Devil's Trap (Panda and Dogged)

[The Unusual Panda]

The sun glowed orange behind the trees in the middle of the woods, shining brightly on the small cabin in ragged streaks. There was rapid movement inside the house. A female running back and forth frantically, seemingly checking the locks on all the doors and windows. If only a dead bolt would keep her problems at bay, she'd be all set. But she wasn't. A few more minutes of racing around gave way to an incredible stillness, not a sound coming from the shack. It didn't matter though, and she knew that. If any of them had followed, it would only be a matter of time.

The night before, Elsa had kissed her parents good night, said good night to her older brother, and then tucked in her baby brother. She had gone upstairs, shut her door, and the proceeded to pack everything valuable she owned so she could leave in the night. See, she didn't grow up in a normal family, and she had known that her parents did something strange from a very young age. Her father would disappear for weeks at a time, and come back all bruised and scratched up. And from the time she started asking questions, they had told her the truth. Daddy fights monsters, and so does mommy. So, naturally, as she grew up, she got involved in it as well. But there was something else about her that no one knew, which was causing her problems at the moment. When she was fifteen, out of the blue she could hear voices. And at first, she thought she was crazy. I mean, who wouldn't? It wasn't constant, but it would come on strong. And at first, she couldn't understand it. It just sounded liked someone muttering underwater. But the more she focused on it, the more she listened, she could hear them talking. She didn't know who they were, but they were speaking of things that startled her. Things that made her nervous. And before long, a certain group of monsters got ahold, somehow, of what she could do, and they wanted her bad for it.

It started with this guy who had been following her for weeks. She had known he was bad news, which is why she drew a devil's trap in front of her door, and her window. When the thing came inside, he was trapped, and she got to work getting rid of him. Being a hunter and all, demons came after you sometimes. It wasn't usually a big deal; Most had bigger fish to fry and didn't really want to meddle with her. But this one had told her surprising news. They were coming for her, because they wanted to use her little gift. He shed light on who it was that was speaking, and after exorcising him and disposing of the dead man's body, sheer panic set in. She could hear angels. Real live angels, talking somewhere, and she could hear them. And while that in itself wasn't terrifying, the thought of demons coming for her and her family didn't sit well. And with them being hunters, she couldn't tell them what was going on. They'd want to help her fight them off, but she wasn't getting them killed. So she packed up and slipped out the window, walking down to the car she had parked in the woods before taking off quietly.

Once she had gotten to the cabin, which was about ten hours drive away from her home, she started salting everything. Every doorway and windowsill. Every entrance to the room she was in. There was even a circle of it around her chair, making sure that nothing was going to get to her. However, in her haste and exhaustion, she didn't notice that because of the draft and the cracks in the flooring that the salt lines were no longer solid on many of the doorways. She was a sitting duck, and worse, she thought she was safe for the time being. At least the circle around her was intact. The blonde through herself back in her chair, running her hand through her short, choppy hair as her emerald eyes finally shut. SHe could relax for a minute, finally. She was enjoying the silence when, all of the sudden, the voices started again. Louder than ever. It made her world spin, and she fell out of her chair and onto the floor, her sneaker breaking the solid circle around her. She didn't even notice, though, because she had her eyes shut incredibly tightly and her hands clasped over her ears. She stayed like that for several moments as the speaking continued, the petite woman groaning softly in pain as she waited for it to end. Little did she know, that was the least of her worries right now.

 

[Dogged]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

Vetis stood quietly, listening to the multitude of external and more importantly, internal sounds. He watched the moon rise slowly over the treetops and heard the gentle snoring of an entire family of ignorant hunters. That sneaky little vessel, Elsa, had decided to elude the grasp of the lesser demons but that was just fine. Vetis was here now and all would be done as it should.

Elsa had left herself alone and vulnerable which was noble in her eyes and vastly foolish to a demon's mind. One would think that the lesson of divide and conquer would stand strong as an ideal but this girl was too inexperienced to heed it.

He snarled a quiet warning at the impatient demon lurking beside him. At only a couple hundred years old, the young demon knew only hatred and impulse. An upper level like himself, knew that with each human emotion he left behind, that a vast and amazing amount of power would replace it much better.

Vetis had lost his humanity nearly a millennium before and as such, shed nearly all the weakening feelings that went with it. The more humanity he lost, the great his power grew. His memory was long and although he was no longer ruled by simplistic emotion, he remembered them strongly. They were the key to being a successful demon.

