The Monster Unleashed [Cora]

[hanson bryce reid]

“

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Hanson should have seen through the ruse from the start. Now, they were all going to die. 

The invitation had been shiny and embossed, glimmering in the light on Hanson's kitchen table. Ivan Alucard's 600th birthday party, some kind of masquerade ball. More than a bit ostentatious, though that was in keeping with the man himself. Hanson had no love for vampires, and most of the time his thoughts on them were bordering on the hatred side of things, but he had been told by easily a dozen different Order members and Children of the Moon that Ivan was a good man, that Hanson ought to go to the party and enjoy himself. 

So Hanson had gone, dressed in a simple suit with a plain black mask. He wasn't a costume person, and certainly not that night. Between Sareena's death, the closing of Hogwarts, his mother's return to the hospital related to her injuries from their attack, and everything that had happened recently, Hanson didn't have a lot to celebrate that holiday season. He would go to the party, because it was what was expected of him and he was in enough hot water as it was, but he wouldn't be having fun. Hanson milled about the room, declining the glasses of punch offered to him. He wasn't interested, and as soon as it was known that he was being a team player and mingling with his allies, he would be out of there. 

The man of the hour certainly took his time in addressing the gathered masses, dressed in what could only be described as the gaudiest outfit Hanson had ever seen. It took everything in the young werewolf's ability to not roll his eyes and scoff at the mere sight. Hanson half-listened to Ivan's words, attention drawn to a nearby Order member. The young woman had burst into a coughing fit, nearly doubling over as she hacked. 

“So please, dance, drink, and be merry, for tonight- You dine, in hell.”

The words were punctuated with a sharp change in atmosphere, fires erupting across the exits and a second later the windows shattering, scattering glass everywhere. Hanson raised a hand on instinct, covering his face, while the other fumbled for his wand. Fucking suit jacket. 

“Those loyal to me shall be spared from my wrath. If you have not pledged yourself to me - you will die. Leave no survivors. Raize London to the ground. Tonight, we take back the world for ourselves.”

The last thing Hanson had expected was to come face to face with Death itself that night. It became clear in that moment exactly how stupid the Order and Children had been. Their stupidity would cost them their lives. 

Hanson, it seemed, was one of the few not frozen in fear by the sudden appearance of Death and its followers. He drew his wand, among the first to cast a spell. Green light arched from his wand, hitting one of the vampires square in the chest. It wouldn't kill them, but it would at least slow them down. 

Everyone around Hanson was either moving in slow motion or at a terrifying pace. The vampires that had suddenly arrived descended upon the helpless Order members and Children moved quickly, the scent of blood soon filling the previously-dazzling ballroom. But the Order members and Children seemed to have come to a standstill, fumbling slowly as they tried to either escape or fight back against their attackers. Hanson's expression morphed into a sneer as he threw every spell he could think of at his foes, not caring who got hit with what as red clouded his vision. A kindred member fell to the neon green arc of light that flew from his wand. A vampire stumbled and fell as he was hit with a bright red flash, only down for a moment before he was up again.

Hanson could only imagine how he looked in that moment. The rage inside him was finally allowed to rear its head, and the spells he cast were vicious and remorseless. He wanted to hurt them. All of them. He wanted to see them fall before him and beg for his mercy. The rest of the Order and Children were trying to escape, but Hanson was almost glad to stand in the middle of the chaos and add in his own. 

Spells hit him, pain ricocheting through his body, but he hardly noticed them. He was able to block or avoid the worst of them, moving on pure instinct. A deep gash etched itself in his arm, ribs cracking under the force of another spell, but if anything the pain fueled him. 

Hanson was only pulled from his rage at the sound of a voice. He knew that voice. He whirled around, searching the chaos for her. Cora. He spotted her at last, fighting against a vampire easily twice her size. 

Hanson had lost one pack member already. He wasn't going to lose another.

