Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for Flug's backstory. And in my opinion, this idea is awesome (so is the other one that will come out later this week.)

Warnings: descriptions of gore (it's pretty tame here, but in later parts, it gets messy.)... if anything else pops up, I'll let you know.


Anyways, this thing is one of two plot bunnies that have been scampering around in my head since I first saw a villainous short... So like for a couple of weeks. It's born from the show and the song "Runs in the Family" by Amanda Palmer.

In this story, Flug is a monster that eats people, so if you have a problem with that, don't read this. But I promise, if you can get past that, this will be a fun ride, to read and write.


So, I have some explaining to do.

I've been gone for quite some time for an amalgamation of reasons. One, less than a month ago I finished my second year of college, and that semester ate up all of my free time. Two, we still are not done with our house, and that takes up what time that school didn't then and work doesn't now. Three, work hates me. Four, I was working on a commission that I honestly didn't have the time to work on until I got out of that hellish semester.

Since today is my birthday, I would be posting a butt ton of things, but they're for the most part incomplete, but I should have them finished by tomorrow night.

-Keta


Chapter 1

"What are you, sweet creature?" Flug swallows thickly, staring up at the creature in front of him with a mixture of awe and fear; he's felt that feeling before… every time he looks in the mirror. "Certainly not a human… Only a monster could create such carnage with his bare hands."

Unable and unwilling to admit to such a thing, Flug casts his gaze aside where his eyes land upon the ravaged corpse of one of the local superheroes, Captain Colossus. The titan of a man had been tougher to take down than Flug expected, but when compared to his own monstrous strength, a human ribcage is made from toothpicks. Between the mess of organs spewing from his chest and abdomen and the crushed bones in his face, Colossus looks remarkably ordinary, and Flug is instantly reminded that it had been the humans that caused their own demise. Normally, he wouldn't feel so calm when looking at something like this, but… "They deserved it."

Movement from the gray-skinned man in front of him draws Flug's attention back; his head moves too fast for a human eye to catch, but the creature's grin only grows wider. "And what did they do to deserve this…" One of his hands sweeps out to the side and gestures to another mangled hero and the head of the villain Ice Caster. "This kind of mutilation… Not that I'm complaining about the sight."

When Flug refuses to reply, the man quirks an eyebrow and squats before the young genius and the broken body behind him. Understanding dawns in his visible eye when he sees the way Flug shifts to protect the dead woman, and with deliberate slowness, he reaches up to run a finger over the long jagged cuts that mar Flug's face. "They killed her, didn't they?" Not knowing how else to respond, Flug nods once, causing ginger curls to fall in front of his amber eyes.

The smile upon the man's face doesn't disappear but it does diminish slightly, the hand that had come to rest on Flug's neck moves away. "Who was she to you? A lover?" Raw disgust fills Flug at that idea, the emotion so potent that the gray creature can taste its sour notes. "A friend?" The disgust lessens somewhat, but no new emotions flare up. "Family?" Through the curtain of reddish-orange, he sees Flug flinch, and he can taste the guilt that wells through the young monster's very pores. "Was she your sister?" Flug nods slightly, and the man hums in acknowledgement.

He stands up then and fixes the black top hat that had started falling forwards. He dusts off his immaculate black suit jacket and straightens his tie, and as he tightens the wayward knot, he looks down at Flug and asks, "what's your name?"

"Dr. Flug Slys." Flug makes no move to get off the ground, and his right hand tightens around his sister's limp wrist. "Who are you?"

Once again, the creature's toothy grin grows wider, and the docility that his face had taken on falls away. "People call me Black Hat… Now doctor, what is it that you've studied?"

Flug finally looks up at him, a hint of confusion darkening his eyes, and on shaky legs, he stands and finds himself coming to the tall creature's shoulder. "Chemistry, Engineering and Physics mostly…"

Black Hat makes a noise of surprise and delight before he reaches into his jacket and procures a pitch-black card with a single line of stark-white writing. "I'm in need of a doctor…" He offers the card to Flug who feels queasy when he looks down at the thing; it seems to draw up the light around it, and he's half afraid that if he takes it, he'll be sucked into the darkness like a black hole. But, it would be rude not to… "I need someone who's not afraid to get his hands dirty." Suddenly, the smell of copper overwhelms the young man's senses, and the places where body fluids touch his skin seem to itch. "I need someone who's willing to help others do the same as you have today…"

Flug takes the card and quickly pockets it, not wanting to look at the paper any longer than he must. "Fine… I'll think about it."

Black Hat smiles wider still, and Flug can see tiny rivulets of black blood slip down his face; his smile has grown so wide that it's ripped his skin apart. Its scent tickles Flug's nose, promising sweetness and bitterness and richness that would make his heart sing, but Flug is more than capable of denying his body the things that it craves. His mouth may salivate and his stomach may growl, but he refuses to give in to the odd urge to lick along the torn skin; he has some dignity after all.

"I have a feeling that you'll say yes."

There's a harsh comment in the doctor's throat, but before he can utter it, Black Hat vanishes into thin air, leaving Flug alone in the alley with the bodies of three heroes, a villain, three minions and his sister. As he looks around for the other monster, he finally takes in the carnage fully, and his stomach drops while sirens scream in the distance.