Demons in the Snow (PvP)

[Dawnika Snow]

Koal stared into his opponent's ocean eyes. They were killing every fiber of his person, like claws digging into the soul. He was waiting for an order to attack, but then again, who was even commanding him? He tensed his muscles and Dawn quickly grabbed her rifle. It was obvious he was about to charge from that stance. His feet were apart and calves looked tensed. He shot forward towards the small, ebony haired youth. She flinched back, not having enough time to shoot, and put some distance between them. As much as they should have, no else reacted as the two started their brawl. They continued to stand and stare each other down until someone was given an order, or another sneak attack was made.

The two stared down for a few seconds longer before Dawn took off and ran in the opposite direction down the cave hallway. The confused Koal quickly followed behind her. She was quick and light on her feet. She maneuvered through the cave like she knew exactly she knew exactly where she was going, or she was just able to get around the corners fast. Most likely both.

“Stop running you coward! Fight me!” He yelled from behind. Dawn did not respond, but soon he was exactly where she wanted him. She had led him all the way back to the cave entrance. They were back outside in the freezing cold snow. The blizzard had vanished, so it was mostly clear now. As she made it outside, Dawn quickly turned to the side and waited for Koal to run out. Expecting she would keep running, Koal turned the corner into her trap. The assassin jumped on him, kicking him to the ground pressing Epsilon Oriens to his chest and blowing a bullet into his left shoulder. He reacted fast swinging his sword at her side, but she was too fast. The blade dug into her forearm, tearing her right sleeve off and straight through her pale skin. Koal stood up dislodging the bullet from his chest and looked down at his wound. Blood dripped down his chest and stained his shirt.

“You’ve lived a horrible life haven’t you?” Dawn’s voice crept into Koal’s ears again. Already he hated the sound of it.

“What’s it to you?. Maybe I have had a rough time, but what does that have to do with right now?” He replied, his eyes burned red.

“It has everything to do with right now. I know what it’s like to hurt and I can see that pain in those horrible eyes. The soul can be scarred and your scars can’t be hidden.” She responded quietly. It was like talking to a mirror, mostly in the sense of her talking about herself. Not as if she was talking to someone who was not listening.

“Well, you’ll have to keep it to yourself for now. I’m not in the mood to talk.”

“Suit yourself.” The two commenced their fight as Koal charged forward. Dawn reacted in sync, backing up firing bullets at him but not very accurately. It was not easy aiming while running and shooting backward, especially with a sniper. It was time to switch guns. The black glove sparked on her hand, it looked like a tiny jolt of lightning, and Oscurita replaced Oriens within about five seconds. Koal was a bit slower than Dawn and she obviously knew what she was doing. This was going to be a tough fight considering he did not have much in his arsenal to get close to her, slow her down or even attack her from range.

Bullets sprayed from her gun, Koal did his best to dodge them but was not fast enough to dodge so many. This fight had just begun and it was not going Koal’s way at all. He needed to really push himself to keep up with the nimble-footed assassin. They drudged through the snow, the dark haired boy beginning to close the distance slightly..

Seeing as how she was not getting any further away, she had to try something else. As he closed in, the vigilante quickly stopped and dashed forward completely taking Koal off guard. Her shoulder plowed into his chest, knocking him back mostly from the speed she rammed him. He got up fast, knowing she was about to take off and get distance again, engaging her in melee. The light-footed assassin was good at dodging: She ducked under horizontal slices and sidestepped through vertical ones. One swing got through, slicing her other arm, but the next swing was stopped by her gun. Steel met steel with a loud clang. The two traded aggravated glances before the ebony haired mercenary let go of one side of her rifle, letting the blade through, but quickly dodging. It was annoying how fast and nimble she was, but Koal was not going to give up so easily. He kept on her, not letting her catch her breath.

[Koal]

Koal saw her block the blade of his blade with the metal of her gun, and in a sort of slow motion, he saw the sparks fizzle into existence only to be extinguished by the winds an instant later. Time sped back up and Dawn quickly placed a foot firmly on Koal's chest, using it as a springboard to somersault backwards. Letting out a growl, he stumbled backwards, quickly regaining his footing before shooting towards once more, determined to press an attack before she was once more out of range. She was skilled, and Koal felt a small spark of admiration flicker to life in his chest before he crushed it. She was the enemy. He didn't know why, but he needed Ballad alive.

"You act so high and mighty, talking of scars. You don't know the half of what I've endured." he punctuated the growled out sentence with a strike from his blade, the swipe narrowly missing as Dawn wove her body to avoid it. He felt a bullet pierce the joint of his knee, and his leg buckled, before he quickly ripped it out, a spatter of scarlet blood steaming as it hit the snow. Dawn was quickly running again, firing in short bursts and Koal dove to the side as one slammed into his upper bicep. He spat out a curse as the rest cut through the snow-clogged air above his prone body. He heard her voice, as cool as the ice in the air. 

"I could say the same to you." Another bullet threw out a small cloud of snow In front of his face, swiping his hand across his eyes. He quickly darted forward, trying to close the distance that she had created between them. A sharp spear of pain would race like lightening each time he put weight on his injured leg, but he ground his teeth, and quickly took a   hasty swipe at he face, only to have the dark metal of her gun throw the blade off course as she partied the strike, the rusty metal only carving a shallow valley in her shoulder. He heard a small gasp escape before the butt of the gun strike his cheek. He felt the bone fracture, and he winced as he flinched backwards, his left hand shooting out desperately.

A shadowy vice locked into her right ankle, claws digging into the pale flesh. They drank the scarlet blood greedily, and Dawn tried, with limited success, to yank her leg from Koals grasp. The claws ripped small chunks of flesh out of her slender leg, and the slick blood loosened his grip enough for her to escape. He made another grab, but His fingers closed around empty air as Dawn dove and rolled forward through the snow, reloading a magazine as she did.       

