||𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏6𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎||

It felt like a part of me had died again.

Lying limp beneath a sea of silver stars, I melted into the embrace of my tail, letting cold speckled tears spill down my ivory face. Each breath, hiccup, and whimper pushed these sorrows into the dirt below, and with it a wealth of whatever courage I once held onto. Nature watched from a distance, too distant to caress the gentle raptor broken by fate, and too quiet to turn my attention to something more promising. What writhed from within burned like a living flame, and I couldn't fight it.

Because the guilt weighed more than the anguish.

Nobody would have seen a bond brewing between two vengeful hybrids. Their differences were too great to discern. Their beliefs barely matched. But, somehow, it worked. Somehow, two points on two maps drawn to a spectrum too great to measure connected, equal and opposite.

Like magnets; they were meant to be together. But they didn't know why.

For however long I was away from Click I didn't feel alone. I wasn't treated like a tool, or a weapon; I was a part of something greater. The world opened up just for the two of us -- me and him. We could do anything. We could be anything.

And, in a blink of an eye, it had closed yet again.

Mind nor body knew where to go or what to do after Blink was killed. I fled adjacent to the highway, trailing a forgotten path within the quiet town of Chico, California, leading to the Mendocino National Forest several miles out. The shock of the earlier incident drugged whatever thoughts transpired hereafter, but, eventually, that all faded away. Reality struck, fast. And once the pain became too great to bear, I took refuge on a false field of grass, collapsing onto my side.

And broke into tears.

This was a quiet place to be alone. To think for a minute. To feel the world spin outside of control, and watch the heavens twinkle in mockery.

To quit. And, now more than ever, I had a strong need to stop trying.

I sniveled quietly. The air tasted rotten tonight. Not like the sweet, churning dunes I once surrendered to when I was with Click; this was nothing like the desert. There, I felt confident. I had meaning with my friend, and I was happy above all else.

Now all that became a dream. My injuries were fighting me. My head wasn't in the right place, and neither was my heart. I was crying my eyes out -- surely the humans will hear me. And I wished the world away for a pathetic miracle, knowing none would ever come.

Something else did.

I caught his stench long before those two bright yellow eyes pierced through the haze of a midnight mist. I didn't care for who -- or what -- it was; instinct took control, turning the sad, noble white indoraptor I once was into a defensive, malicious female out for vengeance. My tail lashed about, jaws parting to unveil every tooth and fang rounding my pointed snout, and heart pounding of precious adrenaline.

But this is not what Ripper saw. The obsidian indoraptor in the fog went still, studying my golden features for a good long minute. He could smell the dried tears crusting on my scales, the hesitation in every twitch of my two talons, even that newfound adrenaline pulsing in my veins seemed more forceful than natural. Snorting once, Ripper took a bold step forward, so I envied a snarl; it didn't faze him as much. Ripper simply paused again, drawing in a mournful breath of understanding.

And took a second brave step forth.

I growled again, quills rattling in warning. The tension was already growing between us; it was far too dangerous to tamper with. We were injured enough, too. But, while history urged me to seek the nightmare that he is (and will be if I gave in), all Ripper wanted was help... and to help, of course. I was his kin after all. And the scent I produced was no different than the musk he emitted. So, without a fight to show (or any good reason to do so), Ripper lowered his tail to the ground and bowed his head submissively.

I didn't stop growling, my claws only tightened, crystal blue eyes narrowed upon the elder indoraptor as if he were a loaded gun. The hybrid allowed his eyes to drop low to the earth, unsure how else he could show his gratitude, let alone friendship. This would be hard, he'd soon realize as he took an uneasy step backward, careful to keep his talons undrawn. I didn't move. I couldn't ease up, nor did I want to.

He then stepped forward experimentally-

I snapped in a flash, letting all my anger go in a bark to startle the black indoraptor. Ripper hissed defiantly, a primal reaction stirring my heartstrings even further downhill. The two of us locked eyes once more, teeth bared under the heat of the moon, thick drool oozing down our jagged maws to terrify one other. Our tails lifted, knees bending low and chests puffing out to prove one's confidence. Just a single flinch could turn a moment of solidarity into a brawl of blood, flesh, and tears.

