[center] [h1] [u]FINDING ANSWERS[/u][/h1] [img]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i374/bensundeitestutho/raptor-man2_zpsbzrk09ho.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/ZnOpQuF.png[/img] Location: Raptor Pack’s home, Albany NY Time: Near Noon (Day after the Soulstone creation)[/center] Ben jerked in reaction when Kelly walked over to him, his brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as wave of unfamiliar wariness washed over him. His figure flinched then held fast to his seat while felt his head with her hand back for fever. While slightly hotter than normal, it was still within normal range for a human and easily overlooked when it came to concern. He let her take his wrist to check his pulse. It too stayed a bit higher than normal but she seemed unworried or unsure about his physical well being, something she wasn’t alone in as well. When Sam’s claws unsheathed, Ben’s throat let out a primal warning growl. It was low and deep, his lips pulled back to reveal his very human teeth. The tension left his figure when Kelly chided Sammy, her attention returned to the boy. Ben was about to answer when the older guy walked in and tossed a old part of shorts and tee-shirt into his lap, his eyes looked at them with slight uncertainty about their quality then mumbled quietly. [color=chocolate] “Thanks and yeah, I would like a shower to wash whatever is still here.”[/color] Wobbly, he raised up to his feet as he pinned the clothes to his navel and managed to keep the blanket wrapped about him. He paused long enough to turn toward Kelly with a worried look. [color=chocolate] “Did… did I hurt anyone last night?”[/color] “Oh, the streets were stained with the blood of your victims.” Sammy morbidly joked. Again, Kelly gave her friend a glare, signalling that she was not helping the situation. [color=khaki]“You did give a couple a pretty good scare. Besides Sammy’s pride, you didn’t hurt anyone.”[/color] Ben paled at Sammy’s words causing him to shiver, his eyes snapped to Kelly’s reassurance that he merely frightened instead of maim. His knuckles had whitened from tightening his grip on the sofa arm as he tasted something sour at the back of his throat and finally swallowed it down. It was funny because his stomach, from what he could tell, was starving. Nodding his understanding, he shifted around then abruptly realized something. He didn’t know where the shower was within the apartment and he didn’t want to appear nosy. [color=chocolate] “Where’s the shower?”[/color] His eyes looked for help through he hated the need for it. [color=khaki]“Just turn right and go past those closets over there and the bathroom is at the end of that short hallway.”[/color] Kelly pointed towards Ben’s right. [color=peru]“I guess I’ll go grab another towel.”[/color] Zac muttered as he turned to the closets that Kelly had just mentioned. [color=khaki]“Just follow Zac. You can’t miss it.”[/color] Ben nodded again then followed the one called Zac, the one that originally brought his clothes, as his hand still held up his blanket and keep his modesty. The clothes, transferred to his other, were hung at his side to make he didn’t forget them. The walk was fairly short as they made their way to the bathroom in silence. His mind was still wrapping about everything that had happened while only pieces came back to him. When they arrived, Ben edged in then turned to take the towel from Zac. [color=chocolate] “Thanks, Zac? Name’s Benjamin. I’ll be out of your hair shortly after I’m done.”[/color] [color=peru]“No problem. Once you’re out, we can finally call your folks, Ben.”[/peru] Zac told the teenager after he handed him the spare towel. After Ben had shut the bathroom door behind him, Zac walked back into the living room where Kelly and Sam were. Once there, Zac sat down in a chair that was sitting next to their living room couch. [color=peru]“Do you all think that Ben’s powers could have been caused by Doctor Diplodoc’s serum?” Zac asked. [color=khaki]“Well, it is plausible.”[/color] Kelly responded as she thought about her boyfriend’s question. [color=khaki]“While New York was not affected by those domes that appeared a few months ago, if he has eaten any fish from the Atlantic since then, the accumulation of small doses from the fish could have caused his powers to appear.”[/color] “Although this doesn’t quite rule it out, but if we think about everyone whom we have met that have been affected by that serum, most of you either look pretty human or look like humans with an animal’s head. Even if we were to compare that kid with that lion guy back in West Virginia, the lion guy had a whole lot more control over himself.” [color=khaki]“True. Ben was acting like more a dog while chasing you than an actual person.”[/color] “I am [b]SO[/b] getting him back for that one day.” [color=peru]“Well, the only real way to find out is to ask the kid once he has finished showering. And that’s assuming that he even knows what’s going on with him.”