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Chapter Text

Creature Commandos

A Second Chance

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I - Into the Light

NOTE: I’ll make the final editing later.

She was dead.

Nina Mazursky knew this.

Or was she?

She failed to kill the Princess.

The one who planned to destroy the world.

She failed.

After everything, all her struggles, watching GI Robot, perhaps her first friend die, she still couldn’t do anything right.

She had never hated herself more than she did now.

She stepped into a lighted room, a room she couldn’t identify with any accuracy.

A man stood before her.

She knew this man.

“Dad?”

Edward Mazursky smiled at her.

“My precious little girl.”

Nina wept happily as she embraced her father.

“I missed you so much!”

Edward wept as well. “I missed you too.”

Nina cried. “I’m sorry. I got you killed. I never should’ve been born.”

“Shh. Shh. Don’t say that. I was happy. You made me so happy, Nina. And you’ve done me so proud.”

Nina stepped back to look at her, stunned and in tears.

“But…I let my friends down…I failed.”

“No,” Edward said with a shake of his head. “You didn’t.”

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The Bride shot the Princess Ilana, splitting her forehead open.

And then she walked out and left the castle, Phosphorus and Weasel following her, into the sun setting in the horizon.

Tears ran down Bride’s face as she silently mourned her friend.

Dr Phosphorus put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

It was for her, the Bride thought.

“For Nina,” she said.

Dr Phosphorus paused.

Then nodded.

“She was a nice kid.”

The Weasel whimpered, sniffing around as though someone among their group was missing.

Bride looked at him sadly. “She’s gone, Weas. She’s gone.”

Weasel’s face twisted in anguish.

He whined and keened.

Bride pulled the rodent-like man into a one-armed hug, not quite believing what she’s doing.

Seems like your sentimentality has rubbed off you, Nina. Damn you fish. Damn you.

A black van pulled up in front of the Commandos.

The passenger window opened.

It was John Economos.

“You?” Phosphorus said, incredulous.

“Get in.”

The Commandos got in the van swiftly.

Economos drove into the forest and drove into a gravel road into a deeper part of the woods.

“Where are we going?” Bride asked impatiently.

“There’s an abandoned warehouse that we converted into a safe house and a med lab.”

“Well, the castle already saw to Weasel’s wounds and Phosphorus is relatively fine.”

Phosphorus grumbled, rubbing his arm where the Weasel bit him.

“Oh,” John Economos said. “Well, that’s good then. Cuz all our medical staff are preoccupied.”

Bride and Phosphorus stared at the fat attendant of Waller.

“What?” Bride said, quite baffled. “Preoccupied with who?”

John Economos smiled sadly. “Well…I’m still blown away…I don’t know how it could be possible but…her heart started beating.”

Bride’s eyes widened. “Wh-What?”

Dr Phosphorus shook his head. “No, nonono, that’s impossible! The kid was dead! She was gutted like a…” He stopped, reconsidering his words. “…like a hog.”

John’s smile remained. “I know. The doctors believe some kind of regeneration was triggered at near death. And her wounds started closing on their own. And her heart just started up again.”

Bride snarled. “It can’t be!” She had tears in her eyes. “She was dead! You’re lying!”

“I’m telling you the truth!!!”

Bride was taken aback. John never yelled.

He rarely ever raised his voice.

And he spoke like a man telling the truth.

Bride had this far away look as tears ran down her face. “Nina’s alive?”

John nodded. “If I’m lying, you may kill me if you like.”

Bride scoffed.

And a familiar voice came through the radio.

“I concur with Bride, John. You’re too important to kill.”

“Waller?” Phosphorus said.

“Yes, Doctor. We don’t know how but somehow Mazursky came back from the brink. But she’s not out of the woods yet.”

“What do you mean?!” Bride said, alarm in her voice.

“Her wounds closed just enough that she has a chance. Doctors are doing all they can.”

“Will she live?”

Waller didn’t answer at first.

“We’re doing everything we can. She’s in the best of care.”

Bride cursed inwardly and slammed a fist on the dashboard, breaking it.

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Later that night…

The country was in an uproar. A manhunt has been launched for the Princess’s murderers.

But they would never find them in time.

Bride watched through the one-way glass viewing room as a circle of medical staff worked on an unseen patient.

But judging by the massive tank of water, it was clear who they were operating on.

Not to mention the feet with the webbed toes sticking out from the surgical tent.

Even through the thick glass, Bride could hear the steady beep of the heart monitor.

Bride covered her eyes as she sat in the chair.

Phosphorus put a hand on her shoulder.

Amanda Waller stepped in.

She took notice of Weasel staring through the glass, whimpering.

Waller sat down next to Bride.

“I’ve seen the tapes.”

“Of what?” Bride asked, not looking up.

“Of Clayface with the Princess. You did good, Bride.”

Bride simply gave an acknowledging grunt.

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Nina held her father in the bright white room.

Edward Mazursky smiled at his daughter.

Nina looked past her and saw an endless sea of crystal.

“Can I…can I come?”

Edward nodded.

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The machine flatlined.

Bride stood up like lightning.

“No!”

Waller tried to grab her arm. “Bride, wait!”

Bride didn’t listen.

She rushed into the medical ward.

One of the nurses protested.

“Excuse me, you can’t-!”

“The hell I can’t!”

Some of the doctors moved out of the way so Bride could see the patient.

There was Nina Mazursky, the amphibious metahuman member of Team M.

Haggard and chalk white.

A breathing apparatus filled with water over her gills and an oxygen mask over her mouth for good measure.

She looked dead but she was alive.

But now it seemed all the treatment in the world wouldn’t cut it.

“We repaired the damage…” One of the surgeons said sadly. “But her heart…”

“No!” Bride cried, pushing the doctors out of the way. 

She started pressing a hand on Nina’s chest. The medical scrubs were thin so she could feel that her heart had stopped beating.

“Come on!”

A slumped-shouldered Dr Phosphorus was behind her. 

“Bride…she’s gone.”

The despair in Bride’s heart caused her to scream. “No! NOOOO!!!!”

A near hysterical Bride pressed down on her chest even harder, being extremely careful not to crush her ribcage.

Tears ran down her face like a spring.

Phosphorus, voice also filled with pain, reached out to her. “Bride! Stop! Nina’s-!”

“I’m not letting her go!” she seethed in agony. “Not after everything! Not after all she’s been through! You have to live, Nina!”

No one did or said anything to stop her.

Not even Amanda Waller.

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Nina stepped toward the sea, but her father stopped her.

Nina looked at her father, confused.

“Not yet, my little mermaid. You still have much to do.”

Nina frowned tearfully. “But…I’m a failure. I couldn’t even do one job. I’m weak. How could I-?”

Edward Mazursky silenced his daughter by hugging her tight.

“Your power has never been what you can do, Nina. It has been your heart all along. Your kindness, your mercy, how quick you are to forgive others, how quick you are to try and make peace, even with people you have every reason to hate. You transform the lives around you. That is your true power.”

A window seemed to open out of nothing, rimmed by swirling light.

Nina saw images in motion.

Images of her friends.

The Bride and she was weeping.

Dr Phosphorus sitting down, shoulders slumped, his head down.

Weasel whining and squalling as he nudged Nina’s bleeding and unmoving body.

Nina covered her mouth.

Edward smiled sadly. “They’re your friends, Nina. They need you. And you need them.”

Nina looked at her father.

She was hesitant.

She had missed her father so much.

But deep down, she knew he was right.

“The world needs more people like you Nina. A true hero and a great friend. Don’t give up yet.”

Nina smiled sadly.

“I’ll be here when your time comes,” Edward said.

After what felt like an eternity, Nina agreed. She nodded. “Ok dad. Ok.”

They embraced.

Nina’s eyes were clenched shut as tears leaked. “I love you dad.”

Edward was equally moved. “I love you too. Now go, they’re waiting for you. And so is he.”

Nina blinked. “What? Who are you-?”

Suddenly, as though a great force grabbed her spine, Nina seemed to be pulled out of her father’s arms and out of the room of light.

And into blackness.

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Nina’s eyes shot open.

She gulped massive amounts of air, her chokes muffled by the oxygen mask as her bleary blue eyes took in her surroundings.

Bride felt her heart stop for a moment as her friend tried to lift her head.

