Demon Hunter: Fallen Angels

A man lay on a burnt and bloody battlefield. Through his golden armor and warm flesh was a sharp rock. He tried to pull himself out, but was only met with a searing pain. Two men walked up, one with short blonde hair which had fallen over his face and golden eyes, and the other with a browner hair swept to the right. The man with the blonde hair had white armor with a red cross in the center. He held a golden sword towards the ground. The man with brown hair had a more traditional gray armor with a silver sword. He walked up to the man in the golden armor and bent down to look at him. “You talked so mighty, to fall to the earth. As the old legend goes, you flew too close to the sun.” He said calmly. “As did you.” The man in the golden armor spat out blood. “Your men are laid to waste, your land is but ash and blood. Even if you kill me, my affect will remain for millennia.” “Oh, I don’t plan to kill you. I have other uses for you. Swordsman, give me a few weeks.” The man in the gray armor stood back up and walked away. The man with the blonde hair came up and readied his sword. “Long have I waited for the chance to do this.” He said, lowering the sword into the heart of the man in the golden armor.       The night was dark. What was rain when he arrived cleared to moonlight, his favorite. He had spent an hour walking through the empty streets until he finally found where he was supposed to be. An old house, standing two stories and emptier than the heart of a child murderer. He kicked open the door, sending warm air flying his direction. His coat fluttered behind him then settled. He slowly drew a blade from his pocket and walked in. The room was empty, except for a table and chair. All the doors had been broken in; the windows boarded. He held his hand upwards, the tip of the blade dragged along the wall, creating a terrible scratching sound. His red eyes seemed to lightly glow, as he had the ability to see in the dark. His wicked grin was hidden by the shadow over his face. His hair had fallen over his left eye, hiding most of it behind the black curtain of his greasy hair. A table was thrown at him. His pupils constricted. He jumped to the side, avoiding the table and the wood it released upon impact. A large red demon stepped out from the darkness. It was seven feet at least and had two horns, one broken off. It had a muscular body and glowing yellow eyes. “Polizai… Havenburn…” It grunted with hot breath. “Target is identified. As stated by the Hellrul Contract, all powers are cleared for controlled release until the target is banished or terminated.” Polizai said to himself. His dagger began to glow and release heat. Several small runes running up the blade began to illuminate. Heat distortion could be seen coming off the blade. Polizai ran forward, jumping over the demon. He stuck the blade in the top of the creature’s skull and ran it down. The beast let out a pained scream and held its head together, as if it were covering its ears. The flesh slowly peeled away like a fruit splitting open. “Now, to send you back where you belong.” Polizai said, sticking his dagger into the ground. The floor began to c***k, slithering up to the demon. It fell beneath him, sending him into a bright orange abyss. Once he fell, the floor replaced itself. “Target eliminated; all powers are contained until next target is identified.” Polizai walked out of the building. He was met with flashing lights and several silhouettes aiming guns at him. He covered his eyes and looked at the men. “Stay where you are, put your hands in the air!” One of the men shouted. “Officers, the situation is already taken care of.” Polizai said, changing his voice to a heavier British voice. “I still see you standing there, wiseass. Get on the ground with your hands in the air!” The officer shouted, signaling two men to prepare to move. “I don’t have time to stick around, my friends.” Polizai said as a shield of smoke formed around him. The officers began firing, but as the smoke cleared, Polizai was gone. He landed in a darkened building, only lit by the moon peeking through boarded windows and a small lightbulb dangling over the dirty wooden table. There were two doors leading to empty bedrooms. Near the outer wall was a dirty blue couch covered in tears and stains. On a milk crate sat an old box television that didn’t show half the channels a poor man’s cable did. The entire place was dusty and stained. He sat on the dusted sofa and immediately heard the phone ring. He picked it up and held it to his ear. “You have the wrong number.” He said with a sly grin. “You’ve done well tonight, Polizai, if your goal was to get as much attention as possible.” A stern female voice said. “I was only ordered to eliminate the target inside. I was never told to do it quietly.” He put his feet up on a small table in front of him. “You should know we’re a strictly secretive organization. We do not tolerate outside attention, especially the damn press. Now we need to find a way to fit a gas leak in. Just turn on the television and you’ll see.” She said. Polizai took his remote and clicked on the television. “Local authorities in the US have cleared from the house and have been replaced by a private security organization under the name ‘Serul International,’ who has refused to comment on the matter. They claim to be based in London and have not said why they are in the US. This is Jean Winston with—” Polizai shut off the television. “I see what you mean. If you ignore them, these humans will switch back to a celebrity drinking a different brand of water.” Polizai chuckled to himself. “The US is one hell of a country; I’ll