Beneath The Shadows
Chapter 2
"Wake up, boy."
Dante slowly came out of his haze. Though everything was very blurred at first, and despite the fact that half of his consciousness had yet to recover, he was able to make out his surroundings. He was in a gray, cement floored room with one white light hanging from the ceiling. There was one man in front of him with a few others scattered across the room, all holding powerful sub-machine guns or assault rifles. He was handcuffed to the back of a chair that was heavily weighted to the ground.
"Heh…" He started. "Whatever that shit was that you used to knock me out, let me know where I can get some."
The man in front of him held up a syringe filled with a blue liquid.
"The newest and most effective sedative on the planet. Specifically made to knock out demons."
Dante scoffed.
"Why knock them out when you can kill them?"
"Oh contraire, Dante…" He backed away. "That's exactly why you've been brought here today."
"I don't think I follow, Mr. … who the hell are you again?"
He smiled.
"You can call me Amethyst."
"That's cute." Dante laughed. "Shouldn't you be dressed in pretty purple jewelry, though?"
Amethyst laughed, and quickly withdrew his revolver and planted one right between Dante's eyes.
After a long, sharp inhale, Dante brought his head back up with a deafening, "WOO-HOO!"
Amethyst laughed.
"44 Magnum! A little more sting than your average pistol." Dante said with an excited smile.
"Yeah, I know all about you, half-breed. We've been tracking you for a while. I knew that little Lady friend of yours would tell you about us snooping around her apartment building. She served as a great bait to catch you."
Dante laughed.
"Obviously it would have been too hard for you pussies to come to my shop and try to take me face to face."
"Best to take down a demon with smoke and mirrors. Especially one of your caliber."
Dante wasn't surprised about how much Amethyst knew about him. His reputation did precede him very well, after all.
"Best demon hunter in the land."
"So they say."
"I have to say, I'm impressed. I do admire your work greatly. But see, the only problem is, your profession is fucking with my profession."
"Ah, you're a trapper." Dante smiled. "I haven't seen one of you in years. Probably because all of you wind up dead."
"Not all of us."
Amethyst snapped his fingers, and his soldiers opened a large steel door, revealing a chained demon, hardly moving.
"Pft, I've seen bigger." Dante said.
"And that's where you come in. See, normally, when a hunter's effecting our profits as much as you are, we find that hunter and shoot his ass into oblivion. But something tells me that doesn't scare you."
"Well, that something's right. And sorry to disappoint you, but that wasn't the first time I've been shot in the head."
Amethyst walked back towards Dante.
"Dante, you're a business man, I'm a business man, so let's talk business."
"OK, let's talk business."
"I'm willing to forgive your killings that caused me losses and pay you a very hefty salary if you join me and my men. We can score more profit with more powerful demons, and you're the perfect one to help us get them."
"Thanks, Amy," Dante stared at him. "But I don't trap and sell demons. I blow their heads off."
"Think about it for a second, though. People will pay millions of dollars for live demons."
"Who, the zoo?" Dante laughed.
"Certain people. You'll find out if you join us."
"Well, after hearing your considerably strong argument, my answer is still, go fuck yourself."
"You're as stubborn as you are stupid. I know for a fact that your quality of life isn't exactly plush."
"Never has been."
"I can change that. Join us, and you can go from constant debt, cheap wine and pizza and your broken down old shop... to martinis, filet Mignon and beautiful women on a Caribbean island."
"Well, as great as that sounds, I hate sand, so I'm still gonna' have to decline."
"Hmm…" Amethyst's patience had worn out. "Well, we've seen how you can handle one bullet…" His men raised their guns. "Let's see how you a few hundred."
Dante smiled.
"Do your worst, Amy."
Before his men could fire, a large explosion blew the entire far wall to pieces. Dante grinned when Lady came bursting through the smoke, guns blazing. He broke free of his handcuffs and bolted up as Lady tossed him his pistols. With their combined firepower, they forced Amethyst and his men to scatter. Without missing a beat, they turned to the demon and blew it to smithereens.
"Again, your timing is the shit dreams are made of."
"Again, thanks. Good thing you left your keys in your car." Said Lady, whose bike happened to be out of commission. "But why the hell did you wait 'til I got here to bust your cuffs?"
"Because I was fucking with them."
"Why?"
"You see, Lady, right there. That's why you're always in a pissed off mood."
She firmly put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"You never take time to enjoy your work. Always blowing shit up, shooting things at first sight."
"Excuse me, but I take pride in being swift with my work."
"Well I take pride in enjoying myself as much as possible."
"Oh, you don't need to remind anyone of that."
"Man, you two can't be together without arguing."
They looked to see Trish, smiling behind a pair of sunglasses.
"Fancy seeing you here," Dante said. "Haven't heard from you in a few weeks."
