"Ugh..." groaned the menace, furrowing his brow with his eyes tightly shut. He was starting to become aware of the world around him again. Mostly, he was aware of the pain he was in, however. His body ached both from being riddled with holes and from laying on stairs for goodness knows how long. Then there was his head. Oh, how his head hurt. The holes had closed up and his innards had healed, but he was still going to be sore for a while.
With a grunt, he pushed himself up with his arms and sat on the stairs. He reached up to rub his aching cranium, only to find his hair matted with dried blood. His clothes clung to his skin and he reeked of iron. That was not a good decision. Might can only do so much against machine guns head-on. Bad idea. Now Alois had to assess the situation and see where they were in the operation. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone before messaging Ciel.
"I'm awake. What's happening?" he typed out before hitting send. After a few seconds, he received a reply.
"Same place. Belmont is still alive. In the building. Heinrich is dead." Ciel replied.
"Where are you?"
"On his tail. I think he's heading toward the main conference room."
"I'm on my way." With that, Alois placed his phone in his pocket. Then, he struggled to get back on his feet. He had to be careful not to slip in his own blood.
"Gross." he said aloud while stepping over the body he put there. Unfortunately, he really wasn't certain if he wanted to be fighting. His head still wasn't quite right and the world seemed unsteady.
He wobbled a bit as he traversed down the hallway, still struggling to recover. Placing a hand against the wall, he kept himself upright and grit his teeth through the pain. Physical agony was nothing that Alois couldn't endure. It was sort of a specialty, almost. Yet, the fact that he had been shot in the head meant that he would need a little while before he was actually in any condition to fight. Still, he needed to at least be nearby in the event that he was needed in any way.
His senses were so dull that he didn't even notice that he was being watched and the ringing in his ears caused any other sound to be muted. It was only when a hand was placed on his shoulder did he turn around, placing the barrel of his gun against his would-be attacker's heart. In an instant, Johnathan threw his hands up and let out a yelp.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Alois shook his head. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I wasn't! Honest! I was just walking up to you!" Johnathan replied, but Alois was having trouble understanding him. "Are you okay?"
"My brain is a bit rattled." the menace stated, guessing as to what the other was talking about. "I was shot in the head. I need to find Ciel."
"Oh! Okay?" the black-haired demon could tell that there was something "off" about Alois, but he wasn't quite sure what. The man's eyes were out of focus and his walk was funny, but that was about it. He didn't pick up on just how out of it Alois was, but that was just fine. "The guy in the security room said that the lady at the front desk was killed. There should be more guys running around, but I can't find any."
Alois didn't acknowledge Johnathan talking, leading him to look down at his feet, embarrassed. Looking back at Mister Beattie, the menace arched a brow. "You okay?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm having a bit of trouble. My brain is a bit rattled. I was shot in the head."
"You already said that." pointed out the other with a hint of relief. Perhaps it wasn't him that was the problem, after all.
"Did I? Anyway, we have to find Ciel."
"You really are out of it… Just hang on a second. I think I can sense Heinrich up ahead. He'll keep us covered while you put yourself back together." Quickly, Johnathan reached out and grabbed the other demon's sleeve before he careened face first into a wall.
"Thanks."
"My pleasure. You can lean on me, if you like."
"It's fine. As we getting close? My sixth sense is shot."
"Pretty close." Johnathan stated. "It's just around this corner and then we'll all meet up and-"
The pleasant smile on Johnathan's face fell, shattering as the colour drained from his cheeks. He could see down the hallway. He could see Heinrich, his guardian and his friend lifelessly propped against the wall in his seat on the floor. Blood stained his clothes and there was a gun in his hand. Quickly, the demon rushed to him while Alois lagged behind. Heinrich as still here, if only barely. His soul was still in his body. Johnathan could sense it. He could also sense that he was fading.
"Heinrich!" he called out, landing almost violently on his knees right in front of the blond. Putting his hands on the sides of his gaurdian's head, he tried to lift it to see his face. When he did, he found it pale with his eyes out of focus. The only colour there seemed to be was the red that stained the area in and around his mouth, so that when Heinrich smiled at him, relieved that he could see the demon, his teeth were ugly and the moment wasn't sweet.
