Morella

[Koal]

"What did the big, scary man want, sweet cheeks?" The sing-song voice of Cheshire rang around his ears, through the chatter and ambient noise of the restaurant and brought a small, albeit strained, smile to his face. Tucking the small flash drive away in his pocket, Koal walked back to the table and slid smoothly back into his place next to the wrath demon with the thousand-watt smile. 

"Sweet cheeks? I don't think so. Try again." He said, mirth creeping into his voice, the thoughts about his mission being pushed to the back of his mind, the chance to actually act his age was too rare to be bogged down with thoughts of espionage. 

"Aw, don’t be so Koal-d, babe, It's just a pet name!" Her smile stretched a bit more, and she poked his side as she began to chuckle. 

"That was bad, Sarah. Like, I'd rather shit in my hands and clap than hear another god-tier shitty dad-pun than that." He deadpanned, before looking across the bar to Tobias, who was nursing a bottle of beer whose name he couldn’t pronounce. It was... normal. As normal as it was ever going to get anyway. Smiling to himself, Koal turned his head to face Cheshire and they engaged in an energetic, albeit nonsensical conversation about the raven-haired demon's adventures. Two shots of whiskey and a couple pizzas later, he was animatedly regaling his two companions, as well as half the restaurant, in the tale of his travels while conscripted under the Raiders of the Ashen Steppes, consciously not mentioning the parts he would mind forgetting. 
"No way! You rode a dragon?!" 

"Technically it was a wyvern, but yeah. I named him Whiskers because he had these long scars on the side of his snout-" 

"No way!" 

"No, I'm serious!" 

"So cool! Did you hear that, Toby?! He-" 

"Rode a dragon that he named Whiskers that wasn't actually a dragon, yeah yeah." Tobias griped despite the small smile on his face, before his serious demeanor cracked and he chuckled, raising the dark, muddy-brown bottle in a toast before taking another swig. 

" So where do you come from, Koal? You one of those big, bad Primes that everyone's always trashin'?" She said with a smile, although Koal saw the genuine uncertainty behind those chocolate colored eyes of hers. It was an innocent enough question and he couldn't find it in himself to get upset with that. Down here, in all this fear and uncertainty, people feared Primes as harbingers of death. Or crime-lords who held fate of everything in their hands. All too often, Koal gathered, the people in the slums of society were the ones who got burned. 

"And what if I am? Are you scared of me? Like some shadowy monster that hides beneath your bed at night?" Koal felt the happiness leave him as he withdrew into himself and leaned forward on the bar, his left eye burning with what he knew to be demonic energy, turning it to that deep red hue he loathed so much.  

"Self-pity does not suit you, Koal. As a demon of pride, you have a very low opinion of yourself, no? And to answer your question, no, we do not fear you." Gesturing in an offhand matter with the neck of his beer bottle, he continued on, his voice sending rumbling vibrations through everyone in the immediate vicinity. "You have the cruelty, but it is not your own. I realize while that does not make sense now, it will. The sadism you feel isn't unnatural, young blood. It’s a mind over matter situation. You hurt deeply, and that apparent to anyone looking at you. 

"You walk with pride, and yet your eyes are always so downcast, as if you have never relished to be alive. And it disappeared for a while today, in the company of trusted friends and companions." He got up and put a hand on Koal's shoulder, while the young man blinked back tears as he stared into the crystalline material of his shot glass.  

"You are not a monster, Koal. Monsters don’t regret their actions." 

"No, I suppose they don't, do they?" Koal laughed, a bitter and hollow sound, before pounding back the shot in his hand and making to get out his seat. He felt his cheeks burn with shame and embarrassment as he felt a few stray tears carve their way down his pale skin. Shaking his head, he brushed past Tobias, who let out a deep sigh and threw a loaded glance at Cheshire, who stared at the Pride Demon's retreating form, eyes shining with unshed tears at the pain she saw in his beautiful violet and red eyes.  

"Go after him, Kid. He needs somebody to keep him grounded." 

"But-" She tried to interject, whimpering as she quickly got off the bar stool. 

"You've wanted to get out of this place for a long time, Cheshire. This is your chance. Make something of yourself and find someone to share it with. And as much as he may loathe to admit it, our young friend there needs the help." He gently said, waving a hand around the restaurant in a roundabout gesture, encompassing the world they had faced together for so long now. His eyes were soft and yet they held a firm grip on her own. The woman shifted back and forth from foot to foot, worrying at her bottom lip with her sharp teeth, fiddling with her hands and exuding an air of uncertainty and hesitance. Then she focused on his face again, eyes widening a fraction more, the fiery brown orbs almost comically big and innocent. 

"I-I... But what about you?" The tears finally spilled from her eyes, a small whimper escaping her as she lurched forward, hugging the silver-haired man with a strength that belied her small frame.  
 
