.


The scent of alcohol was getting closer and she hissed angrily. Why can't they just leave us alone? They want to see us react in the wild, the scientists keep interfering with that. "We need to get out of here before the start pricking us again," she growled her eyes forming menacing slits.


(I am suffering from a serious writers block, any ideas for a plot twist? )
 
(I've got one... or two. ;D Just roll with the punches...)


Everything drained to a faint pigment of red. His world grew dark, with now only the immediately important things visible. The trees, the sky, the forest... none of that mattered. It was that damned serpent--he'd gone too far. He was taunting him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to take it in silence nor stillness. In anticipation of the injury he would sustain in such a form, he began to shift, skin dissolving into thick fur, muscle growing and bulging with horrific slurps and gurgles. Blood seeped from his knuckles as claws grew from his flesh, salivation dribbling out of the sides of his scowling lips as his face elongated into its feral state. His height, weight, and overall stature radically changed, along with his disposition. He was no longer tranquil and indifferent, but livid towards that half-feline antagonist of his. He wanted to maul him beyond recognition, but to be more practical, he'd settle for a single good blow. If not obvious, the genetic benefits would be primarily speed, something he generally lacked. "C'mere kitty, kitty, kitty..." he egged softly, voice a low, rumbling snarl.


Mary whined and paced the halls once again, chest puffed out in an alabaster display of pride and eyes staring off in space, pondering how to get into the stadium. Black lips in a tight frown, she snorted, long claws tap-tap-tapping against the linoleum. Her tail lashed lazily at her heels while she considered all the possible approaches, but never once the consequences. The decompressive hiss of the hydraulic systems in a door brought her whirling from her daydreams of scandals, watching as several enormous wooden crates of squealing and grunting animals were wheeled into the enclosure that so greatly mystified her. Without haste, she bounded nonchalantly inside, eyes bright with childlike wonder. What she saw surpassed her greatest dreams, extending well beyond her imagination. A lush, green rain-forest met them almost at once, the thick canopy overhead leaving the bright sun a weak yellow glow in the far distance. It was dark and dank, smelling of moist soil and exotic plants. It was home.
 
The smile that answered Roses' words was still dark, still more a smirk but it seemed quite genuinely pleased by her response. His pale eyes shifted to the woman, as if studying her anew, finding this darker facet much more complimentary to his own thoughts on the subject. "All too true." he mused lowly,his eyes falling half closed under thick lashes. No, these humans had never played fair. It was only their gadgets and toys that allowed them to survive the outcomes of their own experiments. If they were caught without them it was an entirely different story. How many had he killed? The number seemed rather daunting by human standards. Had it not been for the success of his venom, the retention of his old intelligence, he probably would have been put down long ago. But no. He was too valuable alive right now. How many here felt as he did? How many here would turn on these creatures if given the chance? One could hope there were more like this Rose. Those who seemed to have the edge to fight.


Her small warning pulled him from his revelry, sharp eyes flicking over the golden horizon, tongue darting out deftly. She was right…Whether or not their scent was everywhere or not, it was getting closer. Were they merely fixing equipment in this area, or was their intent focused upon them? He for one did not truly wish to find out. "I think you may be…" his words fell away as his ears were assaulted by a strange sort of moist noise, eyes whipping around sharply toward the bear. What he saw before him made the snake step back a pace, turning so that he was fully facing the very blatant threat, his body crouching slightly. Fur had sprung up over the young mans skin, his body shifting and morphing to something in between his animals self and the fleshy human body he had worn moments before. There was a tang of blood in the air, dripping from his newly clawed hands as he seemed to broaden and grow monstrously before him. This he had not expected. Apparently the bears carefully constructed front was not so sound as he had supposed, and it seemed his acidic response had brought it tumbling down, leaving his rage directed upon him with sudden intensity. The serpent was not a foolish creature and it would have indeed been foolish not to be intimidated by the mass of flesh and claws that seemed very intent on making him regret his previous statement. On the other hand, he was also not helpless. A calculating, searing edge had begun to creep into the snakes slitted eyes as his body stilled. The muscles wound themselves like great coils, making the scales above glimmer dimly, hands poised with the black claws ready at his sides. The low, growling taunt was answered by a slight narrowing of his glittering eyes, lips peeling back to flash the dangerous fangs and hallow canines beneath. His black mouth gleamed as a strange sort of hissing growl rattled in his chest.


