For the first time in what felt like an eternity, when Kit woke up, he didn't feel like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Sleep dazing his recollection of the events of the day before, for a split moment he believed he might be dead. Or that the last five years had been some horrible dream, perhaps even a coma. As he awoke as though on a cloud. Wrapped in covers and staring at the bottom of the top bunk, he wondered if any of it had happened at all.

He felt free, for the first time in a long time.

Then it came tumbling down on his head like a bag of bricks.

Rolling over, it took Kit a second to remember. To recollect everything that had happened, and he winced at the feeling. Then he realised the bigger picture.

He couldn't breathe.

Choking he pulled himself from the bed, slipping to his knees as he fought to bring air to his lungs. His eyes straining through the dim light, when he realised it wasn't dark but surrounded by smoke.

Fire. The realisation hit him and he through his head to the sky and yelled as loudly as his oxygen deprived body would allow him to. "Fire. Get out."

It took a moment before everyone had awoken, and chaos descended on the small area. Kit was shifting before he had realised he had even given his body the order to. A screeching alarm, a sound that even five years later felt eerily familiar, went up and soon they were all charging for the nearest door.

Keeping as low to the ground as he could, he fought his way outside with the others. Losing his balance and struggling through the smoke, he slipped and received a kick to the head. Now dazed on top of everything else, he truly believed in that moment that this would be the day he died.

"Move your arse, Kit." Max's voice shook him from his dizziness, and in spite of the pain Kit pulled himself to his paws and followed.

The world outside was no more inviting then the one that they had left.

Before them stood a creature which seemed to be taller then the clouds themselves. It's eyes lit with an anger which could have put fear into the devil himself. Kit froze, a growl ripping from his throat before he could stop him.

Not a single person there moved as much as an inch, the fear ricocheting through the ranks like a bullet.

Their hesitation would be their downfall. As the great looming creature before them took a deep breath, and fired.

Reacting a second before anyone else, the shifters dodged left and right out of the line of fire. The humans would do the same, however, it would be too late. The flames lit the ground and screams soon echoed from them.

Diving into the flames without a second thought, Kit threw himself into the dark red hue. The smoke filling his lungs almost immediately as he forced himself through the heat and the pain. Looking for anyone who might have survived.

As he reached further into the flames, he came across something he hadn't expected. It made him freeze. He had never seen anything like it.

In the middle of the flames, was a cave like gap. Every man and woman now trapped inside, and the moment Kit took a step forward. He too was lost within the fire. It was like they had become locked in the depths of hell.

And they were faced with the devil himself.

Lit by the flames, the creature before them was some terrible two legged beast. Skin covered in thick scales, it was like a dragon bred with a human. It opened it's jaws a second time and lunged downwards. In one foul swoop it could have easily killed every man and woman there.

Kit lunged forward, intersecting the awful creature before it got the chance.

For now the only shifter in this awful place. Only he could properly engage in hand to hand, or rather paw to scale combat, safely. This would be his fight and his fight alone.

He landed hard. Paws scrambling for purchase as he lunged up the neck of the beast. His feet burning, as though some great furnace lay beneath the scales of the creature. Every step he took sent a bolt of pain down his spine, but he pushed himself on. He didn't know where he was headed, but he knew he had to try.

Nothing but the dreadful sounds of the monster and the gunshots from below were audible. Kit couldn't hear himself think in the chaos. On top of it all, he could barely see through the smoke, getting thicker the higher he forced himself to go.

Pulling to a stop when he reached the top, it was like he had found himself in the eye of the storm. Destruction on every side, but silence and peace at the middle. The dreadful creature swatted and tore at the pesky wolf on his back but couldn't reach. It's loping arms and oversized hands useless when it came to hand to hand combat.

It could be his only chance to win this.

Below him the monster screeched, shaking itself to try and rid the burden from it's back. Kit cried out as he slipped. He thought he was definitely dead, but when he opened his eyes he found that from luck alone he had managed to find a crevice from which to break his fall. It hurt like hell, but he was alive. For now at least.

Dragging himself to his paws, he began to ascend the chest of the beast a second time. Breathing hard as he worked his way back to the creature's weakness. His heart racing until he was certain that it would soon explode.

The monster's voice was like thunder, it didn't speak but scream. The agony and anger tearing from it as it threw it's hands at the creature on it's neck. Kit clung on for dear life, the lack of front left paw making it almost impossible. Yet he managed to dig his claws in as far as they would go, and through persistence alone hung on.

For how much longer he could keep this up it wasn't certain.

Not long it would turn out as he fell with a thud.

Wind forced from his lungs, and a tingling sensation leaving his body weightless. If he wasn't dead, he would at the very least be severely injured.

Kit rolled onto one side, waiting for death at the hands of the furious beast to come.

"Fuck."

He hadn't expected death to be accompanied by quite so much swearing.

Parting his eye, he looked up to see Romany charging in his direction. Not exactly the face of an angel, but an infuriated warrior as she knelt down and pointed her weapon. Her lips slightly parted in exhale as she took aim and continued shooting. Her efforts were mostly in vain, but it bought the young wolf just enough time to recollect.

His body screamed at him stay, to lay down at take his death. The pain almost paralysing him as he struggled to even breath.

"Thanks," he grunted as best as he could. Having to force the words from his air deprived lungs as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Don't get yourself killed," was Romany's only response. She didn't look down at the wolf, as she continued shooting as best as she could.

They were hardly the most enthusing words, but Kit didn't look back as he threw himself back into the fray. Dodging the bullets of the men and woman below as best as he was able to. Concentrating hard on the target above, ignoring pretty much everything else.

For the next time he fell, would be the last time.

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Author's Note

Can we just take a minute to bask in the glory of that banner? Yes, I agree. It is the most beautiful thing ever made. Thanks so much to the incredible RachelS8766 for making it for me, go check out her awesome works and give her all the love in the world.

Have yourselves a lovely day,

Madelynn