Koal sprang to his feet, locking eyes with Dawn as they both began to circle, assessing each other once more. Koal limped slightly with each step, red blood staining the white snow. Dawn was relatively unharmed, compared to Koal. He had scored precious few hits, and they weren't even solid ones. His red eyes faded to their original lilac hue as his anger subsided, replaced with a numb and empty feeling deep in his chest. Hollow. He took a good look at Dawn, really taking into account her features for the first time. She was beautiful, in a subtle way, but Koal could also sense the deadly aura around her. Her eyes made the snowstorm that raged around them seem warm in comparison. She was the very definition of cool. He felt a small shiver drag down his spine, and he straighten his back, flexing his calve muscles.

"I can't let you kill Ballad. I need him alive. I don't expect you to understand." His ragged voice barely reached Dawn's ears, but he continued on.

"You say that you see my scars.That you can sense my pain. Well... I can feel the weight of your sins, and it's a wonder you haven't crumbled beneath them." His eyes shone with a grudging respect and Koal shot forward once more twisting his body around an instant before a bullet raced by his head, a crack of thunder following it. The loud sound pieced Koals eardrums, but he ignored it racing forward to meet his quarry head-on. He let out a feral snarl, baring his fangs, before he sliced at Dawn's feet. She was already moving before he began the arc of his blade.

"I accept my sins and move beyond them. Holding on to your past won't help you in the present. Or the future." She put a bullet in his lower abdomen, punctuating the line. Koal retaliated with a simultaneous swipe of his claws and sword, hoping to get a good hit in, to justify himself to her in the only way he could. Through the Dance of Death. Dawn was more skilled than he, but he was no pushover. Koal watched with a faint sense of fascination as she seamlessly avoided his blade, but he clawed he across her ribs, rivulets of blood staining her shirt, dripping onto her skirt. He felt a grim sense of satisfaction as he saw a spark of surprise quickly find a home in her sapphire eyes, before quickly being replaced with the now-familiar icy expression. 

"My sins are not to be forgotten. I carry mine with me, so that I will never forget what I've done." Koal glanced at his hands, turning them over as he mumbled those words. He felt his strength beginning to wane, each pump of his heart spilling more of his precious life blood onto the ground beaneath him. It swallowed the crimson liquid, snow turning pink. His eyes turned solemn.

"I am truly damned."

Her only response was to cock her gun once more, her eyes locking with his in a battle of wills.

[Dawnika Snow]

The vigilante checked her clips, two left. Time to switch it up. She cocked her rifle back, preparing the shots for battle. Koal quickly lunged forward to interrupt her attack. Much to his surprise, those bullets were not meant for him. She sprayed her clip into the ground to create a smokescreen of snow. It was barely enough for her to disappear. Koal shielded his eyes to make sure nothing blinded him. When it cleared, Dawn was gone. Vanished.

The confused Koal kept alert, switching his blade into the dual scythe mode. Meanwhile a few yards away, the assassin quietly climbed up one of the snow veiled trees. The shadowed figure perched on a branch up high like bird in its nest: She was finally home, stalking her prey. The black glove that channeled her power as the auto-rifle was replaced by the sniper rifle. It had been awhile since she was behind the scope. She rested her elbow on her knee and placed her eye against the scope to take aim.

BANG.

The gun jumped back Dawn’s shoulder with heavy recoil as bullet sliced through the air to Koal. It found its home in right thigh. The vigilante took a few breaths to focus her aim again. Koal was aware of what was happening now and took the initiative to keep moving towards the sound of the first shot. A flash sparked from the trees. He rolled to the side, barely able to outmaneuver the bullet.

Not wasting time, he dug his feet into the ground to get a solid foothold and jumped for a branch a few trees a way. Dawn was amazed with his lower body strength, but that did not stop her from blowing another bullet at his face. The shot grazed the bark off the trunk. Bits of wood splashed into his face.

The determined man hopped through the tree branches, not too gracefully at that. Dawn was actually slightly impressed that he was smart enough to eliminate her advantage of the high ground. She doubted he was skilled enough to move around these trees like her. Another bullet soared through the branches, hitting Koal dead in his abdomen. He cringed in pain covering the new wound with his hand as he pushed through the branches, cutting down tree limbs as they stood in her path. Koal was closing in and ammo was getting dry. One last clip clicked into place and she took aim again.

Koal was now in the adjacent tree next to hers. As he jumped to hers, Dawn buried another bullet in his stomach. Blood poured from his wounds. He had better end this quick. The vigilante stumbled back as Koal joined her on the same branch. Time to unload. She slowly retreated keeping aim and shot as fast as she could without looking down the sights. Two bullets met their target, the other three whizzed by him. Dawn quickly reached for her next clip only grasp at thin air.

Koal charged Dawn like a maniac. Slicing through the air like a madman to cut the assassin in half, and even in the tiny, limited battlefield of the canopy, she was still able to dodge his attacks. Time to fucking wing it like a professional. She ducked under a horizontal swing and dove away to another branch as he tried to stab her with the end of his scythe. After relieving his weapon from the wood, he followed suit.

“Shit. This is getting bad.” The vigilante whispered to herself. Dealing with melee weapons was something she never trained for. Koal rejoined her in the branch and continued his brutish assault with that dual bladed weapon. It was like a tornado of whirling death trying to suck her in. She swerved away from the blades trying to get close enough do what she had in mind. Another duck and she reached her foot out, kicking Koal in his shins and off balance. He lost his footing, falling off the branch. Out of a quick spike of reaction, he dropped his weapon to catch himself from plummeting to the ground. His weapon was not so lucky.