"Rrrr!"

That is, until Ripper's snout caught something else in the air. His yellow eyes peeked down, fixing upon a massive wound dripping red from my underside. A wound he created. The smell of raptor blood was as enchanting as it was satisfying, but that was his mind talking. It didn't look good, even from four tail-lengths out.

The black indoraptor's jaws clicked, a warble of concern echoing beyond his throat. I wasn't just spiteful to the indoraptor because of Blink -- though no memories of him hurting me were present in his head -- Ripper could tell his claws had scored deep into my life. One outlash can turn a king, or queen, into a liability, and a liability into a target. And, as an injured predator, anything with claws, teeth, and an insatiable hunger was a threat.

Even if they were willing to change.

Though he wasn't looking to challenge -- he was injured, too. He understood my reaction, there was no argument needed. So Ripper took one last step backward, lowered his belly to the turf, and sat down.

I stiffened up. The skin around my fangs sealed closed in surprise. Instinct savored this form of submission -- he was giving up his aggression all over acceptance. Something, only a desperate creature would do... and that caught me off guard. He hunted us for days... was it right of me to suddenly trust him? The hunt still lingered in his eyes, and it wore down the softer region of his heart and the accepting half of mine. Still eyeballing my injury, Ripper eased a breath, and spoke.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, showing his belly to further offer his submission.

I stared at him for a moment, eyes still mystified over his acute reaction to my pain and dread. It wasn't like any hybrid to do that for someone like me. But my interest could only last for so long before Blink's death took precipice. Before I destroyed all of chance over what he had done.

"Rrrr..."

My eyes narrowed, a threatening growl resurging to my tongue just as Ripper's heart sank. I could kill him if I wanted to. I could scare him off with his tail between his legs. But my brain was too worn out by what I had lost tonight. Nothing would matter, nothing would change. Snorting to his efforts, I whirled around, and began limping out of the soccer field and back into town.

Leaving the distraught hybrid watching from behind.

I strolled the empty Californian street for another good mile before the pain struck its peak. My jaws went agape, eyes scrunched shut and nostrils tightening under strain. Each step began to slow -- turning a walk into a limp, and a limp into a drag. The tears continued to spill, mind and body now fighting against the anguish from the damages alone. Only now was I aware of it growing worse.

I was, however, unaware that Ripper was still following from behind. The older raptor studied his female counterpart's struggle, keeping quiet and a far enough reach to inspect. But he wasn't amused -- if anything he was intrigued over my continuous efforts to fight an unwinnable war.

"Tsk..."

It still annoyed me. Too much to even think of something other than a secondary tail. Every so often I'd stop, turn, and growl at the black indoraptor, ensuring he'd shrink back to give me space. And, just as I began walking, he'd waited a few idle seconds before trekking after me again.

Three miles of limping later I reached my breaking point. Whining helplessly, I collapsed upon the overgrown lawn of an abandoned house, panting sharp, quick breaths out of pain. A claw drew up my underbelly; bursts of warm blood spilled easily over each talon, coaxing the air of the same deathly stench.

A scent only two raptors could understand.

Ripper finally caught up with me, still eyeballing my body then the house ahead of us. He didn't want to aggravate me -- I still retained my warning growls. So he eased up, rounding my body twice to test whatever space I allowed (and what dangers were present) before sitting to my right in the grass. My growl softened, a tilt of my head drew my narrowed eyes to his round, amber orbs.

"Go... away."

"And watch you kill yourself?" he scowled. I said nothing -- I just snarled louder. The indoraptor retained self-control, overlooking where the blood was coming from. A pool had now formed, spoiling the fresh foliage with the darkness of a thick crimson blanket. Had this been a forest, a predator would have found me; we both knew that. And, knowing humanity, this was far too great of a risk. So Ripper stood upright, finally pushing past his comfort zone to say his demand.

"I said I wouldn't hurt you."

That's what they all say, said my mind. I snorted.

"That's what you all say," I agreed out loud. Ripper's nares flared.

