[IC] MONSTORY

[Dead Cruiser]

"The arm?" Theurge seemed to be making sure they were on the same page. "I have it hidden away nearby. I will deliver it to that frivilous man as soon as I am able. Does that suit you?" He didn't appear to be deceiving her, though really his tone and expression hardly ever changed. At the very least, he seemed to be the straightforward, no-nonsense type.

[Riven Wight]

Izzy nodded to his first question, affirming his statement. When he finished, she considered him for a short moment. As upfront as he seemed, after all that, she had hoped to at least walk away with what she had come for. Especially when the alternative was getting it under the pretense of “as soon as I am able.”
“If it’s nearby, then what’s the trouble?" She glanced to his healing leg. "Or tell me where it is, if you can't bring it here."

[Dead Cruiser]

"I would rather you not see how it is concealed." Theurge answered, "Though perhaps if you were one of my associates, I could teach you such a trade secret."

Dramatic Theurge then began to fade from view, as though the darkness itself was swallowing him up. Izzy rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But, no, just as before, his body was gradually vanishing into the night. Vampire eyes could misrecognize, but they could not be deceived. This was vampire transformation was well; his body was assuming the form of mist.

As he continued to slowly fade Theurge spoke, his voice almost disembodied. "Allow me to ask you again. Will you not join us?"

[Riven Wight]

Izzy gave a quiet, frustrated sigh at his answer. If that was how he wanted to play it, then so be it. She was not that desperate to walk away with Cerasus’ arm, though the thought of someone actually bothering to teach her something in this obscure side of the world was a nice one. Though she wanted to protest, she thought better of it.
“Fair enough.” She blinked a couple times when his body began to fade, trying to clear anything from her eyes that could be causing such an illusion, before she realized what it must be. “But remember, if you fail to deliver it, you’ve broken the deal you made.” At least, she hoped that was true. She had no idea what kind of exchange Theurge and Riley had shared.
When he offered her once more to join him, Izzy shook her head. “If I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know,” she answered with a light snort, waiting until he completely vanished to turn her back to him.

[Dead Cruiser]

Izzy looked back at the ruin that she had made of the school athletic field. Baseballs had gouged large trenches in the ground. The door to the athletic's shed had a massive hole in it. The top of the flagpole was broken off. What a mess... For what it was worth, Dramatic Theurge didn't leave nearly as much of a footprint on the area as she did. Maybe that was one of the marks of a true professional.

As Izzy arduously set about cleaning up her own mess, she spotted a figure in the distance. They were crouched behind the bushes at the far end of the field, and were difficult to make out from this distance. The dark wasn't the problem, it was mostly that they were too obscured. Who could that be? Riley perhaps? Despite playing up his neutrality, maybe he had come along to root for Izzy all along. Either way, she needed to find out who this was, and make sure that this wouldn't be a problem.

As Izzy approached the figure, more and more details became clear. Male, white, average build, white shirt, glasses. Izzy's eyes locked with his. It was Trevor, watching her from afar. How much had he seen? Izzy stood stunned, shocked from seeing him, and in that time, Trevor jogged up to meet her.

"What was that just now?" He asked, completely straightforward.

[Riven Wight]

Once Theurge had fully disappeared, a mix between disbelief and excitement settled in Izzy, the aftereffects of the adrenaline that had ran through her making her feel a bit giddy. She took a moment to run everything that had happened through her head, and rubbed her wrists accordingly. The corners of her lips quirked up. The mouse had defeated the lion.
He’d make a better rhino than lion, she thought as she turned to survey the mess she had made of the athletic field. Something told her that the school would be thinking about installing cameras come next year.
She quickly set to work cleaning up what she could, which was rather limited since, as far as she knew, she could not exactly fuse the flagpole back together, and was fresh out of nails for the padlock on the shed.
When she went to return the field roller, she noticed someone--or, perhaps, something--lurking behind the bushes at the end of the field furthest from her, the boscage serving its purpose well of hiding the figure.
Unsure whether the onlooker was a friend or foe, her body tensed as she slowly approached the figure. When she was close enough to make out who it was, Izzy's steps ceased, and panic crossed her face.
Trevor.
She wiped the expression away as well as she could when he stood and jogged toward her. She thought about running, but it would make no difference; he had already seen her. And maybe, by some stroke of her non-existent luck, he had not seen everything.
She opened her mouth to answer his question. After a couple failed attempts, she cleared her throat, crossed her arms, and angled herself toward the battlefield.
“Some kids must’ve thought it’d be fun to vandalize the school,” she began with a frown, hoping he was only referring to her cleaning up. “I noticed the damage walking by. Figured I’d try to clean things up a bit. Make the janitors' lives a bit easier.”