The anger in his eyes made them glitter dangerously, as if an electric current ran behind the pale blue shells, but he did not charge in. The serpent knew by instinct and observation that he could not hope to win a battle of brute strength. It was hard to say what the bears intent was but it was best to assume he meant to end him and so such action would be suicide. It seemed logical then to play to his own strengths, letting the bears cumbersome weight work against him instead of having it used as an obvious advantage to his more slender, agile figure. The stone like stillness slowly seeped from his body a bit as he moved, sidestepping slowly around to the right, apparently attempting to maneuver himself so that he had the bears back at the rocks and open land behind himself. His gaze was unblinking, the thicker, dragon like ridge along his spine rising into sharper, exposed edges, tail prickling angrily. "Too slow to catch me yourself bear?" he growled, the words punctuated by a sharp, wrathful hiss.
 
"You've got a brain, and by your mannerisms I can assume it functions at an adequate rate," he rumbled, noting how with each word his anger and distaste began to slip, his usual passive-indifference trying to regain possession of his body and mind. Keeping his hostile demeanor at its zenith, he continued, voice not quite as slurred as he was accustom to; "So use it, and save such idiotic statements for someone who has the time for your nonsense, or better still, someone who actually gives a damn." His back hunched forwards, body lowering into a crouch, thighs rippling as he hovered on the thick skin of his feet, balanced perfectly on his toes, like a spinning top, and any sudden movements would have it launching instantaneously. Gradually he evaluated the specimen again, assuming that its teeth, as a great deal of serpents, dispensed venom. He had to evade the mouth, which wouldn't be generally too large a concern if not for its speed. Tigers were slow, built primarily for stealth and stamina with short bursts of energy when absolutely necessary. Snakes were, in contrast, fast and agile to strike. It became quite apparent that he'd have to find a way to see how he would move in response to an advance. Grunting under his breath, the supple tug of his mind and senses alerted him to the presence of humans as well, yet he found it still irrelevant. He didn't care for them, but he'd never attempted to do much harm to one. The other two --Rose and the snake-- wanted to kill it, or them; he couldn't have cared less at this point. For being so blatantly unaware of what was happening, he was very much in tune with the maneuvers of his adversary. He wanted to corner him. He wanted to pin him to a single location where escape was a foreign concept. He wouldn't hear of it, so he simply held his ground, allowing the snake to inch away from his view, pupils following after it with discrete interest. Assessing the situation, he took heed that there resided a mound of stone a few feet behind him, to his other side lay the beginnings of the woodland, and on the other two sides grasslands stretched for as far as the eye could see. Naturally he wanted to avoid the tall grass, and he couldn't allow himself to be trapped against the rocks. If the smaller man attacked him, all he could do was be ready to intercept the action and launch an equally as abrupt offense himself. This made him grimace.
 
As Rose watched the situation unfeld She began to growl. What imbeciles, "What kind of daft idiots are you? Are you seriously starting a fight, that is simply playing into their hands! They want to see our animal instincts take over," she yowled hoping to get their attention. The trees were shaking and whirring, shifting so that cameras could get a better view of the fight. Further proof of her statement but she doubted they had even listened.The realization that she was going to need to shift if this fight got out of control. Rose backed up with quick fluid steps. Reaching her hand back she felt the warm grey rocks that she planned to climb upon.
 
The bears words made the snake grin wickedly, a strangely feral and unsettling expression in his grayish features. It flashed the pearly fangs, slitted eyes narrowed dangerously, focused with unblinking focus upon the larger man. Every muscle in his body seemed poised to move, tongue scenting the air slowly as he circled. Had it not been for the threatening, venomous edge to each move, it would have almost been a dance, scales glimmering lowly as his gaze flitted over the bear. Clearly he wasn't going to make it easy, and back into a corner. For that, he had to give him credit. In fact, he was quite surprised by the mans violence. He had not pegged him as a killer, despite the ways of his beast. Even with Rose he could not be sure. Though she seemed to share his sentiments for the men who kept them captive here, was she really the sort to put claws to flesh if the occasion arose?