"I only submitted... to gain your trust, so I can help you survive. But, you're not making this easy for me."

Good. My mind grinned. Keep him at bay. You've lost enough to allow another chaotic nuisance into your life.

So I said nothing, turning my head away to look beyond the streetline.

"Don't do this to yourself, I know-"

"You don't know how I feel," I snarled suddenly, my quills quivering erratically upon my ivory spine. "Don't pretend like you know."

"That's not what I mean," said the persistent hybrid. I scoffed, wincing over the spasms of my underbelly.

"I do not admire your sudden change of heart... you don't owe me anything."

Ripper's nares twitched again, a guilty breath pushing into the stars. "I am still sorry," he said, "about your friend."

I winced again, grasping to my injury. The male's tail coiled upright -- now the growls came from him.

"You won't make it another mile on foot. If you just let me-"

"Rrr... I told you to go away!" came my snarl, claws curling deep into the ground. "I'm not repaying anymore debts, and I won't be a part of whatever hybrid scheme you wish to drag me into-"

"That isn't who I am-"

"Don't temper yourself as if you're more innocent than me!" I snapped. "My life isn't your concern, it never has been!"

"It is," warned the hybrid. "You have no idea how much it is."

Ripper took another step toward, only to receive another warning growl. But he kept walking forward, ignoring my hisses and snarls growing louder and louder. Ripper's teeth began to bare.

"Let... me... help. I don't want to do this."

That was a threat. I heard the twist in his words, my body tensing up in alert. It no longer mattered what he was hoping to accomplish or what I sought to do -- instinct had taken control again. Like a creature to her territory the warning signs were growing; Ripper's steps became a burning scar to my failing dignity. Eventually he stepped too close, and a sudden gut reaction forced my jaw to jerk out and bite into his leg.

"AGH!"

I guess he expected me to lash out -- Ripper returned fire, snapping his own jaw around my neck, and slamming my snout into the ground. I shrieked, my body protesting against the black indoraptor, tail flailing all the while. Ripper only dug deeper into my flesh, fighting my struggles and his own instinctual need to crush my throat into oblivion.

"RAGH!"

But it wasn't working. So he bit deeper. The longer I fought his wrath, the weaker I grew. The harder I struggled, the more painful the bite would become. I wasn't going to win -- he held my life between his jaws; a single wrong move could end me. Screeching and roaring did nothing more than putting a bigger target on us both.

No.

This wasn't worth it.

Don't let him w-

This isn't worth it!

And, once the lights of the humans' houses a distance ahead turned on, our stomachs lurched, and the struggle ended in a flash.

Ripper quickly pressed his claw over my snout, using his weight to hold me down, his bite slowly easing as two eyes focused on the glow. I still pushed and shook, a muffled whimper drawing out, anticipating something terrible to happen.

The lights were on for a good two minutes. Then they all shut off.

And all returned to what it was before.

Hissing out of annoyance, I stopped struggling and fell limp. Ripper growled angrily, keeping his position for a moment, unsure if this was a trick or not. All the while my mind began to snarl, hateful of my submission.

This is the fourth time in a row, my brain growled. Giving into your enemies like a bunny to a fox, when are you going to fight?!

Stop talking

You're an indoraptor, she growled on. Can't you act like one?

...

Only then did Ripper's fangs unlatched themselves, one claw also retracting to allow me a breath of fresh air. But his foot kept me pinned at my hip bone, just to make sure I meant it.

"I h-hate you."

"Your welcome," Ripper hissed, bumping my flank. "Now, let me see your wound."

"It won't make a difference!"

Ripper snapped his jaws at me, a sharp pop winning a flinch from my scales. Narrowing his eyes, he bowed his head and growled. "I won't ask again."

"..."

There was no challenging this. Dominion always wins. And I bowed my head in defeat, sighed, and rolled to my side.

Ripper's nostrils flared, his head lowered to the torn scales now drooling off this darkness. It had worsened because of our struggle, and I could feel it full force -- like a torch had been put to my heart. As my chest rose and fell between quaking breaths, his snout scanned my white underbelly, making a show of the injury. I held my tongue, feeling the warmth of his maw flush against the torn flesh and forcing me to tense. As soon as he licked the wound, a blazing stab of pain shot into my body, forcing me to shove off the indoraptor and scramble away.

