(A "Monster Wars" story)

My part of a story trade with clancy688. An aquatic take on his “Monster Wars” in dkfenger's “Trust Machines” universe. Warning: it's a bit gory.

The sight of a thick plexiglass dome next to the Monster Wars fighting arena took Stewart Sites completely by surprise. “When the hell did they build that thing?” he asked his friend, Eric, a Monster Wars regular.

“Oh, you guys have been gone a while. They started working on this a few weeks ago for the 'aquatic' version of Monster Wars. They call it 'Water Wars' or 'Sea Wars'. And tonight's the opening night. Want in?”

“Are you fighting tonight?”

“My girlfriend and I were, but we had to drop out. Gotta work. They're looking for another couple to take our place, though.”

Stewart grew quiet. He had participated twice in Monster Wars, and both times he had lost. He had never wished to be transformed into a horrible monster and to fight other transformed humans to the death, but his girlfriend Keira had begged him to. Her ex, Kurt, was legendary in Monster Wars circles, and he could never hope to measure up to him. But he was making a valiant effort nonetheless.

Even after he had started dating Keira, she still attended her ex-boyfriend's fights. And after one particularly gory one, she had exclaimed what he knew was coming: “Oh, Stewart, I wish you'd fight. It's so damned hot.”

Cringing, he had asked point-blank, “Would you stop going to Kurt's fights if I did?”

Crestfallen, she had responded, “Well, I guess I'd consider it, but...is it so bad if I watch my ex? It's just like going to any other sporting event.”

Stewart had shrugged in reply. She was right, although viewing people getting ripped apart and hacked to shreds was not quite on the same level as your average baseball game.

“Honestly, I'm considering fighting myself. How cool would it be to go into the Venn Machine and get transformed into some atrocious monster, and then I'm on equal footing with huge guys like...?” She had stopped herself, obviously realizing that Stewart would be insulted if she spoke too highly of her ex.

The idea of Keira's fighting left Stewart nervous. He knew that she could not die – if a person had been transformed by the Venn Machines (or Trust Machines, as they were also known as), and they were then killed, they would eventually revert to their human form, completely unscathed. And their feelings of pain could be lessened or even wiped out, if the contestant wished.

But it was the psychological aspect that worried Stewart the most. After having gone through two violent fights himself, he did not want Keira to experience what he had. He had had limbs torn off to the point that he had been reduced to a torso. His opponent had kicked him around the ring that way, almost as if he were a soccer ball. The horrible thud his opponent's clawed foot had made each time it met with his chest still resonated through his thoughts. Not to mention the blood pouring from every one of his orifices and wounds...which exploded out of him with every kick...

Then, of course, was the unsettling feeling of lying dead...

At the close of his second fight, he'd been trampled by his enormous dinosaur-millipede-dragon opponent. Although his feelings of pain had been dialed down close to non-existence, the tingling plus the impact from the creature's crushing his bones left him with nightmares for many months. Then he had felt the life leaving his battered body...

His Venned body was dead. He could not move or see, and he simply lay there for what seemed like hours as the competition ended. Finally, he was swept up, dumped unceremoniously into a box, and changed back at the Venn Machine.

Yet when he had shared this all with Keira, it had only made her more excited. Perhaps Water Wars would not be as violent. He clicked his tongue hesitantly. “Okay, if Keira wants, we're in tonight...I guess...”

Keira was beside herself with anticipation. Stewart had signed them up for a trio fight, where they would be paired up with an old veteran of the Wars. Stewart would serve as a partner to Keira to aid her in her first battle.

This angered her somewhat. “Stewart, if I'm a huge...whatever, T-Rex thing, I don't need you helping me out.”

But Stewart insisted on this, at least for her first time. “We're a team. It's either this, or we don't do it.”

“I'll do it myself.”

“Damn it, Keira, can't you do anything I ask? It's for your own good. If you want, you can design your own form, even. Usually I would do yours and you would do mine, but...”

“Fine. And it'll be a surprise.”

Worried, he sat down. “Keira, I'll do it with you. I know the ins and outs of this.”

“No, you don't. You've never done a fight in water. Go make up your own form and I'm going to do mine.”

Stewart gulped as she walked off to the computer.

“Here at Water Wars, as requested by the fans, we're going to meet our contestants before they change form! First I'd like to welcome a Monster Wars newcomer, Keira Gaines! Come on out, Keira!” Keira walked out proudly, bowing as the crowd applauded. “She'll be teaming up with her boyfriend Stewart, who's been with us twice before in Monster Wars. Welcome back, Stewart.”