Dawn was about to stomp on his hands to cause him to fall before he reached up, grabbing her foot and pulling her down. She was the one plummeting now, but was able to catch a branch as she fell. The both hauled themselves up on the branches. Koal would not let up her. He quickly, and sloppily, jumped through the branches to catch up with her.

Her initial strategy was to back off, but in her current situation such an action was void of reason. Running was not an option since it would violate the Ashen Blade’s credo and fighting without a gun was nothing Dawn was seasoned with. Her best bet was to hold him off until he aggravated his wounds enough to bleed out, or he gave up. Targeting the open wounds with her attacks would be her only viable strategy right now. When he caught up with her he chuckled at her.

“What now? You giving up?” He asked grinning with a slight satisfaction. Based on her physique, this assassin stood no chance with hand to hand combat.

“Nope, I’m just going to hope that I don't die.” She replied, raising her fists in the air and assuming a fighting stance.

“Spoken like a true assassin.” The mocking sarcasm simply bounced off Dawn, aside from slightly aggravating her.

“Mock me as you will, but never say I died without honour.” She argued.

“A fair point. Die with your honour.” He said as he approached readying his claws. Something the ocean-eyed assassin was ill prepared for.

[Koal]

Blink.

Koal's haunting violet eyes fluttered as he struggled to keep his eyes open. It felt like someone had poured liquid fire into his veins, and his head throbbed with every beat of his tainted heart. His flexed his claws, his shadowy hands splaying as he regarded the enemy. He could hear the whispers in the back of his head, telling him to go for the kill, urging him to violence. To stop fighting his instincts and give in to his darkness. He let out a soft groan and clutch at his head, try to do something to stop the voices that assisted his sanity. He had given in once, and his hands would never be washed of the blood of all the innocents he had killed on that day. The day he became what he hated; the day he became a killing machine with the vengeance of a boy who had just seen his mother murdered in front of him.

Honor is for the dead.

Mercy is for the weak.

Koal's left eye twitched as he continued to regard Dawn, slowly walking in a wide circle around her, like a predator stalking its prey. Yet He wasn't an idiot. She was a formidable opponent that he had enjoyed fighting. He hadn't felt this alive since-

Dawn struck quickly, her fist  landing in the shoulder where she had shot him, aggravating the wound. Crimson liquid stained her hands, and Koal tried to get a strike in, but she danced away before he could. The young Demon growled in irritation and pain, low in his throat. He bared his teeth showing her his fangs. All reservations gone, Koal lunged forward, clawing her across the forearm as she covered her face and neck. He heard a gasp of pain and he tried to claw at her again, but she ducked and threw a punch at his lower abdomen. He staggered back, coughing up a little bit of blood onto the already mottled snow beneath him. His field of vision was riddled with black spots, and his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. He heard the voices again. Screaming and desperate to be heard. 

Koal pounced once again, his eyes wild and full of pain, and once again began swinging. Dawn ducked and weaved in between most of his attacks. Feinting a strike for her face, He switched the direction of his strike as she covered her face, scoring a hit on her stomach. He felt his claws dig into her flesh. Koal felt an insanity-tinged smile split his faced. Dawn fell back for an instant, her mind racing, looking for something-anything-to get him away from her. Grabbing a handful of snow, she flung it into Koals eyes.

He stumbled back, wiping furiously at his stinging eyes. Dawn lurched forward and bowled into Koal, punching him in his vulnerable areas, Koal unable to fight back as pain racked his body. When she finally climbed off of him, his breath came in ragged gasps, and tears were carving a path down his bloodied face. He weakly climbed up and assumed a fighting position once more, holding his arms weakly in front of him. Dawn lifted a cool eyebrow, an emotion he couldn't identify flashing to life in her fierce eyes.

" I-It was an h-honor to cross blades with you." Koal stuttered out, too weary to keep up his facade of anger anymore. He was broken. She knew it, he knew it. His violet eyes appeared shattered, and his body wasn't faring much better. His mind was racing, and not in a way he could keep up with. He started mumbling to himself, his right eye twitching. His stance relaxing, Koal began to walk slowly towards Dawn, his entire demeanor different. Koals eyes were hidden beneath the shroud of his raven hair, and an insane smile was alive on his face. He opened his mouth and began to speak.

"You don't know pain as I do... but you will." His voice was layered, as if several voices were all speaking at once, and Koal lifted his head at the last word. His eyes were pitch black. The light and color around them seemed to die and be drained from the environment. Before she could process the new change in Koal, his smile faded and his eyes returned violet. His stance tightened back up, and he once more threw a punch at her. She grasped his palm and redirected the force, throwing Koal off balance, although Koal twisted at avoid a hit to his already wounded face. He kicked at her legs, and she quickly danced backwards, avoiding the potentially crippling blow. He opted not to follow her, instead backing up and lowering his guard. His shoulders heaved as he fought to stay upright. He dropped to a knee, all of his energy and will to fight spent. He looked up weakly at Dawn, who stood a few meters away, looking unsure if this was a trick or not. The young Demon scoffed weakly, then grimaced as pain shot through his check and ribs. He spit out a glob of blood to the side then threw a tired smile at Dawn.

"I'll be right over in a sec, sweetheart. Just lemme get my last prayers out. Fair?" She jerked her head quickly. He bowed his head and softly began to pray.

"Goddess that burns in my heart, pardon my soul. I am a mockery of what I once was. An abomination with the power of a god. I was never meant to walk the earth. My mother said you were fair. I pray she was right..." he quickly stood and faced the Assassin once more, settling into a loose stance, his hands held to his sides in a gesture of welcome. 