"Argh!" I snarled, sinking my claws into the earth. "You said you'd-!"

"Just still yourself," he snorted, eyes still focused on my injury. "It's getting worse."

"Licking it won't-"

"Saliva will reduce the pain," he said, walking back toward me. "Might even prevent you from getting infected. It'll hold you until you find something better." Ripper's eyes raised. "And clearly you can't lick yourself because of how distant it is."

"Saliva makes it worse," I retorted annoyingly. "Blink said-"

"I know -- if it's consistent, yes," Ripper agreed, licking the blood off his jaw. "But, as of now, there is nothing else here to mend the rip. It's best if we try and wait it out."

"Now?"

"The road stretches another fifteen miles, deeper into the city. You've only walked through the rural parts, collapsing out there on their turf is a death sentence. And a dead indoraptor is the perfect cover story for these spiteful humans. Perhaps, yet another reason for INGEN to win."

I groaned once. "Just stop talking and make it quick." And, with a quiet rumble of appreciation, Ripper lowered back to my massive wound, and began to clean.

Had I not prepared myself, I would have slashed Ripper's scales. But I held my own, whimpering in anguish as warm energy touched cold death. Nothing about this was blissful -- the excruciating pain only worsened as he cleaned my scales, hesitating each time I let out a yowl.

But his methods weren't in vain.

The pain subsided slowly, not enough to call perfect, but enough to encourage me to go on. I shakily stood upright, stumbling onto Ripper's shoulder for leverage, and limped slowly to the abandoned two-story off-white house rusting away in the night. We slipped through the doorway, and, after a bump away from a discarded wooden table, Ripper guided me to my side where I could rest. Here, he gained a clear view of another injury -- one from the explosion that started this whole nightmare of mine. The burnt, black skin rose and fell each breath I took, charred and rough to the touch, just as its scent was. Ripper's nostrils twitched, eying the damage for a moment, before laying by my side. He looked around at the empty house for a minute, then turned to me.

"Better?"

I said nothing. Ripper's eyes lowered.

"If not, I'm... I'm sorry."

I still said nothing.

"You still have every right to hate me," he spoke on. "For saving you. Attacking you. Being the cause of losing your friend, giving you a bad name; whatever it is, I won't take it personally."

Nothing again. Ripper looked to meet my unfocused gaze, then back to the wound where he swallowed. His pupils slowly dilated again, a soft groan of misery leaving his maw.

"But I... I couldn't... control it."

My eyes lifted. Ripper gazed down at his massive claws, letting them extend outward on the rotting wood floor. I looked down along with him, then began to study the male for a quiet minute. Drawing from the curved base of his snout to the rattling spikes protruding from his spine, he was far slimmer and darker than Blink. The only light, of course, came from his malicious eyes and the glow of the moon skimming his blood-stained fangs. But his voice said otherwise -- there was a pleading guilt in his tongue, something I hadn't suspected until now. Yes, he looked no different from the evil monster that destroyed Lockwood, but he sounded different.

He sounded... afraid.

Before I could question it, Ripper pushed to his full height, scanning the rooms within the empty living room and snorting twice. His toe-claw tapped to the wooden frames beneath us, scoring a mark to the rotten carpet we sat upon, his pupils dilating to seek the darkest regions of the region. Clearing the house by only scent and sound, Ripper growled, looking down at me, and spoke.

"You should sleep. I'll keep watch until morning."

"Why?"

"You're wounded in more ways than one," he dipped his head to me. " You need this more than I do if you want to survive-"

"No, I mean," I gritted my fangs. "Why keep me alive? I may look like you, speak your tongue, bear the same purpose as you once did, but..." I trailed off just as Ripper's eyes flashed with understanding, his obsidian muscles going slack. He thought for a moment, allowing the moonlight to caress his scales before he could answer. I could see his maw form the words, his throat rippling with memories and guilt. But nothing his mind urged actually came to show. Rather, he pushed it all away to say:

"I'll explain everything in the morning."

