Dave's breath stilled with anticipation.
He had been on the hunt for a couple of days now, tracking a young man and his child through the trashed city of Houston. It was a slow and painful hunt, with a multitude of opportunities to strike. Too many in fact. The man was weakened by a bite wound on his shoulder, that's how Dave initiated his tracking. It was a potent scent of fear and desperation. An easy ass target for once.
There was one issue here; the kid.
Most of his kind wouldn't hesitate to tearing the child apart, or raising it as a kind of thrall. But nope, not a fucking chance for Dave Motherfucking Strider. That's where he drew the line. Fuck that.
He'd learnt shortly after stalking them, that her name was Casey. She was in every sense of the word adorable. Golden blonde hair, sharp green eyes, pale skin, chirpy voice. Adorable as fuck. Dave would never admit these thoughts to anyone.
He would have abandoned the chase, if you could call it that, if it weren't for the fact that he was literally starving. Bro told him he wasn't taking care of his sorry ass anymore, and if he was hungry, he should go find food by himself. That was four days ago he had that 'argument' in their apartment. He hadn't eaten in eight. Holy shit was he so fucking hungry. His belly was actually rumbling! No, no, just nope.
He sighed, staring down at his prey. The pair had no idea they were being watched, not a single clue. Which was strange, because, Dave eventually tried to make his presence known. The guy just kept going with the little girl on his back. Tough son of a bitch. He might actually taste nice. Whether it be his blood or his flesh, Dave didn't really care. He looked like a walking bacon and cheese beef burger with diced onions and tomato ketchup oozing out between the buns. Fucking yum.
Whoa, that was way less creepy before he put thought into it. But hell, he'd been stalking this guy for two days with the intent of killing him and eating his flesh. How much more creepy could it get?
That stupid fucking kid, made it so difficult to attack. She was all like 'Daddy, when we gonna find Mommy?' or 'I love you, Daddy,' or 'I want some pizza!' How the hell did that kid know what pizza was? The world ended ten years ago, she couldn't be older than that, so how the hell could she have experienced the cheese infused majesty that was pizza? Pfft, stupid kid.
It didn't take long for the man to collapse from exhaustion. Two days was impressive actually. He'd bled out from his wound. Some other demon must have got him good before Dave picked up on the blood. Poor bastard. Oh well, his loss.
Dave watched eagerly, and yet hesitated before descending down to the corpse. The girl was pulling at his jacket with her dirty white mittens, and nudging him in desperation and confusion.
"Daddy? Why are you sleeping now?" She whined, attempting to invoke some life in him, to no avail. He was dead, Dave didn't even need to smell it. The man was just lying there, unmoving, with his blood staining the sidewalk.
"Come on, Daddy, wake up! It's not safe, you said!" She probably started to realise that something was terribly wrong now. The panic was evident in her shaking voice.
Dave crouched not far away, hands falling between his knees, hovering on top of a long since crashed truck down the street. The street itself was filthy, littered with abandoned vehicles, rotting shopping bags and crates, and now the body of some poor kid's dad. He bit his tongue, and refused to move.
Someone jumped down onto the head of the truck next to him with a decent thud. The man's hands were in his pockets, and his shades hid his face perfectly. "Sup, little man." He greeted with a hint of relief, "been looking for you everywhere."
Dave hummed in reply, and acknowledged his older brother with a short nod.
"What, no, oh hi best bro, I've been hella busy getting some dinner all by myself because I'm so cool, holy shit."
Dave rolled his eyes at him and clicked his tongue, "I'm still busy, if you don't mind, Dirk."
He huffed a near chuckle, "I can see that," he observed. "What? Not got the balls or something?"
"Shut up. I'm just enjoying the show, you know, love the whole suffering of humanity. It's poetic as hell watching the struggle of their final moments, the last of their hope fading away into the darkness of my slick maw."
"Whoa, dark, lil' bro," he grinned. "But I ain't buying it."
Dave didn't reply this time, only took to staring at the little girl who began to weep against her father's chest.
"This is it, man. Now or never."
Dave frowned, and bared his fangs. He tried to speak through his teeth, but it came out as a muffled flurry.
Dirk sighed, and slapped Dave's back, "you gotta eat. It's as simple as that. We all went through this bullshit at one time or another. Happens all the time."
"This is just bullshit," he half spat, half sighed. What an unusual combination.
"Look, you can keep the kid if it'll emotionally scar you to kill her, just get this shit under control, or I'll take over," he spoke through his frustration.