Doctors and nurses gawked in dumb shock.

“She-she came back!” One of the nurses exclaimed.

Nina was gasping for air. Her water apparatus had come undone in the throes of her awakening.

Phosphorus set it back over her gills and set them back into place.

Nina looked up and blinked her vision back.

She gasped, gulping air. “B-Bride?”

Tears ran down the Bride’s cheeks as she gently put her arms around Nina and pulled her into a tender hug.

Bride placed her face into Nina’s shoulder, relieved deep wounded soft sobs erupting from her raw throat.

Nina, smiling weakly, though slightly shocked by this show of affection, accepted it as she leaned into the Bride and put an arm around her.

A whimpering fuzzy face poked out from the surgical tent towards Nina.

It was Weasel.

He had crawled onto the operating table and none of the medical staff were brave enough to try and stop him.

And his face and fur were wet with tears.

Nina’s smile was no longer a weak one as she put a hand on his head and scratched behind his ears.

Weasel nuzzled into the hand as he rested on Nina’s thigh, being careful to avoid irritating her still healing wounds.

A mitted hand connected to an irradiated arm placed itself on Nina’s shoulder.

Nina looked up to see Dr Phosphorus.

And although one might never tell if he was smiling or not, Nina, who had come to know the glowing skeleton quite well, knew better.

And if the wisps of steam coming from his eyes weren’t enough, Nina could see that the Doctor was so happy, he cried.

“Good to have you back, kid.”

Nina smiled widely as tears ran down her face.

“Good to be back, Dr.”

John Economos was openly crying. He had a handkerchief and wiped his eyes with it.

Waller, usually stoic and severe, cleared her throat rather roughly.

“We need to pull out, immediately.”

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1 Hour Later…

Just Over the Atlantic

The V-22 Osprey carrying the Commandos and the one nurse tending to a bedridden Nina who was sleeping soundly. 

Her head had no helmet but her gills were fitted with a medical collar that served as her water-operated breathing apparatus.

Bride held her hand, gently squeezing it.

Phosphorus sat on the other side of Nina, arms crossed.

He would occasionally glance at her.

Weasel slept at the foot of her bed.

Bride might’ve said that she still couldn’t believe it, but she dared not.

She didn’t dare say anything that might make this miracle come untrue.

She had Nina’s hand in one hand and a damp handkerchief in the other.

No one had the stomach to comment on the astronomical show of emotion the Bride was displaying.

Even Phosphorus held his tongue.

“Hey nurse, Nina is going to pull through, right?”

The nurse, a willowy woman with auburn hair smiled. “Her wounds are healing remarkably well. But she’ll need rest and plenty of it. Short answer: yes, she’ll make a full recovery.”

Bride closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips.

“Good.”

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One month later…

Belle Reve Correctional Center

Bride and John Economos rode the prison lift down.

“I know Waller isn’t very good at expressing gratitude but trust me, she appreciates what you did in Pokolistan. You pulled our fat out of the fire.”

Bride grunted. “Hm.”

“And our next stop is the medical level.”

The lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal a beaming and fully recovered Nina Mazursky.

No helmet but a specialized water apparatus around her neck like an exotic hitech necklace.

Bride gave her a genuine smile as Nina skipped into the lift.

“How are you feeling?” Bride asked.

“Fit as a fiddle, Bee!”

Bride almost chuckled at the nickname.

“So,” John said with a smile. “New order of business, the Team is expanding.”

“Expanding?” Nina asked. “New recruits?”

“Yup, and as you know, new responsibilities will have to be assumed.”

“How many newbs?” Bride asked.

“Let’s see…” Economos seemed to be counting his fingers. “Four plus an old face.”

“Guess our place will have to expand too,” Nina said.

“Already done. Oh Nina, how’s the new breather?”

Nina smiled appreciatively. “It works perfectly.” She took in a breath of fresh air as though she was breathing for the first time. “Thank you Mr E.”

John smiled warmly. “One last thing, one of the new recruits is a volunteer.”

“A volunteer?” Bride asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Yup, he’s only a monster, sometimes. So he had to willingly enlist and sign legal disclaimers.”

“Sometimes he’s a monster?” Nina asked.

“You’ll see. Just try not to crowd him. He’s not exactly a people person.”

“Neither are we,” Bride said with a shrug.

“So who’s this old face you mentioned?”

Before John could answer, they had arrived at the Commandos’ new barracks.

It was much bigger than the last, almost four times as big and three times as many cells and bunks.

Fully equipped and furnished.

Dr Phosphorus was playing ping pong with Nosferata, a she-vampire, apparently one of the new recruits.

Sitting down in a living area reading was Khalis, an ancient metahuman and a mummy.

Weasel of course was being Weasel and licking himself.

Heavy footfalls were heard.

Metallic footfalls.

Bride and Nina turned.

Bride’s eyes grew huge and Nina gasped sharply.

There standing before them at almost eight feet tall, drinking a can of diesel fuel was a new and improved, fully reconstructed G.I. Robot.

He saluted. “G.I. Robot, reporting for service ladies!”

Nina smiled tearfully. “G.I! You’re alive!”

“Friend Nina! I’m glad to see you have recovered…swimmingly.”

Bride and Nina blinked.

Nina grinned humorously. “Did you just make a joke?!”

G.I. smiled or tried to since his ability to express emotions is limited within the parameters of his design.

“I did. A.R.G.U.S. put me through some simulations. This particular jab made me think of you and I thought, ‘Friend Nina will be back soon. I’ll surprise with a capital joke.’”

Nina wiped her eyes and approached G.I. She put her arms around his massive metal middle.

“Missed you, big guy.”

G.I. put a massive arm around his amphibious friend. “I missed your presence as well, Friend Nina.”

A deep robust and simple laugh was heard. Bride looked to her left to see what appeared to be a great white shark or rather a shark man. He had two pointed toes and three fingers.

Nanaue, better known as King Shark.

He had built a pyramid out of toilet paper rolls.

And he was pointing and chuckling at the Bride.

“Hahaha! Look at dumb haircut. Hahahahaha!”

Nina covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Bride feigned offense. “Don’t encourage him.”

“So how about it?” Enconomos asked, approaching the Bride on his crutch. “You up for leading this band of misfits?”

Bride smirked. “What else I got to do?” She eyed Nina warmly.

She smiled back at her.

“Now, I count three new recruits plus the old face clearly being the tin man here. Who’s the fourth and where is he?”

John looked thoughtful. “He’s supposed to arrive today.”

John’s phone vibrated.

He pulled it out. “Ah, he’s coming down now.”

Bride, Nina as well as the other Commandos watched the elevator monitor as its number display descended.

Once it reached their floor, the lift door opened.

And it revealed a young man, Caucasian, late 20s or early 30s, powerfully built, long messy black hair, a few weeks old stubble, crystal blue eyes, a square jaw, and an orange jumpsuit and crocs like the rest of the convicts of Belle Reve.

The Commandos just stared.

This man didn’t look even remotely like a monster.

But his eyes told a different story.

They were ice-cold, unyielding, and there, almost imperceptible, was a level of ferociousness that unnerved the team.

Like a monster was locked up in the man’s soul, waiting to be unleashed.

The newcomer looked at what appeared to him to be the sorriest dregs of humanity he had ever seen.

The newcomer just stared hard at them, eyes cold as ice.

“What are you girls looking at?”

He said this with a voice as hard as iron.

Nosferata and Khalis glared hotly.

King Shark and Weasel simply blinked in confusion.

Phosphorus almost chuckled.

Bride’s stoic demeanor didn’t change.

Nina simply gulped, unnerved by this man, eyes so cold it chilled her to the bone.

Warren walked forward and then around the other Commandos as though they weren’t worth his time.

He stood at one of the far walls and brooded in silence.

Dr Phosphorus chuckled. “Well isn’t he a little Mary Sunshine?”

Nina put a finger to her lips “Shh! We’re supposed to be working with him.”

Bride put a hand on Nina’s shoulder. “Why don’t you introduce yourself, fish?”

“What?!” Nina exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Why me?!”

Dr Phosphorus smiled, though no one can really tell. “Because everyone knows you’re the best with people, especially the psychotic ones.”

Nina didn’t look so confident. “But after what happened the last time you trusted me with something…”

Bride flinched.

