The Gray.

23:30

David pondered, gazing at the muted reflection of the moon. Behind him, the MMB's Fixer stepped into the role of the human lead, orchestrating the Nightly Creatures' movements.

"Leave us," the Fixer commanded, relinquishing the House of Dobroutes and Lycander Clan from the suspense of his enigmatic intentions. Seizing the chance, Novak, Colan, and Taura departed swiftly, cautious of any potential shift in the Fixer's demeanor.

Sierra and Ramon hesitated. Their hunt had yielded nothing substantial, except for a heart and a brain that could have been obtained with less effort. Returning empty-handed from a hunt was a stain on a Werewolf's pride.

Feeling Sierra's reluctance, Ramon clenched his fists, ready to step forward. Sierra grabbed his arm, shaking her head. His muscles relaxed as she let go, and they trailed behind the Vampires and Nāga, resolved not to return empty-handed.

"None of you move," David ordered, his back turned to them. The shift in his tone carried the inherent power he often reminded others of but rarely demonstrated.

"Surrender without a fight, Cursed Template," declared the MMB's Fixer, the air around him thickening as azure Magick spiraled in a mesmerizing dance.

"Cursed Template…" David echoed. "Did you catch that, Colan?" The Vampire halted and turned back.

"He's aware of my true moniker. However, his use of it diminishes its significance, no different from that derogatory name you've been hurling at me."

With his back turned to the group, David's actions remained veiled from their view. Only the motion of his right arm hinted at some purposeful movement.

"Twice now, you've referred to me by that name. Twice, you've uttered it without the weight those words carry. We, Mr. Fixer, are not friends, nor are we truly enemies. I believe that if the order hadn't been given, you wouldn't have bothered with me – bothered me, not for the same nothingness you now possess to act against me. That makes us strangers."

David turned around, his right hand aloft, revealing a syringe filled with crimson serum. His voice deepened, and his physique steadily transformed as his trench coat was engulfed by silvery fur, and his eyes assumed a bestial yellow hue.

"Impossible!" Ramon and Sierra exclaimed, scandalized. "When was he bitten?!"

Novak asked Colan, his silence conveying a deeper inquiry into how David, who had fought them as a Nāga just hours ago, now appeared as a Werewolf.

The MMB's Fixer furrowed his brow, choosing not to comment on the transformation. Instead, he focused on the syringe that David cradled with utmost care throughout the change.

"Allow me to enlighten you, not about the truth behind 'Cursed Template' – a fledgling shouldn't grasp knowledge beyond its comprehension – but about the consequences of poor choices."

David plunged the needle of the syringe into his chest, absorbing the red serum with a pained grunt.

"I... preferred to delay the First Level Transformation, but I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. Not if I resort to the Second Level Transformation. The aftermath might be just as painful, but it won't matter..."

The silvery hue of David's fur transformed into a deep shade of red. At his back, a pair of furry Vampire's wings unfurled. His muzzle shortened, and an extra set of long, thin fangs sprouted in his maw. The rest of his body retained its humanoid form, defying the typical elongation seen in Vampiric transformations. However, his massive Werewolf physique attained an elegant quality, with muscles now even more defined.

"Abomination!" Taura roared.

"Am I?" David questioned, motioning and testing the capabilities of his altered body. In a blur of silver-red, he vanished and reappeared before the two Vampires and Nāga, moving so swiftly that only the MMB's Fixer managed to trace his movements.

David stood before Colan, his gaze fixed on the Vampire whose instincts urged him to choose either Fight or Flight, anything but remaining stationary.

"David…" Colan pressed his lips together. Sensing the peculiar energy in David's Magick, he anticipated his impending Eternal Slumber. With that foresight, he gently pushed Novak and Taura aside. He wasn't particularly concerned about the latter; the Daywalker was destined to meet his end within a few days, if not sooner. Colan only hoped to be of assistance in ensuring Novak's safe return to the House.

David paid no heed to Novak and Taura. "You comprehend. Good. I never intended to resort to the Second Level Transformation. I couldn't, not until the Adjudicator called off the bounty. However, those who keep appearing around me are consistently informed by half-truths. Don't blame Him. It's not His error. You had your chance. You failed to uphold the standard of a leader when you succumbed to a subordinate-"

Colan interrupted, shaking his head. "Would knowing change anything?"

"You learn. A pity it's too late. Farewell to 'what could have been'," David thrust his claws into Colan's chest. Through them, he drained everything from the Vampire until his body crumbled into a pile of ashes.

"Run!" Taura snapped at Novak, who needed no further prompting.