Speaking of the young female, the serpent paused in his movements, going still once more as she shouted at them. His eyes did not move from the bear but it was clear he listened to her nonetheless, head cocking slightly to the side in order to take in the sounds around them. She was right of course. The men in their little white coats were surely leaping with joy at the prospect of two of their monsters testing their merit on one another. If one of them did manage to harm the other, would they interfere? Or would they simply take notes as they tore each other apart before the lenses of their many machines? That sounded more like it. "Perhaps we are…but what choice do we have? Playing the game is the only way to bid our time." something flickered in the snakes gaze, voice dropping to a low whisper. "Beware of him that is slow to anger, for when it is long in coming, it is stronger when it comes and longer kept. Abused patience…turns to fury." he said the words almost as if he were repeating a phrase whose meaning he had lost, a song whose words one clung to long after the thought behind them was lost, the edge to his gaze softening over with confusion for a moment before he snarled lowly, anger flashing in the pale depths. He pressed the ball of his palm into his temple briefly as a sharp pain lanced through his skull, but quickly recovered himself to the situation at hand. But the cynical and low burning violence in his eyes had turned full blown. When he looked at the bear, it was uncertain for whom the rage was meant, but it was clear where it was about to take out its wrath.


The serpent struck suddenly. One moment he was still, only his eyes seeming to burn and the next he had nearly closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. But he came up short just outside the bears arm length, darting to the side in a twist of his lean body. A hiss poured from his lips, like the rattle of hundreds of beads down a wooden pipe. Yet he seemed to restrain himself a bit there, muscles twitching with barely restrained momentum. Despite his instincts to fight, to assert himself, his human brain knew the girl was right, knew that it was a fruitless endeavor. But he was also aware how pointless it would be to stand by and let the bear tear him apart. "Your not the one I want bear." he growled lowly, stepping back a pace. But he did not relinquish his aggressive stance. It was the truth. For all his teasing, he had not real quarrel with this one. It was the humans who had earned his hatred. "Risking my hide for a petty tantrum is…distasteful. Is it a worthy risk to you?"
 
Annoying and pointless a question as ever, only so spoken as to avoid the conflict that he very much needed. It was such an arrogant inquisition that he doubted a response was necessary, nevertheless, he retorted as bitterly as ever. "To keep a sharp mind, one clear of its natural petty grievances, you must alleviate the stresses that plague your mind by any means plausible." He'd basically assumed that the snake would not be foolish enough to stay within range despite the briefness of his attack, so when he backed away in the offensive stance it was not very astonishing. With a low, aggravated grumble, his body lurched forwards, heels pushing wickedly against the earth and scattering a massive deposit of soil, propelling him towards the serpent, body as aerodynamic as he could manage, hands flush to his sides, body inclined towards his temporary target, pupils reduced to minuscule dots floating in his iris. Thick strings of salivation oozed from his pointed teeth as he encroached on the snake in a fraction of the time it had taken for the reptile to approach him, since the distance had vastly decreased. Before he could properly judge his actions, he found his arm had risen instinctually to the boy's throat, clawed-digits closing gingerly around the small circumference so that he prevented almost any movement of his head.


Scowling, he tightened his grip until his knuckles pale, applying seemingly tremendous pressure to the scaled-tissues and sneering, "If even for a moment you believed that my agenda was to eliminate you, then you are most definitely incorrect. I share a similar goal to your own, but possess no regret in destroying you in order to make achieving my goal that much easier." The savageness in his face faded to a sardonic grin that mimicked the serpent's typical smug smirk, and with the receding visual aggression he eased back, relinquishing his hold and stepping from the immediate striking range in case he intended to dish out revenge. However, the ever pressing need to escape the watchful eyes of the security cameras and the scientists bubbled to the surface of his subconscious.
 
