companions. "Let's go check on Jimmy and Phillips."
The walk from the dock was a short one, and once more Josie and Kenslir found themselves outside a vault door, a small group of soldiers at the ready. Colonel Phillips, repetrified and wearing a fresh set of ACUs, was there as well.
"Boss- how'd the trip go?" he asked.
"Nothing for us to worry about," Kenslir said. "How's Kane?"
"Been very quiet in there. Camera feed shows he hasn't changed. I'm told he did scream a little, at first."
Kenslir crossed to the control panel beside the vault door and pressed an intercom button. On the small screen of the panel, Jimmy could be seen sitting in a chair, head down, arms on his knees. He still seemed human.
"Kane?"
Jimmy looked up, then got up out of the chair slowly.
Beside Kenslir, Josie gasped. Jimmy was still human, but he no longer seemed his normal scrawny, skinny, knock-kneed self. He had filled out, like a body builder, with impressive muscles that strained his shirt and shorts.
"I'm okay," Jimmy said. "It really hurt at first, but other than needing some bigger clothes, I think I'm okay."
Kenslir typed in a code on the control panel keypad and the huge blast door popped open a few inches, then slowly cycled open the rest of the way. He had to grab Josie by the arm to keep her from running in.
"Just wait."
Once the door was open, Kenslir nodded to Phillips and walked in.
"Whoa- you stink!" Jimmy said, his nostrils flaring. Kenslir walked closer and pulled a flashlight from a pouch on his vest. He stepped up to Jimmy and shone it in his eyes.
Jimmy squinted from the bright light. "I swear- I feel fine."
"Close the door," Kenslir directed. Behind him, the huge door slowly cycled shut by itself. When the retractable security bolts had popped back into place, he reached for the gold and silver collar around Jimmy's neck.
"Cross your fingers."
The collar popped open and the Colonel gingerly removed it from Jimmy's neck.
"Whew, that's a lot better," Jimmy said, reaching up and massaging his neck. "That thing is a little on the small side."
Kenslir handed the collar to Phillips then pulled a small folding-blade knife from a pocket of his vest. He opened the blade and held out his free hand. "Give me your hand."
"What?"
"Give me your hand."
Jimmy watched the Colonel with suspicion, but did as he was told. Kenslir took the hand then quickly ran the blade across Jimmy's palm.
"Ow!" Jimmy said as a cut appeared, blood oozing out. He tried to jerk away, but could not break Kenslir's grip.
The blood only flowed for a moment, then stopped. As the three men watched, the cut sealed back up, and healed fully in just a few seconds.
"Whoa!" Jimmy said. "How'd I do that?"
"You're in a transitional phase," Kenslir said, wiping the blade clean on Jimmy's shirt, then folding the knife and putting it away. "You've got the strength and healing powers of a ‘wolf, but a full transformation was blocked."
"So I'm like super-powered now?" Jimmy asked, a big grin spreading over his face.
"For now. But next full moon, without the collar, you could complete the transformation."
Jimmy's smile evaporated. "What do we do? I have to keep wearing that thing?"
"I think I know someone who might be able to make us something a little bit smaller- but until then, yes, if you want to stay like this, the collar seems to be required."
"Is that why you stink- I mean, because-" Jimmy stammered, cheeks flushing.
"You've got heightened senses now- same as me. You're going to find a lot of things are different."
"Is Jimmy all right?" Josie asked over the intercom.
"He'll be fine," Kenslir said, heading for the door. "Let's assemble the unit- time for a debrief on all of this."
***
An hour later and Kenslir was standing at the head of the table in the Detachment's main briefing room. Gathered around the large table were Kenslir, Josie, Jimmy, Smith, Phillips, Victor and the four newest Stone Soldiers- as well as several Airmen, Sailors
The walk from the dock was a short one, and once more Josie and Kenslir found themselves outside a vault door, a small group of soldiers at the ready. Colonel Phillips, repetrified and wearing a fresh set of ACUs, was there as well.
"Boss- how'd the trip go?" he asked.
"Nothing for us to worry about," Kenslir said. "How's Kane?"
"Been very quiet in there. Camera feed shows he hasn't changed. I'm told he did scream a little, at first."
Kenslir crossed to the control panel beside the vault door and pressed an intercom button. On the small screen of the panel, Jimmy could be seen sitting in a chair, head down, arms on his knees. He still seemed human.
"Kane?"
Jimmy looked up, then got up out of the chair slowly.
Beside Kenslir, Josie gasped. Jimmy was still human, but he no longer seemed his normal scrawny, skinny, knock-kneed self. He had filled out, like a body builder, with impressive muscles that strained his shirt and shorts.
"I'm okay," Jimmy said. "It really hurt at first, but other than needing some bigger clothes, I think I'm okay."
Kenslir typed in a code on the control panel keypad and the huge blast door popped open a few inches, then slowly cycled open the rest of the way. He had to grab Josie by the arm to keep her from running in.
"Just wait."
Once the door was open, Kenslir nodded to Phillips and walked in.
"Whoa- you stink!" Jimmy said, his nostrils flaring. Kenslir walked closer and pulled a flashlight from a pouch on his vest. He stepped up to Jimmy and shone it in his eyes.
Jimmy squinted from the bright light. "I swear- I feel fine."
"Close the door," Kenslir directed. Behind him, the huge door slowly cycled shut by itself. When the retractable security bolts had popped back into place, he reached for the gold and silver collar around Jimmy's neck.
"Cross your fingers."
The collar popped open and the Colonel gingerly removed it from Jimmy's neck.
"Whew, that's a lot better," Jimmy said, reaching up and massaging his neck. "That thing is a little on the small side."
Kenslir handed the collar to Phillips then pulled a small folding-blade knife from a pocket of his vest. He opened the blade and held out his free hand. "Give me your hand."
"What?"
"Give me your hand."
Jimmy watched the Colonel with suspicion, but did as he was told. Kenslir took the hand then quickly ran the blade across Jimmy's palm.
"Ow!" Jimmy said as a cut appeared, blood oozing out. He tried to jerk away, but could not break Kenslir's grip.
The blood only flowed for a moment, then stopped. As the three men watched, the cut sealed back up, and healed fully in just a few seconds.
"Whoa!" Jimmy said. "How'd I do that?"
"You're in a transitional phase," Kenslir said, wiping the blade clean on Jimmy's shirt, then folding the knife and putting it away. "You've got the strength and healing powers of a ‘wolf, but a full transformation was blocked."
"So I'm like super-powered now?" Jimmy asked, a big grin spreading over his face.
"For now. But next full moon, without the collar, you could complete the transformation."
Jimmy's smile evaporated. "What do we do? I have to keep wearing that thing?"
"I think I know someone who might be able to make us something a little bit smaller- but until then, yes, if you want to stay like this, the collar seems to be required."
"Is that why you stink- I mean, because-" Jimmy stammered, cheeks flushing.
"You've got heightened senses now- same as me. You're going to find a lot of things are different."
"Is Jimmy all right?" Josie asked over the intercom.
"He'll be fine," Kenslir said, heading for the door. "Let's assemble the unit- time for a debrief on all of this."
***
An hour later and Kenslir was standing at the head of the table in the Detachment's main briefing room. Gathered around the large table were Kenslir, Josie, Jimmy, Smith, Phillips, Victor and the four newest Stone Soldiers- as well as several Airmen, Sailors
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