Okay, first things first. I do not own any characters from the Devil May Cry games, anime series, nor the manga. If I did, well...I really do not know. But anyways. Who I do have property rights over are Shawna and any OC characters that appear only in this story.
With that out of the way, I do hope you guys enjoy this story. XD
"Okay. So...how do we tell Natalie?"
"...Dumbass. I thought we said that we're not telling anyone else about what happened." Shawna gave Leon a 'what, are you stupid?' look. "We just say that I got caught, you busted me outta there, and we came back happily. No strings attached."
"Yeah, but," Leon sighed. "...Natalie is one of our closest friends. Shouldn't it only be right if she at least knew what really happened?"
Shawna looked down in thought. It was true. Minus Leon, Natalie had been with her since the beginning. With the two of them being the only girls in the gang, it was hard keeping secrets between the two. 'But I've been keeping everything a secret from everyone. I can't even tell Leon who I really am.'
"Fine. We'll tell her, but not the whole truth. Only bits that have been twisted. I don't want her going crazy and start acting like a crazed older sibling."
Leon nodded and walked alongside Shawna the rest of the way to what was to be their new hideout. The moment they were within sight of the building, Shawna widened her eyes and scoffed.
"The hell is this? Some run-down, half-intact storage condo?"
"Hey, it was the best place for everyone. I was going to insist that we stay in that one shack, but everyone started complaining," Leon whined. "Come one, man. Have a heart. It was all of them against one of me. The odds were against me, dammit!"
"Oh, stop your blabbering!" Shawna sighed in aggravation. "At least, they left you alive if they hated that shack so much."
Leon couldn't help but grimace at the thought. He looked forward and saw the gang's watchers seated on some nearby walls and debris. They nodded in greeting at the sight of the two.
"And look on the bright side," he leaned down to whisper. "At least, they aren't questioning why you look like you just came out of an asylum."
"...Idiot. I look like this because I did come out of an asylum. What the hell did you think that place was? Just a normal prison? They didn't even have anyone with the courage to clean all that crap off of the walls!"
"Who wouldn't clean what off the walls?"
Shawna and Leon turned to the voice. It was Damien. The boy was well in his twenties. His pale skin complimented well with his dark-blue hair, making him look ghostly. Not many of the guys liked him since he had the tendency of picking fights with the other gangs and his own comrades as well. Shawna scoffed and turned away, not wanting to say anything to the pest. Leon cleared his throat, drawing Damien's unwanted attention to himself.
"How should I say this? Shawna here had a rough encounter with the prison guards, so to speak." he received a jab in the side by Shawna. "Ow. Knock it off."
"It's none of your business, Damien," she couldn't help but sneer. "So, back off. What is my business, is mine alone."
"Oh? Then, how come Leon happens to know what happened?"
"That's would be none of your business."
Shawna and Damien had a stare-down, the latter smirking the whole time. Leon decided to break it up before another fight took place.
"On the next subject. I has come to my attention that there has been some sort of trouble coming from inside the city," Damien folded his arms behind his back.
"Tsk. The hell with it," Shawna walked away, refusing to listen in on the brat's statement.
Damien inwardly smirked and turned to Leon.
"Anyways, I heard that there has been a demon sighting that took place just a little over a day ago. From the rumors that I heard around town was that someone is coming by, on behalf of the Government, to dispose of the beast."
"And how would you know about this," Leon glanced warily at the bluenette. "...Unless, you have a part in it."
"Now, why would you suspect me of having anything to do with those monsters?" Damien gasped. "Honestly, do you? But that's besides the point."
Damien walked up to Leon and put an arm around his shoulders. Leon couldn't help but feel a cold chill run down his spine. Something didn't seem right with this guy.
"...And if I were you," Damien whispered so only Leon would hear, whilst glancing in Shawna's direction. "I'd be careful around her. She keeps secrets. That's no doubt. For all we know...she could be it."
