He couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said.
Even as she almost literally dragged him through the crowd, one hand wrapped entirely around his upper arm, Alex’s mind kept drifting back to how Syd said she thought he was cute. Twice!
She said he was cute, but he knew he was ugly. She’s clearly not delusional—well, for a pagan at least—so there’s got to be an answer to this riddle.
It simply didn’t compute in his mind. It was something he couldn’t quite wrap his now-tipsy brain around, much like the paradoxes taught in his apologetics classes. He was never particularly good at resolving conflicts. Maybe that’s why he admired strong people. They just cut their way through Gordian knots every time.
Alex struggled to remember he was on an undercover mission. He was having trouble thinking straight as his body staggered between and around people in the crowded nightclub, apologizing as Syd cleared a path for them both. As each person turned to make way, their eyes were on her and him—some surprised, some lecherous, most of them drunk, all of them increasing Alex’s anxiety.
Undercover mission or no, he hated being seen. He kept his eyes focused squarely on the ground, and one hand hovering next to the concealed weapon the academy had provided him for tonight.
He had accepted her invitation to the back offices of Club Demiurge so he could gather more information about her to bring back to Bishop Ironside. His target thinking he was cute was just a fortunate coincidence, he told himself. Besides, it’s not like he had much choice in the matter. How could he possibly say no to someone as strong as her? She could pick him up on one shoulder like a sack of grains if she wanted to!
He could imagine the bishop’s advice in his head, stern voice and all: Good strategy, Cadet. The target likes you. Pagans will often reveal their thoughts when they indulge in sinful pleasures, carnal or otherwise. Ensure that you stay pure of spirit and strike when the time is right. Extract what you can and get out of there. May God be with you.
Spurred on by his confidence in his mission (and a bit of liquid courage), Alex managed to keep pace with Syd’s long strides as they finally reached the back of the nightclub, stopping in front of a door with an ‘Employees Only’ placard in the center. Now that they were out of the crowd, Syd let go of his arm.
“Follow me,” she said.
She opened the door, ducking her head slightly below the doorframe. She held it open for Alex to follow and entered a corridor that immediately turned to one side, revealing a set of stairs leading to another much longer corridor, which was lit with nothing but dim orange lighting overhead.
Makes sense, Alex thought. They were just on the balcony floor which had overlooked the converted dance floor below for tonight’s fight. His suspicions were confirmed as they passed by two large emergency doors with magitech chains and padlocks on them.
Hmm. Combined with the iron fences, that was a lot of sophisticated magitech for one nightclub. Even one as big as this one. How were they able to afford all of this?
“Hold it,” Syd said, stopping just outside of one door in particular. She poked her head inside, and Alex peered around her.
The room had several sets of lockers on the left, with mirrors lining the opposite wall and long wooden benches in the middle. On any available space on the wall, various stickers and posters of long-forgotten rock bands and DJs were hung in layers, torn and tattered from age. In the back, on a large old black couch with a coffee table in front of it, sat one of the women Alex had seen in the arena earlier—the one with the ginger hair and the green eye implants. Next to her, sprawled on a recliner chair, was her opponent with the black and red mohawk.
Both of them were covered up in terry cloth robes. The ginger haired woman had a bag full of ice on her head, while the shorter woman was carefully wrapping her arms in gauze, occasionally stopping to drink from her water bottle.
They looked exhausted.
“Hey girls!” Syd announced, “You both did great out there. Although Roxy, you really need to work on guarding your flank.”
The black & red haired woman, Roxy, cackled at Syd, wincing slightly as she did.
“Thanks Syd. What sage advice. Really appreciate it.” Roxy rolled her eyes. “Hey, here’s an idea: why don’t you fight Audrey next time? Maybe then you'll see just how hard it is to out-maneuver a fucking vixen.”
“Oh, you flatter me, Roxanne,” the ginger haired woman, Audrey, said with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown as she adjusted her ice bag. “My agility may have garnered me a victory, but at the cost of a bruised countenance.”
“Quit with the fancy words for once,” said Roxy. “You’re giving me a headache just listening to you.”
“It is not my fault that you are not as erudite as I.”
“See, you’re the only person I know who talks like that! You spend too much time reading books online, Audrey.”