"Crucio!" The spell collided with the center of the vampire's chest, sending him writhing to the ground. Hanson held the spell as he approached Cora, a sick smile twisting his features as he watched the vampire struggle. 

cora raquel simms ● december 24, 2022 ● 870 words ● n/a

Hanson Bryce
Reid★

dandy ♫

[cora raquel simms]

●●●

cora simms

Cora should have known.

She’d run the numbers thrice and had gotten a catastrophic result each time, but it hadn’t made sense. With Hogwarts gone and her mentor moved back to France, Cora had sent her an owl with the calculations she’d gotten, hoping to have an error she’d missed pointed out, but the response hadn’t come before the party. Cora was still running permutations in the back of her head during the event, etching out her math on a cocktail napkin with a pen she’d brought stashed in her bra. She’d never been a party sort of person, but it had been made abundantly clear that Ivan Alucard was not an ally the Order could afford to offend.

She’d never even seen the man, so she didn’t know why he was so tremendously important, she doubted he’d miss her if she’d stayed in running her calculations on better paper. But Cora had begrudgingly come, it was nice to get out for an evening, and might have been fun if her mind wasn’t so fixed on impending doom. Cora didn’t dance, the leg didn’t allow it, nor did she enjoy it before her injury, but people watching could be fun, and she was counting on the drunken masses being entertaining.

That was, until the evening’s true intent was revealed.

Cora could do little more than watch in horror as Ivan sprung his trap, punctuated by the appearance of Death itself, its command clear in its cruelty. London would fall tonight, the world soon after, and any who got in their way would be killed. The carnage was instant and shocking, Cora had sprung to her feet, her cane shattered beneath her hand as it was struck by a curse aimed at her. She couldn’t come close to running without it, not that there was anywhere to run- all the exits blocked by fire. Cora was swept up into the panicking crowd regardless, heart pounding in her throat as spells flew, blood spilled…

She lost her footing, or more aptly slipped, falling to the ground near a man from the Order being barbarically ripped to shreds by the hands of vampires. It was his blood she’d slipped in, the floor rendered slick by gore. Cora couldn’t help the scream that fell from her lips, which in turn made the ringleader of this vampiric posse abandon his feast to the others, eagerly drinking what they had spilled.

Already at a disadvantage from the ground, Cora fought back the only way she could, flinging spells as quickly as she could think of them. Her adversary, however, was stronger, faster with his wandwork, and was quick to retaliate. She found herself suddenly disarmed, powerless. “You’ll taste like shit, dog, but I’ll savor every last drop,” the vampire sneered. Cora backed away, frantically trying to find footing, but the vampire was faster, seizing her by the wrist in a painful grasp. “No!” Cora screamed, seeing the glint of the light on his fangs, her word morphing to a shriek of agony as they sunk into the flesh of her arm. The venom was caustic, burned like acid, her own blood joined the stains of others on her dress as she tried desperately to break the vampire’s iron grip.

“Crucio!”

Suddenly the fingers were gone, Cora clutched her arm to her chest, blood spilling between her fingers as she tried to apply pressure to the gaping wound in her flesh. Her attacker writhed, screaming, it took Cora a second to see who it was that had felled him, who was torturing him. “Hanson!” Cora cried, not so much in shock at his actions, but in relief that he’d found her. Maybe together, they might stand a chance…

hanson bryce reid ● 621 ● no notes

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[hanson bryce reid]

“

The vampire fell to the ground, writhing and screaming under Hanson's curse. It was a pleasure to cause that kind of pain, a pleasure to see someone suffer in the same way Hanson and so many of his friends and loved ones had.

He might die there that night, but he would not go down without a fight, and he would not go down without making sure these vampires remembered his face, and not without taking at least a few of them and the Kindred down with him. Hanson would die a satisfied death if that was the outcome. 

“Hanson!”

