This is a one-shot story about my favourite Loonatic of all, Tech E. Coyote! Oh I how I adore that genius! Tech fanfic writers often seem to have fun wondering what Tech would be like if he got more in touch with his 'wild feral side', and I'm no exception to this. So here's a story of mine that puts Tech through some…drastic changes. Note that this story is not meant to be linked with my fan-made season of episode stories that is currently in progress. It's just a one-shot stand-alone story. I also have an OC in this story as well which is not from the show ("Auriel Wolf"). Also note that there are what could be considered some slightly more mature content in this story, such as a little blood here and a little intimacy and hint of romance there… Anyway, "Loonatics Unleashed" is the property of Warner Bros.! Now on with the show!
Transformation – Part 1
It is the middle of the night in Acmetropolis. The Loonatics arrive at the Acme Zoo via their zoomatrix bikes. They dismount their bikes and make their way into the zoo grounds.
'Zadavia said there was some kind of distoibance here, but I ain't seein' nothin'!' Ace comments as he looks around himself at the zoo surroundings.
Lexi's long ears perk up as she picks up a distant sound. 'No wait, I hear something, like someone running…in our direction! And someone big!'
The Loonatics turn as they too begin to hear the sounds of rustling leaves and snapping twigs in some nearby jungle foliage. They take up combat stances in readiness for whatever may be hiding behind the vegetation.
'It's probably just some escaped zoo baboon that accidentally found a way out of its cage!' Duck dismissively reasons.
'Urabahgu! Look!' Slam alerts to his team mates, pointing at the rustling bushes.
To the Loonatics' surprise, a huge furred beast suddenly leaps out of the bushes at them. They all scream and gasp as the giant creature lands on all fours with a heavy thud in their midst, scattering them in different directions.
'What-the-heck-is-that?!' Rev blurts in shock.
'Certainly doesn't look like your typical zoo attraction wildlife!' Duck sarcastically comments.
'Its appearance would indicate characteristic werewolf attributes,' Tech expertly observes.
The long-haired beast turns its frightening white-eyed glare in the direction of Tech. It opens its long saliva-dripping canine jaws and prepares to pounce on its next intended victim. Seeing this, Rev quickly dashes across the werewolf creature's path in an attempt to lead it away from his coyote friend. The dark brown haired werewolf snaps at Rev's fiery speeding form, taking his bait. Slam spins over to the werewolf, his fist pulled back to his side, ready to throw a punch at it, but the werewolf creature stands up on its hind legs, lets out a short sharp bark and whacks Slam to one side with the back of its clawed hand. Slam goes spinning into a wall. Duck teleports onto the top of the beast's back and grabs a hold of the top half of its face, covering its eyes with his palms. The werewolf grunts and reaches backward for the duck clasping onto its head. It pulls a squealing Duck off roughly and throws him at Ace and Lexi as they run toward it in an offensive attack attempt. Ace and Lexi are knocked over by the incoming mallard and all three land with a painful thump flat onto the ground. The werewolf's shadow overlaps their prone forms as the beast threateningly approaches them. Tech tosses a mini shock device at the beast's back, which delivers a high-voltage electric current upon contact. But instead of knocking it out, the beast is further enraged and it turns on Tech again.
'Oh dear…' Tech whimpers as the beast angrily approaches him.
The werewolf lunges at Tech and pushes him to the ground, landing on top of him. Drops of saliva from its gaping jaws drip onto Tech's vulnerable face. Then it dives its wolf-like head down toward Tech's throat, intending to rip it out, but Tech brings up his hands and grabs a hold of the creature's upper and lower jaws. He channels all his strength into keeping the beast's jaws from snapping down around his throat. He grunts as he struggles to maintain his efforts against the beast's powerful jaws. All too soon though, the werewolf overwhelms Tech and Tech's strength fails him. The werewolf forces its way through Tech's shaking hands and it sinks its sharp canine teeth deep into the flesh of Tech's right shoulder. Tech lets out a scream of pain. Suddenly the beast releases its vice-like jaws from Tech's now bleeding shoulder and it falls to one side, emitting a roar of pain. Tech's left hand instinctively goes to clutch his wounded right shoulder and he grits his teeth in a vain attempt to suck in the burning pain. He turns his head to look at the creature and spots the cause of the werewolf's own anguish: a fine silver arrow jutting out of the side of its neck. Tech immediately scans the vicinity for the possible source of the arrow. His sight falls upon a distant shadowed figure crouching on a rock wall. The figure seems to lower a crossbow-like weapon before swiftly moving out of sight into further shadows. The werewolf rapidly seems to lose strength and collapses onto all fours, panting unusually. Then its eyes close and the creature falls flat onto the ground, lifeless. Having managed to recover sufficiently, the Loonatics cautiously gather around the fallen beast.
