A/N: Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait. This where things begin to get a little more interesting. A quick warning of some gore, just a heads up. Anyway, on with the story!
Ten Cents was patiently waiting for the dock workers to load his barge. He found it rather amusing to watch the tiny humans scramble around, and in the case of younger humans, play around. Suddenly, his senses sharpened, and he was able to notice the smallest details of the world. He could hear the softest scratching of a mouse foraging for food, and was able to see down into the dark waters of the ocean beneath him. The sliver flecks flashed in the water, fish. There were so many new smells, but one in particular stuck out to him: man. He wasn't sure if he should be alarmed, or to just take it all in. It was incredible. He looked back down at the humans, and a powerful urge to rip them to pieces overcame him. He wanted to taste their sweet blood, and to feast on their flesh.
He shook it off, and focused on his work for today. That seemed to oppress his urge to slaughter any human in sight, but it hung around in the very back of his mind. The tantalizing scent of the dock workers almost drove him mad. He had started to become alarmed, but it didn't happen again for the rest of the day, and he relaxed.
That night as the full moon climbed into the sky, Ten Cents was heading back to the Star Dock, when a wave of agony ripped through his body. He screamed as his metal frame shattered, and rearranged, forming a steel skeleton. His anchor ropes twisted, forming what looked like muscles, and his anchors contorted into what looked like claws. His eyes burned as his teeth became fangs. Terrified, he raced away. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. He fled into an abandoned warehouse, and he cried out.
Sunshine froze when he heard Ten Cents's screams, and rushed towards the direction of the sound, fearing the worst. He didn't know how he managed to live without his best friend. The scare with the Krakatoa was plenty enough. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to him.
Ten Cents was left shaking as the final touches were made. His internal mechanical workings morphed into organs. He was now bio-mechanical. He slowly opened his eyes, panting. His newly formed stomach growled. He was famished. Before he even knew it, his demonic instincts took the wheel, and he silently slunk out of the warehouse.
Ronnie was with Benjamin, his friend, patrolling their gang's turf of the port. Usually, the tugs left them alone, except for the Z-Stacks, whom they were well acquainted with. Little did they know that was all about to change.
Ten Cents's stomach growled even louder when he picked up the delectable scent of human. He licked his lips. Prey was nearby. He followed his nose to the source, and the two humans stopped dead in their tracks. Ten Cents smiled, baring his new formed fangs, and the two humans shifted nervously. He could smell their fear already.
"Well well well, look who decided to show up for supper." Ten Cents chuckled, and raised his anchor like claws into view. The two humans quickly turned tail, and fled for their lives. Ten Cents smirked, and let a dark chuckle. He relished a good chase, the thrill of the hunt. He let out a ground shaking roar, and gave chase.
Ronnie covered his ears, but kept running for his life. This tug, no, this monster, gave him all the proof he needed. The curse the were-cat had cast was real, and he was about to become its first victim. Benjamin raced past him. Ten Cents was close, too close. He swore he could feel the switcher's hot breath rolling down his neck like great billows from a furnace. Ronnie screamed in pain as he felt Ten Cents's wickedly sharp anchor like claws crush his leg, and pierce his soft succulent flesh. Ronnie fell to the ground, and Ten Cents dragged him back towards him, towards the human's doom.
The sweet scent of blood nearly drove the switcher mad. He lifted the human to his eye level, and smiled, baring his huge wickedly sharp fangs. The human screamed. It was a delight to hear. Too bad he had to cut it short.
Ronnie's eyes grew wide in horror as Ten Cents opened his powerful jaws, revealing his massive fangs that were specifically designed to rip flesh from bone, and a strange liquid oozed from Ten Cents's canines, venom. Ten Cents bit down on his skull, and Ronnie saw a flash of light, then darkness.
Ten Cents crushed the human's head like a grape, and he felt the fluids spurt out in his mouth. The sweet flavor of his prey's blood made it all the more satisfying. He wasted no time devouring his kill, ripping his meal apart with his fangs in the process. When he had finished, he licked the blood, the sweet nectar, from his claws. His stomach begged for more. He sniffed the air, and caught the scent of the other human, and then slunk into the shadows.
Benjamin stopped behind a warehouse to catch his breath. Whatever curse the were-cat had cast, she had to be sick in the head to create such a monstrosity. He slumped back against the wall. He was exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and sighed.
I think I lost him. Benjamin thought as he slowly closed his eyes, and relaxed.
Ten Cents could hear the heaving of his prey's lungs. The human was close. He silently inched closer. His sharp eyesight sliced through the darkness with ease. He smiled. He was going to enjoy this.
Benjamin stiffened as heard the switcher's anchor like claws scrape against the warehouse's walls. Ten Cents was close. He had to get out of there. He fled for his life just as Ten Cents peeked around the corner. Benjamin didn't dare to look behind him as he heard Ten Cents let out a dark chuckle.
"Flee... Flee.. Run for your life. There's nowhere to hide." Ten Cents slithered from around the corner, and took his sweet time in pursuing his prey. His sharp senses ensured he would be able to find the human if the human ever made any attempts to hide, or escape.
Benjamin tripped, and desperately scrambled back up. He couldn't let Ten Cents catch him. Who knows what would happen if the switcher catches him. He could only imagine what happened to Ronnie. He could have been ripped apart, or... no... impossible. The switcher couldn't have devoured him, but it would explain why the switcher had grown fangs. Benjamin quickly hid behind the steel beams that made up a crane, and prayed Ten Cents wouldn't find him.
Ten Cents smiled at the human's feeble attempt to hide. His sense of smell led him right to his prey, but he remained silent. He wanted to catch his prey by surprise.
Benjamin was just starting to relax, when he felt something wrap around his ankle. He looked down to see Ten Cents's tow line coil around his ankles like a serpent. He tried to run, only to have Ten Cents yank his leg out from right underneath him. He fell to the ground, and screamed as Ten Cents's tow line wrapped around him, and began to constrict him. Helpless, he was dragged back to the ravenous switcher. The more he struggled, the tighter Ten Cents's grip became. It was slowly becoming harder for him to breathe. Ten Cents lifted him up to his eye level, and smiled, baring his fangs. Benjamin opened his mouth to scream, only, only to have Ten Cents squeeze the breathe out of him again. He could only take shallow breaths now. He could feel his ribs start to crack under the immense strength, and his heart started to pound, starved of oxygen. He felt Ten Cents's tow line grow tighter with every breath he took until finally, his chest collapsed.
Ten Cents smiled as he felt the human's heart stop. Now that his prey had expired, there was no need to delay his dinner. He wasted no time, and devoured his catch. He made sure to savor the blood, the sweet nectar, of his prey, and left no sign of his kill behind. He licked the blood from his claws, making sure nothing was going to waste. He purred like a giant cat. His hunger was satiated... for now. He slunk into a nearby warehouse, and yawned, flashing his wickedly sharp fangs one last time before he slowly fell asleep.
A/N: Now the curse has shown its ugly face, and has already claimed its first victims. It will be interesting when Ten Cents wakes up in the morning. Of course, we will have to wait for the next chapter for that. Until next time, see ya later!