Stewart joined Keira at her side, placing his arm around her.

“And their opponent, a truly seasoned participant of Monster Wars, Kurt West!”

The roaring crowd rose, cheering on the six-foot, muscular man as he strode out. He glanced at Keira and Stewart on his way past, uttering, “Hey, Keira” in a most disinterested voice.

“Oh, God,” Keira's legs nearly bowed out from under her.

“Keira, it doesn't matter what he's like as a human. It's how he looks after he comes out of the Venn Machine that's important. You could dwarf him if you want to,” Stewart pointed out with false bravado. Inside, he was fuming. Had Kurt requested to fight them? He had all kinds of connections with everyone involved in Monster Wars. And yet, Stewart could not refuse the fight. He did not want to appear weak or afraid in front of his girlfriend. Turning down a Monster Wars challenge was like dropping one's pants in public. It just wasn't done.

It was a hot summer night, and fans blew on high through the arena. Stewart watched the strong breeze play with Keira's long hair, and it actually saddened him that soon the golden strands would be transformed into something hideous. And he could only imagine what.

“Off to the Venn Machines to complete your changes!” cried the announcer, and the trio slunk off.

“You're going to love me!” giggled Keira. She handed a paper with her form 'description' to a man known as the 'Venntendant', and he entered the other side of the machine to program her metamorphosis. She blew a kiss and ducked into the door closest to them.

The machine soon opened to reveal a beautiful yet deadly water dragon. Stewart let his breath out in small bursts. Keira had been fascinated by these mythical creatures, and he was not surprised she had chosen this form. But she had not added any additional protective armor. Her scales were an opalescent green, and her serpentine body sported a long, fanned tail to propel her through the water. Her arms and legs had become strong, clawed, web-footed limbs, and she now possessed an impressive jawful of teeth which she gnashed together happily. A huge pair of wings adorned her back, flapping proudly as she moved.

“I love this form!” the dragon exulted in a booming voice. “I love it, I love it, I love it!”

Keira had retained the ability to speak, which Stewart had strongly suggested. It would definitely help as they fought together, but at the same time, a giddy dragon did not do much to instill fear into the hearts of its foes. As he entered the Venn Machine, he heard Kurt chuckling softly, “Keira, you're such a stupid bitch.” He had to kick this guy's ass. It was time.

He came out, proud in his new Lochness monster-like body. He had adjusted the normal guise of “Nessie” to include teeth that rivaled Keira's dragon dentition. In addition, a thick set of sharp horns topped his large skull, and a heavy exoskeleton covered in barbs protected his whole body. The four sets of flippers he now possessed wielded claws that were reminiscent of X-Men's Wolverine.

He flapped over to where Keira stood waiting on a platform next to the tank, and she let out a raspy breath. “Like me?” he asked in a thunderous, alien voice that even startled himself.

She rubbed her scaly body against him. “I wish we were home right now, Stewart,” she said amorously. Of course it sounded odd in her monster-voice, but the idea was there.

When Kurt emerged, Keira began to titter. “Look! He's a lobster-man!” The idea was so funny to her, that soon the large dragon was wracking with laughter.

Kurt hardly looked at her as he positioned himself on a platform on the opposite side of the pool.

“Kurt, in lobster guise, may submerge first. Don't know how long lobsters last out of the water, actually,” jested the announcer. As Kurt prepared to dive in, Stewart studied the man's new form.

It was much simpler than Stewart would have imagined. In essence, the man was very much a large lobster. He possessed a set of oversized pincers which looked like they could cut through stone. “Keep away from those,” he cautioned Keira, but she simply shook her giant head inbetween peals.

Kurt had adjusted the lobster form so his tail was more pronounced, probably to push himself through the water faster. His other four sets of legs, though covered by the same brown shell-material, were strangely human-like, but his 'feet' had become smaller versions of his pincers.

And where his antennae would be, were simply arms. But instead of ending in hands, they ended in a sharp, needle-like point.

“What the hell are those?” Stewart indicated, but Kurt dove in, and the bell rang that signaled the fight's beginning.

“Let's do this!” Stewart hissed, and claw in claw, he and Keira dove in.

Before either knew what had hit them, the lobster-creature dove at them. Stewart writhed angrily as something began poking at him. It's those goddamned pointy-things on his head! he realized with anger. He tried to fend off the blows, flailing his long claws at Kurt. But though they seemed ineffective against the lobster's shell, it was enough to ward him off for the time being. However, the water looked slightly murky.

He looked down at his spiny form. Am I hurt?

