Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon. Some Digimon used in this fic belong to me. Some reviewers have contributed the following characters.
Metal Devidramon - Ninetalesuk
Skyemon - Gijinka Renamon
Socramon - Cavecat
By: RB3
Chapter 22: Sin Cities
The Lady of Lust seemed to derive a sick sense of pleasure from inflicting pain on the Warrior. "Ha, ha, ha!" cackled Lilithmon in time with each of Agunimon's screams.
"Stop it! You're hurting him!" cried Kazemon.
"I know, isn't it fun?" asked Lilithmon, mocking the Warrior of Wind. After a few seconds of discharging negative energy, she stopped the flow. However, the torture was not without consequences as it had left Agunimon weak and reeling. "That's enough fun for now. I think I'll entertain myself with your girlfriend now."
Lilithmon turned to the fairy and began to feel her belly. "Mmm, your skin is so smooth," commented Lilithmon. The Lady of Lust moved her hands up Kazemon's body and slipped them under her top. She began to stroke the fairy's breasts under the leather fabric.
"Ahhh!" screamed Kazemon in shock.
"Keep your hands off of her!" screamed Beetlemon.
"You're in no position to order me around!" cried Lilithmon, blasting Beetlemon with negative energy as retribution.
"Arrrggggh... Oh..." groaned the Warrior of Thunder as he tried to shut out the pain.
"Now where were we?" asked Lilithmon as she returned her attention to Kazemon.
The Lady of Lust continued to molest the fairy, fondling her breasts underneath the fabric of her clothing until she ripped it open. Kazemon's objections seemed to spur Lilithmon to greater heights of enjoyment rather than make her want to stop. Lilithmon backed off and blew gusts of black wind from her fingertips. The winds tore at Kazemon's skin painfully, grinding it and gnawing away at her resistance. The Warrior of Wind screamed in agony which pleased Lilithmon to no end. However, fate finally intervened when Lilithmon heard her one of Seducers scream out in pain.
She turned around just in time to see the second go down from a beam of energy. "What's going on?" Lilithmon asked, as dropped what she was doing.
The Demon Lord spotted the one who had felled her Seducer guards. It was Brendan, who had caught the naked hostage in his arms before she fell to the ground. His Swampert was out and it was clear he was the one who had fired the beam. Brendan ordered Swampert to fire the Secret Power again, this time aimed directly at Lilithmon. The beam flew straight and true to its target, only to be stopped by a barrier of black wind. Swampert kept up the tempo, but there was no way he could penetrate that defence with his meagre power.
Fortunately, breaking through wasn't even necessary for Swampert to win. By surprise, something nailed the Lady from behind, searing her body painfully. This attack could not have come at a worse time, creating a critical lapse of concentration which caused her wind barrier to drop. The Secret Power overwhelmed the Lady of Lust and propelled far away from her prisoners. Lobomon, now free due to Brock and Torchic's intervention, promptly transformed into Magna Garurumon and rushed off in pursuit of Lilithmon.
Brendan joined Brock in checking up on the other Warriors' condition. "Kazemon, are you okay?" asked Brock.
"I'm a little shook up, but I'm fine," she answered. She promptly Slide Evolved into Zephyrmon to cover up her nakedness.
As they freed Agunimon, Zephyrmon rushed up to check on his condition. "Agunimon, Takuya! Speak to me!" she demanded.
"Ohhhh..." groaned Agunimon, still immobile from suffering repeated blasts of negative energy.
Brock pulled out some medical supplies to help treat the Warrior of Fire's wounds. "It's pretty bad, but he'll pull through," remarked Brock.
Magna Garurumon and Lilithmon continued their duel, smashing each other through walls and ceilings. Their intense battle took its toll on the cathedral, such that everyone noticed its growing instability. "Those guys are really going at it!" remarked Brendan. "If they keep this up, they'll tear the whole place down!"
"We'd better get out of here!" cried Chakkumon.
