Demon

Devon looked up as Vincent left. She opened her mouth to ask him to stay, just so she had someone to talk to and provide some modicum of comfort, but the words got caught in her throat. She kept quiet.

Zeke nodded his agreement and went to turn on the TV. He fervently hoped that there would be nothing, that somehow the incident would be forgotten entirely. Unfortunately, that didn't seem very likely.

-----

"Not very well," Thanos admitted with a grimace. He circled around the kitchen counter toward the living room. "The rituals involved are rather complex and need to be individually tailored to each demon I summon. They are much more suited for third-tiers. But as long as I have a name and information about what I need to protect myself, yes, I can choose just about anyone I want."

Colt went to sit on the couch while Zeke turned on the television. She pulled her knees up to her chest for comfort and watched the news silently. The anticipation made her feel a little sick to her stomach.

With his back turned to them Vincent did not notice Devon look like she was going to ask him to stay. He would have in a heart beat. And he did plan on coming back out after explaining everything that happened to Ronnie.

-----

"Well damn..." Villie said groaned a bit disappointed. But when he heard that he could summon any third-tier he smiled again.
"I know the perfect Demon for you to summon then. . . His name is Spirus and he is the second strongest there is. And something tells me that he would be easy to control. What would you need to know about him?" He lazily fallowed behind the human, glancing around the apartment as if it was not up to his standards.

Predictably, the news was already alight with stories about the incident in town. Footage from an unknown source gave a clear glimpse of Saizel and the destruction he caused, as well as people fleeing for their lives. The newswoman talked over it in a rapid, uncertain voice. Nobody quite knew what Saizel was.

Zeke felt his stomach sink. The reaction was predictable, but he had hoped.

Devon finally stood, ignoring the book, and retreated to her room. She came back a moment later with her motorcycle helmet under her arm and picked up her coat. "I'll be back," she said to nobody in particular as she headed for the door.

-----

"Mostly how he might fight back. His powers, what he's known for." Thanos suppressed a grin into a smile. "It would take some time, of course, preparing for him. What makes you so certain that he would be easy to control?"

Colt watched Devon leave and then turned her attention back to tv. The news showed a glimpse of Colt running off with the small child in her mouth, the one she had saved. The reporter said that she had killed it.
Her heart dropped, she couldn't believe someone could assume she would kill a child.
"I saved that kids life!" She shouted in and attempt to make herself feel better. She just buried her face into her knees afterward. She had no idea there was some one recording there. She was thankful they didn't get footage of her changing into her wolf form. At least now they would only be searching for a wolf.

-----

"Because poor little Spirus has always had a soft spot for humans. And that has gotten him nothing but beating from any other demon. Over the hundreds of years he has completely lost the will to live." Villie explained. When he had gotten word that Drake was part demon he was quick to research into who his parents were, and what they could do, to see how powerful Drake could end up being. He went on to explain what kind of powers Spirus had to and how he was mostly known for being the second hand to the 'arch angel' and how he always tried to keep demons in the demon realm to keep humans safe but all it got him was punishment. He was best known for the monster he could change into though.

Zeke kept watching, wrapping an arm around Colt and drawing her close for comfort. There was a brief shot of Devon in the film, and he winced--she was easily recognizable, even if they knew her only for taking the demon on. They would definitely have to leave at this rate.

-----

Thanos listened with rapt attention, his whiskey eventually being forgotten as his mind whirled with ideas. There was more research to be done, of course, and he would have to make up drafts up the circles he would need for Spirus specifically, and double-check and triple-check his work, but it was feasible.

"I think it can be done," he said when Villie was finished. "It will take a few days before I am ready, but if all goes well, we could very well have him with us."

"Why are people so stupid?" Colt asked as she leaned into Zeke. She didn't really expect an answer. She tried to put herself in their shoes, but just couldn't.

-----

Villie grinned, "then I will see you in a few days my friend." He patted Thanos on the back and turned to leave his apartment, "if you feel you need me, just tell any vampire you see to find me. I will have one stationed by at all times." He explained this as he opened the door, though he honestly didn't need to use it.
"And the next time I see you I will have gathered my children," he added with a vampiric hiss.

"They don't understand," Zeke said, pressing his lips to the side of Colt's head. "They don't know about anything like this. I wish I could make them understand, too, but . . ."

