Greg and Tessa hung out at the music hall for a bit longer, before eventually Tessa decided it was time to end the night, saying goodbye and heading back to her apartment. He then turned into a smoke cloud, and shot out into the city. It was time to work.
*Let's see… if I was a half-way decent feral, where would I be?* Greg wondered to himself as he flew. As much as Greg felt it was necessary to hunt down the truly evil ferals out there, without enlisting more people to help, all his efforts would be in vain. *Hmmm… well, the biggest threats would be the assholes and the unformed, but… both of those are fairly strong and it'd be dangerous to fight them. So, I'd probably focus on protecting and avoiding, finding a safe place for the weaker ferals to gather. It'd have to be hidden, somewhere a random feral couldn't stumble into… you couldn't go telling everyone where it was either. So… how would you get new residents? Observation? If you're going to have this super secret safe place, you'd need to be really selective about who you brought in.*
Greg landed on a roof, beginning to pace as he thought. *Okay, so safe place, probably underground, maybe in the sewer system, but you'd need to have access to the rest of the city so you could observe potential residents… Maybe the subway system?* Greg frowned. *But even with that, how do I find them? It's too big an area to just search, and even if they're in and out for observation, how would I tell who's who? Do I just have to hope I get lucky? What if I'm wrong and there isn't even any feral doing this?*
Greg groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fuck, killing assholes is much easier than this shit." The other option was to try and reform the ferals who simply didn't realize just how much they were actually hurting others, but… those were never intelligent enough to be effective. Maybe eventually they would be, but counting on maybe eventually wasn't Greg's style. Maybe if he could somehow train up strong ferals, but that just wasn't how it worked. Every feral's strength seemed to be random and they had little to no way to change it.
*Maybe I should focus on observation for a few nights…* Greg thought to himself, heading down to street level. *Hmmm, but how?* Greg wondered to himself, his thoughts turning to the smoke as always. He considered the glass he'd given to the girls he'd saved from the tentacle man. Even still he could tell where it was, even down to the distance, not in anything as precise as miles but in that way when you look at a map and you can tell basically how far apart things are. What if he sort of… tagged the ferals? Placed his smoke on them in some form and tracked it? Eventually, at least one of these should find their way into whatever safe place there was, right?
Greg changed into the sharkman, looking for a trail to follow. Each time he came across a feral, he'd send a small bit of smoke to attach to them, then find a new trail. Once he had about ten or so tagged like this, he moved on to a new area, tagging a few more before moving on again, until he had about sixty ferals tagged and the sun began to rise. Greg looked at the brightening sky with a frown, sighing before heading back to the safe zone. With the rising sun, all the weak ferals would hide, leaving only the powerful ones who walked during the day, which he had no interest in tracking.
As he was flying over the wall, suddenly a pillar of light slammed down from the central tower, sending Greg into the ground, even in his smoke form. *Ga- uh… Huh.* Greg began to grunt, expecting pain, but there wasn't any. He simply got pushed into the ground. He couldn't even articulate his attempt at pain as he didn't have vocal cords in this form. He peeked out of the ground to see a ball of light shoot off the tower, flying over and landing heavily in front of him, before dimming to reveal the form of a man.
"Now what are you?" The man asked, sounding almost like he was talking to himself as he observed the strange cloud that had been flying over the walls reemerge from the ground.
Greg reformed into himself. "Uh… hi, I'm Greg." He answered, holding out his hand to the strange light man.
The light man's eyebrows raised in surprise, ignoring Greg's hand. "Oh, you're a super. Which safe zone are you from? Why are you flying over the wall instead of going through the gate? It's rude to intrude unannounced, you know."
"I'm from here." Greg explained, dropping his hand with a shrug. "I just went into the city for the night."
The light man frowned. "Is that so? I don't believe I've seen you around before. Which squad are you affiliated with?"
"Unicorn Squad. I'm new though, I just arrived the day before yesterday." Greg explained.
"Unicorn? The one with Tessa?" The light man asked, sounding slightly surprised.
"Yeah?" Greg replied, confused, wondering why Tessa was the first person he affiliated Unicorn Squad with.
"Interesting." The light man pondered Greg. "She had mentioned she'd gotten a new squad member… Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Patrick, Tessa's brother." Patrick grinned, holding his hand out.
It was Greg's turn to be surprised, as he reached out to shake Patrick's hand. "You- huh, I didn't realize Tessa had family here."
"Oh? She didn't tell you?" Patrick asked, raising an eyebrow.
Greg shook his head. "Nope. I suppose it just didn't come up."