[Dead Cruiser]

Seemingly ignoring what Izzy had just said, Trevor continued speaking, "I looking for you after your... outburst. I lost track of you for a bit, but I found this bag by the school fence." He held aloft the bag from the bookstore, with such Izzy's martial arts manuals inside. "So I thought you might be inside the school. I had to climb over the gate, though."

Trevor looked... displaced. Not really uncomfortable, perhaps a bit confused, but mostly he had the look of realization. Perhaps that he had seen something that he was not meant to. He didn't appear to be disturbed or upset, but he had a certain tension about him. As though there was a question he wanted to ask, but was refraining from doing so.

"Izzy..." He began, with that same air of unease, "I was too far away to see clearly, but... Weren't you doing something out of like, a superhero movie or something?"

[Riven Wight]

How in the world did you track me here in the first place? Izzy wondered when he brandished her bag of books. Talk about mad skills. The look on Trevor’s face was unsettling, as if he had already put two-and-two together, or was beginning to.
She swallowed when he asked his question. So, he had seen at least part of the fight. But not clearly. At least she had that going for her. How far could she push her lies? Both she and Theurge had to have been moving at a supersonic speed. That would be fun to try explaining away.
She gave a nervous laugh. “Okay, you caught me.” She moved her fingers to pick at the little nail polish that had managed to still cling to her thumb before her hand regenerated, but there was none now. “I didn’t get the books because of my brothers. I want to either be an action movie actress or a special effects supervisor, so I was doing some research on fighting. Here seemed like the best place to set up some props and whatnot and see what I could do. I mean, wouldn’t it be great to be a part of one of The Avengers movies or something?”
She inhaled, then looked to him sideways. "How the heck did you figure I'd be even near here, of all places?" she asked, trying to shift the subject. "Should I be worried about you being a serial killer?" She took what she hoped would seem like an edgy step away from him, and looked at him through narrowed eyes.

[Dead Cruiser]

Trevor looked at Izzy in a way that she never thought anyone had looked at her before. His eyes... they weren't cold, like Cerasus'. In a word they were... probing. They bored a hole through her. Saw her for what she really was. Forced her to recognize how shallow she was. It was somehow more unsettling than her fight against a monstrous vampire. His eyes frightened her.

"I feel bad that I'm making you act this way. I'm sure you aren't the type to normally say things like that. You must be in a pretty tough spot if your only option is to say them. Right?"

He held out the bag of books. Izzy took them. If he had just come by to drop off some misplaced belongings, their interaction would have ended there.

"I'm sorry that I took so long to notice," he continued, "But I'd like to help, if that's the case."

[Riven Wight]

Izzy held her breath at the way his eyes bore into her. It made her feel suddenly small, as if he was staring into the darkest depths of her soul. She wished he would look somewhere else, but she found that she could not help but stare back at him, incapable of looking away herself.
She finally managed to tear her gaze from Trevor’s as he hit the nail on its head. “I was joking,” she said, her voice quiet. There was something off about this whole meeting. “About you being a serial killer.”
Izzy took the bag from Trevor with a cautious hand. “Thanks.” She offered him a tiny, wary smile.
When he finished, Izzy just stared. “You’d like to...” she said after a short pause. “What is it you think you can help with? Because I’m really not interested in a tutor for studying for the SATs,” she finished, though she knew quite well he was not talking about schoolwork. She wrapped part of the bag anxiously around her hand.

