Devil May...Moan?

The rain was coming down in thick icy sheets, pelting every available surface, including me, with water so bitingly cold that it froze to anything that was already colder from the equally freezing winds and the frigid temperature of the night air. Despite the thundering sound of rain water colliding with everything around me, the sound of my own booted footsteps on the pavement was obscenely loud to my ears and it was a moment before I realized why. There was no steady hum of nightlife, no background noises at all besides the steady fall of rain all around me. I knew instantly that he was here.

It always happened like this, as if every living thing in the area was holding its breath. As though even the insects could sense the presence of a predator, stalking among them silently. I’d met a lot of demons who thought they could sneak up on me but this was the first to ever actually hide himself from me so efficiently. It was like trying to pinpoint a black cat in a room with no light. Only this cat didn’t make a sound and could see in the dark. If only I’d known how closely I’d hit the nail on the head.

As it was, this particular demon had managed to escape me without any trouble every other time we’d ever crossed paths. I’d find myself in a remote area away from the prying eyes of humans only to stumble into a quiet spot like this one, where the very air seemed to have paused, afraid of disturbing whatever menace lay in wait just out of my line of vision.

It seemed my luck that I’d taken the scenic route home this time, choosing a small paved path through the park instead of taking a taxi. Okay so I couldn’t have afforded the taxi at the moment and the park had seemed like a nice place to take a walk on my way home. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d made a mistake.

But boy did this one really take the cake. But I’m not one to lay down and admit defeat. It’s not easy to kill me after all and I hate to back down from a challenge.

Standing perfectly still beneath the ever worsening rain, I cast my gaze about the trees, hoping to catch at least some glimpse of my evasive quarry though I know it’s pointless. We play this game too often for me to think I might catch a glimpse of him.

But fate is funny sometimes and as I turned in a slow circle the first flash of lightning illuminated the trees and there…against the back drop of gnarled branches and white light was the figure of a man, hugging what had been the shadow of a tree.

“Gotcha.” I don’t even think as I raise my arm and begin firing. I swing ebony around as well and fire blindly at the darkened spot where his outline had been. The sound of gunfire sends the birds fleeing in surprise and a second flash of lightning illuminates the spot I was firing at. The outline was gone.

Ceasing fire I spin around once, hoping to catch a glimpse of his fleeing form only to find disappointment. “Ahh…come on! Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little gunfire!” I shout the taunt at the top of my lungs, frustration making me pace slightly.

Well it wouldn’t do any good to throw a fit…oh what the hell? “Fine, fucking run like a coward!” I shout into the trees, pacing back and forth in irritation. “I’ve wrestled little girls with more courage than you!” Then again, Patty had more courage than any person he knew but his cowardly prey wouldn’t know that.

“Come out and fight me bastard!” Silence. Yeah, because they might actually answer to these sorry ass insults. The sound of rain water splashing behind me jerks my attention around and I bring both Ebony and Ivory up automatically. A small dark lump lay at my feet, quivering lightly until I realize that it’s just an animal. A fucking rabbit. Cursing I nudge the damn thing with my boot and it scurries away, limping ever so slightly. Something about it doesn’t seem right, but then again I could have just been looking into it a little too much.

Rolling my eyes at my stupidity I lower my two favorite handguns slowly and give a sigh of disgust before turning to continue down the path. Something sharp presses in against my thigh and my lower back and I react instantly, bringing Ebony and Ivory up to face my attacker.

The pressure at my thigh increases and I give him a mocking smirk. “Unless you plan on ripping me to pieces that toothpick isn’t going to do shit to me.” He doesn’t say a word and the iridescent quality of his eyes bore into my own with an intensity that makes me itch to pull the trigger and blast his face off. Or I could pull Ivory’s trigger and take out his heart. But something in those eyes freezes me and for the first time in my life I can’t decide whether I should pull the trigger or high-tail it out of there. But that moment is all he needs to make my decision for me.