But despite not knowing much about Lochness monster morphology, all seemed to be intact. He assumed he had gotten some minor wounds, but as his feelings of pain had been dialed quite low, he did not feel anything out of the ordinary. However, looking towards Keira for the first time, he saw that Kurt had descended on her, poking at her shiny chest and wounding her in several spots to the point that she was already bleeding.

With each poke, more blood was introduced into the water, and Stewart could taste it as it filtered into his mouth. He smacked his tail into Keira, and as she rose to grab a gasp of air, he yelled to her, “let me get to him!”

“Your claws are nothing against that shell!”

“We have to crack him!”

“Stewart! Stop it! I'm fighting this battle too!” And she plunged back in.

But in the process of submerging, she had shifted into the perfect position for Kurt's claw to meet with her tail.

He sliced off her tail fin with a clean snip.

Keira bared her teeth in anger and obvious discomfort. Leaving a trail of blood, she rushed at him and snapped at his 'arm' on his head, severing it to his skull. A bluish cloud burst forth from the wound, and Stewart chuckled. Kurt was a true lobster – he even had hemolymph instead of blood, and it had the bluish cast it was supposed to.

Bravo, Keira! You found a weak spot! Stewart cheered on silently. Those sharp-as-needles teeth had managed to hurt Kurt! Seeing his chance, Stewart came up behind the furious lobster and tried to rip into one of the areas between the joints of Kurt's shell. If he could only expose more of those soft insides...

But even the joints were impenetrable. Stewart's claws hit the shell like fingernails on a chalkboard, and Kurt flipped around angrily. In a flash, he had made a clean swipe across Stewart's stomach, and the discolored water was now further bloodied.

Stewart could feel his half-severed skin ripple as he moved in the water, and the pain was more tingle than he would have liked, but he did not have time to ponder this. Keira had descended upon her ex, wrapping her sinuous body around his whole form and trying to crush his shell. Again, Stewart wanted to applaud her for a great idea. But at the same time, perhaps it was not. She did not have a hold on the pincers, and as she tightened her grasp, Kurt began slicing at her wherever he could. The stump that remained of her tail flapped agitatedly, sending blood everywhere, but it did not stop Kurt from neatly separating an upper limb from her body. Midway through the second, an angry Stewart launched himself on the very amused lobster, and Kurt turned to snap at him as well.

Keira glanced sadly at her remaining limb. It was basically severed, attached only by a tattered flap of scaly skin. Grisly as it was, there was nothing she could do about it.  Still clinging to her ex-boyfriend, she squeezed her whole body as hard as she could, but Kurt's shell wasn't giving an inch. His back legs began sawing at her tail and lower parts until he had chopped through most of her lower third.

As Stewart dodged Kurt, he could literally see the pieces of his girlfriend falling from her transformed body, and he felt guilty that he had involved her in this. And of all people to end up with, she had to be thrown together with her sadistic bastard of an ex?

The blood loss had finally sapped Keira's strength, and slowly, her hold loosened on Kurt until he was able to break free. He came at Stewart, thrashing and gnashing at him. He drove his pincer into the gaping wound on Stewart's stomach and nearly cut clean through him.

Stewart doubled over as he felt the sharp claws wracking his insides. As it the pincer drew out of him, he felt an odd lurch, and something resembling a strip of hot dogs or sausages drifted across his face. When he was able to identify it, he nearly fainted.

It was his own intestines.

Kurt, very obviously laughing at his accomplishment, kept tugging until Stewart was jolted along with the innards, as if on a leash. Blood was ubiquitous, and Stewart, feeling the bloodloss, was unable to fight back. Then Kurt rushed at him once more, snipping off the intestines right where they emerged from Stewart's gut.

The Lochness Monster-man could only watch as Kurt tossed them out of the tank, as if he were dumping last night's trash.

Then Kurt set back on Keira, who was floating like a shapeless blob near the surface. As ruined as she was, she still managed to keep her head in the water to watch for Kurt's approach. When he came near enough, she lunged toward him with her remaining strength, and sank her teeth into his eye.

Kurt let out a roar that was heard both in the water and out, and Keira drew back, an eyeball and half of Kurt's face hanging from her jaw. Just as Kurt had done, it was not a clean bite, and the eyeball still had some sort of nerve or ligament attaching it to Kurt's ruined head.

Kurt threw himself on her in an utter rage, simply cutting and ripping at her until she was a pulpy mess of body parts. The eye dropped from her jaw, and he tried to cut her head from her nearly-severed neck. Not quite succeeding, he simply grabbed her head in one hand, her neck in the other, and snapped them in half.

