Her self control was too good, but if Aerendyl would just wound her…
Nara glanced down, and then the anchor yanking at her core ripped so, so much harder suddenly, and she was off. It was like a smell, a trail through the red haze, she flew, blood dripping behind her, eroding the asphalt with a sizzle, cutting through snow… faster and faster she ran, faster, faster, faster, until the world around her began to fade to little more than a blur, and cracks stemmed in the asphalt from her feet.
Who knew how long it had been- she reached a building and weaved between two guards, cleaving through them and running harder, faster, shoulder ramming her way through a door. They were shooting- and some of the bullets hit her, but it was so close- skulls crunched, bodies fell away. A bullet grazed her ear from the left and Nara darted forward, lifting the gunman by his throat and slamming him down with a sickening crunch. Forward, she advanced, weaving through the shadows- by the time somebody had shot at her, she was somewhere else- there were screams, and begging, but no, no it was so close she could not have come this far to be stopped.
As Nara reached for the next victim, something collided with her head, and she staggered sideways, seeing stars, falling onto her ass, blinking up as an armed man walked forward with a length of pipe clutched in shaking hands.
"You bitch, I'll kill you," He snarled, raising the pipe and swinging down. Nara pivoted, rolling backward and onto her feet, aiming a roundhouse kick for the man's hands- and then, her vision faded again; the man lay spluttering, coughing, and she moved on, through room after room, hall after hall. Finally, she found the stairs- it was there, it was there. She slammed herself into the door, and then again, again, trying to take out the hinges. Shouting, voices, they were on the other side… but she couldn't make out their words, she needed to get through, had to get through HAD TO GET THROUGH- it was pulling at her, it was RIGHT THERE!!!!
Moments later, the door flew off its hinges, and Nara dashed through, grabbing it, grabbing her-
=
"N-Ng, shit," Lynx groaned as she recovered, trying to sit up- the room had gone. She was back in that forest clearing now, sitting on a pebbly beach- and clothed, for once, in what she'd been wearing before. "Did that door kill me…?" She snorted, slowly hauling herself to her feet. "Well, that'd be a hilarious way to go out, wouldn't it. Survive the ice and the destroyed head, the mercenaries, and die to a door."
"No. You're not dead," Nara's voice. Lynx whirled around, and there she stood- but, much different this time. Short, dark haired, her eyes aflame with amber light, Nara jerked her head in a vague greeting. "What's up, Lynx? Nice to speak to you after all this time."
"You seem so- lucid. If I'm not dead, then where am I?"
"We're inside your mind, yeah. Need to find the other half of my soul. It's hiding. Maybe instinct- the bastard Play-Write wanted it to hide inside you, from me, to make me find it. Course he'd add an extra step or two to make it funnier for him. Mind working alongside me?" Lynx listened, swallowing and angling her head- this Nara seemed so different, dressed in dark jeans and a plain, black, long-sleeved top, her hair tied back in a messy knot, fox tail slowly thrashing around, anger etched into her pretty face.
"You're so…"
"Different? Yeah, that'd be because I'm the opposite of the Nara you know. Now Lynx, I really need you on my side- don't want your head fighting against me while I hunt. Please."
"Opposite…?"
"Listen Lynx," Nara scowled, stepping forward and narrowing her eyes slowly. "You know one half of my soul, and this is the other. Help me get her, and you can meet the whole me. I'd LOVE to sit down and get to know you over a mug of tea but you gotta help me out here, okay? I'm gonna go insane, I need to get it back and it's so close- I only have any clarity because I've almost reunited with it. Can't remember anything from the last half hour aside from a pipe to the side of my head."
"A-Alright- how do we-" Lynx began and trailed off, not sure how to word what it was that she wanted to ask.
"Simple. I can feel it pulling at me- but Lynx, listen. Play-Write, he's going to have something in place to make it harder for me, to add to the story. He's a gods-cursed lunatic. If it hurts, I'm sorry- but you're going to be okay. We've got a part to play in something too big to die here."