"What are you waiting for, love? Do you want me to write out a formal invitation?"

[Dawnika Snow]

Scarlet crimson ran down the assassin’s arms. She could hardly stand. Fighting with fists was something for a seasoned warrior, not a 120 pound woman with no muscle. Her legs buckled as she tried to approach Koal. The voice in her mind rose again.

You’re such a weakling! Screeched the demonic voice of Kagetsume. If you would have just let me take over, he’d be a pool of blood and bones by now.

“Shut up!” Dawn screamed throwing her hands on her head in pain and stumbling around. “Stop talking! Leave me alone!”

Nothing but a joke you worthless human! You couldn't protect anything! The horrid voice of the demon smashed against the girl's temples.

“Yes I can! Get out of my fucking head!” She yelled flailing around crazily like she was trying to fight an invisible opponent. “I'm not a toy for you to mess with demon!”

You humans are so cute. It's funny that you believe you can command a demon. Just you wait flesh bag. Dawn fumbled around more before stopping and panting heavily. Blood splat from her mouth violently as she coughed. A spark in her eyes flashed when she looked back up at Koal. She’ll finish this one way or another, even if she died trying. The creed of The Blades was triumph with power, or die with honour. With renewed vigor, the assassin charged the dark haired demon. Just as she was about to introduce her knuckles to his face though, her eyes flickered with color. Fading from blue to silver in a quick second. As soon as her eyes changed color, she passed out to the snow, splashing a decent amount of loose snow in the air around her. It sprinkled the back of her hoodie.

“I can’t.” She wheezed choking on blood in her throat to speak. “I’m too badly injured, can’t continue.” She looked up at Koal with frozen eyes. She spoke clearly for a few sentences.

“‘Somewhere between happy, and total fucking wreck. My feet are sometimes on solid ground, but sometimes at the edge’” She spoke looking Koal dead in the eyes. “‘Life for you’s been less than kind. So take a number, stand in line. We’ve all been sorry, we’ve all been hurt - But how we survive is what makes us who we are.’” With that last word her face hit the snow. She was unconscious.

[Koal]

"What have you gotten yourself into...?" Koal muttered as he sat on his knees before the unconscious body of Dawn. The little rise and fall of her chest signaled to her still being alive; although, that was becoming less and less of a certainty. She would need some sort of medical attention to survive her wounds, and as he looked at himself, he concluded that the same could be said for him. The snow around their two bodies was stained a dark crimson, a spot in a sea of white. 

Koal turned his violet eyes to the darkening sky. He could smell a snowstorm on the air. If they wanted to survive this, they would need some sort of shelter. As Koal began to gently flip Dawn into her back, he stopped.

Why should he spare her?

She had tried to kill him. Granted, he had made the first move, but she had retaliated in kind. Why should he spare her life? His eyes turned red as his thoughts took a dark turn. Shadows encompassed his arms, writhing and shifting. As Koal lifted his arm to make the final claw downwards, the one motion that would end her life, the want left him. His arm flopped to his side, the shadows dissipating. 

"That would make me no better than them." He whispered, gently sliding an arm under her knees, and another under her arms, carrying Dawn bridal-style through the snow. Each step brought a lightning bolt of pain through his chest, and a little more blood stained the snow. He could hear the distant sounds of explosions and gunfire, echoing out through the cave, the stone acting like a gigantic megaphone. He felt Dawn murmur and shift in her sleep, eyes clenched shut and muscles tense. Nightmares. Something Koal was familiar with. He felt another pang of sympathy pierce him, and he tried his hardest to ignore it. She was his enemy, nothing more.

Then why save her? 

He shook his head, eyebrows furrowed as they finally reached the cave entrance. Snow was starting to fall moderately now, and the white was sprinkled in his hair and clothes, chilling him to the bone. Dawn couldn't have been far in much better. They needed a fire.

But before Koal did anything, he closed his eyes and took a moment to summon a length of rope, tying Dawn's wrists and ankles together as a precaution. Wouldn't want to doze off and wake up dead. She began to fight him subconsciously in her sleep, and Koal felt like the lowest trash on the world as a whimper escaped her throat. Blinking back tears he finished tying the knot, and began to work on building a fire.

Horrible flashbacks of his own captivity and torture tore through his mind. Doctors in sterile white lab coats. A black swastika on a field of red. Needles and scalpels, cutting his to pieces. Poisons that made his worst nightmares his everyday companions. He fumbled with the logs in his hands as tears blurred his vision. His breathing was coming in violent gasps. This shouldn't be affecting him like this. He was strong. Cold. A demon.

Wiping away the tears with shaky hands, Koal continued to attempt to build a fire, the cold weather making it a little difficult. After about his fifth try, Koal got a decent ember burning, and built a small fire. It wasn't much, but it would provide a little warmth. The cave mouth already shielded them from the wind.

Koal sat up straight, his eyes turning red, as he kept a lookout, letting his wounds heal slowly. He had a bad feeling that all of this violence was going to come to an ugly head.

All he could do was wait.

[Dawnika Snow]

The unconscious woman sat still with her hands tied to her feet. She was out cold, mostly from blood loss. Soon the blood dried up and stopped the flow. As long as she did not move sporadically, they would stay shut. Koal watched the snow fly through the air in the blizzard. Although he felt bad that he practically just hogtied a woman, he had to do what he could to survive. Even if that meant stepping over the line of chivalry.

Dreams clouded the assassin’s mind. The smell of fire crossed her senses, burning wood and crisp smoke. When her eyes opened, black clouds covered the ceiling.

Where am I?

She began to cough heavily from the smoke while she sat up. Dawn’s eidetic memory failed her not. Although, she didn't need it to know exactly what was happening.