"Don't worry about me. I've been through worse." He gently removed her arms from his torso and gave her a gentle push towards the door, not letting her see the small, proud smile and the tears gathering in his own eyes. Oh, how quick they grow up, indeed. 

"Now go get em'." 

~Line Break~
 
"Koal! Wait up! Jeez you walk fast, you and your fuckin' long legs." Koal acted like he didn't hear her, continuing to expertly weave through the crowd, subconsciously lengthening his stride, his hands gently guiding people out of his way as he tried to stem the tears and the slight haze of the alcohol over his head. Not like it mattered anyway. Them he felt a sharp, searing pain clamp down on his wrist, and he saw the fiery hand of a wrath demon.

"Wherever you're going, I've got your back. And I'm not taking no for an answer." And looking into her brown eyes that were alight with flame and determination, he couldn't find it in himself to deny her.

"Then I guess we have some work to do."

[Koal]

"I told you man, I don’t know noth-AHHH!"  

Koal lifted a bloody boot from the thugs now shattered left hand, his face passive and uncaring. The alleyway was dark and oppressive, grimy brick walls and trash littered about the ground.  

"I already told you, I'm not leaving until I get the answer I want. The more you feel like lying to me, the more this," Koal pressed his boot back down forcefully on the shattered appendage, drawing out a silent scream," ...goes on. So, why don't you cut the shit and just give it up already?" 

The man looked up at the demon's face with an expression of apprehension, drenched in sweat and blood, emanating the stench of fear. The pride demon stared back with a mask of apathy, his eyes razor sharp and piercing into the man's very essence, drawing strength from it.  

"She-she'll kill me man. She'll kill my family. I can't let that happen man, I can't she'll find out. SHE ALWAYS DOES!" His voice rose in hysteria before he devolved into a blubbering mess, any semblance of pride or decency as a man to remain strong. Koal had broken him. His façade slipping for a moment, Koal looked down on the broken mess of a man with a sad expression, his eyes hooded and somber, before they hardened as he tapped back into the power resident in his blood. He knelt down, roughly grabbing the man's shirt, and hoisted him up with one arm, the other swinging around in a backhand that left the Thug gasping for air and stars dancing in his vision. He bared his fangs and snarled in the man's face, the sound leaving the man trying his damnedest trying to remove himself from the vice-grip Koal had on him. 

"And I won't, you pathetic excuse for a man?! If you would have just cooperated, I could have offered you protection, but now you just had to go and PISS ME OFF!" He threw the man against the wall, the sound of breaking bones loud and very real in the Demon's ears as he lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the man's fleshy jugular. Metallic crimson filled his mouth, and he ripped the man's throat out, blood spattering his face, as well as soaking the ground, as the man choked and gasped for air. His feeble hand reached out and weakly grasped at Koal's pant leg, his eyes screaming that same question he had seen so many times before. 

Why 

"I don’t know anymore." Koal shook the hand off, pulling his jacket tighter around him as he stalked out of the alleyway, even as the man drew his last breath and ceased to exist. 

Line Break 

"Did you find anything on-WOAH. What the hell fell on you and exploded?!"  

"It's fine Sarah. And I didn't find anything. NOBODY here knows anything about the weapons dealer we've been trying to track down. Either that, or they're too afraid to say anything. Certainly, willing to die to keep the info safe and sound." 

"Damn. I thought for sure we would have found something by now. Not even a name?" Her face twisted into a look of frustration, eyes narrowed and her nose curled up as she ran her fingers though her hair. She sat down on the cheap mattress, before flopping back, the springs inside of the bed squeaking loudly. Koal just nodded with an exasperated expression before walking into a small, dingy bathroom that was attached to the room. He switched on a flickering light, looking at his reflection for seconds at a time before the image was swallowed by a timid darkness.  Finally, breaking eye contact with himself, he reached down and twisted the faucet's handle, a tentative stream of clear water leaking out of it. He cupped his hands, letting a small pool accumulate before rubbing his face, staining the clear water a deep red, the metallic scent of blood entering the air as it regained moisture. Tending to the rest of the blood on his alabaster skin, he heard Cheshire in the room moving things and walking around, likely restless from spending the day cooped up inside.  

"I was thinking... Maybe tomorrow we take a break from all this. Just for the day." Koal found the words coming out of his mouth, and Cheshire popped her head into the small room, eyes wide and hopeful. 

"Really?"  

"Yeah. Just for the day, though. Then it's back to work." He said, turning the faucet off and turning around, wiping his face off with a small hand-towel. Flicking off the near-useless light as he walked out of the bathroom, he saw Sarah flipping through pages on the hard-light screen of her datapad, eyes brighter than the sun. Suppressing a small smile, he pulled his blood-stained shirt over his head, and threw it on the ground, not caring where it landed.  

