It was hours since the discovery and he could still smell the ocean.

Spider was in his web, trying to sleep, but couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering back to the hatch Triton had discovered earlier, and the bitter (but oh so sweet) smell of the ocean. Just the thought of it sent tingles down his body, racing from the top of his head to his toes. 

Freedom. It was so close, and yet...

They couldn't leave yet.

Just thinking those words left his stomach twisting bitterly. And maybe something more...a feeling that made him squirm and feel sick to his stomach. His mind tumbled over itself to figure out what it was.

Guilt.

He was feeling guilty for not telling his Pack the discovery. It took nearly an hour alone just to convince Triton to be quiet about it, and even then he wasn't completely sure Triton would be able to keep away from the hatch for long. The ocean called to the meta-fish more than it did Spider. There was no telling how strong Triton's desire to return to the sea was.

But he still listened. He was strong.

Spider hummed pridefully to himself. Triton was strong. His whole Pack was strong.

But not strong enough. That's why they couldn't leave yet. The last time they were close to freedom, they were stopped by their Enemies. That couldn't happen again, not if he could help it. But now that they had a way out, it was time to step it up.

Tomorrow, the real training would begin.

                                               ____________________________________

Wolverine sprinted down the hall.

He turned a corner sharply, feet thudding against the floor, keeping himself well within the center of the hallway, far out of reach of the web-covered walls and ceiling. Grunts and growls echoed behind him as a constant reminder that his time was running out and that they'd be on him soon.

It felt so stressful being the hunted rather than the hunter. No wonder people he's tracked and fought always seemed so high strung. Even Sabretooth wasn't this tenacious. Hell, he'd certainly prefer Sabretooth at this point.

But, no, he was stuck with a pack of mutated, sadistic teenagers out for his blood. Seemed just like his luck...

He followed the hall down into one of the numerous lab rooms in the Academy. Immediately upon entering, he closed the door as quietly as possible, keeping his eyes on it a few seconds more before silently creeping across the floor to the other end where another door stood.

The cats had his scent. It wouldn't be long before they tracked him in here. outside the door, he could already hear them snuffling and sniffing the floor. Quickening his pace barely below making a sound, he pulled at the doorknob from the opposite door and stepped out, closing it softly behind him.

Taking two steps back, he eyed the door grimly, extending his senses beyond the corridor and into the closed room to tell him whether he successfully got away or not. A door from inside splintered and a raucous roar nipped at the heels. With a curse, he burst down the hall, eyes hunting for another way to go. Whatever sick game Spider was playing, he wished the kid would've left him out it. Why couldn't the spider-freak just leave him alone in the training room where he could keep an eye on the other agent?

He barely turned the corner before his exit door down the hall was thrown from its hinges and into the wall opposite to it. Excited growls and mewls shuffled inside the hallway, quick to follow his scented path. It was a shame he lost the Anti-Odor clip Tony made. Even if it was a blocker for his senses, it'd still throw these creatures off his trail.

This hunt has been going on for, he roughly estimated, 30 minutes. 1,800 seconds of him evading their claws and teeth and leading them throughout a wild goose chase through the Triskelion. It was a constant moving game, the only breaks he could scrounge up was when he was being chased, which honestly didn't offer much breathing time.

Between his strong scent, and his breaths coming out as loud, panting huffs, it was no surprise that he couldn't shake the Pack. They could hear him from yards away as if he was standing right next to them.

Why am I doing this anyway? he growled to himself. I shouldn't play Spider's game. Who cares if they catch me. It's not like they can kill me.

His movements slowed a fraction. It was tempting to stop and let them kill him, just because Spider would know that he did it on purpose and get angry. It was kind of petty, but since HE was the one getting bound in webs and stuffed in a corner and being hand-fed rotten raspberries, Petty was the last thing on his mind. The only downside is that it would hurt. Getting his flesh and tendon ripped apart and scattered on the floor was exactly a good feeling. It hurt like hell, and it kept hurting till he was completely healed. Just because he could regenerate limbs or flesh, didn't mean he enjoyed doing it a lot.

