Figment, Part 4

Bet That Hit The Spot

Synopsis : Rebecca has kept her best friend with her since childhood, despite knowing full well that this friend is just an imaginary one she never had the heart to forget with maturity. Putting up with this minor psychological trait, she got on with life. Until she was attacked by two vicious gangs, and the friend she knew damn well was just made up turned out to be quite real, and capable of giving her ass-kicking transformational powers.

At the moment, she's using the aforementioned powers on a monster who she saw advancing on a lone policeman at an otherwise unoccupied car park.

An image of the monster Hedonism is confronting : http://www.geocities.com/orenotter/images/critterman.jpg

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 The lizardwoman wrenched her limbs free of the wreckage that was the van's front, which had molded around her body with the force of the throw, and flipped to her feet. The monster was walking towards them, with intent and hunger in it's eyes.

: My chest stings. Why? : asked Rebecca to Hedonism.

: Three broken ribs. Oh, and a broken arm :

: Really? But why doesn't it hurt? And how the hell can we take him on with a broken arm? :

: I've toned down your pain sensations. And besides, I've healed the damage already. :

As the creature drew closer, she leapt backwards into the air and onto the van roof.

: The creature's a lot stronger than I am. But I think I'm a lot more skillful. So, plan B or plan R? :

: What? : asked Rebecca.

: B for Beat him up? Or R for Run away. :

: Can we reason with it? :

: It's mind is pretty complex, but I can tell he's very, very vicious. He loves to kill and he wants to kill everything. :

: I don't want him running free! That copper will only be the start! Plan B it is! :

: Atta girl! :

That copper pulled backwards into the steel gulley he had been trapped in before, but not too far in as to miss the fight.

Hedonism / Rebecca leapt off the van roof, her body a green blur. She threw out a swinging kick and her talon slammed into the beast's toothsome mouth, flicking it's head back. Her tail followed, the heavy limb connecting with it's chest. The thing grunted and staggered backwards a few feet. Then it looked up balefully at the flying reptile and squatted down, snarled and leapt into the air.

: Aww hell… :

Her body folded around his hurtling form and he bounced her off the reinforced car park roof. She crashed to the ground a few feet away from him, panted desperately, then curled up and backflipped to her feet. The monster charged forward and swung a punch with all his strength, a slow but immensely powerful hammer of force that Hedonism sidestepped smoothly. She grabbed the fist and pulled it backwards, and the already overbalanced entity found itself lunging over the top of the lizard as she rolled backwards on the floor, brought up her feet and pushed with all her strength at it's stomach. Roaring gutturally, it flew into the already stricken van and slammed it's head against and through the radiator.

Hedonism flapped out her wings, and watched the broken sail-struts click back into place and heal completely. She loomed with satisfaction over the hunched up form, it's head surrounded by wreckage and antifreeze-tinted water. Until it screamed with vengeance and stood up, a deep gash across it's muzzle sealing itself.

: Damn… my scan didn't pick up that it could also regenerate! :

: Hed! We have no choice! Plan K! :

: Yes… Yes, Plan K! :

Rebecca felt the perfectly aligned teeth in her mouth suddenly lengthen by several inches, and hook viciously. She extended her scaly fingers, and the nails slid forwards like multiple flick knives in a dreadful slow motion, until each were nearly a foot long. Her talon claws followed suit, while her lithe tail sprouted a long, curved dagger-like blade at it's tip. Her ankles, knees and elbow bones extended, pulled out of her skin and sharpened into ghostly white horns. And her spine and tail evolved a deadly row of nail-like spikes.

: Bitchin'! :

: Rebs! :

: Sorry! :

Rebecca never felt so well merged with Hedonism. She now knew that the parasite got her power from the emotions she fed off; both the emotions from Rebecca herself, and from the feelings that travelled through the air from others. The beast gave off an enormous, twenty-course meal of battle-lust. It delighted in the pain and injury it was receiving, and wanted to dish out all the pain and injury it could. The policeman was emanating fear and panic, pretty much as expected.

Eager to try on this newly evolved enemy, the monster swept towards her and hooked around both claws at the same time, open-palmed. Hed pulled her legs out from underneath herself and dissapeared downwards, but it still managed to sever a couple of snakes from her head. Rebs felt a sudden sensation of anger from above her, and as she hooked up and raked down it's thigh with her foot claws, the rest of the snakes struck and bit into it's leathery, furry groin.

The monster looked down, then twisted to it's side, and powerslammed the reptile trapped under it, elbow first. Hed knew she wouldn't get out of the way in time, but did get the chance to whip around her tail.

Her enemy looked confused. It's lower body was completely paralyzed, either due to the multiple snakebites, or possibly the twelve inch tailspike protruding wetly out of it's back. Still, the lizard wasn't going anywhere, having been crushed under it. It opened it's mouth wide, teeth dripping saliva, grabbed her head and chest, then plunged it's teeth down into her neck.