The fire..The fire!

Her room was adjacent to her father’s room outside the hall. If she could hurry fast enough she could save him. Bolting out of the bed quickly, she grabbed the door by the handle. The jiggling metal of the lock told that it was jammed. A stupid door was not going to stop her though. She was a prime now, stronger than anything on Earth. Stepping back to get a running start, she charged at the door, ramming it down with her shoulder. It was then she could hear the screaming voice of her father through the walls of his room. Fiery support beams started to collapse and burst flames around Dawn. Her determination and ability to breathe in shallow air pushed her forward. Through the hefty black smoke she could see her father still in his bed trapped under flaming debris. He was attempting to push it off him but the weight of the wood and heat of the fire made it impossible.

“Dawnika! Get out of here!” He yelled trying to get the burning wood off his body. Despite hearing her father’s pleas she rushed to help him out of the burning death trap. “I said go! Now!”

“No, I won't leave you dad! Just hang in there!” She press her hands against the fiery support beam and instantly jerked away as the heat burned her hands. “Dammit!” She yelled waving her hands to cool them off. She tried again after a moment and burned through the pain. Still she was unable to relieve the board from her father’s chest.

“Dawnika! Leave now! You have to survive this!” He screamed, partly in pain, partly in deep concern.

“But, Dad!” She said kicking at the wood. Another support beam fell beside her, launching white hot ashes in her face.

“No buts! This is all my fault, Dawnika. You don't need to die because of my mistakes. Live your life how you see fit, and don't forget why you fight to preserve it. Live to your goal.” With his last words came his last breath. The young vigilante continued to get him out which proved impossible for her. She hesitated to leave her father behind, but soon bolted out of the room and down the stairs hoping over blazing debris. When she made it outside she watched her home burn to the ground. She knew this was a fantasy, just a dream, but it hurt too bad to live it again. In spiteful rage she slammed her fist into the tree next to their house.

Then suddenly she was back in the cave. Her opponent stared confused at the angry vigilante. She had punched the wall and the wounds in her arms opened back up.

“Hey, don't do that or you'll bleed out you idiot.” He said.

“I see I'm captive now. That’s great.” She said looking at the bloodstained ropes holding her limbs together. How embarrassing to be captured, he should have just killed her; at least there's honour in that.

“Just shut up. We'll handle this after the fighting is over.” He said looking out at the blizzard. The vigilante kept her eyes on him, messing with the rope while he was looking away from her subtly. She could probably get these ropes loose since she was quite familiar with knots. Blood dripped from Koal’s shoulder and chest. He was hurt really bad.

“Hey,” she said, “Aren't you going to patch yourself up?” She asked looking at his wounds and stopping with the rope. Koal kept staring out of the cave watching the blizzard though.

“I'm not familiar with first aid.” His deep, rugged voice echoed through the cave quietly. The only other sound beyond that came from the crackling fire.

“I am.” Dawn said, sitting up on her knees and holding out her hands. Blood rolled down her head and over her eye. When Koal turned to her as she moved, he noticed her eyes were still silver.

“What makes you think I'll let you out of those ropes?” She must be crazy after she just tried to kill him. Dawn groaned as pain swept her head.

“Because if you don't then we'll both bleed to death. No one wins anything that way. Besides, the only reason I attack you is because you were with Ballad. We only want him, the rest of you are not our targets.” She explained, still holding out her hands. “Take off the glove on my left hand, it's my medium for summoning things. I'm out of ammo so I can't use any other weapons, and I don't carry any melee weapons.” Koal was hesitant to release her after all the trouble she had already caused him, but she was being reasonable enough. It was obvious she wasn't much of a liar, but assassins are tricky.

“How can I trust you after all that fighting?” He asked turning to her looking past the flames between them.

“Truth be told, you can't. I'm a cold hearted killer with nothing to lose.” She said looking at the floor. “I watch my father burn to death in our own home. I can't believe I made it out of that house alive. But now I'm marked for life with that date. December 2nd, 2004.” She turned around and pull her shirt up enough to show the massive burn scar on her side and back. It obviously stretched further down her hip and up her side, but looking closer now, he can see where it continues on her calf. She turned back around to him and looking into his eyes. “The fire was started by a gang that my father owed money to. We struggled to make a living so he started selling drugs. I was only seven and didn't understand what problems we had. When my dad couldn't pay what he needed to back to the gang, they burned down our house with us in it. Long story short, they took everything I loved and cherished in my world and literally burned it to the ground. So I decided to become a vigilante. I trained with a sniper and killed the entire gang without a single person spotting me.” She was about to start crying. Koal could see she was not lying. It was in her eyes. She may not have suffered the same way he did, but she has had a rough part of her life torn from her.

“I see.” He said looking down into the blazing fire. All this talk of the past made him start thinking of his life before the Omniverse. The terrible experiments and horrible poverty. The question now was, should he cut her loose?

[Koal]

Koal felt his gaze linger on Dawn's eyes, violet meeting eerie silver. In his mind, he weighed the possibility of her attacking him against her providing some form of first aid. Although she was in worse condition than he was, Koal was far from peak condition. He had several bullet holes in his chest and abdomen, as well as a fractured cheekbone. Standing up with a visible grimace, Koal slowly stalked over to where Dawn was currently sitting down, crouching down so that he could grasp the ropes that bound her hands. Shadows seeped out of his being, running across his alabaster skin like water, covering it in an ever-shifting black shell. He first removed her glove, tucking it into his belt, and slid a razor-sharp claw along the rough surface of the rope. It snapped with an audible noise. As Dawn began to draw her arms back, Koal quickly grabbed them and held them in place for a moment. His eyes flashed red.