Leon just stood there, unmoving as Damien said 'Good-bye' and walked away. 'What does he know. He knows nothing about Shawna,' Leon shook his head. 'Yeah, she keeps secrets, but doesn't everyone?' Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel that Damien indeed knew something about Shawna. Something that he, Leon, didn't even know.
"Who am I fooling? For all I know, he's just bluffing."
What neither of the boys knew was that Shawna never really left. She had stayed and hid behind a broken-down pillar. She would be crazy if she actually left Leon alone with that Damien-creep. 'So Damien suspects me. Typical, even though he's annoying as Hell, he does have a brain.' She turned around once she knew that Damien was gone and that Leon left for the hideout. 'Nonetheless, I'll have to be careful.'
…
Meanwhile
A lone motorcycle was headed towards the city center. Seated on it was a man in a red coat. A large guitar case was strapped to his back. He stopped at one street corner and glanced at his surroundings. 'It's been forever since I've been here. The place where it all started, and it hasn't changed one bit.' It was clear to him that city has been the victim of multiple demon attacks since he left. The only thing that really got him was that the city was in worse shape than before he moved to Capulet. He shifted gears and continued his way towards the place his was to meet with his client.
"Man," he laughed at his 'destination'. "And here I was expecting more than this dump."
"Can I help you?" the woman at the front desk spoke up.
"You bet, babe." The man smirked. "I hope you don't mind, but I have a meeting with your boss."
The woman, a simple red-head in an secretary suit, thought for a moment before looking through the files on her computer screen. Her eyes brightened as she glanced back up at the older man, noticing his unusual hair.
"Aw. You must Mr. Redgrave," she smiled sweetly. "Let me send in a message to let Mr. Timburough that you're here."
"Thanks, babe. Maybe after this I can treat you to something to eat...?"
"No, thank you. I'm afraid I'm busy all day."
Redgrave groaned in disappointment, ' Damn. And she was nice looking, with a nice rack as well.' His red coat fluttered behind him as he followed the lady to the back of the office where he could see an elderly man looking through a few files.
"Sir, you have a guest."
"Hm..." the man, putting down the files, glanced at Redgrave. "Oh! Forgive me. I didn't think you'd make it till tomorrow afternoon."
"See ya, babe!" Redgrave winked at the leaving woman and received a giggle. "Yes, you could say that my alarm clock went off a day too early."
"I see." Mr. Timburough didn't quite like the remark. "On to the subject as to why you are here, I have received reports that my men have discovered something quite extraordinary... or I should say someone."
Redgrave cocked an eyebrow. He glanced down at the files on Timburough's desk. He managed to catch a glance at one of the pictures before the Officer moved them out of sight. It was a grotesque image of someone in a rather unpleasant condition.
"Forgive me. Here is a picture of the subject."
Mr. Timburough handed Redgrave a different picture. This one consisted of the mugshot of a young girl. The kid had unkept hair and torn clothing. Redgrave noticed that her strickened face was slightly bruised and she appeared to be giving the photo the middle finger. Redgrave chuckled a bit at the sight, but glanced at his client in confusion.
"This is the...demon you are sending me after? Looks no more than some deranged teenager."
"Looks can be deceiving, Mr. Redgrave, Trust me on this. I know what I'm doing." Mr. Timburough motioned at the picture. "This picture was taken upon the girl's entrance into the penitentiary. I would show you more pictures, but they are strictly Government property. This girl you see here, is rather strange. During a few of her exams—"
Redgrave couldn't help but flinch inwardly at what he meant by 'exams'. Knowing how some officers were, because of their cocky attitude, the treatment of a woman was not pleasant in any way.
"—Our doctors had discovered that the injuries on her body were fresh, and her body appeared to be undergoing some drastic changes over the course of a month. In other words, her injuries were healing at a rate that was very unusual for a human being. One of her doctors had retrieved a sample of her blood and looked for any answers to her symptoms. What we had found was not pleasant."