The last time being when Nina was given the task of stabbing the Princess Ilana to death, an attempt that resulted in Nina being gutted like a fish.

They nearly lost Nina that day.

And the world.

Bride felt remorse eat her heart like a knife.

She put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “That wasn’t your fault. I never should’ve put your life on the line like that. The blame is mine, not yours.”

Nina shook her head. “Bride, no. You couldn’t have-

Phosphorus scoffed. “It wouldn’t have happened if Weas hadn’t lost his head. Or what’s left of it.”

The weasel-like man growled menacingly.

“Can it! Both of you!” Bride barked. “Nina, it’s your call. I believe this is your bread and butter, talking to misbegotten misfits like us. If I try to talk to this guy, he’d probably want to cut out my liver and eat it.”

“And then die from food poisoning,”

Phosphorus snided.

“Shut it, Soul King.”

“Ah, you’re a One Piece fan too.”

Bride groaned in exasperation. “Not important. Nina…it’s up to you and I don’t believe there’s a better person for this job than you. If we’re going to work with Mr Social Butterfly, we need him to trust us. You know how important it is for us to rely on each other on this team.”

Nina hesitantly nodded. “Because we’re going to be depending on each other for our lives.”

“Exactly kiddo,” Dr Phosphorus said, putting a hand on Nina’s shoulder. “And tall, dark and grumpy lays so much as a finger on you, I’ll roast him.”

Nina smiled sweetly. “I’d like it if you didn’t do that. I have a feeling that this guy is just putting up a front. Deep down, I bet he’s a big ol’ teddy bear.”

“Ah,” Phosphorus said coyly. “He does look cuddly doesn’t he?”

A shade of pink appeared in Nina’s cheeks. Then she got rather annoyed. “Last thing on my mind.”

Nina turned on her heels and very gingerly approached the severe newcomer.

Warren watched her coming, his face betraying no sign whatsoever.

His arms were crossed cooly across his chest.

Nina stood before him.

She saw that this guy was about two heads taller than her.

As if that wasn’t unnerving enough, aside from the build, his face was as impassive as granite and his crystal blue eyes were like ice, staring at her indifferently.

“H-Hi. I’m Nina. Nina Mazursky.” She held out a webbed hand out to him. “How are you?”

He doesn’t take her hand. “Warren Griffith, and don’t ask me how I’m doing.”

Nina withdrew the hand awkwardly. “So you volunteered to join Team M?”

“Mm.”

Nina took that curt grunt as a positive response.

“You don’t look like a monster.”

“What exactly does a monster look like?”

Nina was taken aback by this.

“Uh…ok. I’m not sure how to answer that.”

Warren smirked sarcastically. “It’s not hard. I assume the answer is sharp teeth, claws, maybe a crazy amount of hair and an insatiable bloodlust?”

Nina blinked twice.

“My point, young lady, is you don’t have to look like a monster to be a monster. I may look like a regular guy, but trust me, I make the rest of you pukes look like kittens.”

Nina frowned. “That was very rude.”

“Cry me a river…fish lips.”

Nina glared hard as anger thundered in her veins.

She had been electrocuted by Waller, shot at, blown up, and stabbed nearly to death, and now this stranger was talking down to her? Deriding her? Like a stupid child?

Oh no, she was not going to have that.

Something snapped in Nina and veins popped in her neck.

And then she did something that even she didn’t know she was capable of.

She kicked Warren in the shin.

Hard.

Warren cried out as he hopped on one foot, gripping his shin with both hands, seething in pain.

“You little-!”

Nina was stunned by what she had done.

But her anger at that moment was greater than her fear.

She kicked Warren a second time, this time in the groin.

Warren yelped almost like a dog and he doubled over in pain.

The other Commandos gawked at the unexpected scene.

Nina, the compassionate one, the softie, had brought this severe and unrelenting heathen to his knees.

Even G.I. Robot’s mouth was open wide at this point.

Not Bride, Phosphorus or Economos.

They all had impressed smiles on their faces.

John Economos returned to the lift. “Looks like you have everything under control here.”

The SIC entered the lift, the doors closed and he was gone.

Warren Griffith writhed on the floor, clutching his privates.

He looked up at Nina, rage in his eyes.

Nina felt cold terror grip her heart but she forced herself to carry on.

“You don’t like it that you’re here?! That’s too bad! None of us want to be here anymore than you do, but here we are! Unlike you, we don’t have a choice! You can be part of this team but if you think we’re here for your amusement, you have another thing coming! We’re a team and now you’re part of it! Act like it! Or you can slink back to whatever rotting log you crawled out from under!”

Warren Griffith was shocked into silence. 

This little thing, this frog of a woman, was talking down to him like something that got stuck to her shoe.

And she stood her ground, despite knowing full well the risk she was taking by challenging him, assaulting him like this.

He knew because he could smell it on her.

Warren smiled.

It was a genuine smile.

“You got guts. I like it.”

Nina cleared her throat, trying to hide any sign that she was flustered.

Warren tried to get up but the pain in his groin caused him to falter.

Nina, her anger ebbing, offered her hand.

“Here.”

Warren paused, not quite understanding why she’d offer to help him after having just insulted her, but then he gave her a tight smile before taking her hand in a firm grasp.

Nina took note of how dry and rough and calloused Warren’s hand was. And how it was almost twice the size of her own. She also noticed scar tissue.

Warren has had a tough life.

She could see it in his eyes, not just the scars.

Warren took note of how soft and smooth Nina’s hand was, like frog fur one might say.

Despite how delicate she was, the way she gripped him, he could discern this woman wasn’t afraid or even repulsed.

There was fear in this woman’s pupilless blue eyes and yet she holds on.

What kind of woman is this? Warren thought.

Nina, with considerable effort, pulled Warren to his feet.

He was heavier than he looked.

Nina gave him a slight smile. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Bit late for that, small fry.”

Warren said this in a cocky fashion but there was a good natured humor behind it.

Nina smirked deviously. “You were kinda asking for it.”

Warren chuckled. “Yes, I guess I was.”

Dr Phosphorus crossed his arms. “Well hey hey hey,” he said smugly.

Nina cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

Phosphorus pointed.

Nina looked in the direction the glowing skeleton was pointing.

She gasped.

She was still holding Warren’s hand.

Nina withdrew the hand as though she had scalded it on a hot stove.

“What are you holding onto my hand for, you creep?!” Nina screeched, face red hot.

Warren was equally perturbed and angry.

“Me?! You’re the one who held on like a vice grip!”

“You’re lying!!!”

“Ok ok,” Bride said placatingly holding her hands up. “Let’s settle down now. It’s been a long day and I think we all could use some sleep.”

“It’s 6,” Nina said, cheeks still a bit pink.

Bride shrugged. “We may get called into official duty anytime now. The pecking order must be recognized.”

Warren shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Nina stormed away, face still red. “I’m going to bed! Good night!”

Warren watched her go, as though she were a species of creature he had never seen before.

Phosphorus nudged him. “Quite the charmer huh?”

Warren glared at him. “Who asked you?”

Phosphorus laughed.

Warren felt something wet and cold touch his hand.

“What the-?!”

It was Weasel, that same stupid grin on his face, sniffing the newcomer with abandon.

“Shoo! Shoo! Go away!”

Weasel growled.

Warren growled back, a low savage sound.

It unnerved the others, including Weasel.

The wall-eyed rodent backed off.

Warren cleared his throat. “I’d better turn in too. Good night.”

“Hold it.”

Bride grabbed Warren by the back of his collar.

“What? What do you want?”

“Just want to make sure you understand what you’re getting into.”

“Uh, ok?”

Bride smirked. “From now on, you do as I tell you. Got me?”

“Gotcha,” Warren said nonchalantly. 

“You treat your fellow soldiers with respect.”

“No problem.”

Bride’s voice became dangerously low. “And don’t think I didn’t see the way you looked at her when she had you under her thumb. Mark me, if you do anything to hurt Nina in any way, you’re dead. Understand?”

“Why would I-?”

“Understand.”

Warren was slightly unnerved but his features softened. “I will never hurt a woman.”

Bride smiled. “Good.”

Bride let go of Warren’s collar. “Your bunk is in cell 2-B. The shark is your roommate.”

Warren looked at the rotund shark man sitting on the floor, waving at him like a happy child.

Nuts.

