Chapter 27: Hark! The Hellhound Cometh!

Ferral groaned, slowly opening his eyes. While coming to his senses, he looked around to where he was. The room was dark, he couldn’t make anything out. He was strapped to a large metal table, his wrists and ankles bound by metal rings. Then he remembered. Flashes of what happened, all of them…..dead. It was his fault, they died and were killed by his hands. Ferral’s heart ached, it felt like it was being crushed. He could never forgive himself. It was all his fault.

A bright light shined from the front right corner of the room, Ferral looked up to see it was a monitor. Victor’s face showed in the monitor, “Good to see you’re awake, my son.” He said, smiling. Ferral’s sadness morphed into heated rage, “You did this…..you monster…..I’LL KILL YOU!!!!” He lashed out. “I have done no such thing. Their blood is on YOUR hands.” “All of this is because of YOU!!!” “Correction, my son, this is because of you. You sought me out, you asked for my help, and you killed your precious family and friends.” “SHUT UP!” Ferral thrashed his body, “THIS WAS BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU’RE A MONSTER! I’LL KILL YOU!!!!” Victor chuckled, “Blame everyone but yourself. Don’t get so upset, I’ll get rid of that guilt of yours. I'll replace your broken one once I finish making this new control chip. I would’ve done it earlier, but I had other matters.” Ferral continued to thrash his body, “I’LL KILL YOU!!!!” Victor scoffed, “You’ll never get the chance.”

The monitor turned off, the room became pitch black again. Ferral slumping forward, seething. He never felt such hatred. Such anger. Such pain. It was pushed past his limit, he almost couldn’t take it. His heart started to race, his body began to burn up inside. All these emotions grew and grew and grew. His body twitched, every fiber of his being felt like it was set on fire. He quietly growled, clenching his fists as his body began to transform. But this was different, it wasn’t like his regular awakened state. Ferral’s body shook, his right arm and both legs being completely engulfed with fur. Normally, the fur would only go up to his elbow and knee, but this time it went up to his shoulder and inner thighs. The fingers on the left arm moved around frantically, the entire prosthetic started being moved out. The metal ring holding his left wrist broke off under the pressure, and his arm fell to the ground, being replaced by bone.

Tendons, muscles, tissue, and skin wrapped around this newly grown arm. It shouldn’t be possible for Ferral to regrow his arm, but like his regrown right eye, Ferral’s body defied that constraint. The overstimulation hate, anger, and pain forced his body to regenerate these lost parts. His new left arm mirrored his right. Ferral’s hair grew longer, going all the way down to his back. His tail grew longer, as did the rest of his body. His hair and fur still stayed the same black, but now with a crimson red flaring from the middle to the ends of each strain of hair. His canines growing a little longer and sharper. Finally, his eyes, once crimson red now combined with a bright yellow, making it look like blazing flames. Ferral threw his head back and let out a heart-stopping roar, almost as if a violent beast was let out. The guard that was standing in front of his room heard this scream and opened the door to see what was going on.

When he peered his head in, the guard found Ferral was gone, the binds were all broken. He gasped, reaching into his pocket to grab a walkie-talkie, but as he was about to use it, Ferral sunk his left claw into the back of the guard’s neck. He screamed in pain, dropping the walkie. “Please! Don’t kill me! I have a family!” The guard pleaded, but Ferral ignored him, digging his claws even further. A loud scream sounded through the main floor, everyone looking at what happened and all the other guards went running over to where it came from. Once they got to Ferral’s cell, they all looked in terror, finding Ferral holding the other guard but the throat….with his teeth. He bit down, the guard letting out a small groan before dying. Ferral dropped the guard, aiming his sights on the others. They all shuttered and looked on in fear, one of them quickly taking out his walkie and contacting Victor.

“Sir, he escaped! What do we do?” The guard said. Victor sighed, punching a nearby wall, and making a dent in it. He picked up his walkie, “Stop him. I want him DEAD!” Victor looked at Jack, “Go into full lockdown. That boy is not allowed to leave.” Jack nodded, pulling a small black lever that was by the door. The whole building went dark, all the power being shut off and every door locked. Then, red alarm lights and sirens blared throughout the building. “EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!” An automated voice called out. The guards stared Ferral down, each one sweating, one even gulped. Ferral started to walk toward them, the guards stepping back in terror. They couldn’t describe it, fear took over their bodies, and they were petrified. It was like death itself was walking toward them.

