~ The pricking of the thumbs. [something wicked this way comes] FORWARD-DATED TIL TOMORROW.

[expectremorse]

Who?: Mark Hoffman, David Harris-then Will Parry. Then Kay, Narvin, and possibly Dracula.

What?: Hoffman's warden has been hurt! Hoffman's angry and pissed off and being a vampire-it was only a matter of time before the jigsaw apprentice snapped.

When?: Tonight. Day four of vampirism. Post Lupin's Death. Relish in your chaos Coyo and Moriarty

Comments

DAVID-WILL-HOFFMAN ATTACK SCENE.

[expectremorse]

[Hoffman finds David, Attacks David, is driven away.]

[sixthanimorph]

It's late, and David really shouldn't be out at all.

But he is.

He knows he's not exactly the most popular guy on the Barge. He knows there are a few people who want to kill him. Dallas and his buddy. Rex. Maybe Slade. He's not worried about them, though. For months now, Bourne has been the only enemy he's actually seen as a threat. And for better or worse, Bourne's kept his distance since he almost killed him.

Besides, being nocturnal is the way they do it in Gotham. And with his spiffy new Gotham Knights T-shirt, it only feels appropriate.

So he's heading down to his usual late-night spot, the library. Not for any revenge-plotting materials this time, but simply to see if maybe, just maybe, they might let him check out a television. It's been five months he's gone without TV, he's willing to try just about anything at this point

[expectremorse]

Hoffman isn't here right now little boy, weren't you paying attention?

The older man rises and stares at him. He hasn't been back to his room in awhile. The world's gone...just gone and he doesn't know what to do with himself.

"...David."

Even his voice sounds strange.

"...Meeting you a day early seems like a bad idea don't you think? Remember that code we developed?"

He's keeping his hands firmly in his pockets.

[sixthanimorph]

If he hadn't clicked to that before, the way Hoffman's eyeing him now is a dead giveaway. There's a dim memory of that hideous morph the Visser used eyeing him the exact same way.

Like he's raw hamburger.

"Yeah, yeah you're right." He's backing up now. All too aware that without his powers he has absolutely no way to defend himself. Internally he's cursing Bourne for the thousandth of time.

"It's risky being seen like this. We oughta... wait a few days or something."

He continues backing up the way he came, eyes on Hoffman the whole time.

[expectremorse]

Right.

"What." Hoffman grits his far-too-long teeth, "You scared of me too?"

[sixthanimorph]

Rarely is the phrase what-big-teeth-you-have so appropriate. Damn it, if only he had his lion. Or his dinosaur. Or hell, he'd take morphing a bug and flying away. Something.

"No... no!" David exclaims, not entirely convincingly. "Just... Bourne, you know how he is."

It's a pretty transparent attempt to distract his attention, but David can't think of anything better right now. His mind feels like it's stuck in molasses.

[expectremorse]

He's there one minute with a great big friendly smile and then gone and then back with his too-long teeth smiling at David, always smiling.

He's never moved that fast. Taking one step forward he's inches away from the boy.

"I can see why you like being a death knight. Too bad it didn't last."

[sixthanimorph]

David takes another step back.... well, stumbles back would be a better description. Hoffman moved so fast he couldn't even begin to follow his movement.

Cornered and helpless, David's reaction is pretty atypical for him. He gets angry.

"Yeah, but I gave up the power..." he points out slowly. "What's this all about? I thought we were on the same side."

[expectremorse]

"I know."

"Maybe I share this power with you instead. How about that?" He grabs for the boy's shoulder, attempting to pin him against the wall hard, "Either that or I could just kill you. I'm in a killing mood.

You matter to me kid."

What was sad was that he meant it. Hoffman dug his nails in, "You matter a lot. All I want to do is help."

[sixthanimorph]

He tries to twist out of Hoffman's grip, but the man's hand is like iron on his shoulder and Costigan's words are ringing in his head like a dirge bell.

"He was right about you..." David mutters, taking a swing at the older inmate's chin for all the good it'll do him. "Let go of me!"

[expectremorse]

"...Costigan? He was right about me?"

That hurt. That stung and it shows. So much for an Amanda-so much for emotion.

In a moment of pure fury he throws the boy against the wall to stun him before reaching for his gut and digging in. At any moment he'll have a hole torn in the boy.

[sixthanimorph]

"They all were!" he shouts defiantly, but anything else he has to say is silenced when Hoffman grabs his arm and bodily throws him into the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs along with his words and dazing him.

It feels like everything's moving in slow motion as he slumps to the ground and Hoffman moves in, looming above him with his hands poised like some awful human mantis. And the strangest thing is, this still isn't the most fear he's ever felt on the Barge. Yeah, he's scared. Plenty scared. But he's still not as scared as when Bourne was choking the air out of him or when he thought he was a rat forever.

Then Hoffman plunges his hand into his gut, and he hears fabric ripping and dizzily thinks He's ripping my new shirt before the pain hits him like a lance, driving any further conscious thought from his mind. David screams, flailing madly at Hoffman with his fists even as the older inmate rips his chest open.

[expectremorse]

They all were.

Again the wrong thing to say. Later, much later once the world has come back to normal and Mark Hoffman can think about this he'll be angry and hurt and think who.

And then after that, he'll recognize that the kid didn't believe them and hadn't listened and still wanted to talk to him. Far after that he'll be better.

Still. Right now, it's fuel on the fire. He rips and tears and there's blood everywhere.

"So I guess I'll just kill you."

[sixthanimorph]

There is blood everywhere, and dimly David registers the irony that now he knows what Jake must have felt like during their fight. At first the pain's searing, and all he can do is scream and scream. Then it starts to numb and there's enough sense in him to know he's going into shock. He's dying.

Heh. Funny. All this time he thought it was gonna be Bourne who did him in, and it turned out to be Hoffman after all. Just like Costigan said it would.

He wonders if he'll laugh when he hears about this. He knows Rex will. Rex and Dallas and Bourne. And what about him? Maybe the Admiral'll let him go. Maybe he'll finally be free of the Barge.

David keeps flailing at Hoffman as he rips him open like a Thanksgiving turkey, but his struggles lessen with every passing second. Weird. He's cold now. There's still pain, but the cold's stronger than the pain now.

"Everything," he gasps, wanting to fight back at least one last time. "... they said.... true. All of it..."

[expectremorse]

Hoffman's just gone. Letting out an angry roar, he tears into the boy's gut like a child with a birthday present. Snarling, he has blood in his teeth and blood across his gums and Blood everywhere.

He hissses, "...Sure. Fine. Believe that. But you wanted it. You wanted my help and I did Everything in my power to help you. You played with a lion boy. How's that feel?"

The blood smeared across Hoffman's face is David's. He's inches from the boy. He's...gone.

"I want to hear, how it feels."

[sixthanimorph]

David's slipping away. He can feel it. And a part of him almost welcomes it.

But when Hoffman leans in, taunting him in his grating voice, there's only one thing to do.

He doesn't have a lot of energy left. But it doesn't take a lot of energy to work his jaw. Saliva and blood; his own blood, of course. It's bitter and coppery.

There's not a word from David in response - but when Hoffman studies him for an answer, he gives him one.

He manages a weak smirk and then spits right in his murderer's face.