Notorious

Chapter 19 - Giant squid VS Octoshark?

Chapter 19 - Giant squid VS Octoshark?

Jason.

"So what about were-wolves? How were they created?" I asked Saskia, who was now sat cross-legged on her chair.
"The word lycanthropy is named after the man who tried to feed Zeus human, who you already know was apparently zapped into a wolf."
"And that's just made up." I nodded.
"Correct, what really happened was that the vampires got... Out of hand. They took down villages, and as time went on they took down towns and even whole cities. The Fable couldn't sit back and let it happen, but at the time they didn't have any weapons apart from their own magic. So they gathered the bones of wolves and ground them to dust, adding a white flower and a red one, human blood and a vampires venom, as asked for by the warlock helping them. They fed this mixture in small doses to humans, slowly upping the dosage. It didn't work and all of the patients died from poisoning. The red flower burned their insides while the white flower stopped all healing processes. It was only when the men gathering these flowers saw wolves eating berries from the very same bush that the flowers came from that they decided to try this potion on the wolves. They changed the wolf bone to a humans and the blood of a human to the blood of the wolf and the creatures grew bigger and stronger, more intelligent and deadly quiet.
"But although they had the strength and agility to kill vampires, they did not posses the intelligence of a human. Lycan, the warlock who created the potion, grew very fond of his 'pets' as he called them, and got too close. He was bitten by one of the wolves and then all of the creatures were killed and named too dangerous to exist. But Lycan was already changing. After not so long he shifted for the first time and when he saw what he could now do he told the Fable. He bit more people to turn them and they started to do the same with more animals. Thus creating were-cats, were-dogs, were-tigers-"
"Were-bunnies." I interupted.
Saskia laughed. "Don't talk about the bunnies around Laylan, touchy subject."
"Ive already been told the thrilling story of the horrifying day he was bitten." I laughed too.
"Don't let him hear you say that," A voice came from the door way. "He might just turn you into a bunny yourself." Notorious walked in closer and smiled at me. "Sorry we took so long."
She kissed my cheek and then stepped away from me and studied my face.
After a long look her mouth twitched into a grin.
"Do i have something on my face?" I frowned, wiping at my cheek with the back of my hand.
"Nope. I've decided that i really like your face. It is a good face." She nodded.
"Id take it, Jase. Its the most you'll get from her." Saskia said, tipping her head in Notorious' direction.
"My skirt looks terrible on you, by the way." Notorious said to Saskia, but still looking my way. "But i guess not everyone can have my legs."
She sat down in my chair and crossed her legs dramatically for emphasis, grinning at Saskia.
"I may not have the legs for this skirt but you dont have the feet for those shoes." Saskia smirked.
I looked at Notorious' open toes shoes. Her claws were out, she must have been stood listening before she came in and forgot to change some of her features back.
"Dancers feet, Miss. Aeygrin." Notorious put an accent on Saskias last name that i couldn't pinpoint.
"Then lets dance, Miss. Charms." Saskia stood up and held out a hand to Notorious, who also stood up and took Saskias hand.
Notorious waved her other hand and a CD player flew from one of the cupboards. I vaguely wondered why they would keep a CD player in the training room and laughed at the thought of someone like Laylan doing push ups to 'eye of the tiger'.
Classical music began to play and Saskia and Notorious started to dance.

Notorious.

Notorious kicked her shoes off and took the lead.
"Oh, you like leading. Interesting." Saskia smiled. "Is this a sign of your over controlling nature and need to be in charge?"
Notorious gave a sweet smile back. "You just seem a little fragile to take charge, Sassy."
Saskia swung Notorious in a circle and then fell into step leading. Notorious pulled Saskia in close and put a hand on her hip, once again taking the lead.
She saw saskias eyes look away for a moment, and Notorious followed her line of sight.
Jason was sat grinning, not taking his eyes off of the two of them.
"Dancing has never interested me much." Notorious said in a bored tone.
"Maybe that's because you're not a Lady."
"I was, once. But haven't we all been? Not exactly a big feat when youve have 2 or 3 lifetimes to accomplish it. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave, i want to start my training with Jason and Laylan." Notorious smiled and let go of Saskia.
"But of course, Miss. Charms." Saskia mock-bowed.
"A pleasure as always, Miss. Aeygrin." Notorious kissed her cheek and Saskia kissed hers.
Saskia then left, smiling and nodding a goodbye to Jason.
"Laylan will be here soon, hes just got to fill Hermy in on which weapons we will need training in." Notorious told Jason as she took down her hair, letting it tumble in soft waves down her back.
"Also, you may want to buy yourself some bigger clothes." She added, looking out how tightly Jasons top was clinging to his body.
