Title: Unnatural Causes – Part 5
Author: badly-knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo, Ted, Marty, OCs.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2899
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Now they have the demonic creature penned in, Dee and Ryo are ready to finish the job, whatever they have to do.
Written For: spook_me 2022.
Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Set after Like Like Love.
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At the far end of the alley, with the demonic cat too distracted by Ryo's proximity to pay any attention to what was happening behind it, Dee slipped cautiously around the corner, keeping his back against the wall and treading as quietly as he could. The alley floor was a mess of broken bottles, empty cans, split trash bags, smashed wooden packing crates, and other detritus better left unidentified, and he winced at every unavoidable sound from beneath his feet, but Dee could hear his partner's voice now, raised above the angry hissing and chittering of the creature.
"I don't know what you are, and I don't care; you're not taking any more lives, not his, not mine, not anyone's! This ends right here!"
Dee didn't know who Ryo was talking about, but he had other things to think about right at that moment. He kept moving as swiftly as he dared, keeping to the deepest shadows, until he reached the walled backyards, where there was a little more light to see by. Crept past the first, with its lopsided wooden gate hanging ajar, then a few feet further along passed the gate to the adjoining one, and after what felt like an eternity, made it to the rear of the second row of brownstones and into the shadows of the last stretch of alleyway. Slowing his advance, he inched forward step by measured step, gradually narrowing the distance between himself and his partner. One yard, two, three…
If Ryo was aware of his presence he didn't let on, holding the creature's attention, keeping it distracted. Dee eased past a recessed doorway in the side of the building, holding his breath, trying not to make even the smallest sound, then stopped. This would have to be close enough; he was now hardly more than a dozen yards from the creature. Readying his own container of salt, twisting the cap to the open position, he began to pour, starting at one side of the alley and moving in a straight line towards the opposite wall.
He was barely halfway across, with a good five feet still to go, when the creature, suddenly becoming aware of his presence, spun around to face him. Almost immediately it started towards the steadily narrowing gap, seeking to escape before the trap could be closed, but Dee moved to block its path, still pouring salt.
"Ya can't touch me; I'm protected!" With his free hand, Dee tugged his glowing St. Christopher medallion and his crucifix, both now suspended from the same chain, from inside his sweater.
The creature hesitated, chittering in anger, but gathering itself to leap, its yellow eyes locked on its only remaining avenue of escape. Then, just as it seemed about to make its move, it spun around, screeching like fingernails down a blackboard, as something hit it on its rump, causing its pale, hairless skin to blister and bubble. Ryo had flung a handful of salt at it!
Taking advantage of the enemy's distraction, Dee hurriedly completed his barrier and checked back along its length, adding a bit more salt here and there, wherever he thought the line might be too narrow to hold. Satisfied, he straightened up, drew a deep, steadying breath, and stepped into the battle zone, flashing a tight grin Ryo's way.
"Nice shot. You okay, babe?"
Ryo gave an almost imperceptible nod. "As okay as I can be, under the circumstances." His voice was strained but steady. "Glad you could join me."
"Couldn't let ya have all the fun. Still, I think it's about time we ended this, don't you?" Dee didn't wait for an answer, instead turning his attention to the creature; it didn't look quite so menacing now, with its rump a mass of oozing blisters. It glared malevolently up at him, trying to meet his eyes, but Dee lowered his gaze, focusing instead on its sharp-clawed paws as he raised his salt container. "Okay, you freak, what's it gonna be? A little more seasonin', or shall we try somethin' with more of a bite?" Tucking the salt under his arm, he dug a small screw-topped pot from his pocket. "You look kinda pale, probably anaemic; I think ya need some iron." Twisting the cap off, he tipped some iron filings into his palm, and flung the tiny metallic fragments in the creature's face.
If it had screeched when the salt hit it, now it screamed, sounding like a whole host of banshees wailing in torment. The small body twisted and contorted as it grew to twice its former size and changed shape, from catlike to something vaguely humanoid. It was still hairless, but with reddish skin, unnaturally long arms, ending in thin, bony fingers tipped with sharp claws, and legs that bent the wrong way. Its eyes remained the same though, sulphur yellow and devoid of pupils, and its lipless mouth seemed to contain even more needle-like teeth than it had before. When it hissed, the long, forked tongue Ryo had seen earlier flickered past the teeth. The creature whipped its head back and forth, almost faster than the human eye could follow, looking perhaps for a sign of weakness it could exploit, or a way to escape the trap it was caught in.
Taken by surprise, Dee took a half-step back. "Huh, wasn't expectin' that! Exactly what are ya anyway? Demon, imp, goblin?" At his words, the thing turned fully to face him.
"I am as I am. Let me go and I will spare your life." The words, hissing and high-pitched, were only just intelligible.