"Huh… and she didn't tell you about Dad either?" Patrick asked.
"Dad?" Greg asked, confused.
"Fredrick." Patrick elaborated.
"Who's that?" Greg asked again, frowning.
"You don't know Fredrick?" Patrick's eyebrows raised, surprised.
"Should I?" Greg replied.
"Well, he is the head of the safe zone…" Patrick commented.
"He's what?" Greg asked, slightly stunned.
"He's the leader. The big boss. The head honcho. The dude." Patrick elaborated. "The guy who made all this happen. Tessa never said anything about that?"
"No." Greg replied with a frown. Why would she not tell him that? Then again, did it really matter? Greg thought over everything, before deciding that no, it didn't. They were teammates. Who her family was didn't really enter into the equation.
"Interesting." Patrick muttered, giving Greg an evaluating look.
"Is it?" Greg raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I haven't told her about my family either. Sometimes things just don't come up."
"Hmm… yes, well, you may have a point there." Patrick nodded. "Anyways, about the whole 'flying over the wall' thing. Try not to be so obvious about it, okay? Strange things going over the wall tend to disturb the populace, and they're already scared enough, you know?"
"Ah, gotcha. I can go through the ground if that works better?" Greg offered.
"As long as you don't leave weird holes, that would be fine." Patrick replied with a grin.
"Nah, my smoke goes through things really well. Actually, I'm a little surprised your light even affected me while I was in my smoke state… I've never run into something that could do that before." Greg responded, frowning slightly.
Patrick chuckled. "Maybe you need to get out more. I know of quite a few abilities that could probably give you a few issues. Like the Thunder God." He finished with a low growl.
"The Thunder God?" Greg asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a feral with lightning powers, a lot like my light abilities. However, it can somehow jack into others nervous systems, turning them into its slaves." Patrick explained with a frown. "Hard to kill, insidious, a real pain in the ass. Thankfully it's a feral, so it isn't too smart, or it could do some real damage."
Greg froze. "Uh… how- how do you know it isn't intelligent?"
Patrick frowned. "It's a feral, isn't it?"
"Uh… Tessa didn't tell you?" Greg asked nervously.
"Tell me what?" Patrick's frown deepened.
"Well… the ferals are- they're getting their intelligence back." Greg explained. "At least half of the ones I've met are at least as smart as a fifth grader, if not smarter. Hell, Jennifer is as smart as any of us."
"You're joking." Patrick replied, looking at him with a mix of concern and doubt.
"No? I mean, Jennifer lives here now. You want to meet her?" Greg asked.
"Jen- you- she's a feral? In here? In the safe zone?" Patrick's eyes widened in shock.
"Yup. With Tessa actually… she really didn't tell you?" Greg asked, raising an eyebrow.
Patrick looked back into the safe zone, frowning. "No… no she didn't.
*
"Greg!" Jennifer jumped into his arms the moment she opened the door. "Where were you yesterday!?!" She yelled, pulling back slightly. "We waited all day and you never came by!" She ranted in an accusatory tone.
"Ah! Ah! Claws!" Greg exclaimed, wincing in pain. "I'm sorry! It was a busy day! Tessa dragged me off for training, and then I experimented with my ability, almost got eaten by a monster… shit happened."
"My sister offered to train you? On her own?" Patrick, who'd been standing behind him stunned suddenly latched on to this new piece of information.
"Who is this?" Jennifer asked, noticing the new person for the first time, sliding closer to study him intently. "Tessa's brother? They do have similar scents…"
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Er, yes. I'm Patrick, nice to meet you." Patrick replied, awkwardly offering his hand to the cat like feral invading his personal space.
Jennifer stared at his hand warily for a second, before turning back to Greg, grabbing his arm, and dragging him into the apartment. "Come on, Greg. You have to spend the day with us this time! It's our turn!"
"Wait, wait, wait, how did you decide that?" Greg protested. "I mean, I'm not saying I won't hang out with you, but it isn't because you have turns with me. I'll hang out with you because I decide to hang out with you."
"Mmmm, what time is it? Why are you being so loud?" Sarah grumbled, stumbling out of her room, rubbing her eyes, before they widened as she caught sight of Greg. "Greg!" She exclaimed, rushing forward to hug him, just like Jennifer had.
"Hey, Sarah." Greg sighed, patting her on the back as she latched onto him tightly.
"Where were you yesterday! I missed you…" Sarah pouted.
"I had training with Tessa, then…" Greg trailed off, not really wanting to explain again. "It was just a busy day."
"You could have brought us along." She huffed.