Zephyrmon picked up Agunimon, while Beetlemon slung the female hostage over his shoulder. The cathedral started to rumble as Magna Garurumon's missile smashed its target through a supporting stone pillar. The roof caved in, dumping piles of cement and mortar into the chamber. The two continued their fighting, not caring that the cathedral was coming down on them from above their heads. The others barely made their way out just as the whole building came crashing down, burying the two fighters underneath. As the others gazed over the rubble, the silence led them to conclude that the battle was a mutually fatal draw.
At that moment, Magna Garurumon burst out, followed shortly afterwards by his opponent. Both had intensity written on their faces and neither was ready to quit. "You ruined my fun! No one does that and gets away with it!" swore the Lady of Lust.
"Fun? You think violating another person's body is fun? You're a monster!" declared the Warrior of Light. "I will make you pay for Kazemon, Agunimon, and all the people you've hurt for your twisted amusement!"
With all of his ammunition exhausted, Magna Garurumon drew a Lobo Kendo. Lilithmon brandished her claw for what was to be the final moment. Each combatant was going to make one final strike to determine the ultimate victor. The demon and the wolf man rushed at each other with as much speed as they could muster. As they passed, the two lashed out with their weapons. The two fighters landed at opposite ends, waiting to see the results of their attack. A second passed, and then another and another until one of the fighters stirred.
Magna Garurumon collapsed onto the ground and devolved into Koji. The others were horrified, but Lilithmon remained motionless. A few seconds later, her torso came sliding off of her legs. She screamed as she realized that her body had been sliced in two. Her bottom half toppled over the first, but both bled vital Fractal Code into the air before crumbling entirely into that fundamental substance and was no more. The Fractal Code hovered in the air before coalescing into the radiant apparition of Ophanimon.
"Warriors, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," began the apparition. "Words can't describe how it is to be free from this nightmare. With Lilithmon's demise, only three of the Demon Lords remain. Your victory is close, but you must persevere. The worlds are counting on you to be their salvation. Farewell, Warriors, I must go to be reborn." As quickly as it came, the apparition vanished into the air.
Ophanimon's Warriors returned to the Rose Morning Star, victorious after their battle against Lilithmon, Demon Lord of Lust. Despite being the ultimate victors, their triumph did not come without a price. Takuya had been severely wounded by Lilithmon's negative energy and Koji was still hurt from brutally exchanging blows with her. The two valiant Warriors were taken to the spire's medical facilities for treatment and recovery.
The doctor, an Apemon shaman, applied various magical herbal remedies to the wounds of the two boys. "There... That should do it. Let them stay here for the time being. They need their rest. In a few days, they'll up and about, good as new."
Cherubimon's Warrior group visited the infirmary. "Hi guys, is Takuya and Koji okay?" asked Misty.
"Oh nothing that we can't handle," replied Apemon. "In a few days they'll be back in tip top shape."
"That's good news," remarked Koichi.
"Warriors, please come to my chambers immediately," requested Cherubimon over the spire's announcement system.
"Damn, sounds important," muttered Koichi.
The Warriors moved to their leader's chambers to hear the reason for his summons. "Warriors, the situation in the Real World has changed," warned Cherubimon.
Indeed, the Demon Lords weren't only focused on the United States. They wanted the entire world as their kingdom; a sort of clay for Lucemon to mould into his new world. Towards that end, the Demon Lords planned to wage their campaigns of conquest beginning in South America. Lucemon's remaining lieutenants, Belphemon and Leviamon, have begun attacks on Mexico in order to claim it as a beachhead for attacking South America. The two Demons were staging the attacks from El Paso, Texas in person. Though Digimon forces and human militaries were doing a good job of containing them in the US, the attacks were escalating.
"Losing four of their masters has infuriated the Sinners greatly," began Cherubimon. "In particular, Belphemon and Leviamon's forces are swarming our lines constantly. We need to put an end to that. Warriors, your task is to help the war effort. Zoe, your group will cut off the reinforcements by destroying the facilities which produce Leviamon and Belphemon's Sinners. Koichi's will go to help our forces in El Paso."
"What about Takuya and Koji? They still haven't recovered yet," noted Zoe.
"Since they're in no condition to complete this task, I'm sending Brock and Brendan to help you instead," replied Cherubimon. "You need all the help you can get, even without the Demon Lords around to protect their headquarters. Keep up the pace! We're getting very close to winning the war!"