"Who's the Play-Write?"
"Later. Please, just trust me," Nara scowled, stepping forward, brow furrowed. "Please, Lynx."
Her gaze, was so soulful, so genuine… Lynx found herself nodding tiredly, sighing.
"Alright, then."
"Good. Come on, this way," Nara grunted, jutting her chin and starting to jog off toward the tree line. "I can sense where we need to go, the other me is so close."
"On my way," Lynx nodded and hurried to follow, past the smoldering cabin and, for the first time, deeper into the trees. "How are we inside my mind, anyway, what is this?"
"Sanctuary. Your deepest place of hiding- let me explain another time, it's not the time!" Nara huffed, speeding up, and Lynx hastened to move faster, sprinting through the trees with Nara. The fox girl sped up, and so too did Lynx, again, again- faster than she knew she could run, until the trees felt as if they were blurring around her, until the world almost faded away- and then, suddenly everything spun, and Lynx roared in pain as electric shocks lanced through her body. She fell to the forest floor, rolling onto her back and looking up, panting heavily, the taste of blood on her tongue- overhead, the trees were flooded with fat, red leaves like a sea of crimson fading away.
Beside her, Nara stood, twitching in agony, and cursed, grabbing something in her chest, pulling, throwing. Limping to Lynx, she grabbed a small hook and yanked- immediately the electric shock faded, and Lynx was able to stagger to her feet, looking up. However, the person who'd tased them no longer held a taser. Rather, a pistol, aimed squarely at Lynx.
"My name is Ayano, and I am a member of the royal guard." The voice reached Lynx, and her eyes widened. "If you've come for this demon, then be gone- she's a prisoner, now, and I won't be relinquishing her! I'm more than capable of taking on a couple of demons- walk away, do not throw your lives away!" The four of them stood in a large clearing of verdant grass and those enormous scarlet trees… Ayano, the mirror image of Lynx, with the other Nara nude and unconscious as ever behind her.
"Ng, let us have her!" Nara called out, boldly. "Don't want to hurt you!"
"Go to hell and die, then!" Ayano shouted, leveling her pistol more determinedly. "I won't let you get in the way of an active investigation!! This is your final warning!!"
"Hold on," Nara whispered, slowly raising her arms in mock surrender and glancing at Lynx. "Lynx, I get what's going on here. Do you?"
"That's my memories," Lynx whispered, raising her arms in surrender, slowly. "That me… it can't be part of my soul, I've got the whole thing. Which means…"
"Making me whole has to mean obliterating any chance of getting your memories back." Nara whispered. "Lynx, please. I will help you scour every record, everything, please-"
"I'm in." Lynx nodded, whispering back.
"Stop whispering, turn around, and leave!" Ayano snarled, eyes narrowing, body quivering.
"What?" Nara whispered, ignoring the nearly identical twin to Lynx.
"I'm not that woman anymore. I want to know what I was, and where I'm from, but I can't miss what I don't have, can I? That's not me, not anymore," She sighed, nodding.
"Final warning, do you understand me?!" Ayano snarled, and Lynx nodded, turning around and walking away.
"Come on, Nara. Let's go. Better to not interfere with police business," She added, jerking her head, and Nara cast a final look of yearning toward the other version of herself, wandering away with Lynx. Once they'd left the clearing a ways, Lynx paused, leaning sideways into one of the trees, swallowing.
"You have a plan, I assume?" Nara whispered, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. The gun is the issue- we should be able to take her if we can disarm her, so here's my thought… I go in and pretend to confess to something. Whatever shadow of myself that is, I'd bet will try to arrest me… then you can swoop in and disarm her while she's distracted with me. Do you really think that it's my memories, though? How often is the first guess really right?"
"First guess of a civilian? Never." Nara shook her head. "First guess of a member of Pempa's royal guard, though? I'd give that intuition a pretty good wager. I wonder why, though. Why this is the way it has to be."
