Chapter 46: Unleashed

While Ferral and Leonidas’s fight continued, Leona and others recovered their strength; eating the other bags of granola Belle had brought. They ate in silence, their minds too focused on thinking about whether or not Ferral was winning. The trio weren't the only ones recovering, the lionesses were also sitting a ways across from them. “Tch, screw this.” Leona said as she tossed the granola bag to Belle and got up. “I'm not just going to sit here while Ferral hogs up all fight.” She turned into the direction where the fight was happening, but was interrupted by Belle grabbing her foot. “Hold on!” She told her. Leona turned back around to see both Ezekiel and Belle had both started to get up. “We're not gonna just let you go out there and get curb stomped again.” Ezekiel remarked. “Yeah, if you're going to fight, we'll help you.” Belle added. Leona smiled and scoffed, “Fine then, but you two aren't even gonna last a minute.” As the three started walking, they were stopped by lionesses who limped and hobbled in front of them. “Like, don't think we're just gonna let you losers leave.” One of them growled. The trio got ready to charge through the remaining lionesses, unaware of the trouble their friend was in…
Back at the culdesac, Leonidas had just impaled through Ferral’s right lung and was holding him up in the air. Ferral gasped and gripped Leonidas’s arm trying to stay conscious, blood dripping from the sides of his mouth. Leonidas just stood there in satisfaction at seeing Ferral struggle. “HAHAHAHOHOHO!” He chortled, “It does bring me joy to see you squirm. To know you are slowly nearing death’s door. HOHOHOHAHA!!” Ferral continued to gasped, trying to think of a way out but he knew he'd bleed out more if he did. “You know, I truly didn't think you'd go out like this,” Leonidas continued, “At least, not so miserably. And once I'm done with you I'll go and murder your other friends with an honest to God smile on my face.” Ferral grit his teeth in anger, jerking his body harder. “N..No!” That was the only word Ferral could utter through clenched teeth and labored breathing. 
“I suppose there's only one more loose end to tie up before you die,” Leonidas said as he continued to bask in his joy. “Are you still curious as to what happened to Dr. Amber? Oh, I mean your dearest mother.” Ferral didn't respond. “You wonder why you found her with claw marks slashed deep in her stomach?” Leonidas grinned a villainous smile, “It was me. I'm the one who snuffed the life out of her.” Ferral's eyes widened and he tightened his grip even more around Leonidas’s arm, piercing his claws into the skin. “Heh, it's too late to try anything now. Now I'll leave you here to die while I extinguish those other failures just as I did her.” He grabbed Ferral by the head with his other hand and pulled out the one that was impaled. Then he took that arm and punched Ferral away, sending him flying until he landed on the street, the front body facing the sky. He continued to gasp, letting what Leonidas circle through his head. 
Meanwhile, Dr. Aero looked at Dr. Atlas to see his reaction. He turned to Dr. Aero with a look of confidence. “Now, the main event begins.” He told him as the two looked back at the screen. 
As the blood drained from Ferral's wound, he just couldn't stop thinking about what Leonidas said. Each sentence rang through his head, each time louder than the first. His body pulsated, ears ringing, he clenched his teeth so hard blood started seeping through the gums. He knew his friends were in danger but Ferral also knew his mother's killer was standing in front of him. Anger poured into every part of his body. Anger, grief, hate, all the emotions filled him to the brim until eventually it boiled over. Just as Leonidas began to walk off, Ferral felt his anger boil over….
“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” A scream burst through Ferral mouth, stunning all the scientists and even Leonidas. Ferral started to get up, and continued to growl in agony. “NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” He roared, holding him to the side of his face, tears streaming down the sides. Soon his body jerked as the fur on his arms started to grow, similar to Leonidas’s transformation. His body grew, and even the hole in his chest started to close up. Soon his body morphed into a giant, canine-like monster. It was an identical form to that of what Leonidas had become, but Ferral’s pupils were gone, completely white. He stumbled across the street, letting out another scream that was filled with nothing but agony, like a wounded wild animal. He leaned up against at building, taking heavy breaths, but that soon turned into a snarl. “GROARRRR!!!!!!” He roared at the ground in rage, then smashed the building he leaned against and began rampaging through the small neighborhood. 
He rammed himself into buildings, smashed and threw vehicles, letting out nothing but animalistic roars and snarls. All the while Dr. Atlas and the other scientists gazed in horror at Ferral's rampage. A man turned to look at Atlas, “What is the meaning of this?!” He demanded. “Whatever do you mean?” Dr. Atlas asked, “I have already explained that our experiments can transform under extreme anger or agony. AND that they become completely berserk and will destroy everything in their path. Now it is just a matter of can 9320 control it.”
