Within the Darkness

Vance woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare he couldn't fully recall. Itching the new scar on his arm that looked like some wild animal had attacked him. Claw and bite marks from what seemed to be a dog. It was just a dog, wasn't it? Vance’s memories of that night a few weeks ago were fuzzy. He was on vacation, camping with some friends. They were drinking beers and eating s'mores while telling campfire stories. Eventually after putting out the fire the group went to bed.

While up in the middle of the night to take a piss, Vance heard a branch snapping in the distance. He looked over, and even called out to the sound. “Hello?” There was no response, only silence. Vance put his thing away and cautiously started heading back when he heard crunching sounds. He turned around to check it out, going deeper into the woods. He moved a branch and froze in horror at what he was seeing.

There was a doe, a female deer, laying on its sides. Its belly had been torn open and its entrails were on the floor. Its intensities were being lifted and Vance's eyes followed them to whatever was eating the animal. It looked… human, but also canine yet not. Its legs were digitigrade, its hands were clawed and looked human with a fully formed thumb. It was holding the intestines in its bloody hands and putting them to its bone white canine shaped mouth that looked like a skull with antlers on its head. This head sat upon a thick, muscular, human like torso with black matted fur with bald patches. Despite its build the thing looked gaunt, like it was starving.

This thing, that must have been a trick of the light, seemed to be taking the intestines and slerping them like bloody spaghetti noodles. Vance sat there frozen as it continued to eat. Then he took a step back, getting ready to run, when he stepped on and broke a branch. There was a loud snap, and suddenly the creature was looking at him with its cold black dead eyes with a single white dot on the center. It seemed to look right into his soul.

Vance tried to run, but it gave chase, tackling him to the ground. He defended with his arm getting it torn up by tooth and claw when there was a sudden gunshot. The creature let out an ungodly howl before running off and Vance took the opportunity to run. He didn't even look back to see who had saved him.

Vance washed off his face in the sink then got himself a big breakfast. Six eggs, four bacon strips, and four slices of toast. This was twice the food he had made for himself just three days ago. Even with this, although his stomach had been filled, he still felt an indescribable hunger. He did his best to ignore it and go about his life, but one day his life changed. While walking home he decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway. Something he usually avoided. While going through he passed by several homeless people, the reason he avoided the alleyways.

Two of them were fighting over something. Either a sandwich or a bag of drugs. Vance didn't check to get a closer look, he just wanted to get home faster and make dinner. The fight escalated and one homeless man stabbed the other before running off with his prize. Vance rushed over to the man with the knife coming out his belly. “Oh god, oh god. I'll… I'll call you an ambulance or something.” Vance honestly didn't care about the plight of the homeless on any given day, but he still couldn't stand by and do nothing as someone died.

Vance put his hands out to the knife when he got the sudden whiff of blood. Normally just seeing bloodshed makes him queasy. But at this moment, the smell was intoxicating. Vance even found himself drooling a little. “(What is wrong with me? Why am I suddenly really hungry? So hungry… so hungry.)” Vance stared at the wound for a moment before looking around to see the two of them.were alone. There were no witnesses. Vance grabbed the handle of the knife and finished what the other homeless didn't before using the knife to carve into the man's flesh.

Chunks of raw human meat were thoughtlessly shoveled into Vance's mouth in a foggy haze of twisted instinct. By the time Vance came to his hands and face were stained in blood and bits of raw meat. He shook with the knife in his hand while looking at the half eaten corpse of another human being and nearly threw up. He kept gagging, trying to force it out but he couldn't do it. He washed himself off in a nearby puddle before shackaly walking away. Vance got home still shaking and was unable to do anything else that day until going to bed.

Even several days later there was no news on the TV about a half eaten dead homeless person. Vance killed a man and ate his flesh, without any consequences. He got away with it Scott free. Vance looked down at his hands and the shaking stopped as a grim smile formed on Vance's face. “What else can I get away with?” He let out a wicked laugh as he felt the shackles of society loosen. “What else can I do, just what else am I capable of?” He continued laughing before forcing it back. He pushed on his face to force it back into a normal expression. “Let's test our limits Vance, after all, why shouldn't I just do whatever the fuck I want?”

