"Have a good night, Clarisse. See you tomorrow?" Reyna asked as she looked at her coworker. Clarisse was sitting back in her chair and had her legs propped up on her desk. There was a small smile on her face.
"Nah. I have the day off," Clarisse answered with a wave of her hand. "Think you can handle it by yourself?"
"I can," Reyna promised. Clarisse had been leaving her alone for an hour or two at a time to do things she had been neglecting like checking their cameras to make sure they were still working and were updated. She also helped out with some of the deliveries if she didn't make Reyna do it.
"Just remember to check everyone's ID. Don't let anyone you suspect into the bar. Make sure to walk around or peek inside every so often. Also, pay extra attention to that earpiece," Clarisse listed off. Reyna smirked.
"Hey, I have a good trainer. It will be fine," Reyna promised.
"Just try not to punch anyone else," Clarisse muttered as she stood up. "I'd offer you a ride, but I'm going to meet Chris for a movie."
"I can walk home. It's not a big deal," Reyna said. The two of them walked out of the office. The bar was mostly quiet as everyone had already left. Reyna was just waiting for Clarisse to close up the bar.
"I just don't like it," Clarisse muttered. "Not after what Ma Gasket did."
"She's a coward who won't show her face again for some time," Reyna dismissed. She walked towards the front door and waited as Clarisse set the alarm. Then, she stepped outside and watched Clarisse lock the door.
Reyna's ear twitched, and she turned her head to watch a car pull up near the bar. Clarisse turned and clenched her fist. She relaxed upon seeing Thalia step out of the car. In contrast, Reyna tensed.
"We're closed, Grace. What do you want?" Clarisse questioned. Thalia leaned on her car.
"I've been super busy, but I wanted to check on Reyna," Thalia began. "I didn't realize what time it was, or I would have been here earlier."
Thalia moved her gaze to Reyna, and she studied her. There was a friendly smile on her face, but Reyna couldn't return the expression. Thalia spoke, "I heard what happened yesterday. You okay?
"I'm fine. Ma Gasket didn't break anything this time. Well, she didn't break much," Reyna answered as she held up her hand.
"Can we save the interrogation for tomorrow?" Clarisse interrupted. "I have a movie to catch."
"I was just heading home," Reyna said. Thalia glanced back at the nearly empty parking lot.
"Is Clarisse taking you, or were you walking?" Thalia questioned.
"Walking," Reyna answered after a moment. She felt herself starting to shift from the hunter's gaze. Thalia nodded and patted the roof of her car.
"Want a ride?" Thalia offered. Reyna bit her tongue. The last thing she wanted was a ride, but being alone in a car with a hunter? That felt like a damned death sentence. But, Reyna needed to do it. Having Thalia tell the cops that she took Reyna home and Reyna went right inside would be the perfect alibi. Especially after tonight.
"I don't want to be a burden," Reyna began.
"You won't be," Thalia promised. "Get on in."
"Have a good day off," Reyna called back as she looked at Clarisse and opened the passenger's door. Clarisse nodded back to her and walked towards her own car. Reyna slowly sat in the car and tried to keep her breathing calm and her visible tension down. She closed the door.
"Jason said you live in his old complex," Thalia quelled the silence as she turned down the radio. Reyna nodded. "Settling in?"
"Yeah," Reyna answered. She interlocked her fingers and stared out the windows. "The neighbors don't bother me."
"And the bar? You still enjoy working there?" Thalia asked. Her gaze was focused on Clarisse, and as Clarisse pulled out of the parking lot, Thalia started to drive.
"I do," Reyna replied. She felt her mouth had gone dry and cleared her throat. "Other than bartending."
"I heard you were doing good at it," Thalia mentioned. Reyna nodded and glanced at the hunter. Thalia spared a glance at her. "Also, don't worry about Ma Gasket. I'm doing my damnedest to get her and Lycaon behind bars. Lycaon has the stupid police chief in his back pocket, but I know Ma Gasket is running out of luck. When we deal with her, we'll handle Lycaon."