"Play-Write, right? Maybe the old me was too bound to the rules for whatever purpose I'm meant for, had a stick buried too far up her ass. I couldn't say for sure. That's my guess though- needing to erase my memories for good."
"What if there's something important in there?" Nara raised an eyebrow, her scowl ever present. "A key to defeating the Play-Write, or something? The cult leader's identity?"
"Can't get your soul back without going through her, that much is obvious. If we just incapacitate her, I'd bet it'll have the same result," Lynx shrugged. "Listen, I don't like being seen as a piece in somebody's story at all, but…"
"But?" Nara prodded impatiently, scowling.
"It is what it is?" Lynx offered wanly, shrugging. "I don't have those memories now, Nara. Don't have a family, or a history, I'm just… here, I barely feel like I even have an identity. I'm just going with the flow…? Is that so wrong, to accept all of this as it comes?"
"Not wrong, but scary," Nara nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. "You sure you're okay with this?"
"What other option is there," Lynx whispered, her breath catching in her throat with anxiety- she became aware, suddenly, that she was standing on the edge. Well, some sort of edge. So much has been lost and I don't really know anything at all, do I- I'm just trying to keep my head above water, I got thrown into the surf and not even given a good luck. I'm in way, way, way over my head, I-"
"No panic attacks, Lynx, not right now," Nara grunted, and drew back her hand, backhanding Lynx with the loud crack of flesh on flesh. She, Lynx, recoiled, blinking rapidly.
"I'm sorry, I just- it's so much, and I don't know who I am, I'm tired I don't want-"
Crack. Again, Nara slapped her so hard that Lynx saw stars.
"Not, right, now, cat."
"A-Alright, right, sorry," Lynx sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, drawing a breath. The calm washed back over her, and Nara narrowed her eyes. "What…?"
"You just became a different person. I'd hate to see you go truly insane," Nara muttered. "Go on girl, let's set this plan into motion."
"Hold on," Lynx paused, swallowing slowly. "Nara, this… I mean- what if I really can't ever get my past back?"
"We don't have time for this- Lynx- we need to-"
"Nara, please, just humor me… what if that really is, all that's left of my past?" Lynx swallowed slowly, furrowing her brow, thinking. I mean, really though, what if… but, do I care?
"What are you thinking?" Nara asked quietly, narrowing her eyes.
"If that's my memories I just… I don't know that I want to ruin any chance I have of getting them back."
"Lynx PLEASE, don't fight me on this," Nara spoke intensely, breathlessly. "This is the only way for me, there's no use fighting against the Play we aren't strong enough."
"Just, please- give me, a moment to think," Lynx pleaded, and Nara fell quiet, scowling. Even if this really the only way for Nara, it's my memories… but, records exist, don't they? I can get records, newspapers, whatever… if I really was military, there will be documentation of my life…
Oh, but what if I had a lover?? A family, looking for me?
Records, records… hearts can heal, but a soul can't. Besides, Nara could wound or kill me, if I try to fight…
Wounds can heal, but a soul can't… but even so, willingly agreeing to never find out who I am or what I was through my own eyes… it's like being born again, right? But should I still be attached to things I can't remember…? I mean, what if there are clues I need…
But a soul can't heal with time…
But Family, my work, my goals…
Investigations can be done, again, Lynx. You've got Alice, and Aerendyl, and maybe even Nara. If there was a family, there will be records we can find- birth certificates, etc. How many Ayanos were there that high in the military? Can't be too many. Lovers, they'll heal and find another… but you can't cripple somebody's existence on a half baked what if… the soul can't heal…
Let it go, Lynx. That's not who you are anymore, it's true. You keep saying it- now listen to it, yourself.
=
"Hey! I need to come clean," Lynx shouted, and Ayano turned, glaring, priming the gun again.
"Stand down, I'm waiting for backup!" But Lynx walked forward and sank to her knees, hands raised.