Greg raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember what happened the last time you were out there? I mean, I almost had to kill a guy. Sure, he was a scumbag, but still, not something I really want to make a daily activity."
Sarah considered his argument, before stomping her foot in frustration. "Ugh! I hate this ability!"
"Yeah, I get that." Greg nodded, commiserating with her. "Oh, right." Greg remembered Patrick, turning to give him a stern look. "Don't get any funny ideas. Sarah's ability makes guys ridiculously attracted to her. Keep it in your pants."
Patrick, who'd been fixated on Sarah ever since she showed up, tore his gaze away, turning to Greg, sweating slightly. "I- I'm not- I would never-"
"Yes, you would, cause that's literally what her ability makes you want to do. It happens to me too. You don't need to deny it, just control yourself, alright?" Greg explained.
Patrick took a deep breath, getting himself under control, and nodding. "Right." He glanced back at Sarah, before flinching. "Fuck! That's insidious." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Greg shook his head. "Anyways, what do you think of Jennifer then? Pretty smart, huh?"
"Huh? Oh!" Patrick turned to Jennifer, studying her intently for a bit, until Jennifer began to feel weird and hid behind Greg. "You're sure she's a feral?" Patrick asked Greg, raising an eyebrow. "She could have simply mutated. It isn't all that uncommon."
Greg shook his head. "No, she's a feral, and she isn't the only one I've found like this. Her memory only goes back like a year, and she's been living out in the city the entire time. Maybe if it was just one person like that, it might be a fluke, but ten? Twenty? Fifty? What are the odds of that?"
Patrick frowned, considering his point, when a yawning Tessa suddenly emerged from one of the rooms, only wearing a small t-shirt and a pair of panties. "Why are you guys making so much racket?" She grumbled, rubbing her eyes, before her vision cleared and she saw who was in the room. Tessa suddenly yelped, jumping back into her room. "What are you two doing in my apartment!?!" She yelled from behind the door.
"Well, you see, Patrick didn't believe me about Jennifer, so…" Greg began, scratching the back of his head, trailing off.
"So you decided to bring him over at five in the damn morning!?!" Tessa shrieked.
"I mean… the sun's up?" Greg shrugged. In the midst of all the shouting, a small form slowly flew up from a corner, lazily flying over, and landing on Greg's shoulder, curling up and making herself comfortable. Patrick's eyes widened at Tina, not expecting yet another strange creature to appear. "Oh, yeah, this is Tina. She's also a feral… not as smart though."
A tiny fist punched him weakly. "Meanie." Tina muttered sleepily.
Tessa finally emerged from her room, fully dressed, looking pissed. She marched straight over to Greg and stabbed him in the side, before turning to Patrick. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have woken you up, shit, I'm sorry!" He panicked, scrambling away, not wanting to be his sister's next victim. He suddenly froze as he noticed Greg was just standing there with a bemused grin on his face. "Eh?"
Greg chuckled. "I guess she also didn't tell you I'm essentially immortal, huh?"
Tessa rolled her eyes. "To my eternal dismay."
"Oh, you know you'd miss me." Greg retorted.
Tessa snorted. "Only when I'm angry."
Patrick looked between the two of them, his eyes wide. "You, uh, you two seem to be pretty close, huh?"
Tessa and Greg shared a look. "Well, she was the first person I met after being in a coma for two years. Kinda makes a person memorable." Greg commented.
"He saved my life." Tessa added simply with a shrug.
Patrick nodded. "Gotc- you- he- what?!?"
Greg frowned. "When did I- oh, right! Sharkman. To be fair, I did kinda cause that in the first place…" He then glanced at Sarah. "Well… sort of."
Tessa shook her head. "We both decided to fight that night. You saved me. End of story."
Tessa's tone didn't leave any room for argument, so the conversation stopped for a moment, before Patrick coughed and spoke up again. "So… why is this the first I'm hearing about intelligent ferals?" He asked, looking at Tessa strangely.
Tessa frowned. "I hadn't figured out a way to tell Dad yet."
Patrick frowned back. "What's so hard about that? Just say 'hey Dad, ferals are getting smarter. You think that might be a problem?' and you're done!"
"The problem is him." Tessa retorted, pointing her thumb at Greg. "What do you think Dad would say if I talked about a strange man who claimed to be in a coma for two years, can shapeshift into feral form, and has friendly relationships with multiple ferals? Do you think he'd just say 'oh, sounds like a decent guy' and move on?"
Patrick's frown deepened. "No. No he-" He suddenly paused, turning to Greg. "You can turn into a feral?"
