The Misadventures of the Man Formerly Known as Victor Heart

Now. Now. I know what you’re thinking messing with these people is wrong of me. It’s cruel. It’s unusual. Its punishment. But what can I say, I’m a dramatic b*tch. I like the dramatics. The the-A-ter.

Also, I already tried a straight up fight and got my tight a*s handed to me. While I would love a rematch, I know when my eyes are bigger than my stomach. Well, that’s a lie, I’ve rushed into many a situation that were too much for me, but I really want to do the movie monster thing. It’s simply not fair that most of the time I only get to be the monster hunter.

You see my new empathy had some unintended consequences. Before my new empathy everything was dull and colorless, but being all I had I made the most of it. Reruns of I love juicy are better than no television at all. That stopped the very instant emotions were brought back into my life. The ecstasy of joy. The crushing sadness. The lightning in your veins of excitement. The fire in your stomach of rage. The venom of hatred. The love that makes your soul ache. The fear that stops your heart dead. I love all of them. They brought color to my world, and I cannot, will not, ever go back to monotone. All it takes to paint my world was to paint someone else’s.

I’m sad to admit that it has become something of an addiction. Don’t get me wrong, it’s more chocolate than heroin. Also, my job exposes me to all those emotions anyways, so it’s not too much of a detriment. The only real change to my life is my new habit of people watching using The Mentalism Ring’s psychometry and empathy.

Anyway, let’s get back to my killing of the rest of the troupe.

“Go. I try now.” Poor Dumb Brawn told his family.

Houdoni tried to dissuade his brother, “Gregor you don’t need…”

“No need. Want.”

“See you on the other side brother.” Houdoni told his brother before doing that weird forearm grab handshake. He also got a back pat from tatty and a quick hug from the two women. They left to set up what I foresaw as the finale.

“Come. Man to Man.”

Who was I to deny a man’s last request. I shifted some of the surrounding shadow webs to construct our arena.

***

In the middle of the night just outside Slaughterville we find quite the unusual scene. A ring constructed of black thread surrounded two figures gearing up to fight.

The first was a huge man with muscles on his muscles, a brown handlebar mustache, a shiny bald, and wore only a singlet. The other looked like a marble statue came to life due his inhumanely white skin tone and muscles that looked to be carved from stone. The man wore what looked zombie themed boxing gear. They were all a sickly green with decals that looked like exposed muscle.

Neither man said anything as there was nothing to be said.

Muscles charged Statue who bobbed and weaved towards him. Muscles threw a sloppy haymaker that was promptly bobbed as could be predicted. Statue punished him with a brutal blow to the chin that sent saliva flying and crumpled Muscles to the floor.

Don’t look down on Muscles, everyone’s got a glass jaw when hit with a boxing glove made of necromancy authority that hit mind, body, and soul. In fact, you should applaud muscles for pulling themselves together and getting on his feet.

Muscles charged again as that was the extent of his knowledge of fighting and quite frankly, he was just trying to keep Statue’s attention so as to give his family more time to prepare.

This was met with a jab to the ribs, right cross to the head, left cross to the other side. Muscles dropped again. Statue started mockingly hamming it up for an imaginary crowd.

Muscles got up holding his ribs and then charged Statue again. Ribs, right, left.

Charge, ribs, right, left.

Charge, ribs, right, left.

Charge, ribs, right, left.

You gotta give it to Muscles he was taking the punches like a champ. His body’s superhuman durability took the physical side of the punches with only some tenderness. He just powered through the headaches and soul pain, but they were steadily increasing.

Wobbly Charge, ribs, right, left.

Walk, ribs, right, left.

Stumble, ribs, right, left.

“Ok this is getting a little sad and boring. In the interest of avoiding anymore shōnen sh*t, If I agree to wait for five minutes, will you stay down?” Statue proposed to his opponent.

“Ten *pant* minutes.”

“Deal.”

“want *pant* word”

“My word is my bond.”

Statue did not get a response as Muscles departed from this world.

***

After waiting the required ten minutes, well fifteen as I decided to give Brawn some face, I headed toward the big top.

On my way the black band on my calf shattered and promptly disappeared. Not gonna lie I’m excited to see what I’m walking into.

As I entered the big top, I took in quite the scene. Ringmaster, Tattghoulish, and Irina lied dead inside a crimson red sigil. Looks like they sacrificed three lives with all the attached relationships and emotions. When I looked at the only other living person in the tent, I could see what said sacrifice was for.

Looks like Natalia went to the salon as her hair and beard had turned crimson. Now I was not dumb enough to think that was the extent of what was done to Natalia. I was just excited as I hope its something unique.

“You will pay for what you have done.” Natalia told me before her hair wrapped all around her body creating a crimson armor.

“Someday and someone. But not today and not you.”

Being:

Body:

[Bone Apple Tree]

Soul Tattoos:

[Celestial Weaving]

[Sand: Tier Three]

[Water: Tier Five]

[Faith: Tier One]

[Holy Water: Tier Three]

[Shadow: Tier Five]

[Necromancy: Tier Five]

[Rot: Tier ErRoR]

Special Abilities:

[Consumption: Tier Nine]

[Wound]

[Empowerment: Tier Nine]

[Empathy: Tier One]

Current Equipment:

Head:

[The Black Wasp Jackal’s Face]

Earrings:

[]

Necklace:

[]

Clothes:

[]

Rings:

[The Mentalism Ring]

[Mena’s Book]

[Petrifying Ring]

Bracelets:

[]

Shoes:

[]

Armaments:

[Beastly Heart]

[Murder Weapon]

Storage:

[Chi Organ]

[Spirit Shards]

[Various Utility Artifacts]

[Various Articles Of Clothing]

[Death Dogtags]

[Leech Muscles]

[Leech Teeth]

[Assorted Circus Corpses]