The monster girl managed to slip within the shadows—no, surge forward and weaved herself from monsters with the enhanced senses of an animal with echolocation at their claws. And reached and successfully hit a target that was only a foot and a few inches big, the broken window of a wooden basement door. Just seconds ago, Calypso was berating herself for being so dumb, weak, powerless—and yet she managed to get inside the chamber, which held the supposed object of her enemies’ worship.

So of course, she had to land directly on the loudest, crunchiest bag of chips that were present in this room.

And not only that, realize that the entire concrete floor was covered in wrappers, bags, and piles of dollar store waste that couldn’t NOT be stepped on to make a sound.

Calypso had to freeze, it was practically on instinct. Her dark eyes were wide with fear, her pink skin sweating with anticipation. It was both her personality and the chemistry of her damaged brain—she couldn’t help but jump to the worst-case scenario. And now with such an amazing, feral body, Calypso was more than prepared to face whatever that horrible case ends up being.

Though, she didn’t bet on Melissa Harker being that worst-case scenario.

As the poor girl stared fearful daggers at Calypso. Completely aware of what she’s witnessing before her.

And Calypso was too busy watching the poor girl’s jittering, panicked jerking—lacking in any energy, to snap her head back at the stirring behind the door.

“Wassit…?” one of the Bat Subsumed grumbled quizzically.

Calypso didn’t even have to see, her fight-or-flight senses practically felt the bastard’s head peering from the broken window, the pressure of the presence pushing at the back of the monster girl’s nape despite being feet away.

But it didn’t matter to Melissa, who tried so hard in vain to kick herself away from Calypso. Somehow fumbling while sitting down… Her eyes looked so tired from weeping, and cheeks that tightened over and over due to gnashing—were petrified.

Not only did Calypso feel awful, but she felt like a total failure—ruining the only chance that this poor girl needed. She tried not moving her claws, but preparing them to slash whatever was coming through that door first.

So she was caught off guard, once the Bat Subsumed laughed from its disgusting throat.

“I think she’s finally lost it, fellas~!” the Bat Subsumed chittered. “Perfect for the Terrorizer, am I right?!”

And self-indulgent chittering soon followed. Calypso made deathly sure to listen out for the shuffling of fur scrapping against a wooden frame… Finally hearing such after so many painful seconds.

That’s the thing that was keeping her and her company alive at this moment. Bats have great ears, but terrible eyes. Not totally blind, but might as well be… It explained how Melissa could clearly see this living shadow, where these fools can’t.

But Calypso had to fully take in… What they’d done to this poor girl.

Her blonde hair was not only “bronze”, and not only tumbled past her shoulders where it felt like it shouldn’t but it was completely matted with grime and dried, crumbling crimson. She was dressed like a doll, her current clothing bunched up on the sides, and the signs of forcing these gas station tees and shorts onto her body still lingered. Never mind the stains that were caked in, despite them looking cheap and relatively new. A weathered, engorged patch hung from her neck… What would’ve been the fatal blow? Should have been, in Calypso’s mind.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Yet, somehow, someway, this cruel display one-upped itself when Calypso’s eye caught a dried pool of blood behind Melissa… And the realization that she’s been seeing this poor girl with her arms behind her this entire time.

The monster girl couldn’t help it. She had to shake her head in… Abject disbelief. True, earnest pity forced itself on her fierce, death worshipping façade.

It had to be pretty potent, not only to show up on an infamously stony face—but for Melissa to freeze in place in the face of such.

“Melissa--?” Calypso decided on the lowest register she thought she could manage, and winced, still needing to lower it further. “Melissa—Melissa… Can you understand me…?”

It took a long time for the poor girl to answer. But it was ultimately a nod, tampered with mumbling that followed after.

Calypso was going to continue, but she heard the scuffling of fur once again. Staying completely still.

Now she was at the mercy of a damaged person who rightfully shouldn’t trust anyone at this point. Calypso didn’t even “look” at Melissa, despite still being directly in front of the girl. Not to influence, and more importantly, press the girl further.

Only for Melissa to mumble on. Sway her head back and forth, with Calypso trying so hard to figure out what that could possibly mean—other than the nothingness that madness amounts to.

“Heh. Still crazy…” as the (same…?) Bat Subsumed squeezed its head away from the door. It was then that Calypso completely understood what Melissa was going for. Proving that there was still brilliance.

“w…what do you want from me…” the poor girl eked out, weakly.

Calypso immediately shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing at all—nothing from you. I’m not going to mince words, lie… We’re not good people or ‘the good guys’. But we do want to help you, and we want to kill that insane bitch that did this to you and others.”

Melissa could barely contain her onrush of emotion, let alone possibly hide them as some form of control over the conversion. And even then, she barely had anything to conquer tears, other than a sudden sheen that flickered in her blue eyes.

“…a-and… i… get to go home…?”

“As soon as we get somewhere safe and sound,” Calypso nodded, barely keeping a mind to keep her voice calm and soothing. “You can leave this terrible place. I promise you.”

Calypso turned her head, rattling the plastic that littered her feet. She heard and felt Melissa quickly move to use her legs to cause more noise.

Not because she heard one of those damn vermin. The skeletal monster girl needed to think.

Take it all in. The situation she’s in, the fact that the supernatural cause suffering like this every single day… And her and Melissa—Gale and the gnat… They were the lucky ones. People like Alice, like… The Baker boy. Easily cast aside from this absurd and cruel world, barely a meal in the case of these disgusting folk.

And Cassie is going to up the ante? Make this somehow worse for both parties?

Calypso grabbed at her arm. The arm she knew she was weary of. And she let go of the passive apprehension that kept it in line, as it shook with unhealthy light.

“Stand back, Melissa. Stand back and enjoy what I’m going to do to these 'people',” Calypso didn’t remotely bother with her voice. She wanted this to be heard.

Calypso immediately turned forward, towards the door, and let her arm transform into its wild scythe form. As it cleaved through the wooden door, rushing forward and causing the darkened air around them to be painted black.

The Bat Subsumed didn’t even see it coming. The skeletal monster girl sprang into action, chopping them into two—sometimes barely, as they were caught off guard. Or at the very least, the ones that weren’t close to the door and turned to gawk. Which surprisingly, was quite a few.

Calypso slammed her other claw into her shoulder, wrestling but directing the transformed arm to a slow. She glanced about, impressed with herself that she managed to mow down a crowd so effectively.

There was never going to be a better time to run than now.

“GALE!” Calypso screamed out to her cohorts. “FLY GIRL! GET MELISSA CAREFULLY AND WE RUN!”

It was when she was coming down from her intense high of adrenaline, that the only shadow Calypso saw, was Gale’s. Trembling, sad. But said enough.

That damn gnat left them at the worst possible time.