Ophanimon's Warriors and the trainers paid a visit to the wizard team. In an instant, the wizards invoked a spell which transported the team to Miami, Florida, the site of Belphemon's lair and the Sleepwalker churning operations. They found themselves in an area covered by moderately dense foliage. From the amount of plant life in the area, it seems they were in a forest or park somewhere outside of town.
A suspicious blond man in beach clothing and sandals approached them. "Hey guys, it's me Betsumon. I'm gonna drive you to the hideout."
The Warriors followed the spy Digimon to his van, a vehicle painted with a natural, earth-toned green. It had been used extensively, which was obvious from the rust and dirt on its fenders. The vehicle had more than enough room to seat the Warriors and the trainers. Unlike the outside, the interior smelled of detergent, which indicated that it had been washed just recently. Perhaps Betsumon only had enough time to clean the inside before he went to pick up the Warriors. Within an hour of travel, the van pulled into a seaside safe house in the city of Miami.
The safe house was a fairly innocuous building, a moderately sizeable abode big enough for a wealthier family. The building had a new, plastic appearance from its white, sanitized walls. The grass had been recently cut by a lawnmower and a sprinkler rotated around, scattering water all over the grass. After hitting a switch, Betsumon remotely opened the garage door and parked his van inside. The Warriors disembarked and entered the house to look around.
The interior was spacious with sanitized white walls like on the exterior. The furniture was plush and new, having been purchased straight from the store and unused. The floor was wooden with a brown carpet covering it in the den. The den had an entertainment system with DVD players, a VCR, a TV, and dual speakers. It had a stereo system complete with CD and cassette players. Brock took a look at the kitchen which had the latest in culinary equipment from an electric stove and a dishwasher to a refrigerator and freezer filled with delectable goodies.
"Wow, you've got everything here," remarked Brock.
"Yeah, who says we can't live in style while we fight the Demon Lords?" asked Betsumon. "We've got a nice living area up above, and several labs and storage rooms in the basement. Just keep the blinds down so no one sees the Digimon, please."
While the Warriors got acquainted with their safe house and the Digimon underground, it was business as usual for Belphemon's Sinners. Somewhere outside of the city of Miami was a great garden filled with rows and rows of flowers. The flowers had dozens of petals with a darkly blue shade of colour around a central area where the pollen and seeds were produced. Others seemed to take on a diminutive, humanoid shape as they grew to full maturity. They looked almost like the Palmon or Alraumon species of Digimon, only not as attractive. They were almost faceless, except for a hint of eyes and a mouth on their heads.
The Sinner workers were humans in a deep, almost trance-like sleep, with several thorny vines growing from and around their body like a parasitic infection. On their chests was the violet flower of the plant, which had a large maw filled with sharp teeth where its reproductive parts were supposed to be. The plant was a monstrous being that could not have come from the Earth. It worked the helpless human like a puppet on strings, using the human to manipulate and move around the world when it could not normally. These parasitic plants and their human host were collectively known as the Sleepwalkers, the Sinners of Sloth.
The Sleepwalkers led these "plant people," to a shipping area which was staffed by some of Lilithmon's Seducers. These Sinners flew the plant people to local floral shops where they were sold by the vendors. At such a floral shop, a crowd of people was gathered around to purchase these flowers picked by the Sleepwalkers. The crowd was rowdy and held wads of cash in their hands. They were eager to purchase the little plant people not for their novelty value, but for use as slaves. Several Sleepwalker thugs were on the scene to ensure that any violence was dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
"Get your flower people here, everybody! Why work like a slob when someone else can do it? Only $5.99 for one! Get'em while they're hot!" cried a vendor.
Betsumon, in his human disguise, came up to the vendor. "I'd like one please!"
"Sure buddy, just $5.99 and you'll kiss ever needing to work good bye!" promised the vendor.
Betsumon paid the price and ducked out of the crowd with the plant-like slave in tow. The crowd continued to gather round, buying the slaves as quickly as the vendor could have them shipped in. One of the men in the crowd took his purchase home to get his slave to begin work as soon as possible. He ordered the flower person to make dinner, wash the dishes afterwards, and then clean out the trash. The little flower person did as he was told without ever raising its voice in objection.
