The Heart of the Underdog

The werewolf recovered quickly, shaking off the impact as it growled menacingly at Remond. Its piercing yellow eyes glinted with rage, and its blood-soaked fangs dripped with gore.

"Sid, Innes," Remond said through clenched teeth, his eyes locked on the beast. "Get out of here. Now."

"But—" Sid began, only to be cut off by Remond's sharp tone.

"Go! I'll handle this!"

The beast let out a deafening roar and lunged at Remond, claws outstretched. Without hesitation, Remond activated his powers, his body glowing brighter as he braced himself. The werewolf's claws slashed at him, but instead of ripping through flesh, the kinetic energy was absorbed into his rubber-like body.

Using the stored energy, Remond retaliated with a powerful punch to the creature's chest. The force of the blow sent the werewolf skidding back, its claws screeching against the tiled floor as it tried to regain balance.

"You want to fight?" Remond growled, stepping forward. "Come and get it!"

The werewolf snarled, baring its fangs, and charged again. This time, it swiped low, its claws ripping through the floor and sending shards of debris flying. Remond narrowly dodged, flipping backward as the beast lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from his face.

Blood sprayed as the werewolf's claws grazed his side, tearing through his shirt and leaving deep, jagged wounds. Remond cried out in pain but clenched his fists, channeling the agony into more energy. His body lit up with a fiery orange glow as he launched himself at the creature.

He delivered a devastating uppercut to the werewolf's jaw, the force lifting it off the ground. Before it could recover, Remond followed up with a spinning kick to its side, sending it crashing into a wall. Bricks and blood splattered everywhere as the beast let out an enraged howl.

The werewolf staggered to its feet, its breathing ragged but its fury undiminished. It lunged again, this time feinting to the side before slashing at Remond's legs. The attack caught him off guard, and he fell to one knee as the beast loomed over him, saliva dripping from its snarling maw.

It swiped at him, its claws raking across his chest. Blood gushed from the wounds, staining his glowing body. Remond gritted his teeth, his vision blurring from the pain. The werewolf grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, cracking the tiles beneath him.

"You're not… winning this!" Remond gasped, his voice strained. He focused all his energy, his body glowing brighter than ever.

The werewolf leaned in, its fangs inches from his face, when Remond released a burst of stored energy. The shockwave sent the creature flying across the hallway, slamming into a metal locker with a sickening crunch.

Remond staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his wounds. The werewolf rose as well, its body battered but still lethal. Its claws gleamed in the dim light, and it let out a guttural growl as it prepared for another attack.

The two charged at each other, clashing in a brutal flurry of blows. Remond's punches and kicks landed with explosive force, each strike breaking bones and tearing into the creature's flesh. The werewolf retaliated savagely, its claws slicing through muscle and spilling blood with every strike.

At one point, the beast pinned Remond against the wall, slashing wildly at his torso. Blood splattered across the hallway, painting the walls in crimson streaks. Remond screamed in pain but managed to grab the creature's wrist, bending it backward until the bone snapped with a sickening crunch.

The werewolf howled in agony, swiping wildly with its other hand. One claw caught Remond's face, leaving a deep gash across his cheek. Enraged, Remond slammed his glowing fist into the creature's head, shattering its jaw and sending teeth flying.

The hallway was a scene of carnage. Blood pooled on the floor, and the metallic scent hung heavy in the air. Both combatants were battered and bleeding, but neither was willing to back down.

Remond staggered back, gasping for air, his shirt shredded and skin torn in ragged slashes across his chest. The beast's amber eyes burned with primal rage, its heavy breaths steaming in the cold air.

Remond clenched his fists, his body aching and trembling under the strain of absorbing kinetic energy from the relentless onslaught. His skin shimmered faintly with an orange glow, the power of his ability barely contained. Every movement was agony, but he refused to back down.

The werewolf lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from his face. Remond dodged to the side, delivering a punishing punch to its ribs. The force sent the beast staggering, but it recovered almost instantly, snarling with renewed fury.