Vance acted normal in public, but secretly he felt ecstatic. For the first time in his life he felt truly free. He always felt like he was different than others, better than others, like he shouldn't be held to the same standards. But he always kept himself in check, not simply doing whatever he wanted because he was afraid of the consequences. Jail time, having others look down on him for being immoral by their tiny standards. The world should be his oister, a play thing to do with as he pleases. Finally he had a sign, to abandon the fear and let go of the chains he had placed on himself.

Vance spent much of his childhood bullied, feeling like even his own family didn't love him. He came to the conclusion this was reality trying to push him down and cripple his true potential. But then realized the fires of hardship were forging him into an unbreakable and sharp blade. He was of the mentally he was intended for greater things, that he was being molded into the next step of human evolution to write the wrongs of society. That one day he would restore the natural order of Darwinism, a world where the strongest rules over and prey upon the weak. As such he began to test and display his strength whenever possible.

He became the bully, pushing others down at every opportunity to prove he was superior. To prove that he was forged to be the blade that culled the wheat from the chaff. As such, he became extremely hateful of another individual. Someone who, like him, suffered hardships at every turn. Someone who's blade was forged by the hottest fires of suffering. But unlike him constantly reached out and helped lift the weak. He used his blade to help cut a path for those who could not do it themselves. He was a symbol of everything wrong with modern society. Lifting up and ensuring the survival of the disabled and unworthy when Vance felt we should do as the Spartans did and throw the physically disfigured off a cliff.

The worst part of this individual was the fact Vance shared genetics with the soft hearted fool. This other sword that had been forged to be as sharp and durable as him but used it to cut a path for the weak rather than cut down the weak was his own cousin. This pissed him off more than anything. So he regularly challenged his cousin to prove who was superior. No matter how hard he pushed his cousin down he simply kept getting back up. He hasn't spoken to or even seen his cousin in years but now it was as if god himself was giving Vance permission to embrace his predatory nature.

This was the rule of nature, survival of the fittest. Predators rule over prey and humanity has gone without a natural predator long enough. Now that his potential was unleashed he could become this predator, not just of humans but of whatever had attacked him. He would become the pinnacle of Darwinistic evolution, an ultimate apex predator with no rival sitting on top of a savage world where only the strongest survive.

Ishwada was woken up by his phone going off at three in the morning. Groggy and tired he grabbed his phone and picked it up. “Hello hello, this is Ishwada speaking.” Even in English he had a habit of keeping the Japanese tradition of saying hello twice. The voice over the phone is female. “This is officer Hamilton of the New Arkham Police Department, my mentor gave me this number and told me to call it if anything unusual came up.”

Ishwada rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. “It's three in the damn morning. Who gave you this number?” The female voice responded “Chief Garland.” Ishwada got up and got dressed with the phone in a new hand, swapping hands as he did so. “Okay, give me a run down of what the situation is.” Hamilton signed. “It'll be easier if you see it. I'll text you the address.”

Ishwada arrived at a home with crime scene tape around it. Cops and criminals scene investigators working the scene. “This better be good Hamilton.” The woman working the scene was surprisingly young for how she sounded, she looked fresh out of academy. Hamilton gestured for the former General to follow her in. “I used to live in Florida, I once saw a dude on bad meth eat a man's face. That had nothing on this.” That alone had Ishwada curious. He followed the young cop into the living room of the building.

The room itself was trashed and in a state of utter chaos, on the floor lay the victim. His knees were broken and bent backwards, his feet were broken and mutilated, his hands had sharp fake nails glued onto them, his arms and back had what looked like black fur haphazardly glued to his skin, and there was a deer skull on his head. The man's belly had been cut open more than once and most of his insides were missing.

