[URL=https://youtu.be/A_sY2rjxq6M][COLOR=ORANGERED][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]A I D E N   M c K E N N A[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][/URL][hr][INDENT][sup][color=silver]The night of the dance, [i]Mather Memorial High School[/i][/color][/sup][/INDENT]

To Aiden's relief, it would seem that Mr. Lehrer had little intention of making his evening any more difficult, as the teacher barely batted an eyelid. Aiden loosened up some, if only for a second, before another party-goer emerged from the gymnasium and greeted the three men grouped around the back exit. Aiden sighed under his breath, as it seemed his plan of maintaining a low-profile was swiftly slipping away, and trying to hold it together was like watching sand slide through his fingers. To make matters worse, the individual was none other than Winter Carlyle; one of the most popular girls in school. They'd been aware of each other for some years now, though Aiden didn't remember them ever having a conversation, and whilst she'd always been fairly non-aggressive - pleasant, even - Aiden was no idiot. He knew all about her breed, and it would take a lot more than a pearly-white smile to convince him that she was any different from that plastic-fantastic brigade she affiliated herself with. Nevertheless, he offered her a wordless nod in acknowledgement of her gesture, if only to stay on the sweet side of Mr. Lehrer. 

It would seem that Elroy had taken ill, to which Aiden had to resist scoffing. It was always safe to assume the punch had been tainted after the first half-hour or so at one of these affairs, no doubt by some low-life like Sebastian, should his track record be taken into consideration. Mr. Lehrer was in the middle of asking Aiden to escort Elroy to the nurse when the evening's festivities took a nosedive. 

It took them all by surprise, as the blood-curdling howl sounded out into the night. It was the very same noise he'd been spooked by earlier; but this time, from within the gymnasium itself. It was typical of Aiden's luck that the place he ran to for safety would place him in greater danger. The group peered back into the venue in time to observe a hideous, wolf-like beast bursting out the bathroom door, dispelling any ill-founded hope that this was some sort of practical joke. There was simply no costumer or make-up artist skilled enough to produce something this terrifyingly real, and as Aiden looked on in wide-eyed horror he found himself feeling silly for ever being scared by the movies. It seemed to take a few seconds for the reality of the situation to sink in, with everyone seemingly frozen solid. And then there were the screams. 

Lehrer roared at the students to flee, launching the pale Elroy in Aiden's direction. Aiden had never been able to boast any upper-body strength, and paused expectantly as he waited for Winter to help him support Elroy's weight; but the burden was not eased. Looking around frantically, he soon discovered that the girl had vanished into thin air; as if by magic, she was gone. [i]Typical,[/i] he cursed to himself as he realised that he had been foolish to ever expect the girl's supposed good nature to ever apply itself in a situation of need. 

Mr. Lehrer seemed to be on some sort of suicide mission, as he rolled up his sleeves and darted back inside. Aiden could have sworn that the tattoos on the teacher's arms had been illuminated, casting off some eerie glow in the dark of the night. Of course, it had to be a trick of the moon, but Aiden had little interest in sticking around to find out as, with Elroy's arm over his shoulder, he began to haul the boy towards the woodland - and not without a great deal of difficulty, either. 

He had not covered much ground before another howl called out of the woods, and Aiden was certain he could see large figured moving in the distance. He wasted little time in turning back around, and dragging Elroy back into the school. By this point, though the boy's eyes were open, he was essentially unconscious, and Aiden couldn't elicit any sort of response from him. Crouching down behind a low wall, he pulled Elroy's body down the corridor and into the girl's changing room. 

Propping Elroy up in the showers, he turned on the water in hope of the cold water bringing some life into his burden, but it was no good. There was a series of loud crashing from the main gymnasium, and the screaming escalated. Aiden swore beneath his breath, slapping Elroy on the cheek. It was funny, almost; Aiden had always found Elroy rather attractive, watching his openly gay relationship from afar - and with the greenest of eyes. Here they were, in total privacy and with Elroy soaking wet... Had Aiden not been so stressed, his mind would have been in a totally different place altogether. But as it stood, the evidence of his panic was all too clear: despite the cold water running over Elroy's face, there was an angry red handprint that would surely sting with heat should he have been conscious. Aiden sighed... It was another reminder of his imposed isolation, forbidden even to touch another for fear of harming them. Another scream, and a growl, broke his self-pitying train of thought, as he remembered that sometimes the only way to protect innocent people was to harm those whom threatened them. To fight fire with fire. 

He zipped his XXL hoodie up as far as it would go, and pulled the hood down over his forehead. It was all instinctive, his primal side burning within him as it made his decisions. His shirt was pulled up over his nose in a makeshift disguise that he wasn't entirely sure would effectively mask his identity, but it was all he had. He at least had the benefit of only been seen by a handful of people that evening... He knew that he was putting his safety on the line; that if he survived all this, he was potentially sacrificing his right to a normal life. Once people knew you were different, you were fair game. But he'd climb that mountain when it came to it. [i]If[/i] it came to it. 

He breathed in deep, shooting a final glance at Elroy to double-check he was effectively hidden, and then burst out of the changing room. 

He pulled himself over the low-wall, leaping straight down into the gymnasium. Before him, most of the students had been herded into the centre of the room by what was now a small army of the werewolf creatures. This made Aiden's arrival all the more apparent, and the beasts seemed instantly aware of him. While their humanoid forms may have suggested otherwise, the eyes that were locked on Aiden told him very much that these creatures were animals; and they were thirsty for blood. It was but a second, though it felt like an age, before one of the beasts bounded towards him; fast, heavy and snarling. 

Aiden didn't think; and instinct took over him in the same way he was certain these monsters were ruled by their own primal urge. He closed his eyes tight, the image of the beast hurtling towards him burned into his brain as he lunged both hands forward, releasing a jet of flame that engulfed his predator. The werewolf let out a pained noise unlike anything he had ever heard, but Aiden maintained the searing heat that was flowing from his palms, as the animalistic scream gave way to silence and the smell of burnt meat. Aiden knowingly lowered his arms to his side; exhausted from his stunt as he tried to control his breathing. 

Human screams broke the silence, and Aiden was afraid to open his eyes.