"Shadow."

She stretched, pulling herself from the half veiled portion of the nest she'd allowed herself to slip into. A sleepy whine slipped unbidden into her thoughts, Loki protesting her sudden departure from his world.

She hopped free, flattening her fur with a few careful strokes of her tongue, cursing Firestorm for her unexpected wakeup call. "Alpha." She dipped her head, hating how sour that word seemed on her tongue.

Firestorm inhaled deeply, her eyes narrowing. She leaned forward, her muzzle almost brushing Swift's shoulders. "Your kit's scent clings to you."

"I keep a momento of him in my nest, it carries his scent quite well." She lies. "What do you need from me, it seems quite early."

Firestorm glared disapprovingly at her, her fur rising along her spine. "There is an issue by the edge of pack lands, thought you may care to join me. It's not too far, and we'll have a decent patrol with us."

Swift shook out her coat, leaning back to groom a sticky spot on her shoulder. "Sure! What's the threat?"

Firestorm flicked a piece of grass from Swift's shoulder, "Insane Dukari. A bit of a nest of them, or so I've heard."

Sokol bounced up, decked out in his new armour. He head butted Firestorm, nearly tripping over his own feet with excitement as he flattened himself to fit under her belly. "Can you believe it! I finally get to go on a mission Shadow!"

She spun, catching the exuberant leopard as he tackled her to the floor. "Are you even done training yet? I thought you just upgraded to getting this," She clanged her claws off the metal, "Yesterday for the upgrade in training!"

"As I said, we are going to have quite the numbers to go out with, there won't be much danger. Just a chance to get some hands on training with the feral nature of ourselves."

Swift reached out as quietly as she could, her mind barely humming along her own communication lines.

Sokol tilted his head, "Who're you talking to? Can I talk too? I love to talk to new friends!"

Swift flattened her ears, her gaze flicking up at Firestorm as she smirked. Waiting.

"Just habit. I keep trying to reach my old pack. Sorry Kol," Swift drops her ears, forcing her mood to drop.

"Bladen, do you have the same bad feeling?" She whispered.

He nodded, holding his movements as still as possible.

"Can you-" He slaps his tail across her mouth, staring out her eyes at Firestorm's cocked head.

"She can hear. She's using his abilities." He whispered, his voice quaking.

"Come on Shadow," She called, trotting to the entrance, "You're the last to be woken. I knew you got in late last night so I made sure you could sleep the longest."

She took a deep breath, each step placed with deliberation, forcing herself not to flinch. She froze, one foot inches from the floor as she stared at the war party.

50 strong, each one clad in armour. Her gaze darted across each face. Each one seasoned in battles. Trainers. Murderers.

A suit dropped at her feet, Firestorm nudging it again. "Should be a perfect fit. Don't look so scared, we won't lose anyone. Pack protects its own, especially against a threat like this." She purred.

"Alpha, I can't. I've had no training in it. I-"

Firestorm flicks her tail across her muzzle, silencing her protests, "You will, or you stay here. These creatures are too dangerous for you to go near without one." She leaned down, her lips nearly touching Swift's ear. "Put it on little alpha, and come see how a proper threat should be dealt with." She whispered, too soft to be heard by the others.

Swift's head snapped up, her words snapping out before she could think better of it, "I have, Alpha, and I lived without the suit."

Firestorm smiled. "Your choice. Wear it and come with, or stay here without it. But if you stay here, I can't guarantee you won't disappoint little Kol. I was counting on your experience to keep him safe you know."

Swift tilted her chin up, challenging the alpha for a moment before looking down. She ran a paw across the armour, tracing over the perfection. Not a flaw to be found. With a deep breath she stepped into the plates left open.

They leapt up, each piece curling around her like a bug up a tree. They clicked in, their joints smooth as she flexed in them. She glanced down, noting 4 perfect feet. "You chose to fix me." She stated.

"Of course not," Firestorm scoffed, "But an unexpected mission like this does not leave time for us to be picky. Let's go."

Swift tried to step away, letting the shadows pull her back to no avail.

Firestorm frowned, "That suit doesn't allow for shadow traveling. My apologies. As I said, not much time to refine one for you, and I didn't realize that was in your powerset."

Swift sighed heavily, "It's not. Not mine that is." She twitched her tail, slipping into the pack at the door.

Firestorm's eyes met Snowlily's, both sets quizzical.

"Not hers?" Snowlily questioned.

"I heard the same conversation as you." Firestorm replies with a shrug. She spun on her own tail, stretching herself in a run as she bounds out the entrance. She vanishes in a single flash of light, her armour blending into the woods around her.

Shades of shapes flit through the trees. Faint shadows cast over the grounds they stepped on. A single mind, every step silent and in perfect sync.

They gathered on the end of their lands, every head turning to regard Firestorm as she took the lead.

She shook hard, her armour sinking under her fur.

Her pack fanned out, forcing Swift and Kol dead center.

A familiar scent graced her nose, swirling silver eyes peeking out at her from under the bush. He tilted his head, watching her with a frown.

Swift shook her head just slightly. "Run." She mouthed.

Kol followed her gaze, letting out a cry of warning. "Eyes! I see eyes!"

