Monsterhearts:The Choice

Thursday August 21st, 10:30 PM
Wildomar, Slaughterhouse Canyon, Chris's House
**Nemo**: We're running out of time! The demon is on the move, and it's not going to waste the days like you've been! **He takes another few steps towards them, a loud heavy thud accompanying each of his footfalls.** You're either with *me*, or with that *monster*, so choose! What's it going to be *Serpentine*?!

**Chris**: **He looks back to his mother, then back to Nemo. He pulls Liam back with him towards the steps that lead up to the front of his house.** I've made my choice! **He pull's Liam's wheelchair against the foot of the stairs.**

**Nemo**: Well I suppose the choice is obvious now... **He takes another step forward and the ground trembles with a heavy thud. The rain making his blue hair fall across his face.** But for posterity's sake, let's hear it straight from your mouth...

**Liam**: ...Chris? **He keeps turning his head, trying to figure out what's happening, his inability to see is keeping him ignorant to most of the situation.**

**Chris**: I'd rather pick the family I *know*, over the devil I don't! **He narrows his eyes and his skin turns reptillian as his face shifts to become more monstrous.** If the passed few days have taught me *anything*, it's that there are no real heroes. Just people who need to get the job done... **He leaps over Liam's wheel chair with surprising agility and slashes through Nemo's face as he lands.**

**Nemo**: **As Chris jumps to him, Nemo's hand shoots out and smacks Chris's claws away from his face, his left hand then rushes up and catches Chris by the throat just before he lands. He holds Chris up in the air with one hand, seemingly with great strength.** I knew you were just going to be a *waste* of my *time*, but I don't always get to make the decisions.

**Chris**: **He struggles against Nemo's, and then slashes his claws deeps into Nemo's wrist and rips them out, tearing apart the tendons connected to Nemo's fingers, and causing his grip to immediately loosen. As he lands on his feet he slashes Nemo across the face with his other hand.**

**Nemo**: **He shields his face with his already ravaged arm as Chris slashes at it and quickly takes a short hop backwards and lands with a heavy thud. He looks at his left hand, blood pouring from it and pooling on the wet pavement. He shakes his head as he stares at it, but doesn't say or do anything.**

**Liam**: You alright Chris?! **He's gotten out of his wheelchair, and he's slowly backing up the stairs up to the front of the house, one step at a time.**

**Chris**: Yeah, I think I'm good... **He watches Nemo as he whips his tail back and forth behind him. He points at Nemo with his translucent claw.** Why don't you get the fuck out of here before I make your throat look like your wrist?

**Nemo**: **He slowly looks up at Chris.** This isn't over... **He takes a few steps back, and then turns, running for the front gate with heavy footfalls, and vanishing around a corner.**

**Chris**: **He lets out a slow sigh of relief, keeping his eyes on the gate for a minute.**

**Liam**: What the hell is happening?! **He's sitting at the corner of the of the front entrance area.**

**Chris**: Nothing. **He shifts back to human form. He keeps his eyes on the corner Nemo dissapeared aroudn for a moment longer.** He's gone. **He smirks slightly, then turns around and looks up to his mother.**

**Nemo**: **As Chris turns to look at his mother he's suddenly slammed in the chest and launched backwards against the front wall with a sudden powerful punch. He's steps forward with another loud thud, standing where Chris was.** Oh c'mon... What kind of guy would I look like if I turned tail and ran? **He narrows his blue eyes and stomps towards Chris with heavy thudding steps.** You made your choice, and I'm going to make damn sure it's wasn't an easy one!

