Tyler didn't move. He couldn't move. The overwhelming power from the white werewolf before him made it impossible to move.
He felt like a frog in a well, utterly helpless. The fear he felt now was greater than the fear he had when he first joined Tonitruum and just like during those times he also felt something else take root in his heart.
Defiance and anger
He didn't know where this anger was coming from rationally, but for some reason he hated the fact that this beast before him was the source of his fear. It angered him how helpless he felt. It angered him how much he wanted to run away from this creature. He felt like nothing should be able to make him feel like this.
Nothing should ever make him feel helpless
Nothing should ever make him feel despair
And yet this creature before him actually made him feel this way.
Tyler's eyes locked gazes with the werewolf and only one thing burned through them.
Defiance
The wolf looked at Tyler's defiant gaze and was immediately enraged. Prey actually dared to look at him like that? He was a mighty creature, powerful and unmatched. Nothing in this world should be able to stand up to him, yet this puny weak creature actually dared to look at him that way? Unacceptable!
It pounced at the incompetent prey with its full speed. Its claws swinging down and preparing to tear down its prey in two. It felt claw rip through flesh but before it could go any deeper. Its prey twisted its shoulder and retreated 10 meters to the right.
Tyler's hand grabbed onto the cut on his shoulder. Shock and fear evident on his face. The way the wolf moved just now, Tyler couldn't follow its movement with his eyes. Even his extended senses barely managed to catch onto its movements before he reacted. A second slower and he would have been cleaved in two.
At this point Tyler saw the werewolf turn and look at him. It's 4th Rank aura blazing forth.
Forget about fighting even running was useless. There was literally no way for Tyler to win. And there was definitely no way he could run.
His chances of surviving past this night were near zero percent.
'I'm fucked'
The thought barely registered before its massive claws descended upon his face. Tyler's Force erupted through his body, strengthening his legs and supercharging his senses and reflexes. He weaved his head out of the way but a three light scratches still managed to make their way on his face.
He tried to retreat but the wolf's massive leg shot sharply towards him, cutting through the air and rippling with immense energy. Tyler brought up his arm to defend his body, he focus a great amount of Force energy to strengthen. The kick landed and his face twisted in pain before his body was sent flying like a kite without a string.
He spat out several mouthfuls of blood as his body tore through the second AC unit. Smoke rose and covered the entire place.
The wolf stood and smirked proudly. The infuriating prey must have been dead by now. It stalked towards the smoke where Tyler had fallen to with slow and deliberate steps. There was no need to rush. After all dead prey couldn't run right?
When it approached where Tyler had fallen it looked around in confusion for a second before it studied the surroundings once more. The AC unit was now scrap metal with a massive hole through its chassis, the roof floor was cracked and had a small crater with blood stains. It was clear that this was where its prey was supposed to be but it wasn't.
This just seemed to infuriate him more. Just how annoying could this prey possibly be?
Its nose twitched as its sensitive nose picked up on the scent of blood. It turned massive head towards the rooftop door that was now ajar and had a bloody hand imprint on its side.
Tyler panted. His legs felt like jelly as they lagged in movement. His right leg was a complete mess, he couldn't even lift it up and could only drag it on the floor. The arm he used to block the kick was completely broken and mangled, some of his ribs were shattered, blood leaked from his mouth.
He was having trouble seeing because of his bloodstained eye. Tyler was truly in a pathetic state. He was broken and bleeding from head to toe. It was even a wonder how he managed to survive that attack. As he used the railings of the stairs for support with his somewhat 'good' hand, he slipped and fell, rolling down the stairs like a sack of potatoes.
At this point Tyler couldn't even feel his body. His senses were completely numb.
His descent was broken by the walls of the stairwell. Seeing was hard, moving was impossible and breathing felt labourous. His panting never stopped as he looked up the top of the stairs, waiting for his grim reaper.
Sure enough the massive white werewolf came into view. Its massive body descended down the stairs as it stalked towards Tyler. It looked at him as if it were telling him that all that resistance was futile. All that fighting was for naught. All that running was ridiculous. All that defiance was unrealistic.
With each step it took, memories flashed through Tyler's head. His days in Tonitruum, his sister Laura, his aunt Carol, his friends Rochelle and Nate, Kim and even the those punks from his school.
He remembered Rochelle's last words to him: "Don't cause too much trouble"
A smile played on his lips quite painfully, after this there was possibly no way he would cause trouble ever again.
A memory of his first encounter with Jex played in his head. As well as the bet they had…
Wait…Tyler thought to himself. Jex!
Jex had turned into this beast that was now standing above him!
Tyler hurriedly looked at the beasts eyes and he could immediately tell that those eyes belonged to the beast.
"You're not planning to kill your disciple brother are you?" Tyler asked the massive creature and its movements stopped.
Tyler grit his teeth and continued. "We made a bet that I would be your disciple brother if you won remember?" he weakly said. "…and seeing how I'm on the ground beaten and bruised while you're standing over me…you've…won…brother"
Tyler lost the last of his strength as his consciousness faded, the last image he saw was of the wolf hastily grabbing its own head. It staggered and shook its head vigorously as if it were struggling with something. Tyler could only hope that Jex was still in there somewhere as he lost his consciousness fully.
The wolf growled, followed by a grunt before it slammed its head into the wall as if it well agitated with something. As it hit its head it would shrink in size before growing back. Then it would shrink once more. The wolf seemed to be fighting against the consciousness hidden within its head, it was trying to take over and the wolf wouldn't allow it, not before having its first hunt and replenishing its lost energy.
This process continued for half an hour before it suddenly seemed to slow its movements before its body slowly shrunk back. Fur retracted, snout shrunk back into a regular nose, long claws shortened into fingernails once more and before long where there once stood the imposing white werewolf, now stood a purple hair boy who was covered in sweat.
Jex looked drained, a lot of his energy was depleted and as he looked at Tyler memories of what had happened while he was in his werewolf form played through his mind. He was thankful that he hadn't killed Tyler and he was also thankful that he had come back to his senses on time otherwise who knows how much death and destruction he could have caused.
'I guess that's what master meant when he said to return before dark'
Jex looked to examine Tyler once more. He wasn't moving and that scared him somehow he tried to take a step forward but his legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor face first before losing consciousness.
Both teenagers lay where they were, unmoving and completely defenseless. Not long after a man in a kimono appeared he had a katana by his waist, behind him was a woman who also dressed up similarly.
"Tsk…I told this brat to be home before dark and now look at him" the man was none other than John who looked at Jex's naked figure with an exasperated expression before looking at Tyler's unconscious form with a complicated emotion in his eyes. He had of course heard Tyler speak and he knew that he must have had some sort of relationship with Jex and undoubtedly knew about Jex's special 'condition'.
He sighed and looked at the woman behind him, who was the only female among his students and said: "Let's get them both out of here"
With that John went to lift Jex up while the woman carefully carried Tyler so as not to worsen his condition. After that they both left the scene that had been the site for a life and death battle.