'Is it…dead?' Duck asks still fearful.
Rev zips around the creature's still form to check it out. 'No-sign-of-life-here.-Yes-I'd-say-the-thing's-dead!-That-arrow-must-have-been-well-aimed-to-kill-this-bruiser-so-easily!'
Suddenly to the Loonatics' surprise, the werewolf's body begins shrinking in size and its thick fur coat rapidly dissipates, finally leaving behind the prone form of a human man, still lifeless. The Loonatics gasp in shock and horror.
'That creature was…a human?!' Lexi gasps, 'but how?!'
Tech, still clutching his wounded right shoulder, weakly moves forward and kneels down by the man to inspect him more closely.
'Hey err, Tech, you okay there?' Ace queries in concern for the coyote, 'That looks like a pretty bad injury you got there.'
'I'm fine,' Tech rasps, 'just a stubborn scratch. My healing powers will fix it.'
Tech notes some peculiar talon markings on the man's arm. Then, with his unimpaired left hand, he reaches for the silver arrow shot into his neck and carefully pulls it out. He inspects the arrow closer.
'Interesting. This arrow appears to be constructed of a silver compound! It's of very fine craftsmanship,' Tech deduces.
He winces as his wounded right shoulder throbs with pain again. The other Loonatics glance to each other worriedly at Tech's obvious discomfort.
'The-guy-and-the-arrow-can-wait!-We-better-get-you-back-to-headquarters-and-have-that-nasty-looking-'scratch'-seen-to!' Rev urges his coyote friend.
Tech simply nods his head and Rev helps him steadily to his feet from his kneeling position. Lexi, having fetched a large plastic body sheet, pulls it over the corpse, covering it from head to toe.
'The authorities will pick up the corpse. Maybe their forensics will determine some answers behind this 'werewolf' mystery,' Ace suggests in grim hope.
The Loonatics mount their bikes once more and zoom off back to HQs. Tech gives a quick wondering glance behind himself back to the now apparently deserted rock wall. He then turns on his bike's engine and follows after his team mates. Unknown to him, the shadowed crossbow-carrying figure he had briefly spotted before watches him and his team leave the zoo premises.
'Tech…' the shadowed figure's canine lips utter in a feminine voice.
Opening sequence starts here.
At HQs, all the Loonatics, except Tech, are reporting to Zadavia about their encounter with the werewolf via the hologram communicator.
'And then it turned into a human!' Lexi finishes their account to the holo-projection of Zadavia.
'Hmm, a disturbing mystery indeed,' Zadavia agrees. 'I will be sure to monitor any further developments in this case.'
Zadavia's holo-image looks across the five present Loonatics. 'And where is Tech?'
'He's-in-his-lab-seeing-to-an-injury.-That-creature-nearly-took-a-whole-chunk-outta-his-shoulder!' Rev replies with a slightly worried expression.
'I'm sure he'll be fine,' Zadavia reassures, 'If not, I'm relying on the rest of you to see to it that he is properly nursed of course.'
'You can count on us boss-lady!' Duck obediently affirms in another attempt to gain some favour from his superior.
'Zadavia out.'
In his lab, a topless Tech is finishing off wrapping a bandage around his wounded right shoulder.
'Can't remember the last time I had to treat and bandage any kind of injury,' Tech mutters in some confusion to himself, 'My regenerative powers always healed any physical damage I suffered. Why not this time?'
A knock on the lab door interrupts the genius's train of thought. Tech gives one final glance at his bandaged shoulder then pulls a new black uniform top on, concealing the wound and its bandaging.
'Come in,' he responds to the knocker.
The other Loonatics enter the lab.
'Hey-Tech-buddy!-How-you-doing now?-Feeling-any-better?' Rev queries.
'Not too bad,' Tech lies to the road runner.
'You sure?' Ace further queries, 'That bite looked pretty bad back at the zoo.'
'It'll be healed by tomorrow I'm certain,' Tech uncertainly lies again.
Ace nods satisfied. 'Well okay, but if you need anything just…'
'…call. I know,' Tech finishes with a deceiving smile of assurance to his team mates.
As soon as Ace and the others file out of his lab, Tech sits himself down on a seat, massages his bandaged shoulder tentatively once more, then begins analysing the silver arrow he recovered from the werewolf further.
The next day, all the Loonatics, with the exception of Tech again, are gathered in the kitchen dining area for lunch.