Elsewhere in a similar home, another family had its flower person hard at work. The wife was sitting on the couch, munching down chocolates while the husband was away with buddies. The woman dropped a chunk of caramel on the floor which resulted in the woman screaming at the slave to clean it up. Unnoticed by the woman, the slave released a trail of spores which she inhaled as she yelled. The slave picked up the caramel and tossed it into the trash. Despite having to endure the woman's rudeness, the slave would have the last laugh in the end, as it was the key to her eternal enslavement at the hands of its master, Belphemon.
As she sat there, watching TV, she inhaled more and more of the spores. They flooded everywhere within her body and attached themselves to veins, organs, and even to her brain. They took root within the woman's body, feeding off of her like a parasite. The woman yawned and shut off the TV to go sleep. As the night went on, the spores matured into vines, eventually bursting through her skin like tentacles. The flowery head of a toothy demon burst out of her chest, growing out of the heart of the woman like cancer. That night was the night a new Sleepwalker was born.
Back at the hideout, Betsumon had his scientists analyze the plant slave. They laid the creature onto a bed and kept it in place with manacles. The creature was deathly afraid of the scientists, both because of what they'll do to it as well as them learning secrets harmful to Belphemon's operations. A Datamon scientist used a scoop to collect spore samples in his beaker. The spores had a black tint to it mixed with a hint of blueness. The scientists ran tests on the plant slave and its spores, cross-referencing it with data acquired from a previously captured corpse of a Sleepwalker.
Once ready, Betsumon gathered everyone to report on the conclusions. "Okay everybody, gather round. I've got something important to say..."
Betsumon narrated the role of the plant slaves and the effects of their spores on human beings. True to their name, the plant slaves were creatures sold by Belphemon as slaves to the people of Miami. They were carriers of spores that infected the people that they worked for. Their duty was to effectively breed indolence into the household. During this time, the person inhales spores that take root in the body and thrive from the host's inactivity. Eventually, the spores matured into a demonic plant that turns the host into a Sleepwalker.
"Oh not again..." lamented JP. "Why do I always get the jobs where you have little things crawling in your body?"
"Ha ha ha," laughed Betsumon. "You still haven't forgotten the maggots, haven't you?"
"Oh man, I've had nightmares ever since then!" said JP.
"Well you don't have to worry this time. As long as you're fighting Demon Lords, you're getting a lot of exercise. That's what kills the spores and the plant," said Betsumon.
"So where are they making these things?" asked Brendan.
"Our boys have found a farm to the north which is run by several Sleepwalkers. That is where they are growing these slaves," informed Betsumon. "Our job is simple; go in and burn the fields to ash. Security is still very tight there, but has lessened with Belphemon away on campaigns. We have to hurry. We still have Leviamon's operations to take care of, so let's get this one over with quickly."
With Betsumon's briefing over, the Warriors and their Digimon allies made their way to the gardens. Already the fighting was underway, with Digimon versus Sleepwalker minions and other Sinners. A ball of fire blazed through the air on its way to a Sleepwalker soldier. The attack came from Dark Tyrannomon, which faced the Sinners with an aura of sheer defiance. Betsumon drove around the frontline, where most of the Digimon and the fighting occurred. They manoeuvred around the explosions and flying elemental blasts to unnoticed spot hidden by forests.
"Okay guys, out you go!" ordered Betsumon.
"Torchic, go!" cried Brock. In a flicker of crimson light, May's fiery little chick appeared and danced around midair.
"Ninetales, I choose you!" cried Brendan, releasing the golden fox to fight. The fox appeared and spread its tails out on display.
Zoe, JP, and Tommy all Spirit Evolved into their Human Forms and followed the trainers and their Pokemon to the vulnerable flowers. In the nearest field, they were only budding and still hadn't developed the humanoid features that allowed them to do work for people. Another field had rows upon rows of plant slaves ripe and ready for shipment to the unsuspecting people of Miami. As cute as these little things were, they were deliberately poisoning Miami and breeding more Sleepwalkers. They had to be destroyed.