“OPEN FIRE!!!” One of them finally shouted, raising their guns, but Ferral seemingly vanished. Popping up in front of them, he drove his right hand through one of them, pulling it out and grabbing the guard, throwing him into some of the others. They had no time to react, and Ferral hacked and slashed each one. Grabbing one of them by the mouth and tore his jaw in half, rammed his claws through the eyes of another, and kicked one of them so hard this neck snapped. Each group of guards from each floor raced down to the main one to confront Ferral. After he finished with the first group, a second one came down and he charged at them. Catching them all off guard, Ferral sliced up each one. Tackling one of them, stepping on his feet, twisting around, and tearing off his torso. Ferral ran on all fours through the halls, slaughtering everyone in his sight.

When there was no one around, Ferral used his even more heightened senses to detect people’s heartbeats coming from a room next to him. He gripped the sides and pried the door open, the scientist screaming in terror as Ferral walked in. As more guards came down, they saw the opened door, bodies scattered all around. A vent on the bottom of one of the walls burst open, a pair of hands reaching out and grabbing one of the guards. He screamed as he was pulled in, all the others turning around to see what happened. Thumping came from the vents, so they aimed their guns up, ready to fire. One of the vent doors burst open, a lacerated body hung from the edge. Ferral coming out from the same bottom vent and slicing off some of their feet. They couldn’t process what was happening, and each one dropped.

Ferral could hear the sound of more coming down, so he raced back to the main room, and leaped into the air, grabbing the railing of the catwalk. He pulled himself up to the second floor, guards surrounding him. Ferral’s eyes quickly dart back and forth before bolting the group on the right the group on the left firing at him. Each bullet missed and hit one of their fellow guards. Ferral grabbed one and used him as a shield as he raced at the other group, throwing the body away and tearing through each one. The guards on the higher floors looked down and saw Ferral, everyone shooting at him. He quickly raced to cover, then grabbed two bodies and leaped into the air. Ferral threw one of them at a group of guards before landing on the right side and taking them down. He’d grab some of their combat knives and throw them, impaling their heads or throats. Ferral pulled the pins from the grenade that one of them had around his vest. He tried to take them off, but they exploded, two others getting caught in it……

“How much longer before the power comes back on?!” Victor demanded. “It won’t be for another five minutes, sir.” He sighed, “Jack! Go out there and see what’s the holdup!” Jack nodded, “On it, boss.” He opened the door and ran out…..

Meanwhile, Ferral continued his onslaught. Grabbing one of the guards by the head and slamming it into the wall. There was nothing they could do, each one being taken out; Ferral slicing one of them in half down the middle. Once he made it to the 25th floor, he’d killed off the last guard along with whatever scientists were trying to hide. Just as he was about to make his way to the top floor the sound of a gun cocking came from the end of the hall. Jack stood there, his revolver pointed at Ferral. “Well well, throwin’ a temper tantrum, are ya?” Ferral didn’t respond. “Oh don’t look at me like that, boy. That’s how ya get wrinkles quicker.” Ferral still stayed silent. His cold stare made Jack begin to sweat nervously. “DON’T JUST STAND THERE LIKE AN IDIOT, BOY! SAY SOMETHIN’!!!” He shouted. Ferral cock his head with a smirk, and Jack whole demeanor changed. He could feel the cold heartless stare, he felt as if a rabid wolf was eyeing its prey. Like death was looking directly at him. He quickly calmed himself, but just as he was about to fire, Ferral burst forward and socked Jack in the gut.

He launched him against the way, dropping his gun. Ferral picked it up and unloaded all the bullets, then threw it to the side. Jack got up, going on the attack, throwing punches that were blocked with ease. Ferral grabbed one of Jack's punches, moved his arm out, and sliced it off. He howled in pain, getting kicked to the side. As he tumbled on the ground, Ferral came rushing over, kicking him up in the air, grabbing his left leg, and spinning around to slam him against the wall. Jack fell down, Ferral picking him back and punching him repeatedly in the face and stomach while still against the wall. He grabbed his other arm and snapped it, Jack screaming in agony.

Ferral put his left hand over Jack’s mouth and leaned closer. “Do you know what it’s like to have your heart crushed?” He growled, lifting up his right hand and piercing it through Jack’s chest. He gripped his heart and crushed it, Jack coughing up blood all over Ferral’s hand. “Just like that.” He took out his hand and let go of Jack’s mouth, his body falling limp on the ground. Ferral turned around and made his way to the top floor…….

Victor paced back and forth, then the power came back on and he rushed to the cameras. He looked into each one, nothing but the dead scattered around, even Jack lay lifeless. He went to the camera by the front of this room’s door and jumped when he found Ferral staring up at it. His body splattered with blood.