As Ferral’s destruction continued, he was completely unaware of Leonidas' presence. He stood there in confusion at what happened, but brushed it off. “Hmph, a idiotic beast till the end, are you?” He said to himself, but Ferral heard the sound of Leonidas’s voice, even with how quiet it was. He jerked his head back and Leonidas turned to see him as well, then Ferral turned his body around. Once the two’s eyes met, Ferral sneered as a part of him knew who was standing in front of him. “ROARRRRR!!!!!!” He bellowed and charged on all fours at Leonidas. He punched Leonidas, who had blocked the attack but still was sent sliding back. Then, Ferral sprung forward to crash his shoulder into Leonidas and he came slamming into one of the buildings. Now against a wall and a little disoriented, Leonidas couldn't react fast enough to Ferral's attacks. He socked him repeatedly across the face, rammed the bottom of his foot into his stomach, then grabbed a piece of the building and slammed it against Leonidas’s head. When he tried to go for a punch, Ferral grabbed the arm and bit the hand clean off. He yelped as he pulled it back; Ferral stabbing his right claws into Leonidas's stomach and ones from his left hand into his chest. Then he picked him up off the ground and threw him to the side, landing into a pile of rubble. Trying to get himself up, Leonidas didn't notice Ferral had picked up the building he was in and threw that in the air and it came falling right on top of Leonidas who was too weak to try and move out of the way. 
Ferral roared and started destroying random parts of the neighborhood again. As Leonidas dug himself out of the rubble, he panted as he looked at Ferral's mindless rampage. “Oh fuck this…” He got out and started to run off, regaining Ferral's attention. “GROARRRR!!!” Ferral cried as he chased after Leonidas. He looked back to see Ferral gaining up, and in a desperate attempt to slow him down grabbed a car and threw it at Ferral but he grabbed the bottom of it and ripped it in half, continuing his pursuit. As the two continued their chase, Leonidas burst through a building and back to the mall area where the lionesses and Ferral's friends were just about to fight but were startled by Leonidas coming toward them. He jumped over them and looked back, “Have fun fools!” He laughed as he continued running off. Then the group looked back to see the berserk Ferral charging at high speed at them. They all screamed in terror, not knowing what to do, but Ferral crossed his arms and smacked them all to the side. “MOOOOOVE!!” He yelled in a deep voice, then continued to chase after Leonidas. All of them stared in complete shock, but Leona managed to muster up the mental focus to utter a single question. “Ferral?”  
Meanwhile, as all the other scientists watched in astonishment and horror, Dr. Atlas got up. “Come Aero, it's time.” Dr. Aero looked in surprise but quickly got up and two exited the room undetected. “Are we really going to release her? The clone?” Dr. Aero asked as the two walked the halls of the facility. “Indeed, Leonidas can no longer stimulate 9320. This will be his final test.” They finally reached Room 367 and entered. No one was in the room, no one except the being in the large container. It was a woman, now a fully grown adult, still floating in the fetal position. “You know what to do, doctor.” Dr. Aero nodded and rushed over to a panel with five switches and a keyhole at the end. He flcked all the switches up, then grabbed a key from inside his lab coat, put it in the hole and turned it. A red light started flashing over the container as the green liquid from it started to drain. While it drained a loud whistle came from underneath the tank, cracks started forming in the glass until it shattered. The two scientists jumped back startled, glass and liquid now littered the floor. “That wasn't supposed to happen.” Dr. Atlas scorned Aero. “Apologies, there may have been some excess air inside the tank, so the quick change pressure caused it to shatter. But I assure you nothing bad will happen to her.” The two looked back to see the woman who was in the container had already started to get up. She stood up, her back was turned from them as she looked around the room. Dr. Atlas cleaned his throat, “Dr. Amber?” He called out and the woman turned around. “Ahh, glad to see you awake and well.” She hopped off the container and walked toward them. “Why was I in there?” She asked. “Well you see, you were critically injured by one of the experiments, so we took you to this new room we created. A healing pod that we'll have to fix later.” She looked back around to inspect the broken container, then back at them. “I see. I can't explain it, but my mind feels a bit fuzzy. Why?” Dr. Aero looked at Atlas who was still calm. “It's a side effect of the fluids you were in. It won't be long till that's fixed. In the meantime, I need your assistance, if you don't mind?” She nodded, “Of course. But first, I'm going to see some clothes.” Then two looked down at Amber’s naked body, then Atlas shook his head to refocus. “Of course. Dr. Aero.” He turned his head to his colleague, who was still distracted. Dr. Atlas smacked Aero across the head and he regained focus. “If you are finished, take her to get some clothes. Something with dignity, please.” He nodded, and the two left the room, leaving Dr. Atlas. “Now 9320, let's get you to your next stage.”