Pitch was broken out of a session of spacing out in the middle of the night while Kathryn slept by his phone ringing. He adjusted himself and shifted to his human form to answer. “Yo.” He says as soon as it's open. Ishwada's voice comes from the other side. Solem, serious. “We've got an emergency case, cross jurisdiction. They're basically declaring Defcon One on this one and I need you ASAP. Kathryn too.” Pitch lightly shook Kathryn awake. “What's the case, Jiryu? It must be big if they're calling on people from multiple districts.”

  Kathryn rubbed her eyes before quickly sitting at attention and listening to Pitch talk on the phone with Ishwada. “I haven't been given much details, but it's in The Triangle. So it's definitely an emergency situation unlike any we've had in years. There's been no activity for over forty years so this is a big deal.” Pitch sighed. “The Triangle… great. I'll meet you at the airport. It looks like we're going back to Miami.”

  Pitch and Kathryn quickly got ready. Together they went to the airport to see Ishwada, Hammer, and Anderson waiting at the private jet for them. Pitch greeted everyone. “Jiryu, Arnold, Berry. I see everyone has recovered enough to go on a mission.” Anderson scoffed. “This is an emergency, all hands on deck..I'm not going to sit it out because I'm not feeling one hundred percent.” Hammer nodded in agreement. “I feel the same way. Let's get going already.”

  Pitch and Kathryn nodded before boarding the plane. It takes off and starts its journey to Florida. The plane lands safely and the sky is clear. Pitch looks at the sky out into the distance. “There isn't even a cloud in sight. Isn't there usually a storm when The Triangle acts up?” Ishwada scratched his chin. “I think so, yeah. Maybe it's too far out for us to see from here?” Pitch sighed. “I guess we'll find out once we're briefed on the situation. I assume Director Hawkes will be giving us the rundown.” Ishwada simply nodded before the group started to head out.

  Once there they find a total of twenty commanders, all with personally selected elite soldiers. Pitch rolled his eyes. “Great, they gave us the high class cannon fodder for this one. Both useless and arrogant. Great combo.” Pitch spoke sarcastically in a voice too low for anyone outside his group to hear. Ishwada gave him a dirty look. “Behave Pitch. I get that you don't enjoy working with people outside our squads that much but you could at the very least not be actively rude to them.” Pitch sighed. “Yeah…. Fine.”

  Once all the groups were together, Director Hawkes started to debrief them all. Hawkes pinched the bridge of his nose. “We've done our best to try and quarantine the area, but the threat in question is out in the middle of The Triangle. This was not the result of an incursion event. One of the research vessels we keep out there to maintain anchors and check for signs of activity stumbled on a strange substance on a fish. From what they could tell this substance was old, and had been dormant and buried since the original incursion event. The entity is some sort of parasite. It can consume the parts of what it eats or even incorporate them into its body and puppet them.”

  Pitch goes pale. Paler than normal. “Well fuck.” Hawkes noticed this reaction and suddenly went pale himself. He cleared his throat. “It has been ordered by the board that this entity be declared a “Code: Black” event. That means no capture, no dancing around. Eliminate it, at all costs.” The final words echo in Pitch's mind. At all costs. This meant that they were willing to go nuclear on this thing. Literally. Code: Black meant scorched Earth policy. Zero traces. Pitch couldn't blame them. If this thing got loose it could easily become an epidemic or even a world ending event. So the people in charge aren't even risking keeping a sample for study.

  Pitch slowly raised his hand. “If I may: What weapons are you planning to use?” Director Hawkes tilted his head. “Flammers mostly. It's standard procedure.” Pitch cleared his throat. “Then isn't that what the crew would have done?” Hawkes paused for a moment, then started to sweat a little. “Crap. Any suggestions?” Pitch chuckled nervously. “Liquid nitrogen.” Hawkes thought for a moment. “And then what? Would that kill it or just put it into suspended animation?” Pitch sighed. “Good question. Once it's frozen I'll-” Pitch paused, choosing his next words wisely. “Disassemble it.”

  Hawkes went slightly pale again. He knew exactly what Pitch was suggesting, that once it's contained it can be consumed. The idea unsettled him, but eventually he nodded. It was his best option. “Understood Subject Beta, I'll leave it in your…” he paused for a moment before his voice became slightly unsure. “Hands.” Pitch glared at Hawkes after he was called “Subject Beta” instead of by name. To Hawkes, Pitch was just another monster. Something to be contained, studied, and if necessary; eliminated.

  Pitch starts to wonder how and why the non-human citizens protection act was ever signed when so many in Black Eagle felt this way. It was no wonder he was ratted out to Black Scripture. People hoped they would take care of what they weren't allowed to. Pitch let out a long, drawn out groan. He wanted to say something, to scold Hawkes for his attitude. Pitch knew the effort would be useless. Then Kathryn took a step forward, her normal timid expression replaced with one of anger. “Now you listen here you insufferable little shit!” She pointed angrily at Hawkes. “Pitch here has done more to help with the Cryptid issues in just the last few years than you have in your entire lifetime.”