Dave had considered that, but coming home with some random human kid would put Bro into a fowl mood for at least a century. Not that Dave had lived through a century to fully comprehend it, he was like sixteen or something. So yeah, a century with Bro throwing random crap at him (that motherfucking puppet) sounded even more crappy than a simple 'you're so grounded,' or the usual 'you had one job, little man.'
Bro was a bit of a dick.
"Shit-" Dirk hissed.
Something was wrong. The wind changed, and a disgusting smell surged through the air around them.
"Fucking Noirs... I told you, man, too little, too friggin' late..." Dirk pushed him down atop the truck roof.
Noirs were trouble. More trouble than hunters, or kids screwing with your head, or Bro on a bad day. Noirs would kill and eat anything they could. And worse, they would devour the souls of their prey, their power, their strength, their youth. Noirs were bad bastards.
Dave swore too much, he finally noted.
Screw it.
There it was, stalking down the street, barely a man, but not quite a beast. It was a black mass of snarling vigour. It was staring down the girl, who was yet to notice it coming closer to her.
Noirs were once human, he recalled. They became twisted and freakish after years in hell, however many it might require to trick a demon into dropping it's guard. They ate a demon soul, and then never stopped until they were killed again, and again.
The Noir before them still looked almost human, although the black tentacles waving from his back and the sword through his chest suggested it had been a while since he had escaped the claws of the pit.
Dave wouldn't admit it, but it was scary. And by the look on his big brother's face, he was scared too.
"Don't move, don't make a sound. You're not ready for this kinda stuff yet..." He nearly whispered.
But, the kid was still out there...
She was still crying into her dad's stained sweater.
Another Noir arrived upon the scene, joining behind the first. This one was similar to the first, but without any extra parts to his humanoid form, fresh out of hell.
They kicked something on the ground, and startled the girl away from her father's corpse.
"Come on, they'll go for the easy prey first, let's move it," Dirk made to stand, before Dave tugged him back down with a snarl.
"D-Daddy, wake up! Wake up, Daddy! Please!" She cried, "I'm scared, Daddy! Wake up!"
A ferocious growl erupted from Dave's throat, and he looked at his brother.
"No, Dave, stop it. This is serious shit here," he spat, "I promised Bro I'd keep you safe, this here, is not safe."
"Like I give a crap what the old man says."
"Dave!-"
He didn't have the time to shout anything more as Dave disappeared from the roof, and reappeared before the girl. His broken blade was unsheathed, and swung by his side with no less grace than a crow in the winter of the northern states. Poetic. As. Shit.
The Noirs briefly looked as though they were taken by surprise, which they must have been. But quickly the shock turned into twisted joy, sniggers marked their jaws.
"A baby Strider," the older of the two spoke, the one with the tentacles and sword stabbed through his chest.
"Baby? Come on, give me some credit. I'm youthful, not childish," Dave countered, and gripped his sword tighter.
"You won't be much of anything in a minute..." It smirked, spreading it's fangs from ear to ear slyly.
Dave extended his blade before him, and readied for an attack.
But Dirk appeared ahead, and cut down the younger Noir with a single swing. His brother was the ultimate badass. So was Bro, but Dave wouldn't admit that either.
The older Noir avoided the next attack from Dirk, and leapt back a good few metres.
Dirk stood his ground, and waited for it to make a move.
The bastard smirked again, and shook his head. "How is it that a couple of high and mighty Strider brats are fighting dirty on the streets of a ruined city? Hard times? The Condesce lost interest in the oldest's dick? No wait... She has... Ever since Lord English took a fancy to the broad. I'm surprised there's still any of you left after he took control."
"Beat it," Dirk warned without any need to suggest how dangerous he was.
"Not until I take what I want," it retorted, staring at the humans behind Dave.
"Kid's mine," Dave answered calmly.
The Noir snorted, and bared it's teeth.
"Take the rest," Dave spoke again, and herded the girl away from her father.
She barely resisted, too fearful to understand her situation. All she must have known was that there were monsters surrounding her, killing each other, and now their attention was on her.
"I can agree to this," it finally said, stretching it's extra limbs across the street to pick up the body.
"Daddy!" The girl screamed, "don't hurt my daddy!"
Dave cringed, and placed his free hand atop the girls head. It didn't help, she was still crying for her father.
"Come on, lil' bro," Dirk said without turning from the Noir, expecting Dave to leave first.
Dave sheathed his broken blade, and picked up the kid, who was kicking and screaming. He hushed her as best he could, which was pathetically poor a job done, and absconded the fuck out of there before he heard the body being torn apart.
