Chapter 2: My Killer Is A Hellhound, Right?
It didn't take long for the young human man Zack to get to his destination, even with the hellhound woman Loona being dragged along with him. Central Park wasn't terribly far from their location, it with the multitude of shortcuts, alleyways, and backyards that they crossed through, their time wasn't long at all. The moment they arrived however, their unwanted guests were already approaching Central Park. Without a moment to lose, the assailants entered into the park, each one of them holding a weapon if destruction and death. As they searched the area for the two, Zack was watching them from a special and secret cave, hidden behind tall grass and bushes. With a soft sigh of relief, he made his way back into the cavern, where a confused and slightly battered Loona sat.
"Looks like those guys followed us, but it doesn't seem like they noticed us hide in here. We should be safe for the time being." he said, as he took a seat across from her. His eyes glanced at her wound, a slight bit of blood dripping from it. "Are you gonna be okay? That wound looks kinda painful."
She stared at him as if he had grown a second head, maybe even a third.
"None of your fuckin' business dumbass." she replied, her words seeping with a venomous undertone.
With a awkward smile, Zack leaned closer to her, his eyes locked on her womb. It wasn't deep, but it would cause issues if it wasn't patched up. There was no telling how long they'd be their too, so it was a dilemma that Zack couldn't help but worry about. He huffed in determination, as he pulled off his hoodie and placed it beside him. Loona watched him cautiously, as he soon took his undershirt off and ripped a piece of it it, before he began wrapping the strip of material around her damaged arm. She flinched, before quickly bringing her clawed hand to Zack's neck, her eyes filled with rage.
"The fuck do you think you're doing?! Don't even think about trying to-"
"Shush, they'll hear us. Calm down, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm just trying to patch you up. I promise." he said, as he slowly finished his primitive patchwork, making sure that he didn't make any sudden movements. He couldn't help but find it funny, the situation seeming as if he was trying to help a wild beast that instantly saw him as a threat, due to her sense of danger rising. Only difference, was that he was helping what was essentially every furry's fantasy. The moment he finished, he slowly backed up to his original spot, a slightly frightened smile on his face.
"See? I told you, I wasn't gonna hurt you. You should get that patched up with a real first-aid kit though."
She rolled her eyes, finding his misplaced and mundane kindness to be not only an annoyance, but just downright stupid in general.
"Yeah, whatever. I didn't ask for you help now and I didn't before, so don't expect me to say thanks."
"Trust me, I didn't expect one to begin with." Zack thought to himself, as he let out an awkward chuckle. Now that he was slightly calm and a bit closer to her, his eyes began to study her appearance and disposition. One thing that Zack did when he ran into people was study them. Nothing that would be deemed stalker-ish, but normal things, like how they dressed, their attitudes, and sometimes even their nationality and race; However, it would be more like species in this case, considering that Zack wasn't even sure what she even would be classified as.
"She seems to dress in dark, slightly revealing clothes. Must mean that she's considered 'goth' by most. Attitude and character trait, most likely a tsundere, and she has an 'I know I'm a bitch' sorta attitude." He thought, as his eyes trailed down her silver-furred arms and legs. "Claws, and I bet those teeth of hers are more like fangs. Could she be the one that killed that other guy? Seems more than likely..so then why did she save me from those guys..?"
He looked back up at her face, her blood-red and silver-white eyes staring out at nothing in particular, his own eyes analyzing her thoroughly. So many questions danced in his head, and his curiosity was growing with each ticking second. He had to know what was going on, and the first thing to do was start off with introductions.
With a nervous cough, he soon spoke, "Um, so anyway, I'm Zack Trevle, nice to meet-"
"I didn't ask." she interrupted, making Zack's nervousness skyrocket.
"Uh, a-ha, right you didn't. Er, might I ask what your name is?"
Her eyes cut over to him so fast that it almost seemed like she was cutting the air. He could almost feel the menacing aura surrounding her, causing him to sweat from fear. She huffed in apparent annoyance, as she turned to fully look at him.
"It's Loona. Better memorize it, because I'm not telling you again."
Loona; a fitting name for what seemed to be a werewolf. He wondered if it was Luna with a U, or Loona with two O's, though he decided against asking her that. One question down, about a few dozen more to go. He looked around the cave, as he tried his best not to stare at her in curiosity and interest.