"Oh yeah? What makes ya think you're in any position to bargain?" Dee studiously avoided making eye contact with the creature; the last time he'd been face to face with it, that yellow gaze had been too unsettling, hypnotic, pulling at him, and there was no telling what might have happened if Ryo hadn't arrived when he had. "Nice try, but no dice."
"Fool." Losing interest in Dee, the creature swung sinuously away from him to face Ryo, its body hunched over, its expression calculating. "What say you?" Its grotesque split tail, the same in either form, twitched restlessly, scraping across the filthy ground with a sound that made Dee shudder; it reminded him of the slithering of snakes.
Ryo didn't so much as flinch. "This is our city, our world; whatever you are, and wherever you come from, you don't belong here."
Dee was a little surprised by how calm his partner sounded.
"Then let me go." It was a sibilant whisper, not exactly a plea, but probably as close as such a monstrous creature could get to one. "You would be richly rewarded. Rare metals, precious jewels, whatever you desire; riches beyond compare."
Ryo cocked his head to one side, seemingly considering the offer. "You want to know what I want?"
"Yesssss!" Long, bony fingers curled, grasping at the air, and the creature stood poised, head up, leaning forward slightly, listening avidly as it awaited Ryo's reply.
Dee held his breath; surely Ryo wasn't seriously considering letting this thing barter its way out. It couldn't be trusted! It was evil; it would kill them both, then carry on doing whatever the hell it wanted!
Time seemed to stop as he waited for his partner to speak.
Then, finally…
"What I want, is for you to go to HELL!" Ryo flung the vial of holy water he was holding with such force that when it hit the creature's chest it exploded. He didn't know exactly what he'd expected, as far as he was concerned it was just water that someone had recited a blessing over, but the vial might as well have been filled with concentrated acid, the way the demon's flesh smoked and started to dissolve. It clawed at its own body with both hands, making a high-pitched whining sound like a drill cutting into metal, its clawed fingertips beginning to sizzle the instant they made contact with the water dripping down its body.
With a savage grin, Dee snatched a vial out of his own pocket, hurling it at the creature's back. When the missile struck and shattered, the demon convulsed with a screech so shrill that dogs could probably hear it as far away as New Jersey. It made Dee's ears hurt, and from the expression on Ryo's face, he was experiencing the same pain.
Nevertheless, Ryo took his other two glass vials from inside his coat, pulled the rubber stoppers out with his teeth and letting them fall to the ground. Then, striding forwards, he poured the contents of both over the creature's head before jumping back out of range, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure he didn't disturb the salt barrier.
Dee, impressed by his partner's bravery, followed suit, digging the last couple of vials out of his pocket and emptying them one at a time over any part of the creature's body that had so far been missed. The stench rising from it as its flesh dissolved was indescribable, and he tugged his scarf back up over his mouth and nose, attempting to block out the worst of it as he tipped the rest of his iron filings over the hunched form as an added garnish. It wasn't screeching anymore, or if it was, the sound was pitched too high for the human ear to detect. Dee half expected bats to start falling out of the sky.
Jaw set, his lips a thin, tight line, determination etched into his features, Ryo approached cautiously, eyeing the bubbling, shrinking mass, and frowning. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he flung one arm up to cover the lower half of his face with his coat sleeve; he would have used his scarf only he seemed to have lost it somewhere. He was still clutching his salt container in his other hand, and now he circled what was left of the creature, pouring the contents around it, enclosing it completely before tipping the rest over what was by now not much more than a smoking puddle on the ground. Eyes watering from the stench, he backed away, shoving the empty tub into his coat pocket.
Giving the mess a wide berth, Dee made his way over to his partner and they stood side by side, watching in complete silence until the bubbling stopped and the last wisps of smoke dissipated in the still air.
At last Dee spoke. "Okay, so that worked pretty well, don't ya think?"
Ryo slowly lowered his arm and rubbed a gloved hand over his face, wiping away sweat. "It just melted!" He glanced at Dee. "Did that really just happen, or was it some kind of illusion? I mean, it was only water, salt, and iron filings, but…" He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief, his legs suddenly feeling weak and unsteady as the adrenaline that had been sustaining him wore off.
"Not only water, babe; holy water. Big difference." Dee tugged at Ryo's sleeve, steering him towards the alley entrance. "Let's go where the air's a bit fresher; kinda stinks in here. I'm thinkin' of maybe comin' back tomorrow, burn some incense or somethin', cover up the smell of meltin' cat demon, goblin, whatever the fuck that was. Hell, even the most disgustin' rotten corpse I've ever come across didn't reek that bad."
"Tell me about it. I might have to burn all my clothes, and I really like this coat." Ryo sounded vaguely annoyed; under other circumstances, Dee would probably have laughed.
"Might not come to that; drycleaners can work miracles these days. What happened to your scarf?"
