[REND] B2. 8.2 - The Gangster and the Sister

Facing the building, I listened as Fister 2000 rattled away. My Blanchette mask floated above my right hand, while I held my shotgun with my left. Since the mask was already glowing, I didn’t use my flashlight, tucking it into my pocket.

Overdrive and his men would’ve seen my mask, but I doubted they’d know what it was. To them, it’d appear like I was summoning a bizarre energy ball or something. I wanted my mask available in case the Adumbrae lurking around here would attack.

It didn’t.

But it should be watching me, perhaps from one of the unlit windows above. I could feel it…

Or it could be my imagination. How was I supposed to sense that someone was looking at me? That was a cheesy trope, like the main character sensing that they were being followed. But I was sure that there was an Adumbrae here, the same Adumbrae that escaped from the tunnels because of me.

Since the Adumbrae didn’t want to show itself, I decided to take my time examining the parking area. I walked over another car that was slanted against the pickup truck next to it. Moving it to the side, I found another patch of dried blood and lots of clumps of flesh.

Someone violently squeezed a human in an instant, blood bursting everywhere. His flesh got mashed and forced through the gaps of the massive fist as it closed, leaving behind these sloppy meatballs. I knew because I had done it to someone when I was a giant werewolf. Most PCM members at the bunker were killed in a similar fashion. If this were Kelsey, she must’ve gotten fucking huge to grab whole bodies.

I headed to the main doors. The Adumbrae must be inside. Why else would it clear the bodies it had killed in the parking area and hastily cover the gore with cars? It wouldn’t bother unless it had planned to stay.

I kicked the doors, breaking them off their hinges. The right door flew into the darkness inside and knocked down a tall vase, making quite a noise. That should announce my presence, if the Adumbrae wasn’t aware yet.

My shotgun’s barrel led the way into the building. It wasn’t going to do anything to the Adumbrae unless I jammed it up its mouth and fired, but I had to look cool. We could include this clip in the trailer. Still, I really wanted to shoot the shotgun if the Adumbrae would attack me. I had never fired a shotgun before and was giddy to try.  

“Hello? Anyone here?” I didn’t wear my Blanchette mask yet because I hoped to chat with the Adumbrae. “Smells awful. Ah, here are the bodies.”

Piled next to a statue were the corpses from the parking area. They no longer looked like people, but the stench confirmed what they were. I hurried past them, walking over the dark red floor, before I’d vomit all the donuts in my stomach.

I checked the rest of the first floor, finding stacks of wooden crates filling most of it, including the side rooms. I kicked one open. Several plastic packets spilled on the floor.

“Pills? Oh, these must be the new drugs the PCM is selling,” I said, kneeling for a closer look.

As the gangsters had mentioned, they did look like candies. They were circular with a glossy shell and came in various colors.

Why did the PCM start selling these drugs after the 2Ms had retreated from the city? It couldn’t be for money; the PCM had plenty to fund their anti-Adumbrae technology and weird monster body parts. Should I give some pills to Dario to pass to the Professor, or keep them a secret? Would any of my gangster minions know a scientist who could analyze these pills?

Part of me wanted to pop one into my mouth to test it. I swear that I just wanted to check if it could counter my Adumbrae transformation, not to experience getting high.

As an Adumbrae-Corebring hybrid, the drug’s negative effects shouldn’t harm me, right? I’d simply heal it. Then again, I probably couldn’t get high for the same reason.

I didn’t take any drugs, Mom, I proudly thought, standing up and walking away.

I’d count drugs as covered by Rule #10: Don't drink alcohol. The rationale for Rule #10 was that getting inebriated could ruin the face I wore. The same logic should apply to drugs.

I found three more dead bodies on the first floor. Two were squished just like the others. The last guy hid in the restroom and offed himself with a gun, deciding that it was a better fate than meeting the Adumbrae.

That led to the question—should I meet this Adumbrae?

It should lean more into being a Complete Manifestation than a mindless failure. It had enough sanity to lie low when the PCM arrived, recognizing that they had the means to recapture it. The Adumbrae also somewhat cleared the parking area. It didn’t do much to hide the killings, but an attempt was made. Whether this Adumbrae was Kelsey or someone else, I wanted to talk to it.