As the two men crashed to the ground in a heap of growling snarling movement. Dragon had a more elegant style of fighting while Nero seemed to use his weight. It was interesting to watch the slips and slide of Dragon's lithe body slipping around Nero's huge grizzly form. The only thing louder than the fighting was the constant whirring of cameras. Rose was pretty sure that the ground was even adjusting to get lower angle views. She wasn't going to stay here much longer in fact she was going to leave now. Waiting for those creeps that called themselves scientists was not an option.


She jumped onto the huge boulder behind her taking a few steps across the warm surface then leaped to the ground. Her feet dug into the ground and she knew she could put more distance between herself and the boys if she shifted. Letting out a soft snarl she slowed just enough to begin the slow excruciating process. Her legs began to break and reform at a lightning pace as did her vertebrae tossing to a jerking four legged gait. Her hands curled up into fists reforming into the petite white paws. Within moments she was fully shifted and running full speed. Her mind began to clear and Rose realized running from the fight wasn't the best option what happened if one of them got hurt, how would the scientists react? Growling she spun around racing back but this time in a wider ark that would allow her to come in from a different direction therefore getting a better idea of where the scientists were.
 
(Sorry bout that night. Hopefully I can keep up better here again soon. New job and training has been eating up my time.)


The serpent didn't have time to worry about the sudden recession of the young female, or where it was she intended to go. Perhaps she was fleeing the stench of the white coated men who were surely lurking nearby, choosing to leave before they decided to make a more formal appearance. Or she had decided to hunt, a prospect he too found appealing. Whatever further thoughts he might have spared on the subject were banished by the wall of flesh that came barreling toward him. It had been in some ways his own mistake. He had not thought about how much closer he was to the bear, or that he would strike so swiftly. More importantly, when push came to shove, he had not truly been willing to use his most effective weapon against the other creature and so had not been prepared to defend himself when a hand suddenly tightened about his throat.


For the briefest moment, his eyes widened, one strong hand gripping the mans wrist while the other poised at his side, claws at the ready. The black points gleamed, stillness settling over him as his eyes began to burn and narrow with aggression. As the grip about his long neck tightened violently, he flinched slightly, his slitted pupils scanning the mans features as if for an answer. Of course the question was far more important. Was this one really willing to try and kill him? He had nearly defaulted to the more secure course of action, muscles in his forearm flexing slightly as he began to bring his clawed fingers up toward the creatures face. The disadvantage of strangling was of course that one had to be in arms length to begin with. But the bear was suddenly speaking, making the serpents brow furrow slightly. Seeing as air was not the easiest thing to come by for the moment, he simply refrained from trying to speak and glared darkly at his aggressor until he saw some of the ferocity fade. Soon after he found himself released as the bear stepped away.


The dragon in haled sharply, chest rising and falling with a quick rhythm as his lungs made up for lost supply and time, fingers rubbing the abused flesh to assess the damage that had been done. Surely it would bruise, though against the grayish tone of his skin and the scales themselves, who would ever be able to tell? Had he really believed the bear would kill him? In some ways, no he had not. But predicting the actions and motives of other sentient beings was never a safe gamble. However, his words made anger and distaste rise like bile in the back of his throat. Rolling his shoulders and neck as if to alleviate a mild ache, the serpent focused his pale eyes upon the other. For the briefest moment he debated attacking him, perhaps with more malicious intent then before, his forked tongue darting out swiftly. Yet he remained, taking a slow step back. "If that is how you think, perhaps you are on the wrong side." he sneered, but the venom in his words was more than jest this time, the tang of the humans scent in the air making his blood boil all the more. He exhaled through gritted teeth, making a disdainful noise. It almost seemed he would turn away and stalk into the long grasses, to vanish somewhere beyond in the denser woods, but instead the serpent whirled just when it seemed impossible to twist about so violently. After all, he owed the bear something for the marks his actions were sure to leave. But truly, he was not wholly able to stop himself. The humans scent was driving him slowly to near blindness with hostility, the urge to hunt them like the vermin they were near irresistible. However, with another outlet so close at hand, it seemed his instincts would not abide waiting for him to stalk down other prey.