give them that.” The female laughed. “Report to my office so we can continue this.” Polizai stood up and opened a portal and arrived in his master’s office. He walked to his desk and kneeled before her. She scoffed and signaled him to stand up, which he did. “You know not to kneel, I’m not the queen.” She said. “Madison Serul, the current head of Serul International and my master. It’s only fitting.” Polizai walked up to her desk and leaned on it. “Why did you call me, master?” “I didn’t call you here, Albert did. He has something for you.” She said. “I’ll go to him, then.” Polizai turned around. “You should really cut those bangs, Polizai.” Madison said. Polizai stopped and turned. “They’re annoying to look at. Commander Lowson has an ideal haircut.” “You’ll have to cut it yourself. I took this look and I plan to keep it.” Polizai said. He turned around and walked back out. Polizai walked down the dark halls of Serul Manor. The walls were a light brown and had large windows with portraits of the Serul Family in between them. Starting in the 1918 portrait, Polizai had been in every single one. Markus Serul, the man to form the contract with him, was in them until 1949, when he passed away. Harry Serul headed the family until his passing in 1994, where Madison took the chair at the young age of thirteen. Polizai had been with her since she was a newborn. He found the metal door to Albert’s workshop. He knocked three times. “Enter.” An older voice shouted. Polizai went in. The air was hot. There were tables lined with weapons, racks filled with guns and swords. He had a smelter and anvil near the back, as well as his workbench where he currently hovered over, putting the finishing touches on a silver handgun. He wore heavy gloves and a heavier apron. He had thick welder’s goggles on his forehead and a hot iron in his hands, pressing down on the edges of the gun. “Is this my present, Albert?” Polizai put his hands in his pockets and looked at the old man work. Albert turned around and removed his goggles, revealing his black eyes, which sloped from experience. “Yes, the new weapon you requested last month. Please, come take a look.” Albert stepped aside. “It’s the ten-millimeter Hellfire. 267 millimeters in length, weighing 1,078 grams and holds seven rounds. The rounds are specially made to deal equal to damage to humans and demons.” “Case type?” Polizai inspected the gun. “Rimless and straight.” “The ammunition?” “.45 ACP.” “And I assume the bullets are explosive?” Polizai insert the clip and pulled the slide. “Of course. They have been blessed and carefully lined with onyx for a slight kick. Not even you can take a hit from it.” Albert said, removing his gloves. “One could say it’s the gun equivalent to your Hellbender blade.” “It’s beautiful.” Polizai slowly put the gun in his coat. “I’m glad you’re satisfied.” Albert nodded and smiled. “Now, I believe I am needed elsewhere.” Albert walked out of the workshop, followed by Polizai. He walked through the halls. Some soldiers were standing around, talking with each other. They looked at Polizai as he walked by, a subtle grin on his face and hands in his coat pockets. “Hey, who’s that guy?” A man whispered. Polizai stopped and turned around. “What was that?” He asked. “I was just asking who you were.” The man began to shake. “Me? I’m like you; under the employment of Madison Serul. I go out and hunt demons much like you do, except I’m who they call in when you fail at your part. I’m nothing like you. I recommend you keep your mouth shut when it should be and your gun steady when it needs to be.” Polizai leaned towards the man’s face. The man was frightened at this point. He stared right into Polizai’s crimson eyes. “I… understand.” He stammered. “Glad we came to an agreement.” Polizai backed up and kept walking. “Polizai, come to my office.” He heard Madison’s voice. “Yes, master.” Polizai responded without opening his mouth. He opened a portal beside him and stepped inside. He emerged in Madison’s office, where she was reading something off of her computer. Her hair had been laid down, now reaching to her waist. She was wearing a grey suit, much rather than the navy-blue one she had on earlier. He noticed her hair was wet and staining her chair. “You’re getting your chair wet. Should have let it dry a little more.” Polizai said as he walked towards her. “What are my orders?” “We have reports of a k********g in the cursed village of Canewdon.” Madison read from the computer. She removed her reading glasses and looked at Polizai. “Sound familiar?” “One of my favorite villages. I have plenty of power there, there are plenty of supernaturals for me to hunt.” Polizai grinned. “It seems a family was backpacking the area when a group of women clad in black took them. She’s being held in the Parish Church of St. Nicholas.” Madison explained. “Find the witches, eliminate them and find the family.” “I understand, master.” Polizai’s eyes flashed. He opened a portal at the far wall and walked to it. “Wait just a second,” Madison held up her hand. Polizai stopped. “Do you think this has anything to do with witchcraft?” Polizai stepped into the portal and turned around. “Knowing Canewdon, yes. Knowing witches and covens, definitely.” He arrived in the currently empty village. Everybody had retired for the night or had moved inside. The streets stood still; the moon shone onto Polizai. Polizai turned around and looked up at the full moon. He smiled, the light reflecting off his teeth. “Another beautiful night.” He said to himself before walking through the village. “Perfect for a walk through a cursed village. As he passed by an empty market, a woman in a