[Dead Cruiser]

"Well," Trevor started, his intensity dying down. He apparently didn't have much better an idea of how he could help Izzy than she did. Finally, though, he said, "At the very least, I could be your friend."

---

Izzy had something to do before she could explain the situation to Trevor, even if she wanted to. She had him go home, and promised that she'd explain more tomorrow night. She returned quickly and quietly to the abandoned school. Riley was out, but Cerasus she found waiting for her up on the second floor. He didn't say anything upon seeing her, but he already knew what seeing her in once piece meant. He simply stood in quite a proud pose, his chest puffing out, as he waited for Izzy to give him the good news.

[Riven Wight]

Her mind stuck on her exchange with Trevor just as much as her triumphant over Theurge, she made the journey back to the abandoned school a bit slower than she had intended. How much would she tell Trevor? Could she really drag him into the situation she had found herself? What kind of danger would she be putting him in, and for what? The chances of a human being capable of helping her had to be dismal, at best, and as much as some small part of her wanted a friend, wanted someone of a similar mindset--at least, a human mindset--to lay everything out there with and talk it over, whether she could or could not fix things, he would just be a regret she had to leave behind and another unknown variable.
She shook her head as she neared the school to clear her mind of Trevor, replacing those thoughts with the fight. Every time she saw the school, she swore it looked more decrepit than she remembered it. Inside, she easily found Cerasus waiting for her, alone.
The way he looked at her, the pride he showed toward her, almost made her want to smile. She crossed her arms, satisfaction in her eyes and a smugness to her expression.
“I’ll grant you, you were right. I won,” she reported, though he clearly already guessed as much. “But Dramatic Theurge didn’t want me knowing how he’d concealed your arm. Said he’ll deliver it to Riley.” She paused, a look of contemplation crossing her face. “Did you know he’s the leader of a gang of vampire hunting vampires?”

[Dead Cruiser]

"Well done," Cerasus congratulated Izzy on her victory, "Though I expected no less from my thrall. As the inheritor of my power, you must have had no trouble with the likes of Dramatic Theurge." Cerasus waved away her concerns over Theurge not immediately handing over the arm. "I wouldn't worry about Dramatic Theurge breaking his end of the deal. He seemed to be fairly reasonable. Not like the other two, so keep that in mind." Izzy's statement about Theurge being the leader of a hunter cadre didn't evoke more than a disinterested shrug. "That sounds about right. He seemed appropriate to lead that collective of misfits." Cerasus didn't seem to want to linger on that topic, however. "In any case, take a moment to rejoice. You're one step closer to humanity."

At this time, Riley appeared in the classroom. It was alarming that he had managed to sneak up on the both of them, but there he was, none the less. He wore the same hawaiian shirt as always; it seemed that he owned multiple shirts, but all with the same pattern on them. Maybe it was a political statement. He was empty-handed when Izzy had met him, but had apparently acquired some bare necessities and other sundries. He was obviously no stranger to camping out.

"Honey, I'm hoooome!" He called out, waving casually. He had a duffel bag in his other hand. Walking up, he slapped Izzy jovially on the shoulder. "Good job, young miss."

[Riven Wight]

“I wouldn’t say no trouble,” Izzy grumbled, her voice lightening as she continued. “But it worked out." She looked off to the side for a moment in thought. "Though, I'm sure whoever sees what I couldn't clean up will be a bit baffled." She could not help but wonder if, when the vandalism was reported, her parents would be the ones to investigate.
She nodded at Cerasus' warning. It would be easy enough to remember to not walk away from the other two without them holding up their end of the bargain. Her head cocked slightly when he quickly changed the topic, but the subject change was one she quite agreed with.
The abrupt appearance of Riley made Izzy jump and spin to face him, the stealth he demonstrated rather startling.
She looked him over, wondering if he either raided a section filled with Hawaiian-themed clothes in a discount store, or washed the same shirt whenever it got dirty.
She gave him a grateful smile at his congratulation. “Thanks. I should have asked before all this, but what are the terms you laid out? Or the rules of combat?” If there are any besides surviving, she added to herself.