"Haven't had any work. I'm dropping by anything that looks like action. Saw the smoke."
"No jobs for you either, eh?"
"None. Business sucks."
"You're gonna' shit when you hear the reason."
"Trappers?" Lady asked.
"Yeah."
"Hmm... Usually they don't last long enough to cause us any loss in jobs."
"These guys aren't your average trappers, though." Dante started.
"Oh?"
"For starters, their guns aren't exactly nines and AKs. These were big-ass military issued guns, along with a vest of standard S.W.A.T. body armor for each guy. Also, the one who's in charge, Amethyst or whatever his name is, showed me this syringe full of the shit that they stuck me with. Said it was supposed to be the most powerful sedative on the planet."
"Where the hell did they get this stuff?" Lady asked.
"And how could they afford it?" Trish added.
"Well, that's the thing..." Dante looked around.
"No money, drugs, other guns, anything. And they sure as hell weren't too hesitant to book and leave that demon when you came in."
"Well it's not exactly the biggest one I've ever seen." Lady said.
Dante laughed. "That's what I said."
"This sounds kinda' deep." Trish said. "I'll ask around the other hunters in the city, see what they know about this."
"Good luck, there's barely any of us left." Lady said.
"She's right. Call Morrison while you're at it. He might know who to talk to."
"Will do. I'll call you in a few days. You'd better get outta' here before the cops show up. They're waiting for you to slip up, Dante."
"As if I could forget. That prick Harrison reminds me every chance he gets."
"Alright. Take it easy, guys." Trish disappeared back into the night.
"I think we'd better take her advice and split." Lady said.
"Agreed. What time is it?"
"Just passed one. Guess that sedative isn't powerful enough for you."
"Couple hours isn't bad." He laughed. "You sill got that grand?"
"Yeah."
"Eddy's? I could really use a drink or two."
"... Ah, fuck it."
"You know..." Dante slurred. "I really appreciate what you did for me back there."
"Oh, shut up." Lady shoved him, and nearly fell off her bar stool. "Like you needed my help."
"It's... it's not that. It's just nice to know that there's at least one person who has my back."
"No problem, ya' big dumb douche... that's what friends are for."
Eddy the bartender had to chuckle at the drunken ramblings of the two partners. They were regulars to the home-based bar, Cousin Eddy's, out in the middle of east cabumfuck. Beer, liquor, whatever your preference was, for cheap. Whiskey and vodka were always on the menu for Dante and Lady. Of course, it would always start off with Lady making it a contest and trying to drink Dante under the table, which she never succeeded at. It then lead into them admitting to each other how found of one another they really were, the amount of what they admitted depending on how much they drank.
"Such a cute drunk couple." Eddy was cut off by the sounds of crashing trashcans outside. "Well, Jose's here."
The whole bar started laughing. The man staggered into the bar as a pleasant flow of Stevie Ray Vaughn came from the jukebox.
"Who the fuck taught you how to drive?" Eddy laughed.
"My driving instructor." Jose snapped.
"That dude must've done some serious drugs."
"Fuck you."
"Quit running into my trash cans, dip-shit."
"Fine, just give me a damn beer."
"I'm calling your tab."
"Oh, you cum guzzling asshole." He pulled out his wallet and threw a fifty at Eddy.
"Thanks. Now take your beer and drink away your remaining two brain cells." He slid him his can.
"I will."
"Hey Eddy!" Lady barked. "Two more shots of Jim Beam for us."
"Lady... I think we've had enough." Dante said.
"Ohh, too much for you to handle?"
"... Two more shots, Eddy."
He poured them their shots. "Lady, can you emasculate men through their drinking ability more often? It really makes for good money."
Lady smiled.
"Cheers."
Both downed them, only Lady's did her in. She fell off of her stool into Dante's arms.
"Whoa!" She yelled. "THAT one got a hold of me."
She passed out right after.
"Damn... I win again." Dante laughed.
"You should get her home. I'm about to close it up anyways."
"Great. Another night of luggin' her ass up to her bed."
"You ever gonna' join her one of these nights?"
"We're partners, Eddy."
"Yeah, but the truth comes out when you're drunk. And everyone in here can see the truth."
"OK, Dr. Phil. Good night."
"Be safe, Dante."
Dante picked Lady up and carried her to the car.
Once back at her apartment, he carried her up the stairs, unlocked her door and lazily tossed her onto her bed.
"Always a good time, Lady." He slurred again before staggering back down the stairs and into his car.
"What a fucking day."
Good start for the first chapter, hopefully this chapter nets some more feedback. The next one won't be too far off. I have this shit pretty well outlined, so there won't be much if any delays. I really only have 'til late January to finish this, and it's looking to be pretty long, so the updates won't be spaced out as much.
"The China-man is not the issue here, Dude!"
PEACE!