My Werepanther System: Starting with Nine Lives

"Oh my— you're still mad?" Rex asked as he threw his arms up in the middle of the jungle, a click away from The Box.

"I'm not mad— I'm calculating...." Imani stopped walking in front of him and simply waited for him to catch up.

"You know I know you're lying. You know that." Rex said.

A small vein in Imani's temple slithered as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. She looked cute with her pouty face.

"Right. Hormones have a smell."

"You lie about your emotional state a lot, don't you?" Rex asked.

"Emotions are made into a weakness often." Was all Imani said, "I don't mean for these lies to offend. The truth just doesn't seem condusive to our job here."

"Said the woman in search of the truth!" Rex chuckled and roundhouse kicked a tree, causing a flower-mango to fall into his hands. He split it open and handed one half to her. "Relax, dude. It's fine. Just know that was payback."

"For what?"

"For treating me like a lab rat earlier and risking my life literally less than a day after I almost lost it fighting a shapeshifter wolf god. That was dickhead behavior." Rex said.

Imani seemed to seriously consider his words before adjusting, "I….. apologize."

"Mm….. on a scale of one to ten, how hard was that, princess?" Rex asked.

"Not quantifiable. Now move on." Imani said.

"Sure sure." Rex kept on his walk. "But I still feel like we're being watched. I mean Jungle-Monkey units are invisible."

Imani stopped walking again, "Get down."

Rex dropped down to the ground.

A pulse wave of blue light erupted from Imani's head, splitting the canopy of the jungle and bathing them in raw scorching sunlight.

"What the hell was that?" Rex said from the ground.

"Vision pulse." Imani pointed to her blue eyes, "I can't do that too often or I'll get brain damage. Or go blind."

"Got it. Well?"

"I scanned four hundred unique lifeforms in a mile radius— not including microscopic bacteria and plantlife." Imani said.

Rex stared at her blankly.

Imani all but rolled her eyes, "Unique lifeforms. Not humans. There are no humans. For a mile in any direction. We're safe for now."

"Good." Rex rolled his tired shoulders.

"Shall we begin?"

Rex nodded.

Imani used her sheathed sword to begin drawing in the dirt softened with river water.

"So…. There's five Beast Totem Awakener's including you." Imani said and wrote it down in the dirt.

"No, there's six." Rex said.

Imani looked up at him in confusion— a rare sight, "I only saw five of you."

"The other wasn't with them. I think they resisted— Remulus killed them. It might explain why the others were so….. submissive. Except Dart." Rex explained.

"Wait wait— slow down. Dart? Don't answer that. So there's six Beast Totem Awakeners?" Imani asked again.

Rex nodded.

"One unaccounted for and one rogue. You." Imani said.

Rex nodded.

"That gives the possibility for a team of two. Against four." Imani said.

"Great odds." Rex replied sarcastically as he watched her draw in the dirt.

"Zero chance odds." Imani replied.

"Then why—"

"Shh." Imani said before wiping the dirt blank again, "That possibility can't be your first goal. But the mystery of the sixth totem Awakener is important. The risk is just not worth the time."

"Twenty-six days." Rex said.

Imani nodded, "We have twenty-six days to find out who Remulus is. Technically we have twenty. That final week would be needed to devise a foolproof plan at least. I'm assuming someone in this academy being a shifter has required them to have a solid cover, a cover for their cover and at least a few people on payroll. We can't just expose them once discovered."

"We have to take them all out." Rex said.

Imani looked up at him, "That's not what I was suggesting. We currently don't have the power required for such a bold m—"

"We will."

"How so? Even if we loaded energel's and began compounding Physicalities, that wouldn't be enough power—"

"I have a plan."

"You do?"

"You don't think I do?" Rex asked.

"No. I do not." Imani answered plainly.

Rex waved her off, "It's simple. But what was your plan?"

"Recon first. We need to understand our targets preferences, weaknesses and goals."

"Got goals." Rex said, "World domination. He wants to turn everyone into werecanines to boss around. He's got a dominence kink thing going on."

"Ok. We've got traits. If it's compulsive, we can make them reveal themselves in broad daylight if we're careful."

"Compulsive?" Rex asked.

Imani looked up from the ground, "Was the urge to domineer one they were in control of? Or did it seem like something they just needed to do?"

"Remulus flew into a rage everytime I said no to something. He also didn't like making requests. It seemed like it took a lot of effort."

"Ok." Imani looked up from the writings in the jungle dirt. "Our target is likely male. But could be female."

"Doubt it."

"Why?" Imani said.

"He didn't have tits."

Imani choked for a moment before recovering, "Ok. More than likely male. In a position of power— I would've originally said not likely since that's too obvious, but he can't seem to help it. We need to be searching in positions of Specialist and above."

