It was a dark, cold night in the capitol, the perfect time for those with nefarious intentions to poke about. The city was always busy, no matter how late it got, but when the sun went down, most people flocked to the taverns, bars or the casino. So areas like the shopping district and the marketplace tended to quiet down, becoming a empty, abandoned section of the city until the sun came back around the next day. Crime was never really too big of an issue due to the city guard that patrolled the area, but these men were not that skilled, and any expert thief could navigate the streets without detection. 

Plague was such a thief, having lived in the back alleys and slums of this city, she new it like the back of her hand. Her home was beneath the city, so she came and went when she felt like it, using the neglected portions of the city to navigate it, like through it's sewers and its alley ways. Tonight she was on a mission, a self appointed task that would benefit her new endeavors with the Golden Consortium. She had only been a part of the guild for a few weeks now, and already hated it, having to deal with rich, uptight snobs who bought their way in. But she stuck around for the tools it provided, now having access to an untold amount of supplies and material. It was like the Winter's Crown every day of the week. 

After minutes of navigating the city, Plague was now at the backside of a large warehouse, one owned by a rival alchemy company, one with higher standards and more devious intentions. They were selling potions and elixirs filled with dangerous, illegal ingredients that were known for getting people sick. Maybe members of the Consortium had filled complaints against this company and have been trying to get them shut down for years. Plague cared for none of that, she was not here to get revenge, or stop production, she did not even care if they stayed in business. What she wanted was those illegal ingredients, very deadly chemicals that could be used....for other things. 

So there the young gutter rat stood, peering into a dirty window under the bright, winter moon. She wore her normal olive green doctors gear, fit with gloves and boots. A hood was pulled over her head and her plague doctors mask strapped to her face. She had grown a reputation around here, not only for her actions, but also her unique appearance. Many of the local guards knew her as the Gutter Rat of Sol City, a common street urchin known to cause trouble. And as she smashed the window she was just peering through, it became all too obvious she was here to cause that trouble. 

It was readily apparent to anyone that met them that Morrigan didn’t really give a damn about the comings and goings of the Golden Consortium.

They’d initially joined because it sounded like something fun- a way to further their skills and have access to new ingredients and influence while trying to find a way to con their way into the Mage’s Guild. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the alchemist’s seal of approval bolstered their snake oil sales, earning them a little more coin than they would on the regular. Morrigan was comfortable for now, even if they didn’t appreciate being under the thumb of a bunch of golden assholes who thought they could regulate and control potion making and hoard that information for themselves.

The fact that Morrigan was currently attempting to raid the warehouses of one of the Consortium’s current rivals was entirely by coincidence, really.

Well, not exactly coincidence- Morrigan had heard the rumors floating in the Consortium’s hallowed halls, stories of components that made consumers violently ill, attempted investigations that were swept under the rug. In the eyes of the Consortium, such business practices were dangerous… and for Morrigan, it meant opportunity. It would not be the first time they’d used insider information to steal illegal potions, and it would certainly not be the last. But Gods, was it fun to go under their nose.

There was enough moonlight for Morrigan to see what they were doing as they were hidden a safe distance away from the warehouse, preparing for their intrusion. Glitter bombs were strapped to their belt for easy access, and the blade of the knife attached to the end of their tail- the Scorpion’s Stinger, they liked to call the weapon- was coated carefully in a new poison of their own creation.^[1] Baubles and ornaments filled with explosive powder were tucked carefully in their bag. Tonight, Morrigan intended to break in, rob them blind, and vandalize the place until there would be nothing visible but glitter…

Now what in the hell was going on up there?

Slight movement in the shadows caught Morrigan’s attention. They looked up, surprised to see a hooded, masked figure walking along the backside of the warehouse, peering into one of the windows. A guard? They stiffened, tail flicking behind them as they reached for their fan instinctively, ready to strike if need be, but they didn’t look like any guard that Morrigan had ever seen. Before they could act, however, the stranger immediately broke through the window, ready to break in themselves.

What the fresh hell?

This was Morrigan’s mark! What business did that weirdo with the long mask have breaking into a warehouse that Morrigan was already fully intending to rob blind?

Those were their illegal potion components to steal!

There was no way in hell they were letting that stranger hog all the spoils to themselves!

