The ropes tug him back. His head snaps to Rancid with wide eyes, "What are you doing?!" He tries to fight against it but the ropes are too strong. "What is this?!"
He's tugged back again, his feet dragging.
"I'm working smarter not harder." Rancid huffs as he catches his breath, his gaze glued to the demon.
"No!" He tries to gain his footing, and push against the force pulling him. "Wait! Stop! Let's make a deal"
Do demons feel fear?
"Now you want to make a deal?" Rancid scoffs, ignoring the intrusive thought. "That shit sailed a long time ago."
"No!" It growls out, the smirk has long been wiped from his face. No matter how hard the demon pulls against the restraint, his strength doesn't seem to matter. "Don't do this! You don't know what you're doing!"
Rancid laughs, finding his panic refreshing, "Of course I do. This is my mind." He shrugs and sits down, leaning back against his hands. It feels nice to relax a little after everything that's happened. "And I want you to disappear." Rancid continues.
The demon screams as the ropes yank and then he disappears into the darkness.
Rancid sits in silence and waits. When nothing happens, he reaches out to feel if the demon is still with him, but he doesn't see him.
Did he win?
***
The ground shakes as Rancid dodges a blast from Benson's energy cannon.
"Stop moving!" Benson shouts from the side lines. As he tries to take Rancid out with long range attacks, Maver uses the cannon smoke as coverage for sneak attacks.
"For hunters -" The demon cuts itself off. His eyes lose focus as they cloud over. "What is this? What are you doing?!"
Maver's brows furrow.
"Do it now!" Jari screams.
"No!" Farron shouts, but Jari keeps him back with her barrier spell.
Maver moves in with a heavy swing and narrowly misses when Rancid collapses to the ground. The sharp horns on his body recedes back into his skin.
Rancid groans as he sits up. He rubs his head, his brain pulsing against his skull, "Ugh."
"Palik," He mumbles, his eyes moving past Maver in search of his brother. "Where's Palik?"
Maver stares, dumbfounded.
"Rancid?" Farron slams his fist against the barrier, "Let me go!" The blue force field vanishes, and Farron runs to him. "Is that really you?" Farron steps closer but Maver blocks him with an arm.
"Do you not listen?" Maver scolds, "I said he is no longer your friend."
"Palik!" Rancid stands up, his eyes wide and desperate. He freezes. There in the alley a few feet away, Palik lays limp as a demon hound eats away at his insides.
"No!" He tries to run to him but falls to his knees. His fatigue is finally catching up to him. He turns around, locking eyes with Farron, "You!"
"What-"
"You had one job!" He wails, "To prote-" His back snaps forward. An anguished cry escapes him, black bleeds back into his eyes.
Palik is dead. He's dead, he's dead, hesdeadhesdeadhesdead.
Rancid's eyes snap to the hunters, to his friend that was supposed to take care of his brother. To his sister who is safely protected behind a barrier. Why didn't they protect his brother?
Why didn't they save Palik? Why? Why? Whywhywhywhy?
The scent of rotting herbs permeates the air. Green gas begins to leak from Rancid's skin, the cloud growing thick around him. As the gas expands, the dead hounds around him begin to blister and bubble. They cry and whimper, turning to run away, but the gas is quick to catch up.
"What's he doing?" Jari whispers. She watches the demon hounds melt down to goop on the ground. The stench of it all makes her gag, and she hisses as her skin begins to burn.
"Get away!" Jari screams, "Go-"
BOOM
Green gas floods away from Rancid, the wind blowing it further.
Folly gasps, her eyes wide as the green cloud passes through the protective field Jari placed around her. She starts to scream as her skin begins to bubble.
"Get away from him! Get away from the cloud!" Jari shrieks as she backs away. Her heart drops when she notices the girl behind her barrier is nothing but a pile of blood and goo.
Farron watches in horror as Maver drags him back, away from the thickening cloud. He can't see Rancid anymore, the gas is to thick.
"But-"
"That is not your friend anymore!" Maver growls, his eyes glued to the green incinerator. "That is a demon, who has killed your sister! And he'll kill the rest of us! We have to go!"
Farron's jaw clenches, tears running down his cheeks as he stares in the place his sister used to be. Palik is gone. Folly is gone. Rancid is gone and now a demon walks around in his body.
Wiping his cheeks, he escapes with the hunters, vowing to free his friend from the misery he was forced into.
A blood curdling scream comes from the gas fog and then the ground shakes as an explosion goes off.
Every biological creature - human, animal, and demon, melts into disfigured goop.
***
An older man with graying back hair sits in his office on the highest floor of a skyscraper. The ceiling to floor windows provide great lighting and a stunning view of Skycity.
He absently taps his forefinger against the surface of his desk, his chin propped up on his other hand. He's so. . . Bored.
There's a knock on the door. He immediately sits up straight and clears his throat, moving the mouse of his computer to bring it back to life.
"Come in." He calls, acting busy with a document on his screen.
Secretary Derek steps in, dressed in a grey two piece suit, a tablet in hand. His black hair is styled to perfection, his clothes ironed and his shoes newly polished.
"Director Carson." He bows his head, "Sekacity has been overrun by demons. The plantations have all been shut-"
The older man, Carson, gives up on his act of working, and stares wide eyed at his secretary. Derek said what?
"Come aga-" The phone rings. "Hold that thought." Carson sighs. He picks it up, "This is Director Carson."
"This is Emily, the manager for the customer service department. We've received hundred of complaints about sludge coming out of everyone's sinks!"
"I'm sorry, what?" The director's eyebrows furrow, glancing at Secretary Derek. "Sludge?"
"Yes sir. How should-"
"Thank you Emily, I'll be right with you."
"What? But we have major cites-" He clicks the hold button and puts the phone down.
"Explain." Carson gestures to Derek. He steps forward and puts the tablet in front of Carson. The screen lights up with a news article about Sekacity, one of the largest sewage plantation villages.
"Demons have taken over. With no one to man them, they've malfunctioned." Derek explains.
"God damn it, how did this happen?" Carson mutters, scanning the article. "Get me a thorough report, damn it! And do damage control! Send filtered water to the affected cities and get that damn plantation running."
"I'm afraid that's impossible sir." Secretary Derek says.
"And why is that?!" Carson pushes the tablet away and pinches the bridge of his nose. This is what he gets for not working, tsk.
Secretary Derek pulls up a holo-screen. A drone a fair distance away from the city shows a thick green cloud surrounding the entire property, along with the three large plantations.
"What in the world?" Carson mutters. "Demons did that?"
"Demon hunters reached Skycity last night. They claim to have witnessed it all. An investigation is underway now. I'll deliver the report as soon as it's ready."
"God damn demons. You're excused." Carson dismisses him with a wave of his wrinkled hand.
Alone in his office once more, he continues to gaze at the holo-screen before him.