"Um…" Ryo looked around. "Don't know, I must've dropped it when I called you."
"Can't be far away, we can look for it in a bit." Dee glanced towards the man lying on the ground a few feet away, his elation at winning the battle suddenly dampened. He sighed heavily. "Guess we weren't quick enough; that makes seven."
Ryo started guiltily, realising he'd completely forgotten about the creature's last victim. "No, he was…" Before he could finish what he was saying, the man stirred, groaning faintly; the creature's death must have released him from his trance. Ryo flashed a relieved smile at his lover. "Still alive. We should probably call for an ambulance though, get him checked out at the hospital, make sure there's no permanent damage."
"Yeah, you do that, and I'll radio Ted to bring the car around. No reason we should haveta walk back tonight."
Nodding, Ryo pulled his phone from his pocket and crouched beside the man, whose eyes were closed now, although his pulse, when Ryo felt for it, was stronger. "Looks like he's passed out."
"Can't say I blame him." Dee wandered out into the street, radio in hand.
Ryo tuned his partner out, busy with his own call, asking dispatch to send an ambulance to his location. He was just hanging up when Dee returned, flicking something at him.
"Look what I got."
"My scarf!" Ryo held his hand out for it. "Where did you find it?"
"Middle of the street."
"Oh. Must've come off when I stuck my foot in that pothole." Ryo straightened out of his crouch, wincing slightly. "Twisted my ankle." He'd forgotten about it until now, but that was hardly surprising; he'd had more urgent matters vying for his attention.
"Should maybe get you checked out as well when the medics get here."
"It's fine, Dee, just a little sore. I'll ice it when we get home." Winding his scarf around his neck and over his mouth and nose, Ryo went back into the alley, stepping over the line of salt again, still weirdly unwilling to break it even though there was nothing left that could escape.
"Where're ya goin'?"
"Not far." Ryo scanned the ground by the beam of his flashlight, stooping to pick up the rubber stoppers he'd dropped earlier. He held them up to show Dee before putting them in his pocket. "Don't want to leave evidence behind if it can be avoided." He searched the area around the demon's remains, but didn't find anything else. "The others must have dissolved in that mess. What should we do about all the salt?" He started back towards his partner.
"Leave it, I guess. It'll wash away next time it rains."
"I suppose. It's just gonna be hard to explain if anyone asks us about it."
"Know what's gonna be even harder to explain?" Dee asked as Ryo walked over to join him in the light from the streetlamp.
"Everything that's happened tonight?"
"Yeah, that just about covers it. If we tell the truth, we'll be sent for a psych evaluation, after bein' tested for drink and drugs, and if we lie…"
"What would we even say? We saved the guy who would've been the next victim, but there's nothing to worry about now because the killer's gone?"
Dee frowned. "You're right; either way, no one's gonna believe us."
"Which is fair, because I'm not sure I believe any of it, and I was here." Ryo smiled tiredly. "I vote we go with honesty, write everything down exactly the way it happened, and let the Chief decide what to do about it."
"Pass the buck? I like that idea."
"You would."
"In the end, does it even matter if anyone believes us?" Dee draped one arm around his lover. "We faced down a demon, or somethin' that looked sorta demonic, and we won. It's all good. Least there won't be any more mysterious deaths."
"But the people who lost loved ones won't ever get any kind of closure," Ryo pointed out.
That bothered Dee less than it probably should have. "Lot of murders never get solved."
"That's not exactly a cheering thought."
"Maybe the Chief will put out a statement sayin' the prime suspect in the killings is dead."
"Maybe." Ryo sounded dubious as he slipped out from under Dee's arm and made his way back to the unconscious man to check on him. "Might depend a lot on what, if anything, this guy remembers about tonight."
"With any luck he won't remember any of it. Probably be better for him if he doesn't."
Ryo nodded. "Fewer nightmares that way. Pretty sure I'm going to be having some after this."
"Nothin' new there."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
In the distance, sirens could be heard, drawing closer; that would be the ambulance.
"Look on the bright side," Dee said as the unmarked police sedan pulled up across the street and Ted and Marty got out. "If we get sent for mandated therapy before bein' allowed back on duty, that might not be so bad. At the very least it means paid time off."
"Always see the glass half full, don't you?"
"Guy's gotta keep his perspective in this job."
Before Ryo could reply, Ted reached them, having left Marty by the car.
"This our murderer? Nice work."
"Victim," Dee said. "Or would'a been if Ryo hadn't been there to save his ass."
"Huh. So where's the killer? Don't tell me he got away again."
Dee and Ryo glanced at the congealing puddle of salt and… other stuff partway along the alley, then looked at each other. Finally, Dee shrugged, shaking his head. "Ya wouldn't believe us if we told ya."
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The End