The treeline ended as suddenly as it had begun. One moment, he was pushing through tangled undergrowth, and the next he was standing on the edge of a desolate highway, the sub-machine gun held in his hands and the pistol through his belt.
Will paused for a moment, trying to figure out where to go, before the flutter of wings alerted him to her presence.
Eagle hit the ground behind him, rolling across the tarmac to soften her landing. She sprung up, snatching her pistol from his hip.
"Come on. I told Cutter to steal a car if he can find one. There's a Hunter."
Will rolled his eyes. Another thing that he knew absolutely nothing about, but seemed to want to kill him. Figures.
They were both blinded momentarily by sudden lights, before a station wagon skidded to a stop next to them. Cutter shoved open the door opposite him, and Eagle climbed in. Will jumped into the back of the car, just as he heard shouts and gunfire from the tree line. He raised the sub-machine gun outside the window, but he couldn't see anything. It was too late for their pursuers however, they were already away.
Will panted heavily as the muscle fatigue set in, and his adrenaline slowly faded. He dumped the gun on the seat next to him, whilst he watched Eagle fuss over her guns, cleaning the mud and rain from them with an oiled cloth. Cutter remained expressionless, focusing instead on the road in front of him. It was amazing how calm they were, they had obviously been totally numbed to the killing and fighting from many years of it. He breathed heavily, before he remembered there was something he wanted to know.
"Whats a 'Hunter' Eagle?"
She turned to look at him, and sat silently, studying his face. Cutter grunted softly, motioning back at Will.
"Tell him. He needs to know."
She bit her lip softly before addressing him, a sad look in her eyes. Her wings were folded behind her back, and they fluttered softly as she turned in the seat.
"They are slaves. Recombinants, like us. Twenty five years ago, a coalition of various world governments looked into new genetic research. One of the things they found, was a portion of a virus that allowed their scientists to alter the DNA of individuals. They were looking to create soldiers, but the outcry from others in the coalition was great... the project was halted."
She swallowed softly.
"Until roughly 20 years ago, when the virus was released into the general population. No one was sure who did it, but somehow they made it more effective as well. Incorporated various animal's DNA into it, released tonnes of different strains. As many as there are species on earth. Or maybe the virus adapted to accept the DNA of what it encountered... who knows. Under high enough stress, some 'carriers' became able to transform into those creatures at will. Others, like me, simply picked up traits of the DNA they were infected with. It's rare for the virus to take to a person, but if it does, they gain unique strengths."
She pulled a feather absent mindedly from one of her wings and twirled it softly in her hand.
"We were designed for a purpose. War. And we are damn good at it, designed for killing and all. Eventually, someone caught on that there was a bunch of killing machines roaming the streets, and they started capturing them. Chipping them or something, I don't know. Then those that were under whoevers control it was, started to hunt and kill the ones of us who were still free. If you come in contact with one, run. Most have had further modification, often machine in nature. They are all numbered for some reason, and that's all they refer to themselves by. whatever life they previously had is gone."
Will couldn't help it. He smiled slowly, and then suddenly burst out laughing. Eagle raised an eyebrow at him.
Cutter growled softly.
"Something funny?"
There was a venom in the tone, and Will stopped laughing.
"I'm sorry, this is all just... absurd. People keep coming to try and kill me, you guys save my life, and then you tell me I'm some sort of werewolf. Oh, and by the way, its not only humans who want you dead, you are now being hunted by cyborg werewolf slaves, controlled by some shady government body that no one has ever heard of."
Cutter's face relaxed slightly, and he grinned softly.
"Good point. It's amusing when you put it that way. Unfortunately it's true... you wouldn't believe how many of us died to get that much understanding of it."
The look in his eyes turned sad.
Will hesitated before his next question.
"What... what else do I need to know?"
Eagle looked at him.
"A lot. But first, we need to eat, and get somewhere safe. Anything you fancy?"
Will shook his head.
"Pizza order it is then. Cutter, get us home, I'm starving."
Rain began to fall again, and Will watched the streetlights speed by.
(IMAGE SOURCE: Live free or die hard (Yes, the movie).)
Words from me:
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