"Torchic, use Ember. Let's burn these evil plants down!" ordered Brock.
"Ninetales, use Fire Spin and do the same thing!" ordered Brendan.
The two Pokemon began torching the plants with their fiery breath. As the flames touched each of the plants, they ignited in a brilliant blaze that could be seen for miles around. Smoke as black as the cursed plants' purpose billowed into the sky visible for miles around. Kazemon blew a Hurricane Wave, fanning the flames further down field. A hideous, inhumanly shrill screeching pierced the air as the unholy plants were incinerated into ash by the Pokemon and the Warrior of Wind.
In nearby fields, the mature plant slaves uprooted themselves and began to flee. "They're getting away!" cried Kazemon, still concentrating on fanning the flames.
"I'm on it!" said Chakkumon.
The Warrior of Ice armed himself with his launcher and randomly pelted the fleeing crowd of plants. The snowballs came like the endless rain of bullets from a machinegun. One of the snowballs knocked a plant slave face first onto the ground while another slammed a second hard in the face, knocking it unconscious. Second by second, the plant slaves were being cut down like grass in a lawnmower. A few escaped their fate, having been saved by others taking shots for them. However, Beetlemon came on the scene to remedy that problem.
"Oh no you don't!" cried Beetlemon to the survivors. The Warrior of Thunder blasted the escapees with bolts of lightning. The Lightning Blitz electrocuted the runners, ensuring their escape had ended in complete failure.
Kazemon continued to help the Pokemon fan the flames to other fields. It wasn't long before their actions drew unwanted attention. "The fields are burning!" cried a Sleepwalker.
Another Sleepwalker spotted the Pokemon and Kazemon. "Get them!"
The two Sleepwalkers rushed the two, forcing them to stop the burning of Belphemon's garden. Kazemon bolted into the air, while the Pokemon dodged the thorns thrown at them. The Pokemon and their trainers moved to counter, with Brock calling for a wave of Embers. The Sleepwalker raised vines in defence, but the Embers still stung as they collided. The Sleepwalker lashed out with a vine, painfully tagging the fiery chick and tossing her into the ground. Though still slightly new to battling, the chick still had the will to continue.
"Don't give up Torchic, you can beat him!" encouraged Brock. "Focus Energy!"
Torchic danced about in the air as a surge of power filled her body. The Sleepwalker attempted to lash out with vines, but Brock quickly ordered her to dodge and leap onto the Sinner's flower. On Brock's order, Torchic proceeded to Peck the flower painfully and repeatedly, forcing the monster to try to swat off the pest. The Sleepwalker was overwhelmed from the sheer number of blows Torchic had rained on it and lost its footing. The Pecks kept coming until Torchic knocked it out. With a final Ember volley, the Sinner caught on fire and burned to ash.
Brendan's Sleepwalker foe caught Ninetails in a vine and proceeded to squeeze the life out of her. Despite valiant attempts to chew through the vines, Ninetails couldn't break free. "I need a little help here!" called Brendan.
Kazemon, hearing Brendan's words, smacked the Sinner hard in the face with a kick. In a daze, the Sleepwalker released the golden fox. "You okay Ninetails?" asked Kazemon.
"Nine! (I'm fine!)" she replied.
At that moment, the Sleepwalker lashed out with its vines. Kazemon bolted into the sky while Ninetails leapt to safety. "Cheap shot!" cried Kazemon in objection.
The Warrior of Wind launched herself into a flying kick which clipped the plant-infested zombie in the human's forehead. The Sleepwalker stumbled backwards wide open for attack, which Ninetails capitalized on. She spewed a roaring Fire Spin which engulfed the Sinner completely. The flames eroded the monster's defences until it burst into flame and burned into a pile of smouldering ash. With the resistance defeated, the two returned to purging the fields of the corrupting plant slaves. The destruction of the cursed garden was swift. The Warriors had reduced the foul place to a smouldering field of blackened earth and ash.
