Dead and Horny Ch. 11

Hi all! I'm back with your favorite zombie/succubus/mimic story, and I hope this chapter delivers!

New reader? You've missed ten chapters of story, plus this is a spin-off of Home for Horny Monsters. If you wanna be caught up, start there and read until end of Book 2, then start on Ch. 1 of this tale!

Returning reader? Welcome back! Boy, do I have a chapter for you! With our heroes about to storm the Black Palace, you are about to see the bloodiest action scene in the horny monster Universe as a mage, a succubus and a zombie go up against a private militia and a man-dragon.

I really hope you like this chapter, because there's a really fun surprise in it that I've been dying to share with you.

Don't forget to like the story and check my bio for next month's release dates. Have fun!

Hunger

Dana flicked her wrist, causing the sword to unfold itself just in time to parry the first attack. Tasia had leapt across the balcony, easily clearing two deck chairs in the process, and the swords scattered sparks as one blade slid off the other.

"Where did you get that?" Tasia demanded. The knight was pressing hard, and if not for her recent feeding, Dana would have been easily toppled. The two of them clashed, and Dana twisted her blade, keeping them locked up.

"I'm just full of surprises," she said, then shoved the knight backward. Dana readied her sword, hoping to keep the knight at bay for a few more minutes.

Tasia spun about and sliced through the air with her blade. Dana immediately recognized the intended strike and stepped to the side. The sword cut through where Dana had been standing, and Tasia let out a growl and switched to a horizontal swipe. Dana blocked with her blade, but she was shoved sideways by the impact of the blow.

"Looks like your surprises are running out." Tasia unleashed an onslaught of blows, and with each one, Dana danced about, dodging out of the way. A risky counterattack was not necessary, all she needed to do was survive until Lily returned. "You're fast, though, I'll give you that."

Dana grunted in response. Her offensive skills with a sword were non-existent. Even with enhanced speed and strength, Tasia was scoring tiny wounds along her arms and torso. They continued moving around the pool, and Dana kept turning her eyes to the sky, hoping to see Lily's dark shadow descending.

"Even if you get past me, you do know he'll kill you, right?" Tasia's eyes were wild as she feinted to the left, then tried to stab Dana in the chest. "He is like a god."

"You're so much better than this. You know that he's controlling you, right?" Though Dana had no reason to like Tasia, it sickened her that the knight was under Tristan's thrall. When Daryl had blackmailed Dana, she had at least been able to think and speak for herself, to actually be something other than a complete slave. Was Tasia's mind trapped right now, screaming to get out? Or had she been completely subverted? Maybe it would be worth it to try and reason with the inner Tasia, to help draw her out long enough that the others could help.

"How long are you just going to let him make you his bitch?" she asked, hoping that anger would be the most effective course.

Tasia did a weird shuffle with her feet, then hooked her foot in a deck chair and launched it at Dana. Dana brought up the sword to block it, but lost sight of the knight. It wasn't until she felt Tasia's blade pierce her through the gut that she realized that she had fucked up.

"How is this for doing something?" Tasia growled, then twisted the blade. The knight had crouched low to hide herself behind the projectile, then stood to her full height when she had run Dana through. There was a grim satisfaction in Tasia's smile, and it occurred to Dana that the knight thought she had already won. It was time to press the dead girl advantage, but how?

What would Lily do? Now that she was run through, she wouldn't be able to use the sword. She looked down to see if there was any way to pull herself free and noticed that Tasia's left breast was completely exposed. It had popped free of her bikini top while they had been fighting, and the bright areola had become a jiggling target.

She knew what Lily would do.

"Your tit's out." Dana let go of her sword, balled her hand into a fist, and then drove it into Tasia's breast as hard as she could. With any luck, this would get her the opening she needed, but she held nothing back. After all, there was no telling what it would take to bring Tasia down.

The bones in Dana's hand and forearm snapped on impact, unable to stand up to both her enhanced strength and whatever magical aura protected Tasia. The knight grunted and looked as if she was going to be ill. When her legs buckled, Dana used the moment to push forward and lift Tasia, then tackle her into the pool.