"I've killed humans in the area- they just, they were asking me for a selfie, and I- I thought the phone was a weapon, and I-"
"Oh good, you're giving me an excuse," Ayano smirked and walked forward. "I hate you scum- every last one of you think you're better than us just because you're stronger. That somehow it puts you above us, gives you more of a right to live than us- you're all the same," She snarled, walking forward and putting the barrel of the gun to Lynx's forehead. "Give me one reason not to, demon. Just one- if you even think that you can justify your worthless snobbish existence."
Click. She readied the firearm, and lurched to the side as Nara dropped from above. Two shots went wild, and Lynx hauled ass to her feet- Nara had leapt from an overhead tree branch, and now she and Ayano were rolling, struggling. Ayano tried to jam her gun under Nara's chin and the fox-woman pivoted and shifted her weight, pushing the gun sideways and sinking her teeth into Ayano's wrist- the blonde recoiled and headbutted Nara, hard, sending her staggering back and leveling the gun again. Acting on pure instinct, the breath seeming to have vanished from her lungs, Lynx dashed forward and grabbed Ayano's wrist, along with the barrel of the gun itself, slamming it down into the ground.
"Get off me- GET OFF ME!!" Ayano howled, and Lynx saw stars as a fist slammed into her jaw so hard it might have broken bone. She staggered back, but Nara had recovered, and she, the dark-haired brute, pushed and pulled just the wrong way…
"HOLD HER DOWN-!!" Nara screamed. There was a sickening crunch, and Ayano wailed, ripping a knife out of her boot and stabbing it deeply into Nara's chest- while she turned, Lynx managed to lurch forward and wrap an arm around Ayano's neck, jerking back.
"I'm… better, than you, abominations…!!" Ayano screamed, biting into Lynx's arm- the cat girl roared but held fast, bringing her other arm up, choking Ayano, squeezing her neck brutally, pulling as Nara groaned and forced herself up, to her feet, limping. Knife still in chest, she grabbed the gun off the ground, panting- Ayano kicked, hard, and pivoted, forcing Lynx back and herself forward, managing to spin herself around and dislodge her head from Lynx's grip. She drew another knife from the other boot and lunged- Lynx wasn't fast enough to dodge, and the knife sank hilt-deep into her shoulder as she narrowly avoided a blade into her heart. Without missing a beat, still seeing stars, the taste of blood in her mouth, Lynx rammed her head forward again, headbutting her opponent, and Ayano jerked back, eyes unfocused as Nara grabbed the royal guard's hair and, limping, off balance, threw Ayano, hard, by the hair, until her back hit one of the trees, and Nara raised the gun, hand shaking.
"Lynx…!!" She wheezed, hesitating. "You're sure, right…??"
"Would you listen if I wasn't? Just…" Lynx wheezed, standing up slowly. "Do it… I don't think the woman I was before… was a very good person anyway…"
Moments later, as the echo of gunfire faded from the trees, Nara engaged safety and dropped the gun, limping toward the unconscious woman in the leaves. Nara's other half- quietly, Nara shook her naked twin, and the sleeping one awoke, shifting, slowly sitting up.
"N-Ng… M-Me…?" The sleepy one whispered, and Lynx, wheezing, tried to force herself to her feet- but everything felt so heavy, so exhausting- she was weak, and so… no, not old… so, warm…? She slumped to her side in the leaves, panting quietly, consciousness fading. Nara was doing… something, but she couldn't see, anymore… everything so blurry, so tired…
=
"Come on, Lynx, wake up!!" Somebody was gently shaking her, and Lynx groaned, opening her eyes slowly. There was an odd cracking sensation as she opened her eyes and mouth, and she recognized it as dried blood flaking away- but there was no pain, and she wasn't wounded in spite of a gash in the chest of her shirt and one on her calf. Nara shook her, and Alice, Carla, stood together in the doorway, arms crossed. Alice, though, her eyes were wide with worry, and Lynx beckoned her closer even as she glanced up at the girl kneeling beside her- Nara, in person at last.
