The deer demon screeched before moving after the ginger through the back door. Its legs moved faster than its body. I could hear cracks from its body and its claws clicking against the surfaces it touched. Nat turned to Jasper, who was fighting the two hunters from following the scout and the ginger. Erik and Nat took off behind the demon, nipping at the ginger's heels; Erik and Nat transformed into their hunting gear as they chased the raging Scout.
Platform boots formed onto Nat's feet along with a fishnet stocking that lingered under her shorts and a tight corset armor coated her chest. A holster of different weapons formed on her thigh and waist while her hair loosened into ringlets around her face. She turned to see Erik, who had turned into one of his forms, Lucifer, dressed in head to toe leather while long red and black hair fell down his back and around the horns on his head. His eyes were blood red and filled with fury.
Nat conducted a portal that brought between the ginger and the scout. They stepped into it as Lucifer grabbed the demon but the neck; it hissed and gasped for air, crawling at the hand that kept it in place. Lucifer had one thing on his mind, to crash the demon to ash but Nat grabbed his arm and his hand relaxed.
"banish him" she whispered in his ear, he growl at sending the demon to hell only for it to come back "banish him or she will be on our case" his fingers tightened around the squirming demons neck "she will find us if you kill it" he huffed before slamming the demon to the fall, its ink black blood fell onto the gray pavement of alleyway.
They turned to see the ginger staring up at them in fear. They both turned back into their natural state with worried hands and concerned eyes as they approached the poor soul, but her eyes just went hazy and she fell back. In a split second Erik catches her before her head hits the ground, and Nat exhaled as a mustang came driving up the alleyway. Jasper jumped out with a very concerned Poppy and they all helped get the ginger into the car, driving off.
Once the soul was resting in the castle penthouse in the middle of Sandton. While Nat and Erik stood in a dirty, old apartment, water stains were splattered all over the walls, magazines, newspapers, beer cans and empty pizza boxes cluttered the floor. Erik was in a raging mood of hunger, craving and anger, so Nat thought it would be best if they leave.
They followed the trail of filth to a muscular man sitting in a lazy boy chair, stuffing his face with pizza while holding onto a phone. His thick hair was cut in the general slick back, his body was caked in sweater and the room had the smell of sex and Axe body spray. Trying to cover it up and Nat looked at Erik, whose face was twisted in disgust which made her smile. His eyes glued to a tv which played sickening porn on it, sin coated his body in black thick inky slim which made Erik's stomach turn.
"great" Erik huffed at the man then turned to Nat "I get to have a child predator for dinner with hint of toxic masculinity and misogyny"
"I told you, tonight is a slow one" she pulled out her watch, looking down at it as Erik pinched the space between his eyebrows.
The ancient black clock swirl with skull in the middle, it had no numbers or dates, just one arm that turned around but Erik it just look like a solid black ornament.
"How much longer?" he growled at his assistant who was having the time of her life.
"Fifteen minutes more," she said, shifting as the man scratched his beard, oblivious to their presence. They were in hunting mode, they could see their prey but the prey couldn't see the leather bond two waiting for his death time.
"How is he to go?" Erik leaned against a table, carefully not to touch anything, even though nothing would move even if he did.
"Choke to death on a piece of pizza, alone on the floor, kind of ironic "she replied looking at his lump of a mortal "I wonder where Azrael is, she normally lives for this sort of collection" Nat fiddled with her clock, missing Erik's reaction to the name.
"Maybe something better came up," he said, crossing his arms, getting even more frustrated by the horrible scene playing on the tv. "Could you do something about that tv?" he shouted as Nat flicked her wrist and the tv went dead to them.
She look down at the watch to find it was five seconds before his death time "now" she turned to Erik.
Who grabbed the man by the throat and he began to frantically scream at the sight of Lucifer's truest form before he sucked the soul into his mouth and let go of the man like he will infect the his skin. They stood watching the body fall at their feet with hollowed out eyes before teleporting out of there.
Their heels clicked on the marble floor as they stepped out of the portal into the foyer only to find Jasper lounging on the stair with book while he caressed fire, brimstone and fluffy's head. The hell-hound looked beyond annoyed next to very angry ginger who was tied and gagged. Nat never seen Erik so angry before she could stop him, he had Jasper in a choke hold and crushing his neck in his long delicate fingers but Jasper just hang there with his eyes burning pink.
"what the actual fuck?" he growled as Nat slowly moved to untie the poor soul "why would you tie her up?" Jasper shrugged his shoulders.