“I see no fault in that. Among their other benefits to my vision, these implants have given me instant access to more knowledge than any library could ever hold.” Audrey tapped the side of her temple, her green ocular implants changing the aperture of her pupils slightly. “And clearly, you don’t spend enough time practicing your sparring at the gym.”
Alex had to remind himself not to stare. They were even more intimidating and beautiful up close. Amazing that they were able to fight so ferociously with barely any injuries. Pagan wild magic, no doubt. Shame that gifts such as these were wasted on women as degenerate and hedonistic as—
“Who’s the cutie?” Roxy stated bluntly, nodding towards Alex.
Just how many times tonight were beautiful women going to keep bringing his train of thought to a crashing halt?
“This is Lexi,” said Syd. “I’m just bringing them to the back office for … business.” She winked at Alex.
“‘Business’, huh?” Roxy said. She smiled knowingly, sizing him up like he was a lone zebra on the savanna.
“Oh stop it, Roxanne! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexi.” Audrey gave a little friendly wave to Alex, who waved back hesitantly.
“N-nice to meet you both as well, ladies,” he said.
“You kids have fun,” said Roxy. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
“No promises!” Syd shouted back as she walked away.
Alex gulped.
He followed the massive woman further down the corridor as it twisted and turned a couple more times, before arriving at a door labeled ‘Office’. Syd opened it and gestured for him to enter. He hesitated and crossed his hands over his belly to rub his sides.
The lump in his abdomen—his weapon—reassured him he would be fine. The lump in his throat made him less sure.
After a moment, he made his decision. Alex entered the office, and heard Syd follow him inside and close the door behind them both.
“Have a seat,” Syd said softly, gently guiding him with one hand on his back to one of two comfy-looking office chairs in the center of the room, facing an average-looking office desk. The office itself was sparse, with nothing more than old filing cabinets, some fake plants, the aforementioned chairs and desk, and another much larger office chair behind the desk facing the door. The desk was covered in a few unlabeled folders and a beige-white computer with a large CRT monitor.
Nothing here of importance Alex could immediately see. Maybe something in one of the filing cabinets would be incriminating enough, if he could get access.
He took his seat in the office chair Syd had indicated. Rather than sitting in the office chair which looked designed to fit her large stature, Syd instead sat on the edge of the desk, crossed her legs at the ankles, and stared down at Alex. The desk groaned slightly in protest as she settled her weight on it. One of her leather boots—how had he not noticed she was wearing those?—tapped the air rhythmically.
The air was tense.
What was she expecting him to do?
“Um … should I …?” Alex was at a total loss for words as he stared up at the giant woman, who was currently crossing her arms and frowning at him.
“Strip.”
Alex stared blankly.
“You’re supposed to say, ‘Yes ma’am,’” Syd instructed.
“Y-yes ma’am!” Alex stammered.
He began taking off his hoodie, but stopped suddenly.
The weapon.
A concealed weapon isn’t much use if it doesn’t stay concealed.
“Can I, uh … use the bathroom real quick first?” Alex said.
“Why?” Syd spat out, her tone suddenly full of malice. She stood up to her full height, looming over Alex. “So you can dispose of that weapon you snuck into my nightclub?”
Uh-oh.
Alex said, “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about, Syd.”
Syd kicked the empty chair next to Alex, hard. It went flying into the wall next to the door behind him, denting one of the filing cabinets and shattering into several pieces.
“Don’t fuck with me!” the beastess roared. “I’ve been running security for beastess fights for years. Nothing gets past me, and I mean nothing!”
Alex’s head quickly swiveled back towards the door, then back at Syd, her golden eyes burning with ferocity and anger. His body trembled with fear as one hand instinctively felt for his weapon.
Syd saw where his hand was going, and said, “Don’t even think about it, Alexander Carpenter.”
Wait.
… What?
“How do you know—”
Syd pulled out a small plastic card from her back pocket. She began reading off of it.
“Alexander Carpenter. Five-foot-six. Male. Cadet Paladin at the Abraxas Paladin Academy.”
God damn it all to hell, he forgot to leave his academy ID at home!
Syd smirked at him. “Like I said. Nothing gets past me. You’re a fucking undercover paladin.”
“How did you get that?” Alex said.
“My bouncers missed the piece you were carrying when you came in, but one of them clocked it later while you were scouting the room. They called me over, asked me what to do. I had a hunch you were a fucking pig, so I had Jerry pickpocket your wallet and sneak it back onto you without you noticing—he’s very good with his hands. You’re a terrible spy, you know that, right?”
