Disclaimer: Dark Angel belongs to Fox and some other. "The Blood Angel" caption comes from Codex Imperialis, however highly modified it may be.
Author Note: This is an incredibly dark, and disturbing piece of writing, and I warn you all before you begin. The contents will most likely offend and distress all. High levels of gore and horror theme ensue (but not really this chapter). I have questioned my sanity after writing this, and my sanity said I was in trouble… so you get the idea. I really don't want to hear from a 'concerned mum' or anything like that, 'cause you have been amply warned. Let me know what you think, the next chapter is almost finished.
The Hunger
The Blood Angel
Upon the seed of the Blood Angel there lies the most tainted curse of perverse genetics, a foulness that cannot be seen, which is covered over by the grace, intelligence, and high achievements that are the proud boast of this most noble of creatures…
Max stalked through the black night melding with her allies the shadows, until she came upon an old, worn metal door that was her target. She glanced the door over quickly, and realised that her usual finesse of picking a lock would not be required. Her foot slammed noisily into the – what was once – heavy metal door. The sections of rust gave easily, creating a hole large enough for a large dog to crawl through. So a small cat would have no problem.
Moving swiftly through the corridors of the dark rundown building she approached her goal, feeling comforted now that her desires would be sated. She quickly unlocked the large freezer door, and made her way instantly to the choice cuts of meat that were lined up. Grabbing a few bags of the frozen red bricks, she threw them in her pack and left the freezer and the building.
On her bike, she sped through the night, avoiding the sector police and generally enjoying the sensations associated with going fast in reckless abandon. As much as she tried, however, she couldn't shake the urge that had arisen only earlier that morning.
Another one of the frightening aspects of being a genetically engineered Manticore super-soldier. Once every three years, she had an uncontrollable and insatiable adience route through, and completely overtake her body. This desire, this dark need, sickened her to the pit of her stomach, but thankfully she had been able to satisfy it without anything serious, or even threatening happen at all.
This time around, however, she was scared, something felt different, and a dread deep within her knew why it was. She ignored it, there was nothing that she couldn't accomplish with some sturdy will power, and her recent acquisition would most probably get her through it without a worry in the world.
Max's eyes darkened as she rounded the corner, heading to her place. She couldn't believe the people at Manticore would create something that invoked such an unbelievable lust burning within her. This despicable triennial event, this ache for blood.
It was late when Max got back into her apartment, so she carefully laid the meat out to defrost before heading to bed, tired from the strain the curse racking her veins created.
She awoke very early the next morning to find the steaks were nice and defrosted. Smiling that this ordeal was soon to be over, she turned on the hot plate. A few minutes later, she threw a steak on the plate, searing it lightly before turning it over. In all her previous encounters of this yearning, which hadn't been too many thankfully, she had been able to check her desires with a nicely undercooked piece of meat. Max licked her lips as she watched the juices flow from the cooking lump of beef, the want in her growing stronger by the second as the smell of it assaulted her nostrils.
Unable to hold herself back any longer, she took the undercooked piece of meat from the hotplate, placed it on a dish, then walked to the small table to sit down and get this hunger over with.
Picking up a fork, she stabbed the tender piece of meat and shivered with a strange sickening delight as she saw more crimson juice flow from the slightly browned steak. Her hands shook as the knife came in to cut a small slice, releasing more thinned blood onto the plate surrounding the meat.
Somewhere, deep in her subconscious, started to become worried with the strength this curse was seemingly controlling her this time. Before she knew it, the cutlery was discarded to the floor and the lump of bloodied steak was in her hands, as she sank ravenous teeth into the meat, tearing at it viciously and sucking in as much of the sweet animals life fluid as she could get. Max finished off the meat, and began licking the blood that had run down her fingers and forearms.
After she had finished, she felt a lot better, thinking that this bitch had been beaten. That was until she picked up her plate to take back to the kitchen. When she glanced down at the dish, with all the red liquid swishing around on it, she completely lost control. The plate was soon at an angle as she tipped all the warm fluid into her waiting mouth. Still not filled with that action, she began to lick the plate in a primitive and aggressive nature.
Oh God, I'm losing it, Max thought, as she sat still, leaning against the wall and staring at her now perfectly clean plate. Nonetheless, she was once again beginning to feel that it was past and she could go back to functioning like a regular genetically engineered super-being.
There was a ruffled movement, and a stifled yawn; it appeared her roommate was rising.
'Morning Max,' she said, walking into the kitchen in her pyjamas in search of the coffee. When she got into the small kitchenette, she noticed the other defrosted lump of beef – a present Max intended on sharing with Logan – sitting in a shallow pool of the juices that are often released when meat is left to defrost.