"Sooooo, uh, mind if we address the elephant in the room?" he asked. Loona tapped her clawed finger on the rocky ground, her eyes growing dark with contempt.
"If this motherfucker doesn't stop talking..."
She let out a loud huff, as she waved her hand at him, "Fine, whatever, what is it?"
"Great, so uh, here's a question; why are you a werewolf? Why were you trying to kill me? Who were those other guys? Are you the one who is responsible for the multiple murders recently? Are you really a fe-" before he could finish the next question, his stomach was met with a swift kick from Loona, leaving him winded.
"I'm not here to answer every damn question you have! Tch, no point in even telling you my name anyway, considering that you'll be dead anyway."
Zack looked at her in a mixture if shock and pain, as he rubbed his sore stomach.
"First of all, ow. Second, so you were trying to kill me before...and due to the fact that I've never met you or even seen, uh, whatever you are in my life, that must mean you're the serial killer that's been on the news recently."
Loona raised an eyebrow at him. Serial killer? That was the first she was called that, maybe because not many people even knew of her existence, and if they did, they were promptly told to keep their mouths shut, lest they want their life ended quickly.
"Huh, I guess you can say that. Though I'm not sure that a serial killer matches my job description. I'm a contract killer, not some fucked-up, mental teen with daddy issues."
"Okay, that's kinda harsh. She definitely has no filter..." Zack thought to himself.
"So, if you're a contract killer, then that means somebody hired you to off me, right? If that's the case, who would want me dead?! I haven't done anything to anybody!" he exclaimed, his heart beating faster at the realization of the situation. Loona shrugged, as she leaned against the wall, her left leg resting on her right knee.
"Beats me. Blitzo doesn't care, I don't care, nobody cares. We just do the job and get paid, plain and simple."
Zack blinked in confusion at the foreign name. Must have been one of the other intruders from before. With a slight nod or his head, he leaned against the wall, his mind processing what had been told to him, minimal though it may be.
"I see...So, that means you're a wolf contract killer? Talk about a strange turn of events."
Loona grunted, as she glared at him, her fur and hair slightly standing on end.
"I'm not a wolf, I'm a hellhound. Tch, dumbass."
Zack's eyes widened, as he stared at her in disbelief. If she was a hellhound, then that meant that she was some sort of demon, which would make those red creatures imps. Add that with the strange pentagram portal that he saw, and the answer was as clear as day. She was a contract killer demon from hell.
"So, you're a demon from hell?! B-But that's impossible, demons don't exist, right?! That's just folklore and ghost stories!" he shouted, as he began to sweat profusely.
Loona scoffed at his dramatic display. She was used to having people freak out over that fact, but she still found it funny that his mind was dead set on that fact and not the fact that his life was gonna end soon.
"Well, apparently, they aren't. Get used to it kid, because you'll soon be joining the old realm of hell." she said, as Zack calmed himself down.
"So..you're really gonna kill me..? Like, actually gonna kill me?" Zack asked, to which Loona simply nodded.
Zack was, for lack of better word, stunned. He was seriously gonna die, all because she was paid to do so. He wondered if she was paid by a demon in hell, or by a human with a childish grudge. He knew he would die at some point, but not like this. The idea was completely hard to believe, but whether or not he believed it didn't mean anything. His fate was set in stone, and the reality of that tore at him.
With a sigh, he lowered his head, his eyes staring at the ground beneath him. Loona raised an eyebrow, as she folded her arms in front of her, a smug and snarky smirk growing on her face.
"Don't look so down. On the bright side, at least you don't have any friends that'll mourn you, so nobody's gonna be down when you're dead. Plus, your death will have some meaning, in me getting paid." she hissed with an evil chuckle. Zack merely sat there in silence, as he tensed in a mixture of hopelessness and contempt. She was already gonna kill him, so why tear his spirits down? With a small chuckle, Loona got to her feet and brushed herself off.
"Welp, I think that's enough waiting. First I'll just tell Blitzo the situation, then I'll-" she stopped, as her hand brushed against her left pocket, then to her right. Nothing but air. With a slight gasp, she pulled her pockets out in a flash, only to find nothing but pocket lint and air.
"What the fuck! Where's my phone?!" she shrieked, as she searched around the small cave. There was no sign of it. It was definitely not hard to miss, since it's color was such a bright, blood-red.
"Did I drop it somewhere?! I didn't feel it when I was running after the human..So that means.."