With Belphemon's gardens in ruins, the Warriors moved on to their next task; eliminating Leviamon's reinforcements. The Warriors found themselves in Los Angeles, California, home of beautiful sandy beaches, the American movie industry, and the actors that performed in these films. It was a town of the rich and the wealthy, and of the beautiful and the glamorous. Despite the glitz and glamour of the stars, a metaphorical pall of darkness had fallen over the city of Los Angeles. This was the headquarters of Leviamon, the Demon Lord of Envy.
Venice Beach was filled with countless people enjoying the sunny days and sandy beaches. Nearly all the visitors were in swimsuits with the men in swimming tights and the women in revealing bikinis. They gathered around the shops and restaurants near the boardwalk, buying souvenirs and food to satiate their hunger. On the sand, people laid on towels to soak in the sun's warming rays while others played games of volleyball. Others swam in the salty water while still others went snorkelling for treasures in the depths below.
On the beach, a gorgeous nymphet arose from the waters of the sea. Her red swimsuit was dampened by the sea water, as was her golden hair. No older than sixteen, this gorgeous blonde caught the eyes of guys of all ages everywhere. Her alluring eyes were as blue as the ocean she had frolicked in. The men nearby ogled the nymphet as she returned to her place on the sands, a red and yellow towel for covering the sand of the beach. Apparently, the nymphet seemed to notice the attention she was getting from the guys.
The nymphet scanned for the hottest of the men and approached him with a tube of sunscreen. "Hi there, could you rub some sunscreen on my back please?" asked the nymphet.
"Sure, um..."
The nymphet chuckled. "Oh silly me! I'm Mandy! I really appreciate it!"
"I'm Steve, nice to meet you, Mandy," said the guy, who began to apply the lotion to Mandy's back.
As he did this, a pair of girls in swimsuits was watching. "Oh silly me! I'm Mandy!" mimicked the blonde, Sandra, sarcastically.
"Yeah, just look how that slut is getting all the attention from the guys," chided the second girl, a brunette named Tiffany.
Mandy thanked Steve for his help and sashayed along the beach in search of a certain attractive guy. She found that special guy lying face up on a blue towel to tan his body in the summer sun. Mandy lied down next to the guy and turned on the charm. "Hi Mark, that's a very nice tan..."
As Mandy flirted with the guy, the girls watched. "Isn't that Mark over there?" asked Tiffany.
"Yeah, that's him!" said Sandra, now certain of his identity.
"Like, hey guys, whatcha looking at?" asked a blonde, Ivy, as she returned from a swim.
Ivy looked over at Mandy who was busy flirting with her boyfriend. The sight of the two together infuriated her to no end. She stormed over and gave a hard yank to the nymphet's hair. "I told you to stay away, bitch!" screamed Ivy as she slapped her nemesis hard across the face.
This inflammatory act aggravated Mandy to no end, who responded by tackling the jilted girlfriend to the ground. Mandy grabbed her romantic rival by the hair and yanked on it painfully. Caught in the heat of the moment, she started to slam Ivy's head back first against the sand. Ivy regained the advantage once she grabbed a head full of hair and yanked on it painfully. After rolling Mandy onto the ground, she slammed the nymphet's head against the ground and followed with a pair of slaps across the face.
The fight drew great attention, forcing Mark to pull Ivy away while another guy did the same to Mandy. "Let me go, let me at her!" screamed Ivy.
"Come on bitch! I'm right here!" cried Mandy in return.
"That's enough! Let's go, Ivy," said Mark, as he dragged his girlfriend out of the scene.
"That's right, run away Ivy! We both know that Mark likes me better. He will come back to me sooner or later! Who wants to date a hot-headed shrew like you!" Mandy laughed mockingly, infuriating Ivy even more. Mark had to use all of his strength just to keep his girlfriend from charging back.
Mark returned Ivy to her home. "Don't let Mandy get to you. It's over between the two of us. We're just friends now. You're the girl I want, not her," assured Mark. "Well, I'm going now, see ya later, sweetie!" Mark gave her a kiss before leaving for his home.