"I'm trying not to worry about it," Reyna said softly. "I'm more worried about Chiron. Ma Gasket already tried to hurt him, and Lycaon was staking out his house."
"I know, and I fucking hate it," Thalia agreed wholeheartedly. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I swear I'm close to busting those two. I just need Captain Fat Fuck to get his dick out of his ass."
"Captain Fat Fuck?" Reyna repeated.
"The police captain. Bastard is rotten to the core. He won't do shit against Lycaon, but as soon as I have all of my proof and testimonies and shit together, I'm nailing that lanky fucker. I'll bring it to my superiors and then to the police commissioner," Thalia promised. She huffed an angry breath. "Sorry. I just get really pissed off thinking about it."
Reyna nodded and settled back in her seat. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing up, and a chill ran down her spine. Reyna expected Thalia to turn at any moment and threaten her with a silver knife or even a silver-tipped crossbow bolt.
"I heard that was pretty badass," Thalia commented. "You punched Ma Gasket in the face? I wish I had been there to see it."
"It was nothing," Reyna dismissed as she shifted uncomfortably.
"It was badass," Thalia insisted as she grinned at Reyna. "I'm surprised you didn't break your entire hand on her thick head."
Reyna shrugged and looked back out the window. Thankfully, the rest of the ride was in silence. Thalia seemed content to listen to the radio and sing under her breath. Reyna was content to look out the window and stare up at the full moon in the sky. Energy coursed through her veins.
"Here we are," Thalia announced as she pulled into the apartment.
"Thanks for the ride," Reyna said softly.
"Anytime," Thalia replied coolly. Reyna nodded to her and got out of the car. "And hey. If Ma Gasket or Lycaon gives you trouble again, let me know."
"I will," Reyna lied as she looked at Thalia. "For now, I think I want to go to sleep and forget the two."
"Sweet dreams," Thalia said with a small smile. Reyna couldn't force a smile, but she did nod again awkwardly and stuff her hands into her jacket. Thalia didn't immediately drive away. Instead, she waited until Reyna had stepped inside to leave.
Reyna looked around the lobby. She glanced at the camera in the corner and took off her hat. Reyna ran a hand through her hair, waiting long enough for the camera to get a good view of her. Then, she made her way towards her apartment.
Tonight was the night.
Reyna had been planning this for so long now. She ran through a hundred different scenarios and had a plan. Her biggest problem was making sure the police wouldn't link her to the crime, but she had a solid enough plan to avoid it, and as long as no one saw her leave her apartment, which they wouldn't, she would be fine.
Reyna made it to her apartment and unlocked the door. She stepped inside and closed it behind her. Reyna stripped off her clothes and threw them in a hamper. She quickly changed into old blue jeans with holes all over and a black hoodie. She gripped the mask for her face and stuffed it into her pocket. The last thing to grab was the nail that Lycaon tore into her face, and as she put it in her pocket, she was ready.
A deep breath left her as she opened the window of her apartment. Upon looking around the alley, she gripped the edge of her window and slowly climbed out. Reyna dug her shoes into the brick wall and held onto the window sill with her right hand. Her gaze moved to the left and that ladder that was a few inches away.
Reyna carefully reached out and tried to grab the ladder. Her fingertips brushed against it. Reyna swung herself slightly and grabbed onto the ladder. She moved her feet to the ladder before letting go of the window completely. It took her only a moment to climb down the ladder and look around.
No one was on the streets. Reyna put the mask over her head, leaving only a hole for her eyes. She threw the hood over her head and stuck her hands into her pockets. Reyna walked out of the alleyway and down the street.
Her thoughts were clear as she walked, and she could practically taste the blood on her lips. Her father used to call it bloodlust, and she thought it was another one of his bullshit lessons. His lessons were full of propaganda that made beasts seem like monsters.
