Kat confronted her employee, Freddie McGee, that Stark discovered had become a ghoul. All the innuendos in the world failed to clue Freddie in to what he had become involved in. He still believes, or impressively pretends to believe, that all he had done was perform some sexual experimentation and was not exposed to anything dangerous. Freddie claimed that, though the women and men he was with were into “different” stuff, they were “nice guys, though.” So Kat decided not to let Freddie go.
Kat went back into the shop and crawled under a vehicle to work on it when she heard Stark’s voice. She slid out from under it, but Stark was nowhere in sight… She considered whether or not she was going crazy then dismissed it and continued working.
As Kat walked in the door, the news was reporting a bear attack near a high school in the city, a rather large bear from the size of the tracks. Stark was sitting on the couch with his laptop and Kovak was laying around as a wolf, as usual, and the three began discussing how the attack may be a shape-shifter.
Changing the subject, Kat says that she decided not to fire Freddie. “She probably didn’t fire him because he’s cute,” quipped Kegger, appearing at the open door without warning. Kegger said the paper work was all in order and our accounts were unfrozen. Kovak suggested celebrating with a pizza delivery, Kat asks Kegger if he heard anything about the bear attacks at the school; he did not. Kegger said his farewells and took off.
Kovak then began a half day long quest to catch a squirrel in the yard that he claimed was taunting him. While Kovak busied himself with that, Kat began researching the bear attacks and some cults and clubs online to learn more about Freddie’s predicament and the possibility of the bear being supernatural. She discovered little about the bear, but did find that the club Freddie went to, Lube Alley, is the goto place for alternative recreation.
Once the light faded from the sky, Kovak ceased his chasing, Kat, ceased her researching, Stark ceased whatever it is he does online all day, and the trio departed to do some old school researching at the school itself. Stark pointed out that if Kovak insisted on remaining in wolf form, Kat and he would look like a couple walking their dog. He remained in wolf form anyway.
At the school, Kovak and Kat smelled a lot of blood, Stark noticed nothing out of the ordinary with the resonance. There was police tape all over the soccer field the attack occurred on, scent as well. Kovak and Kat lead the way along the scent’s trail to the school. In the parking lot, shreds of leather, plastic, and cloth suggested someone shifted and the scent trail changed a little to confirm it.
At the front entrance of the school, Stark picked the lock and cracked the door open while Kovak peered about the spiritual world. A fox darted past the door, grabbing the attention of all three. Stark, recalling motion sensors in other high schools, pulled out his laptop and invaded the school’s network to discover where the sensors at this school were, “Let’s go over to the loading dock, there’s a motion sensor here…”
At the loading dock, Stark picks the lock again and warns the other two were the motion sensors will be. Kovak tries to find the bear’s scent, but what he finds leads to an area covered by sensors. The three moved into a janitorial office to discuss options when the fox quietly closes door behind them…
Stark looks up a way to disable the sensors without tripping the alarm and Kovak proceeds along the top of the lockers towards the nearest one when he notices something funny at one of the lockers, something weird with the top of it. As he feels around trying to figure out what it is, he sets it off, a balloon and confetti bomb. The fox snickers in the distance and says, “Friend and foe have tricked you each, tell me which and I will help you.” Stark says to Kat, “Well Ruth’s the friend for sure… I’d guess Ruth and Marsh.” Kat relayed that to the fox and he ran off along the top of the lockers. Shortly after he returned walking in the middle of the hallways, the sensors disabled. The fox led the way to the locker of the werebear once informed that they were after the beast.
As Stark picked the lock open, the fox introduced himself as Rez’Ale. In the locker were books and personal affects. From wich the werebear’s name, John Forest, his girlfriend’s name, Nicki, were discovered along with pictures and a lock of Nicki’s hair. From the hair Kovak discerned that she was one of the victims on the soccer field. Upon opening Nicki’s locker we find a note saying to meet on the soccer field from someone named Greg. Smelling the note, Kovak discerns that Greg was the other victim on the field. Opening Greg’s locker revealed nothing new.
While Stark collects personal items from the three in in vials labeled with their names, Kat discovers a false back to Forest’s locker and a journal hidden inside. The journal says he’s getting moody, smells affect him, and in the last entry he smelled greg on nicki and how he is going to kill them.
Stark thanked Rez’Ale for the help, “No problem,” was it’s reply. Kovak tells Rez’Ale that we’ll take care of the bear and Rez’Ale said that he’ll help. As we walk out Kat called Bearhugger, who was unaware of the attack so she fills him in on what we learned. When we get out the door there is an ominous growl, too deep to be anything normally found in a city…
“And we might have just found him…” Kat says on the phone, as she and Kovak catch wind of the unmistakable scent. “Get the hell out of there, you’re at the school now?!” is all Bearhugger gets out before the 8’ tall bear charges the group.
Kovak manages to shift and leap over the bear, raking its back, which makes Starks attempts to play with the bear’s emotions futile. Kat stands her ground and attempts to intimidate the bear with a scolding. Forest rears up raking at Kovak, missing, and shifts to near bear form. Kovak runs. Again, Kat tries to scold him down while Stark tries to catch up with Kovak. Forest throws Kat through the dock doors that Stark had closed behind them. Kat then runs out attempting to catch up with the others. As the trio get around to the front of the building, an 80’s caddy careens around the corner and guns toward the bear, Bearhugger in the driver’s seat.
Kovak ceases his tactical retreat and assesses the situation while Kat and Stark immediately head toward the wreck that is a ton of sandwich metal formerly in the shape of a car and a bear of probably similar or greater mass. Bearhugger clibms out of the vehicle and onto the back of the bear, going for its jugular. Kovak runs in and latches onto a leg as Kat grabs the other. Stark, standing in the distance muttering chants to himself, watches as the bear fends off the three werewolves and begins to shake a little as if it were having a mild seizure. Bearhugger then swings down from Forest’s back, ripping out his throat.
As the bear fell limp, it shifted back into Forest and Bearhugger turns back into human form stating, “That’s how I got my name.” Stark smirked, “That looked more like necking than hugging, why aren’t you named Bearnecker?” At that point Bearhugger gave Stark one of those looks that silences everyone in sight.
As sirens became evident in the distance, Stark suggested, “Bear attacked, you hit bear, bear ran off”, to explain the wrecked car and dead boy. Bearhugger agreed and Stark walked Kat home while Kovak stayed to witness.
The police bought the story and Kovak left for Kat’s place. As the trio were relaxing after the excitement, Bearhugger showed up inquiring how we got involved in the whole mess. Kat said it was close to home so we checked it out. Bearhugger suggests we keep some silver on hand for the non wolf shifters, comments on how Kikyo and Kagome have “interesting personality types”, and that they’ll be home soon. Rez’Ale, still present, though not entirely helpful throughout the fight, is informed of Kovak’s trouble with the squirrel and is deeply amused.
Before calling it a night, Stark discovers that 5 mages have gone missing, each in different cabals, each disappearing with in the last 2 days and that Walken is looking into it…
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