The Misadventures of the Man Formerly Known as Victor Heart

“Welcome my boy!” a voice called out as soon as I entered my apartment.

I took in the man standing in my living room. He stood as a mountain of muscle at seven feet, five hundred pounds. He had a kind face though, albeit one marred by age and scars. What really grabbed my attention though was the hand covered with brown and black paint.

With an eye roll, “Did you really have to kill it? Those take quite some effort to make I’ll have you know.”

“That beast attacked me first my boy. Also please do not bullsh*t me, I know that painting probably only took a visit to a paint store and walking through a pet cemetery.”

“Fair enough… so why the audit?” I asked with a chuckle.

“I thought I’d meet the newest location head and kick the tires so to speak.”

So, we are avoiding the herd of elephants in the room. Good to know.

“Welcome to Slaughterville, Department Head Brogan. How can I assist your audit?”

“Please my boy, as a friend of my daughter call me Bulk.” Bulk told me while looking me dead in the eyes. Ok so not every elephant.

“Well Bulk, I’m currently investigating a case involving a suspicious death. Feel free to shadow me. I also have the physical versions of all my submitted case files as is procedure.” I had been preparing for an audit since day one as I knew that the slightest error would hang me. Now that was back before our unofficial agreement that we both ignore that I’m not the original Agent Cole, but habits persist.

“Anya tells me your reports are airtight. If she can’t find a flaw, an old hunting dog like me would just be wasting his time. So, I’ll just shadow you on this case of yours.” Bulk said with a chuckle.

I don’t know what I believe less that Anya who could recite every procedure for every form of law enforcement in the world by memory couldn’t find a procedural flaw or Bulk Brogan who is one of the best investigators to ever grace the MFBI couldn’t find a flaw in one of my cover stories. Cause make no mistake, Bulk was far from “an old hunting dog”. He had a degree in criminal justice, psychology, forensic accounting, computer forensics, and just plain old forensics.

“My first order of business is to look through our records for what I could be walking into. Then we have a long day and night of wandering around the industrial district looking for our guy.”

“Sounds good my boy.”

***

After an afternoon of research and discussion I had narrowed down the list to four likely possibilities: gargoyle, flying monkey, chimera, or fallen angel. Each fit what I was looking for but also had some disqualifying trait.

The gargoyle had the form, the hunting method, and the region. It did not have the victim selection as they were protectors and would never attack the victim.

The flying monkey had it all except region and hunting method were both a little off. Flying monkeys were more of a European creature. While it was not impossible to see one stateside, it was unlikely. Additionally, their hunting method matched how this creature hunted, but they did not have the physicality to drive a person through concrete.

A chimera was a possibility, but only because they could come in any form or nature. The category was so broad that any collection of traits could match one. So, while chimera was possible, it was not remotely helpful.

The last of my options, a fallen angel, was the least likely. Now fallen angels were not anything close to true fallen angels and thank God for that or the devil. The fallen angels I was talking about were closer to succubae. They were soul suckers that looked like emaciated androgenous humans with sunken black eyes and gray featured wings. Early supernatural scholars saw something that resembled the bible, and the name stuck. The only thing that matched was form. The only reason I included it was due to the rarity of a humanoid form with wings growing out of their back.

Now it was time to wander the streets hoping I get lucky enough to find a trail.

***

Two hours of walking in awkward silence with my dead best friend’s father later, we received a report of a similar case.

We quickly moved to the scene of the crime. When we arrived a few minutes later, I observed something strange, the area was completely devoid of aggression. Which was odd because even a coffee shop has some level of ambient aggression. This means that someone or something cleared the area of aggression.

None of my candidates even have the potential to do that, which is troubling. On the other hand, I now had a trail of missing aggression that I could follow right to it.

As neither of us could fly, we made our way to the rooftops and followed the trail from there.

“There it is my boy!” Bulk called out while pointing at a shape flying in the distance.

“I see it.” I told my companion before pulling out Murder Weapon and shaping it into a handle and bow limbs. I then created the bow string using Idle Hands.

I aimed and prepared my shot, but before I could fire, I was interrupted.

“I got it my boy!” Bulk shouted before proceeding to stomp on the ground, sending a wave of orange chi enhanced gravity. The figure dropped like a rock and hit the ground in the middle of a desolate street.

We quickly made our way there.

Good news, it was a gargoyle which means that I was right. Bad news, something was happening in this city that corrupted a benevolent magical creature. Gargoyles were meant to be protectors of the innocent and defenseless, this one was so hopped up on aggression that it had turned into a rabid dog. And as everyone knows the only thing you can do for a rabid dog is to put it out of its misery.

When we finally stood before the gray stone creature, the orange holding it against the ground suddenly faded.

_

Isto

“Me. Protect. Good. Punish. Bad.”

Grade C

_

“I’ll let you handle this one my boy. I need to see you in action after all.”

“Fuc…” was all I got out before the creature launched me into a nearby parked car.

*Crack*

After I cracked my neck, I was ready for round two.

When the gargoyle next flew at me, I was prepared. I sidestepped it to the left while throwing Murder Weapon in knife form to the right with a water imbued Idle Hands thread.

The Gargoyle was promptly bisected.

I walked over to the body, “Well, that was underwhelming.”

“You’re telling me my boy. So, what now?” Bulk asked.

“I figure you try to kill me; I kill you, then I take the gargoyle remains.” My voice echoed out through the silent street.

Behind me Bulk finished putting on a pair of golden brass knuckles.

“I quite like that first part my boy.”

Being:

Body:

[Nascent Energy Vampire Progenitor]

Soul Tattoos:

[Celestial Weaving]

[Sand: Tier Three]

[Water: Tier Five]

[Faith: Tier One]

[Holy Water: Tier Three]

[Shadow: Tier Five]

[Necromancy: Tier Five]

[Rot: Tier ErRoR]

[Phoenix Fire: Tier Nine]

Special Abilities:

[Empowerment: Tier Nine]

[Emotional Empowerment: Tier One]

[Emotional Manipulation: Tier One]

Current Equipment:

Head:

[The Black Wasp Jackal’s Face]

[Vampire’s Hunger]

Earrings:

[]

Necklace:

[]

Clothes:

[Idle Hands]

Rings:

[The Mentalism Ring]

[Mena’s Book]

[Petrifying Ring]

[Olivia’s Friendship]

[Brash Ring]

Bracelets:

[]

Shoes:

[Comet Kicks]

Armaments:

[Beastly Heart]

[Murder Weapon]

Storage:

[Various Utility Artifacts]

[Various Articles Of Clothing]

[Death Dogtags]

[Leech Muscles]

[Leech Teeth]

[Chimeric Essence]

[Spark Of Emotive Flame]