He appeared in the living room of their apartment, sweating and starving still. The girl lay limp in his arms, head fallen over his shoulder. She was quiet, fearful. He could hear her heart going like a kettle drum.
Dirk appeared a moment after, sheathing his sword before turning to face Dave with the most painful angry look he'd ever displayed. He didn't say anything, but he didn't exactly have to.
"I'll be in my room," was all Dave said.
"Bro can deal with this, I did my job," Dirk said before Dave closed the door behind him, not intending the statement for anyone in particular.
The door clicked shut.
He sat the girl on his bed and left her to do her own thing until he figured out what to do. Rose maybe? Oh hell now, her psychobabble bullshit could only be tolerated for so long... John. John might have answers. He immediately logged onto Pesterchum on his phone, and scrolled down his chum list to find his best bro.
He was interrupted by a sob from the other side of the room. The kid was backed against the wall, clutching her knees to her chest, staring at him through drenched red eyes.
"Yo, kid," he said quietly, stuffing his phone back into his jean pocket so he could walk over to the kid with his full attention.
"You're a bad man! Daddy said!" She yelled, "You hurt people!"
He sighed, and scratched the back of his head. "I won't go denying that, kid. But I'm not gonna hurt you, you're pretty safe here. Just don't leave my room just yet, okay? My bros won't be too happy seeing you wandering around..."
She frowned, and it was adorable, "I want my daddy."
"Your dad's..." Being torn apart and eaten at the minute... "Not able to take care of you anymore."
"I don't understand..." She whimpered.
"He, uh, was very tired, and the angels let him sleep in heaven. I'm gonna take care of you now," he said slowly, unsure of himself for once.
"But you're a bad man!"
"I'm a strong man! Not the creepy circus kind, but hell, I'm pretty freaking awesome," he scoffed, folding his arms, "and I'm gonna take care of you for a while, until I can work something out, okay. You're safe, kid. I'm your big bro now, alright?"
She was silent then, too sad-looking. The poor thing was lost, alone, afraid. He couldn't hurt her, he never intended to. He wanted to eat her dad's flesh, but he couldn't when he seen the kid. Casey, he remembered was her name.
"You just get some rest for now, kid," he shuffled a hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone again. He couldn't deal with this, John had to know what to do.
- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 19:43 -
TG: hey egderp how are things in faulty towers?
EB: uhhhhhhhh.
EB: horrible.
TG: care to elaborate?
EB: jade, grandpa, ruins, madness... jeez, these people never stop. haha.
EB: nevermind, you're asking ironically or whatever, right?
TG: being polite bro
TG: dave strider is the messiah
TG: all polite and caring and shit
TG: we could be undergoing siege here and i would pester you with my affections
EB: oh wow, i'm swooning like crazy over here dave.
EB: you're devilish charm is overpowering, even though i'm impossibly far away, i can feel your adoration for me.
TG: coming on to me now? hate to tell you bro, no homo
EB: pfft
EB: you started it
EB: so
EB: what's up?
TG: ...
EB: ...
TG: ...
EB: ...
TG: enough egbert this is painful
EB: GASP.
EB: THE dave strider is in pain?
EB: seriously though what's with you?
EB: don't be all cool and ironic and stuff, i can tell, sometimes.
TG: went on my first solo hunting trip today
EB: oh.
EB: so uh, how did it go?
TG: fucked up pretty bad
TG: like i accidentally impregnated some stray dog
EB: ...
EB: opposed to intentionally impregnating a stray dog.
EB: just to establish here, you're being sarcastic right?
TG: for fuck sake john of course i was being sarcastic
EB: thank god haha.
EB: that would be weird.
TG: no shit
TG: i brought some kid back with me
EB: oh? demon or?
TG: she's pretty human
TG: and hates me
EB: so you need me then?
TG: always bro
EB: ew gross.
TG: shes just sitting there all upset and i dont know why but the strider charm isnt working on her
TG: her dad died today
TG: noir would have got her
EB: i'll be there in a few minutes, hold on.
TG: owe you man
- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 20:08 -
John sighed greatly.
True to his word, he arrived in the Strider apartment no longer than six minutes later, and found Dirk sitting on the couch watching some old program with cartoon ponies in it. He was a pretty strange guy.
He decided Pestering him was the easiest form of communication.
- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering timaeusTestified [TT] at 20:15 -
EB: hey dirk, how are things?
Dirk looked down at the ping from his phone, and then up through his shades as he nodded, "daunting as usual, but with extra teen angst in the air."
John gave a short laugh and turned to look at Dave's bedroom door.
"Dave called you then?" He asked, staring back at the tv.
EB: yeah, he brought a kid back with him?