And walked away.

My mind scoffed. He's unhinged.

He should be dead.

He is acting strange. My brain tilted her head. Have you noticed that?

Because he lost control. I soon realized, watching his tail flicker out of sight. How vengeful can you be after losing your freedom, your life, and then losing your body? Is that why he's growing protective? Is there something worse than dying?

The real Ripper would've ordered us to hunt down Wu and behead the vermin where he stood!

Blink would've done the same thing, but Wu isn't the only problem. I turned to the dusted grounds of the house to think. Something else is. Something worse that's holding him back. He's hesitant. He's grieving.

I paused.

I have yet to see Wu since that INGEN incident, I scowled. He may be hiding, working a piece in the shadows, but not even he is enough to pull every string. He wouldn't revive Ripper, he's not that desperate.

How can there be another threat?

There must be other humans involved with INGEN.

Please... don't say you're fearing them, too, said my mind. We can kill humans all we wish. We challenge mankind on the food chain. They are softbacks bearing intelligence, but we are hunters bearing skill. Nothing is worse than a hybrid who knows his or her place.

Looking back at the empty spot where Ripper once stood, I shook my head and shuddered. I don't think that's true.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

We stayed in that house for two whole days. And, frankly, I didn't argue with it. Our trust, however, still continued to struggle -- although he tended to my wounds I didn't know if I should put all my faith into him, let alone agree that he was free from whatever controlled him. Every day I feared he'd snap, and still crippled to the floor I knew I wouldn't survive it. So I acted as if each passing hour was my last, keeping attentive to the groaning house, and every motion Ripper made in my presence.

He didn't like it very much, but he didn't care for it.

Somehow the male indoraptor managed to win some hunts in this human town -- each was warm, fresh, just ripe for the taking. He'd carry back waterfowl, rodents, sometimes even the pets of the humans.

Some of which I frowned upon, knowing Blink would've rolled in his grave.

But I rumbled in thanks to his efforts, keeping still to savor the delight of meat while my injuries slowly sealed. And Ripper checked -- as I ate he'd nuzzle the space at my underbelly, hoping some sort of scab or flesh was working over the damages.

For the most part we stayed quiet, never sharing eye contact, never making any sounds beside the gutteral noises of a bygone era to each other like raptors lost in time. He'd think about the time he had last, I would think about Blink, enough that tears would often show when Ripper wasn't looking. I missed him, too much.

I knew the thought of leaving him to fend for himself those few days ago wasn't going away. It never would. Nightmares would come where I'd wake up whimpering, blaming myself for not going back to help him. Fearing he suffered when the blow struck bone. Knowing he never got the chance to say goodbye.

And so did I.

Around the second night Ripper fell asleep, so I took guard. I stayed standing for most of it, simply using sight and sound to depict what was happening; not much was. A couple squirrels chased each other up a tree, a few wind gusts blew by to vibrate the house's unsturdy frame, and the low rumble of passing cars shed little light through the thin cracks of the aging window seams. But, like before, my mind didn't lock to the wonders of the night -- they remained in the past.

On Blink.

"Bite the neck and twist," I remember him growling to me, mimicking his jaws for me to study. "Or take their air. A silent kill. The wolves here often do it to the deer, I've watched them from the shadows. Nobody will know. But that's only a last resort, Seven, if you're truly desperate. Besides... cats and dogs taste disgusting."

"Wait..." I narrowed my eyes. "Click told me there's food in those stores-"

"No! Don't ever go in there," he hissed. "That's a death trap."

"What?" I smirked over at him. "Then have you walked into a grocery...?"

Blink's unenthusiastic face told me my answer before I could finish. I found it funny and scary altogether, only able to utter out an: "Oh... wow."

"Jumping into a meat freezer for an entire night isn't fun," he growled embarrassingly. "I'd rather die than do that again."