"Although, i cant say im complaining..." She grinned.
"We're going to be changing, aren't we?" Jason grimaced.
"Yeah, but don't worry, i can stop you if things get out of hand and Laylan knows how to stop me." Notorious took her gun from its holster and put it onto the chair that Saskia was sat in.
"Thats his last resort?" Jason looked worried.
"Its always been our last resort, Ive always told him that the moment i look like ill do something that id regret that he should shoot me."
"Bewteen the eyes." Laylans voice came from the door way. "You always emphasize that part when warning me. 'between the eyes, Laylan. We take no chances.' you say."
He walked into view and as soon as the light hit his face you could see that the past weeks had taken its toll on him. You couldn't tell in the room that they had discussed battle tactics in, it was dark there. But here in full view, Notorious could see just how much his face and stature had aged.
Laylan picked up the gun and checked if it was full, and then sat down and rested the gun in his lap along aside his cane.
"Jason, take the top off." Laylan ordered.
"Um..." Jason started to blush and Notorious rolled her eyes. She held his top at both sides and ripped it to shreds. A few more pulls and it was in pieces on the floor.
"When you change you get bigger and stronger, that top would feel equal to you wearing one of mine." Notorious explained.
"Oh, oh okay then." He still looked self-conscious.
"If it would help ill take mine off too." Notorious grinned and Jason went a brighter shade of red. "Or Laylan can."
Laylan stood up, and started to unbutton his waist coat, winking at Jason.
"No!" Jason said. "I mean, no its okay. Im good."
Notorious laughed at Jason and Laylan laughed with her.
"Honestly. He has no reason to feel conscious and yet..." Laylan waved his hand towards Jason, who was trying to cover himself with his arms.
Notorious slapped him over the head and he stopped fidgeting.
"Take a deep breath, both of you." Laylan instructed. "Notorious, you know what to do from here, just stop when your monster is about to come out."
Notorious nodded and closed her eyes, she felt Jasons hand slip into hers, warm, strong and comforting.
She thought of when Jason laid in her arms, bleeding, and she had no idea weather or not he would live and become a monster or dye. The monster stirred.
"Got it, my dear?" Laylan asked and Notorious nodded. "Good, try and hold it. Jason, you know when you connected with magic you had to tame it, make sure you were in control of it, this is what its going to feel like, except a lot more difficult. Come close to shifting, but don't. Hold it back."
Notorious felt Jasons hand tense in hers and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Got it." Jason said through clenched teeth.
"Good, now here's the hard part!" Laylan said. "Hold it for as long as possible, both of you, show it that you are in control and that you can push it back at a moments notice. Keep it stable but try not to think about it too much."
After around 10 minutes Notorious was finding it easier to hold back her monster, it was as if she had calmed it down. Instead of it being an emotion fueled mess it was now almost sleepy again, ready to fall back into the back of Notorious' mind.
Jason must have felt the same because he was no longer gripping Notorious and no longer sweating or straining.
"Has your... Other side, so to speak, relaxed?" Laylan smiled.
notorious and Jason nodded triumphantly.
"Let it out. Little by little. But bring out each feature yourself, control which one comes first, second, third..."
Notorious' skin tingled as if it were about to change, but she held it back and grew out her claws. Jason followed suit and she felt his claws dig into the back of her hand, drawing blood.
She opened her eyes and looked into his. Red.
Notorious let her eyes blacken and she winked at him and let her teeth grow, shooting him a fanged grin.
Jason licked his top lip and when his tongue came away it revealed fangs of his own.
"I'm not sure i should be watching this..." Laylan muttered.
Jasons skin started to darken into a deep tan and fur grew up the center of his chest and lightly over his arms.
Notorious brought up her spare hand to her mouth and coughed into it, as she coughed her skin immediately became blue and scaly.
Jason raised his eyebrows and smirked, obviously impressed. He then started to grow taller and his muscles grew bigger.
He now towered above Notorious, and so she let her own limbs elongate, but she only grew about 2 inches taller compared to Jasons 5 inches taller.
"Are you two quite finished?" Laylan said.
Jason shook his head and as he did his ears grew and pointed. Notorious pointed her own ears and stuck out her tongue, which was now forked.
"Done." Jason said proudly.
"I... Hmm..." Notorious said, confused.
"What?" Jason and Laylan both asked, confussed and worried.
"This is what happens every time i change but... I feel like there's more." Notorious explain, slightly worried herself.
"What do you mean, more?" Jason took her other hand.
"Its like..." She sighed, trying to think of how to word it. "It doesn't feel like i can change anything more, it feels like i could... I don't know, add more."
"What, like more body parts?" Jason now looked very worried.