'Abarubah yum yum!' Slam enthusiastically comments, licking his lips at the sight of a large steaming bowl of tomato pasta being placed in front of him by Lexi at the table.
'Now Slam, remember your table manners,' Lexi gently reminds.
To the great, but not unfamiliar, disgust of the others, Slam proceeds to gorge the whole bowl of pasta down into his large, gaping maw. He downs everything into his stomach in one big swallow. A tremendous belch emerges from his mouth a second after.
'That's disgusting Slam!' Duck complains to no effect.
Slam just smiles in satisfaction, patting his belly. At that moment, a slightly worn-out-looking, but smartly dressed Tech enters the kitchen. The others note that he is wearing black trousers and a light sky-blue shirt with an open collar, instead of his usual black and green uniform outfit. And he has reverted back to his natural brown fur colour.
'Hey Tech, finally decided to come out of yer room and join us for lunch eh?' Ace invites in a friendly manner.
'Sorry to disappoint Chief, but I have another appointment right now,' Tech replies.
'Oh please! The only appointments you ever have are with your lab work!' Duck scoffs.
'Actually, I have a coffee date,' Tech informs.
The other Loonatics sit up straight in sudden interest and curiosity at this.
'A coffee date?' Lexi repeats, prompting more explanation from the coyote.
'I received a call this morning from an old Acme College associate,' Tech explains, 'She's back in town for a while and invited me out for a drink today.'
'She?' Rev enquires with a suspecting smile and gleam in his eyes.
'It's not what you think Rev. Her name's Auriel; she's just an old friend. Look I've got to run now or I'll be late. I'll be back later.'
With that, Tech exits the kitchen to make his way out of HQs.
A short while later, Tech is sitting at a window-side table in a stylish café. He gazes at his somewhat weary-looking reflection in the window pane, lost in thought for a moment.
'Tech Ethan Coyote!' a female voice rouses him from his dazed thoughts.
Tech looks up to see the attractive slender form of a pure white female wolf anthro. She is dressed in a slim-fitting, black polo-neck top and red Scottish tartan-style, plaited kilt skirt. Her long white hair spills onto her shoulders and the strands of a shading fringe hang down from a centre-parting on her head, surrounding the top sides of her face. She looks at a stunned Tech with deadly beautiful ice-blue eyes perched above a streamlined canine snout. Tech stands to greet his old friend.
'Auriel Luna Wolf!' he exclaims heartily.
The two canines embrace each other in a warm hug before sitting down at the table opposite to each other. A waitress places two mugs of coffee down on the table in front of them then moves off.
'Y'know you're one a very select few that actually knows what the middle 'E' in my name stands for,' Tech jokes.
'And I've always considered it a great honour to know that extra little bit more about you,' Auriel mischievously replies. Her expression becomes more sincere, 'It's been a long time Tech.'
'5 years,' Tech calculates, 'I guess we've both been pretty occupied.'
'Indeed. From what I've been hearing and seeing about you in the news during the last year, I figure you're as busy as I am. Fighting mad criminals and averting major disasters must be a tough full-time profession!' Auriel comments wistfully.
'Not the type of career I had planned for myself going back just over a year ago when I was still in Acme Tech, but it has its rewards.'
'Fame? Wealth?'
'No. I get a chance to really help people, benefit society and perhaps most importantly, prove my worth and intellectual competence to the world!'
'Tech, the people closest to you always knew you were one of the brightest geniuses around.'
Tech looks down at his cup of coffee momentarily in recollection of past times. 'It didn't always seem like that. And what about you? What's been keeping you away from Acmetropolis for so long?'
'Oh I travel a lot for my job. Move around the globe for…'special social research' and… some physical work…'
'Sounds interesting.'
'But quite demanding. I'm never in one place for long. It's…kinda hard establishing a sense of where 'home' is for me.'
'At least you get to see the world?'
'Yeah, I've seen a lot of…interesting things along my travels.'
Auriel takes a sip of her coffee and Tech follows suit, eyeing her with curiosity.
'Not the line of work I ever envisioned myself getting into back in our Acme College days either. I guess life has steered us both down rather unexpected paths,' Auriel says thoughtfully.
'Sounds like we really have a lot of catching up to do Auriel.'
Tech gives a friendly smile to his old friend. Auriel returns it and there is a pause in their exchange for a moment.
'So, were you busy last night?' Auriel unexpectedly asks.
The question catches Tech by surprise. 'Pardon?'
'Were you on any 'superheroing' business last night? Just out of curiosity.'
'Oh well…'
Suddenly Tech's previously wounded right shoulder starts throbbing painfully again. He clasps it tightly with his left hand and tenses his face in a vain attempt to hide his discomfort from Auriel.
