Chereads / Drip Work / Chapter 41 - A Merry Surge of Dementia

Chapter 41 - A Merry Surge of Dementia

Valefar fastened his pace as he was on the sidewalk, passing by the various people within Little Italy. He didn't bother to look at the faded old buildings, which have been around since the late 19th century. Even as he was looking down, he saw at the corner of both his eyes; citizens of the area were avoiding him.

Some of them must have seen him float in the air, but what they were thinking of him didn't matter for now. Fear is but a common feature of the human race, but how long one wants to hide in the dark is up to them. They're afraid, but others make themselves afraid, he thought.

He remembered when he landed on Iwo Jima back in the war, in the same time that he offered the Marines Hellfire Arms to win the battle, in exchange for their souls on behalf of the Gunsmith. None of them were afraid, he thought, but not every single one of them was exactly a killer in a sense.

Even Chance Gordon. Just a man set out to do his job. That man really ain't a saint, Valefar's thoughts continued as the compass in his hand was warm.

The light glowing on the compass' arrow started to rise quicker.

He made a left turn as cars passed. He stopped for a moment. Shifting his head to the right, he saw a figure standing on top of a building. Agent of Bright's? He thought as he shrugged off the view and continued on. His ears picked up the sound of a car purring, it's engine wasn't at its fullest power, and he saw a dark brown four seater with white wheels.

The passenger window went down, and Valefar saw the barrel of a gun peeking out. It's firing shot made citizens in the area flinch, before they screamed in panic at the sight of the first 3 bullets getting out. One went through Valefar's face, the other two went through his suit.

No injuries, no flinching, not even a speck of blood or any form of damage on the Representative's suit. Valefar stopped his walking pace and stood, turning his head toward the car that just shot him. His compass found its way back into his coat, as his left hand clenched onto the door handle of the passenger's side of the car, before he ripped it open like paper.

The sound of the door being ripped off did sound like paper to Valefar's ears, before he grabbed hold of the suited man who shot him. The driver, who was slightly bigger, stopped in his place. The suited man in Valefar's hand was choking, and his face started to turn blue as the Representative's hand tightened itself.

He heard a gun click behind him.

"You know that won't kill me, yet you still try. Go ahead." Valefar said without looking before he heard footsteps. To his left was an elderly gentleman in an white suit. The suit itself wasn't the clearest of white, but it was close to an egg at most. The older man was supporting his stance with a cane, and his lower face was clean. Not a single speck of facial hair, except for the wrinkles covering a portion of his face.

"It seems we have underestimated you greatly, demon." the elderly gentleman first spoke. "I was hesitant at first to believe that a man was floating in the air in the city before, but now I believe it."

"Seeing is believing for most humans, and you're no exception." Valefar chuckled. "Forgive my ignorance, but who the hell are you?"

"Emilio Satriano." the gentleman spoke. "You've probably met my son, Joseph."

Valefar let his grip go of the suited man that shot him. The man wheezed out of breath before making his way back to his fellow mobster. "Put down the gun." Emilio called out to his men. "There, now we can talk."

"Make it quick, chief." Valefar said as Emilio opened the left part of his code and the Representative saw glass spheres of pristine clear water. They shined in the light, even as the day began to be dark.

"I may only have a few, but it should be enough for you to see reason."

"Heh. Like THAT amount of holy water would be able to hold me down." dark long arms appeared from his back, and they punched through the glass spheres, and soon they were pouring out like waterfalls. "Oops."

"Dammit demon Mr. Satriano just wants to talk to you about letting his grandson out." the suited man, the same one whom Valefar choked, spoke.

The Representative laughed his ass off. "Why the fuck you asking me? I ain't the one who got him into the birdhouse now did I? The guy practically negotiated with the cops to give him and the other bosses protection, well, except Riskell. That didn't go well."

"Not even money would be any use to you?" Emilio spoke.

"Nope. HOWEVER…" Valefar started with a wide grin. "You help me find someone, and maybe I'll try to get Joey out."

"Name the person you're looking for."

"Anthony Defici."

Emilio's eyes turned as big as plates as soon as Valefar spoke that name out loud. Valefar's grin turned wider. "So you know him. Where?" There was no reply. The gentleman started to frown and unsure. Valefar shrugged and began to turn. "Oh well, guess Joey's gonna stay there even after all this Hellfire Arm crisis is over."

"What do you want with my neighbor?" Emilio raised his voice. Valefar turned to see the man furrowing his eyebrows, grunting towards the Representative.

"Go ahead, use your age as an excuse to be angry." Valefar folded his arms. It was his turn to be annoyed. "Besides, I have my reasons to look for Defici."

"That young man's father saved my life back in the day, demon!" Emilio shouted at the top of his lungs, before he coughed. "His family and mine were good friends. I owed it to him, owed it to his family. When his own father was gone I considered him like a second son. You can't-"

Valefar felt a force reaching to him from behind, before it slammed him to the left of the street, sending him a few feet flying into the air, and crashing down to the ground. He landed on his back first, followed by his head bumping with the pavement. To him, it was just like getting a thumb pricked by a thorn.

Emilio saw the action that had happened, and he turned to see a young man standing a few feet in front of him, approaching him. He recognized that face, and was startled at the young man's appearance. He was dressed in a very clean red shirt and black vest, the sleeves weren't rolled up, and his eyes were pure white.

"Anthony?" Emilio clenched his cane and proceeded to walk to him. "Wha-what happened to your eyes?"

"EMILIO!" Valefar brought himself back up. "He's fucking possessed! Get the hell away from him!"

"I refuse to hear your lies, demon!" Emilio yelled again as he began to give a warm smile. "Anthony, boy, how are you? How are your parents today?"

Defici was silent, but his head turned by itself all while his body was still standing straight and upright. "I'm not the one you know. I'm a different man."

"Boss." the suited man from before spoke. "I hate to say this but the demons' right, we should-"

"Be quiet!" Emilio said. "What did that demon do to you?" he turned to Defici.

A spike emerged from the side of Defici's stomach, and struck Emilio in the shoulder. The elderly gentleman was pinned to the wall. "I am aligned with Miss Black now, and I'm helping her cause, as with Mr. Bright's."

Defici heard something coming his way, and as his head turned to face Valefar, he saw chains coming out of the Representatives right sleeve. The edge of the chair was akin to a Bayonet, and punctured Defici's neck.

He felt his entire body pulled by Valefar and the chains, heading towards' the Representative. "Get THE HELL over here!" the Representative's scream was accompanied by the fire in his eyes, before his fist met Defici's face.

Defici ricochet off the punch, and was slammed into the building behind him. Valefar looked at the suited mobsters, and the injured Emilio.

"You lot get yourselves to the 9th precinct. Tell the cops you're there cause I told you too, and that I'm dealing with this fucker." Valefar barked as the suited man carried Emilio to the car, and drove off. The Representative quickly took out his compass and saw the glow on the arrow.

"Somewhere in Little Italy, but it'll have to wait now." Valefar said as he saw Defici getting himself back out from the debris from the building he crashed into. Defici adjusted his posture, before cracks were heard from him adjusting his neck, before he chuckled.

"I figured you were possessed or whatever by Odette as soon as Amato Fallaci spoke." Valefar said as he recalled who Odette Black was, and her Hellfire Arm, Queen's Revenge. He even remembered it's ability. "Whoever's under control from that bitch will be guaranteed to have white eyes, and maybe a merry surge of dementia and that."

If this guy wants a fight, then he'll get one. Valefar grinned as he clenched his own fists, and saw the blood red veins just popping up from his human disguise skin. "I could use the exercise." he said to himself.