Mr. Timburough waited for any response from the man seated before him. When he received nothing, he continued on.
"After comparison with several other blood samples, we had come to conclusion that this girl's blood had perfectly matched that of the monsters that have been terrorizing this city for years."
"...Let me guess. Demons." Redgrave leaned forward in slight interest.
"Indeed. She even managed to escape our prison. Not only did she actually kill one of our best doctors, but she also knocked out one of our guards, who still in the hospital as we speak. What we fear the worst...is that I believe that she may be involved in one of the city gangs. Knowing how demons work, I'm certain that she may be using them for her own expense."
"Heh. Well, what do you know about that. A demon taking on the form of a damsel and making the humans do her dirty work. Do you have any clue on where this she-devil is?"
"Sadly, no." Timburough shook his head. "My men have searched the compound where we had first come across the gang this devil is affiliated with but found no trace of life. I currently have my men searching for any sign of that monster and the gang. Seeing to that, there is no doubt that they may have moved to a different location somewhere near the city. As you saw on your way here, our city is surrounded by ruins and abandoned buildings. They could be hiding in any of those buildings."
"No need for that. I'm sure that I can find this she-devil with no problem at all."
"With you expertise, I'm sure you can, but it won't be easy. During the girl's escape, we had caught sight of what could have been one of her underlings, so she could still be with them. With the way the two of them spoke, they appeared to be...close, so to speak."
Redgrave did not like the tone Mr. Timburough had used in reference to the kids. 'This could be more difficult than back in Capulet.' Redgrave thanked Timburough and left the building. 'If what he said is true, then those gang members must be pretty loyal to that demon. Getting through them won't be a walk in the park.' The man in red got on his motorcycle and started the engine. 'This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Heh. Well, let's see what I can do about this devil first.'
…
Several blurry trails flew through the alleyways, towards the market square. One figure suddenly stopped on a wall, calling out for the others to stop as well. Shawna closed her eyes, focusing on her hearing more. The others who were out with her that day waited for the signal. They had ran out of food, again.
"Shawna," one voice whimpered, earning a light smack.
"Idiot, she's listening for someone."
Leon, the only guy who always stuck by Shawna's side in all of the raids, came up next to his younger friend. Kneeling down, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"...Shawna?"
"...Hm?" Shawna opened her eyes in surprise. "Oh. No. It's alright. Thought I heard something."
She shook her head and jumped down from her perch. Motioning for the others that everything was alright, Shawna turned back to Leon.
"I'm okay, really. I just thought I heard someone trailing us," she couldn't help but glance up at the rooftops.
Leon noticed this and looked up as well. For a brief second, he thought he saw a flash of red, but it was already gone. He glanced over at Shawna and saw that she had tensed slightly. 'She must have saw it too.'
"Come on. I don't want to keep the others waiting. Knowing the twins, they'd most likely be harassing some old lady in a wheelchair." She shook her head. "Let's get this over with."
Leon nodded and took off after the boys. Shawna took one last glance at the roof-line before following the blonde. 'Something doesn't feel right today. What is it?' He and Shawna came up to their usual starting point. The twins were waiting for them and playing a game of Kick-The-Can.
Having lost their parents, too, in the demon invasion, the twins were inseparable. Their appearances were exactly the same: shoulder-length auburn hair, tan skin, and green eyes. Only differences between them were the style clothing they chose and the way they parted their hair. Together, they acted the same, but when separated their personalities contrasted from the other. Toni, the older of the two by three minutes, was loud, obnoxious, and short-tempered, while Nickolai was quiet, reserved, and more of a gentleman.
"Okay, boys." Shawna had everyone stop at a corner of the market. "Here's what we do. Nickolai, I want you and Toni to do what you guys always do."
"Got it." The two red-heads, twins Nickolai and Toni, nodded and took off.