black cloak ran out from a shady alleyway and tried to attack Polizai. Polizai drew his Hellfire and shot the woman three times, sending her stumbling back. There were three large holes in her torso, one nearly tearing off her arm. Polizai lifted her hood and saw black veins appearing through the skin on her face. They also showed on her neck and hands. “These witches have cursed themselves in the attempt to become demons.” He said in surprise. He looked at the void-black eyes of the witch he had just killed. “Unnatural transformation.” He said. He kept walking through the village. Houses flicked off their lights as he walked past them. Doors would slam shut and lock. The rats would scurry away into tiny cracks in walls. He had a cunning smile on his face, which added to his unusual figure. He understood why people were afraid of them yet didn’t understand his notoriety. He saw himself as doing a public service by ridding the realm of demons. He came across the church. The door was broken open and a dim glow irradiated from the inside. He chuckled lightly and walked in, hands in his coat pockets. He didn’t hide his steps nor himself, he let himself be seen as he walked inside. Several women in black cloaks, similar to the one he met earlier, charged at him. He took out his gun and blade and held ready to fight. The witches surrounded him and began chanting silently. “The human has come for us.” One of them said. “He bears weapons, weapons made to kill us.” Another hissed. “If you’re demons, then these weapons will not deliver you a painless death. Judging by your friend outside, you’ve given away your humanity. Why? Being human is too great a gift to give away. In the end, you gave up and tried to become demons.” Polizai laughed. “Kill the blasphemer!” A witch in dark blue robes shouted. The group ran towards Polizai from all directions. Polizai spun around and began shooting his gun. He hit three witches to his left, tearing off large portions of their heads. He held his blade out on the other side, hitting a witch in the side. The witch crumbled to ash and blew away when another one stepped in the pile. “You call me blasphemers? You subside in a church!” Polizai shouted. “Halt!” A male voice rang from the front of the church. Polizai looked over and saw a man in a suit standing behind a girl tied to the altar. Beside her were two adult heads, a male and female, sitting next to her. The girl had been gagged and a cloth covered her eyes. The adult heads had frightful expressions on them and looked to have been torn off by hand and not blade. The girl wore a cross around her neck, which seemed like a smaller, repaired version of the broken cross behind her. “Reciful Damed, what do you know.” Polizai said, looking at the grey-haired man. He didn’t look any older than thirty. “Polizai Havenburn, who else would be sent to deal with the likes of me?” Reciful laughed. He held his arms out, causing the lights in the church to dim. “Off with his head!” He extended his arm and pointed at Polizai. Reciful took off the blindfold on the girl. She looked over at Polizai, who was being attacked by several witches. They tore at his skin with long nails, tearing out pieces of flesh. He dropped his weapons and let himself be torn apart. The girl teared up and closed her eyes. Reciful stood over her and laughed maniacally. Polizai looked at his sleeve. A red symbol on his upper arm began to glow. “As they all are: big mouths with small actions. He used to put up such a fight.” He said. “You were the same, Reciful.” Polizai’s voice echoed through the room. “You put up a fight, now you have these humans to do your bidding?” Reciful looked at the pile of torn flesh in the middle of the floor. “You were torn apart! You shouldn’t be talking!” He shouted. The flesh began to piece together. “You’re just a rat. You shouldn’t be talking, either.” Polizai laughed. He began to reform, his clothing flying onto him. He held out his knife and gun in either hand, laughing at the terrified demon in front of him. “If I remember correctly, these transformations only work if the source of their power still stands?” He asked. “Y-Yes, why do you ask?” Reciful asked with a shaking hand. “No. I’m not afraid of you. I will simply give away from my boy!” Reciful laughed. He and the girl began to glow a bright orange. “You fool! You can’t transfer yourself into a new body, not without setting up a proper ritual!” Polizai shouted. He noticed the witches get on their knees and hail Reciful. “For a demon lord, I can do anything! You’re not like me, Polizai. You wouldn’t know.” Reciful laughed. “You’re just a demon of God.” Polizai ran forward and held his knife behind him. He swung it forward, piercing Reciful in the chest. The blade began to glow and sink deeper into his flesh. The witches began to scream and turn into smoke, blowing away out the shattered windows and broken door. Reciful fell to his knees and began to slowly turn to ash. The girl still glowed. Her tears fell to her skin and immediately burned away. Polizai stood over her with a cunning grin. “Well, you’re an interesting one.” He said, removing her ties. “What happened to me?” She asked through her tears. She held up her hands and noticed the glow. “You’ve become a demon. You’re like me, but nothing like the rat that did this to you.” Polizai told her, helping her off the cracked altar. “What are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me?” She looked up at him. She looked outside and noticed something scurry behind a bush. She noticed a black tail sticking out. “No. I don’t make these decisions. Polizai looked at the cross and smiled. “I’m only a demon of God.”