John asked with genuine concern, for both Dave and the kid, and for the whole situation itself. The Striders were still demons after all, super high in the ranks of things FOR demons. The Condesce had a thing for Bro he believed.
"You're probably better off talking to him about it, kid," he groaned, "you're pretty much his mate, right?"
EB: by mate you mean friend, yes.
John rolled his eyes.
EB: besides, you're however old, shouldn't you have one by now?
"Waiting," he replied, taking a sip from his bottle of Fanta.
Demons were weird as hell.
Ha.
Anyway.
EB: well, you know where I'll be.
- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering timaeusTestified [TT] at 20:18 -
John retreated to Dave's room, glancing back to see Dirk raise his bottle in acknowledgement.
He entered the room hesitantly. He first looked around and settled his eyes on the girl, who perked up at the sight of him.
He let a small smile grace his dorky features.
"Sup," Dave greeted loosely, drawing John's eyes to the desk he was sitting at.
'Hey Dave, sorry I took so long,' he signed before he closed the door behind him, and walked over to offer a good bro fist. 'You know how family is... He barely let a laugh escape him, then he walked over to sit on the bed where Casey was.
He waved to the girl, offering another warm smile. He took out his phone and opened his notes, before typing. Being mute was a pain in the ass sometimes.
i'm john, what's you're name?
She sniffled, and looked at him as if he was a miracle incarnate. "I-I'm Casey... Are you an angel?"
Clever kid, he noted mentally, and laughed, ruffling a hand through his black hair. He flipped his hand from side to side, indicated a 'so-so', or 'kind of'.
"Why aren't you talking, Mr. John?"
can't, i'm not able to speak, my voice doesn't exist. He tried to explain through his notes.
"Are you here to save me...?" She moved closer to him, peeking over to Dave.
i'm here to help, yeah. He looked back toward his best bro questioningly, and received a shrug.
His eyes found Casey once more, and he opened his arms for her. She immediately hugged him tightly.
"My daddy! They hurt my daddy!"
"Like hell we did!"
John turned to glare at him.
Dave growled, and folded his arms in protest, sliding back to his computer screen.
"No..." Casey mumbled into his shirt, "the other ones... The scary black ones..."
"Shh..." John nearly sounded, but it was a bit off. He petted her golden head in attempts to sooth her, which he was pretty good at. Not as good as his twin, but still pretty good. He pushed her away a bit to type another line into his phone i'm here, casey. no one's gonna hurt you now, i promise.
"But- there's still bad men here..."
John frowned, and looked back at Dave sceptically. dave is pretty okay, casey. that's the man sitting over their having a hissy fit, he grinned, watching Dave shuffle as if he was rolling his eyes x5 under his shades. his brothers are good too, dirk and bro. they're good people, ish.
"Good guys?" She looked up with shiny green eyes, and then over to Dave, and back at John again. "Are you sure, Mr. John?"
that guy over there, John pointed back with his thumb, is my best friend.
Casey smiled, and giggled.
"Thank fuck, you're lightening up, kid," Dave spoke with relief.
- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:24 -
EB: dave, control the swearing around our baby girl!
TG: baby girl
TG: hope you know im the big spoon in this freakish little relationship egbert
EB: HA HA DAVE.
"... I won't be able to see daddy again, will I?" Casey said out of nowhere.
John's face lowered, and he pouted nervously.
"Because he's in heaven, right? That's what Mr. Dave said..."
John barely glanced away from her and nodded very slowly. he's in a better place, sweetie. looking out for you. he's the reason you're here, and safe with us.
"Brave man," Dave added, "awesome dude."
She nodded, and hugged John tighter. He hugged her back swiftly.
He held her for a long time, he had no real idea how long for. But he ended the hug eventually. how about we settle you down in the living room to watch mr little ony with uncle dirk?
"The scary man?"
he only looks scary, sweetie. John smiled again for the thousandth time today.
She frowned, and eventually nodded.
EB: gimme a minute, dave, just need to settle this little princess down with her uncle dirk.
- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 20:29 -
Dirk was still sitting on the couch, drinking orange fizzy goodness and watching more animated magical ponies prancing around being friends and stuff. Casey was still in his arms, hanging onto his neck dearly, afraid to let go.
He stood there awkwardly, unable to speak in any way.
"Yeah?"
He lowered Casey to the floor, but as she stood, she hung onto his waist as tightly as his neck. He brought out his phone, and Pestered.
- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering timaeusTestified [TT] at 20:31 -
EB: i need to ask a favour...
"You can ask," Dirk replied after a minute, which was good enough.