Swift slapped her tail across his mouth with a low snarl. "Silver eyes you fool. Not red. Insane Dukari only have red eyes."

Firestorm returned to their side, "That's right Shadow. And Sokol, if you scream like that in a place like this, then you run the risk of alerting the ones we really do want to hunt."

Kol dropped his head. "Sorry Alpha... I thought I did the right thing."

Swift walked away, nosing at the bush, masking Loki's scent with hers. "Nothing here. Can't even pick up a clear scent."

Firestorm shouldered her aside, inhaling deeply. She leaned over, sniffing Swift's shoulder. "Hm."

She bounded over the bush, ignoring the sigh of relief Swift let out.

Swift let them get ahead, forcing Kol back. Her tail swept over the dirt, stirring leaves. "Don't call those eyes again. They are a friend of mine, just checking to make sure I am ok."

A scream rang out, the shrill single noted cry of anguish.

"Pack, to me. Found the nest."

Her head snapped up, her eyes widening. "Kiri! RUN!" She howled across their minds, not caring who heard her.

Illandria caught the words, forcing them into her tone of voice before releasing them from the mind.

Swift tore through the forest, taking to the trees. Limbs pulled at her fur as she flew to Firestorm's side.

Kiri directed their little pack well, his tail flicking as he corrected them on how he needed them to disengage from the rogue they currently faced off against.

Shadows opened, pulling Skitter back out of the rogue's path. Loki darted out, drawing the rogue after his tail.

Kiri snarled, taking to the air. He launched himself off trees, nearly teleporting across the clearing. He caught the rogue in the chest, sending him to the ground in a plume of earth.

Kiri leaned in close fast. He presses his head to the rogue, their minds merging.

The rogue stills, pack gathering close. He shivers continually, unable to stop. Each creature leaned in, pressing their muzzles or paws to his side.

Loki glanced up, meeting her gaze, then Kol's. He pressed his muzzle to the shivering creature still held down by the many.

Kiri sank his teeth into the male's shoulder, waiting that second for him to do the same. They released on cue, the rogue nearly sobbing with relief.

Firestorm stepped out of the trees, each step brimming with false confidence. "Rogue. You knew what your choice was the day you left the packs, yet it seems you've forgotten this little fact."

The male flattened. "Alpha Firestorm, it wasn't my choice, I swear! It was an accident. This is a second chance! A way to prove I was never meant to be rogue!"

Kiri's tail lashed, his ears flat. "Firestorm." His voice cut like a whip, the signature coil of power edging it. "Do you threaten a member of my pack, when they have done nothing to harm you?"

She blurred, leaves fluttering with the breeze left in her wake. Massive claws, gleaming wickedly with morning dew sank into his body.

The boy cried out, his voice fading away into a rasping gurgle as blood flooded into his chest with every fluttering heartbeat. She turned, his head clamped firmly between her fangs, her body in one continuous serpentine motion as she sunk her claws into Kiri's chest, burrowing for his heart.

He went still his gaze flickering downwards before up to her eyes, embracing every second of contact with her. "D'vala, hide me." He leaned forward, driving those claws deeper. "So so glad I get to feel the agony you left for me to try to help my friend live through, Stormy."

D'vala spat curses, borrowing a trace of power to weave over them. "You stupid, stupid boy!"

Firestorm smirked, twisting her paw until he crumpled to the ground. "Thought it was the pair of you. Why didn't you choose to come learn instead of her?"

Kiri's abilities pooled, slicing into her mind with wicked abandon. "You would've known me by sight, Firestorm. I doubt you are that oblivious." He mocked,

"Oh kit..." She pinned him, holding the dripping head above his face. "I hate to do this, especially to such a young pack line, but he is no packmate. He has broken, his mind won't repair. Not to become a useful, stable mind."

Blood pooled, dripping from the still blinking head held tight between Firestorm's teeth. It's mind reached out to Kiri, "Am I pack? Really pack?"

Kiri bit back a sob, the skull blinking at him. Such hope stared back, an unwavering desperation waiting only to hear his words. He had trusted Kiri to bring him back, now he trusted Kiri enough to protect him." "Always. Give me a name to honour you by, friend."

Firestorm gave the head a rough shake, ignoring how it cried. "He deserves no name. He lost that privilege the day he lost himself.

"Alpha! Make her stop. Please. Lyre. I was called Lyre. I-" Firestorm bit down hard, crushing the skull between her jaws.

Brain splattered across Kiri, bits of bone splattering his fur. His mind recoiled, the severance sending jagged shards of electric jabs sinking deep into their bond. He caught her, heaving her aside with his mind. "Lyre was not an it, Firestorm. He was a broken young man who only needed a bit of help from a proper alpha!"

His pack gathered close, their coats brushing. They raised their chins, their eyes never wavering.

His tail twitched, Loki vanishing with the group. "How many faces do you remember Firestorm? How many minds will you toss like trash befo-"

Firestorm tossed a device, sticking it to his chest. "I protect my pack, not make excuses for their stupidity."

He squealed, true electricity sending him into a fit, bloody foam splattering the ground. "Swift!" He screamed, his voice brittle. "Swift!"

Firestorm sunk her paw into his chest with a sickening squelch, claws dragging their way across his heart. "Little Shadow may not forgive me, but hopefully you will."