Prelude to an Inferno
This is how it all began for me, or maybe it is the end of my tale. I was tracking my target down the dark alleyway; my cat eyes and his sheer size were making it easy. Everything was going smooth; I would track him to a suitable spot and then kill him. Agh! its been three months since I awoke with no memory and 2 and a half since I was captured and forced into this job, and I still hate it. But I must do this; it's his life or mine. ?Snap!? I quickly jumped for cover, looking out I saw that I had stepped on a stick, i started cursed myself for being so careless. I turned my cat like ears around as I listened; I couldn't hear him coming towards me. After a few minutes I pecked out too see him gone.
"Bloody hell where did he go?" I quickly run in the direction his was heading before and as soon as I turned the corner I was punched and sent flying into a wall with another force to dent it and my spine I'm sure. It took me only a few seconds to recover. He was already charging at me by that time, I quickly jumped over his 13-foot frame and drop kicked him in the head sending him into the wall and sending me roughly to the ground.
"Not bad for someone so small" he jested as he slowly uncovered himself from debris.
"Yeah, well you?re fast for someone so big" I countered as I tried to get the wind back in me.
"Well time we finish don't you think half-cat" he's said finally getting up again.
"Yeah sure why not half-giant"as I lay there the wind still knocked out of me.
He raise?s his hand above his; gathering a little energy and bringing them down with force causing a shock wave which threw me down the alley. I rose to my feet ignoring the pain; my eye's now glowing as crimson as my hair, and what little fur I have is standing on end. I have lost control; my instincts have taken over. He is no longer fighting me but the demon blood with in me, or so I like to believe. I unsheathed my claw and charged at him moving extremely fast slashing at his leg. I turned around and found that the wound closed before my eyes.
"Foolish, foolish little half-cat, you'll won?t hurt me with those little things" as he laughed the energy around, me focused and my claws started growing longer, I was casting one of the few spells I had learned in my short life. They kept growing until they were 2 feet long. During the wait the half giant watched in amusement.
"So you finally going to try to give me a fight are you, it still won't be enough" he threw a right hook at me and I quickly rolled to the left and jumped up and stabbed him with my left claws. The skin was so hard that I only went a few centimeters in before they broke off shattering violently. He just grinned "told you so" as he threw another punch knocking me into another wall.
"You know I'm really getting sick of these walls" my voice harsher and more violent then before. Again I could feel the energy flow around me, but the giant is on me before I can finish what ever spell my blood was casting, picking me up and throwing me into another wall with a grin. I don't know how much more my body can take before it will gives out. But again I feel the energy flow as the giant run's at me this time I stop letting the spell slowly break apart and dodge out of the way and recasting the already started spell almost finishing it again before having to dodge again. The spell finally finished my remaining claws on my right hand start to take on a metallic shine and I know they are also taking on more then metallic strength as once again the giant punch's at me. I dodge again this time jumping up and landing on his arm. Before he can even react his punch my claws are in his chest right into his heart. The pressure on them was immense as he grabbed me, his heart slowing and his strength weaning. I snapped my claws off causing them to violently shatter in his chest. Even then I could see his wounds closing shut blood barely having time to escape. He threw me one last time; gently compared to the others I landed in the pile of rubble as my claws turned back to normal and my eyes stopped glowing revealing the green and red sunbursts. My opponent and I laid there in the alleyway one dead the other looking it. My clothes ripped almost everywhere, my hair, well I'm sure it looked almost the same as before, and cuts scattered across my body, and my back is one big bruise.
For the last few hours I have laid there fighting off sleep. I finally stopped hurting another for me to move. Or so it seemed every muscle revolted as soon as I started to move. Slowly I get to my feet and start walking back to the tower where dead aim is located. Everyone that sees me on the way their look's and stares and talk's in whispers that I try to ignore, not a single person offers help. Not that I would accept it, the person would probably try to pickpocket me. Slowly I made my way up the final steps leading to the entrance groaning all the way and then groaning once I reach the top remembering that the infirmary is on the fifth floor and the elevators don't work anymore. As I walked in the guards tried asking me for ID I just growled at them and they let me in. half way up the second flight of stairs I heard a familiar voice.
"Alex!"As the world went black and I fainted.
When I awoke I was in the informatory. I looked around and saw my team, my supposed family within this corporation. None of us were close I couldn't even remember there names at this point, they all changed so often. Except Mike and Kiki. Mike is our leader and in charge of our safety. Its not that he did a bad job its he got all the new recruits and any that survived more then six months were moved to other groups. Kiki is in the same boat as me, forced to be here. She has been here only a week less then me. They are also the only people within this whole cursed place that I respect.
"So you do live," mike exclaimed as I tried to sit up and failed, because Kiki forcing me to lay back down
"yeah of course, can't die if you never lived," was my typical response.
"So what did happen to you anyways?"
"You have to ask"
"no not really"
"meh" was my response. "I?m alive still that's all that matters now. And I?m guessing that Kiki has been here the whole time I was out cold? Kiki nodded in agreement
?Yeah the higher ups will be furious.?
?Again? we all laughed.