Sid and Innes watched from the cover of a nearby cluster of trees, their breaths quick and shallow.

"He's not going to make it," Sid muttered, his usual optimism replaced with raw fear. "That thing's tearing him apart."

Innes gritted her teeth, her blue eyes darting between Remond and the horizon. "Now should be already sunrise. If we can get that thing into the sunlight—"

"And what?" Sid snapped, his voice cracking. "You think it'll just sit there and wait for us to kill it?"

"No," she shot back, her voice cold and resolute. "But it's our only chance. You think Remond's walking out of this alive without help?"

Sid looked back at Remond, who was barely holding his own. Blood dripped from the younger boy's chin, pooling at his feet. A deep gash across his side soaked his pants in crimson.

"Dammit," Sid growled, raking a hand through his hair. "Fine. What's the plan?"

The werewolf snarled, its claws slicing through the air as it swiped at Remond. He raised his arms to block the attack, the impact sending him skidding across the dirt. His body absorbed the blow, storing the energy, but his reserves were nearly depleted.

"Come on," Remond growled through gritted teeth, his voice shaking with exhaustion. "That all you got?"

The werewolf responded with a bone-chilling howl before charging again. Remond braced himself, throwing a desperate punch as the beast closed the distance. The kinetic energy discharged in a fiery burst, sending the werewolf sprawling into a nearby tree. Splinters exploded outward, the trunk snapping in half.

For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.

Then the werewolf rose, blood dripping from its snout, its eyes burning brighter than before. It stalked toward Remond with a slow, deliberate pace, its lips pulling back to reveal jagged fangs.

Remond's legs buckled, his vision swimming. He was losing too much blood. His knees hit the ground, his breaths shallow and labored.

"Remond!" Sid's voice broke through the haze.

Remond turned his head slightly, his movements sluggish. Sid and Innes emerged from the trees, their faces pale but determined.

"Hey, ugly!" Sid shouted, waving his arms. "You want a real fight? Come and get me!"

The werewolf's head snapped toward them, its ears flattening against its skull. It snarled, saliva dripping from its mouth.

"Sid, are you insane?!" Remond croaked, struggling to get back to his feet.

"Shut up and let us save your ass!" Sid yelled back, fear and frustration warring in his voice. He turned to Innes. "You sure about this?"

"No," she admitted, her tone clipped. "But it's the best shot we've got."

Sid took off running, leading the werewolf toward the clearing where the first rays of sunlight were beginning to filter through the trees. Innes stayed behind, helping Remond to his feet.

"Come on, Remond," she urged, her tone softer than usual. "You're not dying on me now."

Remond let out a weak chuckle, his head laying against her shoulder. "You sound... worried, Innes."

"Don't push your luck," she muttered, but her grip tightened on his arm.

Sid skidded to a stop in the clearing, turning just as the werewolf barreled toward him. He threw himself to the ground at the last second, the beast sailing over him and landing directly in the path of the rising sun.

The creature howled in agony as the sunlight hit its fur, its body convulsing violently. Smoke rose from its skin, the stench of burning flesh filling the air. It clawed at the ground, trying to retreat into the shadows but could not make it, after a while it transformed back into an 12 year old kid.

"What happened? Where does this child come from?" Innes asked coming from behind.

"Don't know but that werewolf transformed back into this kid." Sid replied.

"What should we do with this child now?"

"Don't worry police will take care of him. We should think more about Remond now. Let's go to him." Sid hurries to Remond now.

Innes and Sid rushed to Remond's side, their relief tempered by the sight of his pale, bloodied form.

"Stay with us, Remond," Sid said, his voice cracking. "Don't you dare die, you stubborn bastard."

Remond managed a faint smile, his eyes fluttering shut. "Not... planning on it."

As the first light of dawn bathed the clearing, Sid and Innes worked quickly to stabilize him, their hands shaking but determined. The battle was over, but the fight to save their friend had just begun.