Pain. It was unbearable. This wasn't the kind of pain you could just sleep off; it had sharp edges and felt malicious. Rex spat blood and blinked, trying to clear the static from his vision, but the world just spun like a bad hangover.
[WARNING: VITAL SIGNS CRITICAL. MOBILITY COMPROMISED.]
"Oh, bite me, [V.E.R.G.I.L.]," he muttered, struggling to sound somewhat human.
Above him, the demon screamed, vibrating the air, but oddly, it wasn't charging anymore. Something was in the way? No. Someone.
"Don't you dare black out! You hear me?!" That voice sliced through the fog. Steady hands yanked at his jacket. Rex forced his eyelids open.
Emerald eyes, so bright they looked almost radioactive. Hair as dark as night. A face that seemed like it belonged in a dream, or a memory, or maybe a nightmare—it was hard to tell in this town. She looked furious.
"Idiot. You're bleeding everywhere. Stay awake," she snapped, already digging in her bag for something.
Rex let out a mix of a laugh and a wheeze. "Not exactly the best time for a house call, doc…"
She didn't even glance up. "Yeah? Well, you're not my favorite patient."
Claws smashed against the wall, sending concrete flying, but she didn't flinch. She just moved faster.
[UNKNOWN HUMAN INTERVENTION DETECTED. ANALYZING.]
"Who the hell are you?" Rex managed as pain flared in his side.
"Dr. Evelyn Graves. Field trauma surgeon. And right now, you're my problem." Her stare was hard and unyielding. "You're not dying, got it? Not on my watch."
Somewhere behind them, the demon found its footing again, screeching like a banshee.
Rex forced a crooked grin. "Doc's got guts. Shame we'll both be demon food soon."
She snorted. "I deal with idiots like you every day. I have to roll with it." A flashbang grenade appeared, all military-grade and no-nonsense. She pulled the pin and tossed it straight at the demon.
Light burst forth, blindingly bright. The creature howled, thrashing around.
Evelyn didn't hesitate. "I've bought us ten seconds. Can you move, or do I need to drag you?"
Rex smirked, then coughed up more blood. "Lady, you're talking to a professional."
[ADRENALINE BOOST ADMINISTERED. TEMPORARY MOBILITY REACTIVATED.]
The familiar buzz surged through him, his limbs coming back to life. Kind of. Pain was still there, but he had handled worse.
She covered his arm over her shoulder, teeth clenched, pulling him toward the alley.
"That demon's going to regain its eyesight quickly," she warned.
"Good. Let it watch me leave. I'm quite the show."
"You're impossible."
"And you're cute when you're mad."
"Shut up and walk."
The city blurred past in a whirlwind of neon and shadow as they stumbled into a cramped service tunnel. The demon's roar echoed down the concrete, growing closer. Very close.
Evelyn pushed him against the wall and took out a syringe. "This will hurt."
Rex grinned, showing his teeth. "I like pain."
She rolled her eyes and plunged the needle in. "Good. Because you're getting a double dose."
Fire flowed through his veins, his vision sharpening.
[PHYSICAL PARAMETERS RESTORED TO 40%.]
"That's all you get," Evelyn said, packing her kit away. "Now you get us out."
Rex stretched, fingers wrapping around Rebellion's hilt. "Don't worry, doc. I'll clear a path."
He flashed her a wolfish grin. "But when this is over, I want your real name."
She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Earn it, Devil Boy."
The demon's howl echoed in the tunnel, closer than ever.
Rex braced himself, steady now.
"Round two. Let's go."