Complications

John looked at the dark, rolling, smoke blackened clouds above and checked his pocketwatch again. The wolf found it more useful to check his watch than the sky for the time of day, sincethe days in this city tended to be just as dark as the nights. He let out a sigh, he was losing track of time on his ever more frequent and lengthening walks around the city. If this kept up he would find himself wandering half way across the fells one day, which wasn’t an attractive prospect for the Moreau.

 

The wolf shook the cobwebs out of his head, He hadn’t properly paid attention to his surroundings, but at least he recognized the small news stand he had stopped in front of. It was at this moment he noticed several men, one bent over to tie his shoes, which seemed to take him longer than normal, another standing in front of a shop display, but watching the wolf’s reflection, and a final man with his nose in a women’s magazine.

 

Wright nervously grabbed for one of the cigars he had bought when he met with Mr. Elliot and hastily lit it before stepping up to the news stand and browsing through the papers. There were some minor stories, and of course the death of another local militia officer, had a small mention. The wolf shook his head, it was best not to think about it right now. He put the paper back on the rack and moved on, the three men followed suit.

 

The wolf paused by the railing overlooking the canal, and that’s when he noticed the area around him had become very empty. “Not good, not good at all.” He thought to himself.

 

“Are you a mister John Logan Wright?” came a voice behind him.

 

“Yeah, Who’s asking?” the wolf asked as he turned around. He never got to hear a reply, as something very solid impacted his head and everything went black.

 

Wright was vaguely aware of motion as he came to, there was a slight sway to the room, or was that him? He really couldn’t tell yet, all that he knew was that he wasn’t by the canals anymore, and that someone liked overly bright lights. The wolf slowly opened his eyes. His hands were bound and there was a large, bright light shining on his face. He was semi aware that he was seated, and that his face had been resting on a desk.

 

“Wakey wakey, John. You’ve been a hard man to find. Munich, Stuttgart, Paris, London, and now Babbage. You certainly get around for a deadbeat debtor.”

 

Wright again had to shake cobwebs out of his head. “Who are you and what do you want with me?” the wolf growled.

 

“My company was contracted to hunt you down and bring you home, Your big brother, you see, he misses you, he wants you home.” The man said with an obviously fake smile, John returned the smile with a genuine glare of pure hatred and spat in the man’s face.

 

“Bull. If there’s one thing i know about Patrick, is that he doesn’t give a damn about his family any more than i give a damn about the ants I’ve stepped on.”

 

The man frowned and wiped John’s spit from his face “I see that I can’t appeal to your sentimental side, so I’ll just say this. My employer wants you back in america, where he can keep an eye on you, and he’s paying us a small fortune for it.” The man smirked and rubbed his hands together gleefully “Those Idiot Pinkertons wouldn’t even touch this contract, It’s easy money.”

 

“So, you’re not Pinkertons.” the wolf said with a smirk.

 

The man stood at the other side of the desk and laughed “No, Mister Wright, we’re with the Thiel agency, when them Pinkertons are too scared or too stupid to do the job we come in.”

 

The wolf’s smirk grew even larger. “I Guess that explains why i could see you coming from a mile away. Hell, i could practically smell your desperation for work.” he said with a chuckle. “At least i know I won’t be hurting any former coworkers. I would have felt guilty about…” He was cut short by a punch to the jaw.

 

“Oh, this IS rich, a Former Pinkerton, brought down by the Thiel agency.” he nodded to the other two men in the room “Now, these fine, upstanding gentlemen have some grievances with your former employers that they would like to air, if you wouldn’t mind listening to their complaints.” John watched the other two men get closer, both brutes cracked their knuckles as they moved in.

 

Wright felt their punches connect with his face, each blow knocking him around. He felt his jaw shatter  and the distinct sensation of a tooth coming loose. The wolf glared at the group’s leader with what could only be described as a death stare.

 

“Had enough doggy?” the Man said, Wright just spat his broken tooth out onto the floor and laughed.

 

“What’s so damned funny, dog?”

 

Wright stopped laughing as a series of sickening cracks came from his jaw. He smiled darkly at the man, the broken tooth growing back in as he did so. And then he spoke, his expression suddenly frightening, the private detectives began to recoil in fear.

 

“I’m going to kill you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” He said as he pulled apart the restraints on his chair and rose to his feet.

 

“Oh my god, that’s Black Jack! Pinkerton’s attack dog!” one of the men cried out in terror as the wolf’s body began to shift and grow. “He’s a monster!” Cried another as he drew his pistol and fired at the wolf. The bullet hit John in the side, and he turned to face the direction it came from, his eyes glowing with hellish fury. He took a step forward, his clothes splitting and falling away as the Wolf transformed into a great beast. with just another step he was there, standing a monstrous twelve feet tall Wright’s form loomed over the one who had shot him.

 

The man dropped his gun, but it was too late, the hulking creature that now stood where the smaller wolf had been lunged, there wasn’t enough time to scream before giant paws swiped across his throat and it was all over. The others didn’t make a sound either, There was only the roar of the beast and a fearsome howl as Wright made good on his promise.

 

Hours later the beast stumbled through the rooftop window of his room at the Kraken and collapsed onto the bed, gradually shrinking back into the Familiar shape of John Wright.