New Blood

Chapter 8

C7: Of Madness and Mackerel

"Why am I looking at the Hunter's world?"

"Because, Director, we've discovered a way to... motivate him."

"What, threaten the woman? You know I don't approve of such methods."

"No Director, quite the opposite. Offer to cure her."

The Hunter looked down at the prone Bayonetta, the woman looking strangely different in repose. Something about her tugged at the edges of his mind, almost as if there was a mask over her that he could not quite see. A frown creased his expression, the words of Dr. Amherst going unnoticed as he attempted to penetrate the mysterious veil over the Umbra Witch. Without thinking, he reached out to touch her.

An echoing shriek that howled and gibbered beyond words coursed through him, splashes of color and sensations ranging from cold pleasure to grating pain racked his body. Gritting his teeth, the Hunter opened his Insight to perceive what was truly there. What he saw made his entire being, from body to soul, freeze with absolute fear. An immutable blackness was before him, and from it came the sound of a voice.

Amherst jerked the trembling Hunter away from Bayonetta, who also seemed to be in the grasp of some seizure. The doctor looked into his face and let out a muttered curse, from the man's eyes blood flowed like tears. The Hunters hand jerked and grasped the doctor's wrist, his nails digging into her. His eyes opened and he looked at her, pupils dilated and face taught.

The look he gave Dr. Amherst frightened her so badly she let him go and recoiled. Instead of falling, however, the Hunter bowed forward and, using a knife he carried, carved a symbol into the floor of the room. The glyph was writhing and twisted, mutilated lines webbing out from an oblong center. Then he collapsed, entire body going limp.

The elderly doctor was about to call for a nurse when she heard the sound of heels on the floor behind her. Turning she saw Bayonetta towering over her, the witch once again dressed in her tight black, "Such an ugly thing to have in one's mind, I must say." She commented dryly to Amherst, "Almost as ugly as some angels I've met."

Almost casually the Umbra Witch lifted the Hunter with one hand and eyed him critically, "Hmmm, looks like he didn't handle it very well at all." With a theatrical sigh, "I do so hate having someone attempt to drive me mad, however. So I suppose I should be thanking him for the help."

Amherst finally overcame her shock and spoke, "Bayonetta, put the patient down and please allow me to ensure that you are in full possession of your faculties and that no lasting damage has been done." Ever the cool professional, she wasn't about to let some supernatural nonsense to keep her from doing her job, not for long anyway.

With a throaty chuckle Bayonetta winked at Amherst, "Oh, believe me, worrying about he and I will only make things worse. I think I'll give him my own brand of... medicine." A wicked look crossed the witch's face, "I'll take VERY good care of him." One finger traced the Hunter's jaw and down his throat and she licked her lips.

"Absolutely not, he's in no condition to-" Amherst was cut off by the Hunter coughing and removing Bayonetta's hand from himself. Both women watched as he wiped his face and looked at them, his expression haunted.

He spoke, his resonant voice rasping somewhat, "There's nothing more to be done, Dr. Amherst. Believe me when I say this particular... affliction, is beyond medicine." The Hunter's eyes looked to the rune he had inscribed upon the floor and he shuddered. Then he turned to Bayonetta, "I'm impressed you lasted so long, to be honest."

"Oh, I do so LOVE impressing men with my stamina." The witch stretched sensuously, "Mmmm, but I am stiff after lying still for so long. I could use a hand loosening up." Her eyes met his, and the Hunter raised an eyebrow, "That is, if you haven't already worn yourself out, which would be very disappointing."

He let out a low bark of a laugh, "You didn't talk with it. But no, I'm not entirely 'worn out' yet. I wouldn't have made it this far if that was all it took to lay me out." Noting the increasingly irritable expression on Amherst's face the Hunter said, "I think I'll be eating now, though. Somehow I feel like a good bit of meat would help me more than more strain's on my endurance."

Without another word he left them both, Bayonetta half smiling, Amherst fuming. The rune hovered before his eyes and he shuddered at the terrible voice that had spoken it unto him. Even now it whispered in his mind, his abundance of Insight making it all to easy for him to hear. The Hunter could, of course, suppress that sense. But doing so required a great deal of effort, and he could spare none.

Without really realizing he had already made his way into the circular plaza of eateries, restaurants, and vending machines – The Hunter found himself waiting for a plate from a place with a distinctly... alien look to it. He knew that all food was fit for consumption for all the contestants, so he wasn't worried about that too much. Again he felt himself slipping into distraction as his mind struggled to comprehend what had occurred.