-----

Thanos smiled and gestured with his whiskey glass, which was now full of half-melted ice and ruined alcohol. "I look forward to our success," he said cordially, as though they were discussing a business deal rather than the destruction of the world around them.

Colt let off a soft sigh and let herself relax into Zeke's hold. "We should probably start packing, as much as I hate it," she added in a mumble.
"I wonder what they would do if they caught us.." she added after a minute, staring at the tv as they replayed the footage over and over again, talking endlessly about what it might be.

Zeke nodded his agreement, but made no attempt to move at all. At least for a few minutes, he wanted to sit in warmth and comfort without thinking of how terrible everything was likely to be soon.

Devon returned after a couple of hours, looking weary but slightly more composed than she was before. She tucked her helmet under her arm as she came into the house, looking around but not at anybody, trying not to make it obvious she'd been in tears.

"So what'd the news say?" she asked, looking to Zeke on the couch. He'd gotten up to halfheartedly help back one or two things before sitting back down, tired and despondent.

"They don't really know what it was," Zeke answered, tilting his head back on the couch. "But they got shots of Colt as a wolf and you . . ."

"Fantastic."

Colt was in her room packing her things. She had fallen silent through the night and knew she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon and so intended on packing all through the day. She had barely held herself back fro crying, having Zeke around helped a lot. But she also wished Drake was there, he would know more of what to do. And she silently wish Zach was still around, wondering where he was at the time.
She came out of her room when she heard Zeke talking to some one. She had known Devon long enough to be able to tell that she had been crying, and her heart sank even more. She hated seeing her friends upset.
"So we'll have to leave quickly..." Colt added, "let me know if there is anything more we can do, maybe go get a truck or a van or something?"

Devon nodded, then ran a hand through her hair as she thought. "We'll need a truck," she eventually said. "I want to leave tomorrow night, when it's dark. We'll have the day to pack up . . . I need to talk to Vincent." She glanced toward his bedroom, not anticipating the conversation.

"Guess I'll buckle down and pack more," Zeke sighed, standing back up and stretching. He had few possessions to his name, but there was still a lot else to pack up.

"I'll get one," Colt offered before heading back into her room to grab her coat. She glanced outside, the sun was already coming up so Zeke couldn't come with her.
"I'll be back quickly," she smiled shortly to Devon and Zeke before heading out side.

Vincent came out of his room just a moment after Colt left the house, Ronnie behind him. He seemed to be fine now, and not as pissy as usual. He simply grabbed one of the boxes they kept in a closet for quick moving and headed back into their room to pack.
Vincent gave Devon a worried look, he could easily tell she had been crying as well.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

Zeke nodded to Colt and went to the kitchen to pack up in there.

Devon managed a faint smile to Vincent and cleared her throat. "I'm fine," she said. "Just needed to clear my head." She fidgeted with her helmet, losing the fight to maintain eye contact. "Anyway, I wanted to ask--what were you planning to do? I know you and Ronnie've been staying with us for awhile, but as far as I know, that was temporary. I don't know if you intended to come with us or head off on your own or . . ."

Vincent relaxed a little, such a simple question to answer. "That is quite funny because I came out here to ask if you if you would not mind if we stuck around. Honestly I have no where else to be, nothing in the world calls my name more then remaining with this group." He smiled sweetly down at Devon, hoping he would let him stay. Ronnie still had his own thoughts of leaving, but that wasn't right now. "But if it would be easier for you we could leave. What ever would make you happier." Plus he secretly wanted to do what he could to keep Devon safe and sane, specially while Drake was away.

Devon huffed a breath of laughter. "No, please, by all means, stick around," she said, hoping her glibness would hide her relief. If Vincent had decided to go, she wouldn't have argued a word, but it would have hurt more than she cared to admit. "I can't say I wouldn't miss having you around. Only other sane person in this damn place sometimes, I swear . . ."

Vincent chuckled lightly, "then I will stay." He didn't think about his next actions, they just came so smoothly. He gently grabbed Devon's hand, "I swear I will stay as long as you wish for me to be around." He said firmly, kissing the top of her hand lightly. Sometimes he was still overwhelmed by the habits and customs that he was born into. When he realized just how awkward he had made it he blushed lightly and cleared his throat lightly, letting her hand go.
"Please do let me know if you need any help with anything," He said, looking away, trying to fight back his blush. "We will do our share of the work."