"Koal...Where did you get all those scars?" Koal suppressed the urge to panic as he looked down at his own body, the skin bearing marks and blemishes almost everywhere.  

"My home...wasn't a nice place..." 

Doctors in black lab coats.  

"And they did a lot of things to me to make me stronger." 

Needles puncturing his skin, the liquid within burning like molten rock. 

"Oh my god, why would someone do something like that?"
 
We need someone who can follow orders, Mr. Lynch. But don’t worry. When we finish, you'll be nothing more than a glorified hunting dog. Fit to kill and maim at our leisure. 
 
"I...I don’t want to talk about it." 

"Of course. Forget I said anything... Goodnight Koal. Sweet dreams." Her childlike voice was more subdued now, and Koal felt guilt and memories and pain seize his mind and body as he beheld himself once more, before he turned off the light.

[Koal]

Cheshire was a simple woman, if she were to describe herself. Low maintenance, pretty, and strong were the words she'd use. She'd awoken in this world with no one, a lone demoness at a fountain with no source. Then she'd come here. A world of innovation, with rules for everything, stipulations on everything from who could live where to how you were allowed to fucking breathe. Just so she could have some semblance of structure in a world in which everything and everyone was a stranger. And then she found Tobias. A hulking mountain of a demon of rage, with a cool exterior and elegant mannerisms. He had been her rock for the longest time. There to protect her and be her anchor. They lived in one of the poorest places, and she felt terrible for not being able to contribute more. But they had scraped together a life for themselves, and they got by that way. A hollow existence, capitalized by a fear of Primes, who had done nothing but threaten people for money and power. Then, they met another of their kind, an aura of Pride emanating around him. He had captivated her, and from the way he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her, so was he. A Prime, a demon like them, breaking down expectations and building up confidence in her where there used to be false bravado. Building Pride in her, even as she poured the warmth and fire of Wrath into him. And thus, their symbiotic relationship was formed. To feed of one another, instead of draining humans. To become better than themselves.  

Looking at Koal now, even after a few short days, she could see the changes in him. A slightly more relaxed body posture, the dark bags under his eyes slowly fading away after a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Presently, he was crouch down, bartering like a professional salesman, with tact and without being offensive. He was wearing his leather jacket, which was thrown over a loose-fitting red t-shirt. She watched him for a moment, before letting out a small huff as she crouched down to peer curiously at the small object in his hands.  

A small silver chain lay coiled in his palm, curled up like a small serpent. Small and dainty, Cheshire knew it would never fit Koal, and let her mind wander as she rested her chin on his shoulder and listened to the alto timbre of his voice. 

" Half a parcel for the silver chain, sir." 

" How about a prism?" 

" Counteroffer: Half a parcel and I give you the bracelet and the matching necklace, hm?" 

She could feel the taut muscle underneath her chin shift as he moved his weight from one leg to another. Reaching back to grasp the small pouch that swung lazily at his hips, Cheshire watched in almost slow motion as the old man in front of them pulled out a gun, putting it in Koal's face. Her hands tightly grasping his jacket, Cheshire felt the power in both of them thrum, the ancient blood of demons singing to life, a symphony of screams and pain. Both of them moving in tandem, Cheshire pushed off of Koal, even as he deftly smacked the gun out of his face, the demons both igniting in a storm of lighting and fire. The entire bazaar around them ignited too, as firebombs throw from surrounding building shattered against the faux stone ground. Then everyone could hear the screams and feel the pain. Her very skin turning to living flame, she jumped through the fire to Koal, who wore a cloak of crimson lightning, looking every bit as a prince of Hell.  

And then the real fun began. 

Soldiers in steel-grey armor filing into the square, boots hitting the ground from every direction. She and Koal moved back to back, preparing for the worst. 

"I'm sorry kids, but our employer needs to have a word with you. Say you've been poking in places you don't belong." 

"Oh, wow, another place I don't belong. Just when I thought there couldn't be any more." Cheshire almost wanted to smack him for the nerve he had to make a joke when being quite literally outnumbered and outgunned. She settled for marking down on her mental to-do list. 

"Too bad I don't feel like cooperating today. You can take me there in chains, or not at all. But I'd like to see how many of you I'll take down before you get me." She felt his voice deepen and settle into a growl. And rolled her shoulders and widened her foot stance, letting her razor-sharp teeth show and the first in her soul to consume her living form. She practically felt the roar that Koal let out and let out one herself as they threw themselves at the soldiers, who roared their own battle cry and met them with equal ferocity. She ducked under the barrel of a gun, sweeping the man's legs out from under him, driving a burning hand through the seam in his chest plate, incinerating his heart. The solider next to her found a black great sword in his chest before a thousand volts erased him from the plane of the living. Down went a score of soldiers, falling under the might and fury of the duo.

But in the end, all she could do is watch as Koal thrashed against chains that wouldn't break before she felt herself give into the comforting world of her waking nightmares.