Again his mind slipped into a reverie as he ate, struggling to focus on even that simple task. Absently he ducked a thrown tray from King Dedede, the metal disc flying at the pink Kirby who had eaten De's dinner for the third time. Without really watching the two play cat and mouse around the court, the Hunter gradually made his way through his own food.

Another plate hit him in the back of the head and he winced, rather rudely yanked back into reality by a misplaced throw from the large blue penguin. Slowly the Hunter stood, then turned to regard King Dedede, who seemed to be trying to apologize, but was stammering so badly that he couldn't quite get the words out.

Silent and deliberate, the Hunter crossed the intervening distance with what was left of his food. He had finished eating and had been simply picking at it for the past several minutes. He stood before De, then dumped what scraps were left on the king's head, "Dinner is served, your majesty." The Hunter said without so much as a hint of sarcasm.

Silence permeated the air, not so much as a breath disturbing the silence. Then, slowly, King Dedede wiped a splatter of sauce from his face. Everyone remained still as the penguin picked off a loose scrap of food. Then he flicked it into the Hunter's face.

All Hell broke loose in the plaza after that, with Kirby in the center of the chaos, gulping up any and all loose food that crossed his path. Dedede was a storm himself, throwing plates and glasses around like there was an army of invading overly fastidious dishwashers bearing down upon him. Off to one side stood Samus, who no one seemed to hit with anything for some reason. At another table, looking resigned and tired, sat Link, who had mustard plastered across his back.

Eventually the hubub died down and what was left were a dozen fighters laughing, laying on the floor, a combination of those, or just shaking their heads at the nonsense. The Hunter had escaped relatively unscathed, Dedede and Wolf (who had arrived in the middle of it all only to get a fish thrown at him) had received the worst of it. Somehow the entire situation felt liberating to those present, even the more hardened veterans among them inwardly admitted it was a nice reprieve from the past few days of grim tournament preparation.

It felt like a sort of shroud had been lifted from them all, and they all enjoyed it. Just cutting loose and having fun instead of worrying about fighting or training or whatever else might being on. What none of them were expecting, however, was the staff making them do the cleanup. Kirby did most of the work on that front, his remarkable digestive system proving its versatility. Still, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and scrubbing it all took the better part of an hour. None of the participants complained however. Some of them even started a water fight, albeit much more subdued.

After it was all over the Hunter returned to his rooms, chuckling and shaking his head as he remembered the look on Captain Falcon's face when Dedede had inadvertently slipped and fallen on the F-Zero pilot. He had almost forgotten that morning's encounter with that vast, inconceivable being. And on the whole, the whispering had died down a great deal. He felt much better, admittedly.

He sat on his bed and stretched, looking at his carving of Arianna, "I'm sorry you missed this. I'm sure you would have smiled had you been here. When I get back to you, I promise I'll make you laugh." A smile spread across his features as he touched the figurine, "I've never heard you laugh yet, so you owe me, eh Arianna?"

Something strange had changed in him then, his agony from separation becoming eager anticipation for his return. Instead of holding the past, he was now looking forward, unto the future. It gave him a sensation of freedom, like a shackle had been loosed from around his neck. He slept with a smile, dreams of returning filling his sleep.

-x-

Dark. Silence. Eternity. All these things and more was She. Some called Her the Darkness Between Stars, others Mother of the Moon. Her own name was beyond mortal speech, and Her existence was beyond mortal comprehension. Such it was, which is why something akin to mortal unease filled Her. Two mortals had survived the mere knowledge of Her, when that simple fact had driven many to madness.

She felt a shifting in the universe, and such things were distasteful to one such as She who had dwelt since dawn. Stretching forth with Her vastness She touched the mind of a servant, who bowed in suitable supplication. The servant accepted Her instructions and went to do Her bidding, seeking out those mortals who had survived. It was only fitting that She should be obeyed. She who was greater than all others.

I apologize for the shortness of this particular chapter, but I've been struggling with a few corners I managed to write myself into with the last six. I did enjoy the break from the constant bleakness that has been far too overpowering, however. Thank you all for your patience and your continued readership. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts upon the story that any of you may have. Please, give me feedback, ideas, and theories. I'd love to hear them.

Good hunting.