She turned her head to the depressed human, as her eyes squinted with anger. Their were either two scenarios here; He either took the phone, or it feel from her pocket when she was knocked to the ground. Regardless, her anger and blame was pointed to him like a gun, and she was ready to take aim. With a low growl, she gripped his collar and raised him up to her eye-level, snapping him out of his daze.
"Where is it? I know you have it." she spat, causing Zack's face to twist in confusion.
"Okay, uh, first of all, your breath stinks, like really bad. Second of all, I don't have anything of yours whatsoever." he spoke out.
Loona growled, obviously not liking his answer. She threw him against the wall and pinned him to it, her teeth poking out of her menacing frown.
"You better not be lying to me fucker. I've killed for way less reasons than this."
Zack couldn't help but swallow hard in fear. Here he was, getting abused by a hellish creature that was paid to kill him for no reason. Nevertheless, he had to think of something and fast. There had to be some way to get Loona to back off a bit and see him as someone to keep alive. He thought for a moment, before getting what people would call a "lightbulb moment".
"Perhaps your phone fell out of your pocket at my house. You did take a tumble on to the ground, so it's possible that's where it is right now." Zack suggested. Loona blinked a few times in thought. It made sense, and if it was there, then she wouldn't have to also find her way back to where Blitzo and the others were. It'd kill two birds with one stone. Even so, there was still the matter of getting there. She had no idea where exactly his house was, and it'd take days to search the entire city. As reluctant as she was, she needed the human, even if for a little.
"Alright, if that's the case, then you're taking me back to your house so I can get my phone."
"Why would I help my own killer get their phone back? What, so you can kill me later?" Zack countered, as he raised his eyebrow.
"It's either I kill you quickly, or I beat the shit out of you and then kill you. Take you pick, smartass."
"I really don't see a difference. If anything, I have more time to live if I don't help you. So again, why would I help my own killer?"
She growled louder, as her grip on his shirt tightened. She couldn't exactly refute what he was saying, but even so, she needed to get her phone back and find a way back to Blitzo. There had to be someway to get him to bend the knee. Perhaps beating him to pulp would do it, or ripping off one of his fingers? Before she could even do anything, Zack sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fine, I'll help you." he said, much to Loona's dismay.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah, I might as well. I'm gonna die anyway no matter what, and if I die, you're more likely to die too, thanks to those guys. So, why have both of us kick the bucket? Might as well just be one of us."
Loona wasn't sure what she was hearing. Was he seriously going to help her, even though if he did, then he'd be a dead man? She couldn't help but stare in disbelief and caution.
"You know if you try to run, then I'll catch you, right?"
"I know, trust me. I'm only thinking of what exactly would be the best course of action in terms of loss, gain, and just straight up morals. Plus, I wouldn't feel right if I was the reason someone got killed."
"Fuckin' hell... what's with this guy...?" she thought to herself, as she continued to stare at him. He was going to help her, after everything she said and after the realization that he was gonna die. She was was definitely not convinced, but she still had to get home. She grunted, as she let his shirt go with a light shove, and folded her arms under her ample breasts.
Zack brushed his hoodie down and slid his hands into his jeans pockets, as he started to head towards the exit to the cave.
"Come on, I think those guys are gone now. If we hurry, we can catch a bus over to Hell's Kitchen." He called out to her, as he exited the small cave. Loona soon followed behind him, her crimson eyes staying locked at Zack's back. If he was going to run, she would make sure to catch him and give him a swift and painful death.
As the two walked down the park sidewalk, making sure to not to draw attention to themselves, which was hard considering that one of them was a silver-furred hellhound, Zack couldn't help but look back at his life. His memories, dreams, aspirations, everything was just flooding his mind. The only thing that bugged him, was that he was gonna die a virgin. He sighed, as he muttered to himself, "Guess I'm dying a virgin..."
Loona snickered, as her face grew a belittling smirk. Zack groaned, as he looked back at her, frowning.
"Hey, at least when I die, I won't end up in hell with the likes of you and your killer cronies." he challenged.
"Whatever, at least I get paid, and it's not like I care whether or not you go to heaven or hell. To me, it's all the same."
Zack raised an eyebrow, as he turned around and walked backwards, staring at her in confusion.
"Really? Well, mind explaining it to a person that's never been to either of them?"