'Tech? Are you alright?' Auriel asks concerned at his sudden apparent pain, 'Did you hurt your shoulder?'
'It's nothing. Just had a bit of a scuffle of last night. Nothing serious at all,' Tech lies yet again.
'Let me take a quick look at it. I do have medical training,' Auriel requests, leaning over to Tech and holding out her hand.
'Really it's nothin…'
'I insist Tech. Let's have a look,' Auriel persists.
Tech gives in and allows Auriel to push back part of his shirt collar covering the still bandaged shoulder. Auriel stares intently at a faint semicircular line of blood that has permeated through the bandaging for a few seconds, as if she has x-ray vision and is examining it in detail.
'Fraid there's not much for you to see there with the bandaging,' Tech apologises.
'Have you had that washed and sterilised?' Auriel queries in an unusually grim tone as she sits back into her seat.
'Yes.' Tech rubs his eyes with his fingers as weariness suddenly overwhelms him. 'I'm sorry Auriel, I don't know why but suddenly I'm feeling rather lethargic.'
'Perhaps we better call it a day for now,' Auriel suggests, 'And you get back home and rest yourself proper.'
'Thanks Auriel. We'll have to meet up again sometime later. It was good seeing you again,' Tech tiredly says as he gets to his feet.
'And you Tech. And you. Take care of yourself.'
Tech makes his way out of the café. Auriel looks on at his retreating form with a queer sad, sombre expression. She lowers her head and closes her eyes, as if in regret about something.
Back at Loonatics HQs, a shattered-looking Tech heads straight for his bedroom, passing by his team mates wordlessly in the living room.
'Hey-Tech!-So-how-was-your-date?!' Rev eagerly asks.
Tech continues walking past the road runner. 'Not now Rev. I'm beat! I'm gonna lie down for a while.'
Tech exits the living room. After the doors close behind him, the other Loonatics look at each other in puzzlement.
'Wow, he must have had one tiring date!' Duck comments.
As soon as he enters his bedroom, Tech slumps down heavily onto his bed in utter exhaustion.
Some time later, when evening has fallen, Tech tosses and turns uncomfortably in his bed. He wakes up with a start and his left hand zips to his bandaged right shoulder. It seems to be causing him immense pain again. Suddenly he gasps sharply as an indescribable pain shoots rapidly through his entire body. He doubles over and falls to his knees as a terrifying lycanthropic transformation occurs then. Tech feels his very bones stretching and the muscle masses all over his body enlarging as his whole form more than triples in size. His clothing is torn apart by the sudden expansion of his body, with only the ripped upper half of his trousers remaining from his hips down to just above his knees. His canine teeth undergo a dramatic growth spurt as they are elongated and sharpened. The dark green fur on his body becomes thicker, longer and messy like that of a bear. Shredding talons emerge from his fingers and his legs take on the shape of a wolf's angled hind legs. In Tech's place now stands a were-coyote! The transformed were-Tech bounds for an open window in his room and he leaps out into the night.
At a quiet Acme Central Park, a lone night walker civilian is making his way along the footpath on his way home from an outing. Unbeknownst to him, he is being watched by the were-coyote who lurks silently in the bushes. He stops as he hears a low rumbling growl from the bushes and before he has a chance to react, the were-coyote is upon him, pushing him to the ground. The transformed Tech snarls at his petrified victim, his eyes illuminating a vivid green glow. But before the were-coyote strikes his helpless victim, a blast of white energy topples him over. His victim scrambles to his feet and runs for his life. Were-Tech regains his footing on all fours and snarls in the direction that the energy blast came from. Auriel Wolf, dressed in a black outfit with a long sweeping black trench coat, steps out of the shadows holding a gun from which the energy blast was shot. She prepares to fire another shot at the were-coyote. But were-Tech leaps in front of her and whacks the gun out of her hands. Auriel rolls out of his direct striking line just as he swipes at her with his shredding talons. She quickly pulls out her silver arrow launching crossbow from behind her and takes aim at him. Her firing arm trembles as hesitation claims it though, and she sighs heavily as she lowers it. Were-Tech takes the opportunity and pounces on her, pushing her against the thick trunk of a tree. He brings his growling snout down to the level of hers and regards her intensely with his burning green eyes. Auriel then unexpectedly attempts to communicate with him mentally through a psychic linking.
'Tech! Stop! It's me! Auriel!' she shouts with her mind.
For a moment, the were-coyote calms down and seems to display some recognition of her. The vivid green glow of his eyes fades and Tech's lime-green irises look out at Auriel once again.