He was enough himself that he kept his fangs in check, though a hiss did pour from his lips with a horrendous rattle as his fingers tensed, claws lashing out at the mans chest as he spun toward him from the small distance, dancing away just enough to twist around and swipe at his side as well.
 
Nero watched crookedly, evidently content with himself as he maintained his temper enough to think about the malice and rage that blossomed in the serpent's desperate face. Allowing himself to wallow in the past, he didn't even see the creature's swift attack. However, he felt it. Inhaling sharply with abrupt agony, he crumpled forward and onto his knees, arms clutching at the gashes on his chest and side caused by the talon-like hands of the young man. Rolling onto the ground with a groan, he closed his eyes, thrashing around and stirring massive clouds of dirt and dust. He bit down hard on his tongue, nearly severing a section of it as he tried to suppress a scream. Without his consent, the injury had trigger a transformation, and he was shifting back into his homosapien-sapien form. Blood oozed out from the openings, staining the ground a deep violent as dwarfed pools grew beneath him. His body frantically tried to repair itself, almost doing more harm than good as cells rapidly multiplied, leaving him exhausted and in unfathomable pain. Unable to bear the acute suffering, he parted his lips, a cry that sounded like a dog being tossed into boiling water searing his throat as he released his frustrations verbally.


He curled into a fetal position, head pulled in towards his body as he convulsed involuntarily. Before long, he blacked out.


With the eye of a hawk, a tigress examined a few blades of green grass as they were compacted under her massive paw. Retracting it almost as quickly as she'd set it down, she scrutinized the crippled foliage and frowned. Snorting, she nudged it with her nose, hoping to straighten it out--which as an act in vain. Whimpering under her breath, she moved on, paws falling lightly on barren plots of land, forcing her to collect her body over small patches of earth and to lunge over solid patches of jade ruffage. Her body compressed and flexed with the limberness of a rubberband, shoulders hunching with each graceful stride. Sunlight pierced the canopy and set criss-cross patterns of hightlights into her rich orange fur. Black eyes devoid of thought, she merrily kept busy, unaware that she was navigating towards the quarreling pair, oblivious until she heard a crash, accompanied by a nearly inaudible hiss and a loud, thunderous yet wounded roar. As those noises reverberated in her ears, she straightened up, plunging forwards into a sprint, body tight and close to the ground as she raced towards it cautiously, eager to find its origin. Twitching her spindly, translucent whiskers, she pushed through the shrubbery, stalking up hill until the ground crumbled beneath her paws. She was at a ledge, foliage encasing her body as she peered down the vertical slope to where two beasts fought, one now reduced to a heap on the floor. Instinctively her body tensed, and she readied to spring to the fallen specimens aid if needed. The head scientists wouldn't approve any murder taking place, or so she thought.
 
Her keen sense of scent told her where each scientist was hidden. They all had a guard of at least two and so far she had counted five of them, all radioing back and forth to each other. The sounds of the brawl were soft but still vicious and Rose heard the crisp sound of the doors of the enclosure opening them closing again. She forced herself to ignore the new presence and focus on getting back, she worried the splitting up would make them more vulnerable however if the fighting continued they would need to figure out a different plan. Suddenly a scream of pain echoed through the forest, it sounded more bellowing and guttural most likely Nero. Rosa discovered she was correct as she appeared emerging from the forest at a lightning pace.


Keen eyes swept the area, the grass was flattened and clawed revealing clumps of dirt. Blood was beginning to flow but it had not started to pool yet. As she suspected Nero was convulsing in the middle of the field shifting at lightning speeds as his body tried to heal wounds from the fight and the ones self-inflicted through the shift. Surprisingly she was not angry at either of them, they just needed to figure out what to do next. Why focus on what you can't change?
 
