Andre
Andre's phone buzzed. Another message from Isaac, looked like.
> Fenrir: Carapace down
>
> Cygnus: That's fast. Did you, uh
>
> Cygnus: Eat him too?
>
> Fenrir: Yeah. Think I'm flying under the radar pretty well so far
>
> Fenrir: Want to try for one or two more before I leave
>
> Cygnus: If you're sure. Stay safe
>
> Fenrir: Thanks. I'll be careful
Andre sighed. Taking down redcapes should be a good thing, but... He wondered if Isaac was taking this seriously enough. Things were escalating so fast.
A day passed. The following evening, another check-in.
> Fenrir: Still going well
>
> Fenrir: They're trying to figure out why Bladewhirl disappeared but afaik no one suspects me
>
> Cygnus: Good. Hope it stays that way
>
> Cygnus: And by that do you mean Fenrir, or Carapace?
>
> Fenrir: Either
Hmm. It could have been nothing, but treating Isaac and Carapace as interchangeable rubbed Andre the wrong way, now that Isaac was actually living as the capes they'd body-jacked. There's still a difference, right?
Fuck, he didn't even really know Isaac well enough to make sense out of this. Isaac had only been with the Alchemists for a week before running off, and it seemed like they'd been trying to make a good first impression. That wasn't enough time for Andre to really get a feel for what was in their head, especially if that head was changing.
The next morning, Andre woke up to a frantic knock on his bedroom door.
"Cygnus?" Tameka called into the room. She sounded worried. "You awake?"
Andre rolled out of bed. He didn't bother putting on a shirt - he hadn't needed one in about two years. He opened the door.
"I am now," he said. "What's the matter?"
Tameka grimaced. "Labrys put out a... a list. It's... extensive."
"A list of..." Andre finished putting the thought together. "Oh, fuck."
"Yeah," Tameka said.
Within a few minutes, Andre, Tameka, Sirona, and Brian were gathered in the kitchen, around Tameka's laptop.
"It went up about an hour ago," Tameka said, scrolling through the webpage. "Claims to have info on every every trans person in the city. Which it doesn't, it's only about a thousand people, and a couple of these deadnames are definitely wro-"
"Tameka," Andre interrupted. "Can we not dig into a bunch of people's leaked private info just because it's there?"
"Ah. Right. Yeah." Tameka switched away from the tab. "Point is, that's the situation."
Sirona was scowling. "This is gonna get people killed."
"It will," Andre agreed. "It's basically a cape-sanctioned hit list. Tameka, can you do something about this?"
Tameka shook her head. "Given time, I could try to put together a DDoS attack, but it's on a few different sites already, and there's nothing to stop them from posting it on more."
"Plus," Brian added, "I'm sure people have started saving copies by now."
"Fuck," Andre spat. "Okay, damage control. There's gonna be people who need help, we need a way to connect with them and get it to them. Whether that's relocation, or anything else."
"I'll start reaching out," Tameka said.
Andre nodded. "Alright. I'm gonna talk to some other capes."
His first set of messages went to Rudianos.
> Cygnus: Labrys just crossed a line
>
> Cygnus: You gonna do something about it?
>
> Cygnus: Or is this just more of your acceptable losses?
While waiting for him to respond, Cygnus typed up another message. To someone he was even less interested in talking to.
> Cygnus: Radha, what the fuck?
>
> Cygnus: Are you trying to get people murdered?
>
> RAD-ha: Of course not. Like always, we're just trying to help women stay safe.
>
> Cygnus: And you're fine with people getting murdered if it might let you avoid having to piss next to a trans woman
>
> Cygnus: Or having to deal with trans men existing at all
>
> RAD-ha: No one is going to get murdered. This is a blue city.
>
> Cygnus: A blue city where you and your friends have been stirring up trans panic for months!
>
> Cygnus: We studied the queer rights movement together, I know you know how this shit goes!
>
> RAD-ha: Don't lecture me about gay rights. They don't have anything to do with you anymore, Keisha.
>
> Cygnus: What the fuck is the matter with you?
>
> Cygnus: Take the list down. Now.
>
> RAD-ha: You don't get to demand things from me.
>
> Cygnus: Then I'll find another way to fix this
>
> Block this user?
>
> > Yes
>
> You will no longer receive messages from this user.
What the fuck did I expect?
----------------------------------------
Isaac
I'd gotten a lot of messages while I slept. Checking through the news from the Alchemists...
...
Well, fuck.
At least I wasn't home right now. Which, well, if I was, would they have even had anything to say about me? I hadn't been open about anything they'd care about... but did I really want to keep it that way?
It felt like a dare. And if anyone did have a problem with it... well, I still had a werewolf form.
...But most people didn't. And I could still remember what it was like to be part of "most people".
