Another day, another job
by Keon Christensen
Data flickered down over the screen, the flickering numbers casting a dim light at brother Lucas's face. He smiled, the horned one be praised, the experiment was a success.
The master would be pleased and when the master was pleased, his minors felt it. Lucas looked at the screen again, if the horned one was with him, he would rise to the inner circle for this, which meant more power for him. "How is the project proceeding?" Lucas turned and gazed at his superior, that was looming over him "they will be done before dawn, my lord" he replied, Rake pulled himself to his full height, running a claw over his chin. The Demon was almost 2,5 meters tall, the body and face most of all reassembled a werewolf, except that Rake was completely hairless. Instead the giant man/beast was covered by carapace.
Rake ran a his gaze over a pair of the tubs that contained the subjekts. flexing his hands, each having three fingers with a long claw. "Ahhhh.." he droned "the master will be pleased" he looked at the researchers in the room "slaves, work faster, we WILL be finished before dawn or I will personally kill every single one of y...." Rake's speech was caught short as a part of the ceiling was carved in. A researchers scream was effectively and permanently stopped as he was caught under the falling debris.
Rake growled, he had no need nor time for this kind of interruption. Through the smoke from the hole dropped a human siloet, landing on the floor, cutting another researcher to the ground with his grim two handed sword, Rake snarled "Guards, kill him!!" Brown clad men with guns poured into the room, a hell broke lose.
Lucas ran down the hall, the occasional screams from researchers or guards echoing behind him. Who dared to attack the horned one's chosen? Lucas was not a warrior, this was Rake's department. he reached the door to his escape, halting briefly, what was this? A red piece of paper of some kind was plastered to the door, didn't matter. Lucas grabbed the doorhandle, the ward flashed bright red for a split second, then a explosion rocked the building.
Wide slash, the blade passing three guards, the first was decapitated, the second got his throat cut wide open, blood spraying out and the third had lost his arm as the blades edge sliced though the limb and proceeded halfway through his chest. Dachend pulled Dracho'xian from the dead body. then throwing himself backwards, evading the spray of lead that was intended for him. rolling to his feet, Dachend gapped a green ward and threw at the guard that had fired at him, the man fell to the ground in a cloud of his own blood and gore.
Another guard that jumped over a table trying to tackle him, was sliced in half at the waist. Dachend looked around and ducked to the left as two guards let lose with their fire arms. A bullet found it's way to his thigh, but is was only superficial. Grabbing a UZI from one of the dead guards, Dachend shot a researcher trying to crawl away under the table. Then jumping to his feet, emptying the clip in one of the guards, the other ducking into safety. Jumping over the table Dachend came down on the guard driving a his sword into his back. Taking a second to twist the blade to insure the kill.
He then heard a battlecry and looked to the left, receiving a hard blow to the head, from the butt of a gun. Lashing out with his demon friend. Dachend cut the man across the throat. The guard, gagged as his blood began to flow. Four swift slashes with his sword and Dachend stepped over the limbless torso on the floor. Looking around the room again.
Out the corner of his eye Dachend saw a guard pop up behind a control consol, turning his gun to bear at him. Dachend reached for a ward, but a battlecry reached his ears first. a guard lunged at him from behind, Dachend evaded to the left, the man missing him. The wu then grapping with the arm holding his sword around the neck of the guard and pulling the guard around to cover for the fire of the first guard. The bullets tore into the man, that died with a scream for his comrads bullets.
Dropping the body, Dachend snatched the dead guards gun and picked of the other with a snap shot. Then throwing the gun away and quickly looking around the room.
Where was that demon? he was nowhere to be seen. But instead Dachend saw the last researcher run for a door, with a heave of his arm he flung Dracho'xian through the room, the Researcher stopping dead in his track as a blade thrusted through his chest from behind, the man fell stonedead to the floor.
The silence of a mourge fell over the big room, Dachend could feel how the blood pumped through his veins, there was no any more reseachers or guards left, but where was the damn demon.
Dachend tensed, he could sense that the demon was here, but he had hidden himself somehow. Dachend took a steep "come out and play if you dare" said the Wu, a almost playful tone to his voice.