The serpent wasn't fully prepared for the outcome of his actions. Some part of him had suspected the bear to pull something out of his hat and make him regret the rash behavior. However something seemed to have distracted him just long enough to fall prey to the blow, further betrayed as his own body sought to shift into a fully human form. The dragon backed up a few paces, though never relinquished his defensive posture, eyes unblinking as they watched the larger man thrash about, screaming as his body morphed rapidly. This was what the scientist wanted of his own body. Up until now he had never seen the real thing in action and now that he had, he was quite certain he never wanted to be its victim. He watched the man still, red staining the ground but it did not seem he was dead. The injuries he had inflicted were by no means deadly, unless that change had caused some damage he could not see. His tongue darted out slowly, scenting the air, watching the mans chest rise and fall just to make sure. There was a brief moment of unease, torn between the base instinct to finish the job while his opponent was prone and helpless, and the more human one that saw no reason to do so. After all, the bear could have killed him back when he was similarly unconscious yet he had not. It seemed only fair. Besides, he would be playing into their tormentors hands by continuing further.


Letting out an indignant and uneasy sound of distaste, the snake rubbed his bruised neck absently, eyes scanning the area. Still, he never let them trail from the bear for long, both to make sure he kept breathing and that he didn't jump up and give him the beating of his life while he was distracted. The white coated fiends still lurked out in the foliage somewhere. He could smell them…and something else….


His senses finally caught up to his brain, eyes flicking about as Rose once again emerged from the grass, now no longer a human in any way. Yet he knew it was her. Her scent had not changed so terribly as to make her unrecognizable. Studying her critically, he glanced at the bear once more settling back so that he leaned casually against on of the large rocks at his back. His long, clawed fingers were tipped in blood, leaving trails on the gray stone as they slowly flexed against the warmth beneath them. The striped tail, formally bristled a bit, had relaxed, swaying aimlessly between his legs as he reclined. Though he inclined his head in greeting to Rose, he did not seem to be fully at ease, his gaze flicking around them uncertainly. He could have sworn he smelled something. His tongue darted out experimentally to taste the air. It kept fluctuating, as if only a specific turn of the breeze were bringing it his way. A predator? Or a very lucky morsel?


"We should not leave him unattended." he muttered quietly, for all the world almost seeming oblivious that he had caused the damage himself. It also did not seem fully directed at anyone in particular, as if he would not begrudge the woman for choosing to simply turn away. After all it was not her mess. "There is no telling what they would do if we were to leave him here in this state." his words picked up a sharper edge, trailing over their surroundings as if waiting for said 'they' to emerge at any moment. Perhaps this was what they wanted. For them to slowly kill one another, to pit their mutations against their fellow prisoners. Well, he was not about to take a life for their sake. A rumbling hiss of defiance rose in his throat, eyes narrowing coldly.
 
Rosa darted into the clearing, "Can you carry him or should we stay here and take guard?" she asked. Her rounded ears flicked as the sound of doors opening and closing in the distance. "They are either adding more variable to their experiment or releasing more scientist," she chirped standing protectively beside Nero. Her tail flicked in irritation, she felt trapped again knowing that she was surrounded on all sides. The trees were still omitted robotic whirs as they twisted getting better views of them.


Nero's spasm's seemed to be slowing but other than that she didn't think he would be moving anytime soon. The muscles in her shoulders tensed and released begging for movement, the waiting was killing her when suddenly there was the sound of a branch snapping behind her. With a growl she spun around facing the guards and scientists who had appeared. She wasn't suite sure what they were after, they were holding what looked like collars and leashes along with long canes the buzzed oddly at the top.
 
Charmeine blinked open her eyes quickly yet gracefully to see three guards attaching a collar to her neck with a leash on the end; she was being taken out of her holding cell? Two of the guards avoided eye contact, messing around with chains and the leash, whereas the other one looked at her apologetically; she knew him quite well. She frowned at him as the two other guards roughly pulled her up from the ground and began dragging her out of the cell like a wild animal...then again, that is what they saw her as wasn't it? Her huge white wings spread out behind her and for half a second she thought about scratching both their eyes out with two quick swipes and running away, but then reality hit her once more; run to where? She sighed and let them drag her along to wherever it was they were taking her now, another test perhaps? Maybe even to try and get her to breed once more; Charmeine wasn't stupid. She wasn't going to give them a child just so that they could do to it what they had done to her.