[Dead Cruiser]

"Rules of combat, huh?" Riley pondered, rubbing his chin with his free hand, "Well, I think the only terms I demanded were for the matches to be one-on-one, with no outside interference. That and to have them on the school athletic field. I didn't say anything explicitly about it, but it's in the best interest of both parties to avoid killing the other. If they kill you, they won't learn where Damocles is hiding, and if you kill them, you won't learn where they've hidden Damcoles' limbs." Riley gave Izzy another smug grin, "Though I wouldn't worry about all that. You held your own out there, I must say."

[Riven Wight]

Izzy nodded thoughtfully at Riley as he spoke. She had figured as much, though it was good to know they would all be held in the same location. Fewer places with property damage.
So, he had been somewhere nearby, watching. Had he hung around long enough to see her exchange with Trevor? Did it even matter? She met his gaze, looking for any hint of an answer in his face, but found none hidden beneath his expression.
Izzy returned his grin with smile. “Thanks,” she said again, slowly. "It's still good to know. You’d be one heck of a player in a game of hide-and-seek, you know that?” She took a breath. "So, any idea when I should expect to face the other two?"

[Dead Cruiser]

Riley shrugged, "Maybe sooner, maybe later. I left that ball in their court."

Cerasus stepped in at this point, "Are you quite done chatting?"

"Oh?" Riley seemed to have now remembered why he had shown up, and why he was carrying a duffel bag. "Boy, you're energetic, Damocles. Something good happen to you? Haha, I know it did."

Still laughing, Riley unzipped his duffel bag and reached in, and then pulled out Cerasus' left arm. Just the bare arm, stuffed inside. No case or plastic or anything. Something like what a murderer would do. It was an adult man's arm; long and pale, with a fair amount of muscle on it, and some fine, blond hair on the forearm. Neither bleeding nor rotting, no doubt because it was a vampire's arm.

"Here you go, Damocles." Riley handed Cerasus the arm quite casually, and he eagerly accepted it from him. What a sight.

[Riven Wight]

Izzy looked to Cerasus when he interrupted her mid sigh at not having a definite answer. But such an answer would have to do. She raised her eyebrows at Riley’s response, realizing as he reached into his duffel bag what the man had come for. She had not expected Theurge to deliver his end of the deal that quickly.
Not knowing what shape to expect a detached limb to look like after so long, Izzy turned her head slightly as if to look away, but a morbid curiosity kept her from completing the action. She gaped when Riley pulled the arm from his bag, its form in the same condition as if it had never been removed, looking more like a professional prop from a horror movie than an actual arm that had been severed for a week.
Izzy shifted her weight awkwardly as Riley handed the arm to Cerasus.
“Should I, uh,” she gestured to the door with a thumb and angled herself toward it.

[Dead Cruiser]

"If you wouldn't mind," Cerasus replied, quite flatly.

As Izzy exited the room to stand just out in the hall, Riley followed close behind her. Soon enough, the distinct sound of eating filled the air. Tearing and gnawing of flesh, and even the cracking of bone. Probably for the best that she wasn't in there to watch the spectacle. It probably made sense, though. Cerasus wasn't about to swap his childlike limb for that full-sized one.

"So," Riley decided to strike up conversation, "What are you going to do about him? With the glasses, I mean."

[Riven Wight]

Izzy was aware of Riley behind her as he followed, vaguely wondering how Cerasus intended to reattach his arm. She froze in the hall when the sound of eating came from the room behind her as if in answer to her unspoken question, and her stomach did a queasy flip. Her lips pulled down and mouth opened slightly in disgust.
“Well, that’s one to add to my ‘Creeptastic List,’” Izzy swallowed hard and did her best to tune out the cracking of a bone.
When Riley spoke, she eagerly looked to him, more than happy to engage in a conversation. At least, she was until he asked his question, showing he had stayed around long enough to see Trevor.
Izzy ran a hand through her hair. “I’m still working on figuring that one out. I can’t exactly explain my way out of what he saw. No one’s that gullible.” She frowned and looked to the plastic bag she still held. “And he’s gotta be one of the most persistent guys I’ve ever met."