**Chris**: **He coughs and heaves, quickly transforming and scrambling to his feet as he breaths deep to catch his breath. The strike caught him completely by surprise.**

**Nemo**: You *really* thought I'd just slink away into the dark?! **He looks to Natalya, who continues to stand in the doorway, motionless and silent, then looks back to Chris.**

**Chris**: **He shakes off Nemo's hit and readies his claws as he stands, keeping his eyes fixed on Nemo.** I didn't expect it to be easy... *Nothing* has been easy. **After a moment he takes a few quick steps forward and slashes at Nemo's face with his claws.**

**Nemo**: **He takes several steps back to avoid getting hit each time Chris slashes at himas he watches Chris's slashes miss he smirks.**

**Chris**: **His tail suddenly wraps around Nemo's ankle and constricts it tightly to keep Nemo from backing away, as Nemo catches his footing Chris leaps forward and slashes across Nemo's face in a quick succession of swipes, raking his claws through his skin.**

**Nemo**: **As Chris tears up his face he suddenly lunges out with a blind punch that crashes into Chris's face with enough force to send him spinning away and falling to the ground a few feet away. He lets out a yell that's a mix of pain and rage.** AHHHH! **He blinks a few times and wipes his face with the back of his arm hastily.** ...You know I *really* liked this face, Chris. **He turns and glares down at Chris.**

**Chris**: **He backs up, pulling his tail away and stumbles as he gets to his feet, partially stunned.**

**Nemo**: I think it's high time I play the super-villain card and do something *real* dramatic. **The swimming pool down the path suddenly flashes neon blue and then explodes upwards into a pillar of steam. A rumbling roar echoes across the night as a plum of living neon-blue flames streaks upwards about fifty feet into the air, they writhe around a moment before rushing back down towards the ground, forming into what looks like a skeletal serpent wreathed in blue flames. It rushes down towards Chris.**

**Chris**: ...What the hell?! **He stumbles backward as the creature rushes down towards him. He quickly turns and runs in the opposite direction, towards the front gate.**

**Liam**: What was that?! **He looks up to the source of the sound, and he sees a blurry blue light in the darkness, almost as if he could see it with his own eyes despite being blind and blindfolded.** I can see it! I CAN *SEE* IT! **The light seems to solidify into the shape of the creature, like his eyes are focusing. He watches it streak downwards.**

**Nemo**: **He turns and looks at Liam, his face red with blood and cuts.** Can you now?

**The azure infernal Wyrm races down after Chris. It opens its mouth and lets out a high-pitched shriek. A wave of orange flames tears from its mouth and rolls over the pavement, melting the rock and instantly boiling the light rain and water to steam. The wall of fire begins to quickly catch Chris.**

**Chris**: **He turns and runs around the corner, running towards the front gate as the flames and steam roar passed.**

**Nemo**: **He smirks as he looks from Liam to Chris.** Too bad you can't see how *fucked* he is...

**Liam**: **He gets to his feet.** Why are you doing this?!

**Nemo**: You two need to learn betrayal should be punished with *death*... Right Natty? **He turns and looks up the steps to the front door. It's empty. His eyes dart around, looking at the front of the house, his smirk fading from his cut up face.**

**Liam**: **When Nemo says "punished" he balls his hands into fists and he can almost literally feel his rage pulse through his body.** We've been punished *ENOUGH*! **Nemo is suddenly launched across the small courtyard and sent tumbling over the burned pavement by a concussive blast of wind.** I'm so fucking tired of everyone telling me that I need to be punished for what's happened! I've lost *EVERYTHING*! **Another shockwave of wind blasts towards Nemo, but since Liam is blind, and he's not entirely realizing what he's doing, it misses.**

**Nemo**: **He lets out a long sigh and shakily stands up, the cooling pavement still hot enough to burn his flesh, though he doesn't seem to mind the pain too much.** You still have *a lot* to lose, Liam, and at the rate you're going, I think I'm going to take it *all* from you. Starting with you best fre- **There's a sudden hissing roar and a massive dark creature bursts through the front doorway to the mansion. The splintering wood knocks Liam to the side and Nemo immediately falls flat to the pavement to avoid getting crushed.**

**The infernal wyrm chasing after Chris quickly catches up to him. It opens its mouth, the raging maelstrom of flame within its body flaring white-hot as it rushes to bear down on him. Just as it's about to reach Chris, being so close that his scales are partially seared by it, it's suddenly slammed into by a massive, long, shadowy creature. It slithers out into the middle of the road and bites down into the burning demon, wrapping around it in huge coils that constrict inwards. The huge vague thing pulls its head back, and there's a sudden flash of lightning and the deafening rumble of thunder, which illuminates the colossal serpent. It's at least hundreds of feet in length, with spined scales and reflective eyes that flicker green as they catch the lightning's flashes. With a loud crunch the demon's form buckles within the serpent's coils, and the monster swallows the smaller wyrm down, it's flames glowing from within the snake's body as it moves down its throat. The creature turns and rushes headlong back into the mansion, it's long body slithering over Chris and the front wall, and vanishing through the entrance. In less than a moment it vanishes within the confines of the huge house.**