Despite Mark's assurance, Ivy couldn't stop thinking about what happened on the beach. After entering her room, she sat on the bed to brood. She found a package left for her from a snoopy friend. Upon unsealing the gift with a letter opener, she found pictures and a note from this friend. Apparently, Mandy had bumped into Mark during his visit to a nightclub a few days ago. The pictures showed the two spending time and having fun at that nightclub. At that moment, Ivy finally snapped.
"That bitch!" she screamed, as she tore the photo in a fit of rage.
Ivy was in tears and was totally wrecked by the sight of the two having fun at the dance club. She cried endlessly, frustrated and unable to keep Mark no matter what she did. It was always Mandy who he returned to, Mandy who was his favourite. On the ground, one of the torn photos laid discarded on the ground. It was a picture of Mandy and Mark seated and sharing drinks at the bar. The tear went right down the middle separating the two. The two were happy, almost mocking her with their smiling, laughing faces.
Once Ivy calmed down, her gaze fell on the letter opener she had used to open the package. She got off the bed to examine the instrument more closely. It consisted of a metallic blade attached to a small handle. The blade was slightly rounded, but sharp along its edges. Gliding her fingers to the tip, Ivy could feel sharpness of the tip. It was sharp enough to cause serious harm and could be fatal if it were to be plunged into someone's body. With a sinister smile, it was this moment that Ivy began a flirtation with the darkest depths of the human psyche, and the emotions no righteous human should ever have.
The blade of the letter opener became coated by the blood of her hated rival. The crimson liquid pooled to the tip of the blade and dripped to the ground between the legs of its victim, Mandy. She was lying motionless in the middle of a secluded forest with a bloodied wound on her chest. A look of horror had been frozen onto her motionless face. Ivy smiled as she gazed on the blood soaked blade of her letter opener. With Mandy's death, Ivy's rival was out of the picture and Mark was as good as hers.
Several days later, Ivy received a windfall in her mail. "Wow, a free day at the Aphrodite Beauty Parlour. Complementary gift? Yes!"
Ivy took up the offer and soon found herself within the reception of the Aphrodite Beauty parlour. It was a magnificent building with walls painted in a smooth, creamy white colour. True to its name, the parlour had been decorated by statues of the Greek goddess of beauty. Several female customers milled about, some still with towels over their heads from treatments. At the reception area, Ivy asked about the offer, as well as the complementary gift. A male receptionist escorted her through a private door and through the employee's area to the basement.
She followed the man into what looked like a laboratory or surgeon's operating room. Around the room were counters with beakers filled with unknown liquids and human organs. At the centre of the room was a pair of operating tables that had metal restraints to pin patients down. Each floated over a black, dome-like device that let out a faint hum as it worked. One had a headless body on it that was being worked on by the surgeons. Behind the table was a tank filled with an unknown green liquid. Electrical sparks seemed to jump out from this liquid dangerously. Ivy wondered what this strange place was.
"Where are we?" she asked, beginning to feel fearful of this room.
"My lab!" cried the receptionist, as he transformed to his true form.
He was a monstrosity that could not have come from the earth. His skin was as green and scaly, and seemed to be stitched together from different samples of flesh and skin. His head was like a camel's back; two humps placed side by side. They were crowned by a single mass of jumbled green hair. The man had green eyes that glowed with unholy light and enviousness. A pair of snakes grew out of his backside and arced over his shoulder. They hissed and bared their fangs at Ivy terrifying her in to screaming.
As she tried to run, one of the snakes snapped out and bit her! Within moments, the toxin flooded into her blood. Despite an unnatural fatigue falling over her, she tried to escape only to collapse unconscious in the hallway. Once she woke up, she found herself shackled to the second operating table. The Green-Eyed Monster was milling about the room checking up on beakers and jars lined across the counter, which had human organs preserved in them. One such jar had a human heart, which still beat despite having been removed from its host's body. The freaky sight filled Ivy with dread and made her own heart sink.
"Ah you're awake," commented the Green-Eyed Monster.
"What the hell are you going to do to me?" asked Ivy, dreading the monster's answer.
"I'm going to perform a little operation on you, that's all," replied the monster mysteriously.
"Why me?"