?Anyways Alex I have your clothes repaired for you.? He held up a plain red t-shirt, a black vest, a too big for me pair of martial arts pants with an also too big belt. "And we owe you a new pair of shoes and socks"
"ok thanks mike thanks Kiki"
it been one week I just got released and they already have a mission set up for me.
"So who is my target this time"
"well its someone we have been trying to get rid of for a long time" she's simple known as boss to everyone. She hands out all the missions and no one sees anything beyond her, if there is anything beyond her.
"Oh and who is that booss" she glared at me
"I told you to call me master. I'm going to have to punish you after the mission Alex"
"sure, sure what ever just give me the target"
"ahh yes the target. Well it?s defiantly a high profile case. His name you should know."
"Oh really, why's that?"
"Because he rules this city"
"What Your Sending Me After JAG!"
"Yes that right"
"well then I better get right on it then, shouldn't I"at which point I left as fast as I could. I could her laughing inside her office.
"They?re sending you against him!" Mark yelled after I told him
"yep"
"now I know they want you dead but isn't that just a little extreme"
"probley, but its not like anything else has worked and plus if I do succeed like I always seem to...well then"
"yeah that is a good point. So, you going to attempt it??
"No not exactly, I'm going to go see if he can help him. I mean he has a reason to attack these guys now right"
"yeah that's true. But what make you think he won't kill you on the spot"
'because. You can't kill what hasn't lived"
"I see" he paused briefly "when are you leavening?"
"As soon as I can"
"well then come with me first ok" he led me in silence up to a room were he told me to wait at the door. He came out a few moments later with a spear
"here I think you might actually need a weapon on this mission"
"so this is the weaponry?"
?Yes it is?
?Wow, about time someone told me were it is?
? Yeah, well, let me show you something? he took the spear from me and focused some energy around it slowly it to melt and reshape, shrinking until finally it turned into a small flat gem at which point he slapped it onto the backside of my hand where it stuck
?Oh yes, it?s a real help to me now I can just hit them over the head with it now? I joked
?Just focus and you can change it back and forth between the two forms, ok Alex??
?Yeah I got it;? I answered as I looked at the gem.
?Well I guess I?ll be off then.?
?Ok good bye Alex.?
?Goodbye mike, don?t die to fast with out me oh and don?t tell Kiki this ok she would kill me,? we separated laughing.
Walking outside the building outside the building I ran into someone in a black cloak completely hiding them head to toe.
"Oh I'm sorry please forgive me" I immediately said.
"Alex,"her voice was female, "you must go to the mountain outside of the city near were you were found. There you will find a cave and inside your advisory" with that she left me chains dragging behind her. I was confused and amazed. How did she know all that about me and about where I could find my target? For whatever reason I fell I could trust this information. I started on my way thinking one thing that this, my short life as an assassin, is going full circle.
Three hours to find the cave
?Next time get better directions Alex;? I said to myself as I entered slowly ready to dodge traps which there were plenty of. I quickly learned how to dodge them. A hour and finally I found a large chamber. It looks like I wasn't the first though; skeletons litter the floor a clean path between the two doors. Suddenly I hear a small rustling noise. What better time to test my new toy, I touched the gem and focused, the gem jumped from my hand and quickly grew back to a spear. I'm happy it works. I strained my eyes in the sparse light, and saw movement. it's nothing just bone falling. But that on the other hand is a bone rising up. I watched the bones slowly rise into place and the skeleton slowly march forward as more and more rose as well.
"Oh bloody hell, you bloody morons are suppose to be dead you know. That means your not suppose to get up." I sneered at them as they come nearer and nearer. The first one in range, I stab at it with the spear sending the skull flying against the wall the rest of the skeleton fell to the ground.
"Ok so your not immortal or anything." As I smashed another head "opps spoke to fast" the skull of the first one slowly rolled towards the body.
"Well sorry to cut this party short but I really should get going" I ran for the door and felt my foot sink into the ground. I stepped on a trap switch, the door's dropped down trapping me in.
"oh bloody hell can anything else go wrong" and just as I finish speaking the one torch goes out.
?s**t,?
?Well at least you guys make a lot of noise," my ear?s perk up and listen. I start attacking the skeletons one after another they fell and rose back up
?What do I have to do to kill you bloody undead puppets? suddenly my studies return to me, now I feel stupid skeletons need a source and it has to be close to. Planting my spear into the ground I ran across and knocked down all the skeletons down near me. I focused and just barely the demon blood in me could sense the magic. It was dead center in the roof. slowly I work my way to the center of the room. Taking down skeleton after skeleton.
?You know soon I?m actually going to keep score of how many of you I take down.?
I?m not going to make it. There?s just too many. As if they have been collecting for centuries. My leg, one of them has my leg. I can't shake loose, what should I do? The spear, I just have to aim it right. I throw the spear and it hits something. Something has grabbed my shoulder
"bloody hell I missed" I screamed at the top of my lungs as another one grabbed hold of another dragging and me my to the ground. This is it I'm done for I can't see a way out. suddenly they all let go and there is a great crashing noise. The torches light around the room blinding me. Through the blurriness I can see my spear on the ground. My eyes finally focus and as I look at the roof I see the orb that was feeding them, it?s cracked. The magic must have slowly drained out of it.