**Chris**: **He's trembling as his eyes dart back and forth, he has an idea of what the that thing was, but it was still so sudden and massive that it's caught him completely off guard. He slowly gets to his feet.**

**Liam**: **He presses up against the side of the entrance. He knows something huge just rushed passed him, but he thinks it was some kind of explosion both times.**

**Nemo**: **He narrows his eyes up at the blasted entrance.** You just *had* to step in, didn't you? **A pair of green eyes catch the light in the ruined entry-way as Natalya's vague form appears in the darkness, she gazes down at Nemo with a blank expression. He looks from her to Liam, backing away down the path slowly. After a moment he simply turns and runs for the gate, like he did earlier, the heavy thuds of his footfalls fading.**

**Liam**: **He realizes Nemo is fleeing.** Chris?! He's getting away! **He scrambles down the steps, stumbling a few times and then falling. He quickly crawls along the stone path, making sure to keep to the warm stones as he knows it was caused by the demonic creature from earlier.**

**Chris**: **As Nemo turns the corner Chris, having heard the oncoming footsteps, stabs his claws up into Nemo's stomach. He hooks them up and under Nemo's ribs. He's breathing heavily, and has a wild look in her reptilian eyes.** You think I was just going to let you escape? I'm not going to make it that *easy*. **He digs his claws deeper into Nemo's flesh.**

**Nemo**: **He gasps in pain, and looks down at Chris's claws. He takes a deep gurgling breath and looks back up at Chris with rage.** Don't... Steal... My... *Lines*! **He slams his left forearm down into Chris's, and Chris's claws rip from his body. He lets out an agonized gasp as the pull free with slick sounds, but he somehow doesn't scream. His right hand immediately darts out and grabs the side of Chris's head. A foul chemical smell fills the air, like wet paint or nail polish remover. Nemo's form shifts to complete wet darkness, then his skeleton seems to glow an eerie blue from within it. He immediately tackles Chris into the side of the wall and pins him there with his body, pressing Chris's face into the wall with his hand, slowly crushing it against the stone. His voice comes out strange, though not otherworldly, it has a different tone and is slightly softer, like it belongs to someone else entirely.** I'm going to crush your cryptid little skull...

**Chris**: **He struggles against Nemo's hand, trying to slash at him. After a second his tail darts up and wraps around Nemo's neck, it constricts tightly in an effort to choke him.**

**Nemo**: **He lets go of Chris's head and grabs at his own neck. He quickly wraps his fingers around the tail, and with a loud snap he crushes the coils in an iron grip.** So tired of that *tail*! **He slams Chris back against the wall and grabs the back of his head, pushing it into the stone. Chris can feel his forehead straining not to break, and the rest of his body is slowly being crushed against it as well by Nemo's seemingly inhuman strength.**

**Chris**: **He yells out in agony and struggles to try and reach back and grab at Nemo's arm.**

**Liam**: **He has his hands running across the wall to guide him and keep him steady as he walks as quickly as he can, trying not to fall.** Chris!? **As he turns the corner he sees the skeletal shape of Nemo shine in the darkness, holding something against the wall.** Chris! Get the fuck off him! **He once again feels power surge through his body, and a wave of air blasts down through the gate and slams into Nemo, and to a lesser extent, Chris. It launches Nemo out into the street.**

**Nemo**: **He quickly gets to his feet, black liquid pouring from his torso over the ground.** So you can see me too now, huh? **He nods slowly.** You're just full of surprises tonight, Liam... I don't much care for surprises... **He moves to walk up to Liam and Chris, but stops as the sound of sirens ring out. He lets out a long sigh.** ...We'll meet again. **He seems to suddenly pop out of existence, vanishing.**