  Hawkes scowled at Kathryn. “You, little miss, shouldn't even be here. This is a combatants only situation. So why don't you go back home little kitten. You're not needed, or welcome here.” This time Pitch took a step forward, heavy, practically a stomp. “You can insult me all you want, Hawkes, but the girl is off limits.” He then added a small measure of venom in his voice. “Do I make myself clear?” He glared at Hawkes, his eyes becoming black orbs.

  Hawkes took a step backwards, eyes locked on Pitch. All it would take was one order and every Black Eagle person here except those with Pitch would fire weapons at him. One wrong move to give Hawkes justification was all it would take. Pitch didn't care about that right now. He was done walking on eggshells. When it came to Kathryn, he couldn't help but get defensive. After all, she was carrying his unborn child. Hawkes cleared his throat. “You are in no position to make demands here. You are here, alive, at my mercy. Do not test my patients.”

  Pitch let out a soft growl. “I am here, in spite of your feelings, because your bosses have ordered you to let me live. You have … no power here.” Hawkes balled his hands into fists and grumbled. “It seems we are at a stalemate then.” Pitch lets out a laugh. “Stalemate? Nah man, you lost that little spat. You come off as the kind of person to flip the board as soon as you're losing.” Hawkes turns around. “We should focus on the mission. This is a crisis after all.”

  Pitch smiled, feeling triumphant as the group started to get on a boat. Ishwada gives him a harsh look. “You shouldn't antagonize him like that.” Pitch grits his teeth a bit. “He started it. He's been starting it for a while and I've just sat back and let him throw punch after punch.” Ishwada glared at him more. “Would you punch a child after it made several attacks on you?” Pitch smiled devilishly at Ishwada.”Nah~ I'd just eat the little shit. Gobble him up on the spot.” Ishwada looked displeased. “Don't even joke about that. Someone might take it seriously.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Pitch groaned. “Well I'm done dancing around his bullshit because I'm worried he'll have me killed. Especially when I know he can't actually give that order.” Ishwada rolled his eyes. “You should still be more careful. The man may not be able to order your death right now but he could do other things.” Pitch groaned. “Fine, fine. I'll ease up. But he should do the same. I could have eaten him and left minimal evidence a hundred times over by now.” Ishwada makes a grunting sound that almost sounds like the start of a laugh. “So you're saying he should be grateful you haven't?”

  Pitch does an exaggerated hand gesture. “What I want is for him to stop riding my ass like a BMW driver on the highway!” Ishwada struggled to hold in a chuckle. “You're really worked up today. Are you sure you're not the pregnant one considering how moody you are right now?” Pitch grumbled. “He's getting on my nerves, Jiryu. I just want to strangle the fucker.” Ishwada nodded. “And I don't blame you. But you have to remain professional. All you would accomplish by hurting or killing him is proving he's right.”

  Pitch grumbled as they came up to the edge of the quarantine zone in the water. He suddenly adjusted his focus as the boat crossed the quarantine threshold. The air itself seemed to change as they approached the boat with the Cryptid on it. An ancient thing that was king dormant and likely only awoken by changes in the world set about by human greed. The ship itself looked empty on the outside. The amorphous red monster was likely hiding somewhere on the ship.

  The boat anchored a distance away as everyone but Pitch who didn't need it and Kathryn who was staying on the boat put on special gear. Once ready they took smaller boats to the location and boarded the compromised vessel with extreme caution. Even Pitch keeps his footsteps light. After all, he's not trying to get everyone else killed. He looked around the empty vessel. “You sure it's still on the boat?” A valid question, since it came from the water.

  Hammer looked around. “I can feel it, it's somewhat similar to the black ooze infection from Antarctica. Primal, ancient, older than our current history. But the emotion that spawned it is different.” Pitch nodded in agreement. “It feels…. Hungry. It's a creature of pure gluttony.” Pitch suddenly remembers what he heard at the asylum and the dream he had afterwards. “(Did I…. Talk to a ghost in my dream?)” The thought felt insane, but with all the strange things he's experienced he couldn't just dismiss it.

  Pitch lets out a sigh, resigned to accepting whatever weird thing happens as part of the new normal. His world was still changing after all this time of being a Cryptid. He starts to walk, taking point as the groups move together and start searching the shop for signs of the creature. The ship was eerily quiet and empty. Not even a sign that anything bad has happened. Pitch started to wonder how Hawkes had any intel if the monster was this through and left no survivors behind. Someone had time to send an S.O.S, but that's different from sending information.

  Pitch quickly realized this wasn't something that just happened. They were studying the creature and it breached containment. Most of the info Hawkes had must have been obtained by combining the information they had and the fact the ship was fully dead in the water after the S.O.S. Pitch growled at the thought that the only reason this happened was because Black Eagle was fucking around without being ready to find out. Anderson looked over to him. “You good man?” Pitch clenched his fist and nodded. “Yeah, just…. Thinking about how expendable Hawkes thinks these people are. He doesn't even treat his own men as human regardless of race. Everyone, everything, is just another resource to him.”