"What happened…?" Lynx groaned as Alice threw herself down, winding her- she caught the succubus with one arm, snorting quietly. "It feels blurry… don't remember much…?"
"Your mind is strained," Nara hummed. "You almost died in there. If you had, it'd have been a coma for weeks, maybe months. Not death, though."
"Could have warned me…"
"No need. You had no chance of dying- and you fought like you couldn't die. We didn't need flashy fireballs and effects, we needed a woman ready to kill."
"What are you talking about…?" Alice pouted, looking sheepishly up at Lynx. "I love you…"
"I love you too," Lynx hummed and slowly forced herself up, to her feet, Alice standing with her. "I really do feel weak though," She admitted, head swimming.
"I apologize for using you. Now, Lynx," Nara began, narrowing her eyes, grabbing the blonde woman's shoulders. "I've got my self back. I cannot thank you enough, and I want to offer my most sincere apologies for the strain that I have indirectly put you through, intentionally and otherwise, during the efforts to retrieve the part of myself inside you. It was unfair, and if I could have somehow done it another way, I would, a thousand times over. However, I am not a main character in this play just yet, and neither are you."
"Hey. Speaking of main character," Carla cut in, raising her eyebrows. "Aerendyl wants you all hauling ass back to the dorms and staying there."
"Where is he?" Lynx asked in return, hugging Alice a bit tighter, acutely aware of how very close Nara was to the both of them, one of her hands even still clutching Lynx's shoulder.
"He's at the north end of town, near the lake. Paid me to drive you back."
"Take me to him."
"What? I just said I was paid to take you BACK. Away from the North end."
"No." Nara agreed, narrowing her eyes. "Aerendyl is going there to face an attack against people who want him dead- take us there. Now."
"Whatever his price is, I'm tripling it. Consider yourself paid and let's get moving." Alice affirmed, her voice soft but firm, leaning into Lynx carefully, gently. "Lynx, you're not getting out of my sight anymore tonight, okay?"
"You got it, Succu-queen," Lynx mumbled, kissing the snow-haired woman's forehead and gently disentangling as Carla, having heard all she needed to, stepped over a body and out, into the hallway. Lynx glanced sideways, just before leaving behind her, at the mercenary who'd almost killed her- his eyes were slitting, and his lips twitched, mouthing a silent thanks. Ignoring him, Lynx turned and continued, into a hallway lit only by red emergency lights.
"This way," Carla directed, leading the way through a small maze of hallways and upstairs, into a decently-lit warehouse. The afternoon light seemed to be fading, shadows heavy throughout what seemed to be a simple storage warehouse- but the scent of blood was everywhere, it reeked, and bodies lay tangled together or ripped apart, thrown about carelessly; not a single survivor up here.
"I'm sorry," Nara mumbled, looking down. "I did what I must- but I was not myself, when the rest of my soul was so very close. I promise that I do not enjoy bringing harm to humankind. Had they laid their weapons down, I would have ignored them all but bullets hurt, even if they will not kill me. Aerendyl has done both of us a great service- I will show you my devotion to goodness."
"When all this is done," Lynx sighed, stretching. "We need to sit down, Nara, and get to know each other."
"We do, but now is not the time. Do I have the succubus's permission to get to know you?"
"What? Of course, why not?" Alice asked, angling her head suddenly.
"I do not wish to cause jealousy in getting to know your partner. Thank you for accepting, I will make a good and devoted partner, I promise."
"Wait, what-" Lynx blinked, rapidly.
"Now hold on-!!" Alice huffed. "I didn't say all that!!" However, Nara was snorting, her refined and ladylike demeanor slipping for a moment as she tried to reign in a loud laugh.
"I was uh, the term, screwing with you? Now come on. Let's save the pleasantries for later," Nara requested gently as they exited into the late afternoon light, Carla hopping into the driver's seat.
"Jeez, how long was I out…" Lynx muttered, climbing into the back seat. "Wasn't it like four am or something when I was brought here…?"
"About twelve hours," Carla answered shortly.
