STIGMA 2: Memory
Chapter 13: What Once Was Lost.
"My god." I found myself saying over and over again. As we flew over the gardens my heart almost stoped. STIGMA's once beautiful lush gardens had been turned into a battlefield. Agents and cleaners alike fought side by side against a myriad of hellspawn and vampires on the East side.
I looked to Vergil. Give it to me again. Give me the devil inside.
It's only a small part of me that you'll take. You won't have all my powers.
It will do. Can you get Sparda to safety?"
Yes. His voice echoing inside my head. "Dante, you and Lariska are to fight. I will take Sparda inside headquarters." He touched my hand and it became blue once more.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Dante asked.
"It's time to find out." I gazed at Vergil and saw my reflection in his eyes. Sapphire scales protruded from under my eyes and extended to the edges of my face. Three strips of scales decorated my forehead. My eyes once green burned with electric coloured flames. This was what I had become; the dragon.
"Be careful." Then I jumped.
I had never liked freefalling before but this time was different. Gravity was no longer an element that seemed to trap me but instead seemed to guide me safely to the ground.
As I landed in a crouched position I completed it by slamming my hands to the ground and looked up. My people were fighting and almost overwhelmed by the violence around them.
"You still with us Lariska?" I looked at Dante who was carelessly floating to the ground. His devil side disappeared and he withdrew his sword.
"You won't use your trigger?"
He shrugged. "Don't need it."
The claws on my hands extended. "Let's go."
And into battle we went. My feet seemed to carry me all by themselves and suddenly I was flying. My claws slashed into demon and vampire alike. I felt alive like never before and they all fell before me.
"Alex?" A familiar voice amongst the carnage called to me. A triple spin kick was used to bring down a lust demon and I turned my head.
"Logan? What the hell happened here?"
Logan expertly wielded a sword as he decapitated two vampires. "Do you really think this is the time for explanations?"
Dante had skewered three demons on his sword. "The man's got a good point."
I looked around. I could see Arkan mowing down targets with an M16. Melissa was by his side. Many of my fellow agents were fighting in a battle beyond anything they had ever faced and yet somehow they were holding their own.
My headset suddenly came to life with a static filled transmission.
"Head quarters this is Agent Detrius. I am inbound with the survivors of the Alberta clean up op. I need a sit-rep over?"
"Carmen." I shouted. "What the hell's going on?"
"I'm not sure about here but my crew and I were ambushed. About five of us made it out of there. Hang on down there. I'll be able to provide air support. ETA is three minutes."
"Shit." I muttered. "Arkan, Melissa! Get everyone that's human out here. Carmen's bringing the Calvary."
"You got it." Arkan copied. "Agents, cleaners you are to retreat to West Gardens. The witches will be waiting to cast a temporary barrier. Air support's gonna tear this bitch up!"
"Lariska, get out of here." I watched as Dante used his sword to vault himself off the ground and into a crowd of marionettes. "I'll use my powers to keep them off the humans until Carmen gets here.
I slowly removed my katana from my belt. "I don't think so Dante. As long as you can be here then so am I."
"Verge is gonna kick my ass if anything happens to you."
"Well I guess nothing had better happen to me." As I spoke a female vampire landed on me. Her fangs dangerously close to my neck.
"Krases will reward me for bringing him your head, dragon woman."
"Really?" I pulled her by the head over my shoulder and slammed her body to the ground. "Kinda hard to collect a reward when you're dead." I tore her throat out and dug into her chest to extract her heart.
An bolt landed in her heart. I turned around. Logan once more had stole the show with his crossbow. His face was slightly green.
"What happened to you Alex?"
"Time's up people!" Dante yelled as sounds of a helicopter approached us. I grabbed Logan's hand and we ran just in time to avoid being filled with holes by the 50 cal gun from Carmen's chopper. The screams of hell spawn being torn to pieces filled my ears but I kept running and didn't look back.
"Alex, you're cutting up my hand."
