Cold Hunts

Demons feelings

-Kris POV-

I'm currently sitting in front of the stranger's semi-truck with Ahri resting next to me. Her head place on my lap and I couldn't help but gently run my fingers through her hair. Hati is in the back sleeping with two kids the stranger brought. He is the one driving us home with Red leading the way. I told the stranger about Red before we set off. Right now we've been driving for three days now and this awkward silence is killing me. Not to mention this uneasy vibe I'm getting from the stranger. I had to say something to get rid of this uneasy vibe, "Sooooo... you have a name?"

"Yes."

Well, that's not really helpful. "And?

"Just call me Damon."

"Your last name... who are the kids."

There is a monitor on the dashboard that shows the back container of Hati and the kids. One bother and an older sister. They look peaceful, using Hati as a giant pillow even though She still has blood around her mouth. The boy is shifting around and it looks like he's having a nightmare. Hati notices this and curls around the children easing the boy's nightmare into a dream. "They're my nephews. James and Paula."

The reveal of the kid's identity surprised me a bit. Some much so I asked, "Oliver had kids."

"Yes, three in fact."

Kris was surprised as he said, "Wait where's the third."

His silence is all I needed to understand. While we were waiting for Damon back at the fort we heard some yelling and a gunshot before Damon came out with his nephews. "I'm sorry." He seems really bothered by my apologies. Not sure why but in the back of my mind one question made itself known and I couldn't help but ask, "Why... did you kill your brother like that."

Damon sighed, "Do you really want to know why."

He looks at me with no emotion, waiting for an answer so I nod my head. He turned his attention back to the road. "We both lived a terrible life in our childhood. We didn't know who our parents were and who we could trust. We learned that no one gives a s**t about us and that no one ever will. We stole, fought, ran, and even killed. When we got older some men from a special task force recognized our talent and offered us a place we could call home. They fed us, trained us.... made us killing machines. One night we were talking about our future if we stayed. How we would die. So I asked him how he wanted to die seeing how this topic bothered him. He told me he... he wanted to die by my hands. No weapons just my hands..."

Damn. All I asked was why not an entire life story but it does help to know their story. But if they were so close how could he have done it.

Damon seemed to know what I was thinking so he kept speaking, "We both understand the importance of this world and he knew what he was doing was wrong but he was going to do it anyway. Trust me he regretted a single second of it. I only did what was necessary."

"He didn't act like it."

Damon turned to face me. "You have to understand that he was a leader and he had to act like one. We are resourceful but that doesn't mean we can do everything."

Hearing this only made me feel bad for Oliver, even though he stabbed me, kidn*pped Ahri and Hati, and burn my house down. The truck hit a bump causing Ahri to moan and shift back into a comfortable position.

"You want me to drive?"

"No, I'm fine."

With that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

-Damon POV-

Why am I doing this? I don't even know these people and yet I'm helping them out. Do I feel reasonable for my brother's action or am I trying to redeem my own? During my thoughts, my earpiece started to vibrate. It does that before my organization contacts me.

"Yes...Delta?"

The voice known as Delta spoke, "Where are you H-004."

"I told you to call me Damon."

"I'm sorry but it's difficult remembering all the names I'm assigned to."

Damon: "I'm the only person you were assigned to. You can easily remember my name"

".....you got a point but where are you, your tracker doesn't seem to be working."

"I disabled it."

"You going off to books again?

I didn't say anything.

Delta sigh, "Just make sure you bring back any abnormal."

As soon as Delta said that some black force/matter attacked me. Not going to lie I panicked, losing control of the truck causing it to sway from side to side. Next thing I knew the black matter pushed me out of the vehicle. Thankfully the snow broke my fall but the force of the 'entity' broke a rib or two. The truck slowed down but still manages to get 250 yards before stopping completely.

Delta asked in a confused voice, "Uh Damon... is everything okay?"

I rolled over on my stomach so I can use my arms to get up.

"I'm going to have to call you back."

Like an old TV switching off, Delta ended the call. I got up, pain while clutching the broken ribs. Looking down at the truck I saw Kris getting out with a confused look on his face and a black silhouette slowly approaching me.

Damon sigh, "Here we go again."

I pulled out my collapsible scythe, unfolding it with just a flick. The black slowest is now changing. I readied myself waiting for the exact moment to strike. The slowest dived when it got close but it's too slow and I was able to easily step out of the way while slashing it. It simply rolled on the ground and got up as nothing happened. It's clearly got some powerful regenerative capabilities so let's see how much it can take. I pulled out my pistol and emptied it into the silhouette. The silhouette just walked towards me as if nothing hit it.

I said to myself in an annoyed tone, "Alright guess I'll get the big boy."

-Kris POV-

I was running up to Damon when he turned towards me and started running. When we got close he picked me up like I was a sack of potatoes. Before I knew it I was heading in the opposite direction. I looked up to see what he was fighting and to my surprise, it was Tenebris, The Dark. Why is she attacking Damon and... how is he not dead already? Next thing I knew I was dropped to the ground and Damon disappearing in the sub-container. Tenebris is close to the truck and something seems off about her. The first time I met her, her shadow was controlled and calm but now it's violent and uncontrollable as if she's a wild animal trapped in a corner. The Damon came out of the container with an insane-looking shotgun which could probably blow a man away and leave no trace left. He readied the shotgun by his side. I shouted at Damon to try and get his attention. "Damon STOP!!"

