Becoming the Demon
Chapter 5
When uploading chapter 4, I almost uploaded a very smutty image by mistake instead. Never would have lived that one down.
Dried blood is a bitch to wash off usually, but when you can't stand showering, it becomes even more difficult. The purple on my skin had gone back to a circle on my bellybutton, but it kept moving. Speaking of which, when was the last time that I actually ate? It has to be like, 5 days ago. I don't think I'll be able to eat anything anyway. I've gone through about a packet and a half of wet wipes, and I've only just cleaned one arm. I can see the scars, but I don't know how I got them.
"I can smell blood from down the hall." My front door opened, and I sighed. Great.
"What do you want, Cait?" The bathroom door opened, and she looked shocked for a second before going back to her usual expression.
"Am I not allowed to check on you?" I rolled my eyes and continued to scrub at my arm. "That would work better if you were using water." It's a good thing that I'm still in my work pants and a vest.
"I can't stand the feeling of water." I was sat on the edge of the tub. I'm spending more time here than anywhere else recently.
"Vi." Caitlyn moved in front of me and cupped my face again, lifting it so I looked at her. "You're really worrying me now. I know there's something wrong, and you need to tell me." I shook my head, and she sighed. "You can't hide it from me forever, you know."
"Can't hide what I don't have." I shook my head free and tossed the bloodied wet wipe aside, pulling a clean one from the packet.
"Come here." Cait pulled another wet wipe out and tilted my head back, scrubbing my forehead. "I'm only here to help you, Vi."
"I know, Cait." We didn't really need to talk. I can tell that she's not very happy with me, but I don't want her to make a huge fuss over me. Well, she's already making a bit of a fuss, but not as much as she would if she really knew what was happening.
"I've been meaning to ask, when was the last time you ate anything?" Fuck.
"This morning." She stopped scrubbing my face to give me a familiar stare. "This morning."
"You're lying."
"No I'm not." She sighed and wiped my face a few more times, dropping the bloody wet wipe into the waste bin.
"I'm not here to mother you, Vi."
"You say that like I should know what it feels like." She sighed again and sat down next to me, watching me scrub some more blood off. "I only just bought these, too."
"You didn't even tell me how you got so badly injured." I shrugged and looked back at her.
"The guy's in jail, right?" She nodded. "Then that's all that matters."
"Your health is important, too." Cait moved one hand to my bicep.
"I'll heal." I went back to scrubbing. "I always have." She sighed and let go of me. "Feel free to hang out, but I'm going to be fixing my gauntlets when I'm clean."
"I'm taking some of your coffee." Cait got up and left the room. She sounds mad at me, but I don't want her to get what I've got.
~~~~~~~~~~~~X~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How is it going?" I looked up at the doorway and pushed my goggled up to my forehead. Caitlyn was leaning against the doorway, cup in hand. "Your skin is covered in soot, so I assume it's going well."
"I wish." I tried a grin, but I was feeling too much like shit. "I don't know what the fuck I did to these, but the arm casing is fucked."
"You're swearing a lot more than usual." I caught the faintest smile, but Cait never really smiles for long. "I still don't understand why you won't tell me what is wrong."
"Because there's nothing wrong." I pushed my goggles back down and turned to the bench again, igniting the blowtorch on my cigarette.
"I doubt that smoking again is helping." Cait walked over and took it out of my mouth, grinding it out on the corner of my bench.
"I only smoke when I'm stressed." She put her hand on my shoulder. "And right now, it's because of my gauntlets."
"You've fixed them before."
"How long have I been in here?" I asked, leaning back again and pushing my goggles up.
"About two hours." I groaned and extinguished the blowtorch again.
"Looks like I'm gonna be here for a while." I pulled my gloves off and laid them on the bench so I could rub my face. "I can't work without these."
"You are entitled to days off, you know." Cait started to rub my shoulder. I guess I'm still cold.
"I already had one off recently. Besides, that'd leave you alone in the station." I grinned.
"I was on my own for years before I recruited you."
"Yeah, you you're used to me now." Another rare smile, and Cait put her cup on my bench before lifting my hand, holding it, and brushing her fingers over the news cars on my arm.
"Do these hurt?"
"Not at all. They didn't even hurt when I was healing up." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "What's up, Cait? You know I heal like crazy."
"It's still uncomfortable to see you hurt." I shrugged and rubbed one of the scars.
"I can just tattoo over it. No big deal." She sighed. "You know better than to worry about me, Cupcake."
"I can't help it." My stomach is starting to burn again. Why now?
No more time… Oh, for fucks sake.
"Vi, are you okay?" Caitlyn asked, lifting my chin.
"Yeah, I'm good." I don't think I convinced her. "You should probably head back to your place, Cait."
"Why would I do that?" Fuck, fuck, fuck better find a way to get her out of here.
"Well, I'm gonna be working on my gauntlets all night, and I don't want to bore you." I don't want to upset her, but if she sees me black out, it'll be even worse.