Loona raised an eyebrow, as he looked back at him. As much as she didn't feel like 'shooting the shit', she might as well keep his mind away from trying to find a way to escape. With an audible grunt, she started to explain it to him.
"Hell is literally just another part of this world. It may have demons and shit, but it's basically this place here. You have death, you have crime, you have drugs, and you have a whole bunch of bullshit that people deal with. Heaven is the opposite, but even some amazing, evil-less, paradise of a place has some sorta stain on it's pearly-white sheets. There is no paradise, there is no safe haven, and there is no peace. I haven't seen any place like that ever and if I don't see it, then to me, it doesn't exist."
Zack couldn't help but stare at her in a mixture of disbelief and pity. He couldn't help but think to himself and reassess what made her, well, her. That's when his mystery writer itch gnawed at him. Even though she was gonna kill him, and was a bit of a bitch, he still wanted to know a bit more about her. He might as well, considering after going through every possible idea in his head, he saw no way to escape his fate. So, to start off with, he had to ask her more questions.
"You said that you live in hell, right? How are you able to live in a place like that?" he asked, making her shrug her shoulders.
"It all comes down to power. Whether it comes from yourself or who you know, it's all about power. If you're weak, you're likely to get the shit beat outta you, mugged, killed, and even..well..other things that'd make you shiver. I was just lucky that I ended up where I was. Not to mention that I can kick the ass of anyone who wants to fuck with me."
"Yeah, I can tell that you've been in a few scraps. I mean, you took out all those dudes by yourself. Not to mention that your clothes are all ripped and such." he said, as he turned back around and slowed his walk just enough so that he was walking next to her. She let out a chuckle, placing a clawed hand on her hip.
"This is what I wear dumbass. It's always like this." she relayed, making Zack smile sheepishly.
As the two walked towards the bus stop, Zack asked more and more questions about her. Turns out, she didn't die like most did in the living world, but was born in hell, to which her father figure Blitzo found her and took care of her. She was also not the usual person who went to kill people, but instead was the secretary, who rarely ever picked up the phone. With every question asked, the two slowly began to relax, even throwing out the occasional joke. They were both enjoying themselves, so much so that they passed the bus stop and walked the way there instead. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Zack's apartment building, to which they were walking down the halls to his apartment.
It was so strange to Zack. She seemed so normal, like she was a normal human. Though she was rough around the edges, he believed that it was merely because of the place she lived and was raised in. Something was still bothering him though, a question that was gnawing at his mind. He had to ask, lest his curiosity kill him before she would.
"So, I've got another question.. Are there any demons that are good in hell?"
Loona looked down at him, her eyes observing his face, trying to see if he was actually being serious with his question. He looked back at her, his eyes housing a mix of seriousness and curiousness. She couldn't help but truly think about it. Her father-figure Blitzo could be seen as good, but he was a person who had no problem killing for money. Was he really good? She couldn't help but shrug her shoulders, her eyes looking ahead of her.
"I don't know. Probably not, considering that demons in hell are mostly dead assholes who used to be alive." she answered, as she crossed her arms over her chest. Zack couldn't help but shake his head, as he scratch the back of his head.
"Well, you're a demon that lives in hell, so that means there's at least one good demon out there."
Loona stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock. Did he just say she was good? She was gonna kill him, he knew that fact, yet he was saying she was a good demon. She stared at him, as he turned to a door, observing his face for any signs of fear, disgust, deceit, anything at all to show that he was just simping out on her. There was only a small smile on his face, as if he was committed to his words. She couldn't help but smile, her mood growing much more happy than usually.
With a click of the opening door, he stepped into his home. He took a deep breath and smiled, as he walked into his living room. Loona walked right behind him and closed the door behind her. The moment they walked in, she started to search the ground, until she noticed a bright red gleam in the kitchen. She leapt toward the gleam, it being her phone, and picked it up, her eyes inspecting if there were any damages to it. To her relief, there was nothing she could see.
"You find it, Loona?" Zack asked, as he stood in the living room. She nodded, as she walked towards him and flashed her phone to him. Zack smiled at her, as he slipped his hands into his pockets. His mission was achieved, and now all that was left was for him to..mentally prepare.
"Alright, so, how should we do this?"
Loona blinked in confusion, as she looked through her texts, one from Blitzo. He said that they went back to hell and to call him so they could make a portal back to hell for her when she was ready. She slid her phone into her pocket.
"How should we do what?" She asked, as she put a hand on her hip.