The first stone had already been cast- there was no point in waiting around and preparing anymore. Morrigan picked themselves up, brushing dirt and snow off their fine jacket. It was time to act. All caution thrown to the wind, Morrigan sprinted after the stranger, throwing themselves in through the window after them, a glitter bomb in one hand and an explosive ornament in the other.

It was time to raise hell.

---

1. Frostfire Extract applied to Dagger (Dagger equipped with Pale Ice enchantment, attached to prehensile tail)

The girl fell a few feet, thick boots giving off a hard thud after landing on the cold concrete. She scanned the room from beneath her gas mask, locating several barrels and crates that could potentially house the illegal materials. But before she had the chance to fully formulate a plan, the sounds of another could be heard from behind her. Someone had followed her here and was going to bust her. Her right hand grabbed a smoke flash while her bull strength potion rested in her left hand, whoever this was, they did not want any of this. 

As the stranger entered into the warehouse through the same window Plague had created, the girl instantly shouted, wanting to gain the stalkers attention before they had a chance to strike. She feared this was a city guard, or worse, someone who worked in this warehouse. Her muffled voice was loud enough to be heard by the stranger, but quiet enough to not be heard by random civilians passing by outside. 

"Hold there criminal, I am from the Golden Consortium and you are under arrest for the making and selling of illegal product!"

She tried to do her best city guard impression, making her voice deeper and more intimidating than it normal was. She needed this person to believe she worked for the city, and hopefully they would buy the scam and go on their way. Things never went the way she hopped for them to however.

If anyone were to ask later, Morrigan successfully and elegantly navigated their way through the broken window after the first intruder with all of the grace expected of someone of the title “The Wizard of the Wastes”. No one but the stranger who’d broken in before them would be able to contradict this story, of course, but as Morrigan heaved themselves through the panes of broken shards with great effort, catching the stranger’s attention, they doubted that was at the forefront of her mind.

No, it seemed she’d mistaken them for… one of this place’s guards?

Wait a minute.

Now she was claiming to be an agent from the Consortium, as well?

Morrigan pulled themselves to their feet, nearly tripping and falling into a couple of empty crates with the motion. They reached for their fan at the same time the stranger reached for her potions.

“Hold on there a minute, lady. You can’t be from the Golden Consortium. I’m from the Golden Consortium!” They protested, unfurling the fan and waving it in front of their face, where a petulant, pinched expression currently rested. I’ve never seen this chick in my life! Is she simply lying to cover her ass, or is she actually a member? And if she was, then what were the chances that they’d both picked the same mark on the same night?

And then a second, even scarier thought occurred to them- was she here on a sanctioned mission? Oh Ginma, this was bad. If this was official guild business, then she would have to report back that Morrigan was here, which they could absolutely not afford to have happen. As much as they loathed being under the rule of someone else, they despised the idea of being that circus clown who was kicked out of the guild after only a few months of membership even more.

Which meant only one thing- Morrigan had to lie like hell and cover their own ass here, and hope she bought the diatribe of veritable horseshit that was about to flow from their mouth.

“Ah, you must forgive me for my surprise- you see, I was sent on an incredibly private and top secret mission from one of the higher-ups in the guild to disrupt business in this place, and I was not aware they had sent someone else as well! So important, in fact, that absolutely no one else could know about it and it’s not in any official record!” There was a slight tremor of fear in their voice, worried about whatever nasty concoction might be in that lady’s flasks. Poison? Explosives? Either way, Morrigan didn’t fancy being on the receiving end of one of those bad boys. They could only hope she would buy the half-truth and lower her weapons, or else things were about to get messy.

If this stranger could have seen the woman's reaction from beneath her mask, it would have instantly ruined the gig, revealing her own surprise at this intrusion. The consortium had sent an agent to investigate this place after all, a top secret mission that she was not privy to, most likely because of her low standing with the guild. This was a pickle, she had to some how keep up the ruse, but how do you convince a secret consortium agent that you are also supposed to be there. Her arms lowered, relaxing some as the stranger stumbled around, taking a moment to gather themselves. Her guard did not drop however, both bottles remaining in her gloved hands in case things took a turn for the worse. 