G.I. Robot approached. 

Warren looked up at him. “What do you want?”

“Are you a Nazi?”

Warren recoiled in dumb confusion. “What?! No! Why would you say that?!”

G.I. narrowed his red eyes. “Your body temperature and heart rate increased considerably when Friend Nina touched you. Are you perhaps afraid she might discover you’re a Nazi?”

Bride cocked an eyebrow.

Warren crossed his arms nonchalantly, cooly cocking an eyebrow. “Say what?”

 “Your heart rate has increased again.” 

G.I. Robot brandished a miniature gatling gun from a compartment in his massive firearm. “Shall I take that as confirmation that you are indeed a Nazi?”

Warren’s heart rate did not increase because he was afraid of being discovered a Nazi.

But his heart rate did increase all the more as his crystal blue eyes started to turn a sickly yellow.

Bride smirked. “Tin Man. Stand down.”

 “You wish to dispose of this Nazi scum yourself.”

“Yeah. Sure. Go down to maintenance for a checkup.”

“But my scheduled maintenance isn’t scheduled until 0800 hours.”

Bride shook her head. “Go anyway.”

G.I. Robot shrugged, another unexpected feature of his upgrade. “Okey dokey.”

The Nazi-killing android hulked away.

Warren watched him go as the color of his eyes returned to normal.

“He’s got a few screws loose.”

Bride grunted humorously. “He was just brought back from the dead, I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Warren was not so confident.

Nanaue approached him from behind and gave Warren a big old bear hug.

“New best friend!”

Warren groaned. “What did I do to deserve this?”

To be continued…

NEXT CHAPTER: Howling Mad

Chapter Text

Creature Commandos

A Second Chance

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II - Howling Mad

One month after Warren’s arrival…

Spring 2024

Belle Reve Correctional Center - Terrebonne Parish, LA

A slop of green was dumped on Warren’s tray.

He smelled it and shrugged.

He went down to sit with the rest of Task Force M.

It has been a month.

The Team slowly but steadily became acclimated with the new arrangements.

At worst they tolerated each other, with only the occasional stagnation or conflict.

At best, they got along fairly well.

Even the ancient mummy, Khalis has been occasionally friendly, even charismatic.

Phosphorus grumbled. “Of all the days our personal kitchen had to be shut down, it had to be today.”

“What can you do?” Khalis said, his voice deep as a canyon and ancient as days.

Warren spooned some of the green goop in his mouth. “Hmm. Not bad.”

Nosferata scoffed. “You hear that? Mr Cool Guy likes this slop.”

Warren glared at the vampire woman. “Bite me.”

“You’re not my blood type.”

Warren flinched. “Let go of my leg, Weasel.”

Phosphorus whistled and a familiar fuzzy head popped from the edge of the table.

Warren Griffith shook his head. “Hey, where’s Nina?”

King Shark raised a hand. “Fish girl over there with weird guy.”

“Weird guy?”

The Team looked towards the far end of the cafeteria to see Nina leaning up against a wall.

And she was apparently being accosted by a man or a creature.

A Caucasian man with blonde crew cut hair, who looked like he had a purple T-Rex coming out of the left side of his head and neck. He also had a tree for right arm and leg and a left arm and leg made out of mountain rock.

He towered over Nina and had both arms planted against the wall, preventing her escape.

Her tray of food was on the floor, discarded and splattered.

“P-Please, let me go,” Nina squeaked.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man just grinned maliciously, dark eyes filled with lust.

“Aw, and why would I do that? No more helmet, so there’s nothing stopping you from giving me a kiss, huh sweet thing?”

Nina shuddered in disgust. “I wouldn’t kiss you even if you were free.”

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man sneered. “Is that so? What, am I not good enough for you?”

Bride’s lips peeled over her teeth.

She got out of her seat, preparing to deal with Nina’s assailant.

But someone had already made a good lead.

Nina scoffed. “It’s not that you’re not good enough, whoever or whatever you are, but-

“Call me Sven.”

“Sven, I like you…but if you were in a coma, I’d unplug you to charge my phone, if I had one.”

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man’s charming (or slick as snake oil) disposition crumbled and gave way to one of growing rage.

“Yeah? Well, a coma is certainly what you’re gonna get if you don’t-!”

Strong hands grabbed the freak from behind and tugged him back with terrible force.

Sven cried out in surprise.

It was as if he was being manhandled by a giant.

He gained a firm footing before he could fall and he looked down at whoever it was that just grabbed him.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man glowered at a man with wild long black hair, ice-blue eyes, and a few weeks of stubble, standing in front of the amphibious woman.

“Who the heck are you?!”

“Warren Griffith.”

“Ah, the new guy. You look pretty out of place here. Listen up, newbie, it ain’t a healthy idea to go around grabbing people like that. I’ll take it you don’t know who I am?”

“Why don’t you tell me.”

The mutant puffed out his chest and announced himself with no small amount of pride. “Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Whatcha say?!”

“I said you stink like horse hockey and you look like the bad end of a donkey.”

Nina gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man’s face, the human one, twisted in rage.

He advanced, the T-Rex in his neck snapping its teeth, preparing to bite Warren’s head clean off.

Now utterly furious and wary of the newest member get decapitated under her watch, Bride, followed by Phosphorus and King Shark, barreled towards the mutant who apparently had their friends at his mercy.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man took no notice of them.

All his attention was this insect who had the temerity to stand between him and his lovely prey.

Bride and the others would not make it in time.

Warren’s head was just inches away from the T-Rex’s open mouth.

Nina screamed in horror. “NO!!!”

In a split second, Warren’s ice blue eyes turned that same sickly yellow and his fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

And his fist came up in a powerful uppercut, connecting with the underside of the T-Rex’s jaw.

The amount of force channeled at that single point was so devastating that it was like a locomotive at full throttle.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man was sent flying.

Right past Bride and the other Commandos, who were all wide-eyed, mouths agape.

And into the opposite wall, above a few inmates sitting at a table, who all took to their heels when the mutant came down to the table and floor in a heap.

The table broke in half in a mess of trays and discarded food.

What followed was T-Rex teeth and blood.

Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man rose his human head, dark eyes burning with rage, mouth bloody.

“No one does that to me!!!”

Warren shrugged. “I did though.”

AMV Man looked hard at Warren, then his face turned chalk white to see the change in Warren’s eye color.

As well as the black claws that suddenly grew out of his finger nails.

“What-?! What-?!”

A loud gunshot echoed in the room.

Amanda Waller, holding up a smoking Smith&Wesson .38, pointing it at the ceiling, holstered her weapon.

“Warren, we talked about this.”

“He was accosting one of your own, Madam Waller.”

“Fine, and don’t call me Madam.”

Waller approached AMV Man, a small troop of armored men with automatic weapons behind her.

“Go back to your cell, Larson.”

“But he hit me!!!”

“I’ll tend to it. Go. A doctor will see to you, maybe.”

AMV Man gawked. “Maybe?”

“Or do you want to go in the hole?”

That did it and the mutant took off like a whipped dog.

Waller approached Warren. “Thank you for not taking his head off.”

“It was agonizing to hold back, ma’am.”

“I know.”

Waller departed the room, her guard following.

But not before turning to the other inmates.

“Those of you who are friends with Sven Larson, clean up this mess! Or there will be no more shower tokens for you for a month!”

The mutants, freaks, and dregs who keep company with Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man got to work with cleaning up the splintered table, trays and splattered food, but not before glaring hatefully and murderously at Warren.

And Nina, who stayed behind him, was shaking like a leaf.

Bride stepped in front of Warren, arms crossed, issuing the silent challenge.

Phosphorus and G.I. flanked her.

Followed by Weasel, who slinked by Nina’s side, like a loyal dog protecting their owner.

Khalis, Nosferata and King Shark were next to stand behind Bride.

The friends of Animal-Mineral-Vegetable Man blanched.

Then they resumed their business of cleaning up what their ringleader by all rights made.

Warren picked up a tray of food that was apparently forgotten and handed it to Nina.

“Th-Thank you,” Nina stammered. “I’m…I’m sorry. You almost got killed because of me.”

“Pfft. He couldn’t kill me with a shotgun and a head start.”

Phosphorus grinned. “I didn’t know bullets could hurt you.”