I dropped his hand quickly when I saw blood flowing from a cut on his palm. Now he'd have a scar to match mine.
"Sorry. We need to keep moving."
Once we reached the vicinity of the West Gardens I left the devil leave me. Other agents stared at me as I became human again.
"Did Vergil do something to you?" Logan demanded.
"Nothing that hasn't been highly beneficial to me."
"You're a devil now?"
I laughed quietly. "Not quite. I'm still human."
"Not as much as you used to be."
"Alex," Carmen's steady voice interrupted our conversation. "I'm bringing her in for a landing."
"Roger that Carmen." I glared at Logan. "We'll discuss this later. I need to find Vergil and Sp-Mr Giovanni."
As the chopper landed I ran to greet Carmen. I hugged her. "Jesus I thought you might be dead. Mr Giovanni said he had lost contact."
"All our radios were destroyed. The vamps used some sort of sonic pulse to destroy them. I was able to get a few guys onto the chopper but the rest of my team…." She was unable to continue. A single tear fell down her right cheek. I took her arm.
"No I can't leave like this. Let me take my guys in. You go to Mr Giovanni and give a situation report."
I nodded. Carmen had never suffered a loss in battle like this before. But she would rather die than lose face in front of her troops.
"Yes Ma'm." I looked around. "Arkan, Mel get everyone inside now. Logan, coordinate your guys. Dante, come with me."
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
We marched down the halls of STIGMA as everyone piled inside. The seriously wounded were being sent to the medical wing to be placed under the care of the doctors. Any mild wounds would be treated by magic by the witches.
I looked at my colleagues. I had never seen us so dirty, exhausted and scared. We had never faced a battle like this before. We had always been standing in the shadows watching as others fought the battles but this was different. All our training and combat skills were finally being put to the test.
"I think this might be it, Dante."
"What's it babe?"
"The end; the final battle. And I wonder if we're ready for it."
As we reached Sparda's office I caught sight of myself in a pool of water on the balcony and gasped. I was covered in both vampire and demon blood. My hands, my nails, my hair and my clothes were covered in gore.
"Jesus Christ, Logan was right. What am I becoming?"
Dante stopped. "You really going to ask that now after everything you've been through?"
"Look at me Dante. I've been marked by death."
"That's why I use a sword and not my hands."
I smiled weakly. "I'm not sure if I feel better now. But thanks."
I pushed the doors to the office open. Vergil was waiting in there next to Sparda. But so was someone else I hadn't expected.
"Agent Clarke, good to see you again."
"And yourself Alex. You look as if you've had a rough day."
"We can discuss that later." Sparda interrupted. "Report?'
"All demons in the East Gardens have been destroyed. I don't have a list of casualties yet if any and Agent Detrius has returned with four survivors from Alberta."
"I'll have her come up for a debrief. This is only the first battle. Vakos was right. Krases has silently declared all out war." He sighed. "Are you alright Alex?"
I nodded. "If not in need of a hot shower. If you'll excuse me I'll be headed downstairs to do exactly that." I turned to leave.
"Lariska, please wait. I would like to speak with you in private." Agent Clarke's voice rang. I stopped dead in my tracks.
"How do you know that name?"
He went silent. I looked into his green eyes and looked at the curve of his face.
'We don't fear for our lives, Sparda. Only for the lives of our twins'
I started to shake. I was fast losing the ability to stand. I would have hit the floor if Vergil hadn't caught me.
'Sparda, what nonsense are you talking now'
Memories flashed before my eyes. Danny holding his little girl, Danny bandaging the scraped knee of his son, Danny begging his wife to leave with their two children before Yvanna came to murder them.
'Helena, take the kids and run'
A single word escaped my mouth before I could stop it:
"Daddy?"
Author's note: Well this is the end of Memory. Part three will hopefully be up within the next month or so. I haven't decided on the exact title yet so stay tuned.
Thanks for everyone's comments and reviews. I look forward to finishing part three for you to enjoy.