The jig was up.
Alex stood up and drew his weapon, pulling up his hoodie to unsheathe a small magitech dagger. The steel crackled with small cyan sparks, and his fingers traced the sun symbol inscribed in the grip just below the guard. He prayed in his mind for God to give him strength. Maybe this time, in Alex’s desperate time of need, God would finally listen.
“You paladins are so pathetic. This is the best they could send? You’re so fucking scrawny!” Syd took a step closer, and Alex took a step back. “I bet a weakling like you couldn’t even begin to fight me off with that toothpick of yours.”
She was right.
She was right, and he hated her for it.
Despite his fear, Syd’s insults cut deep into a part of Alex’s mind—the same part of him that had stared with envy at Audrey and Roxy from over that balcony. The same raw part of him that yearned to change. It was like somethinginside him smashed against its cage, against all of the moralities & precepts of his training, against all of his self-restraint.
“Fuck you!” Alex spat. “Fuck you, you heathen, you pagan bitch!”
Another blasphemy to confess. Another penance to carry out later. Even as his mind self-flagellated in shame, some part of him felt … good.
“My, my, my!” Syd tutted. “I thought such language was unbecoming of a paladin such as yourself! Or I guess, a rookie paladin-in-training, I suppose. You’re more feisty than I gave you credit for, Alexander. But I’m not letting you get away that easily.”
Syd took her leather vest off and threw it to one side of the room in one swift motion. Her shoulder and chest muscles, twice as wide as Alex’s own, flexed and rippled under her tight tank top.
She took a step closer. Alex’s dagger trembled in his hand—and Syd noticed. She grinned that wide, wolfish grin at him, distorting the scars on her face, baring her fangs in full view.
Which, to Alex’s eyes, looked somehow longer and sharper than before.
Syd growled through her sadistic smile, “Aww, is someone afraid of the big—”
Her ears became pointed. Her claws skittered along the wall.
“—bad—”
Her muscles, her height, her entire presence grew before his very eyes.
“—wolf?”
Syd towered over Alex. She licked her lips. Her golden eyes were full of hunger, that same hunger he had heard in her voice from earlier—when she had called him ‘fresh meat’.
The predator had cornered her prey.
“I’m n-not scared of you, Syd.”
“You’re a liar. I can smell your fear, paladin.”
Alex’s back pressed up against the door, the only exit from this trap. Keeping an eye on Syd, his free hand scrabbled behind him for the door knob.
“I’m getting out of here, you monster, and don’t try to stop me, or—”
In the blink of an eye, Syd was right there.
With one swipe, she knocked the dagger out of his hand faster than he could react. Her gigantic arm wrapped around his body like a python, picking him up off the ground and pressing his body into hers.
She held her razor-sharp claws of her free hand up against his throat. Alex could feel the pinprick tips of her claws digging into his neck, at precisely the right distance to just pierce the surface of his skin.
The wolf woman panted heavily. Her breath was hot and humid on his neck. Alex could feel in his bones each heaving breath and every thunderous heartbeat from being pressed up against her chest. Syd’s face was partially transformed, a monstrous visage that still remained beautiful, her three facial scars still prominently slicing diagonally downward over the snout on her shifted face, the mark of a proud and wild warrior.
The beastess licked the drool off of her dripping fangs, tightened her grip on Alex so he could scarcely breathe, and leaned in right next to Alex’s ear.
“Oh, little one, you’re not going anywhere.”
Syd whispered with a deep, primal, snarling voice that made every hair on the back of his neck …
… stand …
… on …
… end.
“You’re mine now … my prey.”
Alex was terrified.
Probably more terrified than he had ever felt in his life.
He felt small. Weak. Powerless.
And … and …
Alive?
While Alex was paralyzed in his confusion and terror, Syd swiftly strode over to the desk. She withdrew her claws from his throat while still clutching Alex tightly in her other arm like a rag doll. She opened one of the desk drawers and retrieved a syringe.
“Oh, and for the record—I wasn’t lying earlier. I really do think you’re cute. Sweet dreams … you bastard.”
Before Alex could react, Syd pierced the syringe into his neck and pushed down on the plunger with her thumb.
His world became hazy. Blurry. Foggy.
Hard for him to … hold on to … anything at all …
Then, darkness.