Devon laughed again, a more sure sound. "You are a dork," she stated, clapping him on the shoulder as she turned to go. "Right now, just worry about packing everything up. Colt's off getting a truck. After that . . . I guess we hit the interstate and hope we stumble across somewhere we can go. And thanks."

Vincent nodded again and rather quickly went back into the room with Ronnie, shutting the door behind him. Then he abruptly confessed what a fool he had made of himself to Ronnie, who just teased him about it.

A couple hour passed by before Colt returned home. She had been able to get a truck, and hoped no one would ask how. But when she came into the door she was pale and shaking lightly. When she closed the door behind her she immediately locked it and leaned against in, sliding down onto the ground and curling into the smallest ball she could. She had several pieces of paper held tightly in one hand, the keys to the truck in the other.

Devon spent most of her time packing up the bedroom. She kept pushing Drake's possessions into different corners, putting off dealing with them until she finally began cramming them all into their own boxes. She hoped Drake would be able to find them after this move. She had no way of telling him where they were going.

She passed through the living room, dropping another box near the front door, when Colt came in. It was immediately obvious that something was wrong, and Devon quickly set down the box and went over to her. "Did something happen?" she asked, kneeling to Colt's level.

Colt's coat was gone, left somewhere. And there were light bruises showing up on her wrists, and when she looked up at Devon her neck was bleeding onto her shirt and she wreaked of vampire. The holes weren't deep, like she got away just as the vampire started to bite in.
"V-Villie..." Colt stuttered out, tears swelling up in her green eyes. "I b-barely got away... He's been keeping Drake's letters from getting to us." She held out the papers. Drake had been gone almost three weeks and there was three letters, all opened and read by Villie. The papers were made from something odd and Drake's hand writing was quick and sloppy.

"Shit," Devon hissed. She took the papers and glanced over them, then folded them up and stuffed them inside her coat. As much as she wanted to read them now and know Drake was well, Colt's condition was more pressing. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you too badly, did he? Damn it, we're going to have to leave as soon as possible, then. I don't know if we can wait until tonight."

"I'll be okay.. J-Just shaken up and a little bruised.." Colt said after swallowing the huge lump in her throat. She put her hand up to the partial bite marks on her neck and winced. Even not being very deep they still hurt. "I bit him.." she whispered, almost as if she was afraid to admit it. "I don't think he's f-fallowing me... B-but he didn't die..." Tears still came down her face, and she acted like she didn't even notice them.

"How?" Devon asked disbelievingly. There was no way that was possible--was there? At this point, she was willing to believe just about anything. "He's stronger than we thought . . ."

She sighed, offering her hand to Colt. "C'mon. You can sit down awhile and get cleaned up while the rest of us finish up. Most everything's packed by now, anyway. Just gathering odds and ends."

Colt took Devon's hand to stand up, she was still fear shaking. "He... I.." She tried to explain as she moved to sit down on the couch.
"I bit him on his hand... And he..." She looked at the ground, her stomach turning just imagining what had happened. "He tore off his hand..." She closed her eyes tightly, squeezing out more tears.
"He never tried to control me either..."

The smell of Colt's blood had soon filled the house and Vincent quickly came out of his room, glancing around before moving over to Colt and Devon. "You are bleeding? What happened?"

"Villie found her," Devon answered, straightening up to look at Vincent, and Zeke as he entered the room to see what happened. Zeke immediately crossed over to the couch to see if Colt was okay. "Apparently attacked her, and he's been stopping letters from Drake." She tapped her fingers next to her breastbone, making the letters crinkle audibly inside her coat. "She says he didn't attempt to control her, and a bite didn't kill him. I'm thinking we need to leave now--no, shit, it's still bright out, we can't . . ."

Vincent pulled a small cloth out of his pocket and handed it to Colt. She knew what he was hinting her to do and put it over the wound on her neck, holding it there tightly. She looked up to give Zeke a scare look.
"I bit him, expecting him to turn to ashes and he just ripped his hand off..." She said again, still not believing it. "But he was still standing when I left..." She looked back down and shook her head.