And rolled his eyes "I think the question is why wouldn't I tie her up?" He lifted his hands in struggles when the boss began to tighten his hold as Nat finally got the ropes off "I wouldn't do th…" the ginger kicked Nat in the stomach before running towards the front door. The hellhound stood to attack but Erik grabbed its collar.
Erik let go of the demon "shit" he announced as Jasper gasped for air while Nat ran after the soul with Erik following "Calm down" he shouted only to get a lamp thrown at him which he caught, as more items came flying but Nat was rolling around the floor. Darting behind marble sculptures and gothic furniture, trying to get to the soul, who ran for the door. But as she got there, the door flung open and Poppy stood in her mismatched clothes, platform heels and star shaped bag, the ginger grabbed Poppy's shoulders and shook her:
"Poppy" she sighed in relief "these people, they kidnapped me and tied me up" she fell to her knee "please" she pleaded as the group watched the scene "get me out of here" tears rolled down her face and Erik inhaled in whimper which made Nat heart ache, Poppy looked down at the ginger "please, I just want to go home" she sat on her knees with her head in her hands.
Nat crossed her arms and walked towards the ginger and the aniexty filled Poppy "fine, let's get you home" Erik shot her a look that burned in the back of her head "the princess wants to go home" Nat bend over to the ginger who had wide eyes and a frightened expression "let her" the soul swallowed at the devious smirk on her face.
Before they knew it, they were driving down a suburban area of parktown. A place filled with old fashioned houses, some stood empty like museum pieces while the other were filled with little businesses. Erik sat silent with brooding anger while Nat patted her leg to the beat in her head which sat on the dashboard, in the back sat the soul sandwich between Jasper and Poppy. The car was silent because of the heavy rage Erik had on his face until they rolled up on a burning house.
Black ash stained the face brick aged walls, the thatch roof was a blaze, the soul eyes started blurring up with tears. She climbed over Poppy and began to rattled the door handle and whimpering. She forced the door open but Nat slammed it closed with her leg while still sitting in the car.
The soul began rattling the door again. "Let me out" she screamed in the car, misting up the windows while the other just stared at her as if she was crazy.
Just then the sound of high pitched giggle sounds erupted from the burning house. They all slowly turned to see three hyena-like demons running around the tiny house, spreading fire and terrifying giggles with their bodies missing parts of flesh and were covered in fire. The soul began to scream at the sight of the demon which made Erik press onto the gas and they speeded off into the night.
Nat was kicked in the head which made her turn around to see Jasper trying to tie up the ginger up again. He already had the rope and gag while Poppy tried to keep her body still:
Erik huffed at the sight "Jasper, fuck again, what the actual fuck?" Erik tried to watch the road while reaching his hand backwards as flying legs and arms went all over the place.
"the only way to stop her from trying to jump out the window" Jasper struggled with the ginger's arms and kicking legs.
"what the actual fuck is happening back there?" the ginger screamed as Nat covered her ears "if you don't let me out of this car, I will scream and go crazy" she went on when Erik looked at her with such pity.
Erik's voice came out so softly in the chaotic car "Listen, we mean no harm, just trus…" he cut off but she yelled.
The ginger threw her head back "Trust you, ha!, I just met you, you son of bitch" she began kicking her legs in hysteria, not listening to a word anyone said.
Having enough of the chaos erupting in the car. Nat slammed on the brakes over Erik's foot and door her open violently and grabbed Miss Sunshine from the window of the car over Poppy "Ok!" she shouted as the boss gave her an irate look which made her think carefully of her next move. "Ok, you have nothing" Nat moved towards her as she laid on the gravel ground, frightened "your house burned down, you have no family, no friends and no is going to look for you, your business is shit, you only have two thousand rand in your account and your insurance that you didn't pay in three months has been suspended" Nat huffed out, rubbing her eyes, the soul looked up at her dumbfounded "so you either go to local police, who could less and just risk more mortal lives, or you could challenge those fireheads to a duel and obviously loose or you can come with us" she placed her hands together. "I know we are an unlikely group but we will take care of you because that world you just witness is all after you and you not ready for any of it" those innocent eyes looked up at Nat and a part of Nat knew, she wanted to protect her at any cost "I know it's takes a lot to trust someone but we haven't kill you yet" she let out a breathe "so what's it gonna be?"
Nat looked at her frightened body. There was silence for a moment, for the moment she knew Erik's eyes were burning into her back "I will go with you" she stuttered standing to her feet "I don't have much of a choice" she gave me a soft smile.
"You do, I gave you three" Nat walked back to the car "you choose the right one" she sat back into the car and as the ginger moved to sit next to Poppy "now" Nat smiled looking through the rear view mirror at the rest of the group "anyone up for some ribs?" she said as we drove off.
….