The knight struggled to get out from under her, but a heavy weight now pressed down on both of them. Dana felt Tick Tock change shape, and wire limbs sank themselves into the bottom of the pool, pinning them both in place. Tasia kicked her feet, struggling to break free, then let out a bubbling scream of rage.

Dana held tight, knowing that it was only a matter of time. When Tasia finally went limp, Dana waited an extra thirty seconds and wasn't surprised when the knight suddenly struggled anew, her attempt at subterfuge failing. When Tasia went limp a second time, Dana wondered how many minutes they had been beneath the water, then patted one of Tick Tock's limbs to let the mimic know it was time to surface.

She dragged Tasia to the edge of the water, then shoved her up onto the concrete just as a dark shape dropped down from above. It was Cyrus and Lily. The mage fought free of Lily's arms, then ran over.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It got messy." Dana grabbed the sword in her gut and pulled it free, then tossed it on the ground. She swayed a bit as her muscles regenerated and tightened. "She needs mouth to mouth right away. I had to drown her."

Cyrus looked appalled, but Lily knelt next to Tasia and opened the knight's mouth. She placed her lips on Tasia's and blew, then tilted her head to the side as a trickle of water came out. She repeated the process a few more times, pausing to listen to Tasia's lungs.

Tasia let out a groan of agony, then vomited up a bunch of water. She took a deep breath and shuddered, then turned her head to the side and whimpered.

"Will she be okay?" asked Cyrus.

"Should be. But look." Lily lifted the shirt that Tasia had been wearing to reveal a deep purple bruise that extended back along Tasia's rib cage. "I noticed it when I was listening to her heart. These ribs are very broken."

"But how? It would take a tremendous amount of force to accomplish such a thing." He looked at Dana, realization dawning on his face. "You did this?"

Dana held up her hand to reveal that some of her fingers had healed crooked. She rebroke them a couple of times until they straightened out, then flexed her hand. Something popped into place, and she nodded. "Yep, that was me."

"Hmm." He looked at Tasia. "Should we wait for her to wake up?"

"Oh, she's out for the day. While I was giving her mouth to mouth, I stabbed her. We have no idea whether or not being knocked out will undo Tristan's control."

Cyrus let out a sigh of disappointment. "I guess it's for the best, then. Let's hide her somewhere so that nobody messes with her." He pointed to a nearby door, then walked over and opened it. "This is just a towel room. We can lay her down in here. Can someone get her sword?"

"I've got it." Dana picked up Tasia's sword and then her own. She collapsed both of them and tossed them into Tick Tock's waiting flaps while Lily and Cyrus tucked Tasia away in the towel room. Towel room was probably not the best name for it, as it was full of dishes and serving trays as well, but it did indeed have giant stacks of towels, which they used to make a bed for Tasia to keep her comfortable. She handed Tasia's sword to Lily, who winced when it touched her flesh.

"I hate these things," Lily muttered, then tossed it unceremoniously onto Tasia's chest. "Are you still good to come with us, magic man? I'm sensing some doubts in you."

"I'm still good." Cyrus sounded confident, but Dana could smell a shift in his body odor. Was it stress, or something else? "Was just really hoping to have our heavy hitter."

"You've got your heavy hitter right here." Lily flexed her arms, then backed out of the door. "Let's go fuck some shit up."

"Your language is abhorrent," muttered Cyrus, but he followed.

They moved into the bedroom and did a quick check for any more magic wards. Cyrus declared the room clear, then took point as they moved down the stairs and into the upper hall. Lily stopped the group and snuck ahead, her skin tone changing to match the walls around them.

"We didn't have a chance against her, did we?" whispered Cyrus.

"You have no idea." They waited for a couple of minutes, and Lily came back, a smug look on her face.

"Looks like they're just a skeleton crew. Only a couple of them at the bottom of the stairs. Figure if we can get down there, I can put them out."

Cyrus pulled a pair of wands out of his pocket, then pulled something else out and handed it to Dana. It was a glass marble with a smoky liquid inside.

"What is this?" Dana held the marble up to inspect it.

"Smokescreen. Use it in case we need a quick getaway." He put a wand in each hand and then looked at Lily. "You lead the way. I'll silence any activity we come across."

"Such a gentleman." Lily led them to the stairwell. They stayed crouched while moving, which kept them from being seen from the next floor down.

