3. CHAPTER #2
Many animalistic monsters were Terrestrial, as in originating from Earth.
They were arguably the most diverse group and therefore had the most variety of banes, repellants, and weaknesses.
Indy would need to choose his weapon carefully, something with a broad range of effect to increase the chances of affecting this particular one.
Or just pick up the chair and beat him with it.
That could work too.
“You need to sit back down,” Floppy Ears commanded. “We are working out how to remove the Artifact and—”
“Oh, you mean this?” Indy wiggled the ring. “This Artifact right here? Yeah, well. I can tell you that one, it will not come off. Two, I think it’s broken because Dill might be a chicken.”
Floppy Ears blinked. “Dill…?”
“Yeah. That’s what I named him. What’s yours?” Indy smirked. “Flopsy? Mopsy? Or Cottontail?”
“Aw!” Gammy cooed. “Because of his bunny ears! They are precious.”
“Absolutely precious,” Indy cooed back in agreement. “Oh! Is it Peter?”
Floppy Ears glared. “I am the one who decides how many pieces you’ll be leaving in. It is our job to purge this city of its corrupt leadership, and you will not stop us! The—”
“Blah blah blah, mostri ribelli, blah blah blah. We’re right, Mostros are wrong.” Indy flapped his hand to imitate a gabbing mouth. “Blah blah blah.”
The mostri ribelli was a faction of monsters in open rebellion against the Mostro Family’s rule.
They presented themselves as heroes who were fighting a corrupt regime, but their actions only seemed to hurt other monsters.
Indy had heard about a plague that killed a bunch of weres earlier that year, a recent attempt to blast magical music that would kill monsters who heard it, and there were even rumors about them catching monsters to sell off to the government for secret experiments.
Okay, some of that was probably bullshit, but there was little doubt the mostri ribelli would do pretty much anything to destroy the Mostro Family.
No matter the cost—even to their own.
“Sorry to interrupt what was going to be a fabulous monologue,” Indy drawled, “but you’ve mistaken me for someone who gives a shit.”
Floppy Ears sputtered. “You…! You little…!” He took a deep breath and growled. “We almost have everything we need, you insolent little harlot. Johnson will rise and—”
“Wait, did you just say your johnson is going to rise?”
Floppy Ears appeared ready to combust.
“It’s okay. I have that effect on men. Happens all the time. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Indy flicked his fingers, placing his left index finger over his left thumb. “Unless you actually want an iron rod up your ass. Not gonna kink shame if you do, but—”
There was a blood-curdling scream.
Floppy Ears gasped as the body of a monster came flying by the open door. “What in the…?”
There was another scream.
Another body zooming by.
Floppy Ears bolted out of the room, shouting, “Hey! What is going on?”
“Well, shit.” Indy crept to the open doorway to peek out.
As ready as he was to get the hell out of here, he wasn’t going to run into what could be an even worse situation.
The space was full of long conveyor belts with adjacent work stations every few feet. Whatever was done here wasn’t immediately clear, but it hadn’t been active in quite some time given the dust, rust, and general dilapidated state.
There were at least three dead monsters. Indy recognized them as three of the original six who had grabbed him. The others were currently fighting what appeared to be two human men and absolutely getting their asses handed to them.
The first man was bald and bespectacled, wearing a dapper plaid suit in shades of blue and green.
He was as broad and short as the second was tall and thin.
The second man was doe eyed and had a big mop of curly dark brown hair.
He wore a black-on-black suit with no tie, and his shirt was unbuttoned almost halfway down.
There was not a single pop of color except for a red flower on his lapel.
A red carnation.
The first man had one too.
Indy took a step back instinctively because he knew who they were—Mr. Red and the Big Bad Wolf.
Somerstown’s very own serial killers who died years ago but had been resurrected as demons personally by Mr. Heiss.
Okay, no. This was a good thing.
Having Mr. Heiss’s serial killer guys here meant that he or Mr. Kalt must have heard the message and this was a rescue.
Wait.
It could also be that Mr. Heiss simply discovered Indy had gotten out of the house and was really pissed off and had sent said serial killers to kill him.
Well, fuck.
Wilhelm Tanze—that was the tall one with the poofy hair—was absolutely brutal as he tore a monster’s face clean off and then jumped on top of him to beat him with it.
The shorter man, Benjamin Underwood, was equally as savage and tore off the other monster’s head.
With a nasty little smile, he hurled the head at Floppy Ears.