Greg shrugged. "My ability is multifaceted."
Patrick stared at him for a moment longer, before turning back to Tessa. "And you're sure he's-"
"Saved my life, remember?" Tessa rolled her eyes at him.
"Hm, right. Though, maybe-" Patrick began again.
"Patrick, no. Greg is a good guy. You don't need to worry about that." Tessa immediately shut him down with a hard glare.
Patrick looked like he was about to argue, but he noticed the dangerous look in his sister's eye and sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine, you win. He's a good guy. Still, this isn't information we can hide. I will need to tell Dad."
Tessa nodded. "I know."
Patrick glanced at Greg. "He'll probably want to talk with him."
Tessa nodded again, sighing lightly. "I know."
"Right… Well, I'll be off then." Patrick turned to go, before glancing at Greg one last time. "Thank you for telling me this." He thanked Greg seriously, before stepping out the door and heading off.
Greg glanced at Tessa. "Well… that seemed weirdly serious."
Tessa shook her head. "No one takes the ferals lightly around here. We all remember when this all first happened, everyone going crazy, attacking everyone around them, or worse. The people closest to you suddenly treating you like a stranger, or even an enemy. Everyone had to hide or fight to survive. Only when the high-tiers began to appear did any level of security return to the world."
Greg frowned. "Did things really get that bad?"
Tessa nodded. "I know what you're trying to do, and I support it, but… people have long memories, and they can be stubborn. Your path won't be easy."
They both lapsed into silence at that, both lost in their own thoughts. Sarah and Jennifer shared a look, not even sure what to say or contribute. Sarah herself knew the horrors of the ferals, how terrifying it was to be at their mercy, but… she also knew that ferals like Jennifer were different. They didn't deserve to be lumped in with the rest.
Jennifer also knew the nature of her kind, how casually cruel they could be. But still, she saw hope, hope through Greg and what he'd done. He hadn't just killed, like the unformed. He'd been patient, kind, teaching those who could be taught, while removing the ones who couldn't. It was sometimes harsh, but slowly, he began to change the ferals. She longed to see him continue, to see the future he promised with her own eyes.
After a while, Tessa suddenly sighed and turned to Greg. "Since I'm up, shall we get your training out of the way for the day?"
"Sure." Greg shrugged.
"Wait! You can't just leave!" Jennifer protested. "You said you'd hang out with us today!"
"And I will. After my training." Greg replied sternly.
Jennifer looked disappointed, but she got it. "Fine." She agreed, crossing her arms with a slight pout.
Greg rolled his eyes. "I'll see you guys in a bit." He replied, carefully picking the still sleeping Tina up and placing her on a nearby pillow, before turning to Tessa. "Alright, let's go."
*
Fredrick stared at Patrick with a stern gaze. "Are you sure about this?"
"I've met the girl, Dad." Patrick nodded. "She's as intelligent as you or me. If Greg is right, and it's happening to all the ferals… we could be in trouble."
Fredrick sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Just when I thought things were starting to get better… Do you have any idea how prevalent this is yet?"
"According to Greg, about half the ferals he's been in contact with have basic levels of intelligence." Patrick answered.
"Shit…" Fredrick cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, how do we plan for this?"
"First off, this isn't entirely a bad thing." Patrick began, pulling out a few pieces of paper. "A good portion of the ferals will become less violent as they become intelligent, much like this Jennifer girl. This will lead to a decrease in low level danger, especially for the scavenger teams. We can actually see that bearing through in the recent months. We've had a sharp decrease in incidents across the board. However…" Patrick pointed out a certain data sheet. "When there is an incident, it tends to be fatal, particularly in the case of Basilisk Squad."
Fredrick frowned. "That was Mark's team, right?"
"Yeah. All of them were found dead." Patrick nodded with a serious expression. "With the rise in intelligence, the ferals who can't face our squads are avoiding us as much as we are avoiding them, but the ones who can… they may even be hunting us."
"Well, that's just great, isn't it?" Fredrick sighed wearily, rubbing his temple. "So what do we do?"
Patrick shrugged helplessly. "What can we do? We can't stop sending squads out and we're already doing as much as we can to prepare them for what's out there."
"So, what, we just have to accept this?!? There are monsters out there hunting our people, and we just ignore it!?!" Fredrick exclaimed.
"Dad, we're already doing all we can." Patrick explained helplessly.
Fredrick deflated covering his face with his hands. "I know. It's just… frustrating." Patrick nodded in agreement with a distasteful grimace. "We'll table this for now." Fredrick said after a short period of silence. "Tell me about this Greg person."