'Where did you snag this choice slab of cow?' she asked, very impressed with the quality of meat. It was only then as she held up the dripping side of beef in her fingertips did she notice the time.
'I'm so late. Gotta go Max. I'll see you later.' With that, she ran back into her room, scurried around for a minute, and then rushed out the front door pulling a top on as she went.
Good thing too, since as soon as Max saw the saturated piece of steak, she had to use every quickly failing fibre of self-control not to lunge at it right then and there. As soon as her roommate was gone, it was a different story. Max let out a small growl as she lunged at the steak, tearing at it with her fingers, and shoving soaked fistfuls into her mouth.
Minutes later, Max was on the floor of the kitchen panting, where she ended up in her fervour. Scared, panicked eyes flicked around the room. This wasn't right, her stomach was full, and she still felt starving. It hadn't worked, the bloodied meat could only carry her for so long, which she knew deep down would be the case. Max slapped herself; she was not giving up the fight and getting hysterical over this thing. She could control it if she really wanted to. So she got up, changed from her bloodstained clothing, and headed out the door for work.
Her day had been hell. Ever delivery made, saw her picturing the recipient broken on the floor, bleeding gloriously for her. She knew now that this driving want would only be replete with blood from the living, and blood from a person. Unable to keep a scintilla of food down all day because this thought plagued her and made her nauseous beyond belief, didn't help deter the burning desire one iota. As she was making her way out of Jam Pony, she could feel her skin crawling, her eyes itching and her tongue dry and heavy in her mouth.
'You aiight sugah? You don't look so hot,' Original Cindy observed, the worry evident in her voice. Max snapped around quickly, and looked at her friend, the panic clear in her skittish eye movements. Suddenly she was fully aware of the blood moving in Cindy's veins, the sound of her heart beating, and the faint pulsing at her neck where the artery passed so tantalisingly close to the skin.
'No, I've got to go,' Max said hurriedly, as she turned from her friend and shot out the door on her bike. Max had never scared Cindy before, but she did then. When she turned around, Cindy noticed her eyes were showing early signs of becoming blood shot, her teeth were slightly bared and she appeared to be sniffing the air faintly. The whole experience was bone chilling, like a wolf or some other wild creature was eyeing its prey. Something wasn't sitting right with her boo, and it frightened the hell out of her.
Max broke out of Jam Pony to the smell of a great storm brewing, the kind of storm you can feel coming. She glanced up and saw the sky in a broiling mass of dark foreboding clouds, as the wind picked up rubbish and swirled it around in the air along with some dead leaves. This was going to be one monster tempest. Instead of going home, Max headed straight to the Space Needle, knowing there she would find solitude.
She sat alone on the edge of the towering structure, knees pulled up tightly to her chest, rocking slightly with paranoia. Her skin felt ablaze and stung, like a maniac had a million burning knives and simultaneously stuck them into her skin every time her heart beat. Her eyes, itched uncontrollably, and the world had started to take on a slightly red tinge. Her tongue felt like sandpaper inside her desert of a mouth. Every swallow was a new adventure in pain, as her throat cracked and splintered. That was fine, it was physical pain, and she could deal with it. The worst part was the hunger she felt, a hunger that was clearly seeking human blood. Images would not cease flashing through her mind, of her breaking someone open and drinking from their freshly mutilated body. The worst part was that every time she thought this, she felt better, and even eager for a few minutes, until she could control herself and realise what she was fantasising about.
A big fat droplet of rain splashed heavily against her cheek, crashing into her tormented mind. The storm had come. Suddenly it was pouring, raining so hard all she could see was the three feet of water around her, and all she could hear was the deafening roar as the rain pounded against the steel of the Space Needle. Max tilted her head skywards slightly, and opened her mouth, in an attempt the dry her tongue and throat. When the first overweight globule hit her tongue, she gagged. It tasted like battery acid, and felt even worse. This, she knew, was a sign from her body. It was only going to accept one thing, or shrivel up and die.
Well I deserve to die, Max thought coldly, and remained moored to the Space Needle in the endlessly driving rain.
She didn't know what the time was; all Max knew was that it was late, very late. The deluge hadn't subsided or even waned a little, if anything it had become more ferocious. She hadn't moved since first arriving on the Needle, but now, her body was beginning to shake uncontrollably, and she could feel her mind slipping.
A sudden spark of inspiration hit. Logan.
No, I can't go over to his place. I don't trust myself, the final edges of sanity nagged at her, but it was in vain, as her descent from the Space Needle had already begun.
Max made her way silently into Logan's apartment, dripping constantly and creating small puddles with each squelched step. She heard the slight hum of his computer and knew that her target was close, and it would not be long until she would be satisfied.