The pressure on my thigh and back disappear an instant before Ebony and Ivory are knocked from my grasp and go spinning into the darkness. Something sharp slashes my lower spine and the flat metallic taste of fear settles onto the back of my tongue even as bile rises to take it’s place when a knee slams into my lower stomach and lifts me completely off of my feet.

I land somewhat awkwardly before I tuck my feet under me and roll with the movement, flipping Rebellion into my hand as I roll back to my feet to face my attacker. But the lightning acted like any bright light, the moment it was gone my eyes were struggling to adjust to the sudden inky darkness around me. Shaking off the pain of the last attack I raise Rebellion defensively and wait for my eyes to adjust to the darkness around me.

Just when I am starting to make out the dark shape of the trees and the ground beneath my feet a sharp pain in my wrist forces me to drop Rebellion and my trusty sword goes skidding across the pavement and into the soft earth beyond. Giving a bitter laugh I roll to the left and turn to lash out at my attacker. Surprise spikes through my gut like ice when my fist connects with his jaw and he stumbles back. Recovering quickly I retaliate with a barrage of punches and kicks that push him back towards the line of trees and closer to the reaching darkness he seems to favor. “Oh no you don’t…” I growl and grip the front of his soaked black tank top and jerk him forward as yet another flash of lightning illuminates us. His eyes snap shut and his hands come up to block the bright light an instant before he realizes what he’d done. “Bingo!” I shout triumphantly and bring my knee up into his gut.

“Light sensitive are ya big guy?” He staggers back as I deal a crushing blow to his jaw once more and a smooth round house kick sends him tumbling backwards. He rolls with the movement before easing himself into a low crouch. Grinning I settle into a familiar cocky stance and tilt my chin up at him tauntingly. “Come on big guy, that all you got?”

Still he doesn’t answer and for some reason that just pisses me off. Isn’t it the bad guy that usually talks too much? Growling in frustration I cast a glance around me for my missing weapons only to look back and find him gone again. Cursing, I dive for Rebellion only to have over six feet of solid muscle and bone crash into me from the side.

Skidding across the wet pavement, we end up in a tangle of limbs among the dirt and wet leaves. Something sharp slices across my lower stomach and I curse loudly before shoving my booted feet into his solar plexus with enough force to send him crashing into the underbrush. Rolling to my feet I quickly discard my outer jacket only to find that the blade or whatever he’d used had sliced right through my shirt underneath. Ripping the tattered pieces off I examine the ragged wound before kicking the trunk of a nearby tree. “Fuck! And now I have to go get a new shirt to replace the one you ruined. Thanks jackass!”

His only answer is a knee to the center of my back and a kick to my side. I can hear my bones grinding together as I stumble sideways and fall to the ground, momentarily paralyzed by the staggering blow. His weight drops on top of me and the cold steel of my own gun is pressed to the center of my forehead. I can’t help it, I start laughing.

“Do it bastard.” I taunt and he pulls the trigger. My head jerks back and the pain of it resonates through my skull but the wound heals over almost instantly. He pulls the trigger again and all I can do is laugh.

“What the fuck are you?” he growls and slams the butt of the gun against my cheek.

“It speaks!” My exclamation only seems to piss him off more but his fist collides with the ground as I jerk my head to the side and shove my elbow into his bruised solar plexus again. He gives a quiet grunt and rolls off of me only to come face to face with the gun I’d managed to snatch back from him. He freezes and gives me the full weight of those eerie eyes.

“What are you?” He growls again, the deep rumbling sound of his voice almost too low to hear. I smirk and tilt my head to the side in a cocky fashion. “Death. And you don’t knock on death’s door unless you want him to answer. Say hello to my brother Virgil in Hell won’t you?” I say with a smirk and pull the trigger just as the world flashes white. It takes me a second to realize that it’s not lighting that I’m seeing as I slip into unconsciousness.

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Woo! Okay so much for a first chapter. I know, I suck at battle scenes and I hate cliff hangers too, but bear with me on this. The next chapter will be a little better^^ Also, if you've not seen Devil May Cry, the anime you won't know who Patty and Morrison are. I would recommend watching it just in case^^

Review please!