"Why hasn't CA arrived to take care of the bodies…?"
"Bigger priorities, let's go," Carla answered shortly, revving her engine and peeling off.
=
"Alright, boss!" Carla's voice came through his phone, and Aerendyl nodded, gritting his teeth.
"That's step two, solved. Handle the briefing, and get Lynx and Nara's issue resolved… you're taking them back to the dorm now? Don't let them leave, if you can help it, but don't get yourself hurt."
"Director boss man guy, I am nothing but a businesswoman. You paid me to get them to safety and that's what I'm doing. How many more steps in your grand plan, by the way?"
"Don't worry about that. Don't want the info being bought from you down the line," Aerendyl muttered, hanging up and wiring her the payment as promised on his phone before pocketing it and stretching.
"You ready for this? Old friend." Behind Aerendyl, a middle-aged man smirked, so scarred that he might have been a cat's favorite scratching post. A demon, with dark salt and pepper hair, broad shoulders, and a massive chest, muscles rippling, visible even through his dark chest.
"I am. Been a moment since I stepped into the fray- I had hoped convincing them I'm on their side would stop the attack- but no, that would draw too much suspicion to them. They believe Nara and Lynx are both in a holding cell beneath the academy right now- idiots. As If the school would let me do such a thing- it cares too much. Now, helmet on."
"Voice changer engaged, my old friend," The demon bowed deeply; right hand to chest, knee bent, left arm extended. Once he had, he put on a full-head mask and helmet, and when he spoke again, his voice was that of a chipper young man, maybe half the age he truly was. "When you give me the signal, my men will be ready!! Let's go and stop the demons, yay~!! I'm a real police officer now just like you!! Yippee!!"
"Stuff it," Aerendyl sighed, belting a small pistol to his waist, slinging an assault rifle to his shoulder, safety engaged. Guns freshly oiled, cleaned, he strapped his knife to the leather band across his chest and raised his helmet, pulling it down over his hair, and buckling it under his chin. "Let's get out there and do what we have to do."
"I'm so excited to prove myself sir, this is what I joined the force for oh my holy arch angels!!"
"Alright, men!!" Aerendyl shouted as he pushed his way out of the truck's back chamber. "Our intel says that they're to hit us the hardest here!!" Main Street was blockaded off with a host of makeshift barricades and more armored vehicles like that one, and he walked to the front of the crowd, closest to the tree line, reading his rifle. "My guess is that they're aware of the experiments we keep here- for those of you who don't know, don't worry about it, CA is constantly developing new tools for success that the cultists would like to rip from us!! Our demonic friends have gotten too big for their britches, shall we say?"
"Oh, subtle- the traitors will hear that message differently," The man beside Aerendyl whispered, chuckling. "Ever the diplomat~"
"Stop your whispering, rookie, and focus," Aerendyl frowned, taking up position. "Snipers, ready your weapons!! We don't let them advance!! After this, we'll make sure to push a few teams toward their nearby bases and clear them out to remind these demons that if you're not with CA, and with the people of Ravenhold, then you are NOTHING."
"YES SIR!!" The shout rose into nthe night.
"Somebody report- how are evacuations going?!" Aerendyl barked.
"Well." A voice rose to meet him, nearby. "This and the nearest eighteen square miles have been evacuated while others have been advised to migrate south for the night. People are online, hoping the woman of a thousand songs will arrive here as she did in Eastbrook."
"That woman is in a cell- and we don't need her. Now, ready yourself!!" he added, barking the words out sharply as he noticed movement in the trees. "The time has come."
"Go, GO!!" A scream sounded in the distance, and they surged forth from the trees- even Aerendyl frowned, blanching- there might have been hundreds of them, and as the sounds of gunfire began to crack and rip through the air, bodies fell and even so the wave of demons burst forth, toward them. They hit the line of barricade with abandon, shooting, hacking with simple physical weapons, trying to climb and crawl their way over.