"Hey, Johnny..." the man said, trying not to cough so that he wouldn't spray blood on the younger's face. "I'm glad you're here… I'm glad… to see you."
"Heinrich! Heinrich! What happened?! Just… Just hold on! I'll radio a medic!"
"Won't do any good." shook the blond. "I'm sorry, but… It won't do anything. I'm dying, Johnny… That's just the way it is."
Alois could both see and hear that they were talking, but his mind couldn't yet piece the words together in a way that made any sort of sense to him. All he knew was that Johnathan began to sob. Poor lad. Heinrich was the closest thing to a father he had and the only family, but now he was gone. Well, he was in the process of disappearing. The man convulsed as he tried not to cough anymore, but speaking was making it difficult.
Truly, Alois felt for him. Even in his current state, Alois recognised what was happening and he recognised what Johnathan was feeling. That sense of loss and despair was well known to the menace, who then and there decided that once the mission was over, he would help the other demon recover. The wounds were deep and would take time to heal, but it was doable. Then again, some people are unable to let go of such feelings. Alois knew this, too. He saw it in his husband far too many times for the bluenette's liking. The guilt would torture Johnathan for a while. If only they hadn't separated, if only Johnathan was there to help or protect him, then, maybe none of this would have happened. If only. If only he were strong enough, then maybe Heinrich would have lived.
Alois was a voyeur, here. This was not a moment he should be intruding on. Both of them should be left alone in peace. So, in a rather awkward fashion, the blonde wandered off, advancing toward his spouse and subsequently the final boss. The further he went, the more uneasy he became. He was vulnerable and just like his husband, he did not like vulnerability either. In his current state, he wasn't sure if there were many attacks he could feasibly fight off.
Before long, he had wandered far away from the others and in his daze, lost track of where he was, himself. He was lost in a labyrinth of hallways, unsure if he was even on the right floor or not. It started to frighten him. Defenseless and stumbling around in the darkness alone, he had no way of knowing when any kind of enemy was going to come out of the woodwork and strike at him. He didn't know if he could block it, either. Alois' eyes were wide and his heart began to race. Sweat coated his skin as he searched for a way out, or at the very least, an ally to accompany him. As a nearly indestructible demon, it was rare for him to feel this way, but when he did it hit him hard. Demons are hard to kill and can live for God knows how long, but they were far from "immortal". They, too, could be killed and die. Alois had some experience when it came to dying and would very much like to avoid it happening again as much as he can.
Don't touch me! Don't look at me! Leave me alone! Why can't this just be over already? Just let the menace go home. Or had he become too soft? Overall, Alois was an understanding sort who was capable of empathy. He did everything he could for those in the towns he was building and took care of Ciel when he was feeling down. The bluenette seemed to be feeling down a lot lately, so maybe he wasn't that good at it after all. Perhaps Alois' heart needed hardening? Perhaps living so comfortably had cost him his tenacious spirit. Or, perhaps he was simply having a bad day.
Taking in a deep breath, Alois tried to calm his nerves and put one foot forward, pressing onward. No. Alois' conviction was not wrong. His heart was fine. He was simply anxious given his current circumstance. As long as he continued to press onward, he would be fine. He would find Ciel, they would kill Belmont, and then they would go home and rest. Everything would turn out alright in the end. It always did, didn't it?
As time went on, more of his hearing returned and so did a smidgen of his sixth sense. Granted, it was hard to tell. He wasn't sure if it was truly sixth sense or just anxiety, so whether or not he should listen to it was up for serious consideration. When he heard the thunderous thumping of fast-approaching footsteps, he decided to after all. In a span of seconds, the threads of his demonic garb unraveled and gauntlets appeared on his hands as he turned.
His attacker roared, swinging downward with both hands on his sword, only to be blocked by the menace's Jarnglofar. The sparks from metal striking metal illuminated his attacker's face. With clenched teeth, David Belmont stared down at him, towering over him like the brute he was. Then, there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, transforming his snarl into a smile.