"Kyle, you're gonna be in charge of watch." Shawna saw the smirk on his face. "Today's your big day, so do try not to mess up. Leon..."
"Yeah," said brunette came up behind Shawna.
"You and I are gonna tag together and get as much food as we can, alright?"
"Tsk. Do I need to be told twice?" He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We've been doing this tag-team for how long?"
"Hehehe. Just making sure you're on the same page as me, bro. Now, wait for the signal."
It took several minutes for Nickolai and Toni to give the signal: a simple flicker from an empty lighter. The moment Shawna and Leon saw it, they put their plan into action.
"What the!...Hey, what do you kids think you're doing?"
A younger man, not the one they were after, had caught the kids trying to commit a theft. 'Dammit.' They were right behind the food stand when the guy, apparently not from in-town, decided to put everyone into panic mode.
"I got some stuff," Toni had been the lucky one, managing to grab some bags laying on the ground. "Shawna, we need to go!"
"I hear ya! Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen!"
For some reason, Shawna's head told her to look to her right. Through the shifting people and the yelling, she had noticed someone familiar slinking off to one of the side alleys, being followed by another person. 'The hell?'
"Hey, Leon! I'll be right with you and the others! I need to check something!"
"Oh, hell no," Leon grabbed Shawna's arm. "You're not going anywhere without me this time. Remember last time this happened?"
Having no time to argue, Shawna just scoffed and allowed him to follow her. Leon turned around briefly to tell the twins to try and make it back to the hideout.
"Shawna? Shawna, what's wrong?"
Shawna ignored the whispering behind her and crept into an alley connecting to the one she saw the two people walking into. Nearing a corner, she put a hand over Leon's mouth to silence him.
"Shut up. Listen."
"...So, did it work?"
"It should. I made sure that he was in the area to see the commotion, but I'm worried if she got away too fast."
Leon and Shawna heard a hiss and an abrupt 'thud'. Glancing at each other, they peeked around the edge. What they saw both surprised and angered them.
"Even if she got out already," Damien sneered. "The Hunter would already be on her trail, thanks to one of the others calling out her name. The faster we get rid of that demon, the faster we can get our cash and split from the gang."
'What the hell is he talking about?' Both thoughts ran through Leon and Shawna's heads.
"...True, but the Government is still after us." The unknown man turned out to be the one that exposed Shawna and her friends. "We could still—"
"Silence! I've already had an agreement made with the Chief. He's allowing us off the hook as long as the bitch is disposed of. Dead or alive."
Leon pulled Shawna back before she could pounce on Damien and his accomplice. Shawna could clearly see the look of confusion and spite in his brown eyes.
"What the hell is going on," he had to whisper so that no one can hear. "Don't tell me that Damien's trying to kill you? Shawna, what's going on—"
"How the hell would I know what's happening? I'm just as surprised as you are," Shawna hissed in anger. "If I had known that Damien's been planning this from the beginning, I would've kicked his sorry ass outta town by now."
"...I knew he was bad news." Leon glanced back at the alley that Damien was in. "I knew it from the very beginning... Why didn't I do anything?"
"Stop your moping!" Shawna went to creep back, away from the scene. "Right now, we have to get out of here."
They waited till Damien and the other guy left the alley before walking out of hiding. Leon was about to talk when something clicked behind him and Shawna. It did not sound welcoming. Both teens tensed as a cold chill ran down their spines. Shawna cursed and twisted her body around to face the perpetrator. A tall man stood behind them. Looking to be well into his forties, the older man was wearing a red trench-coat in black undergarments. Leon's eyes widened in fear at the sight of the two barrels poised at them. Twin handguns: one black and one silver. Leon could literally hear Shawna shake from two feet away.
"Leon," the girl didn't care if the guy heard her or not. "Get as far away form here as possible. This guy—"
"Are you crazy? He could kill us! He could kill you!"
"I don't care," Shawna swallowed. "You're obviously not the one this guy's after. I don't want you to get yourself killed, Leon. Get outta here and fast!"