: Hey! That stings! :

Mindful that her windpipe and quite a lot of other important looking tubes were now hanging around where they shouldn't be, she looped around the rest of her neck until she was looking at the back of it's head, and bit deep into furry flesh and bone. It's arms flailed free, and tried to reach for her. She took advantage of his sudden loss of grip to kick him off, and rolled upright again.

Hedonism grabbed the offending dangly bits at her neck, and pushed them back into the wound. Within seconds, she was breathing, and the Rebs part of her felt more than a little thankful for instant healing. Aching sensations all over her body petered out as broken bones melted and reformed whole. Two scaly stumps atop her head grew serpents again, and she sensed a feeling of contentment from her scalp.

The monster slowly got back to his feet, at first swaying clumsily, then standing upright and strong. The wound disappeared as it’s furry skin emotionally embraced and merged over the top of the hole.

: Rebs… I can't keep healing injuries like that… That thing's giving off all the energy I need to regenerate, but I also gotta have a load of chemicals and raw materials to replace the stuff I use up. But that thing's just as good now as it has ever been! If this keeps up, we'll lose! :

: Then everyone'll lose. Agh. Any suggestions? :

: No… Yes! :

Hedonism suddenly broke into a run, under the parasite's control. Rebs let her make escape, reluctantly, but spared a concerned look via some of the snakes to the policeman she was leaving alone. Fortunately… in a way… the creature ran after her instead of turning it's attention to him. The lizardwoman's animal legs were powerful, but the leathery limbs of the monster pistoned with equal strength. She stopped at Reb's hidden clothes pile, and grabbed one of the tins of Trak-Lite.

: What? :

Rebecca felt control of their shared body return to her, with the exception of her left claw, curled around the can of foul tasting soda.

: Rebs, keep him busy! I gotta get upto something :

: You bet I will! :

One hand down, need a weapon, she thought. Now much more capable of understanding what her new body was capable of, she hooked her tail around a nearby sign, and with a grating slash cut through it's steel support. The beast slowed from it's run to a stop as Rebecca picked up the resulting eight foot long steel bar, retracted her claws and twirled around the sign as if it were a baton. She stalked forwards and continued the colourful display by swinging the mass of metal repeatedly into the monster's head, each time making an unpleasant clanging sound. It sagged to the side, and the lizardwoman darted out a flurry of twirling stabs, smashes and bashes from both ends of the bar all over her assailant.

As the hits landed, Rebecca felt the mixed, intense aura of anger, excitement and pained delight from the monster get sucked into her, then into the can. Her parasite was transforming it's contents.

: What are you _doing_ ? :

: Rebs, this drink. It's horrible isn't it. Really strong, really potent.:

: Yeah, so? I'm starting to feel weak… :

The monster pulled back. Every time it tried to get close, the twirling length of metal swatted at him.

: Oh, that's cos you're running out of chemicals, and I'm putting all our energy into the drink. :

: What? But it's an energy drink! Isn't it strong enough? :

: Just keep thinking about that stuff tastes. Really strong? :

: You betyah. :

She felt her own emotions streaming into the can, which _thumped_ . Then pulsed like a heart, slightly expanded then sucked in all the heat from around itself, freezing her hand to it's sub-zero sides..

The monster stepped backwards, then turned around and stomped away.

: It's okay, I think it's … had… enough… :

It bent down and embraced the bonnet of a car. Then it's arms constricted in a bear hug, and crushed, and crushed. Finally able to get it's arms fully around the compressed, mangled front, it lifted the whole thing into the air with ease.

A great shadow loomed over Hedonism. She dropped the dented signpost, and before even she knew it, she had leapt backwards half an instant before the massive, makeshift club slammed down wheels first, crushing the front of another car while it's rear flipped ten foot into the air. Snarling with shock and anger, she landed, bit into the ground with her foot talons and rushed forwards, slamming into the car and shunting it over the monster.

There was a series of muffled growls from underneath the vehicle, then it suddenly pinwheeled away from the creature, minus a wheel. Rebecca dodged away from the wreckage as it flipped towards her, then was intercepted by the wheel as it spun into her at over four hundred miles an hour.

Rebecca flew backwards, hanging off the tyre, limp like a rag, until it pounded her into a concrete pillar. She slumped down, her back resting against it's clammy surface. She was stinging all over, practically every bone had been broken, and there was a sort-of slowness everywhere. She knew with a deep, disturbed certainty that it was too extensive to heal with her depleted resources.

The monster hoisted the car-club into the air again, and glass, steel and petrol rained from it's stricken body. It roared with victory and feral hatred, and charged towards Rebecca.

