The Inner Cage

John left the facility, leaving some clones behind to ensure its complete destruction. He moved in the opposite direction from where he had sent the mutants, heading toward the city. Time was running out, as the template would only last for half an hour.

The city he was heading to was Monroe City—apparently, he was in North Carolina.

Moving swiftly, leaping from tree to tree, he entered the city unnoticed.

Keeping his face hidden, he searched for the least noticeable place.

"Is there still a room for rent?" he asked a man stepping out of an old, weathered building.

The man looked at John, his tattered clothes catching his attention. "Don't come here unless you have no other choice," the man said, clearly uneasy. "The roof leaks, the windows are broken, and the door locks jam sometimes."

His gaze lingered on John's torn clothes, and a thought struck him—This guy looks like someone who just escaped prison, he mused, recalling similar scenes from movies. Fear flickered in his eyes.

"Uh, I'm late for work," the man stammered, gulping nervously. Making a hasty excuse, he hurried away without looking back.

John watched him leave and suddenly realized his mistake—he was still in his old, battered appearance. He should have transformed before speaking to anyone.

"Forget it," he muttered, shaking his head. Turning toward the door marked Owner, he knocked firmly.

Knock. Knock.

The door creaked open, revealing an old lady with sharp eyes and a stern expression. She sized John up with a suspicious gaze. "What do you want?" she asked curtly.

"A room," John replied evenly.

Her eyes narrowed further. "Do you know the rules?" she asked, her tone brisk.

"No. Are there any?" John asked, his voice steady.

"No noise from midnight to six in the morning," she said firmly. "I don't want my Cici's sleep disturbed."

At the mention of the name, an orange cat appeared from behind her legs, its tail flicking lazily.

"Ah, Cici, there you are," the old lady cooed, bending down to pick up the cat and cradle it in her arms. Her stern demeanor softened for a moment as she cuddled the feline.

So, this is Cici, John thought, glancing at the cat. Its amber eyes blinked at him lazily, as if unimpressed.

"Any other rules?" he asked, breaking the moment of quiet as she fussed over the cat.

The old lady's warmth evaporated instantly, and her sharp glare returned. "Yes. No complaints. About anything," she said coldly.

"Fine," John said with a nod. He didn't care about the rules as long as he got a place to stay.

"$500 advance payment," she stated abruptly, extending her hand, palm up. Her tone suggested she expected full compliance.

Without hesitation, John pulled out some of the cash he had looted earlier and handed it over.

The old lady clicked her tongue in apparent disapproval, making a dismissive sound as if she found him unremarkable despite the payment. Without a word, she turned and disappeared into the house.

WTF? Doesn't she want me to stay? John thought, irritation flickering across his face.

The cat stayed by the door, watching him with a piercing, almost judgmental stare.

A few moments later, the door opened again. The old lady returned with a set of keys. "First floor, room 5," she said curtly, handing the keys to John before disappearing inside once more.

John looked down at the cat, which hadn't moved, its amber eyes still fixed on him.

The door swung open yet again. "Oh, Cici, come inside," the old lady called sweetly, scooping up the cat in her arms. She shot John another sharp glare before shutting the door with a firm thud.

John let out a slow breath, shaking his head as he climbed the stairs. This place better be worth it.

At Room 5, he struggled with the lock. It jammed repeatedly, only opening on the fifth try.

Inside, the room was a mess. Dust covered everything, and cobwebs hung from the corners. This looks more like dust in a room than a room in dust, he thought, brushing away a stray web.

The air smelled stale, and the cracked window barely let in any light, making the room feel even gloomier. The only good things were the old bed, a working flush, and a functional shower. That was it.

Shaking off the dusty sheets, he sat down on the bed and stayed still for a moment. Then, without much thought, he fell back, lying down and closing his eyes for a few seconds. Restless, he sat back up again.

"Let's do it," he said, pulling off his T-shirt to reveal the mark on his stomach.

It was none other than the Eight Trigrams Seal, sealing the Nine-Tails inside him. This was what he got with the Naruto template.

He hadn't tried contacting nine tails before since he was busy and didn't want to take risks.

Now that the template only last for two minutes, he decided to try meeting him.

Closing his eyes, John focused deeply. When he opened them again, he found himself standing before a massive cage. In the center of the cage's gate was a talisman, glowing faintly with seals.

The sheer size of the cage was imposing, but even more so was what lay inside.

From within the darkness, two massive, glowing red eyes emerged, locking onto John. A deep, rumbling growl echoed through the space, sending vibrations through the ground beneath him.

"So, you finally decided to show up," came a low, menacing voice.

John stepped closer cautiously. "Nine tails..." he muttered.

************

Author's pov

Characters he should bring:

1. Daenerys

2. Arya

3. Tyrion

Which time period is suitable?