"It's you!" the psychic said as though they had met before this, but Alois didn't recall. In reality, they had, when Belmont tried to convince him to give him his car while stopped at a traffic light. Ordinarily, Belmont wouldn't have remembered his face. It would have been meaningless, similarly to how Alois had disregarded the meeting as insignificant, but because Alois resisted his power to the point of being oblivious of it, David naturally had made a mental note. And now, one of the few people to ever resist him was here, right in front of him! Truly, he was lucky!
"Cool glove." Belmont added, pressing his sword further into the menace's arm with his weight. But wait, he was missing something. Something important. As he stared at the Phantomhive's face, it dawned on him.
He had seen this man not once, but twice before. The second time was on the stairwell not too long ago. The man was filled with holes and had a bullet in his head. He was supposed to be dead!
"Monster..." the psychic gasped. His opponent wasn't human. More than that, he could survive being shot in the face? Monster! This is what he needed to rid the world of! This is what would be humanity's downfall if he did not destroy them soon! Just look! The beasts had even evolved to the point of being immune to his abilities. This creature before him could not leave this place alive. It was a threat to all that he had worked too hard to build, but more than that, if Belmont didn't kill this monster, the monster would kill him.
Thus was hinted at when Alois pushed back, knocking the psychic backwards and causing him to stumble. He had to move when the demon attempted to follow up by striking him with his other fist. Somehow, Belmont correctly assumed the catastrophic repercussions of that to him. While Alois' agility, speed, and aim were off from his injuries, his power certainly was not.
That was the most Belmont could do until he could get in another swing. He dodged. The sword was actually proving to be quite cumbersome and he wished he had an alternative weapon. Naturally, he still had a pistol on him, but the demon was far too close for him to use it. Still, what choice did he have? Clutching the sword in one hand, he reached for his gun with the other and took aim in hopes of fending the demon off a bit.
"Fuck off!" he bellowed before pulling the trigger. His aim was unsteady, but he managed to hit the demon in the shoulder and in the face, however, the latter of the two shots did not land the way he had hoped.
While the site of the first hit began to close right in front of David's eyes, Alois wore a haughty expression while holding the other bullet in his teeth. Those unworldly blue eyes stared directly into Belmont's earthier ones in defiance- almost in invitation. The demon had challenged him, asking this mortal man to give it everything he had as though it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.
Lazily, Alois let the bullet fall from his teeth before charging the other, brushing off the knowledge that he caught it merely by chance. Without his sixth sense, Alois was going to have to rely on luck an awful lot if he was going to make it through this without falling again. Belmont didn't need to know that, however. Right now, his opponent was shaken by the sight and Alois had every intention of taking advantage of that.
However, "shaken" was a poor descriptor for what Belmont was feeling. It summed it up far too nicely in a neat little package, while his true range of thoughts and emotions was scattered and disjointed. David Belmont was terrified of this man. This demon had performed a feat that few people would ever think is possible. It was hard to wrap his head around, so confusion was dangerously added to the mix. The shear awe of it inspired such horror that was not well known to the majority of the population. If he made the slightest mistake- even the tiniest misstep, he was done. Finished. Deceased. The plan ends there. Furthermore, that very scenario relies on the possibility that he wasn't completely and utterly done for already.
Yet, amount all of this, within the shock, awe, confusion and terror of it all, there was also longing. Belmont was no fool. His power only had so much reach. That is why he compensated by being the massive man that he was, tall and muscular with an intimidating visage. Where psychic abilities fail him, might and fear prevails! But this? This was true power! Every time Alois missed him, whatever he hit instead was irreparably damaged! Whatever damage the demon himself took, however, was dusted off as though it were nothing! How could such a horrible creature, so vile, nasty, and inhuman, be so beautiful?
