As expected, we arrive at the town within 2 and 1/2 hours. Ditto's curiosity overcomes him as soon as I put him down. Before he can wander off, I grab his wrist and squeeze it gently, pulling him back into reality. He looks up at me and smiles. I smile back and continue walking with him by my side. A few minutes later, we arrive at a nice looking hotel and check in. Once we get to our room, I close and lock the door. I lean against the wall and sigh. After just killing 3 people, it's no wonder I'm having trouble collecting my thoughts. Ditto bounces on one of two beds in the room. I chuckle and close my eyes. I then realize that not only am I housing a target, but I am now wanted by the entire demon race. I let out a long sigh. Fuck, I need a drink. Ditto's stomach growls and I open my eyes. He becomes flustered as I look over at him. I can't help but smile.
"Hungry, buddy?" I ask.
He nods quickly and looks down. My expression softens and I walk over to him.
"Hey hey, it's ok." I say lifting his chin, "Let me wash up and we'll get you some food, alright?"
"Ok, Libra." He replies with a smile. God, he's too cute for his own good.
I keep the bathroom door open as I wash the blood off of my hands. I do this so Ditto doesn't feel lonely. I take a look at myself in the mirror, frowning at the person who stares back. My face and neck had been sprayed by Pipehunt's blood. Some of it even got in my hair, making me look blonde with dark red tips. My uniform is blood stained, despite being mostly black. I wash my face and neck, then take off my button up and tie it around my waist. The longer I stare at my reflection, the more I can hear a familiar voice saying, "Wow Libra, you've really let yourself go." My body twitches at the thought of it. Maybe she's still alive. I then slam my fist on the counter. No, I tell myself. I tense up as I feel something touch my arm. I look over to see Ditto with a worried look on his face.
"Is something wrong, buddy?"
Ditto's POV
I've only known Libra for a few hours, but I can tell that something's wrong. I haven't shifted into a lookalike of her, but I don't need to. She's really nice, compared to the other things I've encountered. I thought I was going to die when Libra found me. The way she made her presence known in that building scared me. Demons are supposed to be evil creatures of mass destruction, responsible for eradicating the entire human race. But not all are evil. At least, she isn't. Watching her take down that giant woman made me realize that I might actually have a chance. I don't know why I care about her, but I do. She saved my life. I guess that's why her current actions worry me. I flinch as I hear her hit the bathroom counter. I get off of the bed and hurry over to her. She tenses up as I touch her arm. Does she not like being touched when she's upset? Libra then looks over at me and I answer my own question. No.
"Is something wrong, buddy?" She asks.
"Are you ok?" I ask in response.
Libra pauses for a moment, as if unused to someone asking about her well being. She then sighs and smiles.
"Yeah buddy, I'm fine." She says. I don't believe her, but I say nothing. Maybe it's for the best if I try to talk to her again after we get food. I give her a quick hug and go back over to the bed. Libra exits the bathroom, grabs the key card, and looks at me. I go over to her and she pats my head. We go downstairs to the hotel lobby. Music and chatter of people fill the large room. I follow Libra into one of the restaurants and sit with her at a table near the bar. Other people look over and stare at us, but I soon realize that they're mainly starring at Libra. A man gets up and walks over to our table. He towers over Libra, starring at her. Did she do something wrong?
"Your kind isn't welcome here, murderer." The man says. Libra looks up at the man, leans back in the chair and crosses her arms.
"My kind?" She asks with a less friendly tone, "Care to specify?"
"Hunter Killers." The man responds.
Libra chuckles and looks over at the bartender. She then motions him over to the table. The bartender complies, bringing over a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass. He places them on the table and looks at me.
"Would you like to order something, son?" He asks kindly.
"Um, chicken strips with fries and orange juice." I say.
The bartender nods, writes down my order, and walks away. The man glares at me as Libra pours herself a shot.
"Eyes on me, jackass." She snaps, downing the alcohol like it's nothing. The man responds by spitting in her face as she puts the shot glass down. Libra wipes it off and stands up. She cracks her knuckles and reels her arm back, soon sending the man across the room with a punch to the jaw. Libra sighs and looks at the other people starring at us.
"Listen up." She addresses them, "Anyone else who wants to disturb me or the kid will end up through a table, just like your friend there." I look over at the man from a few seconds ago, his unconscious body in between two halves of a table.
"Leave us be and there won't be any more trouble."
With that, Libra sits back down and pours another shot.
"Have you been here before?" I ask.
She nods, throwing back her second shot and wiping her mouth.
"My unit was assigned to this section of the city." She explains, "When I wasn't on duty, I would come here with them for a drink. It was sort of a team bonding thing."
"Your unit?"
"The three people I killed to save you."
"Oh."
The bartender comes back with my food. He places it in front of me and looks at Libra, "On the house." She thanks him and he walks away once again. I take a bite of one of the chicken strips and my eyes light up. Oh my god, it tastes amazing. It's been days since I've had a proper meal. I can't stop myself from devouring it. Libra chuckles and hands me a napkin. I blush lightly and take it, wiping the greasy crumbs from my mouth. I finish my food and sit there for a moment, satisfied by the warmth I feel in my stomach. Libra drinks half of the whiskey from the bottle. She then picks me up and carries me back to our hotel room.
After locking the door, she places me on the bed I jumped on a few hours ago. I watch her lay down on the other bed and close her eyes. She says nothing for a few minutes. My anxiety from earlier returns. I shift into a puppy and leap onto the other bed. Letting out a whine, I nudge her cheek with my nose. Her eyes open, thank god. My tail wags as I lick her cheek a few times. She puts her arm around me. I shift back into my human form. Now is the time.
"Libra, are you ok?" I ask softly.
"No." She replies, "I'm a little drunk."
I have to choose my words carefully. I don't want to upset her.
"Do you remember that man from the restaurant?"
"Mhm, what about him?"
"Why did he call you a murderer?"
Libra pauses, trying to process my question.
"Because that's what I am."
To me, that sounds wrong. I don't know what place she came from, but she can't be a murderer. Libra then holds me close. She gently runs her hand through my hair. It feels nice, so I relax. Another few minutes pass and I look up. The whiskey must have kicked in, because she's sound asleep. I smile, carefully moving out of her grip so I don't wake her. I then pull the blanket off of the other bed. After putting it on her, I crawl back into her arms. In a way, she reminds me of my mother. I kiss her cheek and close my eyes, soon falling asleep after whispering to her.
"Goodnight, mommy."