"Didn't  your mom teach you any manners?" Alexa growled through gritted teeth as she soared towards the old man, her fingers digging into his bony shoulders and lifting him off his feet. Her reddish black wings beat once, lending her momentum. In one wild motion, she threw the old man across the store. His arc missed Carlos' head by just a few inches, as the latter watched the man crash into the row of beverage coolers.

"Amusing. So that's how your crazy race of inbreds has thrived for such a long time," a disembodied drawl echoed through the air, sending a chill down the couple's spine. When they looked, the old man's body was gone from among the broken glass bottles.

"Brute force and a really unusual set of abilities, huh. But I prefer... a little finesse." Suddenly, the lights of the 7-Eleven went out, and darkness took over the couple. Only the faintest glow came from the gray tendrils that still thrashed about from Alexa's lower torso.

"Show yourself, you damn coward!" Alexa shouted as she blindly sped around through the aisles, knocking about the displays.

Carlos, still struggling to make sense of what's happening, suddenly felt something wet at his feet. He looked down, and there was water flowing up to his heels. When did...?

The old man's voice was heard again, this time cackling in laughter. "You should have heeded the warnings, little manananggal. Your race has defied Sipnget for so long, denying her rightful seat at the table of the gods. Do you think she will forget that so easily?" 

As he spoke, a geyser of water gushed into the store. Carlos frantically tried to find the source, but it seemed to spring up from nowhere. He then tried breaking the doors and windows, but to no avail.

"It's useless. This will be your watery graveyard!" The old man's laughter reached a diabolical pitch.

"... Our watery graveyard, huh? So that's what this is."

"Hmm?"

Carlos stooped down and scooped up some water by his palms. He then rubbed the water on his left arm. It's impossible to see in the dark, but tiny tattooed letters were revealed where his wet hand met his arm.

"CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX." 

Carlos' voice suddenly rang out. Two pained groans were then heard as if in response.

"Hey, d'you think you could have warned me before doing that?!", Alexa cried, returning to her human form after a loud pop.

"CRUX SANCTI PATRIS BENEDICTI."

"What... who are you?!" All trace of amusement had been wiped out from the old man's voice. Around the couple and across the store, the darkness began moving in waves, as if it was a heavy curtain blown by the gentle night breeze.

"So that's what you are, you old prick," Alexa gasped in realization.

"VADE RETRO SATANA!" In one final motion, Carlos exposed the remaining tattooed letters on his arm. The water glistened as a faint white light emanated fom the letters. They were incredibly tiny and ornate, their blackened forms surrounding his left arm completely and making his limb look like a medieval scroll.

"No... you won't!" With a grunt, the old man willed the water to rise higher. The couple were now up to their chests, but they hardly seemed to notice.

"Go get 'em!" Alexa cheered her partner on, her upbeat tone completely out of place in the situation.

Carlos responded with a slight smile. "IPSE VENEMA BIBAS!"