Floppy Ears caught it, screamed, and then flung it away. “H-help! We need some help down here!”
Tanze was still beating the monster with his own face, but he paused to look around. He spied Indy peering out and grinned. He waved a bloody hand. “Be right with you!”
Indy waved back and smiled nervously.
Not creepy at all.
“What’s all the racket?” Gammy asked. “I’m almost done!”
“Some backup arrived.” Indy shut the door but left it open a tiny crack. “Mr. Red and the Big Bad Wolf are here. Which means Mr. Heiss shouldn’t be far behind them.” He heard a loud whoosh and sighed in relief as his nail glowed red. “About time you showed up. I was starting to miss you.”
His collar tickled.
Oh.
Wrong demon.
Indy didn’t have time to turn around before he was yanked backward, losing his balance and instantly choked by the tight grip on his collar. He managed to get his feet under him, wheezing, “Hey, boss.”
It was Mr. Kalt.
Mr. Kalt very much looked like most people would imagine a demon to—big, red, horns, all of that. He wore suits like most did, and today’s was black brocade with a gray tie. He wasn’t an unhandsome fiend, but right now he was snarling horribly as if he was really angry or super constipated.
Maybe both.
“You stupid little slut,” Mr. Kalt seethed, his scarlet eyes flaming. “Take it off. Now.”
“You know I love the pet names, really do, really gets me going, but are you sure I should be getting naked? My Gammy is right there—”
Mr. Kalt jerked his collar.
Hard.
“The ring,” Mr. Kalt snapped furiously. “Right fucking now. I own you, you are bound to me, and you must obey me.”
“Except what you’re asking is fucking impossible!
” Indy barked back as he tried to straighten himself up.
“If I could do it, I would. This ring has been nothing but a pain in the ass since I got it!” He curled his fingers around the collar to keep Mr. Kalt from strangling him again.
“Your stupid boss already tried, okay? He said he talked to you—”
“How long have you been planning this with him?” Mr. Kalt sneered. “How long have you known?”
“Holy shit, you’re more paranoid than usual.”
“Yeah, he is,” Gammy mumbled without glancing up from her drawing. She had completed a full circle of symbols and was adding small details now.
“Shut up.” Mr. Kalt twisted the collar so it cut into the side of Indy’s hand. “I am going to tear you apart unless you—”
“Calm yourself,” a new voice said sweetly. “We’ll find a way to remove it. Don’t worry yourself so.”
It was another demon.
Fabulous.
This one looked like Mr. Kalt, except his skin was a darker shade of red and his horns curled back like a ram’s. His eyes burned bright yellow, and his smile was off to one side. It might have been charming except looking at him made Indy’s skin crawl.
“Mr. Mitternacht.” Mr. Kalt let his grip relax. “Good of you to join us.”
Mr. Mitternacht flashed that uneven smile. “Of course. What are friends for? Now, let’s go handle the uninvited company, hmm? We can take the little blood bag with us.”
“Fine.” Mr. Kalt snorted, giving Indy’s collar a final yank before releasing it. “You. Stay here. We’ll be right back.”
Indy hissed, rubbing his neck. “Oooh, can’t wait.”
Mr. Kalt and Mr. Mitternacht stalked outside of the room, and Tanze approached them.
He was currently wearing the face he’d torn off as a mask, and gave them both a cheerful wave. “Well, look who it is! Mr. Mitternacht! I didn’t know—”
Mr. Mitternatcht punched Tanze right in the chest.
Blood splashed out like a fountain as Tanze jerked, and the face mask slid off and hit the floor with a wet smack. He grabbed Mr. Mitternatcht’s wrist, and it was only then Indy realized in horror that his hand was actually inside Tanze’s chest.
“Oh… You are going to pay for this.” Tanze grinned, even as he coughed up a thick mouthful of blood. “I can’t wait… to eat your fucking heart.”
Mr. Mitternatcht smiled and twisted his hand.
Tanze’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed.
There was an inhuman howl that rattled the entire building—Underwood.
He bolted at Mr. Mitternatcht with lightning speed, but Mr. Mitternatcht batted him away like a tennis ball.
Underwood went for him again, swinging and clawing as he snarled furiously.
Mr. Kalt came at Underwood from the other side, and soon the battle was a blur of blood and roars and screaming as they wrestled across the conveyor belts.
This was bad.
Indy didn’t fully understand what was going on, but anyone betraying a member of the Mostro Family was really, really bad.