Besides, the Pack spared no expense when he gets caught. They were brutal and savage the first time they killed him, and judging by the murderous gleam in their eyes when they got too close, it was safe to say they wouldn't exactly be gentle this time either.

Growling in annoyance, Wolverine sped up his pace. He could hear the scratch of claws on the floor get louder, and he knew there was no way he was evading them now. He spotted another door. Instead of going in quietly, as last time, he rammed into it with his shoulder, which tore it from its hinges and sent it clattering on the floor inside. He ran into the classroom, throwing any chairs or tables on the floor behind him as he went. Which did little good as most of the desks and seats were bolted to the floor.

Damn you, Fury. 

There was another exit door off to the side. Before he could reach it though, the Pack burst into the room. Squirrel was first since she the nimblest of them all. She jumped over whatever pieces of furniture Wolverine tossed and scurried up the wall to the side of him, baring her sharpened buck teeth with claws pinching the metal in excitement.

White Tiger and Zabu were next. White Tiger maneuvered over to him with the grace and feral movement of a predator. Zabu would've looked equally as sophisticated if he hadn't stumbled over one of the chairs Wolverine turned over. Regaining his footing, he and White Tiger split and circled Wolverine with critical eyes, hair bristled and serrated teeth bared.

Triton slunk in next, webbed feet slapping against the floor. His scales looked dry, probably from the running, and his expression seemed one more along the line of pouting than intimidating or scary. His back was hunched and his spindly arms hung listlessly by his side. Never has one of the Pack looked more like a grumpy teenager than he did.

After Triton, Vulture flew in. He looked better than the last Wolverine saw him. His movements were still agitated and jerky, and his slitted eyes seemed to jump from place to place as if he couldn't focus. But he didn't immediately start firing at anything that moved and flew through the air, circling Wolverine from above. He's definitely improved.

Rhino followed. He was the biggest of the Pack, his back nearly reaching the ceiling, his horn just barely grazing the top. He couldn't fit through the door though, and after a few attempts at getting through without getting stuck, he gave up and watched the proceedings from out in the hall.

Spider wasn't present within their ranks, but Wolverine could smell his presence in the shadows, simply observing. Wolverine didn't bother going into defense to fend them off. He was caught and he definitely wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of fighting back. Not like it'd do anything anyway. He didn't want to kill them, or even excessively hurt them. They were still just kids under the influence of their predator sides. Besides, even if he did, it'd only be a matter of time before they killed him anyway. So why go through the hassle?

"Fine," he grumbled, holding up his hands. "You got me. Whoo hoo for you,"

The Pack regarded him uncertainly. Their expressions seemed unsure about his decision to not fight back. Up in the shadows, he heard Spider growl.

Why did it matter if they fought him anyway? The hunt was just a game for them. A chance to spill blood and sedate whatever bloodthirsty desires they had. Sure a fight would probably make it more fun, but it wasn't necessary.

From above, Spider snapped, "Fight. Back."

Wolverine turned to stare at the shadow cast ceiling. "Why?"

"Fight. Back."

"Would if I don't want to?"

A huff of agitation. "Fight! Back!"

Wolverine scowled. "No."

There was movement on the ceiling, then Spider dropped down, crushing a few desks with his landing as he glared at Wolverine. "Why do you not listen?" he hissed.

"Because I don't want to play your stupid game," Wolverine snapped back. "Look, bub, I may be your prisoner, but I'm not going to willingly be your play toy too."

All six of Spider's eyes hardened like a black diamond. "Not play toy," he corrected. "Practice dummy."

He hissed and motioned for the Pack to attack. He jumped back on the wall to watch, all of his arms folding over his chest and torso. Wolverine had just enough time to comprehend Spider's words before the Pack was on top of him and he was torn apart by teeth and claws.

Hey, guys. So, another small-ish update, but there was nothing much else I could do with this.

So, you've all probably noticed that I've been super busy and haven't updated between long time period. Well, all I can ask is that you bear with me because I do have somewhat of a life beyond writing fanfiction (gosh I wish I could get paid to write this stuff - unrealistic dream job is to write fanfiction for a living) and things just got pret-ty busy.

I plan on popping out one more update today, probably for another one of my fics, but that's a big "if". So, we'll see.

Until next time!!!