A roar announced that the demon had accepted the challenge. Dachend just had time to turn before and powerful blow to his chest sent him sprawling through the room. Knocking what little air he had left in his lungs out as he landed, hard on the floor.
Gasping for air, the Wu pushed himself to his knees. A hand on his chest, felling up the three long scares that was beginning to drip blood. His eyes all the time locked on the demon. Rake walked forward, his chest heaving with anger "you pathetic fool!! You have ruined everything" Dachend gave a calm smile "that was the intention" Rake backhanded him hard, sending him rolling over the floor. The wu then starts to get up. "I should tear you apart limb from limb.." hisses the demon "but I think I'll just see you die from the poison in my claws" Dachend blinked "what poison?" then he looked back at the demon, his faces twisting in pain, he fell to his knees and he puked up a very large amount of blood. Coughing a bit and whipping his mouth, Dachend pushes himself to his feet "oh that poison" he mumbled. Rake's eyes couldn't be wider "what is this, you should have been completely paralyzed now" Dachend spat at the floor, making a harking sound "well go figure" he smiled. "THEN I'LL KILL YOU MY HANDS INSTEAD" Dachend stretched out his hand and looked at the charging demon.
There was a flash as living steel jumped through the air. Rake staired before him as the dark eyed mans sword sprang to his outstretched fingers.
Dachend slashed upwards, drawing a red line over it's torso, twirled to the left evading the charging monster. The hacked strait down, slicing it across the back. The beast took two more steeps, managed to turn and then dropped to it's knees. Holding his stomach, trying to stop the flow of blood and holding his intestiens inside, Rake coughed. "Why? a rivaling clan?"
Dachend lifted Dracho'xian over his head "nope, I was hired to find who ever stole those children and deal with it"
Rake staired at Dachend with blood shot eyes "you...your doing this for money" Dachend threw a lopside smiled "yep, but when it comes bastards like you..." the smile disappeared "I'd do it because I injoy it" Rake's head split with a dull crack. The body giving small jerks in spasme. Then it fell to the side with a *THUD* as Dachend drew the blade clear.
Not giving the dead fiend a second glance, he walked over to a table, the sword melting into his body. trying to ignore the intense pain in his chest as the poison was eating through his body. Dachend groaned slightly, he grabbed a file and looked through it. "Hmmm it appears that they where making somekind of weapons here... biological I think, I not so good with this science shit" he mumbled. Dracho'xian's eye appeared on his chest "I thought that you said that the children was taken to this place" Dachend growled and flipped through the pages of the file "I _did_ say they were taken here, you dolt" Dracho'xian grumbled a insult "then why are here not any children" "well I have been wondering about that too you idiot" Dachend mocked back "maybe they used them for fuel to something or food" he then mused "I don't hope so" mumbled the eye, Dachend looked around the room "or like the Kiya'itne clan that need a certain number of children to carry out that summoning ritual" the eye shuddered "yeah thanks alot Dachend, I really did want remember that..... poor children" Dachend nodded casualy "yep that was a real pisser"
Dachend looked at the line of glass cylender at the end of the room, non of them had been hit during the fight strangely enough "hmm this looks interesting" "oh boy I got a bad felling about this" mumbled Dracho'xian.
Dachend began to walk towards the tubs, then seeing that one of the dead researchers, that wasn't that dead when it came down to it, was trying to crawl away. In no time he gained at the man and knelled down before him. Dachend meet the mans eyes "my my young man, shouldn't you be in bed by now" he grabbed the mans head "rascals like you should sleep like the dead" *snap* Dachend let the head drop to the floor with a little *konk* he stood up and walked up to the nearest of the tubes and whiped away some of the moist on it, that was obscuring his view.
Dracho'xian cursed and Dachend raised a eyebrow "ahaaa that's where the children are" in the tube in front of them, a young girl around 14 years old, was hanging in the blue liquid. Lines attached to her mouth. Several needles dug into her head. Two at the eyes, two in her temples and one in the neck. Several signs and symbols were written on the body. Dachend rubbed his chin and studied the girl "okay, now the file begins making sense. These children were all born under special signs, that was why they where kidnapped" Dachend walked along the 13 tubes and whipped the moist of them. The children in them, ranged from infants to about 16 years of age and they where all girls.