It turned out that bloodlust wasn't complete bullshit, but she still didn't understand everything about it. She didn't know if every werewolf had it or if it had to be triggered by something else. Reyna heard stories that a werewolf would get a taste for blood and then turned into a blood-crazed monster every full moon.
That wasn't entirely true. From what Reyna experienced, her bloodlust didn't come every single full moon. There were random times where she really did just want to hurt someone, to make them bleed. Even to taste their blood. It didn't turn her into a monster, though. She was able to resist the urges. It didn't rule her life and was more akin to craving soda or other sugar.
Tonight, her bloodlust would be sated. Reyna knew that there was something wrong with her. Normal people didn't just kill others, but what choice did she have? Ma Gasket and Lycaon would not leave the bar alone. They would not leave Reyna's makeshift pack alone. So, they had to be taken care of.
Reyna considered all of the nonviolent options, but the truth was that beasts like those two only understood violence. And, only one thing would stop them: death.
Those thoughts comforted Reyna as she made it to the shitty house that Ma Gasket's sons called a home. Reyna glanced around and saw no one was on the streets. A small smirk came to her face. There were no cameras around, and it was not the place where anyone would want to be stranded.
Reyna looked around again and walked towards the shithole. It didn't look like it was originally a house, more of a small retail store that had been run out of business. The front door was made of metal that had three different locks on it. Windows surrounded the building on all sides and closed by shutters inside. Though, most of the windows were shattered. That would make her job a lot easier.
Reyna stepped into the alley and walked toward the rusted trash bin. She reached behind it to grab the small bag that she left back there. After looking around one more time to make sure no one was watching, Reyna stripped off her clothes. She pulled Lycaon's nail out of her pocket and rested it on the ground before hiding the bag.
A deep breath left Reyna as she closed her eyes and focused. Her entire body tensed like a coil, ready to snap. And, she transformed. The sensation was always odd to her as she felt her limbs stretching out, and fur covered her entire body. When she opened her eyes, she was twice her original size.
Her nails were razor-sharp, as were her teeth. Jet black fur covered her entire body, and for anyone looking at her eyes, they would see a black void ready to swallow them whole. There were a few small lines on her side where fur would not grow, as the skin was scarred.
Her world seemed to come alive. There was a tension in her body, but it was from excitement. Her mouth almost watered at the thought of what she was going to do to Sump and Torque. She walked towards a broken window and placed her nails to the shutter. As she clenched her hand slightly, her claws slid through it like a knife through warm butter.
Reyna's ears twitched as she focused, but she didn't hear the cyclopes react. Their laughter was from the opposite side of the building. They wouldn't know what was happening until it was too late. Reyna lifted the shutters above her head slowly and carefully. A television boomed loudly through the walls, and she heard the two cyclopes laughing intensify, followed by a cry of pain.
Reyna stepped into the building and closed the shutter behind her. It took her a few moments to adjust to the darkness in this part of the building. There were a bunch of boxes filled with cans and dried goods. This looked like some kind of makeshift kitchen with a microwave on a counter. There was a small electric stove next to that.
Another cry of pain caused Reyna's ear to twitch. It was muffled, like the person who made it was gagged. Reyna carefully stepped forward, but her foot hit a box of cans. She wasn't exactly the most graceful when transformed, but luckily, the cyclopes made no indication that they had heard.
"You really thought that you could run from us," Sump sneered. Reyna heard a muffled whimper, and Sump laughed loudly. A cracking sound caused Reyna to flinch.
"Ma was real kind to give you to us," Torque taunted. Reyna wrapped her claws around the door handle in front of her and struggled to open it. She finally pierced it with her claws and carefully opened it. Her gaze moved to the room in front of her.
The room seemed to take up the rest of the building. One side of the room had two large beds, and the rest of the room had clutter gathered everywhere. Sump was sitting on a table that had a large dent in it, almost turning it into a chair. Torque was holding onto a belt and was standing over another figure.