Shawna heard the click of the second gun. Fearing the worst, she grabbed Leon and threw him out of the way of the incoming bullet. The pieces of metal skimmed her shoulder. Once Leon hit the ground and saw Shawna falling to the ground, he got pissed and went to lunge at the armed guy and drew his attention. Taking this as an advantage, she twisted her body for a kick at the guy's shin. The man managed to dodge the attack and jumped back.
"Leon, you idiot, get out of here! Get out of here, now!" Shawna hissed in pain. "Get somewhere safe!"
Leon glanced between Shawna and the man in red. He didn't know what to do. If he ran away, Shawna would get killed. But if he stayed, there was a strong possibility that both he and Shawna would die. Hearing Shawna scream at him again, threatening his own existence, Leon had no choice but to run.
"I'll come back with help! Just hang in there!"
"Don't hold your breath, Leon. Just make sure you're out of this place!" Shawna pulled herself up and faced the man who shot her. "Look, man...I don't...care who you think you are. But...don't you fucking dare go after him. You want me, right? Then, come and get me!"
Using what strength she had, Shawna lunged away from the man and ran in the opposite direction of both her friend and her attacker. Multiple gun shots resounded throughout the alleys. 'Dammit. I don't wanna die, but I can't let him anywhere the hideout nor the others.' She ran up to a wall and pulled herself over the top. 'Damn that Damien! Damn that bastard!'
The sound of boots hitting the ground behind her and the gunshots that whizzed past her ears and body kept Shawna from stopping. She glanced down at her shoulder and grabbed it at the sight of blood. As she ran, more and more blood bled through the wound. Her hand was already covered in red liquid as soon as it touched the injury. When she looked back up, she cursed and had to jump out the way of something silver. The crash of metal hitting ground brought Shawna out of her daze when she hit a nearby wall.
"Dammit!" the pain increased.
She heard a metal object scrape at the ground, and she looked up. The man in red had somehow managed to run ahead of her and drew a rather large sword. Curious as to where it came from, Shawna noticed an empty guitar case laying on the ground not far from where the man stood.
"Thought you could get away that easily," the man had actually spoke up. "Didn't you, you demon?"
"What?" Shawna's eyes widened. "Wh-What are you talking about?"
"Taking in the appearance of a young babe working with a gang? Heh. I thought demons like you would be smarter than that."
"W-What the hell are you talking about? I'm not a demon!"
Shawna instantly backed up when the guy pointed the sword at her. For once, the first time in years, she actually felt terrified. She knew that she was going to die some day...but this? This was not what she had in mind. She was still too young, not even having reached adulthood. Her shoulder pulsed in agony, and Shawna put more pressure on it. Her vision was getting blurry.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" She shook her head. "I'm not a demon."
"Heh. Don't try that with me," the man chuckled. "As cute as you look, babe, I'm afraid that I have a mission to carry out—"
"But I'm not a fucking demon! How can I convince you that I'm not one of those monsters?"
"...You can't. Sorry, sweetheart, but time's up."
Shawna shook her head. Anger suddenly filled her mind, and she lunged at the guy. 'I don't care anymore! I don't care!' The sound of flesh ripping and blood splattering the ground filled Shawna's ears. In the midst of the bloodshed, she had began to cry.
"How can you compare me to those monsters? How? The very same bastards that took everything away from me!" Shawna reached out at the man, her memories going back to when she was almost ten. "They killed my own family! My own mom and dad! The only people who loved me! And you are calling me a murderer? How could you?"
Everything just happened so fast. A red haze of pain clouded her vision and made it nearly impossible to see. Instinct was all she could rely on.
"Come on, babe. Is that the best you can do?" the man was taunting her. "I've fought stronger demons than you who put up a bigger fight."
"Would you just fucking leave me alone? I've done nothing to you to deserve this!"