Cora's voice pulled Hanson's thoughts from the vampire before him, and he lowered his wand. He glanced at her, for the first time seeing the state she was in. Blood was everywhere, pouring down her arm. That wasn't good, wasn't at all. 

Hanson turned back to the vampire, lips curling into a sneer. "Avada Kedavra!" The killing curse wouldn't kill the vampire, but it would hurt like hell, and it would stun him hopefully long enough to let Hanson and Cora escape. With a yell the vampire collapsed backwards, and Hanson turned to Cora.

He knelt beside her, taking her arm with a gentleness that stood in stark contrast to his so recent savagery. He grimaced at the would. Hanson knew well, probably better than anyone else, that magic would be useless in trying to heal Cora's arm. The scars that crisscrossed his neck and chest from the muggle stitches Quinn had had to use to save his life a year ago were testament enough to that.

"This is going to hurt." Hanson told her, pulling off what was left of his suit jacket and tear it into a few long strips of fabric. He fashioned a makeshift tourniquet out of one, tying it tightly above the wound on Cora's arm and using the other to wrap the wound as securely as he could. It wasn't the best fix, or a fix at all, but it would hopefully keep her from bleeding out or losing her arm. 

cora raquel simms  ● december 24, 2022 ● 347 words ● n/a

Hanson Bryce
Reid★

dandy ♫

[cora raquel simms]

●●●

cora simms

Cora grit her teeth, trying not to cry out and attract more attention their way while Hanson dealt with the vampire who’d bitten her. She’d thought she’d known pain, the agony from the curse she’d taken at the attack on Hogsmeade, the lingering chronic pain afterward, but this was somehow worse. It felt as if her flesh were melting, and perhaps at the site of the puncture it was, but she couldn’t see through the blood. Cora’s stomach churned and she bit down on her tongue, involuntary tears escaping her eyes.

“Avada Kedavra!”

Hanson sounded almost animalistic at his casting of the second Unforgivable Curse in approximately thirty seconds, but there was no time to be alarmed. Wounded and stunned, the vampire collapsed, and her pack alpha returned to her side, quickly assessing the situation. A pained gasp tumbled from her lips as Hanson repositioned her arm, any movement was enough to set the burning sensation off again. Cora found herself slightly dizzy at the sight, not merely a fang puncture, but an entire bit of flesh completely gone… She took a few deep breaths, passing out now wasn’t going to help them.

“This is going to hurt,”

“It already does,” Cora gasped through gritted teeth. Hanson worked quickly, tying off a tourniquet above the wound first. She grimaced, but the real pain was when he wrapped the wound itself, the suit jacket fabric felt rough as sandpaper against raw flesh, Cora might have even screamed- she couldn’t tell if she had or not, her ears filled with ringing as a flurry of dots threatened to overtake her vision… Breathe, Cora, breathe, she reminded herself, gulping in a series of shallow, uneven breaths. Eventually the sharpness returned to her sight, but she still felt as if she might be sick. “Hanson… My wand…” Cora murmured, scanning the floor for anywhere it might have gone after she was disarmed. Without her wand she wouldn’t just slow Hanson down, she’d likely get them both killed.

hanson bryce reid ● 333 ● no notes

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[hanson bryce reid]

“

“It already does. Hanson… My wand…”

Hanson made as quick work as he could of wrapping Cora's arm, trying not to jostle it any more than he had to. He remembered the pain, the feeling of vampire venom quite literally sapping your life force, blood pouring from wounds that would never close without help... There was only so much he could do to help Cora, but he would be damned if he didn't do everything in his power.

They only had a few seconds, maybe less, before another Kindred or vampire caught sight of them. They were sitting ducks. Cora was injured, still slow on her injured leg from the Hogsmeade attacks in April, and Hanson wasn't totally confident he could get them both out on his own. He'd die trying, though, and take at least a few Kindred and vampires down with him.