“Only if they’re si-” Warren stopped himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

00000

Later that night…

Bride sat down in an armchair, reading a book.

King Shark was napping, while Nosferata was scribbling on his face with a marker and giggling.

Phosphorus was having tea in the galley area.

Nina was sitting across from Bride, also reading a book.

“Soooo…” Nina said, not taking her eyes off her read. “Do you know when we’ll be called into official duty again?”

“That eager to get ki-?” Bride thought better of it and cleared her throat. “I mean, Waller thinks there may be something on the horizon. Possible signs of an international incident but nothing solid yet.”

Nina nodded. “Were you about to bring up how I almost died?”

Bride clenched her eyes. “Sorry. Force of habit. I’m working on it.”

“It’s ok.” Nina smiled. “Didn’t think me dying would affect you so much.”

Bride looked at Nina, hurt in her eyes. But they softened.

She had no right to be angry at Nina. It wasn’t like she was all that nice to her to begin with. While Nina was as good as gold to her from the start.

“You are the first real friend I ever had in over a hundred and fifty years.”

Nina smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m honored to be the first, but now you got a whole haunted house full of friends. I think even Khalis is warming up to you.”

Bride stuck her face in the book, hiding her eyes.

Nina could tell there was something on her friend’s mind.

There was an almost silent choke in the Bride’s throat.

Nina closed her book and pulled Bride from her chair.

“Let’s talk.”

Bride wanted to argue, to say no and for the fish to mind her own business.

But Nina was not having any of it as she practically dragged Bride to one of the private rooms.

Her near death has made her even more insufferable.

Nina sat Bride down in a reclining chair and Nina sat in a plush armchair.

“What is this?” Bride asked.

“I asked John to set up a room in case any of us, any of us, needed a sit down.”

Bride rolled her eyes. “You would. And you think that’s what I need.”

Nina took on a more serious air. “I know you’ve been hurting…a lot. You want to talk about it?”

“No.”

Bride stood up to leave.

“Bee, please.”

“I don’t need to talk about it. What happened happened. Let’s just leave it at that, fish.”

Bride shut the door behind her.

Nina watched sadly, and seemed to stare at the door.

She slumped in her chair, exasperated.

00000

Warren Griffith sat against a wall, staring at the other wall.

King Shark was snoring in his top bunk.

Warren stretched out his neck and stood up. He walked out of his cell and decided to pace, a thing he did when he had too much anxious energy.

He noticed Nosferata sitting in a love seat. Weasel was in her lap and she was scratching his belly. Weasel keened and panted in contentment.

His nose twitched and he saw Warren. And those big eyes popped and that big stupid grin stretched across his face and he scurried fast towards Warren like a happy puppy.

What’s with this guy?!

Warren held his hands up as Weasel pounced on him.

And then started licking Warren’s face with abandon. 

“Cut it out, man!!!”

Nosferata cackled like a mad woman.

Warren, face wet with weasel saliva, writhed on the floor in disgust. “Get this thing off me!!!”

A sharp whistle was heard.

And Weasel stopped and lifted his head, panting and tongue wagging.

Nina smiled, a glint of amusement in her blue eyes. “Wees, here boy.” She clapped her thighs as one would command a dog to come.

Weasel scurried over, his claws scratching the floor.

He sat by Nina so she could scratch behind his ears.

Nina giggled. “I think Weasel likes you.”

Warren wiped his face, still smeared with foul-smelling spittle.

Grunting in disgust and humiliation, Warren pushed himself to his feet and stormed off.

Nina looked concerned.

Weasel whimpered.

Nina knelt down, almost understanding the man rodent’s feelings even though he couldn’t speak.

“No, Warren doesn’t hate you. He just has issues of his own to work out.”

Nosferata scoffed. “Smartest fish alive.”

Nina chose to ignore that.

00000

Warren emerged from one of the lavatories, having washed his face and hair.

“Mangy piece of vermin,” he muttered.

“He’s just a friendly fella, don’t take it so hard.”

Warren turned but he knew who it was the moment he smelled that burning ozone.

“Phosphorus.”

“Hm.”

“Were you waiting for me to come out?”

“Hm.”

“Well what do you want?”

Phosphorus shrugged his shoulders. “Just the scientist in me trying to figure you out.”

Warren was stoic, but deep down, he was annoyed.

“Ok?”

“You volunteered. To work with the lowest of the low, why?”

Warren shrugged. “Maybe I don’t have anything better to do.”

“Got blood on your hands do you?”

Warren’s shoulders slumped and he said nothing.

He just walked away.

Phosphorus watched him go without another word.

Touchy

00000

Warren laid on his bunk, King Shark sleeping soundly on the top bunk above him.

There was a creaking whine in the hinges of the bunk and Warren knew that wasn’t good.

And then the bunk gave way and landed on top of him, crushing him but not enough to injure him in any way.

But it hurt, a lot, especially when the guy sleeping above you weighs nearly 3,000 pounds.

“EEEYYAAAAGHHH!!!!”

One of Warren’s hands stuck out from the sandwiched bunk.

King Shark, somehow, was still fast asleep.

Warren slapped his arm again and again.

“Sherk!” Warren muffled, his face and mouth pressed between bunks. “Git ooff!!! Git ooff!!!”

Warren could hear people coming.

His cry apparently stirred up the others.

No way he was going to be seen like this.

He had too much humiliation to last a hundred lifetimes.

His hand contorted and convulsed as the muscles thickened and black claws protruded out of where his fingernails extended.

And with a furious stroke, Warren stuck his claws in deep into sleeping King Shark’s arm.

Nanaue’s eyes shot open and he cried out in pain.

He rolled off his bunk.

And Warren kicked it off him effortlessly.

He stood up and his eyes were yellow and sharp teeth protruded out of his mouth. 

And his body hair seemed to become more coarse and wild.

King Shark roared furiously. “You hurt me!!!”

“You nearly crushed me to death you fool!!!”

King Shark threw a boulder like fist at Warren.

He dodged effortlessly.

Warren, as angry as he was, didn’t want to hurt Nanaue.

So he just let the shark man rage.

Until some of the Commandos came in, led by Bride.

“What-?!”

But she said no more once she saw the discarded bunk, the hinges that were apparently worn down and defective, not to mention the new scratches and bruising on Warren’s body and face as though he had been crushed, and then the claw marks on King Shark’s arm.

It was clear that the bunk gave out and King Shark inadvertently crushed Warren, and now a fight broke out because of the negligence of maintenance.

Nina and Phosphorus apparently came to the same conclusion.

G.I. Robot entered and stood between Warren and King Shark.

He put a gentle hand on Nanaue’s shoulder. “Sharko, take it easy.”

“He hurt me!”

Nanaue’s voice broke, apparently it hadn’t reached him why Warren, who he thought was his friend, would hurt him in his sleep.

Nanaue was apparently not the brightest bulb.

Warren seemed to grasp this.

He calmed down and sat down on the ruined bunk.

King Shark fought G.I. as the android held him back with his massive strength and arms.

Nina approached Nanaue and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Shark, calm down. I’m sure Warren didn’t mean to hurt you. The bunk broke and Warren got hurt too.”

King Shark stopped fighting.

Tears leaked from his black eyes.

“Didn’t mean to hurt friend.”

Warren twisted his face, still angry but now ashamed. “It’s fine, Shark. I’m sorry I scratched you, but you were crushing me and you wouldn’t wake.”

King Shark seemed to calm down.

G.I. Robot let go of the shark man and patted his back.

G.I. apparently learned how to be diplomatic during his time being repaired by A.R.G.U.S.

Warren looked up at Bride.

His eyes turned back to their normal color and his claws retracted.

The coarse hair of course fell out and covered the floor.

Bride cocked an eyebrow but chose not to comment on it.

“Shark, take the bunk. I’ll take the floor.”

“No! Friend take bunk. Nanaue will sleep on floor.”

“Ok, I’ll take one of the couches, you take bunk. Deal?”

Phosphorus leaned towards Bride.

He whispered, “Since when is King Shark so chummy?”

“Waller apparently put him through therapy. Now he doesn’t eat people anymore.”

Phosphorus blinked. But of course who could tell? “You don’t say.”

Warren took a blanket and pillow and strode out of the cell.

Nina followed him. 

Warren took notice.

