"This is the training room for my raptors," Owen said, glancing around. 

There had to be at least ten raptors in this room. They all snapped their heads towards me, and I could hear growls rumbling in their throats. 

Owen whistled, signaling for their attention to be on him. "This is Ebony," he introduced, waving his hands towards me. "He will be accompanying you on this mission."

I padded forward, glancing around at the raptors. They don't look like much. Is this really Owen's plan to take down Killer? Suddenly, I recognized a familiar face. Blue? She was staring at me, her amber eyes rounded with interest. 

"I'll give you each some time to introduce yourselves," Owen said.

I glanced towards Wu and Owen. Wait a minute, wasn't I supposed to get my breathing problem fixed? They left the room, and a cold feeling washed over me. Was it all a lie? Traitors!

"Ebony," a soft voice spoke behind me. I whipped around. "It's good to see you alive still," Blue said.

"Why do you care?" I asked. "You tried to kill me once, remember?" I growled.

Blue narrowed her eyes. "So? We've both tried to kill each other. I'd say we're even," she scoffed.

I glanced at the other raptors. One of them looked similar to Blue. The raptor followed my gaze and moved closer. "That's Echo, my sister. I thought she'd been dead, but turns out she was alive. And I hope it stays that way."

"So you've been training, I heard. How's that going for you?" I asked. Before she could answer, I cut in. "Not like it matters. That thing out there is no match for you."

Blue glared at me. "It's been going fine, thank you very much. It does matter," she hissed. "I'm the leader of this pack. And if you're going to join us, then you better get used to respecting me."

I glanced at her. "I wouldn't respect you. I'd rather die than be under your command!" I roared, digging my talons into the carpet.

Blue sniffed, tilting her head. "Why not? Do you hate me that much?" She asked, looking offended.

"Of course I hate you!" I hissed. "You're the reason Fear is dead. His blood is on your claws," I snarled.

Blue backed away. "Who?" 

Anger burst inside of me. I leaped forward, landing on her. "I'll tear your throat out!" I yowled. Claws dug into my shoulder. Echo was beside me, hatred burning in her eyes. The rest of the raptor pack joined her, hissing at me. They tugged at me, pulling me away from Blue.

Blue got up, shaking the dust from her scales. She stared at me in disbelief.

The raptors held me back, their claws digging into my tail and legs. "What's your problem?" Echo asked, lashing her tail.

"You're a cold-blooded killer, Blue," I snarled. "You're lucky I-" I cut off as a cough wracked my body, feeling worse than the last. My body trembled. Black dots swarmed my vision, threatening to blind me. It finally passed, and I gasped for air. The raptors had let go, staring at me with confusion and concern.

Blue glanced at me, her gaze softening as if she finally remembered what she'd done. "Oh, right," she mumbled. "I'm sorry Ebony. I was just following orders."

"Right!" I scoffed. "Orders to kill an innocent baby. Do you feel good about yourself?" I questioned, lashing my tail. Grief choked my words. "He was like a son to me. You have no idea how that felt... to see his dead body, and knowing that you couldn't do anything to stop it."

Blue's eyes flared. "I do know what it's like, to lose someone close to me!" She hissed. "Don't act like you're the only one who can grieve for a loved one."

I glared at her, saying nothing.

"Whatever happened in the past, I'm sorry about it. Like I said, I was following orders. And my packmates were too," Blue said.

My throat felt tight, and the words struggled to come out. "What an excuse. If you were ordered to kill your sister, would you do it?" I questioned.

Blue's eyes flashed with guilt, and she looked at the ground, avoiding my gaze. She stayed silent.

Moments passed, and soon the raptors returned to the other side of the room. They stayed in a tight circle, murmuring among themselves quietly. I stayed in the far corner of the room, watching them with slitted eyes. 

I laid my head down on my talons, wondering how long I'd be here for. My eyes wondered around the room, and I noticed a camera in the far corner of the ceiling. Owen and Wu must be watching. Are they testing me? Do they want me to get along with these raptors? 

My talons tapped impatiently on the floor. I got up and stretched, my jaws opening in a long yawn. Alright. If they want me to get along with these gangly raptors, then I guess it couldn't be too hard.