"You try anything, and I WILL end you. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"Then go ahead and tend to yourself. You're worse off than I am."Koal retreated back to the opposite side of the fire, keeping a watchful eye on the Assassin. His eyes darted to her side, to where he now knew a burn scar resided, his own scars flaring up in recognition. Koal rubbed his chest, feeling the rough, patchwork art of his skin. His eyes faded back to violet, and unfocused as his mind wandered, fueled by memories and pain.

"You are our greatest accomplishment. The pinnacle of all that we could have hoped to achieve." Koal saw Faust walking in a circular pattern around the operation table, his voice triumphant and resonant, echoing throughout the young boys ears as he struggled to stay conscious. The Doctor stopped at a small metal tray, his glove-clad hands picking up a clear syringe, an amber liquid visible inside. Koal was familiar with with it. A stimulant to make him remain awake. So that he could continue with the next horror they had planned next.

"But I like to think myself a perfectionist. So we will continue as planned."

And All the prisoner could do was watch as a syringe was meticulously inserted into his right arm, the plunger slowly going down. After a moment, Koals world became sharper. Smells, colors, and feeling was intensified, and he became aware of the pain lancing up and down his body. His back arched as he bit back a scream. He recognized what was happening here: The Doctors were partial to calling it Shock Therapy. Koal felt his voice die as the pain continued to intensify, and his vision went dark.

Koal quickly snapped back to reality, his heart rate racing, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Koal found himself on the stone floor; he looked at the cave entrance, the sky was darker. He sat up slowly, groaning as he felt pain radiate from his bullet wounds. Lifting his shirt, he saw white bandages covering them. He quickly sought out the assassin, and found her leaning against the wall of the cavern, regarding his with those steel-colored eyes. She nodded to him and reverted her gaze to the fire, which was still going. Regaining his breath Koal shakily stood and stretched his limbs, finding a small satisfactions in the cracks he felt in his joints. Casting a look back at Dawn, he threw a half-assed smirk over his shoulder, his eyes reflecting his inner turmoil.

"Everyone has their own demons, right?

[Dawnika Snow]

Dawn returned her devilish smirk, shaking her head back and forth with a light chuckle.

“Yeah, but I think we’re a special brand. We’re like the ‘King’s of the breed’. In touch with our inner anguish - our inner horrors.” She said staring Koal in the eyes. Her eyes slowly loom to a pinkish color. It was faded but changed enough to be less than subtle. Did she even know her iris’ were changing colors? It was hard to tell when it hardly bothered her.

“I guess there is truth in those words.” He replied staring back out at the dark, snowy sky.

“I believe that those whose demons are untamed, have more fire and passion in their being than anyone though. I believe there’s a saying that goes something like, ‘To show a man the light, you must first show him his darkness.’ I can’t remember who said that, but it makes sense to me. I didn’t truly know myself until I experienced true sadness and regret.” Her pink eyes slowly started to bleed more red. Pain surged through her brain. That voice came again.

’You can’t keep me away forever weakling! I’m going to take over, and we’re going to kill this lout! Dawn threw her hands on her head and fell to her knees. It was like someone stabbed straight through her skull with a knife. Don’t fight it Dawnika.

The vigilante screamed in pain. “Get the fuck out of my head dammit! I’m through with your shit, Kage!” Koal pushed himself off the wall, wanting to do something to help but had no way to. “My will is strong, my heart is steel, and my mind is unbreakable. You can’t tear me down, I won’t become a puppet. No one pulls my strings!” A horrific shriek echoed through the cave and reverbed back at the two, or three. Dawn’s back arced inhumanly before bumps appeared from her shirt between her shoulder blades.Cloth tore away as a pair of giant wings sprouted and grew from her back. They were devilish and black as night. Now Koal could see the true demon that sleeps within this woman.

’My power is exhausted for now. Enjoy my wings, peasant.’ The pain in her head slowly subsided. Heavy breathing blew the fire around slightly as the vigilante restored her breath crouched on the floor. Most of her shirt was shredded more than it was from the recent fight. Koal could visibly see her black bra from what isn’t even a shirt anymore. It was just ruined cotton. Koal covered his eyes.

“Are you alright?” He asked, shielding his eyes, but peeking only to make sure she could stand up. She did stand up slowly, not even attempting to hide her revealing underwear.

“Yeah, and get over yourself. Never seen a girl’s breasts? If I cared I’d hide them.” She said pulling her new extremities around her and observing the new pair of wings. “Well. It could be shittier.”

[Koal]

Koal scowled and dropped his hand, his eyes red and narrowed at the two new appendages that Dawn was currently inspecting. Beautiful black wings, demonic in nature, sprouted from the blades of her shoulders. Subconsciously, Koal noticed that they matched her bra. He fought to control the changes running through his body as his blood fought him, desperate to prove his dominance against one of their own. Another demon. Koal grit his teeth as another wave of pain hit him, his body encompassed in a transparent black aura. His gaze met Dawns now, a low growl leaping from his throat, unbeknownst to him. Her own eyes narrowed and she took a step back. 

Koal cut the noise off and clenched his eyes shut, trying to drown out the voices that were screaming in his head.

KILL

The Demon quickly pivoted around, heading for the cave entrance, needing to be away from the woman for a second. He stumbling into the snow, collapsing to his knees. His eyes were quickly bleeding black liquid, painting the skin of his cheeks. Tears intermingled with the substance, turning into a dark grey mix that dropped into the snow beneath him. The black aura slowly faded, leaving Koal there, breathless from pain and memories. 

He shakily stood up, and walked back into the cave, not meeting Dawns eyes, ashamed at what he had almost given into.  Her earlier words echoed in his ears, and he admired her will, for it was stronger than his own. Dawns eyes held a question, and Koal shook his head.