Nina had rushed past him and swept off one of the couches and moved the pillows so Warren could lie down. She took the pillow from Warren, plushed it up and laid it on the couch.

“Nina, really. That’s not necessary.”

“Shh.” Nina took the blanket. “Lie down.”

Warren blinked. “What…why are you-?”

“Don’t argue, Warren.”

Warren was taken aback by this woman’s audacity.

“Now lie down, Warren.”

Warren did so gradually as though hesitant to obey this woman he barely knew.

That wasn’t true.

Even though they haven’t really gone out of their way to get to know each other, Nina had always been kind to him. Even when she kicked him, twice, but he had it coming.

Warren on the other hand preferred to be left alone. But he knew it wouldn’t do it all, now that he’s part of a team.

And it was his choice.

He was just tired of the isolation and the ghosts.

The ghosts that made the silence as excruciating as any cacophony. 

And he won’t say it, but being pampered by this woman, this woman with gills and fins, it was oddly refreshing.

Refreshing?

He cursed himself inwardly for that unintentional pun that crossed his mind.

Nina placed the blanket over him up to his chest and patted it, like a doting mother.

Warren’s face twisted in discomfort and anguish.

Memories flashed in his mind that he hadn’t even remembered for decades.

Not wanting her to see it, he turned over and buried his face into the pillow.

Nina would not be fooled so easily.

During her time recuperating from her knife wounds, she did some reading on counseling and clinical psychology. She even put it into practice on some of the nurses who confided in her of the deeply troubling time they had working at Belle Reve.

Naturally, she knew trauma when she sees it.

She wanted to help Warren, even though she barely knew him and was a little afraid of him.

He risked his life to save me from…that mineral veggie man or whatever he is. It’s the least I can do to just try.

She left for a few minutes and returned, shoeless, her webbed feet not making a sound, with a blanket and pillow.

She sat down in one of the armchairs and covered herself with her blanket and leaned back against her pillow.

She didn’t know this, but Warren heard her. As much as he wanted to be alone, he didn’t have the heart to tell her to leave him alone.

So he tolerated it and tried to sleep.

00000

Warren found himself in the middle of a strange forest.

It was black.

And the moon was full.

Warren felt terror rise up in his soul and he wanted to scream.

But an invisible force clenched his throat and all that came out was a throaty gasp.

It was coming.

He could feel it.

The dream was different yet the same.

He was always a child.

He was alone.

And it was coming.

He feel it in the ground.

It was coming.

Fast.

His legs seemed to move on their own.

He ran but was getting tired fast.

He knew he’d never outrun yet here was.

Running to escape it.

Death incarnate.

He was scratched and slapped in the face by tree branches, thorn bushes, and tree trunks.

He dodged mud holes, ant hills and tree stumps.

The ethereal silence was broken by the sound of a blood curdling howl.

Warren felt hot tears run down his cheeks.

It was getting closer.

He was going to die.

Get torn to pieces in an abandoned dying forest, alone.

Left to the tender mercies of a monster.

Warren tripped and he fell on his back.

It was upon him in an instant.

All he saw was a huge shape, shadowed in black.

All that was visible in the gleam of the moonlight was the razor sharp teeth, the claws and the eyes, red like blood.

And then nothing but pain in a fury of howls, screams, teeth and claws.

00000

Bride slapped him again and again.

G.I. Robot held him down as best he could.

But Warren was stronger than he looked as he writhed and whimpered in his sleep.

Nina, who was sitting on the floor, watched with tears brimming in her eyes.

“Warren! Warren!!! Wake up!!! You’re having a nightmare!!!”

Nina stood up on wobbly legs and moved towards him.

But Khalis held her back. “Wait,” he said sternly.

Nina shoved herself past the ancient meta human.

She approached Warren as he writhed and cried out, arms covering and protecting his face as though warding off an attack.

Bride saw her and she looked fearful. “Nina! Stay back!”

“Just hold his arms but don’t hurt him.”

“No!”

“Just do it! Trust me!”

Bride grit her teeth, but did as Nina asked of her.

Bride gently took Warren’s wrists and held them in place.

This seemed to increase the panic and Warren’s whimpers turned into sobs, or rather the keening of a wounded animal.

It was a pitiful, unlovely sight.

Even Nosferata and Khalis looked away.

Hot tears flowed down Nina’s cheeks as she gently placed her hands on Warren’s cheeks.

“Warren…” she whispered, just loud that he could hear her at this close distance. “Warren, wake up. Wake up.”

She tenderly caressed his cheeks with his thumbs, like now her own father would do so when he was alive.

The rare moments she had her helmet off just so she could feel her dad’s hands on her face.

And Warren seemed to settle down, Nina smiled sadly.

“That’s it, Warren. Everything is fine. You’re among friends.”

Khalis and Phosphorus scoffed.

Nina peripherally glared at them hotly.

Bride gave them both a look.

And Phospheros took that they either better be supportive or leave.

Khalis sat in a chair.

He had never expected this is what he’d be getting himself into: not a deadly military arm comprised of freaks of nature. It was definitely that, but on top of it, a bunch of sentimental fools.

Sentimental fools who cared about each other in their own way.

That was something foreign to Khalis. 

After all, he had been alone for thousands of years.

Nosferata wasn’t much different: cursed to live, unable to die by conventional means. 

What did any of them care for having friends?

And yet…

Warren seemed to settle down, but he was in a cold sweat now as though he had been fighting for his life.

Normal humans usually did not survive this kind of stress.

Bride looked up at G.I. and nodded.

They both let go of Warren.

Nina sat on the couch with him, wiping his sweaty brow with a hand towel.

Phospheros looked away, being reminded of how his own wife, Parvin, waited on him when he was dreadfully ill.

Nosferata turned away and walked back to her cell.

She decided that any more of this, she might vomit.

Bride eyed Phospheros and G.I., craned her head sharply, and they followed her out of the room.

Nina was left alone with Warren.

Weasel slept soundly behind the couch. He wouldn’t be any trouble.

Warren stirred and opened his eyes.

Nina smiled. “Hi.”

Warren blinked. “Nina?”

“Yes Warren.”

Warren blinked until his vision cleared.

He noticed three red lines on Nina’s left cheek.

Claw marks and they were fresh.

Warren gasped softly as his heart turned to ice.

Nina notices his distress and she knew at once what he was looking at.

She covered the marks and tried to smile through the pain.

“It’s nothing. It’s just a scratch.”

“I…I hurt you?”

“Y-You were thrashing in your sleep. It was an accident.”

Warren looked like he had been stabbed in the gut.

Face twisted in agony and remorse, he threw the blankets off and ran off, practically knocking Nina down.

She fell on her butt.

She wasn’t hurt. Not physically anyway.

Weasel woke up at once, sensing danger. He went to Nina’s side immediately, whimpering.

Nina watched horrified as Warren leapt onto a wall, ripped off an air vent cover, and tore into it, out of view.

“WARREN!!! COME BACK!!!” 

Bride, followed by Phosphorus and G.I. barreled into the room.

“What is it now?!”

“Warren saw the cuts on my cheek and he escaped through the vents!”

Phosphorus covered his face in exasperation. “I don’t think him working with us is going to work out. The guy’s a ticking time bomb.”

“We can help him!”

“We?”

Nina got angry. “Yes, we! He’s shown remarkable potential with us since he got here!”

Phosphorus was a little taken aback but was still defiant. “He’s got more problems than a damn junkie.”

“And we don’t?! We’re freaks of nature in a prison!”

“Ok, well what are we supposed to do? Look for him? We can’t leave this place.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a floating metal orb comes down from the ceiling and levitates before the Commandos.

It projects a hologram.

It’s a person.

Amanda Waller.

“In extreme situations, you most certainly can.”

“You were listening?” Bride asked.

“Only when the silent alarm went off. I assume Warren had another one of his…night terrors?”

Nina gasped. “You knew?”

“I did. And I never mentioned it or put it in his file because Warren did not wish for me to share it with any of you.”

Nina was hurt when she heard that.

Waller noticed the look on the amphibian’s face. “It is what it is, Miss Mazursky, excuse me, Doctor Mazursky.”

“Doctor?” Bride said.

“Later. Later. Bride, put a team together and find Warren. Bring him back.”

“I thought he was just a volunteer.”

“He is. But he’s also an important asset. And right now, he’s not in his right mind. He needs help.”