'Hold it right there were-freak!' comes Ace's voice all of a sudden from behind were-Tech.
The distraction breaks off Auriel's fragile telepathic link with were-Tech and his eyes take on a blazing green glow again. He roars as he loses his mind to feral instincts again and then bolts right for the Loonatics. Ace and the others ready themselves to confront the were-creature, but he shoves past them at a frightening speed instead and escapes into shadows.
'Zadavia was right! There is another werewolf on the loose!' Lexi exclaims.
Rev zooms to the tree trunk where Auriel had been pinned by were-Tech, but there is no longer anyone there.
'Hmm,-strange!-Could-have-sworn-there-was-a-lady-here-being-attacked-by-that-beast-just-a-few-seconds-ago!' Rev remarks scratching his head.
'Uribiguhglaayabu where she go?' Slam blabs in puzzlement, looking around himself.
'Never mind her, we've got bigger problems!' Duck interjects, 'Like figuring out how to curb Acmetropolis's sudden werewolf attacks!'
'We'll need to think this one over. Hopefully Tech will be rested enough by tomorrow morning, and he'll be able to whip up something that'll help us tackle this particular pest problem,' Ace suggests. 'Back to headquarters Loonatics!'
The five Loonatics depart Acme Central Park.
The next morning, a reverted-back-to-normal Tech wakes up groggily in his bed.
'Uhhhh….why do I not feel very well rested?' he mumbles to himself.
He sits up slowly and notes that there is still a bite marking on his right shoulder. Then to his confusion, he realises that he's wearing nothing but tattered trousers and that his bed sheets have long ripped holes in them.
'What the…?'
He then glances around himself at the entire spacing that is his bedroom and to his further shock, he sees that the walls have been scratched, objects have been knocked over and smashed, crushed or torn to pieces and his bedroom is in an overall terrible state, as if an intruder had come in and tried to sabotage it.
'Oh my god…what happened here?' Tech gasps to himself.
He looks down at the long rips in his bed sheets again and vague, hazy memories of pain and transformation push themselves into his mind. He mentally tries to shake these images from his head as he crawls out of bed slowly.
'Must've had some bad dream…' Tech tries to rationalise to himself.
He dresses in a new black and green outfit before he leaves his room. The other five Loonatics are talking amongst themselves about the 'second werewolf incident' the night before in the main control room when a weary Tech enters.
'What I want to know is where all these werewolves are coming from?' Lexi says to her comrades as Tech walks up to join his team.
'Tech, you're just in time!' Ace says as he spots the coyote. 'We had another werewolf encounter last night at Acme Central Park!'
'Which you happened to snooze right through sleepy-head!' Duck accuses.
'What? Oh, I'm sorry. Guess I was more tired than I realised…' Tech lamely offers rubbing his head. 'Wait! Did you say…another werewolf attack?!'
'Sure-did-Tech!-And-boy-was-that-creature-as-frightening-as-the-first-one-we-saw-two-nights-ago!-It-was-huge-and-had-really-sharp-fangs-and-claws-and-it-growled-like-a-dangerous-wild-animal!' Rev describes mimicking the beast's ferocious looks.
Tech's face grows worried as a potential realisation hits him.
'I have to go!' Tech suddenly announces as he rushes out of the main control room.
The other Loonatics blink in puzzlement at Tech's strange behaviour.
'What's gotten into that coyote?' Duck voices the question on everyone's mind.
Tech rushes into his lab and presses a few buttons on the keypad beside the sliding door, locking it to prevent anyone from coming in to bother him. He dashes to a wall with a set of metal drawers and pulls one open. He picks out a packaged syringe with a needle on the end of it and brings it back to his worktop desk, ripping the packaging off it. Then he carefully plunges the needle into his arm and extracts a sample of his blood. He transfers the blood sample into a test tube and squirts a splash of it onto a small glass slide. He places the glass slide within an analysis machine of some kind.
'Computer, perform a full component scan on this plasma sample,' Tech instructs to the machinery.
The machine whirs to life as it begins its given function on the blood sample. Tech spends a moment looking at the splodge of his blood in the analysis machine, concern and worry apparent in his expression. Tech then moves away and places himself into the cylindrical chamber of another larger machine.
'Full spectral anatomical and musculo-skeletal scan now,' he instructs the second machine.
A light is shone down on Tech as the machine performs its ascribed command. A few seconds later, Tech emerges from the cylindrical chamber and he goes to read the loading results of the scan from a large computer screen. His facial expression takes on the tones of disbelief and shock as his eyes flick from side to side across each line of words and numbers on the computer screen.
'No…it can't be…,' he rasps.
To be continued…