But would it want to talk with me?

I assumed that the Adumbrae had mostly asserted control over the seeded human mind. If the otherworldly entity was chill like Spooky Erind, then there was a possibility of an alliance. Though I highly doubted that.

Even if the Adumbrae wasn’t amenable to becoming friends, I wanted to—needed to talk to it. I was desperate for information about being an Adumbrae.

How was the progression of the bodily changes? What happened to the human mind? Would I be technically dead if Spooky Erind won, or would I be trapped in my head forever, just watching the world, but couldn’t do anything? What the hell was Spooky Erind supposed to be, anyway? She wasn’t like other Adumbrae I had heard of. And a whole lot more questions.

Searching on the internet was a no-no because I might get flagged and investigated by the BID. Spooky Erind was lousy at answering questions. Sorry, Spooky Erind. Given that she was taking over my body, singing her meyoumeyoumeyou song, I shouldn’t trust any of her words.

The Adumbrae in this building might not be so willing to tell me anything, especially given that I had an artificial Core. What would the Adumbrae make of that?

But beating up the Adumbrae was an option. Couldn’t do that to Spooky Erind. If torturing an Adumbrae for information would work, I could also try forcing it to tell me how to cure myself.

If that were possible.

Assuming I even wanted to become a normal human again.

Hey, Spooky Erind, I furiously thought. Stop influencing me!

My performance at the docks gave me the confidence to take on the mysterious Adumbrae. No way it’d also have mind-fuckery powers like Illusion Eye, right? That’d be boring if they had the same power. If this Adumbrae turned out stronger than me, I could always run. Problem was that I’d have to come up with a fantastical story to give my minions why I lost the fight.

I went upstairs, my footsteps echoing in the lonely silence. The red glow of my floating Blanchette mask lit my way until I reached one of the rooms with the lights on. Some guns were lying around, and mounds of the colorful pills were on the table for repacking. A shattered sofa, its middle crunched into bloody foam and splinters, showed that someone had been killed here, too.

“How big is this Adumbrae?” I wondered, recalling Myra’s explanation about Kelsey’s powers.

Kelsey could project-grab something, and it’d end up in her hand. I assumed that meant Kelsey’s projection was the same size as her hand.

If the Adumbrae in the building had large enough hands to crush the sofa, it shouldn’t fit into the doorway. Unless it had disproportionally colossal hands with a human-sized body? I chuckled at the absurd image while quickly searching the rest of the upper floor.

No Adumbrae. Too bad.

It must be hiding in the basement.

That meant the Adumbrae was ready for a fight. The basement was an enclosed area with not much space for me to run. It could easily grab and crush me if it were that strong. My Blanchette form was tougher than any Adumbrae I had encountered.

I descended the stairs, ignoring other areas, and went to Overdrive’s private room. It was the perfect place for a confrontation. I stared at the leather-covered doors, basking in the red glow of my mask.

Everything was quiet. My heart pounded in anticipation. I had a new face for this Adumbrae, something that I had never worn before. I would be a monster talking to another monster. Dramatic and badass scenes rushed forth in my mind. And if there were a fight, I could become Blanchette again and feel the immense power.

Be careful, I reminded my reckless self. It was difficult to fear death, given that I was supposed to be dead.

Not that I feared dying even when I was a regular human.

I leaned against the door, pushing it open, instead of kicking it down. The first thing that hit me was the odor of death. The smell of gore had cooped up in Overdrive’s room, turning up its foulness. Slightly parting my mouth to breathe, I could taste the decay.

I had my shotgun drawn as I entered. Cool blue lights lined the sides of the floor and the ceiling, giving everything a blue shade, though barely illuminating the room. In the middle was a bunch of sofas formed into half a rectangle facing the door.

Sitting in the center was the Adumbrae. Her appearance wasn’t what I had expected.

The Adumbrae had a humanoid figure, her slender form and curves indicating femininity. She was also completely naked. But instead of human skin, her body shimmered, as if she were covered with thousands of sequins. Her scales flashed blue from the lighting as she stood up.

Eight feet? A bit more? The top of her curved horns almost reached the low ceiling.