EB: could you keep an eye on casey for a little while, she'll behave and watch the pony stuff quietly.
"Dealing with Dave then?"
John sunk back, and answered.
EB: yeah, I suppose.
EB: casey would just be better in here with you i think, just for like an hour max.
Dirk paused the screen, and turned to regard them both. Casey dared to catch a glimpse of him and was frightened back into John's shirt. "I don't mind," Dirk eventually said to John's relief.
EB: now, i know i can trust you to take care of her...
"Don't even start, man," Dirk spoke with grand annoyance to his tone. "She's fine, go take care of your mate."
EB: still not my mate...
- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering timaeusTestified [TT] at 20:37 -
John walked Casey over to the couch, and lifted her to sit beside Dirk. She settled on the furthest away pointed, near enough resting on the opposite arm from him. Good enough, he decided, and petted her hair once more before walking away.
"Oh yeah, watch yourself, John."
"Hm?" He turned back to await anything further than that.
"It's been eight days."
John's eyes widened at this, and he chewed his bottom lip with brisk worry and a noticeable overbite.
When he entered the room, it was pitch black. When he tried the lights, they didn't work. John hummed to himself unnervingly, closing the door again.
He groaned in disdain.
Dave was stalking again, as expected. He had an opportunity to hunt and feed in privacy, so his instincts took over naturally. His kind loved to screw with people, watch them panic before they strike. John admitted, he was scared shitless at the minute. He'd never known his best friend to go for so long without feeding, four days was normally when he got jittery, five he got desperate. Eight must have been starving. He had to be careful during this feeding.
He'd allowed his best friend to feed from him before, it was hardly that much of a deal anymore. Blood was their agreement. He even allowed the stalking, because he knew it thrilled his friend, made it feel more natural to him.
But knowing it had been eight days since he'd last fed was terrifying. He had no idea how Dave had been hiding the hunger, especially around Casey. John supposed it just made him more of a person than a monster, which was a comfort.
But now, nothing was there to hold him back. He was hungry, and alone with his prey.
John walked into the centre of the room and closed his eyes, and breathed. He was still a person, he could control the hunger.
John knew that when it came to feeding demons, you could offer three things; blood, flesh and intercourse. Souls weren't on the menu, you couldn't eat or drink a soul, you most certainly couldn't fuck it. But you could taste it in one form or another.
Blood was the most practical and obvious choice. Neither John nor Dave was homosexual, so sex was hardly an option. Flesh meant losing an arm or something.
The only problem with blood was there was always the risk of bonding, much like with intercourse. One fuck up and you'd be bonded as mates forever.
Dirk joked too often about it, but Dave had never marked John, that would just be wrong. His neck was thoroughly off limits come feeding time.
But during moments like this, when Dave was feral from hunger, John was scared of what he might do. Bonding was the least he could do. With enough enthusiasm, Dave could kill him.
He shook such thoughts from his head. His friend was starving past a desperate stage, and he had to help him through this.
He let loose a good deal of air from his longs and paced over to the bed, and settle himself near the middle with his legs tucked beneath him.
He was pinned forward immediately with his cheek against the pillow. He gasped, as the air was knocked out of him.
Dave straddled his back and held his arms down at his sides.
He could feel his heart thumping in his chest and was pretty sure his best friend could feel it too as his face lowered the breathe into his ear.
John jumped, and glared back at his friend fearfully. Don't you dare! He wanted to scream.
A low growl rang into his ear before his lips grazed across the nape of John's neck while he nuzzled the loose ends of hair out of the way.
His lips parted above his pulse.
He kissed his pulse, and John's blood ran cold.
John choked through his teeth. Dave, I know you're in there. Don't do this. I'm willing to help you with feeding, but I am not becoming your fucking mate! He tried to use telepathy, but neither of them was telepathic.
Dave kissed the spot again with more haste.
John wasn't going to let this shit go any further. He loved Dave (purely and platonically) and wasn't about to let him screw things up. He elbowed him in the gut as he broke free from his hold and turned to pin his friend down on his back.
Dave gasped this time, with mouth open and ready to snarl. John didn't hesitate to cut his wrist against Dave's exposed fangs so he had something to feed on. Dave quickly sucked at the wound with zest. It was a couple of minutes before he stopped to make eye contact through his shades, though John could only guess. Then John was pinned back again, while the neck of his shirt was torn.
Before he could protest, Dave bit him.
A surge if electricity made it's way through his veins. The pain came first, and then the morphine.
John whimpered poorly. It didn't take long before his consciousness faded into darkness.