Phosphorus scoffed. “And we’re the ones to do it?”

Waller rolled her eyes as though she didn’t much like what she was saying. “You’re the best he’s got. And honestly, the past month has been the longest he’s ever had without having an episode. So you must be doing something right.”

The Commandos looked at each other, stunned.

Warren’s time here had a benevolent effect on him after all.

Nina smiled weakly. “We better find him.” She looked at Bride pleasingly. “We will find him, won’t we?”

Bride put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “We will. I promise.”

Waller nodded, without breaking her notorious stone face. 

One of the big doors buzzed and a green light lit up above it, indicating it was open.

00000

Deep in the dark bayou, Warren ran on all fours, eyes yellow, sharp teeth protruding from his mouth, hot tears run down his face and falling in big drops.

What was he thinking? Thinking he could ever be part of a team?

How much longer before he killed someone?

Again.

Warren stopped, ankle deep in bayou water, mosquitos flurrying, and he sat down against a tree, his face in his clawed hands.

He looked down at his hands.

And an ethereal silent memory flashed across his vision.

His hands, covered in blood.

Terrified, he gasped, throat raw from crying.

Images of him standing over a terrified Nina, face scratched and bloody, nearly drove him into a mad swoon.

The image of a bloodied Nina, dead at his feet, was what did it and Warren blacked out, face down into the bayou.

The sudden vibrations in the water caught the attention of a congregation of alligators.

00000

Weasel sniffed the trail in the deep bayou.

He swiped and snapped his teeth at several mosquitos that were irritating his nose and eyes.

Bride, Nina, Phosphorus and G.I. followed close behind.

Nina was wringing her hands.

Bride patted her shoulder. “Keep it together Nina. Search the bayou, in case…Warren…

Nina frowned. “In case he drowned? Or was attacked by alligators? I doubt it.”

She sounded angry but there was a twinge of anxiety behind it.

She stepped into the water.

She’d search anyway.

Bride watched her go.

She tapped the comm in her ear.

“Nosferata, see anything?”

“Nothing but trees and swamp. This guy’s like a ghost. I can’t even smell him.”

Bride sighed.

“Keep looking.”

“Whatever.”

Bride frowned.

She did not care for the she-bat’s belligerence. 

But she let it go, for now.

She tapped the comm again. “Khalis, stand by. Warren might, might, need medical attention.

“Understood,” the ancient metahuman said gruffly.

Bride continued on.

She growled when she felt something huge stand over her.

King Shark fidgeted.

“Must you hover?!” Bride snapped.

00000

It was past midnight.

Warren stirred in his dream and forced his eyes open to find himself staring at the face of a young girl.

“Grandpa, he’s awake!”

Warren squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the migraine coming on.

An man with a full head of silver hair came into the room.

Warren observed his surroundings.

This was obviously a cabin.

An old one.

And he was covered by a few quilts and had a feather pillow under his head.

And he felt two tons heavier and his head felt even heavier.

The old man, a kindly fellow, knelt by Warren.

He smiled. “My name is Beauregard, friend. This is my granddaughter, Faith. How are you?”

Warren groaned. “What…happened?”

His voice was raw.

“Faith found you floating in the river, son. Gators almost gotcha.”

Faith grinned cheekily. “You were half naked!”

Beauregard gawked at the girl’s audacity. “Faith!”

Warren almost laughed.

Well, at least that way they won’t know I’m a convict without my prison garb. 

Although the plain orange of whatever was left of his clothes would probably be a dead giveaway.

And yet these people took him in anyway.

Therefore, he owed it to them to leave fast.

He could not put them in his way by staying here.

“What…what am I wearing?”

Beau smiled. “Just some old duds of mine. I don’t mind sparing them.”

“I’m obliged, mister.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Beauregard’s friendly features became severe. “What are you doing out here son?”

The moment of truth.

Warren avoided the icy gaze of the old man.

“Are you a convict? Did you escape prison son?”

“I’m…a soldier.”

That was true enough, as the exact truth would not do at all.

Beauregard cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. “A soldier? Are you…did you desert your regiment?”

Warren avoided his eyes. “…yes.”

Beauregard seemed less suspicious. “Is that why you have no dog tags? Because you abandoned your post.”

Warren didn’t answer.

The old man took that as a yes. “May I ask why son?”

Warren’s felt tears well in his eyes. “I…I hurt a friend of mine.”

Beau frowned but there was no more accusation in his eyes.

“Faith honey, get some calf liver and taters for our guest. You’re not a vegetarian are you?”

Warren shook his head. “Not a chance.”

Faith was already out of the door.

With Faith gone, the old man could continue with his questions, especially when the topic of conversation may not be for young ears.

“How did you hurt this friend…Mr..?”

Warren thought of a name on the spot. “Talbot. Lonnie Talbot.”

He cursed himself inwardly.

Lonnie Talbot?! That’s the best I could come up with?!

Beauregard showed no signs that he doubted the man.

“Ok, Lonnie, same question.”

Warren looked aside shamefully. “I scratched her face.”

Beauregard blinked in surprise. “While you were having a nightmare?”

Warren looked up at the old man, shocked. “How-?”

Beau smiled warmly. “I fought in Vietnam, son. I know about PTSD and what it does to a man. Losing your limbs is easier to heal from than from a broken mind and a wounded soul.”

Warren turned over on his side. 

“Running away from your problems won’t solve anything.”

Warren said nothing.

“This girl. Is she special to you?”

Warren’s stomach knotted.

“She…was kind to me.”

Beau nodded. “The others in your unit. They’re…indifferent?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Hmm.” Beau watched as his granddaughter come back in with a plate of liver and boiled potatoes. He smiled. “Leave that and go tend to the laundry, honey.”

“Okay Pop Pop.”

Beau helped Warren sit up and offered him the plate with a fork.

“Faith had it cut in pieces so you can eat it without exerting yourself with cutting.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Beau helped Warren sit up so he could eat.

“This girl,” Beau said as he watched Warren eat. “Did she…run after you scratched her, Lonnie?”

Warren paused.

He thought back.

He had hurt Nina in his dream and yet she didn’t run. She stayed.

Why?

Warren puzzled and he puzzled.

“N-No. She didn’t.”

Beau smiled. “Is it likely that she might be looking for you?”

“I don’t know. Can’t imagine why she’d bother.”

Beau smiles sadly. “Because she cares about you. That much is clear if she stayed by your side after you lashed out in your sleep.”

Warren almost choked, shame and remorse tearing his soul apart.

Hot tears ran down his face and dropped onto his food.

“Now now,” Beau said, producing a handkerchief and drying Warren’s eyes. “You don’t strike me as the mean sort boy. You didn’t want to hurt your friend, right?”

Warren gasped and sniffled. “No.”

“Didn’t think so. PTSD is nothing new to me, son. I’ve seen things. Things that stay with you all your life. It changes you. I’ve seen friends go nuts. But that doesn’t have to happen to you.”

Warren looked skeptical. “Who says it hasn’t already?”

“I can see it in your eyes, son. You don’t want to hurt a fly, but the trouble forces your hand anyway.”

Warren stared at the old man, astonished.

“How could you possibly-?”

“Like I said, it’s nothing new to me, boy. Old as I am.”

Warren sat and ate quietly, pondering what the old man said.

“Go back to your friends, Lonnie. Running from your problems ain’t gonna make them go away.”

Warren paused. “I don’t know if I-

“Grandpa!!!”

Both men turned their heads when they heard Faith’s shrill voice.

“Faith? What is it?!” Beau called out.

“A lot of big black trucks are coming this way!!! I can see them through the binoculars!!!”

Warren lifted his head sharply.

He inhaled the air.

And his blood ran cold.

That smell…

He knew that smell.

00000

Five large black armored trucks approached the cabin on the outskirts of the Louisiana bayou.

Men in black camo armor and automatic rifles jumped out.

The crest on their shoulders were that of a skull of some savage beast.

A wolf or maybe some kind of cat.

Either way, it was terrifying to behold.

A man came out of the passenger seat from the truck in the middle.

He was middle aged, lean but broad shouldered with pale skin, snow-white hair slicked back, sunglasses so his eyes were not visible, black gloves and a long black coat that reached his shins.

He smiled, revealing serrated white teeth.

“He is here. I can smell him.”