"I might explain later, but for now, I need a minute." Dawn nodded, turning her attention back to her wings, and inspected her further ruined clothes, shrugging. Koal rolled his eyes at her carelessness, and walked to the fire, spitting a little bit of blood into the flames. 

"How violent is that demon inside your head?"

"It's strength is in words."

Koal was slightly disturbed that he felt a strange sense of satisfaction at those words. A slight aura surrounded him again, this time under control. Koal looked at Dawn, his lips a thin line as he regarded her seriously.

"Not all of us are like that, you know. Demons." 

Her eyes regarded him again, calculating and invasive. Koal met her gaze evenly, letting his eyes fade back to their natural violet. He threw a disarming smile, half-tinged with his regret. She then turned her attention back to her wings, and Koal turned his to the ever-shifting flame. He let out a deep sigh, still fighting his violent instincts from winning. His aura faded again, and Koal turned his head towards her again. 

"I wasn't always like this... I used to be human, like you once were. But the more you keep you demons with you, they change you." Dawn walked to the fire, sitting opposite of The Demon, intrigued.

"My world was, unpleasant, to say the least." Koal felt the words tumble out his mouth, his care about maintaining any secrecy gone.

"Me and my mother, we lived in horrible conditions, but still better off than a few others. She was a priestess. Ironic, no?" Dawn nodded.

"I was approached by an organization, Valkyrie, they were scientists and researchers who promised to allow my mother to live in comfort, as long as I volunteered as a test subject." Koal's eyes misted over as he lost himself in his memories. "I accepted, of course. My mother was all I had to my name, and she deserved better."

"They....there's really no better word than torture. They tortured me for months. They broke me." A lone tear traveled down his face and he let out a rueful smile. 

"I know you know what that feels like. The feeling where you don't care. You take risks without giving a damn about the consequences. Waiting for the moment when it all ends...

And it did end for me. I died." Koal let out a chuckle, his smile growing wider as all his pent-up emotions flooded out. It was a melodic sound, the rasp that usually occupied his voice not present. 

"It would have been great to call that an end to my story. But I was approached by a figure in my darkness, he offered me power, a way to end the people that had taken everything from me. His only request was my soul. Seemed like such a good deal at the time."

"I kill so many people that day. And there's not a moment that goes by where I don't see their faces when I close my eyes. Something tells me you understand exactly what that's like as well."

Dawn had a peculiar expression on her face, an emotion he couldn't identify in her eyes. Koal turned his gaze back to the Fire.

"We're not all bad... but some of Us are worse."

[Dawnika Snow]

Although she had yet used them, Dawn found swift satisfaction in her new extremities. Sure she knew the demon was expanding her influence, but she could not deny the benefits of this intrusion. A sniper with wings.

Koal’s face was sour as he explained his previous life before the Omniverse. She could not judge him. Life is tough for a lot a people and many get hit hard by the truth of a dark past. It took but a moment for her to respond though.

“Although you may not see it, I think your demons were telling you that you weren’t ready to die. That’s why they gave you the power you have now. To stop what happened to you, and make sure no one else suffered the horrible fate those cretins put you through.” She explained. “You’re not worse than I. I killed over 30 men for revenge. Simply because I hated them. I may have very well damned myself for doing what I did. It might be why this demon is trying to possess me, but it’s all in you to decide what true evil is. It’s what a vigilante does.”

The vigilante’s words had some merit, but that did not change what he had done. “I didn't do it to protect anyone. I did what I did for revenge, and revenge only. Nothing over righteous.”

“Whatever reason you did it, you still stopped an operation that killed and tortured innocent people. That’s more than heroic to me.” She explained folding her wings behind her back. She placed her hands near the fire trying to warm up as snow blew down the cave from shifting winds in the blizzard. Koal said not a word. Not often he is rendered speechless, but in this moment he could not conceive a response. The moment of silence passed on. Dawn looked up at him, he was still trying to form some counter-argument.

“You can stand and think of something to make yourself sound horrible, or you can accept that you did something for the benefit of others. That demon was your angel.” She said looking back down at the fire. Silent anger rose into Koal's veins. Dawn could feel the tension in his silence.

“Sorry. I understand it's tough to admit. I blamed myself so long for my father's death.”

"How the hell am I supposed to justify the lives I've taken with that? I ripped apart families, killed fathers, sons, mothers, daughter... and I enjoyed it." He said angrily, trying to contain his rage. The vigilante shot up in anger just as much as the demon in front of her.

“They tore your family apart and they enjoyed it! That satisfaction was was with good reason!” She yelled angrily in Koal’s face over the fire. The stared at each other, bit in a rage of their own kind. Everything she was saying made sense, and that was probably why Koal was so enraged by the words. Dawn took a few deep breaths to calm herself and sat back down against the wall. She looked outside at the blizzard again, which had started to die down by now.

“I can tell you aren't with those maniacs that my allies are fighting. Why are you here?” She asked him. Although her perceptive skills were on point, she had no explanation made for that.

“I needed answers and Ballad had them. It's that simple.” He replied, sitting back down against the wall.

“I see. Did you get what you wanted?”

“We had a chat, but I did not get the information I was looking for, no.”

“Then why are you standing here? My boss is going to kill him before long. You might want to go.” She said motioning him down the cave.

“What about you?” He said.

“I'm going to come with you, because if I don't he’ll try to kill you too.” The vigilante rose back up to her feet and motioned him to follow. “I'd like my glove back too.”