I didn't want to keep thinking about this.
Back on Carapace's account, I had a message from Sniper announcing another redcape meeting. They seemed to be doing more of their talking in person ever since I leaked their messages. Er, since the old Carapace leaked them. That is, since Carapace leaked them.
When it was time for the meeting, I headed for Sniper's office and joined the others at the usual table. Bladewhirl's seat was still empty, as expected.
"The bad news," Sniper announced, "is that we still don't have any updates on Bladewhirl. The good news is that Cincinnati just ran into their own trouble."
Phantasm spoke up. "Is this about that list?"
Sniper nodded. "It is. Inferno's team outed a bunch of trannies in the city. Rudianos isn't happy, and it's starting conflicts in the group. It's gonna get worse, and when it does, it'll be a good time for another attack. With or without Bladewhirl."
So much for not thinking about all this. But if I can disrupt it somehow...
I used Carapace's indifference to keep the fury from reaching my face. Around me, other capes were laughing about the situation in Cincinnati, cheering on the chance at an advantage.
I'm going to kill more of you soon, and I'm going to enjoy it.
When the meeting adjourned, I reached back out to Cygnus and filled him in.
> Fenrir: That's as much as I heard for now
>
> Cygnus: Dammit. Okay, yeah, stay with them for now, see how it goes
>
> Cygnus: Do you think other red cities are gonna try to get in on it?
>
> Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
>
> Fenrir: I dunno. Sniper doesn't seem to be coordinating with them, I'm not sure they're on the best terms
>
> Fenrir: Or they could just be busy with their own issues
>
> Cygnus: That's good at least
>
> Cygnus: In the meantime I've been in talks about the Labrys situation. Dunno what's gonna come of it
>
> Cygnus: We've been helping get some people out of their district
>
> Fenrir: Gotcha
>
> Fenrir: Oh, one other thing
I edited the tag for the account, in accordance with my recent musings.
> Fenrir (she/they): Ta-da
>
> Cygnus: Oh, nice
>
> Cygnus: Should we just call you Fenrir now, or
>
> Fenrir (she/they): Fenrir or Isaac is still fine I think
>
> Fenrir (she/they): Maybe it never really felt like just a guy name to me?
>
> Fenrir (she/they): So much as just, my name
>
> Fenrir (she/they): It's not exactly girly but also I'm fine with being not exactly girly
>
> Cygnus: Cool. If anything changes, let me know
>
> Fenrir (she/they): Yeah. Thanks
Okay, that wasn't so difficult. A bit awkward, but Cygnus knew how to navigate this stuff.
...And I was still hiding things from him.
As the days passed, I kept an eye out for possible targets. But Carapace wasn't the most popular of Newark's capes. None of the others felt like someone I could arrange time alone with and not draw attention. Might have painted myself into a corner.
After a few days, I brought the change to my college friends as well.
> Isaac (she/they): so you know how I called myself guy-adjacent?
>
> Isaac (she/they): seems like it's more girl-adjacent
>
> Hananana: oh cool
>
> CULINARY CRIMINAL: great, now carlos and i are outnumbered
>
> CULINARY CRIMINAL: place your bets, which one of us gets forcefemmed next
>
> Hananana: i vote you
>
> CULINARY CRIMINAL: that's fair
>
> Isaac (she/they): in a couple of weeks shane wakes up in the middle of the night, there's something floating over him
>
> Isaac (she/they): it's me, holding a skirt
>
> Isaac (she/they): "search your heart, shane. you know it to be true"
>
> CULINARY CRIMINAL: nooooooo- *disintegrates and reforms*
>
> Hananana: lmao
At least some parts of the world were still fun.
----------------------------------------
On my eighth night in Hamilton, Pandora finally returned to my dreams. We appeared in the same park where I'd absorbed Carapace, the ground now glowing a soft blue color.
"Good work, Fenrir," she began. "I apologize for the wait."
"It's fine," I said. "Couldn't get a good connection?"
"The stronger the seal is, the harder it is to speak with those on the surface," Pandora replied. "I see you haven't been using your powers?"
I shook my head. "I've been waiting for a good chance. Are there any other holes in the seal I should be going after?"
"Not at present," Pandora said. "Perhaps if I-"
Pandora's words blurred together, as did her silhouette. She vanished, and the park scene around us dimmed.
A moment later, everything returned to normal. "Sorry about that. Perhaps if I can secure more help for you, other targets may become feasible. But I'm not saying it's a concern for your mission, I'm saying it's a concern for yourself."
I blinked. "Um, what do you mean?"
Pandora's eyes dropped, looking towards my stomach. "Haven't you felt hungrier lately?"
As I searched my senses, I felt it. Not normal hunger, not my normal stomach. But something was gnawing at me from within.
