A/N: I really, really hope that everyone's doing okay, taking care of themselves and all that. As for me, I'm still working, not at the moment, but in general. They're still having production working and Adam and I are considered direct production support :/ I think it's a bit sketch that they have production working at all seeing as they touch stuff that goes to hospitals but I'm not in charge so…

Disclaimers: oops, that didn't need to be plural, well I double disclaim these things

Are You Going to Kill Me?

Nero seemed rather uncomfortable with the idea that they may be cursed to remain here when they finally fell to the blood-drunkeness with all the rest of the Hunters. Katherine didn't feel quite as bothered by it all, she knew that after all the horrors she'd committed on the citizens of Yharnam alone that she deserved whatever fate was awaiting her at the end of the Dream. They continued to explore, making their way through the hostile village, finding the twisted bodies of villagers and the strung up corpses of Hunters alike. One villager didn't seem to have it in for them, only muttering at them in mad circles before they turned back to the hamlet for another round.

"Do you hear that?" Nero asked, stopping and putting an arm out. Katherine looked at him, tilting her head, trying to listen for whatever had captured the devil hunters attention. She shook her head.

"No."

"It sounds like a be- look out!" Katherine found herself being pushed backward, arms pinwheeling comically as she tried to keep her balance on the high bridge they stood on before tumbling backward, barely catching herself on the wood slicked by time and saltwater. A beast-no a man, came charging at Nero who met him head on. The mad hunter swung a blood covered weapon at the partial devil who seemed to be keeping pace easily. Everything was going fine and Katherine managed to clamber back onto the bridge, swinging out her own saw cleaver when the madman slammed the bloody weapon into the ground. Katherine felt a piercing pain in her head and swore before the bolt manifested directly into her abdomen. She immediately slammed a blood vial into her leg, the pain fading into a dull ache and her blood swirling excitedly even with the bolt still obstructing their torso. They looked up to see the hunter who remained a devil with one sticking directly out of his chest. The madman grinned beneath his bloody cowl and started forward even as the devil coughed, blood spewing out of its mouth, foot falling back a step.

"Always hurts like a bitch but I can see why Dante just started shaking in off…" the devil gave a small laugh. The Hunter shook their head, trying to sort their thoughts out of the bloodlust even as Nero smiled at the madman before him.

"You should see your face right now." he said before striking him down with a powerful blow from Red Queen. Katherine felt like herself again but wasn't sure if Nero was in the same mind. She stood stock still as Nero met her eyes, more blood getting coughed out of his mouth and onto his already soaked and ripped shirt.

"Can you… help me get this out?" he pointed at the bloody spear in his chest. Katherine nodded silently, gripping the spear tightly in one hand and swiftly yanking it out of the partial devil. He grunted and his eyes flashed yellow but otherwise didn't react. Once she was done, Katherine set about removing the one from her own torso, thankfully the blood was still running thick in her veins, sealing the wound over in a matter of moments. She looked back at Nero who was sitting and breathing heavily, watching the wound on his chest slowly close.

"I was uncertain if you would keep your mind after that, those… are not pleasant." she said. Nero laughed at that.

"Yeah, that's an understatement. Unfortunately, that's far from the first time I've been run through. You… weirdly get used to it?" he said, glancing at the tattered remains of his shirt. Katherine gave him an odd glance before hearing the tinkling of a bell.

"What is that?" she asked, trying to pin down a location and only succeeded in turning in a circle.

"That's what I heard before that dude showed up. Get ready." he said, lifting Red Queen as though he hadn't just recovered from what would've been a mortal wound for someone else.

They fought the man off three more times before he seemed to either give up or was unable to encroach upon their reality any further. They eventually fought their way to the middle of the hamlet and Nero glanced down into the well.

"There's a ladder." he said, stepping over the edge and slowly starting down.

"I don't know if that is the wisest-"

"It's fine Katherine, what, are you afraid of a few more fishmen?" he laughed as he started further down. She sighed and started down after him, the smell of salt and fish and rot wafting heavily from the open air beneath them. She heard Nero curse beneath her and she glanced down to see one of the whale-men swinging a huge fishing hook at the partial devil. Katherine just sighed again and let go of the ladder, falling cleaver first onto the monster. It yelled and threw her off, but she was ready for it, hitting the ground rolling back onto her feet. It wasn't dead but it was hurt, and angry. Nero was ready though, grabbling back onto its back with that strange mechanical arm of his and continuing work where Katherine left off. What neither of them expected however was for another of them to fall from the ceiling with an angry roar.

"For fucks sake!" Nero shouted, darting off to fight the second one, leaving the remainder of the wounded, furious one to Katherine. She grumbled under her breath, dodging swiftly to the side and then forward to give it a few swipes as it tried to turn her into paste with its massive fish-hook. She'd just finished it off when she heard Nero give a frustrated shout that ended abruptly. Concerned the Hunter turned to see the monster glow from within and then its insides were on the outside, Nero tumbling out with them. She breathed a sigh of relief until she noted his expression, coated in blood and mad, despite remaining in his human form. Katherine slowly shifted her grip on her cleaver, not ready for this again.

"What, are you going to kill me? Just like you tried last time? When I took you apart?" He was suddenly there next to her, whispering in her ear "Piece by piece?"

A/N: Everyone take care okay?

Till next time,

-Winged Element