[Koal]

Koal narrowed his eyes at the Assassin, his eyes searching her very soul for any hint of an ulterior motive. Anger still burned a patches through his veins, coming to a smoldering head in his heart. His red eyes glittered with an inner fire, and a faint black aura surrounded him again. She liked to think she knew who he was, but she had no clue. He could feel the walls contracting around his psyche. She would never know.

"I'll hang on to your glove for now. I don't trust you." Koal stood up, not bothering to smother the fire. It's not like anything would be able to burn anyway. He brushed past Dawn, his muscles tense and his mouth pressed into a thin line. He ignored the look of slight hurt that flashed across his companions face, his emotions become numb. He didn't care. He let the darkness of the cave envelop him, and he heard the faint steps of Dawn behind him. He could feel her sins, wrapping around his soul, being devoured by the monster within him. 

My, you are quite different, aren't you?

Koals head jerked as that voice resounded through his mind. It was smooth and silky, and it made Koal feel almost... safe. He could feel it moving around his head, stopping every few moments to examine something, before moving on. He felt the being search through his memories, examining each carefully and with great discretion. 

You will be very useful. You are willing to do what you have to to survive. You adapt, as a proper demon should.

"How...?" Koal muttered, his mind racing with questions. But he felt all his resistance drain from his body, as he felt a surge of energy rush through his body, the fire in his blood turning to ice. The hairs on Koals arms stood up, and he had to suppress a shiver. He stumbled and balanced an arm on the smooth stone wall to balance himself. The cold feeling persisted, but it seemed less foreign. Like he had known it his entire life. 

Think of it as an incentive, young blood. A coming of age gift fit for a proper member of our species.

"I...thank you. What shall I know you by?"
Koal felt amazement at the sudden knowledge at his disposal. But really, the control he felt over his body. Over his mind. He felt a wave of amusement wash over him before the cool voice echoed in his mind once more.

You shall know me as Seraph, young one.

[Dawnika Snow]

Yeah, okay. She was going to use her glove to summon her some clothes but you know. Walking around half naked is always an option too. Fuck the system. She tore off the tatters of cloth that covered her torso - They weren't doing her any good anyways - and burst her wings at the fire, making a gust of air strong enough to put it out. She had too much experience with fire to just let be loose on its own.


As she followed behind Koal, slightly cold and shivering, she could feel the demons influence wrapping it's horribly sharp claws around her mind. They looked for her next opening, the next spot to tear into Dawn soul. Her pulse raced quicker than a rabbit hyped on adrenaline. Her eyes strained to look forward. Her vision was blurry. The black blob she followed, Koal, seemed to moving around weird. She knew she couldn't fight anymore, this demon was going to beat her if it had to kill her in the process. What happened next was up in the air, but it likely would not end with Dawn on the top of the mountain. Weak was the only way to describe her.


A thudded sounded through the hall as the vigilante smacked into the rock wall of the cave. Dust transferred onto her from the wall and she fell to the ground. Koal turned his head to see her sitting on the floor of the cave. Something was definitely wrong with her. Though if he cared enough, he would have helped her up. Instead he scoffed and just continued to walk. Dawn got back up attempted to catch up with him. The blur traced her eyes still, making extremely difficult to see ahead of her. It was like losing one of your contacts, having good sight in only one eye. The other was just a blurry outline of what was clear. Understanding everything's depth was impossible.


She was able to keep up with Koal most of the way. Though Kage’s influence was seeping into every crack of her mind. The vigilante could not fight it. The demon was stronger than her, but if that was so why would she have not already taken control? Something unbeknownst to Dawn was affecting the demon, and it would not be long before she would get the upper hand on the hell spawn.

[Koal]

Koal felt the presence in his mind still, the entity remaining quiet, only speaking every so often. Even then, his words were cryptic and confusing to the young Demon. But Koal felt that his body moved much different now... smoother, and with more confidence. Koal felt a smirk pull at the corners of his lips as he felt another surge of power rush through him. He could feel their sins. The blood that proved their guilt called to him, sang to him. 

You now feel as a Prince should. You feed off their sins, and they are plentiful. It is your right of birth.

Koal felt satisfaction at those words, approval emanating from Seraph. Koal recognized the being as an elder demon, but not of his nature or what his intentions were. He felt the footsteps of Dawn behind him, a nagging suspicion ever-present in his mind that she would try to kill him. But without her glove... Maybe.

He stopped, turning to the half-naked Assassin. He dug the glove out of his back pocket, his eyes locking with hers as he held the accessory out. 

"As a gesture of good faith, I guess. Don't make me regret it." Koal mumbled the last part, pivoting on a heel as he began to walk back towards the central chamber. They were close now, another hundred feet or so, and they'd be at the entrance. Koal was slightly hesitant to admit he feared what lay inside. He could smell faint traces of gunpowder, with a sort of sickly-sweet scent in the air... a poison of some sort. He shook his head as a slight haze descended on his vision. Scarecrows toxin, fogging his brain. It was trace amounts, but enough to still leave a minuscule impression. Koal found a new respect for the Doctor as he experienced the feeling for the first time. It was a very potent weapon. 

The cave itself was a mess, of what Koals eyes could pick out through the blanket of darkness. The fire still burned, the embers casting a red glow on the cave. The young Demon saw several bullet casings littering the ground, and score marks from a sort of weapon. No one was visible yet, and Koals ears couldn't pick anything out of the darkness. They had to be here somewhere. Unless they had exited the cave system through other tunnels. There were several side passages.

"You have any clue where your allies went?" Koal inquired, peering at Dawn, who was looking around with a raised eyebrow.

Follow the destruction. See where it leads.

Koal felt his eyes being guided towards a steep drop off near one side of the cave, leading into a dark pit. Koal turned and tapped Dawns shoulder, jerking his chin to the opening.

"I'll follow you."