"Exactly." Notorious looked at Laylan for reassurement, but he looked just as confused.
"Where?" Laylan asked. "Can you feel where you should be changing?"
Notorious shook her head. "No, because it doesn't feel like it normally does, it feels like something inside me."
"Do you think you could control it?"
"I don't know... I've only just found it really."
"Try..." Jason urged.
"Laylan?" Notorious asked.
He shook his head. "No, its too risky." His eyes drifted down to the gun in his hands. "Not until we know that you're in control."
Notorious looked at Laylan, tears stinging her eyes. "You wont have to kill me, my Laylan. I wont do that to you."
"Not on purpose, my dear, but you may." He smiled sadly.
"I wont change fully, not today at least." Notorious reassured him.
Laylan passed the gun to Notorious and she put it in her holster.
"Right, shall we have a little fun?" Notorious grinned.
"I'm not sure i like where this is going..." Jason looked worried.
"Fight me."
"No no no. Nope. I don't want to hurt you."
Notorious and Laylan laughed. "I can see why you keep him around." Laylan chuckled. "He's quite the joker isn't he?"
"God, i know! Hurt me, so cute." Notorious winked.
"Fine, okay then. Lets fight." Jason scowled and Notorious' grin widened.
"Shall we make it more... Interesting?" She suggested.
"I love it when Notorious makes things interesting." Laylan was now grinning too.
"Make it interesting how?" Jason looked sceptical.
Notorious bit her lip in thought.
"If i win," She began. "Then you have to wear a dog collar and lead whenever i decide." She gave him an evil smile.
"Okay then. If i win then you sell the motorbike and we pick a car together."
Notorious' eyes widened for a moment, and then her face settled back into a smug grin.
"Deal." She held out her hand and Jason shook it. She squeezed his hand and there was a crack.
Jason pulled his hand away, looking curiously as his 3 broken fingers.
"That wasn't very nice." He said, popping the bones back into place and wincing slightly as they healed themselves.
"I was curious about how fast you healed. Now that i know i don't have to go so easy on you."
"Youre an odd woman, Miss. Charms." Jason half-smiled.
"A relationship tends to occur when a man or woman finds another person who is just as odd as they are, and together they become completely bonkers, Mr. Gold."
"You're already completely bonkers." Jason pointed out.
"And you are totally disastrous."
"Then god help Yorkshire, Notorious and Jason are coming."
"God help the world. Its Disastrous and Notorious." Laylan muttered.
"Disasterous. Got a ring to it, huh?" Notorious chuckled.
"Stop chatting and hit me, woman."
"Ooh, feisty!"
Laylan pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
Jason gave him a confused look.
"Sending it to Merredith, Saskia, Tarquin and Hermit. I wouldn't want them to miss this."
"And because you want to make a few quid." Notorious rolled her eyes.
"Hes going to bet on who wins?" Jason asked.
"He does this every time i get a new opponent." She shrugged as everyone burst through the door.
"Oh good, they haven't started." Merredith skipped into the room and stood with Laylan against a wall, away from where Jason and Notorious would be fighting.
"Lizard woman VS dog-man. This will be better than giant squid VS octoshark." Hermit clapped.
"You watch some wierd rubbish." Saskia gave him an odd look.
"It was an awesome movie!" Tarquin grinned, giving Hermit a high five.
"Theres something very wrong with those boys." Notorious said quietly to Jason.
Jason went red. "Um, yeah. Weirdos."
"Youve seen it too, havent you?" Notorious asked, although she already knew the answer.
"It was brilliant, don't judge me." he confessed and Notorious sighed.
"I was better off when i was dating women."
"Y-you did what?" Jasons eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.
"Oh, you have so much to learn about me." Her mouth twitched into a grin. "The 1950's were my wild years." She laughed.
"Round up round up!" Merredith called. "Place your bets! Beast-man or Lizard woman?"
"£30 on Notorious." Laylan called, handing Merredith the money.
"£30 on Jason." Tarquin called.
"£30 on Jason." Saskia handed over the money as well.
"£30 for Notorious to win." Hermit winked at Notorious.
"And i think ill go Notorious too." Merredith put her own £30 in the pile of money.
"Traitor!" Jason called to Hermit.
"You wont be saying that when I'm mopping your blood from your face." He grinned.
Merredith took out her whip and threw it to Notorious.
"How come she gets a weapon?" Jason scowled.
Laylan threw his cane to Jason.
"Try not to get blood on it." Laylan smiled. "Not Notorious' blood, of course. Your own blood, i doubt you'll get a hit in."
Notorious started to circle Jason.
"Ready?" She asked him.
He gave a smug smile a bared his teeth.
