Chapter 24: The Clash

The beast emerged from the shadows—a towering, grotesque thing, all sinewy muscle and jagged claws, its glowing eyes locked onto them like prey. It was unlike anything they'd fought before, its movements unnervingly fluid, as if it were constantly shifting between solid and mist.

Victor Victoria straightened, dusting themselves off, the lingering effects of the taser fading. "I'd love to stay and chat," they mused, "but I think I'll let my friend here handle the conversation."

With a flick of their wrist, the beast lunged.

Erica barely had time to think before Lee yanked her back, his grip firm around her wrist as claws slashed through the air where she had just been. She stumbled but caught herself, yanking free.

"Look out for yourself," she snapped.

Lee didn't answer, but the tension in his jaw spoke volumes.

Sydney was already moving, slipping beneath the beast's reach with impossible speed. Her brass knuckles cracked against its ribs, then she twisted, flipping her butterfly knife into position and slashing at its side. The blade connected, but the wound barely bled. The creature didn't even flinch.

"Uh," Sydney breathed, barely dodging a retaliating swipe. "Not ideal."

"Yeah, no kidding," Erica muttered.

Sid, on the other hand, was getting fueled up. "Oh, this is going to be a challenge."

Without hesitation, he charged, daggers flashing in the dim light. The beast roared as Sid's blades sank into its side, but before he could twist them deeper, it lashed out, sending him skidding backward. He hit the ground hard, but the wild grin was cemented on his face.

"Come on," Sid taunted, rolling his shoulders. "Hit me harder."

Erica ignored him—no time to comment or even think about his sadistic tendencies right now. They needed a plan, fast. The beast was too fast, its body too solid when it wanted to be and too intangible when they tried to land real damage.

It was unpredictable.

Which meant she had to outthink it.

She scanned its movements, noting the way it flickered at the edges. A pattern emerged—it shifted into mist only after attacks. Like an instinctive reaction.

"Sid! Sydney!" she called. "Hit it at the same time—left side!"

Neither questioned her. Sydney darted forward, her knife glinting as she slashed at the creature's ribs while Sid went lower, driving his dagger toward its leg.

The beast flickered—phasing slightly at Sydney's attack—but not at Sid's.

That was it.

Erica's mind raced. "It can't phase through multiple attacks at once! We overwhelm it from different angles!"

Lee smirked. "Now that's interesting."

Victor Victoria watched with an amused tilt of their head. "Clever girl."

"Shut up," Erica shot back.

She barely had time to react before the beast moved—fast. Too fast. And this time, it wasn't going for her.

It was going for Sydney.

She had spent too much energy in that last rush, and now she was just a second too slow. The beast's claws raked forward—

Lee was there first.

He shoved Sydney aside, taking the brunt of the attack. Claws slashed across his side, blood blooming through his shirt as he stumbled.

Erica felt something sharp stab into her chest—not from the fight, but from seeing it.

She didn't even think. She just moved.

The taser was charged up in her hand before she registered it, and she lunged, jamming it against the beast's exposed side. Electricity crackled, the beast shrieking as its form flickered violently between solid and mist.

Sid didn't hesitate. While it was stunned, he drove both daggers deep into its ribs and twisted.

The beast gave one last, gurgling snarl before crumpling.

The fight was over.

But Victor Victoria was already moving.

They flicked a hand, and a strange, unnatural gust of wind kicked up, obscuring them in a haze of shifting mist. "That was entertaining," they mused, their voice echoing unnaturally. "Until next time."

And then they were gone.

Silence.

Then—

Lee groaned, pressing a hand to his side where blood soaked his shirt.

Erica was at his side in an instant, snatching his wrist and pulling it away to inspect the wound. "Idiot," she muttered. "You absolute idiot."

Lee chuckled, breathless. "That's my name."

Sydney, still catching her breath, shot him a half-hearted glare. "I had that."

"No, you didn't," Sid said bluntly.

Lee smirked, looking at Erica through half-lidded eyes. "You worried about me?"

Erica shoved him. Hard. "No. I'm worried about your stupidity."

Sid kicked at the beast's corpse. "This thing was annoying." He wiped the blood off his blades, still looking far too pleased with himself.

Erica let out a slow breath. This wasn't over. Victor Victoria was still out there. And now, they weren't just playing around.

But for now—she turned back to Lee, watching him wince as he shifted—she had other things to deal with.