"Oh, well...ummm..cool then. I am glad the Consortium has sent back up, this place is dangerous, who knows what kind of crazy illegal chemicals sit in these crates. "

This was going to be a mess, she now had to pretend to be an upstanding agent who was here to bust some criminals, when the truth was that she was actually here to do the crime. How was she going to trick this person into letting her make off with some of the goods? The pressure of the moment was rising, she had to think of something clever fast. Her words were choppy, stumbling and stammering as Plague pushed through some sort of half assed plan.

"Well I already scouted this building, there does not seem to be any guards. Maybe we should check out these crates and barrels, and take a few samples back for the Consortium to investigate?"

That was the ploy, continue pretending to be here on a secret mission, investigate the rumors of illegal goods, and then make off with some under the guise of samples for the guild. It was a flawless plan right? Nothing could go wrong.

---

On the other side of the warehouse, still outside, stood two small orphans, Sparrow and Mouse who were acting as look outs for the young Plague. It was not uncommon to see homeless children sleeping in the street or begging for food on a corner, so Plague's little minions made the perfect spies, or look outs, able to blend in and seem harmless when actually assisting the alchemist. They were given a strict order, watch the front of the building and call out if anyone approached. Things had been going well for awhile, but something stirred down the street, a glimpse of moonlight glinting off of something metal as a tall figure approached the building.

A city guard was on their nightly patrol, doing a routine check of the market district. They were simply going to walk by, not really paying any mind to anything, but the two orphans did not know this. Instead they believed this to be a guard who was headed right for this building, and was going to investigate. This worried the duo, not wanting Plague to get caught, they decided to give the signal, warning the girl still inside of company approaching.

---

Before the stranger had a chance to respond to Plague, a faint bird call could be heard. To any one else it would sound like a far off bird just passing by, but Plague knew exactly what this was, and it was not good news. The bird signal was a warning, somebody was approaching and if they didn't hide, they both would surely be discovered.

"Look, I don't have much time to explain, but we need to hide, someone is coming!"

Wait a minute…

Had the consortium actually sent an official here to carry out this mission? Morrigan had been lying through the skin of their teeth, but now that she was spouting off some stuff about backup and dangerous chemicals, they were left to wonder if she really was here on a legitimate mission, which meant that Morrigan was actually going to have to double down and keep up this act!

Well, they’d made their grave, and now it was time to lie in it. Morrigan straightened, every bit the picture of an official guild dignitary for someone who had no idea what that actually looked like. “Yes, of course. Completely legitimate official guild business, taking care of all the dangerous poisons.” Their eyes flicked towards the crates that she’d been referring to. “I’ve been sent to help you… confiscate as much as I can. To be disposed of later, of course. Such components are too dangerous to be left unchecked.”

Said components would be disposed right into Morrigan’s potion stock, but she didn’t need to know that.

They nodded along as she gave them the rundown of what she’d learned so far- no guards on the outside, which lined up with what Morrigan had seen when they were getting ready earlier. This place really didn’t seem to be that well-guarded. An oversight, considering the veritable treasure trove contained inside- every poisoner’s wildest dream.

“Of course! We shall take as many samples as we can carry. All for the sake of the consortium, as I'm sure you're aware-”

Before they could finish that sentence, the harsh sound of a birdcall cut through the silence, and the woman immediately tensed, immediately turning to Morrigan.

“Wait, I thought you said there were no guards!” They hissed, but there was no time to argue. Both of them knew what would happen if they got caught. Morrigan dove for the nearest barrel, throwing themselves into what had to be the grossest smelling plant they’d ever encountered in their life, but smelling a little bad paled in comparison to keeping their pretty head attached to their shoulders. Morrigan needed that thing! It was their moneymaker!

Seconds passed, as Morrigan waited for the telltale sounds of a guard coming to investigate the sound of the broken window, but nothing came. Seconds turned into minutes, with still no sign of the stranger that she’d somehow known about. And the longer time passed without anything happening, the more Morrigan's confusion grew.

What in the world was going on out there? 

---

Plague hadn’t been the only one who brought backup of the adorable child variety. Morrigan had a secret weapon of their own.