"Well, you said that when I help you, then you'd kill me. So, I was just asking how we were gonna do that. Like, are you gonna do it quickly, or will there be a lot of pain? Cause, if so, then I'll definitely have to prepare myself."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was going to actually let her kill him? Was he planning something? Did he have some underlining reason behind it? She was at a lose for sure, and his calm, almost emotionless face only made her more uncomfortable with it all.
"Wait, you're actually gonna just stand there and let me kill you? What's your deal? Don't tell me you're fuckin' suicidal and actually want me to kill you."
"A-ha, no, not at all. To be honest, I'm terrified, but if I look at it logically, there's no reason..why.. I..." his voice trailed off, as his eyes drifted past Loona and towards the window. It was normal outside, except for one thing. There was some sort of weird light coming from out of it, almost like a laser pointer. It was pointing towards the ground, but was slowly moving around, until the light hit Loona's right side. Zack's mind went on overdrive, as the many pieces started to instantly fall into place. The fact that they gave up to quickly, the fact that no one tried to stop them, even though they were walking out where everyone could see them, and the fact that there was no one at his house, or at least no one that made their presence known. They were watching them, they were trapping them, and that light wasn't a laser pointer. It was a...
"Laser sight..." Zack mumbled to himself, as his face lit up with fear and shock. Whoever was out there was gonna take a shot at Loona! Without thinking, he lunged towards her and pushed her to the ground, just before the sound of shattered glass rang through the room. She rubbed her rear, as she looked back at the window, surprised by the sudden sound.
"The hell was that?! And what did you say, laser sight?!" she shouted, as she turned her head to Zack. He wasn't standing in front of her however, he was instead on the ground. She rolled her eyes. He must have tripped and fell to the ground. She stood to her feet and walked towards him, until her left foot stepped in something damp. She jolted in surprise, as she looked down at the unknown substance. It was a dark red puddle that seemed to grow with each passing second. Her eyes trailed down the path of red, until it stopped near Zack's body.
"The fuck...was...was he shot?!" she mentally exclaimed. Without a second thought, she quickly knelt next to him and moved him to his back. Her eyes widened, as she stared directly at the gaping hole in his side. He hissed in pain, as her held his wound.
"I think..that they f-followed us. Th-They must have known y-you and I were headed here. It's an a-ambush." Zack strained, as he panted heavily from the sheer, intense pain that wrecked his body. The sounds of shouting and banging could be heard outside, as Loona took a discreet peek put of the shattered window. There were more of those guys out there, all of them looking to be a bunch of mercenaries. She silently cursed, as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Bitzo's number. Within seconds, he picked up the phone.
"Hey Loonie! Got the job done? You really surprised us with your little episode, though I'm happy to see that you're-"
"Not now Blitzo! I need that portal open right fuckin' now! Hurry up!"
She hung up and went back to her spot next to Zack, huffing in puffing from the intense situation. He was already getting pale and his eyes were starting to droop. Within minutes, Zack would die. Loona, bit her lips, as she looked around the area, trying to find something to slow the bleeding down.
"L-Loona..you have to run! If they catch you, then y-you're dead!" he exclaimed, as he coughed a bit, causing Loona to look at him again.
"And what about you?! You can't even fight back, they'll skin you alive!"
"I know, b-but don't worry about me..I was gonna die anyway, s-so at least you don't have to get your hands d-dirty. Plus..it's not like anyone is gonna mourn me, r-right?" he said with a small, pain-filled smile. Loona grimaced at his words. This was the first time she regretted saying something to a target. Out of nowhere, the sound of the portal opening caught her attention. This was her chance, she could get out of there before they got her and collect her money, but something was stopping her. Or rather, it was someone. She looked towards Zack, then the portal, then back at the portal again. With a soft huff, she sped back towards Zack and slowly pulled him up to his feet, earning a gasp of surprise from him.
"Wh-What the..Loona?! What are you doing?!"
"No idea! Just hold on, because you're going on a one-way trip to hell!"
"Wait, hell?! What do you me-?!"
And with that, she sped towards the portal with Zack in tow. His eyes widened and his heart rate quickened with each step. His consciousness was fading, his body was getting weaker; was this it for him? Was he seriously gonna die here? He closed his eyes, as he soon fell into a state of comatose, the only thought in his mind being...
"Damn it...I really am dying a virgin..."
To Be Continued...