Being the dark and evil creature that Vetis was, didn't come without the catch 22 situation. The more emotion you lost, the stronger you got and the longer you could live. But if one should forget how humans behaved, felt and reacted, then effective manipulation was impossible.

He nodded to his lesser companion to covertly follow Elsa and report to him if she should do anything other than drive to an isolated spot. Vetis needed to stay here and choose just the right meat suit for his purposes.

Elsa's almost tomboyish attitude would make her closer to men in her solitary mentality, so father or brother would work best for this venture. With a moment's careful deliberation, he decided on the older brother for his youth and strength.

As temporary as meat suits were, Vetis knew that his dark energy could wear down the mortal much faster than average. Her older brother Eric, was young, strong and fit enough to be a longer lasting meat suit. Plus the added bonus of the familial and psychological pull for Elsa would give him an added advantage. He wasn't the Demon of Corruption for nothing....

Just as he'd settled nicely into the young man's possession, Vetis heard the outraged mental yell of his minion cut short. Goddam devil's traps and the multiple morons who kept falling for them!! He replayed the cry of anguish, for a moment, seeing what the other had seen.

The floor had (of course) a brightly drawn Devil's Trap directly in front of the door. What kind of self-respecting demon just tried to walk through a front door?! He'd leave the bastard right there for all his much deserved idiocy.

His pure form took soothing shape in the deep ebony of foully curdled, roiling smoke as Vetis' speed increased. Elsa would be his! Imagine being able to eavesdrop on every angelic conversation to happen! His dark energy left a light trail of sulfur, scattered along the wind between the girl's family home and her cabin, a mere six hundred miles from it.

Cautiously, he opened the door just a crack to peer within and confirm his younger partner's stupidity. Vetis grasped the rain barrel by the front of the cabin and upended it, making the water flow beneath the door in a cleansing wave. When someone is foolish enough to draw a trap in mere chalk, then a bit of water was all it needed to wash away the feeble confines of power.

Opening the door wide, he allowed the breeze to finish blowing away the timid lines of powdery salt, before entering. His brother suit fought him a bit at the sight of his prone sister, briefly struggling for power and losing. It pleased Vetis that this fraternal meat suit had such strong emotions to manipulate.

With a sharp nod, he dismissed the lesser demon to stay outside on watch dog duty in the off chance that one of the Winchesters might catch wind of the girl. One couldn't be too careful with that pair.

The little blond human was slumped over in a chair, senseless and completely incoherent. And deliciously helpless. Her unconscious moans stirred Vetis' need for hot, instant bloodshed, but he quelled it with an effort. He wasn't sure how long her fugue would last, so he swiftly tied her to the chair. Once she was fully immobile, he sat and soaked in her pained mumbles, enjoying the physical torment Elsa must be feeling at this moment. If this brother meat suit was any indication, she 'felt' more than Vetis perceived. She looked like she was about to regain consciousness and his anticipation heightened to almost painful proportions.

The demon moved to stand close behind Elsa, resting a hand on her shoulder. And waited patiently...

 

[The Unusual Panda]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

Elsa's world was still spinning, but she was starting to come to. Sometimes their voices were so unbearably loud that she couldn't stay focused. She couldn't stay alert. When it first started, almost every episode ended with her curled up where ever it had started, rocking with her hands clasped over her ears. So it was no wonder that at first, when she lifted her head, she wasn't sure of the danger. Her green eyes shut again, vaguely feeling a hand resting on her should. She knew it wasn't right, but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to stay alert long enough to even look at what was touching her. After another few moments of groaning, she tried to sit up, only realizing she couldn't. Panic set in, and she thrashed slightly before she looked over at the hand on her. Instantly, relief flowed through her, the girl leaning against what she knew to be her brother's hand.

When they had been younger, he had tried to scare her. Sneak up on her while she was sleeping. Startled, she had woken up, and immediately reached under the pillow for the pocket knife she had. She got him good on the top of his hand, and the scar had never gone away. But as she rejoiced in the fact the her brother was with her, she felt like something was wrong. She looked around the room slowly, trying to figure out what had happened. The salt was no longer solid, but that didn't make sense. Why wouldn't they have been solid still? Her eyes trailed over to the door, and when she saw the ruined trap, she knew something was wrong.

