The four Subsumed walked forward, their stolen human facades obscured by the flames of the car wreck against their backs. The usual deal began, with their true limbs ripped violently out of flesh, the entire human frame buckled and twisted to fit the disgusting design. All of them Bat Subsumed, each of their human corpses acting as a body as they hung upside down, all of their similar maws dibbled with excess saliva.
But the thing Calypso and co. haven’t at all been used to, was the very town they’re standing on to be physically in the mix as well.
What was left of the smoldering buildings lurched forward—physically lurch forward. Which, if there was any logic left in this horrific scenario, would’ve meant the sidewalks and streets being destroyed in their wake, but both instances, just simply folded downward—out of the way of flaming buildings that as they crippled forward, started to gain disgusting, biological traits.
Crooked fangs that ripped from the tops of lips of ceilings. The shattered windows bled black. The doorways became coated with thick slime, and began to develop meaty layers.
“I was wondering why it was so quiet…” Calypso said solemnly to her friends, readying her scythe.
“…Y’know,” Natalie realized the implications. “Kinda hate how smart you are, Cal—gotta say—would’ve loved to come to that conclusion somewhat naturally as you could here—”
“ENOUGH TALK!” one of the Bats screamed with zeal. “YOU’RE INTERRUPTING OUR CELEBRATIONS, HALFBREEDS--!”
Calypso rushed forward with a bound, letting go of her shoulder to let the blade arm go free.
This was immediately different from the last time.
Calypso, rightfully, thought nothing of the Bat Subsumed. One encounter was easy work, despite the mental hangups she had at the time—and the other was her so angry, she injured an entire group of them at once.
She went into the crowd, and they all scattered. Her arm swung about but it was already too late—the trio she found herself in the middle of gaining quick distance away.
Them chittering in the air manically, as the flaming building that was nearest to Calypso reeled back, then lashed out.
This forced Calypso to let her wild blade guide her, continuing to spin her in place as a last-minute defense. While it craved away at the surface of the wall, Calypso could feel the reverberation of each impact, rattling her bones.
She immediately thought this was bad. She had hoped that her Consumed strength would shrug off this better, despite ultimately getting through. But it doesn’t change the fact that buildings, roads—modern infrastructure could end up proving to be their kryptonite.
It caused her to stagger, nearly falling into her literal bony ass. If it wasn’t for one of the Bats rushing her from the side, she would’ve fell.
She latched onto it without hesitation, holding on for dear life yet trying to borrow her claw and blade deep within the shadow’s flesh. The toll was immediately apparent, the Bat Subsumed screeched in agony as it sailed downward toward the moving ground, using its rear legs to kick Calypso back down.
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The skeletal monster girl landed on her spiked shoulder, hearing the crunch upon landing. While normally that would’ve been a bad thing, it belonged to her reaper arm, the separate momentum allowed her to quickly roll back onto her feet, surveying her surroundings.
The fire hydrant blasting her with high-pressure water had other plans, however.
It was a scramble. But just as quickly as her adaptation with getting back up on her feet, Calypso once again drove her blade into the ground—pavement making a very hard material to dig into, just as bad as the brick before. And like before, there was no choice in the matter, as she struggled to embed her claw opposite the blade. Her surroundings were nothing but muffled sounds of rushing water, and self-inflicted darkness due to closed eyes.
She had to think. They barely got away from the Terrorsign version of the hospital, only because of the cloaks. But there was a roaring fire near where they were fighting—do they have to retreat? Or at least do so anyways? The air being depraved from her brain didn’t help her failing thought process.
But Calypso had to do something—all they had to, to make this statement of theirs work against Cassie’s. Maybe strategy isn’t the case here, just a valiant final stand.
And once again, fate had something else to say about her efforts.
She felt herself being hoisted up. Calypso couldn’t open her eyes or look around—since she was submerged within the constant stream.
So when that suddenly ceased, Calypso wasn’t exactly relieved. Because she knew something much horrible was going to happen, as soon as she opened her dark eyes.
And once she did, the skeletal monster girl found herself on top of a makeshift tongue. The street rolled itself up, as if she was a pest that flew into its “mouth” and instructively stung at it, the tongue reacting with pain. With a violent, short wave as it pressed itself down, Calypso was flung back into the air.
There was nothing to it, she just started swinging her arms, aimlessly. She didn’t care anymore. Rather, she was saddened, due to remembering that she did exactly this method when she was faced with Subsumed before.
What Calypso didn’t want to happen came to pass anyways, she was snatched up by one of the Bat Subsumed as it was so pleased with itself. Calypso felt their foot claws dig deep into her shoulders.
The empty, expressionless flesh sack of the young woman’s head lightly smacking against the skeletal monster girl’s head. As if she needed more demoralizing experiences.
But nothing about this night, so far, was meant to be what she needed to see or not.
She saw Gale below, trying to fend off two of the Bats at once. Her goop flying all over with each of their strikes at her, and even from on high, the swamp monster girl looked worn out.
There was a blur, followed by a screech on the side of Calypso. As she looked, she witnessed a sky fight between Natalie and the last Bat. As skilled as Natalie seemed to be at flight, she needed the weird cells of her wings so she could keep afloat. Leaving her to only avoid and evade.
Calypso felt slack in the Bat Subsumed’s hold. None of this was working. They were not only doomed, but damning everyone by being so weak.
She was then slammed onto the ground, for the final time.
Calypso genuinely struggled to get back up. It wasn’t from a lack of trying, or skill, or… Her managing to fuck up everything she touches. The toll of the forced transformation finally kicked in.
The Bat Subsumed landed before her. Prowled with such vanity in its steps.
It swiped upward, acting as an uppercut. Calypso was propelled onto her back for her trouble. As her eyes began to focus, all she saw was the Bat Subsumed clambered onto her.
And what followed was feeling its claw bury deep into her right cheek. The hot, searing, sharpness that cut from the inside. Traveled from the cheek, to near the right eye.
Calypso wanted to laugh in that moment. Her death was being enjoyed by her murderer. The irony was almost delicious.
But there was a loud, thundering gunshot. She felt the claws being flung out of her cheek, all of the weight of the Subsumed go away.
Calypso quickly scrambled upward. Looking about.
Slowly turning behind herself. One side of her face the oh-so-evil-and-capable monster, the other the true, wounded lump of flesh.
She felt herself tear up.
“Now don’t just sit there n’ cry!” Sal lowered the double shotgun, to reload. Still angry, still fearful, but not letting her take her as she aimed. “Help me out here, Cal!”