As they crept along the upper landing, Dana couldn't help but wonder if Tristan was hidden behind one of the many doors they passed. Still, the men downstairs needed to be taken care of before they could address the issue. While they moved, Cyrus kept waving one of his wands about. It wasn't until the third time he did it that Dana saw the shimmering wave of magic that followed behind it. They were now moving without a sound, as if the volume of their little adventure had been muted.

Once at the top of the stairs, Lily took a peek over the railing and then held up three fingers.

Cyrus nodded, and the three of them began their descent. Cyrus moved ahead of Lily and Dana followed. Lily raised an eyebrow when Dana made eye contact, so she assumed the succubus was up to something.

At the bottom, the last few stairs widened dramatically, giving them a full view of the entryway. There was still some camera equipment remaining nearby, and one of the guards sat on it, his eyes down the main entryway. The other two were moving along the corridors on the sides. When one of them turned and saw them, he raised his gun.

Lily was already vaulting over the railing as Cyrus sent a blue wave of energy across the room that knocked the first guard off his feet. The guard on the boxes spun to face them, but took a stinger to the neck, and fell limp on the floor.

The third guard tried to flee down a hallway, but Lily grabbed one of the camera cases and launched it. It hit the guy in the back of the head, which sent him sprawling face first on the ground.

"See? Easy pea—" Lily's words were cut off by the sound of doors opening above them. Dana looked up to see that all of the doors they had passed were open now, and men with assault rifles came storming out, weapons pointed downstairs. Cyrus sent out a wave of purple energy with the wand in his offhand, and it was only while watching the energy expand in a dome that Dana saw the security cameras up above that had been hidden from view.

"Fuck!" Lily grabbed Dana with her hands and Cyrus with her tail, then threw them both down one of the corridors as the men opened fire. Dana slid along the floor, her eyes wide as Lily was gunned down in a hail of bullets. The succubus spread her wings, her features distorting into something truly horrific before launching herself up and out of sight. The gunfire itself sounded like popping corn, and the first scream of agony was more like a sigh.

"This way!" Cyrus grabbed her by the arm and led her to a nearby door. It was locked, but he muttered something under his breath and the door popped open, revealing a service stairwell.

"We can't just leave her," Dana told him.

"Yes, we can. She'll survive, one way or another, but you and I will not. They'll kill me and keep you to figure out why you won't die. It only gets worse from there." They came to the bottom of the stairs, and Cyrus now led them down a long hallway. "We mapped this out before we got here, I know a safe—"

The stairwell door opened behind them, and two men with guns appeared and opened fire. Dana took one in the chest and let out an oomph of surprise, and Cyrus ducked into a nearby door. He leaned around the corner and fired a blast from each wand, his eyes wide when he leaned back.

"There are more coming," he mouthed, then pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it in the hall. There was a bubbling sound, and Dana watched as a large gelatinous mass expanded in the hallway. Bullets slammed into it, and Cyrus helped Dana stand.

Through the blob, there were now at least six men coming. Were they the same ones from above? Or were these different ones? It didn't matter, because as they turned the corner, they both slid to a stop as the door at the other end of the hall opened up, and four men emerged, their weapons ready.

"Lux!" Cyrus summoned up a blue shield of energy that deflected the first volley, then turned around and opened a nearby door. It was a large store room, and Cyrus slammed the door behind them as a pair of bullets tore a hole through the metal.

Dana grabbed a nearby shelving unit and slid it in front of the door, then pulled Cyrus away. Bullets coming through the door were destroying everything inside, and when they got to the back of the room, the door was blown open by what must have been a grenade.

"Down!" Cyrus pushed Dana against the wall, between a pair of shelves filled with laundry soap and cleaner. He summoned his blue shield again, and it flashed with every impact. Dana saw that the bullets weren't being stopped, but deflected, and she made herself small, hoping that they wouldn't hit her.

Cyrus dropped his wand and started digging around his pockets when a flashbang went off right in front of him. The mage covered his face with his hands and his shield wavered with his concentration. The light was bright, but the flashbang sounded like a brief fart.