He didn't listen or didn't hear because the shotgun drowned out any noise. Tenebris was pushed back by the sheer force of the g*n and it didn't take long for her to recover but before she even could 11 more rounds were loaded into Tenebris. I'm sure the town could hear the gunshot, it's almost deafening. Through the constant ringing, caused by the shotgun, I could hear Damon says to himself. "Maybe incendiary?"

"Damon STOP THIS NOW!" But he didn't. Damon just went back into the container. I looked over at Tenebris and what I thought her was based on anger or pure hatred, I could now see is fear. She is afraid of Damon but why? She has a least recovered completely but not for long because Damon stepped out and without hesitation fired. A bright, finery light shined from Tenebris only to be followed by a blood-curdling scream that matched the gunshot and everyone covered their ears in hopes of preventing what can only be described as pain in its purest form. Tenebris's whole bottom right of her form is gone and is showing no signs of healing. Damon again said to himself, "So fire does the trick."

"DAMON! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, JUST STOOOOOP!!"

Like he was in a trance and just snapped out he shook his head and stared at me. I think I finally cal...

And another blood-curdling scream and snow being crushed. I looked over at Tenebris who was laying on the ground, barely moving. Damon slowly approaching her, c*****g the shotgun once more. Standing a foot away from her head he aimed the g*n putting his finger on the trigger. I rushed towards him pushing him just in time to save Tenebris. My heroic act didn't last long as Damon threw me down and pointed his g*n at me. I could tell it took everything in him not to pull the trigger.

"Explain."

I hastily summarized what he wanted to know, "Tenebris is attached to my soul."

A short silence passed. I guess he just needed a little time to process what I said. Still pointing the g*n at me he said.

"Then why did YOU attack me."

"Tenebris has her own free will."

Just as I said that Tenebris crawled to my side, partially healed. She hugged my waist like a scared child and started.... crying? I didn't think she could cry.

"Hmmmmmm..... back inside the truck... now."

I watched Damon return to the container disappearing. My gaze turned to Tenebris.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head.

"Then let me carry you inside."

"NO PLEASE DON'T LET HIM NEAR ME!!"

"Woah Woah calm down. Why are you afraid of him?"

She didn't say and would rather be near Damon than speak of him. I carried her bridal style. I asked her why she doesn't disappear into the shadows and she told me she was too injured. I placed her in the back container and told Hati to look after her. I returned to the front to find Ahri with questioning eyes. I explained everything to her before Damon returned. We set off again in uncomfortable silence. Red is nowhere to be seen. He most likely didn't hear the commotion and kept driving.

We haven't been driving for long but we are now in a forest. The silence soon became unbearable and questions about Damon were giving me a headache. Out of all the questions that formed one was begging to be asked and I couldn't hold it any longer.

"Damon.... are you human?"

The truck immediately stops and Damon got out. I'm not sure why but my eyes followed him as he walked around the front of the truck towards the forest.

-Damon POV-

Why? Why am I acting like this? Is it because of them or.... because of me? I wasn't aware of where I was walking and went straight into a giant pine tree. I rested my head on it trying to clear my mind but it only filled up with memories of my past. Painful ones. All because of that question. The memories started getting stronger and more started rushing in. Dark ones, ones filled with screams, with death. So many kept flooding in so fast sound could not keep up until it stopped on my brother's death. Damon let a roar so loud it rang throughout the forest. Out of pure rage, I punched the tree breaking away a massive amount. After it fell I heard multiple footsteps approach and with a heavy sigh, I knew what I had to say. "To answer your question..... I don't know. There was a time I knew what I was but now..."

I looked down at the hand that hit the tree.

"You're no human." I turned around and everyone was there. My nephews, the wolf, the fox, the hunter, and the shade entity hiding behind him. It was that cowering entity that spoke.

"Then tell me... what am I?"

That entity gave a fearful reply of how it saw me. "The embodiment of evil.... creator of chaos.... destroyer of creation.... a monster amount gods."

"No..... a monster feels pleasure or pride when they kill... I .... feel nothing. I felt nothing when I killed innocents, children.... family. *sob* I-I am worse than a monster."

"NOOOOOO!!!" James and Paula ran up and hugged my waist.

"YOU ARE UNCLE. NOT MONSTER!!"

"POWERS DON'T COWRY!!"

The fox girl approached and placed a hand on my cheek. She spoke with a soothing voice, "If you weren't human you wouldn't be hurting."

A small, weak smile grew through the tears. Prof, I still have some humanity left. My body suddenly got heavy and my legs gave way. Kris caught me before I fell on the kids and said, "Let me drive."

I gave him a nod before slipping in and out of consciousness. All I can remember is Hati and my nephews comforting me before the doors of the big container closed and the truck started moving again.