"Well, alright…" Fuck. Now she looks upset. I got up and followed her into the front room, doing my best to hide the pain that was quickly spreading over my body.
"Don't worry, Cait. I just need fix my gauntlets and get a couple hours sleep. I'll be ready to go tomorrow."
"As long as you're sure." This would have felt more like a victory if my skin wasn't on fire. "I need to have a talk with you tomorrow, though." Oh, fuck. She picked her rifle up, put her hat on, and stepped outside the door. "If you don't show up now, I'll really not be happy."
"If I don't show, just think of me as dead." That might not even be a joke. Before she left, Cait gripped my bicep and gave me a concerned stare for a few seconds before turning and leaving. I pushed the door shut as her heels clicked down the hall, and only then did I grit my teeth and sink to my knees. The purple had gotten to my neck and shoulders, and trying to will it away wasn't working. Maybe since I can't stand water…? Making it to the bathroom wasn't even an option, since I couldn't stand.
"Vi!" Oh, great. "What the hell is happening?!" Jinx ran across the room and dropped to her knees next to me, hands on my back. She must have come through my window. Again.
"Not a good time, Jinx!"
"But I need to help!" I don't want to hurt anybody, but I don't think that's in my control. I couldn't even choke out another warning before I blacked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~X~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cursed as I heard my phone ring. I've been picking up some of Vi's bad habits recently. Switching my hairdryer off, I reached across to my bed and picked my phone up. It's from the station. Of course it is.
"Sheriff Fitzwilliam."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Sheriff, but we just got a call about what was apparently a wild animal attack." Interesting. "I doubt it was, though. The attack was heard inside of the apartment block on fourth street." My heartrate increased. That's where Vi is.
"Send a unit. I'll be there within minutes." I hung up and gently tossed my phone back onto my bed. Of course everything happens when I just get out of the shower. I didn't really mind that my hair was still damp, but my uniform needs a wash. There's not much I can do about it right now, though. I dressed myself again and picked up my rifle as I left my apartment. I knew that there was something wrong with Vi. She's just so stubborn. But mostly dense.
"Late night call?" I nodded politely to one of my neighbours. Keys in hand, I headed to my car and got in, resting my rifle on the passenger seat. As I took the short drive, a lot of possibilities ran through my mind. I highly doubt that a wild animal got into the apartment block, but what else could be described as an animal attack?
"Sheriff!" One of my officers waved me over. He didn't even wait for me to get out of my car. He walked over as I was picking my rifle back up. "We tried to call the Deputy, but she didn't respond." That doesn't help my anxiety.
"Which apartment was it reported for?"
"Sixteen." Vi's apartment. What has happened to her now? "I walked up there earlier, and I could smell a lot of blood."
"Alright. All of you, with me." The three officers nodded and drew their guns as I walked into the building. I kept my rifle lowered, but ready as we walked through the building. I couldn't fully control my nerves as I led my small team up the stairs, and to my partner's door. I pushed it open carefully, looking around. The smell of blood was immediate. One of my officers stepped back, but I pressed on, rifle ready.
"Sheriff! There!" I almost dropped my gun.
"Jinx!" I stumbled over, kneeling next to her. She was covered in deep cuts and gashes. At least we know where the blood is coming from. "There's a first aid box in the bathroom!" One of them ran to get it and I rolled Jinx from her side on to her back. Is she dead?
"Hey…" Ok, she's not dead. "What's up, Hatlady?"
"Stop talking." I accepted the kit and opened it. "You two need to sweep the rest of the apartment." I guess that my third officer was guarding the door, AKA, being queasy at the sight of blood. I pulled one of the rolls of bandages out and lifted Jinx's shoulders up.
"But don't you wanna know?"
"Would you rather that I leave you to bleed out?" She started giggling, and the wrap that I just put around her chest started to soak with blood.
"The Summoners will be here soon…"
"The apartment is clear, Sheriff." I nodded to him and tied off another wound.
"Don't you want to know what happened?" Jinx asked again, grinning weakly at me.
"I need another first aid kit." One of my officers ran out to get one from the car. "You're not going to survive for very long if you keep talking, Jinx."
"Like you care." She's not wrong, I don't really care. I'm only doing this because she's important to Vi. "Is it because you don't want Vi in trouble?" I froze and met her eyes.
"Vi did this?" Jinx grinned again and brought her bandaged arm to her face.
"It was my fault, really… I didn't leave when she told me to." That… She wouldn't do that, would she? "I don't even think it was her. Weird purple skin took over, and black bone… things snapped around her hands like those dumb metal fists." I turned and looked at the only other person in the room.
"That sounds like what the two criminals she caught said, too." I had nowhere else to look but the floor. What is going on?
"Where is she?" I turned back to Jinx, who had now closed her eyes. "Hey. Don't die on me." I patted her cheek, and she opened them again. "Where is Vi?"
"I don't know… whatever took over jumped out of the window after saying that it would take over Runeterra or something."
Oh my god, actual plot! And a cliffhanger. *evil laughter*