The man went to stab the young woman but was surprised when she managed to stop the blade. Ignoring the pain pulsing in her hand, Shawna gripped the blade and sneered at her attacker. 'I am not going to let this bastard kill me. I still have a life to live.' She lifted her leg and kicked the man's side, causing him to let go of the sword and slam into the wall.
"I'm not through with you yet," Shawna caught the fallen sword and threw it back at its owner.
The Hunter gasped in shock as the blade pierced his chest, pinning him to the wall. Shawna watched as his body went limp before collapsing herself.
"Dammit."
Shawna coughed up more blood and gazed back at the man. After much effort, she managed to pull herself back up and started limping away from the scene.
"Heh. Nice shot, babe," a raspy voice stopped Shawna from leaving the alley.
Shawna tensed up immediately. 'Impossible. But I...' She gazed back at the man in red and watched as he pushed himself off the wall. She suddenly felt sick at the sight of the sword sticking through his chest.
"...H-How?"
"You...and I...are the same...kid," the man pulled the sword out of his chest and smirked at Shawna. "Although, I do congratulate you for putting up that much of a fight."
Shawna stared at the man standing before her. Shaking her head, she sent a weak glare at him.
"What...the Hell do you want with me?"
"That would be business, babe," the man placed his sword back in its case, heaving the strap over his shoulder. "I'm here on a mission. Hunting demons as you can see."
Shawna swallowed the blood-mixed saliva in her mouth. She stepped away from the man when he went to take a step towards her. Seeing the unease in the girl's face, the man stopped.
"I'm not going to kill-"
"Why the Hell should I believe you," Shawna grabbed her shoulder as the pain shot up again. "You were doing that just seconds ago."
"Hm. I was just simply testing you," he put his hands in his pants pockets. "The Head Chief told me that you were dangerous, so I decided to check you out. To be honest, you're not that strong, so why bother killing you."
"Bastard," Shawna growled.
"Consider yourself lucky, babe," the Hunter turned his back to Shawna, but didn't move any farther. "Now, get out of here. I'm sure that your lackies are waiting for you."
"They're not my lackies. They're my friends. Have been for years."
"Heh. Then, I'll see you around, babe."
'Hn. In your head.' Shawna turned around and walked away. The man, Redgrave, watched the petite woman, completely ignoring her blood-stained clothes, leave the alley. He shook his head and frowned slightly.
"Such a young girl," he said to no one. "Too bad she grew up in this dump."
…
It took a while for Shawna's head to clear up. The pain in her body still pulsed, but the wounds were slowly starting to close up. The itching during the process still angered her.
"Dammit," She barely refrained from scratching her shoulder. "I hate this."
She gazed out at the outskirts of the city and spotted the old sign that hung above the entrance to the gang's new hideout. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation, 'Weird. Usually Natalie, Leon or one of the other boys would have come out and greeted me by now.' The closer Shawna got to the building, the more nervous she got. A sudden whiff of decaying carcases caused her to cover her nose.
"Oh, god. What the hell is that?"
The moment she turned the corner, she had to turn around to vomit. 'This can't be real. It can't.' Tears stung her eyes. She glanced back and saw that she wasn't imagining things.
"...No."
All over the ground in front and inside of the hideout was the mass of bodies that belonged to her friends. Shawna pulled herself up and limped over to some of the bodies. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. The bodies were looked as if they were mauled by a pack of animals. A groan mixed in with a cry brought her eyes to the hideout. 'Someone's still alive. Maybe they can tell me what happened.' She followed the whimpering to a mound of debris blocking a small outcrop.
"Hush. Do you want them to hear us?"
"...I'm sorry, brother..."
There was no mistaking that voice.
"Toni, Nickolai? Is that you?" Shawna moved some of the rocks out of her way.
"Shawna?"
Shawna managed to make a hole and peeked through. Sure enough, the twins were trapped behind the debris. Their green eyes, widened in surprise and relief, glowed in the dim light.