Just outside the warehouse, where the patrol guard was approaching the warehouse, Sparrow and Mouse would see a tiny, bright red Kobold dart out from behind a box, just as he had been instructed hours ago in the event of a guard wandering in this direction. Bubbles might not have been a skilled liar, but what he lacked in deceptiveness that his master carried in spades, Bubbles made up for in sheer belief of the Wizard of the Wastes. He generally believed anything that Morrigan told him was the complete truth.

The guard was just about to round the corner and notice the broken window when he felt a tiny tug on his pants. Curious, he glanced down, surprised to see a scaly kid in what looked like some wizard costume staring up at him with trusting, dark eyes. Just before the guard could ask him what he was doing out here so late at night, Bubbles opened his mouth and started regurgitating the exact lines Master Moonweaver had fed him earlier.

“Mister guardsman, mister guardsman! I saw someone go down that alley over there! He was big and scary! He looked like he was carrying a big bag of something heavy!”^[1]

The guard’s eyes widened, immediately believing Bubbles’s plea. After all, who could resist that adorable little face? The armored man turned and immediately left the warehouse alone, heading in the direction Bubbles had pointed.

That was one patrolman down- but there were still more lurking about, all on their night route, that would soon be making their way this direction.

---

Neither Morrigan nor Plague were aware, of course, of the exact reason why this particular company didn’t see the need to hire many armed guards. Plenty before the two criminals had tried their hand at entering this complex and getting their hands on the ingredients inside. But few lived to tell the tale of the real horror that slumbered inside- the giant, three-headed guard dog currently curled up in the center of the warehouse. It was still asleep, but given the current noise level of the two thieves, it would not remain that way for long…

---

1. Smooth Talking

Both individuals moved simultaneously, the Tiefling rushing to hide next to an odd plant while Plague darted to the opposite side of the room, tucking herself under a few barrels sitting on a rack. Silence fell over the warehouse as they both waited, breathing heavily and trying to calm themselves. Seconds turned into minutes, and still not a single sound. Confusion settled in, Plague unaware of the tiny Kobold who had just run interference. Sure Mouse and Sparrow saw this distraction, but they had no secret whistle for "A Kobold distracted the guards". After it was obvious that the night watch was not going to intervene, Plague rolled out from under the barrels and addressed the stranger. 

"Sorry about that, I had a secret scout stationed outside to notify me of any lookouts. They must have been mistaken, I will have to speak to them. That was quick moving on your part though, glad the consortium sent me someone so skilled, will make this job easy. I guess being a part of the society has its perks huh. "

She was leaning as far as she could into this lie, things needed to go perfect and any flaw in her acting was going to clue this operative in on her ruse. Brushing the dirt off of her chest, she extended a gloved hand towards her new companion.

"The name is Plague, nice to meet you. We should each grab a few handfuls of...."

Plague stopped mid sentence, a sound catching her attention from the backside of the warehouse. She froze, holding her other hand up as if to stay quiet. The sounds of something big could be heard stirring from within the shadows of the building. A bead of sweat dripped down the girls forehead as two piercing yellow eyes slowly blinked open, the three headed guard dog coming to full conscious. Before either of them could react, the dog caught a whiff of them, and was now walking into the moonlight that shone through the windows above. Plague slowly reached back down for her potions, ready to move once the dog did.

"We need to be very cautious, that thing looks scary."

Just as the words left her mouth the dog rushed them both.

A few minutes had passed with no sign of this mysterious stranger she was convinced she’d seen, and Morrigan was pretty sure they’d been had just so they could hide while she made off with the goods. Once they were mostly certain the coast was clear, Morrigan poked their head out of their hiding place, covered in gross-smelling leaves and looking rather put out. “What the hell was that?” They hissed, relieved to spot the masked chemist crawling out from her own hiding spot and that they hadn’t been left in the dust.

They managed a small laugh when she mentioned her scouts. “Ah, don’t worry about their competency. I have agents of my own stationed outside ordered to intervene guards where they can. Just as yours have performed their duty admirably, mine seems to have carried out my orders as well.” They could only assume that was what the silence meant. Morrigan didn’t really have any of the signals with Bubbles that she and her scouts had, so in the event of failure, Morrigan had instructed the kobold to simply have a meltdown and cause the biggest commotion he could. With any luck, Morrigan would be able to hear his crying.