[/color] After about half an hour, Ben padded out into the living room with one hand on his pants. They were a little big but not enough they would pool at his feet as he paused at the door frame. His arm leaned upon the frame and studied the three college aged adults before speaking. [color=chocolate] “So, you said something about a phone I could use?”[/color] [color=khaki]“Oh, you can use my cell phone, if you like.”[/color] Kelly offered as she pulled her phone out from her back pocket. [color=khaki]“Your parents might not recognize the caller ID, but it’s better than nothing.”[/color] [color=chocolate] “I’m not worried about that, it’s not likely Daniel will care. He’s likely doing a photo shoot for some publicity and votes. I hope Angelo is around or I’ll have to walk my way there.”[/color] His fingers pressed into the touch screen as he recalled the number, the phone ringing. During his wait, he paced the floor with a twitchy energy while he looked back at the trio. [color=chocolate] “If you don’t mind, can I ask what [i]exactly[/i] did you see last night?”[/color] [color=peru]“Well,”[/color] Zac began, [color=peru]“You kind of wandered into a drive-in movie and scared a young couple really bad. Then you chased Sammy here up into a tree. Kelly had to knock you out before you could bite Sammy.”[/color] [color=khaki]“No hard feelings.”[/color] Kelly apologized. [color=chocolate] “That explains a few things... “[/color] Ben mumbled, then clicked off on the phone then gently placed it on the table. [color=chocolate] “It’s busy, I’ll try later. Figures with the way things have been going.”[/color] His figure moved over to the sofa, his torso leaned over his legs and digested his situation. [color=chocolate] “I suppose you have some questions? But I also have a few of mine own. First off, how the hell did you knock me out?”[/color] [color=khaki]“Umm…”[/color] Kelly started to speak, [color=khaki]“I hope you’re not afraid of needles.”[/color] Ben gave her a questionable look. [color=chocolate] “No...not really.”[/color] [color=khaki]“Well…”[/color] Kelly paused before she deactivated her power nullifying band, causing her wasp-like appearance to reappear. In order to get the point across, she allowed the barb on her wasp abdomen to become unsheathed. [color=khaki]“I might have stung you with this a couple times.”[/color] Ben jerked upright from his seat. Sammy’s claws had been one thing, though truthfully he suspected he partly was seeing things thanks to his groggy head, but seeing a full wasp abdomen actually suddenly sprout from the girl’s tail bone left him lost for words. [color=chocolate] “And I thought my night was rough…”[/color] [color=khaki]“More like a rough year.”[/color] Kelly said as she cross both of her pair of arms. [color=khaki]“So, when did your powers first appear?”[/color] Ben absorbed the information then spoke. [color=chocolate] “It happened after I got bitten the other night. Daniel and Lorrie dragged me to a charity event in the city, even introduced me to some funding friends for his campaign to go from DA to mayor in the future. I went out into the back alley where this huge, rabid wolf had arrived. It bite me, but thankfully didn’t get a chance to eat me when I finally passed out.”[/color] Ben paused enough to breathe then wrapped up his story quickly, [color=chocolate] “I woke up then was informed I was infected and now am a werewolf. Nothing I can do about it and the damn thing is still at large.”[/color] “Wait, you’re an actual werewolf?” Sammy expressed her concern. “Does this mean you’re contagious or something?” [color=chocolate] “Not that I’m aware. Then again, I don’t know anything about this. They didn’t seem to worry about me spreading it as much as… creating trouble. Technically, my first change wasn’t suppose to happen tonight but tomorrow. Something happened, it triggered something and all I remember is my skin itching and peeling off. It scared the shit out of me.”[/color] Benjamin said in a rough voice, his throat still sore from being dry. He doubted his replies had helped while he decided to address the issue. [color=chocolate] “I need some water or at least something in my stomach.”[/color] “I can grab you a glass of water.” Kelly said as she walked over towards their apartment’s built-in kitchen. She grabbed a glass from a kitchen cabinet and filled it up with water from the kitchen sink. Then, Kelly walked back and handed the glass over to Ben. Ben nodded, then leaned back into the sofa back and taking the glass. [color=chocolate] “Thanks.”[/color] He drank it slowly and let the water sooth his throat, his pace fast as the liquid quickly vanished. Gently, he placed it back through his thirst was far from quenched. [color=chocolate] “Anything else you want to know before I go try to call my house again?”[/color] [color=peru]“I think that’s all the questions that we have for right now.”[/color] [color=chocolate] “Alright. Excuse me.”[/color] Ben pulled himself upright then reached for the phone where he edged toward the side the room and began to call again.