"Are you guys alright? What the hell happened?"
"We don't know," Toni whispered. "It happened so fast. Those things that come out at night. They just attacked us...in broad daylight."
"Demons." Shawna blinked back her tears, surprised as well at what happened. "Is...Is there anyone else still alive?"
The twins looked at each other, then back at Shawna, nodding.
"Who? Where are they?"
"I...think I saw Natalie and Leon run off in that direction," the older twin pointed to his right, Shawna's left. "I think I heard Leon calling someone a traitor or something like that. Natalie ran after him, saying something else about it being too dangerous."
Nickolai whimpered again, as if in pain. Shawna glanced down and noticed that his left pant leg was bloodied. The scent nearly made her gag. Shawna narrowed her eyes in anger but softened them as she looked back at the boys.
"I'm going to get you guys out of here, but I need to find Leon and Natalie. I promise that I'll come back. Try to remain quiet, in case more of those things are still around. Okay?"
Toni nodded as he held his brother. It hurt seeing the twins like this. They, along with Natalie and Leon, were the only ones she enjoyed hanging out with. 'Try not to die on me, boys.' She got up and ran off in the direction Leon had headed. More blood filled her nose as she got closer to a dead end. A single person, his back to Shawna, stood at the entrance.
"The two of you really are pathetic. Telling me to go to Hell and that you friend will come back and save your sorry asses." The person laughed. "She's dead. Dead!"
Glancing past the person, Shawna was able to make out the kneeling figures of Leon and Natalie. One of them was holding onto the bloodied body of the other, and it pissed her off when she saw who was injured. 'Son of a bitch.' she glared back at the standing figure who was making his way to the couple.
"How about I let you join her in the Demon World?" The figure reached out for Leon and Natalie.
"You son of a bitch! Stay the hell away from them!"
The figure turned around and widened his eyes in terror. Shawna snarled before lunging at Damien and tackling him to the ground. She delivered one punch to his jaw and heard the cracking of the boy's jawbone.
"You bastard!" Shawna grabbed Damien's shirt and threw him away from her friends.
A sickening thud of the boy's body came as he hit a pole. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder from the action, Shawna ran over to Leon and Natalie's body.
"You're alive!" It was evident that the blonde was crying.
Shawna glanced at him and back at Natalie's face. She was so calm, it looked as though she was dead. Only the flicker of her eyelids said that she was barely alive. Shawna choked back a sob.
"Shawna..."
"How bad is it?" Shawna moved a lock of bloodied hair away from Natalie's eyes.
"...She...She'll be alright," it sounded as if Leon was trying to reassure himself that Natalie would live. "She'll be alright. She only hit her head."
There was a small gash on the side of Natalie's head. Though, despite its small size, it was near her temple and was bleeding profusely. Shawna shuddered. She reached down to tear off some of her shirt and press the fabric against the wound. She heard Leon inhale sharply, possibly from the sight of her stomach and the cuts that laced it.
"Here." Shawna took Leon's hand and had him press on the cloth. "Put pressure on it. It should stop the bleeding till we get some help."
"...I fear help won't do you any good."
Both teens tensed up and widened their eyes. 'Impossible. How could he?' Shawna looked over her shoulder and saw the beat-up body of Damien limping towards them. The hole in his chest, from where the pole penetrated, was empty and gushing out blood with each step.
"You...may have survived that Hunter." Damien started cracking up like an insane mad-man. "But that...doesn't mean that I'll let you live. I'll kill you with my own hands if I have to!"
Damien, stretching his hands out in front of him, lunged at the kids. It looked as if something, or someone, was controlling Damien's body. Shawna instantly stood up to stop the blow, only to have one of Damien's hands run through her stomach.
"Shawna!"
She coughed out blood while the traitor started laughing again. Since she was now closer, she noticed that the boy's eyes were glowing red. She widened her eyes, 'Those eyes. They are just like...'