With such a sleek design and fighting skills, although noticeably hindered by the gunshot to the head, how could something so dangerous and ugly be so gorgeous at the same time? The power was overwhelming to Belmont's senses and filled him with a sense of passion and longing that could be confused for being erotic in nature. Watching this man, David's skin began to crawl and a shiver ran through him. As time went on, Alois' form became even more enticing as his feet steadied- Right foot, left foot, in a dance that the psychic never seemed to want to end. Every time he advanced, Belmont wanted to meet him halfway, but it was forbidden so long as he wished to continue walking this earth. That beautiful face that blonde had was only enhanced by that beautiful body of his that just seemingly oozed confidence, power, and charisma. Belmont actually sort of wanted to know more about this man. How could Alois resist him? How could it be expected for him to resist Alois? He almost wanted to crush the menace as much as he wanted to be crushed by him! All of those other feelings were only enhanced by this one, stirring up the psychic's insides. Alas, dancing with this demon was becoming tiring, so something had to be done. Eventually, David did have to end this.
After shooting at Alois again to create some distance, he quickly put his gun away before pulling a device resembling a tampered with EpiPen out of his jacket. Violently, he tore off the loosely put on cap with his teeth before stabbing the object into his neck and pushing the button. Perversely, he smiled at the Phantomhive as his veins bulged and his eyes dilated.
"I'm so lucky!" Belmont declared, discarding the needle off to the side. "I'm gonna have to actually get serious if I wanna make it through this! Isn't that fuckin' great?!"
He spoke not in a sarcastic manner, but a genuine one, as if he were sincerely moved. That is what caused the Phantomhive to shudder in disgust. He hated the way Belmont stared at him. It was disgusting and dirty. Suddenly, the desire to wipe it off of his opponent's ugly mug overcame Alois. Truly, Belmont was lucky, but not in the way he had mistaken. No, he was lucky that Alois was not at his best, or else his head would have made it's way down the hallway without his body.
"You're a sick fuck, aren't ya?" Alois posed in the form of a question, but was actually observing. "Who'd wanna spend time with your sorry ass? Just die already so I can go home."
That was meant to intimidate Belmont, but it only caused the insufferable brute to smile wider. Alois had some bite to him and he liked that. It was more fun for him to win that way. Did Alois not have this instinct? This drive to dominate all that stood before him? Perhaps monsters were weaker than he thought. This only further proved to David that so long as he persists, he will prevail. That is what makes the human race great. That is what a true human being is! They have an instinctive drive to destroy everything, hunting for sport, murdering for sport, and destroying the very planet they live on for mere laughs!
"Sorry, mate, but I'm afraid I can't do that. It ain't in my nature. We humans don't take kindly to monsters." Belmont answered. "We do take kindly to killin' them, though."
"That why you keep a bunker full of them?" further inquired the menace. "But some of those people down there were humans, though? Or were they monsters, too?"
"Nah. Just obsolete." the other spoke while gesturing with his free hand. "We're the new humans. We've evolved to replace our weaker predecessors, so if a few of the old humans die off, it don't hurt our feelings any."
"What makes you so special? Your psychic abilities?"
"More. We don't suppress our natural instincts. We kill, we eat, we breed… What more do you need? But those dumbasses don't do anything but sit there, crying about hurt feelings. They stare at their stupid little TV's or at their fuckin' phones and blubber about how fucked up everything is without doing a single thing about it. That's why they're gonna die out, eventually. What's the problem in helping them along?"
"Quite a lot, Heinrich Himmler. You're still killing people who aren't a threat to anybody but themselves. If they're really doomed, why not just let them be doomed and mind your own business?"
"Because there isn't any time for that." Belmont huffed. "You should know that more than anybody. I'm not falling for your tricks, monster."
"Oh, lemme guess: You're humanity's last hope against monsters like me? If you don't destroy all of the monsters, then you'll be wiped out first!" Alois spoke in a mocking tone, obviously unimpressed. It was easy enough to piece together. This man has some serious delusions of grandeur, justified by a minimal understanding of evolutionary psychology, most likely. "Well… isn't that just fucking special?"
"I didn't expect a beast like you to be smart enough to get it. Oh, well. Doesn't matter anyway."
In an instant, the psychic reached for his gun and began firing at the menace, distracting him while he drew in close. Alois couldn't help but let out a grunt at the feeling of being shot. Without to option to dodge, he had no choice but to take it. His clothes were in tatters by now and he hadn't the slightest clue as to how many bullets were still inside of him. For someone as tenacious as Alois, he really did want to go home and rest, but he couldn't. That wasn't and option right then, so he had to make the best of it.
