Chapter #4Homecoming by: Juac   You felt strange tonight; an odd mix of fear, excitement, anxiety, and joy. A good friend, maybe even the best friend you ever had was coming back from five years on the front lines. Aiden has been your best friend since you were in pre-school. He was a tall husky who beat bullies in school and took the blame for others in trouble. He always fell behind in class, but never failed. Always climbing as close as he could get behind you. His father was an army man too; taking his duty believing it was protecting his family and friends. He grew up with the same idea as well, putting others before himself. But it was truly for you. Aiden did like the idea of fighting for his country, but in his heart it was for his family and you.
"Don't worry about me. I'm not doing anything dangerous, just taking out the front men first while the others do the rest. You can go to college while I'm gone and with my money I'll get I can pay for a nice apartment and use the rest for a university. You said you wanted to be a doctor right? If something happens to me I know who to go to!"
Aiden was supposed to be back a year ago. Right after high school he promised he'd be back in four years. He sent letters repeatedly, sometimes called, and took a vacation once a year to see his parents and you. Although it was mostly for you. Aiden did this for three years until all of a sudden the notes and calls stopped. His parents became worried and called often wondering if you knew anything. You knew he couldn't be dead, the government would send a message and his dog tag. Something else happened to him which made the three of you worry more.
That was until a few days ago when you got a letter. It was a one lined message sent with no return address in a beaten and weather worn envelope. 'I'll be home...wait for me-Aiden' was what it read. You and his parents were more than happy to have gotten it. But, there was also dread you couldn't shake. The message was written on a smeared and ragged paper, the letters trailing off from water pouring on the pencil it was written with.
That's why you sat in the middle of your living room with the TV turned off rocking back and forth in a chair watching the rain pour and thunder clap outside. You decided to take the semester off at your medical school and you were off Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from the Hospital you worked at as an assistant. It was Tuesday, even if it was a work day you would have taken it off for this occasion. A patients life wasn't at stake. But your friends might have been.
It was little past eleven. You yawned and watched the platinum lightning, the news said it would rain every night until Wenesday. You felt your stomach growl. Aiden's mom sent you two plates of food for when he got back, along with some fresh honey glazed bread. You got up and had a slice. While chewing on it in the kitchen you heard something strange from your back door, something heavy splashing in the muddy grass then suddenly stoping. You thought it was nothing and turned to go back into the living room.
But as you did you almost jumped as a sudden pounding on your back door that went soft until it ceased. You could hear heavy breathing. You were afraid and tried to pretend you weren't home backing away and trying not to be seen if whoever was banging at your back door looked in the window. But, as you moved back you heard a faint growling voice call your name. You recognized it and you raced to the door thrusting it open, "Aiden! Ghh...."
Standing in your door wasn't the friend you'd hoped to see. Instead there was a towering figure his hulking mass spread wider and taller than the frame and it breathed heat that still made steam in the warm summer night air. It was naked and had the look of a ravenous murderer. Its maw dripped saliva, bullet wounds and cuts around its body dripped blood.
You were trying to find something to defend yourself with as you backed away from it. You didn't know what you grabbed but as you were about to hit the monster with it he grabbed it and tossed it aside. You tried to run but it grabbed your arm. You yelled to let you go, which it did. This surprised you and when you looked back with a complex stare it reached into its under arm and pulled out something. It handed it to you and you hesitantly took it. You looked at what seemed to be a worn photograph. When you focused in you saw the only copy of a picture of you and Aiden hanging out at his parents after you both, a few days before he left. There was only one photo like this and to prove it on its back was yours and Aiden's name along with 'Good luck out there'. You heard the creature say your name and you slowly looked up to him. "Aiden..?" he nodded letting tears flow before collapsing with a large bang.
-
You'd tried your best to move him into the living room and lay him on your couch. He was extremely heavy and gigantic to add. He must have been 11 ft. tall and weighed more than 300 lb. He was also incredibly muscular. Aiden was always a large person, but this was nothing like you've ever seen. You laid out a towel on your couch and carefully examined him, taking out bullets and splinters beneath his fur then patching the wounds. You would have never believed this was Aiden if not for two things. One was the picture which was now on your coffee table and the other was the way he said your name. He only said it that way when you two were alone.
As you treated him he gasped every once in the while as you apologized to him. When you got up to his shoulder you noticed that he was awake with his teeth slightly showing and his eyes sorrowfully watching you. You tried to give him a smile as you got back to work but when you did he pulled you into his clasp. He stared you in the eye gasping for breath and crying in your face. You yelled at him to calm him down. He stopped gasping and closed his eyes as he tried to hold you. You knew what was wrong with him now, you put your arms around him as he got slid up using the armrest for back support. He dug his muzzle into your chest. "...mmh...welcome home, Aiden..."
-
After treating him you helped him into your bathtub after running some hot water and using the shower to wash him off. He looked sad and shocked, but thankful. After that you gave him a warm blanket to cover himself and sat him down in your living room. The ceiling was a little more that 24 ft. high in the living room since it connected to the upstairs. The rest of the house had a 12 ft. high ceiling with 9 ft. high doors, the tub was a large diamond shaped one. Big enough to fit four people.
After taking a good look at him you recognized him, he was just very big and burly now. The main difference were his eyes. You knew they were blue but now they seemed to shimmer. Besides that all the same cuts and bruises from when you were kids were still there under his fur. He shivered and stared at his feet, slowly moving his toes. You knew one thing that always cheered him up even after a fight or talk with the principle. A spot he and his dad have just below their neck...you reached up and when he looked at you, you began scratching him under his chin. At first it seemed like no effect until he his eyes started flicking and his tongue licked out. You kept up for a few moments then immediately stopped and watched his delayed reaction. "I see you still have the same tickle spot even under all that muscle."
He suddenly stopped and looked embarrassed, "..."
"Where have you been since your last letter?"
His ears fell back down, "..."
"Aiden...what happened to you..?"
"..." it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything until you stood up and began walking to the kitchen, "t-the f-ff-ront was...not...dangerous...we d-dealt with them...f-fast...I was com-coming...back...early...a doctor w-w-ith our team asked...for some of us...t-to be part of a project...he wanted u-us to be a part of it...they took five of us in-including me...we were put in a facility and offered money to have research done to us...but, they lied...we were trapped and forced to have tests done to us...one of us was killed, Tommy, he was our top gunman. He tried to break out and they shot him in front of us...Yohan was taken away to be the first one to take the injections and the tests...we didn't see him, but we heard him in the rooms below, he sound like a beast...his voice shook our barracks and his pounding made cracks in the walls...they couldn't put him down so they locked him in the lowest part of the building. Jason was next, then me, then Rione," he was a little hysterical.
You were already sitting back down, "What were they doing?"
"They were trying to make controllable, evolving soldiers. They were lying about being part of the military. But they were able to get in."
"But what did they do to you?!"
He cringed, "they...gave me the third injection...a cell multiplying serum they said. It makes my cells reproduce slowly then quickly if I get energy from a source. Before they could put the chips in us that would control us, Yohan went berserk downstairs and we broke out." He as crying, "t-th-they...they killed Tommy! And they said I would be next if I didn't keep Quiet!!" His claws were digging into his wounds.
Why would anyone do things like that to people? You weren't sure what to do so you just let him sob in your arms as you thought. The police were useless, and although you had living proof in front of you the government might take advantage of it. Where was the safest place for him?
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