: Hed! I can't move my legs! I know we won't survive this! No more chemicals, no more energy… :

: Yes there is… And it's where it counts… :

Rebecca watched her left hand raise slowly. The beast held the car as if it was a caber, and ran forwards with the intention of tossing it like one. A claw hooked the ringpull and levered it.

: Hed, you could have done with squirting that stuff in it's face a bit earlier- :

An incandescent second occurred. A cone of pure, blinding strawberry brightness blasted out of the can, the kickback pinning Hed's arm to the pillar, and the business end of it buried itself hungrily into the monster's chest and stomach.

The thing flew backwards as if it had been hit by a speeding train, and slapped into the cement wall. The car it wielded crashed down into the path of the blast and exploded violently. As the glowing energy bolt cut off, the beast looked down at a twelve inch diameter hole in it's torso. It twitched awkwardly, and lay still. The wound around the hole, baked into a cauterized solidity by the plasmic heat, showed no sign of healing.

Hed stood up, still clutching the smoking can. Then fell down again. And crawled towards the police officer, still gripping the Trak-Lite can. He stood up, and backed between the cars again, waving his hands wildly.

"What do you want with me!"

Rebecca croaked, and decided to get what little resources she had left into getting her lungs and vocal chords working again.

: Oh, no… Again? : asked Hedonism with sullen horror. The monster staggered towards them, fell to it's knees, and continued in it's journey in a crawl. Soot fell gently from the hole in it's chest.

"Co… Cohhper! Get awway now, while the monssster's weak!" shouted hedonism desperately.

"You… Get away, now! I'll keep the bitch occupied!" shouted the monster, desperately.

There was a moment of enlightened silence. Then the sound of two pennies dropping.

"I, was protecting him from you!" shrieked Rebecca.

"No, you attacked me, then went for him!"

"Don't give me that! You love killing things!"

"How the hell do you know that? Anyway, yes, I do. That doesn't mean I _do_ kill things though!"

"And what're you doing being able to talk!?"

"Of course I can talk! Why didn't you tell me what you were doing!?"

"Why didn't _you_ !?"

"Mam?" asked the policeman as he backed out of the corner, his voice shaking madly, yet still containing some authority. "The can. Put down the can. Please? I think it's still loaded."

"Wha? Oh, yes. Okay."

"So we've both been killing each other over what, exactly?"

Hedonism let the tin roll away. She looked around the wreckage, found some random car part and started eating it. It tasted oily, but delicious, and it returned some desperately needed trace elements into her system. Just as controlling the same body was odd, so was sharing the same mouth. It required patience and willingness to surrender her vocal chords to the other person when they had something more urgent to say.

"I knew someone who has become a policeman over in this country. I was just going to ask if you also knew him. Then, _madam_ here came along."

"Well, yes…" she said. The fearsome reptilian creature tried not to squirm with embarrassment. "But cut me some slack, I was trying to save his life!"

The policeman's radio spluttered into life. He looked surprised at the coded message, and started to mutter back to it discretely.

The monster picked at the hole in his chest. Hedonism scanned him again, noted that his internal organs had regenerated around it, just enough to keep him mobile. But his innate abilities still couldn't break the hardened crust that the intense heat of her weapon had created.

"May as well introduce myself. I'm… Critter Man. Who are you?"

"I'm… Well…"

: Dragon Woman? Lizard Lady? : suggested Hedonism inside the privacy of her head. Her friend was by now laughing loud and helplessly inside their shared consciousness, and Rebecca tried not to let the fit of giggles spread itself to either her or their communal mouth.

"I'm… Well, when I think of something suitable, I'll let you know." The corners of her mouth twitched. Tears twinkled around her eyes and threatened to escape to her cheeks.

"You'll want to do so quickly. If the villains or the newspapers get there first, you could end up getting called something really silly. Lizard Lady, or whatever, " he chuckled.

: Hey! I was starting to like that one! :

Rebecca tried to keep her very expressive reptilian face neutral. Hed took over.

"That's quite a puncture… Do you trust me to heal you?"

"No."

It took some persuasion, but the incredibly wary monster let her put her hands to his chest. He spasmed and writhed as she injected something into him through her palms, and whatever it was influenced his muscles. Just as he was about to pull away with alarm, the flesh around the hole softened, and his voracious cells took over. He smiled, genuinely.

"Well… Thanks," he said grudgingly. "You still look really beat up. Is there anything I can do to help?"

: Yes. Just lie there while I syphon off all those tasty chemicals and energy you seem to regenerate so easily. Being a parasite can really have it's uses! :

: Hed! You're pumping all that stuff into _my_ body! Ick! :

There was a giggling noise from deep within.

: And you'd best not tell him that! :

"Ahem… No, it's okay. I'll be fine. You just lie nice and still."

By Hedonism