Their lips split into a grin as she complemented their quick thinking in a blatant and obvious attempt to curry their favor. Fortunately for Plague, she’d complemented Morrigan’s favorite subject - themselves. They shook their head in an imitation of humbleness from someone who clearly was not accustomed to it. “Oh, you flatter me. It is true I am one of their most skilled field agents… do not worry, my fair lady. You are in the capable hands of an incredibly powerful alchemist and mage, and secret agent of the Consortium.”

Yes, Plague had learned, apparently it was that easy to pull the wool over Morrigan’s eyes.

They accepted her handshake with a hand that was covered in far too many rings and bore a tattoo of a crescent moon on the back. “And you may call me Morrigan Moonweaver. Enchanter, diviner, storyteller, maker of miracles and-“ They stopped as Plague’s gaze wandered, no longer paying any attention to their usual diatribe. They followed her line of sight, curious to find what may have caught her attention, when they made contact with the very same yellow, luminescent eyes that she’d seen in the next room over.

Six of them, in fact.

What in the world was that thing?

As Plague readied herself for battle, intent on dispatching the only thing between her and her score, Morrigan readied themselves to dive for the window and make their glamorous escape. Some poisons weren’t worth all this! But before they could even make an attempt to get out of here, the guard dog from hell immediately charged for them with bloodlust in the eyes on every single one of its head and teeth that could easily pierce Morrigan’s fragile, little skull.

“Screw caution!” They yelped. “We need to take out that godforsaken beast before it tries to make a meal out of us!”

With those final words, Morrigan reached for the bag of wonders, desperately hoping that it would yield something useful for once. They needed firepower. Please not the fruitcake, please not the fruitcake…^[1]

---

1. Jolly Bag of Tricks
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The multi headed dog creature was now rushing them, snarling and snapping its massive jaws as each head fought to be the first one to enjoy this snack. Plague froze for only a moment, running through many different ideas. They were in a small warehouse, and a friendly was beside her, so that took a few options off the table. As the Tiefling fumbled around in their bag for a..horn? She had no clue what this person was doing, so she reacted, summoning forth her new found magic. 

A small wall of thick, transparent green goo shot up from the floor, as if manifested from no where. It was filled with debris, from rocks, dirt and even bones of tiny creatures the slimy structure was able to absorb. It was not much but it was enough, as the guard dog now rushed right into the slimy wall. It barked and snapped, tearing chunks of the goo from the wall, it would not take this beast long to either chew through it or figure out how to go around. Hopefully whatever Morrigan was doing was going to be more productive. 

The wall had bought them a few more seconds, time Plague used to uncork a glass bottle, quickly downing the liquid, its effects quickly pumping through her veins. She had just consumed a very crude strength potion, and as her muscles grew, so did her anger. Through gritted teeth Plague directed her attention towards her partner. 

"Distract the thing or something, come on! I....Need...a second."

Distraction was Morrigan’s middle name - and yet, the bag had shit out something Morrigan had never seen before. What the hell were they supposed to do with some useless goat horn? As they were puzzling over what to do, Plague was holding the dog off with magic and potions, blocking it off with some kind of… sticky slime wall? They knew better than to question magic users at this point. All of them were weird and eccentric, which was why the charlatan had such an easy time imitating them-

They were interrupted by Plague’s cry, uttered through gritted, impatient teeth while she prepared whatever the hell she was planning to do.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Morrigan snapped, staring down at the curved horn in their hands, wracking their brain to figure out what the hell they were expected to do this. The bag carried any wonder of magical items, but no actual instructions on what to do with them! If only it had given Morrigan some kind of magical monster to fight this damn hound…

Wait.

Morrigan didn’t waste any time throwing the horn on the ground, and a puff of cold air emanated from the horn, before a giant, bipedal goat wearing a rather mischievous smirk on its face appeared through the blizzard.

“Get his ass, Krampus!” Morrigan cheered as the giant goat vaulted over the wall of goop, kicking at the dog with its hind legs and a bleat that reverberated the walls. The dog snapped at it with one of three powerful heads, sinking its teeth into the Krampus’s arm. Morrigan frantically reached into their bag for their bladed fan, turning to Plague. “I don’t know how much longer that thing can hold it off - if you’ve got anything, now would be the time to do it!”