Ishwada put his hand over his mouth. He had seen strange and fucked up thing in his time but this was definitely new. Although it was definitely outside the normal, a ritualistic murder wasn't exactly what he and his group dealt with. The cop gestured to the corpse. “This is the fifth one we've found in a similar state in as many months. We've got a serial killer on our hands and we think he may also be responsible for a number of cannibalistic deaths prior to this. The coroner tells me that the broken limbs, nails, and head dressing were all done before the victim was killed and eaten raw.”

Ishwada takes a closer look at the skull to see something black had been set in the eye socket with a white dot painted in the middle. A detail that likely wouldn't be there unless the killer had encountered the cryptid this victim was made to resemble. This killer was going out of their way to make their victims resemble the pop culture variant of the Wendigo before killing and eating them. Why someone who managed to survive an encounter with the Ososphobian cryptid would do such a thing was unknown. This wasn't typical behavior of someone who had been infected.

Ishwada stood up from his crouched position over the body. “How far back do these killings go, counting the suspected early ones before our UnSub took to this M.O.?” Hamilton looked over her notes. “Oldest suspected killing is… eight months back.” Ishwada rubbed his chin. “(An infected person would definitely be showing physical signs of change. Loss of hair, paling of skin. However it's hard to imagine someone seeing a Wendigo close enough for this level of detail and leaving unscathed.)” “This case definitely qualifies for my group to help with the investigation and detaining of the suspect.”

Ishwada goes outside to make a call to his superior to let them know that New Arkham, a hotbed for Cryptid activities over the last two decades, has had another incident. This time with a Wendigo that was a bit farther east then normal. He then walks in to see an investigator take a sample under the fake nails. “Looks like our perp got sloppy and the victim got a good claw in. We'll send in a sample to see if this sicko is in the system.”

Ishwada noticed more skin under a second nail and took his own sample. He then placed it in a portable kit for DNA identification. “Fancy gizmo you got there, but I've still gotta have my own sample and chain of evidence.” Hamilton remarked. Ishwada nodded when the device dinged, having finished its work. “Match found. 50% anomaly detected.” Was on the readout. Ishwada clicked a button to see who the sample matched to.

“Vance Warden, Twenty Six. Long record of assaults, disorderly conducts, and vandalism. Definitely has anger issues but this seems a bit of a leap for someone with a record like this Ishwada remarked after reading the display. Hamilton sighed. “He's got two living relatives in this city, his mom and a cousin who got a restraining order on him in highschool after said cousin was assaulted. My mentor Garland dealt with him a few times. He works at a local steel factory. Not exactly well liked outside some equally aggressive individuals. So he's got a small group of three friends.”

Ishwada nodded. “How about you and I split up the interviews of people that know him. You start with the three friends and I'll hit up the family.” Hamilton agreed. “Yeah. His mother is Karen Warden and his cousin with the restraining order against him is…” she flipped through her file on Vance. “James Holden. Same age as the suspect.” Ishwada blinked a few times. “That's interesting. This is the second case that I've had this month where he had some involvement. I know his address, you can text me the mom's but I'll start with Holden.”

Pitch and Kathryn were going over what little information they managed to gather since their last meeting and going through the tablet again when there was an unexpected knock on the door. Pitch hesitated before getting up to open it only to see General Ishwada standing there. “Hello General. I thought you were being sent to your next case or mission or whatever and wouldn't be here anymore.” Ishwada lets out a small grunt. “New case brought me here. Can I come in?”

Pitch moved and let Ishwada in. “Looks like our little casual coffee and movie night will have to wait’ Kat. It looks like Ishwada has a new case and somehow it has brought him back here.” Kathryn chuckled and put the tablet away. “That's fine.” Ishwada sits down on a chair. “I'm going to get right to business. When is the last time you've seen or heard from your cousin Vance Warden?” Pitch let out a groan. “It's been awhile. I think I spotted him in the distance a year ago maybe. I actively avoid him after the whole restraining order thing. A restraining order I'm fairly sure he's in violation of by the way.”