Vincent frowned, "my brother will go to all lengths to not die..." He looked toward the door, it was still the early half of the day, nearing noon. Then he glanced at Zeke, "we can cover our skin. We can not risk staying here. William can move in the light.."

"Will you be okay with that?" Devon asked, looking to Zeke. He nodded.

"I'll manage," he said. "But Vincent's right. We can't stay here if Villie's around. We need to get as far away from here as we can."

"Alright. Let's get things loaded up, then; the sooner we're out of here, the better. Did you manage to get the truck?" Devon cast a glance over the house. Everything of importance was packed, and the last few things could be tossed into a couple of random boxes.

Colt held out her hand to give Devon the keys to the truck she brought home. His wrists were turning dark purple by now.
"Come with me Zeke and I will help you cover your skin safely. It will still weaken you but it is a must." Vincent said, turning to go back toward some of the packed boxes.
Ronnie came out just then and Vincent quickly explained that they needed to move now.

Still pretty shaken up Colt just rubbed her eyes dry with her free hand and looked at her bruises. Villie was much more harsh then he had ever been before. This scared her more then anything. In the past Villie would treat her well at times and only be really rough if needed or just to get himself worked up. But he didn't hesitate to hurt her this time, whatever love he had for her was gone by now.

Zeke nodded to Vincent and kissed the side of Colt's head before getting up to follow. If he had to go out in the sun, it was going to be a very long, very exhausting day, and he was not looking forward to it.

Devon propped open the door and immediately set about moving boxes out of the house as quickly as she could, her expression grim. The letters in her coat rubbed against her collarbone, reminding her of their presence. Now wasn't the time to stop to read, and she doubted she would have the opportunity for hours yet.

Vincent helped Zeke completely cover his skin in a way that it not be in danger of being shown by accident while Ronnie quickly set to work helping Devon.
Colt sat for a few minutes before heading to the bathroom to make sure her wound on her neck was clean and healing correctly.
Once the two vampires were covered from head to toe Vincent set to work, helping pack the truck up as well. The heat of the sun through the clothes made Vincent wince, a throb of pain shooting through his body. But he wasn't too bad off, it was just one throb each time he stepped out into it. He was going to be lucky if he didn't need blood again by the end of the day. And he could last much longer then Zeke. But for now, they couldn't worry about it.

Colt tried to help with the smaller boxes once she was settled down. But too much weight on her wrists was too painful and so she went back into the house to make sure everything had been thrown into boxes.
In a hour and a half the truck was packed full and every one was ready to go. Colt climbed into the back seat of the truck fallowed by Ronnie on other side, leaving one spot in the back for Zeke. Colt in the middle.
Once he made sure Devon was ready as well Vincent climbed into the front passenger seat, so tired from the sun that he was panting lightly. Normal Vincent didn't breath at all.

Devon double-checked everything in the back of the truck, making sure nothing would fall out, before circling around. She stepped up to the driver's side, realized it was empty, and had to smirk.

"I hope nobody seriously thought I was leaving here without my bike," Devon said with a slight nod in the direction of her motorcycle parked against the side of the house. "Someone who is not me is going to have to drive."

"I'd offer, except I'm not sure I'll stay awake all day," Zeke grumbled from underneath a scarf. Devon turned her gaze hopefully to Ronnie.

Ronnie narrowed his eyes at Devon for a moment, "why can't you just leave the damn thing?" he asked as he got back out of the truck to go around to the front seat.
"Nothing but a death trap anyway.." He grumbled, snatching the keys away from Devon and getting into the drivers seat.
"Be careful," Colt said to Devon before Ronnie shut the door and started the truck.

"Best that everyone puts on their safety belt, Ronnie is a fairly.... Out going... Driver." Vincent mumbled tiredly.
Ronnie tossed a glare at the vampire before reaching over to pull down the sun visor to help block the sun from hitting Vincent.
He waited for Devon to get a head of them, since she was probably the only one who had any sort of idea where they were going.

"Yes, but it's a death trap with significant monetary and sentimental value," Devon said with a roll of her eyes, letting Ronnie take the keys. "Be careful. We'll try to drive until nightfall at least. If anyone needs anything, let me know so we can stop." She gave the cell phone in her pocket a meaningful tap before pulling her helmet on over her head and going back to her motorcycle to lead the way out of the city.