The mystery concoction Plague had consumed was starting to take over, the effects of the crudely thrown together potion was now coursing through her veins, causing the woman's muscles to expand, her anger increasing as the situation took another turn. The three head guard dog was busy with the wall of slime, which gave Morrigan enough time to figure out exactly how to use that silly horn they pulled out from the bag. 

The agent from the consortium had just summoned a giant goat that looked as if it came from the snowy north, how in the hell did that just happen? It mattered none to Plague though, for they were now starting to lose their focus, vision blurred as their mind was consumed by pure rage, the beast resting inside now taking full control. As the dog battled the goat, Morrigan would watch the young alchemist begin to morph into a true monstrosity. Claws would rip through her uniform, her plague mask morphing into the muzzle of a rat as ears and a long, pink rats tail would protrude from under her green jump suit. 

A grotesque half rat half human now stood before the consortium agent, fully enraged and ready to go. The goat was doing well enough at holding off the dog, both creatures going back and forth, but it was obvious that the dog had the upper hand, its three heads proving to be a little much for the summon as its razor sharp teeth buried themselves into the furry exterior of the goat. Plague let out a irresponsible roar that was sure to attract the attention of anyone outside, now rushing forward, tearing through her own ooze wall as she collided with the guard dog. 

At this point she would be fully enraged, unable to see friend from foe, her only desire being to rip each of the three heads off of this dog. One of the guards heads took notice of Plague while the others continued to assault the goat. Plague slammed into the dog, both clawed arms tearing into its chest, attempting to hold the creature still while her maw bit down on its neck, tuffs of fur filling the air as Plague began to shake her head, sliding the dog across the concrete floor. She was subconsciously trying to give both Morrigan and their goat a chance to strike while she preoccupied herself with the enemy. 

The Krampus was barely managing to hold its ground, forcing spikes of ice to jut up from the ground and pierce the guard dog’s thick hide. The elemental grabbed at the middlemost head, holding the great beast still with a devilish smirk. The rightmost head reared backwards and bit down on the Krampus’s shoulder, forcing the two into a lockdown. Morrigan grimaced - this wasn’t ideal. They’d hoped the elemental would last longer than this. Their fanning increased in pace as their nerves built, glancing over where Plague was trying to do something OH GODS WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO HER.

The transformation that they witnessed firsthand was utterly grotesque and definitely not appropriate enough to recount to audiences later. They were entranced by the scene the same way one was by a slow caravan wreck - you had ample time to tear your eyes away, and yet, you couldn’t. What in the world kind of potion could produce such an effect? By the time that she was finished, Plague was now more rat than woman, and entirely mindless monster as she pounced with a roar that rattled the panes of nearby windows before pouncing on the beast.

Shit!

If the dog’s presence hadn’t already alerted guards by now, then Plague’s rat-shriek definitely had. Alarmed, Morrigan tried to listen out for that same birdcall Plague’s scouts had made earlier, but heard nothing yet. They didn’t have time to focus on that right now. Plague and the dog were tearing into one another, and she was trying to give them an opening to deliver a blow… they thought. It was difficult to tell. She didn’t look like she was fully in control of herself, but she looked like she was trying to maneuver the battle in Morrigan’s battle.

They’d try not to waste it.

“Don’t you hog all the fun!” Morrigan cried, darting forward before whirling and whipping their tail right against one of the dog’s front legs with their blade, sending Frostfire extract through its limb, a burning and numbing sensation that forced the dog to stop, halting momentarily from the burning, freezing pain. That was enough to give the Krampus an opening, summoning a spike of ice from the ground that drove through the jaw of one of the dog’s heads all the way through the top of the skull.

The dog let out a pained yelp - Morrigan reached for one of the explosive ornaments hanging from their belt, throwing it in the air at the dog’s feet like a popper. They didn’t do a lot of damage, but what they lacked in pure, offensive power, they made up for by being utterly annoying, a fact that would give rat-Plague an opening to land a finishing blow.

-Content warning for this post-

The girls mind was consumed with pure rage, her only goal right now being to kill this dog, and she would do anything to reach that goal. Stealth and finesse had gone out the window, uncaring if their actions alerted anyone, all they cared about was blood. Morrigan was understandably shocked, most people were when she transformed, but unlike others, the Tiefling did not freeze up or flee in terror, and instead took advantage of Plague's transformation. They glided into battle, using everything from their tail to a few bombs to help distract and injure the dog. 