After what seemed like an hour Charmeine found herself being thrown out into a strange room with a weird, prickly yet soft green flooring and strange tall objects with long brown bars that had green circles of various shapes and sizes on the ends of them. Her eyes widened in shock as she recalled her very first memories from when she was born; the ones she had tried vainly to keep in her brain since they were all she had of her mother. She remembered her mother cradling her close and telling her about the outside world, about the gentle, green grass that you could lay down in and run your hands through, and the tall trees that were perfect for climbing up and just sitting upon the brown branches while the soft, green leaves kept the rain from hitting your skin. Rain? She had never experienced rain either? Would she get the chance to now? She looked around and noticed that the guards had gone and the leash was removed from her...she was free? She shook her head and her curls bounced with her, no. They would never set her free. She was a freak, a misfit.


After a while Charmeine had stumbled upon a strange scene, she had found herself staring - from afar - at a bear on the floor, spasming uncontrollably like he had just been tested on, a strange, serpent like creature staring at the bear and a cheetah standing a few feet away, what were they doing? She slowly drifted closer, then stopping as she noticed the scientists and guards. Her eyes widened and she took a step back, her wings getting ready to lift her up.
 
The Dragons eyes trailed to the bear thoughtfully, weighing the two options as his tongue darted out to continue and try to track the new scent that had eluded him. But it was becoming more difficult. The scientists strange, sterile odor seemed to blot out much else, tainting everything around them. The bear was no small creature, even in human form. Carrying him would be an arduous sort of undertaking even with his strength but manageable. That however was not his biggest concern with laying his hands on the bear. The last thing he needed was the boy waking up when he was so close, his arm looped under his back and supporting his weight. Somehow he doubted that the bear would awaken in a find mood and so within his arms was not the ideal spot for him. However he didn't like the idea of standing guard here in this flat, golden place. It felt exposed, not an easy sort of location to defend. With the scent of the lab coated rats all around them, he did not fancy tempting fate by remaining such a target. He nodded silently at her diagnoses of the noises in the distance, running his clean hand through his thick hair in a mild show of exasperation as he exhaled. "This place is not safe. We could not protect him here if we wished to. Moving him to a safer…" his words trailed off, as he too twitched at the sound of a breaking twig.


He was coiled and facing the enemy with a bone rattling hiss within a second, pale eyes unblinking and narrowed. He was not totally surprised to see the lab coats emerging from behind them, though what they held in their hands made his lips pull back in a snarl, flashing black gums and pearly fangs threateningly. Now the game had changed. Carrying the bear away would be near impossible now. As soon as they made a move to do so, they would be attacked themselves, or easy targets slowed under his dead weight. Yet fleeing rang wrong in his mind as well. He was not certain which side of him found the idea deplorable. Perhaps both, one out of some sense of duty and the other too brazen and stubborn to behave as a coward. But that did not mean he planned on making a martyr of himself in the process. In fact, he would much prefer to do them that kindness.


In a slick, and liquid sort of movement he danced to the side, leaping up onto the crest of one of the large gray rocks. There his body crouched low, that swaying dance overtaking him once more as his tongue darted at them mockingly. But a dark purpose gleamed in his eyes. Though he had left he way to the unconscious bear somewhat open, he had the high ground now. Should one of them stray too close, stick or no stick, they would have him upon them. After all, it would only take one bite. The problem with making a venomous creature of his size was that the poison was almost instantly incapacitating, and soon after, deadly. Not a problem really, unless of course you had earned a place on his bad side and given said creature the ability to use it. Another scent made him steel himself further. It did not seem like the first he had caught and yet this one too was only on approach, not so close as the stinging scent of disinfectant and cotton. As such it was of less concern to him and he could spare no attention to investigate it further. What did they want with them? Was it the bear they were after or all of them? I mattered little. He would kill them for trying either if given the opportunity. "Be gone…" his voice rattled with the sound of a hiss and the rumbling purr of a growl that built in his throat, seeming to have little care if they reacted poorly to his speaking. The tiger tail at his back bristled a bit and swayed to counter balance the rest of him, the taller, razor like ridges along the top of his skull raised from his hair like agitated fur, followed in a smooth line by the rest that trailed down his spine.
 
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