Ronnie fallowed closely to Devon with the truck, keeping a worried eye on Vincent.
Colt was likewise worried for Zeke. She did what she could to help him, pinning blankets up the back windows so the sun was not hitting the back seat as much. But for most of the ride she sat quietly with him, thinking about Villie. If he had been stopping their letters and knew Drake had left, how long had he been that close by? Whenever a thought scared her she would hold onto Zeke's hand a little bit tighter.

After driving straight through the whole day it was finally starting to get dark out and the truck was running low on gas. So Ronnie gave Devon a call and said that they had to find a gas station. By now they seemed to be literally out in the middle of nowhere. They hadn't seen another car in hours.
Vincent had been very quiet throughout the trip, his thirst for blood beginning to make him very uncomfortable.

Devon took the next exit off the interstate to a tiny gas station that seemed misplaced in the empty area, but was serviceable enough. She hopped off her motorcycle, removed her helmet, and stretched, groaning as muscles that hadn't moved in hours were finally given a chance to breathe.

"We might need to find a motel," she said wearily as she approached the truck. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been up all night and day." She glanced from Vincent to Zeke, worried for the both of them.

Zeke, who had slept on and off during the trip in a vain effort to escape the discomfort of the sunlight and his growing thirst, just gave a nod. He licked his lips as he began pulling off his extra clothing. "Devon, I--"

"Blood?" she interrupted, and he gave a nervous smile in affirmation. "There's a small box with what packs we had left in the back of the truck." Zeke nodded and immediately went to find it.

Colt got out of the truck after Zeke and stretched as well, wincing. Her body was sore all over from the interaction she had with Villie.

Vincent stripped himself from a few of his extra clothes but didn't move from the truck. He just looked out the window, his pale face more pale then usual, his lips dry and his fangs longer. He needed blood as well but he couldn't find it as easily. Ronnie got out of the truck and crossed over to Vincent side, opening the door and ordering him to get out.
"Come on," he said firmly, holding a hand out. "If you just sit there its not going to make you feel any better. Just come on and at least stand up."
Reluctantly Vincent took his friends hand and got out of the truck.
"Sometimes I think I shouldn't leave cause I don't know how you would live without me," Ronnie teased.

Colt decided to go up to the mini mart to try and find something to eat, seeing as she was starving too, just not for blood.

Devon watched Vincent with a wary eye. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, before looking around the gas station. Besides them and the one attendant in the building, the place was empty. "Not much in the way of blood sources here . . ."

Zeke perched on the side of the truck bed after finding the box Devon mentioned, tearing open a blood pack with his teeth with as much dignity as he could muster. He hated feeling out of control when the thirst became too much to easily deal with.

Vincent nodded lightly to Devon and Ronnie left to find some food as well. "I will be find, being in the sun just reminds me of something I would rather forget..." He half heartily tried to explain. Being back in the dark made him feel so good again, but still thirsty. Vincent was very old, he knew how to control his thirst a lot better then it might seem. But that didn't mean he had mastered controlling his emotions.

Devon seemed unconvinced, but she simply nodded and pat the side of his shoulder. She wanted to ask, but refrained. "Let me know if I can do anything," she said. "It's probably going to be awhile longer before we're near real civilization, so . . ." She trailed off, wishing she could do more, before backing away and moving to the gas pump instead. Better actually do what they came here for instead of sitting around uselessly.

Vincent pushed his arms out in front of him to stretch. He heard what Devon said but he could never take her up on that offer. Besides, werewolf blood was not pure enough and would just make him vomit it all back up. It would be a sad waste of blood and energy.
He fallowed her over to the pump.
"When I was first turned into a Vampire my parents saw how William was, and tried to kill me. They were convinced I would be nothing but evil... They apparently never saw that William was evil even before he was a vampire.." He began to explain, his voice lightening a little. Talking about what was making him upset always made him feel better.
"They tied me up and left me in the sun to burn... I was so close to death when Ronnie was able to fight his way to the front of the crowd and rescue me..."

Devon fumbled with her debit card for a moment, then paused when Vincent finished speaking.