The giant goat was doing its own thing, tussling with its opponent as an ice spike shot up from the ground, piercing one of its three heads completely. Plague would have found it to be quite an exciting thing to see, but her mind was preoccupied. The distraction however was enough to give the giant rat person an opening, one she happily took. With the guard dog now injured, tied up and distracted, Plague moved into position, placing herself between the two remaining heads, and grabbing each of their snouts with a clawed hand. Her strength fluxed, the effects of the transformation at its peak now, and with one mighty heave, she brought both heads together, smashing them into one another. The blow was violent and bloody, but was not enough to render the beast useless. 

More anger pulsed through her mind, she hated when they didn't die. Summoning her rage one final time, Plague, still holding their now bloody snouts, jolted her arms downwards, smashing both of the heads into the concrete beneath them. The force of impact was enough to kill the creature outright, two of its heads splattered against the floor and it's third hanging from an ice spike, removed from its main body now due to the force of the slam. Her body heaved, heavy breathes escaping her muzzle as the joy of the kill sank in. But it was not enough to satiate her rage, and as the creature lay dead on the floor, Plague turned her attention to Morrigan, red beady eyes honing in on her new target. 

The good news: rat-plague had just destroyed the guard hound in a horrifying and gruesome manner that Morrigan would not recount in subsequent retellings of this particular tale for fear of forcing a handful of weak-constitutioned old ladies to clutch at their pearls and faint. “Nice!” They shouted, suppressing a wince at the sudden decapitation of the third head decapitated on the spice of ice while Plague turned the rest of the guard dog into canine jelly. That was violent as all hell… but what did it matter when she’d managed to kill the thing standing between them and stealing - er, confiscating the potion components?

“You’re far stronger than you look, Miss Plague!” Morrigan praised, clapping their hands together as the ratfolk-person hybrid pulled herself to her feet, chest heaving from the strain of the battle. Blood and viscera stained her mouth and clumped in the fur along her arms. Ginma, Morrigan was grateful that she was on their side. “Alright, you should probably change back now… I bet that fighting caused a commotion. We don’t have much time before some guards finally wizen up and investigate.” Bubbles could only pull the innocent baby-doll eyes on so many men while Morrigan and Plague smashed shit on the inside before one of them had half a mind to actually come inside and check out the noise…

Why wasn’t Plague changing back.

Morrigan took a step back, slowly coming to the realization that perhaps the other chemist truly was not in enough control of her facilities to shift back into her humanoid form. And the dog had not sated her hunger.

Oh.

They let out a nervous chuckle, reaching with slow, deliberate movements, as to not startle her or force her to move, grabbing a potion from their bag and wrapping their fingers around the cool glass. “Come on, I know I look adorable, but I’ll have you know I’m not a tasty snack. So why don’t you go ahead and turn back into your regular, less-murdery…” or at the very least, less mindlessly-murdery… “self?”

They gripped the vial of parasite poison in their hands, ready to throw it the second that Plague made any sign that she was going to attack.^[1]

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1. Throwing parasite poison bottle

The dog was dead, the deed was done, yet Plague could not shake the desire to fight from her mind. It was the affects of this potion, fueling her blood lust and controlling her mind. From deep inside her subconscious she tried to fight back, grasping for control, but every attempt failed, her blood shot beady eyes narrowed in on her new Target. They stared at each other for a moment, as if waiting to see who would strike first, but in a game of patience, Plague was surely to lose. 

Like a strike of lightning, Plague bolted forward with incredible speed, her entire form lunging at Morrigan. Her claws scratched across the concrete as she ran on all four, her pink, thin rat's tail whipping back and forth. The Tiefling tossed the mysterious bottle of strange liquid he had prepared, the glass shattering against the humanoid rats hulking form. She snarled and used a hand to wipe the liquid from her shoulder, the acidic chemical now starting to burn away the upper layer of skin. 

The pain hurt, but it was not enough to distract her from her target. She now closed in on Morrigan, ready to tackle the agent, using the pain from her wound to further fuel her rage. The affects of the potion were starting to fade, having consumed most of her energy, but there was enough left for a final strike. If the scrawny man was still there when she arrived, she was going to tear him in half.