Ishwada nods and places a picture of Vance on the table for Kathryn to see. The muscular man had a scar that went from his forehead and curved down around his eye to his chin and a bald head. “This is the creep I saw in the window that day. The one I thought might be Black Eagle spying on you after we were cleared during the investigation into the lab attack.” Ishwada and Pitch both asked “Are you sure?” In unison. Kathryn nodded.

Pitch hummed. “Well that would explain the police being after him but not you. Kat and I both know you don't handle restraining order violations or normal crimes period.” Ishwada nodded. “He's a person of interest in a case involving ritualistic serial killing.” Pitch blinked a few times. “If you had said he had killed someone in a violent rage I wouldn't have been surprised but a ritualistic killing on the multiple seems a bit… outside his normal operation.” Ishwada nodded “I believe he had a close encounter with a Wendigo, pop culture variant.” He then slides over a folder with crime scene photos.

Pitch looked over the photos and despite the graphic nature hardly reacted. Kathryn on the other hand nearly threw up on seeing them. Pitch flipped through the photos. “The body has been dressed and mutilated to resemble the Wendigo, my guess is while still alive before the victim was killed and cannibalized. It's like he's going out of his way to invoke the image of the monster before symbolically killing and eating it like a predator. Putting himself above it in the food web. As if he's trying to achieve dominance over something he sees as an apex predator. That sounds more like Vance. The guy had some weird Darwinistic Meritocracy views. Believed the natural order was the string subjugating the weak.”

Ishwada rubbed his chin. “It's possible his own personality and darkness influenced and mutated the Cryptid conversation. Instead of becoming a Wendigo from the infection he's becoming something new. Transforming into his own idea of an ultimate apex predator with no natural rivals that can stand above a savage world.” Pitch nodded. “His childhood started a lot like mine. Filled with hardship and bullies. Unlike me who was humbled and arrived to be better at every opportunity, he took the struggle making us stronger mentally to heart before falling down a rabbit hole of thinking the strong should rule over the weak. He became a bully himself using his belief as an excuse to ridicule and abuse anyone he saw as weaker than himself.”

Ishwada grumbled. “Well if he's becoming something new instead of a Wendigo because of the Wendigo infection then we can't assume he'll have the same abilities and weaknesses as a partially converted Wendigo. Looks like general equipment. Thanks for your help. It's refreshing to deal with someone in the know about Cryptids and not have to dance around or juggle cover stories. Unfortunately the risks of going public are greater than the benefits.” Pitch looked at Kathryn then back to the General. “This may be an unusual request considering I turned down joining Black Eagle already but I'd like to aid you in bringing down Vance.”

Ishwada thought about it for a moment. “Normally I wouldn't allow something like that, however I understand if you feel a measure of responsibility. Despite your differences he is still family.” Pitch shook his head. “I never saw Vance as family. I just want to help bring him down as payback for all the torment he put me through as kids.” Ishwada let out a laugh. “Well either way I already think you have what it takes to be Black Eagle.” Pitch grumbled. “I won't be taking orders. If anything you can think of me as a consultant. I want to be clear that although I trust your motivation the same is not true of your employers.”

Ishwada nods. “Understood. Shall we go then? We can even take the scientist if you want. It could be useful to have her along to observe and study the new specimen.” Kathryn nodded enthusiastically. “Consider me there. This could be the breakthrough we've been hoping for. To finally understand how Cryptids work.” With everyone in agreement the three pack into General Ishwada’s armored Humvee and head over to Vance's house to investigate the area for clues on where he might be or possibly who his next victim could be.

The three arrive at his house and Ishwada knocks on the door to no response. He then picks the lock and walks in anyway. After a quick search it's found that the house is empty. Not only that but it is surprisingly clean. Pitch hummed. “I don't think he's been here in a few days.” He then checks the fridge. “He's got a six pack of beers in here, so he intended to come back eventually.” The group continued to search through the house with Kathryn checking the bedroom. She opens a drawer and finds a freshman yearbook from Teddy Roosevelt High School. “I think I found something.” The other two come to see what Kathryn found.