"Concentrate fire!" Someone shouted as if from a mile away, and the barrage increased. Cyrus was crouched low, his face pulled into a grimace, and the whole thing was ridiculous. The gunfire was muted even here, and despite the fact that Cyrus could potentially die, it sounded like a kid's video game, the volume turned as low as possible.

Trying to figure out what to do, Dana spotted an electrical panel on the wall across from them. Gritting her teeth, she threw the smoke-filled marble across the room and then ran out into the open. Smoke filled the small space, and she managed to get her hands on the main switch before bullets ripped through her body. If she could turn the power off, maybe Cyrus could get back on his feet and do something other than play turtle on the floor.

The moment she pulled the main breaker, there was a loud pop as a bullet hit her in the ear and passed through to the other side of her skull. She fell to the floor, her thoughts spinning out of control as darkness flooded in.

Tick Tock watched as Dana-human fell to the ground, some of her insides now on her outside. Humans were fragile creatures, and the fact that they even had an inside was kind of silly. Still, most of the creatures in this plane of existence were confined to the rules of spacetime, so Tick Tock couldn't fault Dana-human for her frailty.

Spacetime had always been an interesting concept to Tick Tock, as it would be to other members of its kind, if they could ever evolve beyond the constant hunger and desire for survival. Temporally, mimics could only move forward through time, though they could alter the rate at which time passed. For instance, when Tick Tock had been tossed into storage by Emily, it was a simple manner of moving in fast-forward until a chance to escape arrived. Upon returning home, the mimic had been disappointed to discover that the new Caretaker had lacked the necessary spark to fix Tick Tock's broken gears.

However, the Dana-human had radiated light like the sun, drawing the mimic immediately out from hiding. Many times while being fixed, Tick Tock had frozen time just to bask in her radiance, to allow itself a rare moment of joy. Such a being was extremely rare, and the mimic had come across only one other.

Once fixed, Tick Tock had been able to freely manipulate space as well. What the Dana-human saw as shapeshifting was nothing more than Tick Tock Folding spacetime like a paper airplane, or an origami swan.

Tick Tock's true form could never manifest completely in a four-dimensional space, for it simply wouldn't fit. It would be like trying to squeeze a sphere into a piece of paper without flattening it. Ever since leaving the house to help the Dana-human come to life again and regain her spark, Tick Tock had often frozen time or run it in fast forward. When Dana spoke, the mimic was always there to listen, often thinking for hours or days about her words and the best way to help.

Right now, she was falling over, and Tick Tock had frozen the moment to think. There were so many things going on, it was hard to categorize them, but the mimic had all the time it would need.

If the Cyrus-morsel were to die, then it was likely that the Dana-human would be taken. The human-morsels down the hall were the primary problem, but how best to address them? Tick Tock wondered how to best Fold the space around it to assist them both. Perhaps it could Fold itself into a table, or even a metal slab? The bullets the men fired would likely damage its ability to Fold, and Dana-human was no longer able to fix any damage done. So maybe that wasn't the best move.

Sitting in the dark, a new possibility occurred to Tick Tock. The only thing that prevented the mimic from Folding space was the act of being observed, a truly frustrating attribute at times. Sure, Tick Tock could plan ahead and secrete razor-sharp limbs along its current form, but it wasn't the same as being free to swim through spacetime freely, Folding itself into different forms and shapes.

In a single moment, Tick Tock spent hours contemplating the best course of action. There didn't seem to be a single Fold that would accomplish protecting Dana-human from the morsels in the hall. Once all options had been weighed, Tick Tock decided to do something new.

Tick Tock Unfolded. The process was similar to Folding, but was far more exhausting because it forced the mimic to pull the entirety of its body into only three dimensions. This typically had the result of unleashing blinding terror on whatever creature saw it, but that didn't concern the mimic in the slightest.

Concealed by smoke and hidden in the dark, Tick Tock Unfolded itself, forcing its mass into the three-dimensional space of the storage room.

Through the brief bursts of gunfire, the muffled screams of the human-morsels could be heard as Tick Tock moved along the hallway with a plethora of limbs, scaled, hairy and otherwise. Making sure to dodge the center line of fire, Tick Tock was able to grab the closest human-morsel and toss him inside of a space that most likely resembled a mouth, or some hideous maw. It was so hard to tell or care about what the morsels were seeing.