WRATH AND PATIENCE
Story by LiveIron on SoFurry
>Rebecca is roaring long before you get to her.
>You pound faster through the halls, sparing only a few disabling shots on the occasional thrall.
>"Patrick!" she yells, her voice shaking the timbers. "Come out!"
>The stairway up is full of holes. The growing crowd of claws and teeth behind you helps you jump.
>"You wanted a monster? You have one now!"
>You drop a charge at the top of the stairs, blowing the brittle wood to bits.
>You know there's more stairwells, but at least the monsters will have one less.
>Rebecca is knee-deep in the creatures when you find her in an old study.
>A fire burns in the hearth, casting a flickering glow.
>You tense.
>Fire.
>Blood.
>Machineguns and shotgun-blasts.
>The report of the Kolibri brings you back to the present, out of that alleyway.
>You fire at the anthro thralls, Talia's hand guiding you.
>Rebecca doesn't seem to notice.
>She whirls in the center of the room, swinging the enormous blade as if it were aluminum.
>What it doesn't slice, it cracks.
>An occasional monster slips beneath her guard; the tigress barely notices when her hips send them flying.
>Others are trampled.
>You lose track of how long you're shooting for, how many arcs of blood you see fly.
>Then all at once, the flow of twisted fur stops.
>Rebecca growls, gripping her sword tight.
>"Patrick!" she screams once more.
>Your neck tingles, and you flip down the PsyScope.
>"You did it! I am a monster!"
>Your eyes dart around the room, trying to make anything out through the background noise.
>"Now come out so I can show you how right you were!"
>Then you see it.
>You throw the disruption charge just as the wall bursts into a hail of splinters.
>Your vision flashes as the PsyScope takes a hit, your hands and face lighting up in pinpricks. You curse and flip it out of the way.
>The figure standing in the breached wall is hunched over, one hand clutching his head.
>The other holds a staff of twisted metal, the jagged, broken tip glowing red.
>His tattered cloak flutters as he looks at you. You can taste the hatred.
>"Traitor," he spits.
>He whirls the staff into a ready position and faces Rebecca. The mansion shudders with a jerk of his head.
>The scraping of claws and pounding of paws filters through the walls as another wave of thralls approach.
>Your gun darts from head to head, but they just keep coming.
>The center of the room is clear as Patrick walks easily, almost blissfully, towards Rebecca.
>The tigress' huffing growls fill the room before she roars, running to meet him.
>Their weapons meet with sounds louder than your gunshots.
>Their sparks add to the flickering lightshow of the flames and muzzleflash.
>Every strobe is filled with teeth. Claws. Blood.
>But Talia's hands guide yours.
>Her arms keep you centered.
>You don't fear the monsters; you fear slipping back again.
>You stand your ground and take the incoming horde while the former couple clash.
>There's no words between them. Only cries of rage.
>Anguish.
>Wrath.
>You lose track of them as you whirl, slowly beating back the shambling bodies.
>You only look when a steady sound rings out in the chaos.
>Rebecca is down on one knee, sheltering behind her sword while Patrick hammers it with staff-blows.
>"It wouldn't end any other way! It wouldn't end any other way! You've got knives for hands! You would've --"
>The divine bullet doesn't shatter his skull, but it certainly stuns him.
>You fire more as he turns to face you, slower than before.
>Still fast enough you didn't see the swing coming.
>His metal staff reflects your slug with a thunderclap. Your armor stops it, but you still get knocked off your feet.
>The wall behind you cracks when you bang into it.
>"Why would you help them?" Patrick asks.
>You're vaguely aware of his footsteps drawing closer.
>Rebecca snarls and screams as the thralls swarm her.
>"You've seen what they do -- you must have. They auction us off like lottery prizes."
>Ribs might be cracked. Or you're just out of air.
>"Why? Why would you help them? Work with them?"
>"I'm not -- State --" you spit.
>The monster chuckles.
>He lifts your head with the cool end of his staff. His face is thin and twisted, his skull pushing at his skin.
>"Then tell me; why help her?"
>You feel the ground shudder; a red light pierces through the holes of Patrick's tattered cloak
>You see a glow through the holes in his body.
>You shift the Kolibri in your hand.
>"Because -- she's not -- either."
>Talia fires. Patrick still swings, but your shot threw him off.
>The staff misses your head by inches.
>Another roar shakes the room you both recover.
>It's Rebecca's -- but not quite.
>The thing that cuts Patrick's arm off isn't quite her, either.
>The tigress is wreathed in red flame, her stripes burning a bright white.
>Her orange form is bare, but you don't think she's nude.
>She's wearing a new mantle now.
>Patrick cackles even when the tigress slashes again, flinging him into the stones above the hearth.
>"I told you! You see now, housecat?"
>Rebecca snarls; a barb tips her flicking tail as she walks.
>"No matter how good you act, no matter how hard you try, you're beast!"
>Rebecca cuts the staff in twain when he tries to stand.
>"You're built to kill, and to kill, and to fuck. And deep down you enjoy it."
>He looks up at her. His smile is malicious. Deranged.
>Deadly.
>"Go on. Do --"
>The tigress stomps on his legs and kicks him into the fire.
>The whole building shakes.
>Smoke bursts from the hearth as Patrick screams, and Rebecca staggers back. The few thralls left do as well.
>You're glad you're wearing earpro.
>The tigress' flames die, the red glow giving way to tattered red sweater.
>You amble towards her and ready yourself to hold her again.
>Then the flames creep out from around the stone of the hearth.
>The smoke rushes faster and billows about the room.
>The screaming turns to laughter.
>"...fuck."