  Anderson nodded. “Yeah, if he was really confident in his elite men then he'd be out here with us like Ishwada is. Instead he's safe on the shore with your now noticeably pregnant wife.” Pitch's eyes widened, he had not even thought about that. “Don't…. Don't say crap like that. I'm on edge enough Berry.” Anderson chuckled softly. “It's actually refreshing, you know. Knowing that there's still something that scares you. That despite all the power you know hold and how hard you would be to kill, you still know fear. It's a sign that regardless of form, you're still a human on the inside.”

  Pitch rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I'm secretly a big softy.” The groups continued to check the outside of the ship, finding nothing, started to gather at doors and ready themselves to open them. The only places left to check, were inside of the research vessel. The doors opened, nerves were high, and then….. nothing. The first area in the ship was just as empty as the outside. “Maybe it left.” One of the elite members said before leaning his head into the doorway and looking around. “All clear.” He declared with confidence.

  Those would unfortunately be his last words, as he was suddenly pulled in by some unseen force hiding in the room. His screams echoed into the distance as he was pulled into an open air vent and forced to fit into the small hole. The sounds of painful screams and bones snapping echoed through the entire boat as the soldier vanished without a trace. Pitch just stood there for a moment, blinking wordlessly. Then he snapped out of his stupor. “Well fuck me sideways.” Anderson blinked and looked at Pitch. “What part of your true form is the side?”

  Pitch slapped Anderson on the shoulder hard. “This isn't the time for jokes Berry!” Anderson put up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, bad habit.” Pitch sighed and entered the room. “He really should have let me go in first. It was the entire reason I took point. I'm a lot harder to kill than you guys.” Anderson rubbed his arm. “I guess when you're the best of the best you kinda forget some of the caution of being new. You become overconfident.” Hammer lets out a sigh. “You get complacent, and that gets you killed.”

  Pitch groaned. “Useless fodder, every single one of you faceless goons. The only ones here worth their salt are Commander Ishwada and his two sub-commanders Hammer and Anderson.” A few of the other Black Eagle soldiers look at one another, then one of them speaks. “Aren't you also a sub-commander?” Pitch shook his head. “Officially I'm just a consultant. I don't even have a rank or any authority in the organization.” The words echo through the group: No rank, no authority. He can't give orders, but also can't be given them. A precarious double edged sword.

  There are grumbles in the group, but Pitch continued to search the room before daring to explore outside of it. “Be on high alert, no more mistakes.” Pitch barked it like an order, despite knowing he has no real authority. “We know what we're doing, don't bark orders at us.” One of them objected. Pitch glared at them. “Tell that to the broken corpse in the air vent.” This results in grumbling from the group as Pitch went to the next door.

  He opened it slowly before entering first. Seemingly empty he checked everything before calling the all clear. “I think it's hiding in the room with the containment cells. It's the most secure position.” Pitch's suggestion implies a level of intelligence in the creature and its actions. However, it was hard to deny. It basically set a trap for the first guy that entered the first room. Though the limits of that intelligence was unclear, Pitch was not about to underestimate his opponent.

  Pitch slowly worked his way towards the containment room where samples were kept and studied, working under the idea that it was at least intelligent enough to realize it was the best room to hold up in. Eventually, he was standing outside the doors of the containment room, ready to enter and potentially face this monster of gluttony. He takes a few breaths, despite the fact he doesn't have to, out of some sort of old habit. Then, he puts in the door code, and opens the containment door.

  Once the door is opened, Pitch stands outside it completely stunned. Inside is a mass of red flesh, in a clump in the center of the room, with thick tendrils and threads of flesh reaching out to equipment and the walls like a grotesque spider web. Bits from different creatures hang out from the red mass in random areas including bits of a person.

  The newest victim, the soldier, lay pressed against the outer layer. His bones are broken but his eyes are open. White, dead orbs that look in their direction as his mouth flaps wordlessly. Vain like bits of flesh creeping across his body. Part of him was still alive, being forced to stay alive by the creature as it slowly consumed him. Pich made a face of pure disgust at the thing in front of him. The amalgamated mass of red flesh that knows only hunger.

  Pitch isn't entirely sure what to do. Should he ask the others to use liquid nitrogen on it then bust it up, or should he just… eat the gluttony monster and leave nothing behind? There was no doubt in Pitch's mind that if he simply consumed the creature, assuming he could, it would just make the people here more scared of him. “Well… I guess we found it. Put this sucker on ice.” Pitch tried to sound casual but one of the Black Eagle division commanders scolded him. “Stop giving my men orders! You have no authority here!”

  His yelling alerted the creature, causing it to go from its low motion state into a frenzy. Threads and tendrils of flesh thrash about as the stolen parts become more animated. The soldier let out a strange Eldritch scream.