"Why you?" echoed the monster. "You're special. You see, when most people find themselves lacking compared to others, there's a little funny thing called 'a conscious' that stops them from evening out the playing field. Unlike others, you were willing to do whatever it took to even things out. My master could use a person like you; one who is ruthless in pursuit of her goals."
"What have I done to deserve this?" asked Ivy.
"I think there's someone else who can answer that question better than I can," admitted the Green-Eyed Monster. The Green-Eyed Monster pulled a jar filled to the brim with the green fluid and showed it to Ivy.
In it was a human head which had been cut cleanly off of the body. It had a face that Ivy knew all too well; Mandy's! Mandy suddenly opened her eyes, causing Ivy to freeze up in horror. "Hello Ivy, it's nice to see you!" said Ivy's head.
Ivy was caught speechless at the sight of the severed head being animated by unnatural forces. "She's speechless. I guess she's happy to see you," remarked the Green-Eyed Monster.
Mandy smiled. "Oh yeah! Ivy, I know you've always been jealous of me, jealous of the things Mark and I shared. Didn't you wish that you were me instead? Well, Dr. Green here can solve both our problems!"
"That's right, Ivy. I'm going to join the two of you together. Isn't that great?" asked the Green-Eyed Monster.
"You're sick!" decried Ivy.
"Oh really? The people here helped me improve myself. I always wished I could be as good a doctor as my old friend, John. He was always better than I was, smarter, richer; everyone loved him. He won award after award for new, breakthrough treatments. I wished I could be like him. After meeting the people here, I got that chance. They gave me his brain so I can be just as good as he was."
Dr. Green pointed to the left mound on his head. This mound had a long scar stitched up by thread and needle. It ran completely around his mound, indicating that it had been opened at one point for diabolical brain surgery. "You're crazy! Let me go!" demanded Ivy.
"Sure, right after I do my little operation on you. You see I know you've always wanted Mark. I also know that you couldn't keep him around with Mandy. I mean who couldn't have liked her better? She had better hair, more beautiful eyes, a gentler heart... Don't you wish that you could have been her? Well, I have good news for you! I'm going to join the two of you together so you'll have everything that made her so beautiful."
"We're going to be together from now on, girl! Isn't that great?" asked Mandy's head.
Ivy screamed at the top of her lungs in horror. Dr. Green's serpent head bit into Ivy's neck, injecting anaesthetic into her blood. "It won't hurt at all. It will be all over soon," assured the doctor.
Several days later, a car pulled up to Ivy's home. In the front seat was Mark, the driver and his girlfriend, Ivy. They were content after having spent a wonderful time out on a date. "Ivy I can't keep my mind off of your hair. It never been this shiny and beautiful before. What did you do to it?"
"Oh, just a little secret Mandy taught me," said Ivy slyly.
"Mandy? You two made up?" asked Mark.
"Why of course, silly! We're best friends now. We have some much in common," said Ivy.
Mark was surprised. "Wow, just a few days ago, you were tearing each other's hair out. I guess it's okay if you two made up. Did you have a good time tonight?"
"Oh yeah, I had a great time, honey!" complimented Ivy.
"Take care," said Mark, giving his girl a sweet kiss goodbye as she left his car.
Mark started his car sped away into the night. Ivy stood there watching her boyfriend disappear into the horizon. Once he was out of sight, the beautiful young girl faded away and revealed her true nature. In her place was a Frankensteinian monstrosity made from the organs and parts of the two girls. This Green-Eyed Monster's left head was Ivy's while the right was Mandy's, which had been surgically grafted on to Mandy's torso. The stitching and scars were still visible just inches below their necks.
Ivy's left arm had been grafted onto Mandy's torso, while her right leg had been grafted onto her pelvic area. Their skin had been patched together from the skin of the two girls. The stitching was clearly visible on the Green-Eyed Monster's body. The largest stitching ran down the monster's chest in which the two surgically intertwined hearts of Mandy and Ivy beat in unison. The creature's scarred body was as green and scaly as that of a snake's. A pair of boas rose from the monster's back and gave out a satisfied hiss.
"Didn't I tell you it would be great?" asked the Mandy head with a smile. The Ivy head merely smiled to show her satisfaction.