Once Belmont was out of bullets, he merely threw the empty gun away and focused on attacking the Phantomhive with his sword. He aimed directly for Alois' abdomen, which the menace instinctively tried to defend. His gauntlet-covered hands reached for the blade and held on tight, preventing the other from running him through no matter how hard he pushed. Even David's added strength gained from the adrenochrome he injected himself with wasn't enough. It would never be enough against a demon. Furrowing his brow, Alois was convinced that the two of them had reached an impasse, but his opponent only smiled. Alois was focused on the sword, so he didn't notice, but David had found and opening.
Releasing the blade with one hand, David reached up with it, and jabbed it into the Phantomhive's eye socket. Alois didn't even have the chance to look up, but he did scream. Instinctively, his hands reached up and grasped at his opponent's wrist, carelessly letting go of the sword in the process. He wasn't thinking. He was simply acting. Unfortunately, that caused him to be run through by the Belmont's blade.
Uttering a guttural sound of pain, Alois found himself torn between two agonies and his body hadn't the slightest idea as to how to react. He was still too weakened to pull his wits together and fight through it, so in a sense, he froze. His opponent bore his fingers further into the blonde's skull, causing blood to dribble down his cheeks. The cackling man only released the demon once the pressure of Alois' grip around his wrist became too much for him. The adrenochrome in David's system would have prevented him from feeling it, but he knew how damaging the substance could be if he didn't be cautious. Instead, he took further advantage of Alois' confusion and yanked the sword out of his body before stabbing him again.
That hurt. It didn't hit the exact spot that he was impaled at while captive on top of the Scarlet Order's base out at sea, but it was damn well close to it. His mind smelled salt mixed in with the sickening stench of iron as he collapsed onto the floor. With one hand, he held his stomach, and with the other, he held his face. The irony in this was definitely not missed on him, but that didn't mean that he appreciated it. So this was the humiliating pain inflicted by a sick bastard who wanted to feel like a big man? What kind of joke was this? Jim understood his former maid's devotion to him. The relationship was completely abusive and one that he never wanted to reenact ever again. He felt no such love for this man, however. Only anger at the humiliating way that he stomped his head into the filthy carpet.
"What's wrong, monster?!" mocked the psychic with a wide grin. He continued to bring his foot up before smashing it downward against the demon's skull, over and over again. "You were saying all that good shit earlier! Why can't you get up, huh?!"
Gritting his teeth, Alois snarled. How dare this pathetic excuse for a person taunt him? Alois was far stronger than this and he knew it perfectly well. If he hadn't been shot in the head already, he would have killed the bastard as soon as the fight began. Belmont wanted to talk about the human drive to survive? Fine. Alois was the embodiment of that concept. He would have to teach him a lesson or two. As David's boot came down on top of his head again, he lifted it up, meeting him. Surprised, the psychic tried to press downward, but Alois stood up, lifting the other up with him.
"See you're the type to kick a man while he's down..." Alois' voice was as ragged as his breathing, but he wasn't done yet.
"Whatever it takes to win." gruffly answered his opponent. Now with both hands back on the sword, he held it pointing downward and raised his hands up. Taking his foot off of the Phantomhive's head, he allowed the other man to spring up before slamming his blade down, running through the back of Alois' neck and coming out the front. All Alois could do was gurgle, his voice completely gone, and admit that this was not going to work. He needed time to heal. Thus, humiliated and with his confidence shaken, he decided to retreat.
That was easier said than done, however. With only one eye, an injury-ridden body, all but destroyed senses and agility, and a trail of blood that followed him, that was going to be tricky. If he could just locate Ciel, he would have the backup needed to fend Belmont off a ways.
Reaching up, Alois grabbed the blade with both hands and applied pressure until it snapped, removing a small portion of the tip so that he could make his escape. He stumbled as he abruptly stood up and limped down the hallway as fast as he could. It was a pace that his opponent could keep up with if he cared to, but he was frozen in awe.