Rex nodded, "He spoke military jargon so that makes sense."

Imani continued onward, "Any ideas?"

"Yea." Rex said, "Sgt Dream."

"Why?"

"They have sleep inducing or related abilities. Sgt Dream also doesn't like me and doesn't interract with the class much. That could be because an unruly trainee might trigger his transformation."

"Sleeping as a means to avoid involuntary exposure. Smart actually…" Imani wrote his name down.

"Don't sound surprised."

Imani looked up at him with a half smile, "I can't lie about much anymore so instead I'll be quiet."

"Mhm."

"Who else?"

Rex fumbled.

"You have an idea for one person?" Imani asked.

"Well, I also might have found the next Totem Awakener."

"Go on."

"Trish—"

"Wrong."

"What?" Rex asked, "You didn't ev—"

"I know her family. She's an Inheritence Ability User. And her ability is flawed. Whatever you saw was coincidence." Imani said.

"Alright. Then I guess I've got nothing."

"Ok well, I've got five candidates." Imani said.

"Five? It's been like eight hours." Rex said.

"Yes. I'm behind. I've checked the academy database and got a few stand outs. Sgt Lucien Greymark."

"The most werewolf name ever." Rex thought.

"He's head of security and works extensively with the Jungle-Monkey Recon Unit. He's got a few marks on his record for disputes against higher ups that have forced his relocation three times."

"Issues with authority." Rex said.

Imani nodded, "Not my prime suspect."

"Ok, go on."

"Master Sgt Nathaniel Bleed. Head of the Mech-Men SF Gundam Division known as the Steel Stunners. Before joining the Mech-Men he was an accomplished Drift Soldier and led two well known units into four different S-Ranked Drift Dimensions. He's a hard nose leader who's known to flex his authority and lead offensive gestures."

"Someone like that works here?" Rex asked.

Imani stared at him for a moment, "You really don't know much."

"Thanks."

"Next up, I have General Pack-Leader Princeton. Head of the Canine Unit."

"Right."

"He's able to do some unexplainable things with his canines. He also isn't very social with anyone but them. I'm sure I don't have to explain much after that."

Rex shook his head, "Not at all."

"Fourth place is Special Forces Dive Unit Commander Bellona Margrave. She runs a unit known as the Drift Dogs. Not currently stationed at The Box. But they'll be with us in the Drift-Run Event. They've been in the area since we arrived on a special unit mission."

"Interesting timing." Rex thought.

Imani agreed, "I thought so as well."

"So who's your last candidate?"

"My last— and the one I think it most likely would be if our thoughts here are sound is Ultra-General Brennus."

"Isnt it Alpha-General?" Rex said in confusion.

Imani shook her head, "They're brothers. Ultra-General is the younger brother and head of all Drift-Soldier Training Bases. He works closely with my mother."

Imani went silent and began biting her fingernail as she looked over the mess of writings in the dirt.

Rex's nostrils flared, "What aren't you telling me?"

"I believe they are in an inappropriate relationship. An abusive one based on the physical scans I've run on my mother on the few occasions I do see her." Imani said.

Rex didn't know what to say. "I….." he didn't know what she felt. Not really. He didn't have that parental connection with anyone. He'd never been in a dynamic like the one she was describing.

"And no. This is not me letting my emotions infect our investigation. I know better. I also know people like him. They are rare— they can't help themselves. They can't stop stepping on others and profiting off the pain they cause. I think it's him. But I won't put all my chips in that basket. We can do research and let it speak for us."

Rex squatted in the dirt beside Imani and put a hand on her shoulder, "Alright. But even if it isn't him, we can fuck him up too. For your mom. I just need to kill some gods first."

He tensed as a acrid musty smell hit his nose. It was gone as soon as it came but he felt himself remain uncool even after the winds pushed it deeper into the jungle.

Imani smiled then, making him partially forget the humanoid stink. Naturally. Her white teeth were a perfect contrast to her spotless dark skin. Under the sun he could see she had freckles. Just barely sprinkled across her nose like a dash of cinnamon in a chocolate pool.

"You're bizzare, Rex. I guess now we know why."

Rex shrugged, "I am what I a—"

Rex lunged forward and caught a wooden spear right before it hit Imani in the back of her head.

Something cursed in another language in the far distance.

Imani turned with her blue eyes scanning the world ahead.

"Goblin Tribe."

Rex grinned, "You remember how I said I've got the strength thing covered?"

Imani nodded as they stood and she placed a hand on her sheathed sword.

"This is how. Let's go." Rex took off toward the tribe of Goblins who thought they were hunting two humans.

"But Rex! Lunch is almost over."

Rex transformed.

"Lunch just started."