Sulfur scented air filled her nostrils, and she jerked her head away from his hand, wanting to scream and fight. They had him. Some demon was wearing her brother like a cheap suit, and she knew he was alive in there. Able to see everything. She licked her lips slowly as she took a deep breath, knowing that even if she could get out of her confines and have the chance, she couldn't kill him. She couldn't hurt her brother. She swallowed hard and turned her head, barely being able to make out her brother's form from her peripheral as she spoke.
"Get out of him....."
She said menacingly, words dripping with venomous intent as she tried to think of something. Any leverage she could use to get that horrible thing out of her brother. But she had nothing, well, except for her gift. Herself. Angel radio. She didn't want to do that, though. In all honesty, she had wanted no part of this whole angel thing. She was a hunter, sure, and she had encountered demons, but her family never went after them deliberately. And she wanted no part of them. They were the things she always feared, and she'd rather deal with ghosts and monsters, because they didn't have the edge. They were vengeful and malicious, and didn't think things through the way demons do. Demons, well, most of them, were smart and conniving, and there was no guarantee you'd win a fight with a demon. And because of whatever stupid little gift she had been given, now she had to deal with them.

"Just let him be... He doesn't know about anything.... None of them do. I'm the only one, and I swear, you hurt him... or any of them... and I'll never tell you anything..."
She was serious, too. She would rather die than let them know anything to begin with, but especially if they hurt her loved ones. She'd never be able to forgive herself. The feisty blonde struggled against her confines again, glaring daggers at the demon as she tried to figure out some way to get the upper hand.

 

[Dogged]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

Elsa's brother writhed deliciously within, his emotions spewing out in a tirade of rage, panic and then surprise at seeing his sister bound hand and foot. Vetis felt a scar on 'his' hand and a memory came rushing into his mind. For a long moment, he reveled in it, rolled in the strength of memory and family feeling between the brother and sister.

Not everyone realized the main reason that demons and angels needed a meat suit to interact with humans. The more upper level you became, the less feelings you had or even remembered. But the moment you slipped on that human you could tap into any emotion or memory you wanted to have. Miss the feeling of a warm full stomach after a great thanksgiving meal? Slip on a human. Not sure how to manipulate a new hunter? Slip on the related human and you have a cache of shared memories, emotions, vices and weaknesses and more importantly-strengths.

For just the briefest of moments, Vetis felt Elsa relax and assume that it truly was her brother standing behind her. He followed her gaze to the broken salt and ruined devil's trap and watched her expression change as she had the ridiculous gall to tell him what to do!

Vetis laughed, using her brother's voice as he knelt down beside the trussed young woman.

"Do you really think you're in any position to bargain right now dear Elsa?"

The question was of course, rhetorical, and Vetis moved to face his new little captive. Her threats were idle and more than a bit ludicrous but then, she was only human. And humans felt all that emotion toward their family members. He didn't really see what the fuss was about anyway. Yes her brother was a young and healthy meat suit with the knowledge of Hunters.

Not just mother and father, but the many, many people who visited and met the entire family. Every single Hunter that he'd seen or even just heard a name or voice, was now the shared intellectual property of Vetis. Their locations, identities, techniques, names and oh so much more were no longer just Elsa's brother's knowledge.

Vetis took a rapid second to relay all the important and relevant information back to Crowley, taking care not to let anything of himself leak into the meat suit's mind.

Taking the distraction, his consciousness surged forward in a burst of frenetic energy and he yelled out desperately to his sister,

"He's only using you as bait because he's the Tempter of the Holy! Don't call any ang--!"

Her brother's eyes showed agonizing pain and suddenly flashed black as his words were abruptly shut off. Vetis wasn't pleased at the betrayal but that was part of the risk in taking a meat suit. That was fine with him anyway. Once this play session was over, he'd find a creative and excruciating way to slaughter her brother. Of course it would be done directly in front of Elsa so she could witness the fun.

Vetis leaned in close to Elsa, got hold of her slender arm and yanked her roughly into a sitting position on the wooden floor.

"I'd strongly advise you to tell your brother to behave or he might not stay alive much longer..."

