Another smaller figure walked through the dust, wielding a rope that looked like void itself, shadows creeping towards the monsters feet. Ben might find the hero familiar.
The shadows grabbed the lizards feet, holding it in place as she tossed the rope and it wrapped itself around its mouth. She pulled tight, trying to take it down. She looked over though, seeing Ben and her eyes widening. "Ben..?" It took this moment of distraction to jerk back against the rope and slash at her, making her fly back and hit the wall, with a weak cry. She reached up to touch her head, whimpering as she tried to stand back up.
Something sparked in Ben's eyes and he looked over at her suddenly before turning back to the lizard. He didn't say anything, but as Mari watched, she would see his eyes roll back in his head. His veins pulsed against his skin, an inky blackness shooting through them, making them stand out against his skin. His back arched him forward and he coughed slightly as the bones in his skull stuck out. The Lizard turned to look at him and as the blackness in the Ripper's veins reached his eyes, he looked back. The lizard stood for a moment before he began to die, a horrific transformation taking place in front of them. The figure that once was Ben simply watched, a stream of dark, tarlike blood streaming down his face.
Her eyes widened and she got up slowly, limping over to him cautiously. "Ben.. Ben!" *** He stepped out. "Yeah. Where are we going?"
He was standing completely still, staring at the spot where the monster had once stood. He said nothing, not even looking at her. * * * "Onto our next adventure," she said easily.
She reaches out, touching his arm. Blood was beginning to trickle down her forehead from when she was flung. "Ben?" *** He smiled slightly. "Which is..?"
His skin was like ice, almost painfully cold when she touched it. There was a silence before slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes closed and he fell to his knees, his bones shifting back to normal under his skin. * * * She gave him a mischievous smile, gesturing to her car. "You'll see."
He looked up, and the transformation was shocking. He had dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept for days. "Mari..." he mumbled, squinting at her. "What... why are you bleeding?" * * * "Don't you trust me?"
She wiped away some of the blood, looking back at the hole in the wall. "I'll tell you later. We should get out of here." *** "Mm. A little."
He looked up at the hole, squinting again. "What... where are we? Is this a dream?" * * * "A little? Have I ever steered you wrong?"
She got up, whimpering slightly but quickly suppressing it. "No. You.. You transformed. We have to leave, Ben." *** "Nah. The things you make me do are terrifying, though."
He looked up instinctively, hearing her whimper. "Mar... what... are you hurt? You shouldn't be walking." * * * She laughed slightly. "Aw."
She looked nervous. "Please.. Can we just leave? We shouldn't be here right now." *** "But I trust you."
"Not anymore," she said. "There's a lot people.. You transformed in front of everyone without a disguise.. I don't want to be in the middle of chaos right now." *** He grinned. "Hm. Good."
He nodded, standing up with a small grunt and looking over at her head in alarm. "Yours or mine?" * * * She pulled into the parking lot of a national park, bordering the city.
He took her hand, pulling her after him. "Okay. Let's hurry." * * * She gave him a smirk. "Of a sort."