"That's awful," she said softly before resuming. "I suppose it's unsurprising, especially considering the time and the people involved, but . . . I'm sorry that happened." She kept her gaze down as she punched her PIN on the number pad, thinking. She couldn't imagine family doing that. She was lucky--her parents were both understanding and responsible for her condition, so they would never have done something like that.

Vincent nodded lightly, "I was never close to my family since we were royalty. If I saw my parents it was during balls or ceremonies or to for the press. But I had never imagined my parents would try to kill me. When William was changed into a vampire they just banished him. And I had to stick around for years to try and keep him from changing our little sister, Victoria, as well.. And soon he just ceased caring." He shrugged lightly, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the truck.
"Royalty was quickly turning into a nearly powerless thing."

"Well, it's a good thing he didn't get to her," Devon said, then interrupting herself with a frustrated noise as the pump resisted all attempts to work. After a swift kick that probably did nothing, it decided to function, and she gave Vincent a half-smile. "I know nothing of Victorian England, I'll admit, but I think everyone was probably better off with a human queen than a destroyed royal family. Though nowadays the monarchy seems to be just for show."

Vincent nodded in agreement, breaking a small smile. He was proud he was able to protect his little sister from his older brothers grasp.
"Though honestly I protected her more for Victoria's sake then the sake of the crown falling apart. She was my little sister after all," he smiling lightly as he thought back to his sister. They had been close growing up since Villie had been such a bully to the both of them. But when she was crowned queen she forgot completely about her two older brothers, and he didn't blame her. It was probably for the best.

Colt and Ronnie came back out of the gas station with a couple small bags. Colt was laughing about something that Ronnie had apparently said and he had a happy smile on his face as well. They walked up to Devon and Vincent and Colt stopped laughing and handed Devon a bag.
"I got you some jerky and a drink," she stated cheerfully. Whatever Ronnie has said it had brought both of their moods up significantly.

"I can understand that," Devon said with a little nod.

When Colt came back, offering food, Devon couldn't help a tired grin. "You are a lifesaver," she said, immediately reaching into the paper bag for the drink. Like everyone else, she hadn't eaten all day and it was definitely taking a toll on her mood and ability to function.

Zeke tossed aside his empty blood pack and hopped down from the truck. "So what now?" he asked. "Do we keep going, or . . . ?"

Devon looked up at the crescent moon, thinking. "Maybe," she said, "if Ronnie's up to driving. I'd like to crash, but I don't want to make you guys keep going through the daylight."

"We really should drive now ans rest through day time," Ronnie said, glancing at Zeke and Vincent. "You may have blood packs for him but we all know Vincent can't have those."

"I can always drive if you get tired," Colt offered to Ronnie. She had napped a few times in the back seat with Zeke and so could probably go longer.
"You might have to stick through it, or maybe crash in the truck while someone else rides your bike," she added. "I know how, I used to ride one with Zach. But it's up to you."

"I would rather not be out in sunlight if it can be helped," Vincent added quietly.

"No, no, you're right. We can't make you guys go through that again." Devon stifled a yawn behind her hand. "I'll stick through. Not that I don't trust you, Colt, but it's my baby."

"I can take over, too," Zeke offered, feeling much better now that he'd eaten and gotten out of the sunlight. "I know nothing of motorcycles, but I can drive a truck fine at night."

"No I understand," Colt smiled to Devon at her saying no to riding her bike. It was only a offer to provide help.

"Well then lets get going," Ronnie said impenitently, "Colt you take over driving for now."
Colt nodded and took the keys from him to go get into the truck.

"You may sit in the front, I would like to sit in the back with Ronnie," Vincent told Zeke with a small smile.

Devon let out a heavy sigh and crammed a piece of jerky in her mouth before putting her helmet back on. A long day followed by what would undoubtedly be a much longer night. She was not looking forward to it.

Zeke nodded and went to take his place at the front of the truck cab. The extra space, and finally being able to look out the window and not pass out, would be welcome.

Every one piled back into the truck and Colt waited for Devon to be ready. After one double check to make sure everyone was in the truck she flicked on the head lights and turned back onto the interstate behind Devon. She liked driving, it wasn't something she did often. If she had to go somewhere she would normally walk or run to burn off the extra energy.
"How are you feeling?" She asked Zeke once they were on the road again.

((uhh... time skip?))