The Universe's Mixer

Giant escaped Zoo wolf.

He couldn't help but smile.

He'd heard thoughts from people in the City, too. What was going on was on a great many minds, all over the place. Thoughts were easy to catch, even without trying. He knew it wasn't just any wolf. That made it all the more attractive.

Wolfkiller.

The word used to ring in his head, centuries ago. Magnus's taunt, then Nicki's unexpected present-- the wolf-fur cloak and boots. He smiled.

The City was not always a good place for a creature like Lestat. He had not hunted anything to kill it in quite a long time.

This was perfect. And Lestat loved the idea of ridding the City of the wolf, just as he had rid the Auvergne of wolves all those years ago.

He wished he still had the cloak and the boots.

He sat silent on a rooftop, crouched, watching the wolf walk down a mostly empty street. Two others appeared behind it.

"Not as advertised," he said in a growl under his breath.

Angry, that was the word for it. The log cabin wasn't used to this confusion. Angry and afraid. Two words for what it felt. It had been doing its usual rounds in the Park, looking for a nice place to settle while it waited for its mistress to return. It had learned that staying in the Park kept her happy. Or at least less aggravated with it. So, it was doing its normal rounds when people got underfoot. The cabin with its long chicken legs had been minding its own business, as much as it minded anything.

The people had doing whatever people did when they got together, and it was just walking along. Then out of nowhere there was this howl. Or maybe it was bark. It didn't matter. The cabin knew as much as the people who were now running under it for who knew what reason, that that sound was not good. It was an angry sound. One that said run for mere survival.

The cabin couldn't tell that the howl was coming from a jilted lover who found his mate, thinking in the psuedo-wolvie terms that the now werewolf thought it had rights to, coupling with some biped. The wolf wanted revenge. It howled a warning, and went running to tear down the mate and the interloper into the wolf's territory. It really didn't matter the reasons. The wolf, the thing that howled in an angry fashion, was now under the cabin with the people. It felt like the mistress somewhat, and the cabin was trying to get free. The wolf was getting frustrated, and finally bit into a tasty looking leg. The cabin might have saved a life, or at least delayed the pain and suffering to come. The cabin finally got free of the things beneath it and ran to hide and nurse its wounds as best it could.

Later, hours, days, minutes, time was a little strange for the cabin, it woke up and shook itself out. It hadn't ever really slept. Rested, lie dormant, but never slept. It felt weird. There were bits of it that moved more than they used to, and instead of the smoke, there was this sound. That wasn't right. It started walking again, and felt odd inside. It didn't understand. And it surely didn't like how the people were reacting. It used to get awe and amazement, or something like that. Now it was getting laughter?

It kept walking, finally coming to a pool. It had never seen itself, not like people saw themselves, and it certainly had never thought to drink. But, being the instinctual thing it was, it leaned over into the pool, stared at its reflecting, and drank. Then it turned its head to the side and pecked at its feathers.

"Mama, look at that big chicken!"

"Yes, dear, it's a nice big chicken. Now come along. You've got to get up early in the morning for your lessons."

The cabin, now chicken, felt as if sleeping would be a good thing to try again. All these extra moving bits and pieces had tired the poor thing out. It started roaming the Park to find a place to roost, somewhat aware that the mistress would be upset if it left the very large yard/Park.

He didn't like being locked up. Caged in. The room was enormous, but the more he stayed inside of it, the more the walls seemed to close in on him. He kept throwing items at the walls; small things at first starting with a piece of toast or a napkin. They didn't always sail as far as the wall, and that was okay. If they fell before they struck, he knew the walls were too far to contain him. ( It reminded him this wasn't a prison. )

Taking his dog for a walk, Harry decided, was a nice, normal activity. He needed normal right now. After that adventure at Arkham, he didn't want to think about the repercussions, about the Joker's fate, or about the fragile mind of the boy they had fought to recover. He wasn't home safe yet, not by any means, but the part Harry could help with was over. The rest would have to be between Jake and Dinah.

Murphy wasn't around when he got up. After a quick lunch of Spagettios and a sandwich, Harry found Mouse waiting at the front door, lead in his mouth. "Alright," Harry said, letting himself laugh. "Wherever you want to go, Dogzilla."

Alright, maybe he wasn't taking Mouse for a walk as much as Mouse was taking him for a walk.

They ended up at the park. It had been a while since Harry had been there, but he found a tennis ball in his pocket and tossed it for Mouse. The big dog went after it, and it seemed like it would be ( a nice, normal day after all. )

Harry had given it three days before he called. He wanted to know how things were going with Dinah and Jake. The boy had been a mess when he'd left the asylum with her, but then again, they all had. If not for that Jesse guy, Harry thought his ears would still be burning. Acid was a bit of a bitch. He hadn't wanted to crowd Dinah, but he cared. A lot. He wasn't sure how to help, and didn't feel particularly welcome to stay. His last encounter with the boy hadn't gone well, and if he would be seen as an enemy, he didn't want it to affect Jake's rehabilitation.

Three days. He hadn't exactly expected a call from her, but he'd hoped for one. So, after grabbing a beer from the fridge, Harry leaned against his kitchen counter and dialed the number for Dinah's cell phone.

( ---- )