I felt cold. "Are you saying I have to keep feeding? How often?"
"Ideally," Pandora said, "at least once per week. If you try to maintain a form for longer than that, it may break and release the beast on its own."
"I... I..." My breathing grew heavier, my vision went out of focus. "You're saying I have to keep eating someone every week? Forever?"
Pandora stepped closer to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. My vision clarified as I looked up at her.
"Not forever," Pandora said. "If the seal is restored, your powers will fade, and you will stop transforming. For now, you will have to continue using them, but you can choose to use them well. Stay ready to help when I call you, and it will all be over soon."
I nodded. "I... okay."
A warm smile spread across Pandora's face. "Good. You're going to do great, I'm sure of it."
The scene around me faded, and I returned to the real world.
As I took stock of my body - Carapace's body - I felt the pang of hunger again. Regular hunger, from Carapace's stomach, and a deeper hunger, from the wolf's.
Could I tell Cygnus? No, not until I could explain the seal to him. Without a plan for fixing it, I'd be too big of a liability. Pandora was still coordinating things, she was the one who knew what was really going on. Just gotta be patient and wait for her.
In the meantime... Tonight would mark a week from when I ate Carapace. I needed to find a meal, today. A fresh, human meal.
Sniper called another meeting for the afternoon, to discuss our next moves regarding Cincinnati. I put on Carapace's uniform, and headed over early.
No time to keep playing it safe. I arrived in the building's lobby, which was suitably deserted. I took a seat, set my shield down next to me, and waited for another cape to show up. I could still feel the wolf's hunger, growing more and more intense.
After a few minutes, Phantasm appeared, clad in his usual swirls of gray and purple. He gave a nod, then kept moving. Still early enough that he wouldn't think anything of me taking my time.
I got up, grabbed my shield, and followed him. He glanced back, then went back to ignoring me. When his eyes returned to the hallway ahead of us, I raised my shield, fortified it with Carapace's power, and slammed it down into his back.
Phantasm crashed to the floor, with a sickening crack. I wasn't sure if it was his ribs or his spine, but either way, he was in bad shape.
As I raised the shield again, Phantasm let out a pained shout. He activated his own power, turning translucent and incorporeal, and dropped through the floor.
I ran for the stairs to the basement. Needed to get to him before...
An alarm went off. Fuck. I'd hoped to avoid getting the full team's attention until I could either thin their numbers a bit, or finish the job so I'd be ready to bail. I'd taken down experienced capes one-on-one, and Phantasm probably wasn't in fighting shape, but I still didn't like the idea of fighting five redcapes at once.
Basement would mean being cornered, and I needed an escape route. I changed direction, running back the way I'd entered. Shoved open the door leading back outside, and...
Wyvern stood in the parking lot, looking puzzled at the alarm. "Carapace! What's going on?"
I ran up to him. "I'm not sure, I heard some noise and then..."
He'll find out when others arrive. Better to pick the fight now.
As I got close, I raised my shield and swung it down at him. After a moment's hesitation, he dove out of the way.
"What the fuck?!" Wyvern shouted. Balls of green liquid formed in his hands, and he hurled the acid towards me.
I blocked with my shield, reinforcing it with my power, but if it helped, it wasn't much. With a hiss, holes started to form where the acid had struck metal. I swung again - he kept backing up, and damaged the shield even more.
This isn't going well. If I could go Fenrir before the others showed up, I could take him down, but the problem was getting there. I'd kept Bladewhirl's dagger with me, but now I had less strength and more armor, and Wyvern wasn't going to give me the chance to stab myself even if he didn't know why.
I threw the shield at him. As Wyvern jumped out of the way, I dove after him, using Carapace's power on myself, and crashed into him with increased force. I wrestled him to the ground, and put my hands around his neck.
Wyvern grabbed up at my elbows. Pain seared into me as acid poured into them, oozing through the nemenon as it ate through the other layers of Carapace's costume. I gasped, fighting to maintain my grip.
Ignore the pain, I reminded myself. Whoever gives out first, it'll be time for a new body soon.
A BANG! interrupted my thoughts. Something slammed into my back and crumbled, sending a shock through my body.
I went limp, and crashed down onto Wyvern. He groaned and shoved me off of him. A moment later, my muscles started responding again, and I pushed myself back up to my knees.
As I recovered, I saw the cause. Sniper, walking towards us with his rifle in hand. Roadripper was at his side.
Fuck.
I put my hands up. "I surrender."
"Good choice," Sniper said. "Roadripper, restrain him."
Roadripper took a step forward, then stopped. "Wait. Is he really Carapace?"
I made a scoffing noise. "The fuck are you talking about?"
"Bladewhirl was quieter than usual the day after our last fight," Roadripper said, turning to Sniper. "Then she disappeared. Then Carapace got quieter than usual, then he does this." He looked back at me. "What the hell did you do?"
I laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know."
Roadripper looked to Sniper again. "He's a shapeshifter. He surrendered because he has an escape plan."
So much for that idea.
"You think we should just kill him," Sniper said.
Roadripper nodded. "Shame to lose a potential bargaining chip, but there's too much risk."
"Very well." Sniper turned to Wyvern. "Wyvern, do it."
Wyvern reached for me. I lunged at him, but another bullet from Sniper dropped me back to the ground. Wyvern's hands seized my face, and I let out a scream as the acid worked its way in.
It doesn't matter. Just need to let go.
The pain dissolved into hunger, as my body crumbled once again. I shifted, grew, and let out a roar.
"The fuck?" Sniper shouted.
"It's the thing that killed Nitroforce!" Roadripper yelled. "Get back!"
Sniper and Roadripper backed off, but Wyvern was already in arm's reach. I raked my claws across his chest, knocking him to the ground. Before he could get up, my left hand was wrapped around him.
Another one of Sniper's bullets struck me, but this time, the stun barely registered. I squeezed, and Wyvern's bones snapped as acid burned into my hand. In moments, he was limp.
Humans are so fragile.
Sucks to be them.
Light and heat erupted into my face. I staggered, almost dropping my meal.
"WYVERN!" Radiance bellowed.
Radiance ran towards us, another energy mine forming in her hands. Sculptor followed, accompanied by one of her stone gargoyles. It was only about two feet tall, but it had wings and sharp claws. Bet they're not as sharp as mine.
From the other direction, Sniper and Roadripper were drawing new weapons. I didn't know what they would do, and I didn't want to stick around long enough to find out. Tightening my grip on Wyvern's body, I ran for the road neither pair was blocking. Just needed to get some distance...
Heavier impacts slammed into my back as I moved. I stumbled, but I could handle it long enough to get around the next corner. From there, another turn. Gotta keep putting buildings between me and Sniper.
Hunger burned within me, reminding me of the need to eat. After a few turns, I stopped in an alley, and bit into Wyvern's corpse.
As I finished, I shrunk back down. I could feel Wyvern's acid power as I took his form... and I could hear a sound that had grown all too familiar.
Two motorcycles pulled up from the direction I'd come. Sculptor's gargoyle flew forward from the one she shared with Radiance, and latched onto my face. I grabbed it back and poured acid into it.
As the gargoyle lost its grip and began to melt, I could see Roadripper hopping off the other motorcycle. He held out a metal cylinder, and it expanded into something that looked like a rocket launcher. He rested it on his shoulder, fired, and-
BOOM!
My head felt like it had exploded. Everything went white, as pain shoved away every other sense and I crashed to the ground.
Hunger rose back up inside me. I grew, shifting back into wolf form, and... fuck, my whole body was sore. Guess I'm getting worn out?
"-have to kill that thing in wolf form!" Roadripper shouted as my hearing returned.
And with that gun, maybe he could do it. With three other capes backing him up, I couldn't expect to disarm him before the next shot. But I'd promised Cygnus that if things got bad, I would run. Time to make good on that.
I bolted the other way. Roadripper fired again, and a burst of pain came from my left side as another projectile ripped through it. Can't let him get a clean shot.
As I turned another couple of corners, I could hear the motorcycles starting up again. They're faster. Need to go another way. I jumped onto the wall of a building, digging my claws into it, and scrambled up to the roof.
The motorcycles closed in. I fled, leaping from one building to another to put cover between us, to get to paths the motorcycles couldn't easily follow. As I moved, the soreness in my muscles increased, and the hunger burned more and more.
As I reached the roof of a mall, I stopped to catch my breath. Something felt... wrong.
I glanced down. Orange, veinlike lines extended down my arms, down the rest of my body. They hadn't been there before. And more of them were forming before my eyes.
They felt so hungry. More than I could control.
My vision blurred again. My mind was shutting down.
But my body was standing back up, moving on its own.
----------------------------------------
I woke up, my face pressed against a tile floor. A mall floor? It looked like I was in a mall. I'd been near a mall, right?
I had a human body again, that was a relief. A feminine one, it felt like.
The mall was in disarray, and there was no one else nearby. Claw marks on the walls and floor, blood splattered around. A chill went through me. Did I do that?
I couldn't feel any powers from the new body. But I had car keys, and an idea of where the car should be. I headed for the parking lot, trying to look like I belonged here. I heard noises, a ways off - if Sniper's crew was arriving, they weren't in quite the right place.
I reached the car without issue and started it up. As I pulled out into the streets, my mind settled enough to stop dancing around what all this meant. I was free to get out of here, to find my way back to Cincinnati. And...
And I'd eaten a civilian.