Grunting, the ghoul that had been thrown against the wall tremored as it tried to climb atop its broken limbs, only to fall back into the water.

Twisting its head to the left, it eyed the corner Abe hid behind, a grunt escaping its hung jaw.

There was no point hiding, this creature was obviously closer to Abe than the others.

He stepped out, gaze narrowed on the upright ghoul.

Sniffing, the ghoul waved its head in the air as if thinking.

Is it planning something? Oh fuck, Abe grunted. There had been a comfort in knowing they were dumb.

The intelligent ghoul walked, moving between Abe at the broken ghoul.

It wants to keep me away from its prey, doesn’t it? Smart fucker, aren’t you?

Abe walked to the right, entering the larger, square room. Having space to move seemed preferable.

The ghoul followed Abe’s movement, seeming to study him. 

It knows, doesn’t it? Just like I can tell it's more intelligent than the rest, it can sense the same with me.

The gap between the two closed gradually as the two neared one another.

Studying his opponent, Abe considered his approach to attack.

*Splash*

A spray of water blinded him, and Abe raised his hands instinctively.

Weight slammed into his chest, throwing him off-balance, and crashing to the ground.

It was heavy, well-balanced atop him. 

Thrashing through the water, Abe kicked with his knees. He’d have thrown the others off of him by now, but this one moved with his flailing kicks and knees, pressuring against him as it secured position.

Abe’s movements slowed and fangs shot for his neck, and he tried to return with the same, slamming his forehead against its jaw. Bone thumped against bone, but the ghoul ignored any damage and instead wrapped its teeth into Abe’s head and shook, its clamped jaw tearing flesh and sending thick ichor running down his skin.

The ghoul seemed to grow frustrated as if it expected to crush his head between its jaw, grunting angrily as it continued to toss.

“I’m no weakling, you fucker!” Abe roared, stabbing his bone into the side of its head.

The ghoul released him, stood up, and cried in agony. 

its not dead?

Panic surged inside Abe and he shuffled backward, the twitching, agonizing ghoul refocusing its senses on him. 

Its beady, yellow eyes locked on Abe, bone still protruding from the side of its head.

Shit, shit, shit! That wasn’t the plan!

Scuttling back against the brick, He felt something in his palm. 

A rock.

Wrapping his hand around the rock, he kept it hidden beneath the water as he watched up at the ghoul, snorting toward him.

It seemed hesitant as if it expected him to have some kind of plan.

Come get me, you fucker!

Gritting his teeth, he lowered his stare and continued to kick back against the ground until his back reached the wall.

I’m cornered, it's the perfect opportunity, you dumb ghoul.

It twisted its head curiously, sneered, and leaped into attack.

Gotcha, dumbass!

Abe swung as it closed into range, slamming the rock cleanly against its jaw. Bone snapped and the creature landed in a disorientated sprawl, thrashing through the water 

Now!

Abe bounced up and dove atop the ghoul, one hand searching for the bone whilst the other pummeled the rock into it with wide, arching strikes.

Gargling, the ghoul kicked back as Abe’s hand found the bone, throwing him across the room and beneath the water.

He pushed up, clawing at his surroundings as he stumbled to his knees, barely catching the flash as the ghoul slammed back into him and throwing both of them prone.

Kicking and pushing, he felt a bone snap against his strike as he landed with the rock, another cry coming from the ghoul atop him.

“Don’t like that huh? Huh, fucker?” Abe spat as he struggled, his mouth only temporarily above the murky water and filling with the fluid as he spoke.

Claws dug into his side, and Abe could feel them cutting flesh but he ignored the pain and slammed the rock against the ghoul’s jaw again as it dove for another bite—turning its lower jaw into a shatter mess.

It screeched in pain, releasing Abe and staggering backward. 

“Hurt now?” Abe smirked, pulling himself up.

The creature eyed him and then turned to the other ghoul, still fruitlessly trying to stand.

“No, no, no, don’t even think about it,” Abe waved a finger and the ghoul turned away.

It bounded for the ghoul.

No fucking way I’m going to let you heal!

Abe took chase, diving for the ghoul a moment after it took the broken one down.

Its jaw was already clamped around the other’s skull and snapped bone as Abe slammed the rock into its skull.

It was defiant, ignoring Abe’s hammering strikes as it snapped bone, healing and strengthening nectar within reach.

The rock had batter flesh away, covered in ichor and lining the skull in cracks, but time wasn’t on his side. If the ghoul ate the brain it could turn the fight around.

An idea struck and Abe took hold of the bone and pulled it toward him as if doing a bicep curl. 

The ravenous jaw snapped at the air as it was pulled away from the broken skull at its lips, and Abe wrapped his right arm around its neck to secure the hold and pulled back.

Rolling to his side, Abe brought his knees between him and the ghoul and pushed, following his knees with a kick that sent the ghoul falling forward and stumbling through the water.

He turned, wasting not a second, and he tore away the last remnants of broken bone and slurped up the brain within.

The ghoul tackled him, throwing both of them to the side of the dead ghoul, but it had already been done.

Rejuvenating strength flooded Abe’s veins and he threw the ghoul to his side and rolled atop it. 

Grabbing hold of the bone, he tugged, harnessing the fresh pulses of strength still flooding his body and pulling it free.

The ghoul’s eyes widened in understanding as Abe stabbed down, impaling the bone through its right eye with a gut-curdling screech, which sent the ghoul bucking wildly and throwing Abe back into the water.

Jerking its head to the side, the ghoul stumbled toward Abe as he climbed back to his feet, in a zombied state.

“You’re still not dead?” he chuckled as the ghoul groaned and raised its hands toward him.

Abe ducked and charged under the ghoul’s arms, tackling it back to the ground and pressing his knees against its arms as he pulled the bone free once more.

“In that case, I’ll stab your other eye!” he growled, plunging the bone through the ghoul’s left eye, and riding out the convulsions that followed.

Weak groans gargled from its torn jaw as it continued to twitch for a long moment after.

“You’re really a stubborn bastard,” Abe grunted as he took hold of the dying ghoul’s head.

Black ichor already drenched the head as he attempted to bite into the hardened shell. It was no use.

After a moment of searching the water, Abe found his rock and returned. He pounded, several heavy overhead strikes, each one sending new cracks snaking through the skull until it finally shattered.

The scent hit him immediately. It was intense, pulling him toward it like a magnet. There was no mistaking it, this brain was far more powerful than the others and would provide far more nourishment.

Biting into the revealed brain meat, ribbons of pleasure cascaded through his body. Closing his eyes, Abe basked in the sensation. A feeling of strength unlike his other victories consumed him.

After a long moment, he breathed, “I did it.” His body still twitched, reverberations of power from his meal nestling within him.

And then his ears twitched—he heard the incoming steps well before they descended into the sewers.

A grin creased his lips as he calmly rose and made his way through the maze-like sewer system. He didn’t even need to think about it now, his heightened senses directing him flawlessly to the faint, echoing taps in the distance.

Returning to his cage, he waited.

“You think he managed to pull it off?”

“I don’t care, Ricky,” Elissa sneered as she stomped to the sewer. “Anyone in here?”

Abe chuckled softly in the dark.

“Fine, play your games. But don’t think I can’t smell you too,” she said and proceeded to unlock the cage. “Now, get out.”

Stepping into the light of her torch came the dirty, smirking facade of Abe.

“So, you pulled it off,” Elissa’s lipless jaw grinned. “But you’re still barely a toddler, fledgling. Don’t get too high on your own piss.”

“The Mistress, she’ll be happy,” Ricky chattered, floating up beside Elissa. “She likes this one.”

“Shut up, Ricky!”