"You can also depart, mutts," David stated with disinterest. He didn't forget Detective Ilmar, his wife, and daughter. He refrained from passing judgment on their atrocities for three reasons. Firstly, such acts were all too common among Werewolves. Secondly, he wasn't entirely innocent himself. Thirdly, it wasn't his quest for vengeance. However, it didn't mean he believed Detective Ilmar would avenge his wife and daughter. Frankly, he didn't care.

"Apologies for the delay," he calmly informed the MMB's Fixer. "Let the lesson in gentleness and peacefulness commence now."

"You're a Second Metamorphosis…" The MMB's Fixer sighed. "Someone in the Intelligence Department will lose their head for this mistake. I'll see to that personally, including emphasizing the mandatory decorum when referencing the name 'Cursed Template'."

"Are you conceding defeat before we exchange blows? Expecting that I'd spare you in this form?"

"No. I meant after I bring you in, monster."

The MMB's Fixer assumed a stance, his right hand behind his back, left hand facing David with the palm out, and his legs slightly apart and bent.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Apologies for the delayed introduction. Material Magick Bureau, Second Rank Fixer, Sivan Kal Sior."

David clenched his fists, paying little attention to Sivan. 'The synergy is at about fifty percent. The racial advantage provided by the combined Curses increased by fifty percent as well. This unstable form will last several minutes,' more than enough time for the slowest Second Metamorphosis. 'A Condition Rune would've been helpful right now. To ascertain by feeling... the body and soul are even at fifty percent each. The extra fifty percent and the main disturbance is in the Magick. Giving shape is certainly zilch in contrast to merging the Curses.'

David's train of thought came to an abrupt halt. Tilting his chin up, his right arm blocked an azure fist without flinching.

"In terms of Magick capacity, I'd say we're not too far apart," he spoke without sparing a glance for Sivan. "Two-thirds full Pool of Magick Ions. I'll admit, your understanding of the Second Metamorphosis is higher than mine. Still, without Abilities, this is the last time I won't strike back for attempting to contend by physical force or brute Magick."

David manifested the physical form of his Vampire-Werewolf hybrid, extending his arm to deliver a force exceeding fifteen hundred tons, propelling Sivan thousands of meters away.

"It's as though you're a physical purist. My instincts tell me otherwise," Sivan returned seconds later, completely unscathed. 'Fixer!' As a Second Metamorphosis, he didn't need to audibly call out the Ability's name to activate it.

Sivan's Magick shaped into an azure armored suit, enveloping him entirely. 'Honorific One: Service!' The pressure he exerted on the Terminal Dimension caused it to crack as the presence of azure Magick intensified, and long spiked chains materialized around each of his arms.

The Terminal Dimension continued to tremble for five seconds, during which neither combatant made a move. Any action would have resulted in being thrust back to the Material Dimension, where an angry Third Metamorphosis awaited opponents.

The chains measured precisely one meter in length, with the last twenty centimeters dangling from each of Sivan's hands.

A glint illuminated David's malevolent eyes as he unfurled his wings, casting a silver-red glow over every strand of his sleek fur. "Cross Fang!"

He vocalized the name of the ability since the Second Level Transformation was imperfect, denying him some of the usual benefits of standard Second Metamorphoses, such as Silent Chanting and the acquisition of an Exclusive Ability. Despite this limitation, he sensed that the First Level Transformation's Abilities of the separate Vampire and Werewolf forms had improved by fifty percent – a modest enhancement, but better than nothing.

Two fangs, each comparable to his towering height of two meters and twenty centimeters, crystallized with a sheen from his fur. David flapped his giant wings and ascended, shrinking into a dot in the gray sky. With precise control using his hands, he directed the movement of the fangs, sending them hurtling toward Sivan.

Spinning his chains, Sivan launched one at the approaching fangs. Fueled by his Magick, it extended endlessly, ensnaring the crystallized fangs. The other chain, he flung upward.

David skillfully evaded the chain, marveling at its persistent pursuit. Intrigued by the physical challenge it presented, he chanted, "Cross Fang! Cross Fang! Cross Fang! Cross Fang!" Creating four additional pairs of fangs, he shifted to using his fingers to manipulate all ten simultaneously.

Six of the fangs pierced the leading links of the two chains, securing them to the ground. The remaining four thrust Sivan from his stationary position, leaving David soaring high above.

'Honorific Two: Perseverance!' An azure avatar, standing ten meters tall, materialized, resembling Sivan's prior unarmored form. The avatar eschewed chains, utilizing its body to counter the assault of the four fangs. It seized one fang in midair, deflected another, and disregarded the two that impaled its chest.