Horns? I want horns too! It pained me to concede that this Adumbrae looked more badass than Blanchette. Hotter, too. Kind of like a succubus demon.

Quickly scanning the room, I spotted some more crates, odd machines, and squished bodies. I couldn’t tell how many people were killed, but most of the floor was covered in blood.

The Adumbrae sat here, in this smelly room, waiting for me so she could have her big reveal. I appreciated her cooperation in making this movie great.

She cocked her head, causing her long, bluish hair to cascade over her breasts. Her golden eyes regarded me. The slit pupils made her look like a snake, along with her scales.

Her facial features were more angular, cheekbones sharpened as if sculpted from marble. If she looked like Kelsey, I couldn’t really say. I barely interacted with Kelsey in law school, and I wasn’t good with faces. Some similarities to Myra were there, I guess?

“You are wielding a gun,” the Adumbrae said in an amused tone. As she spoke, she revealed sharp teeth, as if they were filed into small triangles. Her voice had a gentle and fairy-like quality, a sharp contrast to her appearance.

“I didn’t know if you were a friend or foe,” I said, willing myself to remain calm despite the goosebumps on my arms.

Too bad Kelsey appeared to have lost the battle of wills. I was talking to my second Adumbrae, and she thinks I was like her. Excitement aside, I started to wonder why she decided to meet me. Didn’t she suspect that I was with the PCM?

I lowered my gun but didn’t say anything more. The tricky part began—presenting myself as an Adumbrae that had taken over my seeded host. I wanted to extract as much information as possible without fighting. Doubts also crept into my mind about my chances of winning. What Threat Tier was this Complete Manifestation?

“You smell… fascinating,” said the Adumbrae, narrowing her eyes at me.

I matched her gaze, keeping an impassive face despite her odd choice of words. She could somehow sense that I was an Adumbrae, which was why she met with me. I didn’t have that ability. Was it because I was in control of my body, not Spooky Erind?

The Adumbrae stepped closer. My eyes flicked down. The blood on the floor parted, outlining a footprint that was much larger than her foot. Another step. The same thing happened.

Did she have an invisible armor of sorts? This must be why she seemed to change sizes, kind of like how Myra encases her body with junk. But this was an unseen forcefield. Could this be the upgrade of Kelsey’s projecting grabby-grabby powers?

“What… Who are you?” the Adumbrae asked.

The changing question rang alarms in my head. Another problem was that she wanted me to introduce myself first. That was against Rule #3.

“You’re Kelsey,” I said. This was a solution for the common challenge with this Rule.

It also pulled the initiative on my side, off-balancing the Adumbrae. I didn’t say that she was inhabiting Kelsey’s body. Spooky Erind was always on about how we were one person; maybe all Adumbrae thought the same with their host.

The Adumbrae’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, but she didn’t speak, clearly shocked.

Was I right? The elusive Kelsey was finally found after all this time! I sorely wanted to know what was going on in the Adumbrae’s head. She must be wondering how I knew the identity of her host body. Would she conclude that I was in cahoots with the PCM all along? I brought my right hand closer to my face.

The Adumbrae looked at my mask. She smiled, seemingly relaxing. “Yes, I am Kelsey,” was her reply, clearing the obstacle of Rule #3.

“I’m Clarice,” I said. Kelsey would recognize my not-so-common real name; I was still unsure if and when I’d reveal my identity to this Adumbrae. “You seem to be in trouble. I’ve been watching you.” With that, I made myself to be more intimidating than I really was.

Kelsey, the Adumbrae, nodded. “It was you who freed me, unblocking my path.”

“Yes,” I said, omitting that it was through inadvertence. “I wanted to save the others as well, but I couldn’t.” I aimed to have this Kelsey owe me, if Adumbrae even had the concept of debt.

“And why did you save me?” Kelsey asked.

(Author's Notes: We can have an ad on RR with the picture of a Succubus, captioned, “Meet her on chapter 98”. Just kidding. If I'm not mistaken, not counting Spooky Erind, this is the first conversation with an Adumbrae (the otherworldly entity, not the human) that has been shown on REND. Nothing like this happened in the Prior Cycle. There were other sane natural Adumbrae in the Prior Cycle, but they all had their human minds win control. Let's see what Erind can manage with this Adumbrae.)