Reyna stared at this other figure. It was another cyclops, but he wore blue jeans and an orange shirt. The shirt had been cut open to expose his back, and while Reyna couldn't see the wounds, iron overwhelmed her. She watched Torque bring the belt down again.
Reyna felt a growl building in the back of her throat. Sump turned his head towards her, and Reyna wasted no time in lunging forward. She slammed her body weight into the cyclops, driving him off of the table and to the ground. Sump cried out in surprise, and Torque yelled.
As she tore her claws through Sump's side, she turned towards Torque. He whipped the belt at her, and she allowed him to, swiping it into her grasp mid-air. Torque's eyes widened and desperately tried to pull on the belt. Reyna allowed him a few attempts before jerking him forward.
Reyna balled her fist and slammed it into Torque's face. He fell back, howling in pain. Something slammed into Reyna's back, and a growl left her. She turned and watched Sump raise the table again. She tore her claws through his stomach as he left himself exposed. The table fell harmlessly, and Reyna's ear twitched.
Reyna turned and threw Sump into Torque. The brothers fell to the ground, and Reyna walked toward them. She slammed her heel down into Torque's jaw and saw Sump reaching out for a knife. Reyna caught sight of the silver and kicked it away. She wrapped her claws around his throat and spoke in a rough voice, "Who is your prisoner?"
"Who the fuck are you?" Sump demanded. Reyna squeezed his neck, entrenching her claws in his flesh. Sump weakly gasped for precious air.
"Who?" Reyna repeated as she lifted Sump with some effort. She tightened her grip before placing her other claws to his stomach. Reyna tore down, opening his abdomen and watching some of his insides spill out.
"Brother!" Torque screamed. He slammed into Reyna, causing her to drop Sump. She stumbled and winced as the cyclops punched her in the back. It mostly pissed her off, so she turned and delivered a punch of her own. Torque fell back but instantly tried to get back up.
Reyna stomped down on his chest before kicking him in the jaw. She then continued to stomp her foot down over and over again into Torque's chest until she heard bones snap and break. Torque screamed in total agony, and Reyna placed both thumbs to his one eye. She felt a sick satisfaction as she slowly plunged her nails in.
Torque's cries echoed throughout the room. Reyna slowly stood and turned towards the remaining cyclops: the prisoner. He was staring at her with pure horror in his eyes. Reyna walked towards him and spoke, "Who are you?"
"T...Tyson," the cyclops whimpered. His back was a bloody mess, and it looked like Sump and Torque had been cutting into him with a knife and flogging him. "Please don't hurt me."
Reyna studied Tyson. She knew that name. He was the cyclops that Ma Gasket had claimed to own. Was that why she was at the bar demanding to know where someone was? If it was Tyson, someone at the bar would be the first suspect. And, Ma Gasket had found Tyson and ordered her sons to torture him.
Reyna knelt down by Tyson. His hands were chained together and held to the floor. Reyna swiped through the chains on the ground, "Go back to Percy. Stay away from Ma Gasket. If the police asked you what happened, tell them that you played dead and watched a werewolf tear those two apart. Then, you broke free and escaped. Understood?"
Tyson nodded rapidly, his terrified gaze never leaving her. Reyna stepped away and watched Tyson slowly stand. Pain burned in his features for the effort, and Reyna used her head to motion towards the backroom. Tyson nodded again and limped away.
Reyna closed her eyes as the scent of iron tasted her nostrils. She wasn't done with these cyclopes yet. Lycaon would be more violent; he would drag this out. Reyna had no stomach for that, but she would make the aftermath look much worse than what happened.
After she was done here, she would leave the nail behind, lodged in one of their throats. Then, she would take a very long bath in the river before heading back home and taking a very long shower. Hopefully, her plan would work out, and Ma Gasket would blame Lycaon for this.