In the gray sky, David blinked thoughtfully. 'This should be his genuine Second Metamorphosis's Exclusive Ability,' he mused, nudging his left hand's middle finger, which controlled the unattached fang.

The avatar missed it the second time, and the free fang plunged into its head.

'Honorific Two: Moral!' Azure radiance filled Sivan's eyes. He moved, and the avatar mirrored his every motion, drawing them closer to fusion. Simultaneously, the three fangs were expelled, their tips shattered and oozing silver-red venom.

'Another Exclusive Ability?' David sensed. 'Yet another one following the Path of someone else...'

As the fusion progressed, the power recharged the previously immobilized chains. Their links expanded and thickened. Rippling with energy, they shattered the six fangs and swiftly resumed their pursuit of David at breakneck speed.

'Is this all for his unnatural hybrid form?' Sivan doubted. 'He's flying in a circle... waiting. The venom? No. Every bit of it was purged. He should be able to tell, since it's his.'

The chains closed in on David, shortening the gap with every passing tenth of a second. 'Immaculate Capture!' Distinct from his previous three Abilities, this one was a learned Ability, a hallmark of the MMB's Fixers.

The Magick of the two chains disassembled and reassembled into seventy-seven palm-sized azure cages. A touch from any of the cages would seal the target's Magick, and the more cages that made contact, the more severe the restriction would become.

'Got you!' Sivan remained wary of David's potential countermove, but none came after the fangs dispersed. Now, he found himself unable to escape.

Just as the first of the cages was closing in on David, an unexpected wave of dread surged from the pit of Sivan's stomach, accompanied by a resounding "Boom." Swiveling around, he discovered David, who should have been thousands of meters in the sky, now standing regally behind him.

"A Vampiric's mental Ability?" Sivan speculated, channeling his Magick to clear his mind – Honorific Two: Moral should have fortified his Mentality, in addition to Build.

"Silence," David commanded.

Sivan's voice, both internal and external, vanished, leaving only the echoing tones of David.

"Halt." Before Sivan could make any movement – be it with his body or Magick – David constrained him with a single word.

"Kneel."

Sivan dropped to both knees, unable to comprehend his own actions and unable to shake off the weight of humiliation. The seventy-seven cages sank to the ground.

He didn't need his inner voice to think. The reason became evident with each punch that drove his face into the ground, followed by a kick, another kick, a punch that prevented his knees from rising, and a diverse series of hundreds of blows.

When David concluded, his hands were stained with blood, yet his temperament remained unfazed. Sivan, now at his feet, lay in a pool of his own blood – physically broken but alive. All traces of his azure Magick had long disappeared.

"Give me your badge."

An arm, marred with pieces of bones and blood vessels protruding through the flesh, moved as though it were perfectly fine, extending to hand over the white badge with azure letters before collapsing.

"The MMB may come after me in the Material Dimension. I'll respect and acknowledge its authority there. What I will not do is bend to its service. You can request, beg, even threaten. Rise," David hissed, his transformation ending, melting into a coated human form.

As Sivan struggled to lift himself, gradually regaining his independence, he found himself unable to disobey David's last command.

"Act, and you should become an example," David snarled, his grip tightening around Sivan's throat. "Luckily for you, I've already made an example today of someone much more interesting. Besides, the MMB as a whole isn't worth me passing a message, let alone for one Agent."

With a forceful swing, David hurled Sivan away and, with a determined step, returned to the Material Dimension.

…

Leaning against a streetlight pole, David caught his breath. It was minutes after he left Sivan in The Gray, far enough that even if the Second Metamorphosis somewhat recovered, he wouldn't be able to find him.

'It worked…' Beneath his sickly countenance, he felt a surge of ecstasy.

He found a bench and sat, his arms spread from one end of the backrest to the other – as best they could with his short stature.

'He was pretty tough. His Pool of Magick Ions fuller and his understanding of his Second Metamorphosis farther ahead.'

He stowed the MMB's badge into a pocket and retrieved a Health Potion. David didn't immediately consume the potion. Instead, he played with the round container, spinning it a few times before deciding to return it.

'The Curses' residues will be gone by morning. For that Fixer… it will be for the best if no trace of a Curse remains sooner than he can be examined. Well, if he has it in him to activate his Condition Rune, he would have an idea about what happened, despite getting rid of the venom.'

Savoring the nightly breeze, David closed his eyes.

'I should return to Michael… in the morning. The night is finally peaceful.'

…

"I know you're hurt and afraid. No. Not the you on the outside. The you on the inside, I mean. Yes. It's you I talk to- what was it… right! MK."