That urgency of chaos did not flutter with its wings into his mind, nor did the man seem troubled on the very edge of the abyss that possibly was the end of the world. The lady's head to which was delicately perched upon his lap was placed with tenderness to the cold unforgiving floor upon which he sat. Jacket shrugged from shoulders, tucked at last beneath her skull, only now did he reach outwards towards that pistol which lay so near, forgotten, and abandoned despite its earlier threat. And hand curled around not about the grip, but rather the slide. Accompanied by its twin brother, the man used his touch to pull against it, a click, a silvery fling of raw chambered round shot into the air.

Quick as a wolf snapping its jaws, the man caught it mid flight, but its freedom did not last long. He needed a way to keep the beast weakened, a way to keep it in check, so into his mouth he popped it, and swallowed it like a pill for the cancer that was inside.

“Hey Turkey, catch.”

The lethal weapon was tossed with careless measure towards the Bird servant, its end tumbling over and over.

“When it’s done.” Mal tapped himself between the eyes. “Don’t miss. Might take more than one. Think you can manage that at least?”

One last jab before the lights went out. One last little dig at the feathered fiend.

“Hate this part.”

From the small of his back, a place once hidden by jacket, a blade was produced. Not a switchblade, or even knife, those were modern things to which the name could not be placed upon. It was the length of his hand, and though maintained well, showed the signs of age as it rightly should. Issued in the 1800’s to those of military service, it was a thing of last resort. A thing meant for cutting rations, or killing if all else failed.

It was a tool, just as any man still under the banner of Lord or Lady was seen as. A tool for taking life.

Across his own throat it slipped, quick and smooth as butter.


Down what was inside began to flow, not red as before, because it wasn’t a wound such as was received by a speeding car. Mal opened himself up, and the man opened that particular door wide. Black like the charcoal color of his drawings. Ink like for its lack of color and grace, slipped down across his body… flowed like a source of life.

Perhaps it was waking up. Perhaps it needed a moment to breathe fresh air away from the drowning waves the soldier kept it beneath. Though, whatever the reason that it required, the moment had passed.


Not a single droplet left a stain upon the collar of his shirt. Not a single mark or smudge left upon his breast. It all suddenly whipped upward to cover his face like a death’s mask. It did not shift, or change, not in the way Creatures such as he are meant to do. It bent like liquid plastic. It formed without sound or subtle nature. Almost instantly it was pouring out of that wound, and over him. Not changing him per say, but rather replacing him.

Still the man remained long enough to turn his eyes towards that window to which they had watched a monster walk passed. Long enough to cast himself through it with the sound of shattering pane, and glittering remains all but dancing in the sunlight.

The Wolf’s bane in the system was doing its job.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PNvPXIO.jpeg[/img][/center]
It could not take him all, but parts of him as if some grisly cosplay were covered, masked, veiled. Golden eyes shown from black and white fur just over a long set of jaws. Long radar dish like ears tilted forward just on top of his head, while a human set was left uncovered just behind. Long hair had changed its color, to match the fur. Hands were no more but left to claws. Shoes replaced by talons digging into the ground beneath.

It smiled Fellow travelers.
It smiled for the madness to which it saw.
It smiled for the ability to be mostly free.

It smiled at my friend, because it was time to play.

Despite the sun. Despite the glow. Didn’t that distant outline in the sky of the moon look that much closer? Did not even humanity have a chance to see it all the more clear? It lifted its dual set of jaws, the ones that covered the face of a man, and howled. A challenge. A cry. A hunting call.

It. Was. Time. To. Kill.

Shreds of concrete beneath its feet exploded back, and the beast launched itself forward leaving behind claw marks where once it stood.

It moved like a human, yes? Was it structured like one? Time to test. Time to taste.

Like a black spear it sliced through the air, opened claws, teeth, and nails. Was there muscle to tear apart? Were there tendons to tear? Was there blood to taste? It was about to find out. Yes, it was about to find out.

Into the back of the giant woman’s heel, or rather just above it where the achilles tendon should be, the Wolf cut like a scythe through wheat. Not with a slash, or simple swing, but with his full body. It lept like a cannonball unleashed,  arms outstretched, fangs and claws seeking the prey. Stone, concrete, the dirt of the city upon his tongue… but sadly.. No blood or meat.

Through the other side it pierced, coming to land before the giant without fear. Deep wounds in the structure of the wolf, cut by rebar, steel and glass, but these threaded closed almost instantly, laughter in the air.

How fun, how fun, how fun it is! No veins to bleed or muscles to weaken!

A voice echoed out, one that was threaded not just with Mal’s but rather twenty four. Twenty four innocents that Mal could not stop it from claiming.  Every victim it had taken, devoured, or bled upon. With all their souls, thoughts, and words contained it smiled upwards towards the towering thing.

“Come then child of lies!”
 .lies.lies.lies.

Those voices echoed a fraction of a moment out of unison.

“Come then queen of falsehood!”
.falsehood.falsehood.falsehood.

Then a single voice, something so very close to Mal’s ended the challenge, the call, the warning.

“Let me show you what a monster is.”
To the left and right of its face two more canines seemed to stretch out like liquid plastic. A mimicry of Cereberus. A mockery of a guardian of hells gate.

It laughed. It jeered. 

It launched forward again.

[hr]

Look, it’s one thing to go after Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosties, and Ghouls. It was quite another thing when Godzilla’s ex-wife comes tromping through the city after you. Yes, James was mortal. Yes, James was scared. Yes, James was running his (undeniably cute) ass off. Though it was not in panic. 

Never that.

Tight spaces he tread, alleyways, covered places where awnings could…

A howl.
One he knew well.
One he dreamed about regularly.

James stopped, turned, and nothing but cold hatred filled his gaze. Nothing but the need to kill clenched his jaw line to the soft hissing sound of his own breath.

“Kerberos”

The name a curse.
The name a purpose.

The name of a creature which broke order completely.
James’s true prey.

Sneering sharply, the human glanced upward at the still enraged being that could no doubt force King Kong himself to cough up alimony. His mouth tasted sour, and James spit on the ground before he turned.

Keep running you ‘idigit he told himself.
He’s here, we know that now, and that is enough for the moment.