Alois continued to fight. To live. He didn't die from any of the wounds inflicted upon him and fought to live another day. Carefully, he gauged the risk versus the reward of staying, and chose to save his skin. There was something admirable about that. There was nothing fearful about the Phantomhive's demeanor and his opponent could see that. It was purely a logical decision, something that was hard to come by in human beings. Alois wasn't giving up. He was regrouping so that he could fight again later. When he did, Belmont knew that he would be far stronger than when he fought him right then.
Looking down, he could see the evidence of Alois' determination. He could have ran at any point, but he allowed the pool of blood to grow to this size before the thought even crossed his mind. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Looking down at his hand, he saw the same blood of that beautiful, ugly creature on his fingers and a remarkable feeling came over him. Something brutal, savage, and hungry that he couldn't quite comprehend at this moment, but was beginning to bit by bit. This power was something he wanted for himself. Perhaps he, too, could one day be as beautiful as the demon he had just fought. Thoughtlessly, he tried to rid himself of the dried, sticky substance by licking his fingers, only to gain what he believed to be deeper understanding.
The blood of a demon reached inside of David, bringing out all that was malicious and merging with his own psyche to create an even bigger beast. As he licked his fingers, he was given ecstasy far beyond any that he had ever known. Even adrenochrome, the legendary drug that was meant to give the highest of highs was dwarfed by the shear monstrosity that now dwelled within him. Driven by a seemingly endless vitality, it swirled within him, blackening his heart and rendering his wretched self that was already starved for power insatiable. This was truly the next link in the chain. The ultimate human being that could wipe out all that stood to hinder the righteous path of their race was here at last! And it was David Belmont! Truly, it was godsend!
Desperately, he fell to his knees, dropping the broken sword momentarily so that he could grasp at the crimson puddle with both hands. That ravenous beast that was born from the arrogant belief that all humans were like him, desiring destruction and embracing vice without a single care for his fellow man, gladly partook of the sinister nectar that it was offered. Blood stained the beast's face as it painted itself with it as it gorged itself, fully embracing the transformation that was taking place. So intense were the sensations flooding him, that David Belmont began to tremble.
Eyes wild, he tore off his jacket and shirt so that he may paint himself further, greedily coating himself in that which was not his in order to siphon all of the power that he feasibly could. Man was not meant to possess such power and so as he thought that he was consuming it, that sweet rapture that caused him to stir in his loins and shake uncontrollably would eventually consume him, driving him into ruin.
But, as he stood now gripping his damaged blade, such thoughts did not occur to him. This red devil, with eyes blackened with his lust to consume with glowing spheres of fire in the center now stood with the desire for more. And he would have more, so long as he captured the demon again. This, he walked forward, stalking down the hallway after the menace with the intent to devour him.
A/N: Not a fan of this chapter. There's so much going on... And not in a good way...
It's hard to do 5,000+ word chapters. They just go on for so long, and the longer they go on, the less confident I feel...
Anyway, here's some content. Hopefully, I can start working on another chapter tomorrow.
Also, I'm worried that the character I very very loosely based this one on is coming through too strong in this chapter. Too on the nose. Not enough original stuff. Kind of a Blackwood situation, but not pulled off as well in my opinion.
I am surprised, however, that people took Ciel's side in the last chapter. I'm not sure if what he was doing was easily understood, or what. I don't think I did a very good job of explaining it. Eh, I'll have another chance, later...
Anyway, I got some questions:
"Are you going to acknowledge the new information given about Ciel from the manga?" by Jaji
Dunno. Depends if I can think of a good story for it or not. I honestly don't use a lot of manga content for this because it's based on the anime (which to be honest, isn't that great of a version of the story...) For all we know, Anime!Ciel could be an only child. So, I'm just gonna do whatever and if it comes up as relevant or I can make an interesting storyline out of it, I might go for it. Who knows? As of right now, though, I have no plans for it.
"Hate, what if Skullface found out about Luka and went after him, just to call the demonic duos bluff? Only if Ciel failed to kill him of course-" by LeAlois
Then Sebastian would kill him, because he's SEBASTIAN. He's just not strong enough to take the butler on.
It's four in the morning over here, so I'm really, really, tired. Next time, I'll try to answer questions in a better state, okay? There was actually a character shet question as well, but right now, it's time for sleep.
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