Dachend looked in the file "what do you make of this Dach?" the eye asked, the Wu answered "well, it appears that these children have had their latern natural magic powers enhanced and focused for evil purposes. Plus they have been put through some kind of brainwash that makes them completely obedient to who ever controlled this thing, they were... to put it short...made into living weapons" the Wu threw the file away. Looking the tubs over "un-fucking-believable" there was a moment of silence "so what do we do Dach?" the Wu thought a moment, then a sword began to form in his hand "Dachend you can't possibly be serious!!" almost yelled the sword "dead serious" said the Wu with dry sacasm "but for gods sake, they're only children!!" hissed the sword.
"gee you think?!" mocked Dachend "but Dach?-" Dachend took a trying sweep with the blade, then said in a sharp tone that said that he would accept objektion.
"they are not children anymore, their empty husks with very strong magic powers and a remote control" "but but..... I understand" mumbled the sword.
Dachend swung the sword over his head and slashed at the first tube. The edge stopped just on the surface, making a chink in the surface of the glass. "Dracho'xian!!" growled Drachend "Dachend I can't do it. I'm sorry man, but I just can't do it. I can't make myself kill defenseless children, nomatter what they are. Sorry" Dachend let go of the sword that landed on it's point "come-on Drac, you know it has to be done" said Dachend tapping at the tube, the sword looked at him "I'm sorry Dachend, I just can't.... I won't do it. I'm just put together that way, Sorry..." Dachend stood a moment, grumbling. Then looked at his friend
"hey I follow you buddy" said the Wu, a gentle tone to his voice. that was so unlike him "I'll wait outside" the sword intoned a bit meek, turned and slid over the floor leaving the room.
Dachend stood a moment and looked at the girl in the tube in front of him, she couldn't be more than 10 years old. The blades on his gauntlets lashed out, he gave a humorless smile and sighed "yep I get all the glamorous jobs"
******
It had stopped raining, Dachend looked out of the window, then back at the desk where his employer sat. The man sat with a empty expression on his face "hey I said something" grumbled the Wu. The man managed to snap himself out of it "excuse me?" Dachend walked over and pointed on the bag on the table "I have brought you the responsible for you daughters kidnapping, I want my payment" the man stared at the demons head, his eyes where fare, fare away "yes... ofcouse..." he sat a minuet, his eyes shimmering with tears "I can't believe it, she's gone, my precious angel is gone" tears began to run down the mans face. Dachend rolled his eyes "what am I going to tell my wife, the other children's parents" Dachend pushed the head on the table and sat down on it (the table that is) "tell them that their children are dead. That they didn't suffer... " Dachend stood up "I'll raise my check from you secretary, the mayor didn't answer.
After a minut it came "but.... but wasn't there anything you could have done to save them?" Dachend pursed his lips "no, it was the best for them" he turned and headed for the door. The mayor looked up "what did you mean by that?" no answer "what did you mean??!!" nothing "tell me!!!" nada
Dachend stopped at the door and looked back at the mayor "you kids dead, live with it, die with it, I don't give a flying fuck. One way or another it won't change a thing" with that he left the room.
Having raised his check, Dachend stepped out from the gate to cityhall. Summoning a Shou-rin and taking of to the skies. Flying over the city. He looked to his left and noticed the smoke trail from the building. Where the laboratory had been. It had been a big fire. Dracho'xian's eye appeared on his chest "your sure that there were no way to save those children?" Dachend nodded with a stern face "it wasn't like I enjoyed it. But if I hadn't killed them back then, I would have been called back to do, sooner or later. When the one with the remote, took control of them" "I see" said the eye "where are we going anyway?" "a place to eat, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry" answered the wu.
Madoka: Yeah, I'm hungry too!
Chika: I'll get lunch then!
Shinobu: ...and I'll get the Alka Seltzer...
Chika: Hidoi wa! *sob*