"What's the matter, Shawna? Cat got your tongue?" Damien's mouth curled into a creepy grin. "Because if it doesn't, then I'll take the pleasure of ripping it out myself."
Damien removed his hand and grabbed Shawna by her throat. He ignored the crying of Leon and the scratching Shawna was giving him. All Shawna could hear was the boy's laughter as she gasped for a breath. With her body already weakened from her fight with the man in the red jacket and the new injury on her stomach, she could barely kick her legs out. The sound of a metal object scraping the pavement, followed by a loud crack, suddenly allowed Shawna's throat to open up again.
"You bastard!"
'Leon?' She could hear what sounded like a metal pole slamming down onto Damien's head.
"You've killed everyone and nearly killed Natalie! I'm not letting you take Shawna's life either!"
"You fool!" Damien suddenly grabbed the pole in Leon's hands and yanked it away. "Trying to play hero will only result in someone losing their life. And that life is not going to be mine."
Guessing where Damien was standing, Shawna made a blind leap at the mound of flesh. Happy in seeing that she guessed right, Shawna's lips curled back into a smirk. The boy's eyes suddenly widened in fear as he watched Shawna curl her fist up into an uppercut. His head, instantly breaking from the force of the blow, snapped back, but Shawna wasn't done yet. Grabbing the boy's limp head, she punched it again and again into the pavement. Each blow caused a growing crater under both bodies. Once Shawna was done, all that was left of Damien's head was a bloody mass. She swallowed back the vomit threatening to release. She glanced back at Leon, her body visibly shaking.
"Sh-Shawna, y-you..."
"I'm sorry...Leon," Shawna glanced down at her bloodied hand. "I...I just couldn't hold back anymore. I-I'm so sorry."
Leon limped over to Shawn and held her splintered hand. They both watched as the small fragments of bone snapped back into place, and the skin stretching over the wounds. Leon looked back up at Shawna in shock. She averted her eyes from her friend, ashamed of what became of her.
"...Shawna, what are you?"
Shawna closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. She looked back at her friend.
"I...I don't know," Shawna looked away at the old buildings around them. "I don't know anymore."
Leon was about open his mouth to reply but was stopped at a sound behind him. Shawna and Leon saw Natalie starting to wake up. Leon let go of Shawna and ran over to the younger woman and held her in his arms.
"It's okay," Leon hushed the girl. "It's okay...It's all over, now."
Seeing that it was best that she not stay, Shawna turned and walked back to the hideout. Finding the twins position, she began to dig them out.
"Hey, Shawna. You alright?" Toni noticed several stray tears on Shawna's face.
"Y-Yeah...I'm fine." She and Toni gently dragged Nickolai out into the open. "How bad is he?"
Shawna tore Nickolai's jeans and exposed the gash. It wasn't as bad as she thought. The wound was just bloody. She tore off the rest of the pant leg and tied it around Nickolai's thigh. The three of them heard footsteps coming in their direction. Shawna glanced up but immediately looked away. Leon and Natalie were limping towards the trio, with Leon holding the girl bridal-style. 'She's probably still out of it.' Shawna did not need to see the strange look Leon had given her to know how he felt about the whole situation. 'I don't blame you, Leon. I'd hate myself too.'
"We can't stay here." Shawna stood up, despite the sharp pain that shot up her arm. "If we stay, we'll be sitting ducks for any nearby demons."
"That and the fact that we have to get to a hospital," Toni agreed as he pulled Nickolai onto his back. "It's best we leave."
Shawna nodded and glanced back at Leon. He immediately looked away and shifted Natalie into his arms. Shawna watched as the others started walking away, unsure if she should follow.
"Come on, Shawna," Leon called out, surprising her. "Are you going to come or we leaving you behind?"
"Yeah. I'm coming."
Hiya, peoples. There's Chapter 3 finished. XD Please let me know what ya'll think. Thanks *bows*