night of zypresse [open]

Winter didn’t bother to grab her hand. The moment he had swung at that creature, a wave of nauesea swept over him. Only his left knee and arm kept him from lying in a pool of his own vomit and blood. 

“I don’t know what you are,” he said in between gasps, “but you better duck.” 

Before the girl could say another word, Winter tackled her to the ground. It was fortunate he did; had she stood there a second longer, the thin stream of acid coming from the shadows was like to have cut her head off. It sizzled and burned, but Winter didn’t turn to look at it. 

I should really leave her here, was the last thought he had as he stood up and grabbed the second katana. He hadn’t realized he had grabbed hers earlier, nor had she noticed his that Winter had dropped when he was smashed into the wall. 

Winter wasn’t sure what was moving him now. Some sense of duty? Anger? A longing for revenge against the demons that destroyed his life? I should have let her-- 

Years of combat training and warfare had honed Winter’s instincts. He ducked as the creature, wreathed in blackness, swung its tail at him. Then, in the same breath, he stabbed upwards, lodging both katana into whatever piece of the creature he could find. 

A roar greeted him, as did the burning pain melting through his shoulder. Next thing he knew something big hit him in his stomach and chest, sending him flying backwards again. Both swords were ripped from his hands, and the demon, screaming in pain, turned and exploded from the side of the skyscraper. 

Winter didn’t move. He coughed up more blood instead, and when he tried to stand, the entire world began to spin, throwing him back to the ground. Each breath was pained, and for a moment he found himself wondering how he had survived such an impact. 

I really need to listen to my head more. 

Winter came too as the girl jumped from building to building with him on her back. He wanted to get her to put him down but the nausea turned his world into a mute vortex. For a moment he thought he was going to throw up, but he stopped himself suddenly and squeezed whatever his hands were only to get her attention. The softness told him that was her breast, but lustful thoughts were the furthest things from his mind right now. 

“It always . . .attacks with its tail first . . .,” Winter stammered. “Get its attention . . .jump . . .grab the swords . . .” 

With that, Winter let go of her and let his body land hard on the rooftop she was currently jumping over. As he was now, he’d just be a liability. This was a mission she’d need to finish on her own. 

Regardless, Winter could not find a way to justify letting a kid finish this job, even if that kid had superpowers that made even Olympians seem like obese fucks. Rolling onto his side, the former green beret forced himself to stand. It was hard, and it took a minute to do, but eventually he was standing on his own two wobbly legs. I’m going to be pissing blood for a week. he thought, and that made him laugh. That was a mistake, since the sudden explosion of pain and nausea forced him back to one knee. It seemed killing that demon really was all in the girl’s hands now. 

The rooftop heaved and then a massive portion of it collapsed. A green scaled claw reached out from the dust and darkness and pulled the demon out into the moonlight. Winter looked at it and chuckled to himself, which just doubled the pain in his stomach. It was easily the size of an eighteen wheeler, with a massive tail lined with small legs that allowed it to move quickly. Its upper body was insanely muscular and covered in scales that, presumably, could likely deflect anything the pair did to it. 

Most ugly was the mask that encased its skull. The snout was long and glimmered white in the moonlight. Golden eyes, slitted like a reptiles, did not move from Winter. Looking into them was his first mistake. He felt as though he had been gored through the chest and pinned to the ground. 

“Yo . . .,” he began, but he stopped abruptly. There was no point in talking. 

The demon opened its mouth inhumanly wide. Acid dripped from its jaws and melted the remains of the roof. So this is how I die, eh? Winter chuckled again and this time ignored the pain. Shoulda’ known I’d end up like you, Brett. Food for the fishes. 

Winter watched in wonder as everything unfolded. The girl’s plan was nearly perfect, if he was predicting it right. The demon’s tail blocked whatever it was she threw at it. Then she grabbed the swords, flipped, and brought them down on the monster’s skull. Sadly, what she didn’t predict was it retaliating. Its claw opened up and reared back the moment the superhuman grabbed both blades. 

It’d be so easy to let her die right now, Winter thought. His body disagreed. It had already jumped to its feet and dashed at the scaled demon without a care for itself. Silver lights burst from his back, arms, and fist, though the ex-green beret didn’t notice this. Adrenaline pushed him on, and his fist smashed into the demon’s arm and birthed a sickening crunch. Winter absent mindedly wondered if it was his bones or the demon’s that had just broken. In the next painful breath, he didn’t care anymore. 

The silver light peeled itself away from his body and he fell through the space the hollow once held. Black ashes danced around him, and the moonlight framed the flying girl. That was the last thing he remembered seeing before consciousness escaped him and joined the fading black flakes.