I wrote this as a drabble for my RP Blog, but it ended up longer than I thought it would be, so I decided to post this here too. Wasn't sure how to rate this at first, but warning for gore, amputation, and some very mild cannibalism.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Gray Garden, it belongs to Deep Sea Prisoner.


Ater was on patrol duty again, much to her disappointment. Her red eyes scanned the area, not really paying much attention. The small cat perched herself on top of a tree branch, lazily swishing her tail. There were no leaves to provide any substantial cover, but her black fur was easily hidden from view thanks to the dark of the night. That was probably why her Devil sent her instead of Arbus. She wished that her sister was here with her anyway, she would have greatly appreciated her company.

Just when her boredom rose to a near intolerable rate, an idea came to her mind. It was one of those ideas that would have had Lord Kcalb angry at her if he learned of it, but Ater wasn't concerned with that right now. The feline jumped down from the tree, landing silently on the ground. She quickly made her way toward the territory of the God. If no angels were gutsy enough to sneak past the border tonight, then maybe she should take the initiative.

The cat tried her best to keep herself hidden in the shadows, not wanting to get caught. She kept her senses on high alert for any stray angel. Despite the fact that it was her decision to enter enemy territory, Ater was slightly worried about an angel finding her before she was ready to fight them. She knew that the chances were slim with her night vision and heightened sense of smell, but being cautious was never a bad thing.

The sound of rushing water attracted her attention, and the demon trotted forward. Walking past the trees revealed a clear river. If she was in her humanoid form, the sight of it would have made her smile. She lapped up the water, not realizing how thirsty she was until now.

Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps approach her. The demon hastily ducked behind a bush, trying to keep as hidden as possible. It seemed to have worked, as the angel that came into sight didn't notice her at all. The angel had a restless air about them as they sat down by the river, their back facing Ater.

Her earlier anxiety melted away into determination as the cat stepped toward them slowly. She kept still for a moment once she was close enough for an attack, bracing herself. Then the demon pounced, shifting into her humanoid form mid-jump. The angel let out a strangled gasp as they were suddenly shoved to the ground with nails biting into their neck.

They struggled on the ground briefly before pushing Ater off. The feline could have easily tightened her grip on their throat, but she let the angel have a small victory for now. Choking them to death would be too boring, and she wanted to enjoy this. They had a fierce glare on their face as their eyes met the cat's, unsheathing a knife.

Ater summoned her own weapon, making the first move by striking them in the arm that held the knife. The demon moved so swiftly that her opponent was unprepared for the assault. The pain was strong enough to make them drop their weapon and they clutched their arm. Blood was leaking through the sleeve and they stepped back, hesitating. They seemed to be contemplating whether it was smarter to keep fighting or run away when Ater kicked them to the ground before they could make a grab for the knife.

She kept her heel pressed firmly into their stomach to prevent them from standing. Blood splattered onto her dress as she dug her spear into the angel's leg. She allowed herself a tiny smile when her enemy screamed at the pain.

The angel was cursing her, clawing on her leg desperately with their good arm, trying to do anything to get her off them, but Ater wouldn't budge. Their cries of anger were satisfying at first, but the noise quickly grew irritating. So she silenced them, reaching down to rake her claws across their throat.

She brought her attention back to the leg, ripping her trident out, causing blood to gush. She stabbed the prongs inside the limb again, digging in deep. The tendons and the muscles were being torn apart under the sharpness of her spear. It was almost as if she was using a fork to cut into a stubborn piece of meat. The angel gurgled, blood dribbling from their chin. She doubted they would last long; she cut the throat well enough that they couldn't breathe anymore. Their screams were muffled by their own blood as they tried in vain to express their agony. She could tell the angel was weakening as the scratches on her leg became less insistent.

As the last of the tendons snapped, the leg was finally ripped from the body. The angel had a foggy look in their eyes from the blood loss, but they still looked down in horror at their lost limb. They quickly lost consciousness afterward, and Ater predicted that they would die from blood loss soon if someone didn't help them fast enough. She wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out if someone would come by.

Blood was still oozing out of the leg from where it was removed. Ater thought for a moment. It was a little big to carry around, but Cranber would probably enjoy it. She grabbed a hold of the stump, floating a bit off the ground so it wouldn't drag on the dirt.

The feline continued flying even as she reached demon territory at the crack of dawn. She dropped the amputated leg off at Cranber's home. Fortunately, the demon was awake, so Ater didn't have to worry about where to leave the limb. Her friend's eyes gleamed hungrily as she eyed the gift, swiping it from her hands.

The demon eagerly sucked on the bloody stump, a look of pure bliss on her face. The cat grimaced as she did this; Cranber's eating habits were a bit disgusting. However, the grimace immediately changed into a sincere smile when her comrade thanked her for the meal. After saying their goodbyes, Ater left for the castle. She found her Devil exactly where she expected him to be, sitting on his throne with her sister on his lap.

At the sight of her bloody dress, Arbus remarked, "It must have been an eventful night, Ater."

"The night certainly was eventful, Arbus." Ater agreed. She described how she killed the angel, not mentioning which side of the border she fought them at. Lord Kcalb praised her on a job well done, and the demon beamed in delight.