Reload. Empty the gun. Reload. Empty the gun. Aerendyl fired in short bursts, teeth grit, ignoring the screams that he heard- the more of them died here, the easier a time he'd have. After all, it was the generals who were corrupt… and who better to claim victory, credit and fame? Aerendyl was acutely aware of the four generals in nearby homes, manning rifles, shooting into the crowd… they were the ones who had to go- but the men here, they weren't commanded by Aerendyl, not usually.
No. He didn't know who could be trusted, and as such…
"Director, they're going to overrun us!!" a woman nearby screamed, reloading. "I'm almost out of bullets, there's too many!!" Indeed, even now they were swarming forth, and the barricades were creaking, breaking.
"Director please, we need you to do your thing!!" Somebody else screamed- but yes, that was the plan, wasn't it? Have the Director make a confusing messy display of magic and kill him in the chaos, such that anybody innocent would believe the demons did it in the confusion… no, he wasn't going to make it that easy. In theory, his life was safe, but what if they didn't want to risk it? He had to act, not as the heroic Director, but as the cold, merciless man driven only by profit. Just how many here were under orders to turn on him at the drop of a hat- and what if that number was big enough to bring him down?
The demons kept pushing, funneling inward, starting to break through, but Aerendyl grit his teeth and kept quiet, hurrying to back up. Just another soldier, just another soldier…
"No, I don't want to level any buildings if I can help it," Aerendyl responded in a shout, ripping the knife at his chest out and stabbing it into a violet-skinned demon's eye, ripping it free. "Soldiers, begin to fall back as needed!!"
The demons were thinning- more screams, more CA agents falling, clutching bleeding wounds. Demon, human and angel alike; their strength and agility didn't matter when their enemies had the same.
"Director," a voice buzzed over his radio, and Aerendyl smirked. "Didn't know you were on our side for sure until now- but it's good to see. Let them die- too many purists here who actually believe we serve the people. No room for em in our ranks. Keep your magic in check."
"Like I give a shit," Aerendyl whispered back- the waves of demons were thinning, and there were no civilians here to die. He was meant to be a tool, and that was all.
"Atta man." The radio went silent- still, Aerendyl fired, dropping his rifle and continuing on with the service weapon at his belt, thrusting his knife into anything that came too close- he was just a man, just a soldier, just a cog in the machine, just a servant to something greater…
Slowly backpedaling, reloading his pistol, Aerendyl kicked a demon away, gritting his teeth. It hurt him, the screams, the dying- but he had to let them die. If he got himself killed to save a hundred now, he couldn't live to save the millions later… CA had to be cleansed… CA must be cleansed, this isn't what the Contracted Arms was meant for…
Suddenly, the death wasn't hard to stomach anymore. CA had to be cleansed, simple as that- and if a thousand died to save a million, or a million in exchange for a billion, then so be it.
"CA has to be cleansed…"
"Director please!!" Another scream- there were more, and more of them, but Aerendyl held his tongue, falling back- and when his handgun clicked empty, he simply rolled, grabbed one from a body, and kept going, snagging their belt as he went, ripping it off.
CA has to be cleansed, CA has to be cleansed, CA has to be cleansed…!! Aerendyl moved like a whirlwind, hacking and slashing his way forward, shooting as fast as the gun allowed- and when that gun ran out he pressed forward, knife and fist. Dragging a demon away from one of his soldiers, throwing them, moving forward, it felt like fire in his blood- it was getting away from him, he couldn't stop it- CA HAS TO BE CLEANSED CLEANSED CLEANSED FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD I CAN DO GOOD I CAN DO GOOD I CAN DO GOOD-
Screaming savagely, now, Aerendyl ducked under a length of rebar and drove his knife home between a demon's ribs, ripping it out and shoving them back against a car. "I have to cleanse it- I can do good, I can be good-" He muttered, pushing forward harder- the bullets were gone, there were only weapons. Faster and faster, he ducked, hacked, punched, kicked, and clawed; they tore at him, at his clothes, but he held the magic in, a blaze of anger and a longing to put these demons into the ground.