Hanson turned, scanning the carnage for any sight of Cora's wand. It was nowhere to be seen, though, or at least was lost int he mayhem. "Accio wand," Hanson murmured, hoping that would work. He'd never actually tried to summon another wizard's wand, never had a need to. He held his breath, waiting. 

Finally, though, the slender piece of walnut slipped between a pair of grappling figures, flying into Hanson's hand. His fingers wrapped around it without thinking. Okay, that was good to know. In all truthfulness, Hanson hadn't thought that would work.

"We need to get out of here, can you stand?" Hanson asked, pressing Cora's wand into her good hand. He swallowed, casting a shield around them. It wouldn't stand up to any serious attacks, but hopefully it would buy them a moment or two. 

cora raquel simms  ● december 24, 2022 ● 281 words ● n/a

Hanson Bryce
Reid★

dandy ♫

[cora raquel simms]

●●●

cora simms

Cora tried to steady her breathing, the tourniquet had at least slowed the flow of her blood, but she still felt woozy, each heartbeat sending a surge of pain through her as the venom attacked her very cells. She didn’t see a good way out of this, she should have listened to her gut when she’d last checked the numbers, raised the alarm, or at the very least stayed home like she’d wanted to do in the first place… Cora looked to Hanson, surprised that his attempt at summoning her fallen wand actually worked. Maybe they might stand a chance at getting out of this hell.

Or maybe Cora would get them both killed.

"We need to get out of here, can you stand?"

Cora nodded, her grip on her wand so tight that her knuckles lost all color, the bits of skin not covered in her blood pure white. “I can but I’m slow,” Cora said, through teeth gritted in both frustration and pain. She knew Hanson would never leave her behind, something that might have been comforting outside of the situation they were in, but now only filled her with dread. Cora never wanted to be the reason someone died… She ambled clumsily to her feet, throwing a shield charm before them, it likely wouldn’t do much good, but it had to be better than nothing. Cora scanned the room, trying to figure out where there best chance was.

Someone had blown a hole in one of the walls, but it seemed that was where most of the carnage was happening as the vampires and Kindred picked off those trying to escape. “Any ideas?” Cora asked.

hanson bryce reid ● 278 ● no notes

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[hanson bryce reid]

“

“I can but I’m slow... Any ideas?”

Hanson helped Cora to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist and letting her lean on him as much as she needed. The shield she threw up to protect them would buy them a minute, maybe two, but they needed a game plan, and fast. He scanned the ballroom, trying to look past the carnage and the bodies of Order members and Children of the Moon alike. Allies he had fought with, would have died for. They were gone, all in the span of a few minutes.

A hole had been blasted in the wall of the mansion, both sides flocking to it. Order members and Children trying to escape, and Followers and Kindred trying to stop them. The bloodbath stretched on all sides of the two of them. The main exits were still covered by the enchanted flames, though there was an Order member Hanson vaguely recognized attempting to make headway. He wasn't getting very far.

"A few, but I don't think you're going to like them," Hanson replied at last. He swallowed hard. None of the ideas he had were painless, or guarunteed their escape. "We're going to have to get through that hole—it's the easiest way out, even if it is crawling with vampires. Once we get onto the lawn, it's a straight shot for the edge of the grounds, and we can disapparate. If you think you can walk, we can make it on foot, and I'll have my wand hand free to fight back, but it'll be slow going with that leg, and the longer we are here, the more danger we're in. Or, I could carry you, and we would make faster progress, but then it'd be up to you to fend off the vampires and Kindred. And you'd need to be willing to kill, if necessary."

Hanson had taken a life before, multiple of them—there were bodies of more than a few Kindred among the fallen here alone that would attest to that—and, he had to admit, he had enjoyed it. But asking another person to kill was something else entirely; he would never force Cora to do it, not even if it meant they both died because she couldn't. He was a killer, but Cora didn't have to be. 

cora raquel simms  ● december 24, 2022 ● 385 words ● n/a

Hanson Bryce
Reid★

dandy ♫