After finding the release switch for the door I continue on. Nothing but traps for an hour as I carefully walked forward before coming across a door. I can't seem to open it though. Not really sure if I want to though there's a light pounding noise coming from the other side. after a little bit the door flys up by its self. i carefully walk inside seeing a large pedesatal in the middle of the room with three flames one black one typical red and the last a light blue. looking past them i also see two other doors each with someone in them.and as soon as that all three of us have our weapons out.the flames suddenly grow larger and shot out towards us. the red came at me so fast that i could not dodge and my body went limp landing on the floor hard and my vision blacked out.
i awoke not in the cave not really sure where i was. images flew by me, images of the past three months, and after those total darkness. in the middle of the 'room' stood a cat like creature. its fur red and black, it almost looked like a panther.
"who are you?" i called out hopeing it would tell me where this was and what was going on.
"this is your soul, your mind. here is your memory's your deepest secret's and your worst nightmares. my name is xeno. i was a demon but am now just a spirt that's trapped here. in this cursed cavren. ancored here by hate."
"and what do you want with me?"
"why to devour your soul ofcourse, if i devour anothe i just might be able to get out of here" he luaghed at this. and then charged at me with a speed unseen by me.
"well i'm sorry to say" i bearly jumped over him "but that won't be happening. you can't kill what hasn't live"
image's all around us echoed why words.
"i think i can" again chargeing strait at me. i punched by chance actaully hitting him.
"not if i can help it"
"you can't escape you know this. i will just keep comeing at you again and again as you tire mentally of fighting. there is no way out of here."
we thougth for hours me just bearly able to keep his teeth out of my flesh.
"your a strong one. most give up by now begging for a quick death." he tuanted
"yes well i prefure it if i actually had a life first." i responed with angry. he stoped and looked like he was thinking something through.
"a pact. i leave you with your life and you help me live this acursed place." he stated.
"you actually expect me to agree"
"its that or we fight in here forever" i thought it over for a second quicky comeing to a conclusion
"what would i have to do?"
"we would have to combind our spirits into one body. not only would i esacpe from here in your body. but you would also get more power. power that should be your's half breed demon cat of the fire tribe"
shokced i stared at him. did he speack the truth. shakeing my head i looked at him
"tradeing one master for another I'm not sure i like this deal."
"do not fear young one, i wound not have control unless you gave it to me."
"and getting the control back?"
"i would have to give it back to you of course"
"so reassuring" i puased "ok so how do we do this"
"it is already done i just have to return you to control of your body"
I awoke back in the cave and immeditly pain coursed throught out my body. i could feel my bone's and organ's changeing. the pain slowly faded away and i could feel the energy flowing thorught my blood i could tell i was diffrent in power and body.
"you two listen to me now" i said hopping onto the pedisatal the falmes gone "i have a porpesition for you"
"we're listening" jag said
"speak for your self" contered the other paler one."I'm here to kill him'
" i was" we both stared at him,i knew what he meant but still found it wierd.
"oh wait wait wait why are you here to kill me?" i aksed slighty painiced
"i'll kill every single one of you ******** dead aim lackys"
"then you will really want to listen to my deal here" i luaghed.
"here it goes. dead aim captured me about two and a half months ago and has forced my to work for them. thye implanted tiny somethings that will burn me to a crisp in amoment"
"you no longer have to worry aobut that alex i have taken care of it" i heard xeno's voice echo throught my head
"so what's your point" asked my assasin
"my point if you'll let me get to it is, i want your help takeing them down."
"I'm in" my assasin immidetly said
"and my should i help" jag questioned
"becuase they sent me to kill you"
"fine i will help you but I'm running things"
"ok i just ask that you two wait one day before. i will met you at the base of the building at the front entrance.ok?" they both nodded
"ok then one day i will see you two again"
grabing my spear i rushed back to the tower moveing faster then i had ever gone before and i wasn't even trying yet. stoping at the entrance i walked up to the door's hearing some chains rattling behind me, cuaseing me to grin ear to ear. the guards again asked me for i.d. i showed it to them and with a shocked look the examined it and let me thorught. i quickly found kiki with out even trying she was waiting for me. she ran up to me and punched me.
"don't scare me like that," fear and relife in her voice. "what happened to your hair?"
"huh? what do you mean?"
"the tip's there black now"
"an effect of the mergeing." xeno's voice echoed again.
"i'll tell you all about it in a bit kiki. where's mike he has to hear this to"
after finding mike and a sucluded spot i told them everything that had happened and what was going to happen. kiki jumped up and down in joy. mike tho he looked the same as before.
"mikes whats wrong?"
"nothing nothing. I'm just thinking."
"about?"
"what it was like before this place and what it will be like after"he trailed off no grin crossed his face no emotion at all
"anything else?"
"just who would help us"
"everyone I'm sure" kiki nearly yelled out exictingly
" everyone" mike echoed.
end prelude to an inferno.
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