Notorious cracked the whip upwards and wrapped it around a beam above her. She jumped and climbed it, and then stood on the beam.
"Up here, sweetie." She motioned for him to join her.
He looked around for a way up, but then crouched down, looked up towards the beams, and sprung.
He landed two beams away from Notorious. She jumped and grabbed a hold of the next beam and then swung herself onto Jason, covering his eyes with her hands.
"Guess who!" She laughed as he tried to shake her off.
She took her hands away and grabbed a beam above her head, and swung. Kicking out with her legs, hitting Jason and making him fall from his beam.
He landed on four feet, cracking the floor beneath him slightly.
The crowd 'ooh-ed' at his landing.
"I thought you were half dog, not half cat." Notorious giggled. swinging down onto the floor. "Lets see just how good that balance is."
She swung the whip around Jasons ankle to pull him over, but he wrapped the cane around the whip and pulled it from Notorious' grasp.
The crowd now gasped.
Notorious smiled. "You're not too bad, are you?"
Jason ran at her and Notorious spun to the side, letting him run right past her.
He turned around and twirled the cane in his fingers, and then slowly walked up to her.
He swung at her head and she ducked. He then swung at her shoulder and she ducked again and deflected his swing with her hand. She punched his stomach but it didn't seem to have an affect.
While she was distracted he tapped her on the butt with the cane.
Notorious laughed. She was usually the one to mess around while fighting.
"I must be a good influence." She chuckled to herself.
She spun around to face him again just in time to see the cane swinging towards her face, hitting her in the jaw.
"Ow. You're really going to regret that."
Jason grinned.
Notorious slid between his legs and came up behind him, he turned around and Notorious hit him in the nose with her elbow. His hands came up to cover his nose and she hit him in both arms.
Now that his arms were away she kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over and she brought her knee up to his crotch, but didn't hit.
"Now that would have really hurt." She giggled, pushing him away and giving him a few seconds to recover.
She walked over to him and he kicked at her leg. Notorious jumped over his kick and responded with a punch into his jaw.
Jason rubbed his face where she had hit.
She jumped onto him, pushing him to the floor and landing on top of him.
She leaned in to his neck and brushed her fangs along his neck and ear.
"Dead." She whispered and sat up, smiling.
Notorious started to get up but Jason pulled her back down on top of him, rolling over so that he was now on top.
"You got me. What now, Mr. Gold." She whispered.
He grinned and trailed kisses down her jaw.
"Someone get me a bucket... Or a rope." Notorious heard Laylan said.
She laughed and she felt Jason smile against her neck.
Notorious got up and held her arms in the air.
Merredith skipped over and cleared her throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Our champion!"
Notorious looked back and Jason, who was clapping his hands and grinning at her.
He tilted his head to the side and winked at her.
"Birds taken on a final form." She called to him. "A wolf."
He rolled his eyes at the irony of it and stood up to join the group.
"Celebratory pizza? Anyone?" He suggested.
"Not buying!" Laylan shouted.
There was a chorus of 'not buying's from everyone except Jason, who was too slow.
Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"Alright!" He said, holding his hands in the air in surrender.
Merredith handed out money to the winners as they walked back to Notorious' house.
They turned the corner on the corridor to Notorious' house to see a man at her door.
"Can i help you?" Notorious asked.
"The Council Leaders request your presence, Miss. Charms." The man said.
"And my colleague?" She asked.
"They didn't say anything about a colleague, but they did mention that they wanted to see a Mr. Gold, your apprentice."
"He wont be an apprentice for long, trust me." She said.
"My apologies, Miss. Charms." The man said. "I am meant to escort you."
"Oh, you think that i can not find my own way there?"
"No, i... Um."
"Is it because i am a woman? You think i can not find my own directions?" Notorious now had her hands on her hips.
"No, that's not what i meant-"
"You sexist pig, i should have you reported and fired!"
"P-please..."
"I wont report you today, now get out of my sight before i change my mind!"
"T-thank you... I'm sorry-"
"Out!"
The man ran away and didn't look back.
"You are one scary lady." Jason said.
"I could bring a man to his knees in a single word if i wanted." She gave an evil half-smile.
"Shes not lying." Hermit said. "I've seen it."
The rest of the group nodded and mumbled in agreement.
"I'm really regretting punching you now..." Jason whimpered.
"It was a bit of a girly punch anyway. You didn't even knock out any of my teeth." Notorious laughed.
Jason scowled.
"Don't pull faces, dear, you'll get wrinkles." She said. "Come on, i have more people to argue with."
And as everyone went to Notorious' house to eat pizza, Notorious and Jason left to go and see the Council Leaders in their 'throne room'.