"Damnit!!" Aerendyl gritted out as a fist collided with his jaw hard enough to hurt, and blocked the next, punching back, hooking hard, harder. The demon man in front of him staggered, and Aerendyl pushed, punching once more and then spinning the knife around, driving it home- CA must be cleansed, Ravenhold must be protected RAVENHOLD MUST BE PROTECTED I CAN PROTECT AND I WILL THESE ARE MY PEOPLE- I CAN PROTECT THEM.
"Stand down, angel!!" Another demon lurched forward, grabbing his throat and leaning in, whispering. "You, aren't supposed to be here- don't you dare touch me."
"Oh? You stains have overstayed your welcome," Aerendyl whispered back, grabbing her throat and lifting her up, until she couldn't reach his own anymore, frowning. "You only have a few options," He added, wincing as she slammed a knife into his arm, deep, twisting. "Damnit-!!"
"Options?!" The woman snarled, dragging the knife toward herself, gouging his arm, and Aerendyl groaned, twisting and slamming her down into the asphalt with force enough that the road split, ripping the knife out, nose curling.
"Threw that away, with the knife, nobody," he panted, sinking down behind a car, waiting for his wounds to close as he hunkered against the driver's door. With the pain came clarity- though the haze of overwhelming thoughts, the violent desire to raze CA to the ground and restart it- Calm down, Aerendyl. Come on. Calm. Calm.
"You angel, prick," The gruff, feminine voice came, and Aerendyl gasped as the dark haired demoness from before grabbed his throat, again, raising a knife- he was barely able to jerk his head aside in time before the knife sank into the steel beside his head.
"Like I need a knife," She snarled, straddling his hips and gripping his throat harder, punching so hard he saw stars.
"Arch, demon-?" He wheezed, grabbing her throat in kind, grabbing the next fist hurled his way.
"Damn, straight, rookie- you can't, kill, me, angel- you're, too, young-!!"
"Too, young- huh-?" She tried to rip her fist away, to hurl another blow, but Aerendyl clenches his fist, breaking hers. The bite came, and he headbutted, ready for it.
"Not too young- to know- what it- takes- to-" it was getting hard to breathe, his vision was turning fuzzy- he had to do, something- but the arch demon, wasn't a mage was she- or he'd be dead- then, maybe- it…
"Bastard, no-" The demon spewed vehemently, and Aerendyl slowly forced her hand off of his throat, shoving her back- she fell back onto her ass easily, staring down in horror as her right hand and left arm from the elbow down slowly dissolved, melting like acid- she slid back, yelping in fear as a fighting pair, CA and demon, stumbled over her head and fell, grappling. Aerendyl shifted, though, standing.
"The hell- are you able to have magic like this- as an angel?!"
"Yeah, I'm real good at killing for an angel, huh?" Aerendyl groaned, raising his foot, and slamming back down. Again, again, again- the fighting around him was slowly beginning to die down, but there were still street-style brawls going on everywhere around him. Before he could turn, though, and return to the fray, there was a buzz from his hip.
Radio static?
"Director, there's a civvie car incoming!!"
"Who- ng-!!" Aerendyl winced as a knife sank into his arm, and he lost control; the demon's body exploded, leaving steam as he punched cleanly through the head of the next. His senses returned, though, and he ripped the knife out, resuming his shooting.
"Dark haired woman and- and the experiments!! But they're coming here- why are they coming here-?!"
Shit- Lynx no, Lynx no I told you to stay away!!
"Kill them," Aerendyl barked into the radio, his face whitening as he said it. "Take them somewhere private, though. Make sure it's not seen by anybody who could be recording, arrest them, take them to a holding cell first."
"You got it boss." The radio came back. "Why not just secure them, though?"
"We can still study the traces of magic in their bodies, they're too much damn trouble third time they've escaped so don't question me just KILL THEM!!" He screamed out, moving faster, now.
I told you to stay Lynx… What else am I supposed to do...