The Anomaly

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I've already racked up a handful of kills tonight, probably close to half a dozen. Maybe a few more. Although exerting myself without my host's permission or knowledge causes my actions to be straining. Simply holding part of my original form is straining. The black smoke around my hands and feet fades, and simply my wings remain, a much easier feat to continue. However, as I stand from my last kill, I get the feeling that I'm being watched and approached. 

I lower my body, smaller, harder to hit as I crane my neck to search my surroundings. Listening, looking even in the night, something is here trying to hunt the hunter. A daring act, one that interests me. It's rare someone dares to challenge me, even when I'm wounded and tired I have the strength to destroy anything that crosses me.

I sniff the air, I can smell them, but my exhaustion is causing me to take time to pinpoint the source. Yet I know they are close, the smell is strong. There are four of them, somewhere, but I will find them before they get the chance against me. The smells come from all around, but the smell I pick up on first is one on the building next to me looking down. I subtly adjust my legs and stance. One strong jump and I'll be on top of them before they can even blink, then the fun will begin. 

I leap and flap my wings once, I reach up to where the smell is, and I find the man's neck. I land on the edge of the building and smile as he tries to pry my hand from his throat. Although I'm simply using my host's body, their strength is still magnified with my own, and that means this person will not be free until I say so.

"Someone as weak as you dare hunt me?" I say picking them up by their neck, their legs flailing around as they try to find something to stand on. I could kill this man in an instant, but I can feel the others he's with moving. His fear and theirs are strong against my nostrils. It makes me hungry again. 

"What are you?" The man chokes out, his eyes beginning to water, and his head flushed red. A low growl and laugh slip from my neck.

"Can't you tell? I'm your worst nightmare in the flesh." I shine my teeth at him, and a hint of terror rips through his face. The others are here, they are on the roof now, time to have some fun. 

I hoist the man up and slam him through the roof of the building and we drop down into the store below. I can feel the other three moving near the hole we created. This one won't be moving, on to the next. I fly up through the roof and grab another by their ankle. I fly high up and spin a few times before tossing him back down towards the store. Bright blue wings extend from his back like a brilliant light. He flaps a few times which slows his fall but does not stop it. His back smashes into the ground and he bounces backward onto his stomach. 

I fly down towards the other two and tackle one. We tumble across the ground but I ultimately land on top, and grab the woman by her neck. I could kill you all in the blink of an eye and you know it, I can smell it in your fear, see it in your eyes. You're all terrified, how brilliant. I can feel the other coming up behind me, and my dark and smoky tail shoots out from my back. It wraps around the person's neck and lifts them off the ground. They try punching at the tail but to no avail. This was truly entertaining watching them try. 

The one under me moves. Their hand becomes bright orange and black stripes, and claws extend from their fingertips. A tigress. She swipes at my leg, which I'm not using scales to defend my skin, so the claws easily rip at my host's skin. The pain extends through my host to me, and a roar of pain and anger echoes into the night. My tail loosens, and the one behind me I had grabbed is now loose and tackles me from behind. I take one step forward and easily catch myself. The tigress is beginning to stand.

I wrap my tail around the torso of the one behind me lift and turn. With a quick motion downwards, the man goes through the floor into the store with his friend below. The tigress pounces at me and I grab her by her neck. As I swing over me she swipes at my head and grazes my forehead. I toss her across the roof and she bounces off her back onto all fours, growling. Something is moving behind me, I can hear it so subtly. I turn and cover my body with my dark and scaled wings, bullets ping against them and bounce off. I move my wing to barely expose my eyes and growl. That winged spirit from early is back on his feet. My nose flares and my brows furrow. Under normal circumstances, these people would be nothing, but I have an unwilling host, and he drains my strength as I use it. I'm very angry now however that I've been clawed at and threatened by such weak spirits, and even this lesser version of myself is still enough for ten of these people. 

I charge the winged spirit with the gun, my wings covering my body. I can feel the tigress charging from behind me. I get close to the winged spirit and my wings swipe out at him, knocking him across the roof. I turn and swipe, my hand connecting with the cheek of the tigress, knocking her on her back. I can feel the winged spirit behind me now moving. I extend my tail out and grab his ankle as the tigress gets back up. I turn and throw the winged spirit into the tigress. They both fall onto their backs a few feet away. My anger causes the claws around my hands to form again despite how straining it is. 

The tigress gets up first and stalks me cautiously now. Either strike or don't stand against me at all, regardless, your life is in my hands. I fly at the tigress and dig my claws into her shoulder as I drag her body toward the edge of the roof. Her head dangles over the edge and she uses a quick moment to look below her. The fall wouldn't kill her, but this would. I raise a hand and swipe my claws across her neck. Her head falls clean off the side of the building, her blood pouring below. I turn back to the winged spirit who struggles to stand. 

I charge at him at full speed, my claws and fangs ready to greet him. The night is quickly silenced after my roar and his screams for his life meet and subside. Although annoying, it was another fun and successful hunt.