“Sir,” one of the armored men said. “There’s an old man and a little girl in that house with him.”

“Excellent,” the white haired man said. “We can use them.”

They approached the house, the pale man in front with at least three dozen men in armor bearing automatic weapons flanking him.

Beauregard came up on the porch, holding a shotgun.

“What’s your business here?!” He demanded.

The pale man did not smile. “You have something of mine, old man.”

Beauregard grimaced. “Come up here, whitey and I’ll show you who’s old.”

The men in armor laughed derisively.

The sound of a child screaming was heard.

Beauregard, distracted, turned his head.

That was all the opening the man in the long black coat needed.

Moving at a speed which shouldn’t be possible, the pale man disarmed the old man and brought down from the porch.

Another man in black armor had Faith in a vice grip.

The child thrashed and screamed.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

“Let my granddaughter go!!!” Beauregard screamed.

An armored man slammed the butt of his rifle into the center of the man’s back, causing Beau to fall back to the ground in a heap and in pain.

“Now…let’s try this again: where is he?”

“I don’t know what-?”

The pale man pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Faith’s head.

Faith cried out bloody murder, tears of terror running down her face.

“You gonna shoot my granddaughter?!?!”

“Depends on how fast he comes.”

The pale man called out.

“Dog! I know you can hear me! Come here now! Or the blood of this child is on your hands!”

Several soldiers emerged from the cabin.

They apparently snuck around the back.

“He’s not in there, sir.”

The pale man pressed the gun harder against Faith’s temple.

The air filled with her terrified cries.

“Leave my little girl alone!!!” Beau screamed, tears running down his face too.

Deep in the cabin, under the floorboards, Warren’s face twisted with rage, anguish and fear.

Would he risk going back to that living hell?

For a pair of strangers he only just met?

An old man and a little girl?

His sharp ears heard the cocking of a revolver.

An armored soldier was directly above him.

And suddenly, a pair of large hands broke through the floorboards and grabbed his ankles.

Clawed hands covered in black fur.

The soldier was dragged screaming below the floor.

All heard it and turned.

Even the pale man turned, shifting the gun away from the girl and towards the house.

A gun fired and the soldier holding Faith fell dead, a hole in the center of his forehead.

A second shot and it hit the pale man in the shoulder.

He barely registered the wound.

And a huge black shape emerged from the house.

It howled, menacingly.

The pale man grinned.

The soldiers opened fire.

The black shape swiftly scooped up the girl and old man and tried to flee.

Faith screamed.

Beau stared dumbly at the creature, eyes yellow, teeth sharp.

It was a massive black wolf, twice his own size, full of muscle and on his hind legs like a man.

“L-Lonnie?”

“It’s Warren actually,” he said, a voice richly deep with some grating in it, like a constant growl in his throat.

BANG!

Warren cried out as he fell, but without dropping his new friends.

Beauregard scooped up Faith. “Warren?!”

The old man gasped upon seeing the wound in his shoulder.

Warren groaned in pain.

He felt volcanic bile rise up in his throat.

He smelt it before it hit him.

“Silver bullet.”

Beauregard gasped. “You’re a…you’re a..?”

“A meta human, yes. A mutant who can transform into a wolf man. Or a werewolf, or whatever. But not by choice. Those monsters back there did this to me. Listen Beau, you take the girl and run. And don’t look back.”

“What?! No, you-?!”

“Don’t argue!!!” Warren growled.

“We can’t leave you!!!” Faith squalled.

“Go Beau! Take her and go! Or you’ll both die! Thank you! For everything!”

Beau was openly crying as he ran with Faith in his arms.

“No!” Faith cries. “Grandpa, we can’t leave him! Warren! NOOOO!!!”

Warren watched them go.

Tears were in his eyes.

I will never forget their kindness.

He wanted to keep his eyes up, but he was so tired.

The silver bullet’s poison was spreading.

He wouldn’t have long.

Never imagined it would end like this.

An image flashed across his mind.

Nina.

Why was he thinking of her?

Of course.

She was the first to be truly kind to him, unconditionally.

Since…since his own family died.

Warren slowly closed his eyes as his body went numb.

I’m sorry Nina…I wish…I wish…things could’ve…been…

And all went black.

00000

Nina poked her head out of the bayou.

That loud gunshot caused her blood to turn to ice.

King Shark poked his head out of the bayou slightly so only his eyes and mouth were seen.

He looked troubled.

“Friend hurt. Smell blood.”

Nina gasped, fearful for Warren’s life.

“Are you sure? Are you sure it’s Warren?”

King Shark had tears in his eyes, almost imperceptible, wet as he was from the bayou.

But Nina could smell the salt and she knew.

“We have to hurry!”

The two aquatic Commandos swam fast towards the scent of Warren’s blood.

They stopped when they saw movement and they stood still, staying out of sight but able to see through the water for whoever was coming.

It was an old man and a little girl.

And they were apparently running for their lives as several men in black chased them down, rifles in their hands.

Nina’s heart was stricken from the sight.

Preying on an old man and a child?

And what have they done to Warren?

It filled her with fury.

“Nanaue, help those people.”

“But what about-?”

Nina stopped him by putting a hand on the shark man’s snout. “Go,” she said sternly. “I’ll go find Warren.”

King Shark hesitated. 

But he nodded.

“Ok fish lady.”

Nanaue submerged and swam fast towards the direction the old man and the girl went.

Nina swam toward the direction they were originally going.

Her heart twisted with unfettered anxiety and dread.

Please be ok, Warren. Please be ok.

00000

Bride was pressed up against a tree as a numerous number of soldiers ran past her.

Warren you idiot! What have you got us into?!

Once she knew they were home, Bride tapped her comm.

 “Nos,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

 “Stay out of sight, understand?”

“Yeah, sure. Have you found our prodigal son?”

Bride rolled her eyes. “Do you think we’d still be here if we did?”

“Touchy. Any idea who these guys are?”

 “No idea. In all my years, I’ve never seen this symbol before.”

 The she-bat scoffed. “And you’re like…what? A thousand?”

“Can it, batgirl.”

“Hey! I resent that!”

A loud gunshot.

Bride flinched.

“Warren…”

She gasps, fearing the worst. “Nina!”

Nosferata spoke with a more serious tone. “I’ll sweep the area.”

“Stay out of sight if you can.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Bride blinked. The she-bat never called her that before.

00000

Phosphorus thrust a hand through an enemy soldier, increasing the temperature of his body and roasting his organs.

The soldier fell dead.

Several more fall dead, looking as though they had been mummified.

Khalis cracks his neck.

“Vermin.”

00000

Warren, still in his wolf form, was strapped to a gurney made of solid tungsten.

Getting out of that would be near impossible.

Warren’s mouth was bound with iron cable.

He struggled like mad, despite the pain and sickliness from his wound, the silver bullet conveniently left in his shoulder.

His eyes were open wide with terror and despair.

NO! NO!!! I WON’T GO BACK!!! NOT TO THAT PLACE!!! SOMEONE!!! PLEASE!!! HELP!!!

High above, almost a mile high, Nosferata, her ears sharp, her nose far-reaching, her eyes keen, saw Warren down below being carted away on a truck.

And she could hear his heart rate, smell the fear and the blood, see the terror in his eyes.

It scared her almost as much as this new form of Warren’s.

She tapped her comm.

“F-Found him,” she stammered.

“Nos…he’s hurt isn’t he,” Bride said.

“And being carted away on a truck.”

“NO!”

Nosferata cringed at the loud shriek through the comm.

“Ugh! Nina, calm down! Don’t scream into the comm!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Bride, we have to go!!! We have to save Warren!”

“Nos?”

 “Tail em. Got it.” Nosferata smirked. “Take it easy, fish girl. We’ll get your boyfriend and get outta here.”

“Yeah-wait! What did you say?!”

Nosferata tittered. She could hear the blush in Nina’s voice. “You heard me.”

“He’s not my-!!!”

“Can it!!! Both of you!!!” The Bride screamed.

Heavens, it’s like dealing with children sometimes.

Despite Bride’s attempt at silent humor, the tempest of dread in her soul raged on.

Even though she had only known him for a month, Warren had made an impression on her.

On all of them.

Not a chance in hell will I let another die on my watch.

To be continued…

NEXT CHAPTER: Resucitation