Stewart made a garbled shriek. Kurt had killed Keira! And he had put her through such torture Stewart would not have wished on anyone, even if they were Venned...

Stewart could feel the water rushing into and bloating his gutted body, but he could not let Kurt win. Not after how he'd treated Keira. He could have been a bit gentler, considering who she was and that it was her first fight. How he hoped they'd dialed her pain back enough so it wasn't too unbearable for her...

The lobster-man turned back to Stewart, the eye trailing after him as he came forward. Stewart backed up against the side of the tank, staring up at the sky, thinking of all the people watching them...

“I don't know how long a lobster can stay out of water...” The announcer's words suddenly resonated in Stewart's brain, and the answer was right there...

As Kurt came at him for the kill, Stewart threw himself under the surprised lobster-monster, and he launched him out of the water and over the side. Then he leaped out after his foe, who was well-positioned right before one of the fans. Stewart jumped on top of him and held him down, making sure the fan was blowing right into Kurt's gill slits.

Making gasping sounds, Kurt tried to draw away from the air, but Stewart simply smiled. “You stupid ass, you shouldn't have made yourself all lobster. If your gill slits dry up, you can't breathe out of the water!”

Kurt writhed and flailed, but Stewart stayed fixed to the spot, making sure the fan remained right where it was.

The lobster was growing weaker, and Stewart, despite his missing innards, felt an adrenaline rush come on. “Couldn't you have been gentler on her? Her first fight, and look what you did? You pulled her limbs off, you cut her up completely... You...”

Stewart grabbed at one of the pincers, and without any fight from its owner, he wrenched it off with a nauseating click. Kurt merely shuddered, his air supply dwindling. Stewart then did away with the other pincer and the remaining limbs. Kurt wriggled his tail weakly, and Stewart regarded it, feeling hungry for some reason. Perhaps he was feeling the instincts of his new form? Who knew?

He ripped off Kurt's tail and began to devour it.

“He's eating him alive!” cried one of the audience members.

“I only wish I could boil you first!” Stewart uttered began bites. “Mm. Tastes like...chicken?” He made a satisfying crunch as he accidentally stepped on one of Kurt's severed limbs. “I'd think a lobster would taste like lobster!”

The announcer watched, fascinated. “Is it legal to eat your opponent?” he asked one of the group organizers beside him.

“Hell, are these fights even legal?” the excited man answered.

“The Venn Machines will have them all fine later,” added a woman sitting beside them, although her voice was laced with worry.

“Damn! How the hell was I ever a vegetarian as a human?” Stewart exclaimed with his mouth full.

Bluish blood gurgled in Kurt's throat and mouth, then began dribbling from the corner of his lips to the floor.

For a moment, Stewart merely gazed at the blue pool forming beside Kurt's head. His gaze then shifted to the grotesque lobster half-face Kurt now possessed. “Well, you won't be needing this,” Stewart pulled Kurt's dangling eye from the socket. The nerve that was still attached to it broke with a satisfying ripping sound, then snapped back into Kurt's face. Stewart tossed the eye into the pile of intestines nearby. “Keep your eye on my innards for a bit, would you, Kurt?”

Kurt made a last moan and grew still.

And the arena remained silent as they allowed Stewart to finish his meal.

“Damn. I could really use some wine to wash this down,” he muttered to himself.

“I thought a water dragon would be an awesome fighting form!” Keira cried indignantly as they returned home later that night.

“But don't you see you need better protection? You need something to fight with, but you also need armor. As dumb as Kurt was with the gill slits, the idea of a thick shell like that isn't so stupid.”

He paused, eyeing her worriedly. “Are you going to be okay after all that?” he asked timidly.

“Oh, yeah! I'm fine,” she answered a bit too quickly. They both sat down at the table and began to feast on the Chinese food they had ordered. Fighting Venned seemed to have made them ravenous.

After a short silence, Keira murmured, “Did you have to eat him?”

Stewart shuddered. He still couldn't get over the fact that he had eaten someone. Alive. He was already back to his vegetarian ways, hungrily wolfing down some vegetable lo mein. “Yes,” he finally responded. “He had it coming.”

More silence ensued.

“Stewart, I'm sorry he ripped out your insides.”

“I'm sorry he reduced you to a bleeding torso.”

They both began to chuckle, and soon they were laughing hysterically to the point of weakness.

“So when's my next fight?” Keira asked, cutting them both off.

Stewart merely blinked at her in amazement.