And I'd smirked in amusement. We grew close that night. He was hesitant, I was anxious -- strange how a tease of courtship could turn monsters into mice -- too scared to move first and too worried to think it was a good time to do so. I think there was a mutual agreement of guilt for us not doing anything when we fell back to INGEN on confused emotions. Now that I looked back on it, that was the only time I had seen him so happy... and lost. And the closest we ever got before INGEN stepped into the way of our wants and needs. We both descended into madness... and we never apologized to each other over it.

I think that's what I regret the most-

"Nngh!"

I flinched, my head whirling to the black indoraptor gasping and gurgling helplessly on the floor. His eyes were squeezed shut and his claws forged deep into the wood beneath him. Ripper was still asleep, but it wasn't hard to tell that he was tossing through a nightmare.

And it was only getting worse.

"Stop it, stop-!" he cried out, tail lashing on the ground. A claw raised up suddenly and started scratching at his damaged ear hole, so much so that blood began to well up from his desperation. I stumbled backward; what was I meant to do? Waking him up right now might make the predator snap, as would letting this fester for a while longer. His whimpering only worsened, tears and blood now mixing in the air, his breath turning into an off-beat panting. And once his whimpering broke into a sob of anguish, I shook out of my trance, secured a hold of his body with one foot, and squeezed my jaws on his neck.

"Ripper-"

He jolted on impact. A tooth cracked when he lunged upward, winning a pained yip from my tongue as he broke free from the dream. I dug deeper, hearing him thrash and squirm before snarling loudly:

"STOP!"

Then the indoraptor froze. Out of breath, sweat molding beneath his underarms and chin, the hybrid slowly relaxed, easing his breath out and submitting to my bite. But his whimpering didn't cease, it continued to grow out, filled with dread and untamed emotions.

"I should've stayed dead. I wanted to..."

"Ripper..."

"It hurts so bad..."

I unlatched his neck, licking the blood-stained region where my tooth had severed, and stepped lightly to the forefront of his body. His body convulsed for a few seconds longer, his breath now ragged and forced. Blinking twice, he shifted his head to look up at me, too scared to do anything.

"I'm s..." he couldn't finish. We made eye contact for just a few seconds before the hybrid stood upright, brushing past me to head outside, and walked out of sight.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Ripper didn't return until noon the following morning. Cradling a fresh fawn, perhaps one who strayed too far from the forest, he lowered it down before me, keeping silent all the while. We had shifted from our inferior hiding spot to a cool spot in the shade where we could hide from the gaze of those other human houses and the sun's untamed heat. I peered down at the fresh-kill, my tongue still fiddling around the region where my tooth once was, but, otherwise, I didn't move. Ripper decided to sit a distance away from me, munching on his own share of the food (much smaller to mine). He took one bite, paused to look at me, then stopped eating entirely.

Nothing happened for three whole minutes.

Ask him, my brain growled. I kept my eyes locked on the ground, still dead silent. I felt a pressure in my head and hissed in discomfort before the voice returned again.

ASK.

I snorted once. That's his business, not mine. I don't want to make him uncomfortable.

This is already uncomfortable, said my mind, wrinkling her snout in annoyance. You haven't said a thing. I thought you wanted answers.

Ripper glanced over at me, then looked away shamefully before I could meet his eyes. His claw trailed over the meat for a moment, an unsteady sigh drifting from his maw.

"Don't pressure yourself to ask," he grunted, tilting his head. "You... don't have to keep quiet in hopes that I'll forget."

I blinked, tail curling into my flank protectively. Ripper groaned, dipping his head, and began to speak.

"I... still feel it-" He drew a claw to a patch on his abdomen and closed his eyes. "Like a knife is being twisted inside me. Over and over again. And it h-hurts..."

I blinked my blue eyes, my gaze no longer focused and withdrawn from reality. Now my ears remained in touch with what remained, listening intently to his voice despite how horrible it sounded.

"That peace... when the pain all stopped..." He bobbed his head twice. "That lasted just about a few minutes."

My maw parted.

"I guess death isn't enough..." he went on, "to escape what you truly are. They... can never recreate a life once it's lost... but they could always repurpose a product once it has expired. So long that it fulfills a desire. Their desire."

The raptor's claws curled, his yellow eyes beginning to tremble.

"I-I know I was meant to do something, but I... I-I don't know what it is anymore. I-" He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and sighed. "Your friend gave his life up to save mine. And now that I've broken out of that trance... everything is coming back to haunt me. Things that didn't get a chance to tear me apart now can. And it's feeding off of my being like a parasite."

"Can..." I tilted my head, finally making eye contact with him. "Can't you control it?"

Ripper shook his head. "Ever since I woke up I can't tell the difference between what's real and what isn't. I have dreams... often of a different life. Some are good. Some are bad. But they all end the same. There's never a happily-ever-after for me, it doesn't exist."

He looked at me again and motioned to my skull. "You have a voice inside you, right? A thing that talks to you? Something that tells you what's right and wrong?"

"Yes."

"My mind is quiet. So quiet, it's-" he struggled to find the words. "It's like a part of me is missing... like there's a cloud blocking the other half of what I am. And when those wretched humans put that damned thing in my ear after bringing me back-" He tilted his head so I could examine the scars around his ear hole. "It'd come back. But I'd forget. I'd lose myself."

"You weren't in control," I assumed. Ripper nodded, holding back a whimper.

"I don't know what's happening to me. Or what will happen to me."

Ripper took a moment to collect his breath, looking out to the brazen glory of the sunlit California landscape. His tail flickered back and forth, eyes studying the mystic majesties of the ancient land that seemed too good to be true. All the while he growled one last say to me.

"I don't want you to end up like us," he grunted. "Like me. It sounds derogatory, but it's true. I smelled the sorrows in your scent, you weep for more than just a friend. You're different from us, too, it is quite easy to tell. And as spiteful as your ancestors were..."

He lowered his tail.

"A-As I was... you don't deserve what's coming. Because dying isn't the answer to fixing all your problems. For us, for INGEN, for you, it never is."

He stared at me for another minute of time, flaring his nostrils once more.

"We weren't born in the same hatch, but we're alike. All of us are, actually. I only appraise you for finding a better way out that has kept you sane. Because once INGEN breaks you, and you sink into that dark place, there's no coming back out. They'll kill you, even if it's just for being right."

"Is that why you rampaged in Lockwood?" I growled. Ripper snorted.

"They were going to sell me to a company that would only abuse me further, and turn me into a slave for their amusement. I didn't want to belong to anyone... I wanted to run free. But they... those humans... that raptor..." His eyes began to dilate. "They saw what they wanted to see. Killing them all was the only way out, I had no other choice. I thought I could stop the cycle right then and there."

I exhaled once. "Blink did, too."

"I guess that's what makes us all hybrids," Ripper chortled. "We're resilient. At least we tried."

"It's far from over, Ripper," I grunted. "There has to be a way we win. A way we stop the cycle completely, so this never happens again. I think it starts with what those humans did to you."

"It starts with you, Seven," Ripper inquired, pointing his tail at me. "Because you're the only one of us that hasn't broken yet. You're different... and because you're this, you are the only chance we have."

"So are you," I grunted. "You're here. You're alive."

"Somewhat," he agreed with a purr. "Waiting for the next challenge of hybridkind."

"Well..." I thought about Indy and Blink, and croaked, "at least we're not alone."

And Ripper smiled.

I nodded quietly, withholding my own smile. Gazing down at the food now matted with flies, I bumped off the annoying pests and chewed into the meat, just as Ripper did seconds later. We devoured the prey in an instant, and I rumbled with satisfaction over the tasty meal and the talk. Standing upright, I motioned to Ripper and licked at the space between his eyes, easing the tense raptor with a 'Thank You'. And Ripper warbled back, tail swishing from side to side.

I started to make way when Ripper suddenly asked: "Did I do anything drastic? When I was... not me?"

I blinked, turning to face him. "You killed every doctor in INGEN."

"E-Even Wu?" Ripper asked, eyes blazing with hope. Seeing my lack of reaction made his heart sink again, and he groaned in annoyance.

"Not Wu?"

"No."

"Of course that slippery snake escapes. But if every INGEN doctor's dead... and the place is gone..." Ripper stood upright, tilting his head in a frown. "Where is he?"

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