 

[The Unusual Panda]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

"I do.... After all, I didn't come after you, and neither did my family. You started coming after me. I'm guessing that you'd rather bring me back to your superiors alive, right? After all, I can't talk to Angels if I'm dead...."
She stared at him coldly, watching and calculating what she was going to do. Of course, she couldn't run. Even if she got the pocket knife that was stuffed under the waist of her jeans and used it to get lose, whoever this demon was was strong. And she'd barely get to her feet before he threw her at a wall or killed her on the spot. Sure, they didn't need her. She didn't cooperate, they'd probably kill her. And she was okay with that. But with family now involved, and knowing that these demons were cruel and vicious, she wouldn't chance it. She couldn't. Her mind was racing. Should she call them? Could she even call them? She could hear them talking, but that didn't mean she was able to communicate with them. At least, not without some sort of training. Maybe they would help her. Maybe they'd slaughter all three of them. There was no way to know, really, unless she did it. She thought about begging and pleading, promising to do whatever they wanted as long as they let Eric go. But nothing sounded alright. Nothing sounded promising. She didn't want to be like them, but she wanted to protect her brother even more. Elsa flipped her hair back slightly, gritting her teeth as he suddenly lunged forwards.

Eric had broken through somehow, and you'd think she'd be happy about it, but she knew it would last. He hadn't left him, and not even John Winchester could keep a demon in control. His words caught her off guard though. Why was he so sure that she could call them? Did he learn something from the demon in him? Panic set in, and for the first time in their whole encounter thus far, she actually looked nervous. The lithe girl was suddenly grabbed, and as she was shoved to the floor, she stared up at him and knew she had to start bargaining. Her brother had seriously pissed him off, and at this point, she'd be lucky if he didn't hurt him.

"Eric, do not do anything stupid like that again, you hear me? He is strong, and he will kill you. Trust me. Just sit still and don't try anything."
Slowly, Elsa started to squirm, shifting onto her knees before pressing her toes to the floor. She rolled her weight back on her feet, managing to slowly stand up. She wasn't going to be aggressive, or try anything. She simply didn't like feeling trapped on the floor. She stood in one place, managing to keep her balance with her feet tied together. She looked up at her brothers face, trying to take in every detail. Every freckle, every line, every inch of pale skin. No matter how tonight ended, it would be the last time she'd see him. And she wanted to remember him. She took a deep breath, emotions riding high as she started to speak.
"Please.... don't hurt him.... I'll... I'll...."
She shut her eyes tightly, not even believing what she was about to say. The girl that never gave in, was giving in. The girl that exorcised demons without a care, and didn't give any monster anything that it wanted, was about to break every moral she was raised with for one thing. Save her brother. Save her family. They didn't go after demons ever, really, so there was no reason for them to want to slaughter them. If they left them alone, they'd never know what happened to her. Except for Eric, but she could control him. Even if he was the older one.
"If you let him walk away, I'll give you whatever you want. I'll be your own personal angel walkie-talkie. You can take me to hell and torture me. Just.... Just let him go. He won't come after you, I promise. And my family will never know the difference. Just let him walk away..."

 

[Dogged]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

"You aren't the only one who can hear the feather brains Elsa, you just happened to be closest in location to me at the moment. You're easily replaceable." He lied smoothly and grinned, using her brother's guileless face. Not only was she an original in that ability, but there was an immense bounty on her pretty little head right now. Damned if he was going to let some other demon get a piece of the prize. He could already see himself as head of his very own legion of lower level demons all his very own to command!

He looked at her lovely green eyes and contemplated the situation for a long moment. The smile turned scornful as Vetis grabbed a chunk of her short blond hair and sharply kicked her backward onto the floor, simply because she'd made such a deliberate point of standing up. His foot connected with a small lump of cylindrical metal, feeling the strength of the pocket knife. Had she doused it with holy water? Knowing Hunters, it would be a most certain yes on that question.

The moment Elsa talked to her brother, he caught the internal strain of the very strong-willed young man. His expression flickered from passive laughter to utter rage as he play-wrestled the vehement human inside. The feel of Eric fuming within was entertaining and he stabbed at the mind just for amusement, drawing out the pain. The boy squirmed, his face, ears and neck turning dark red at the anguish of what was essentially a mind rape.

At some point, her brother knew what Vetis would do and his plans for Elsa were revealed. How could he let this boy just 'walk away' in trade for cooperation? And furthermore, did this mere slip of a human female truly believe she could deal with him?! Considering how much fun it was, the demon decided to toy with Elsa a bit longer. Undoubtedly, an emotionally and physically beaten human was far more pliable than this feisty and stupidly fearless little miss. She did slip a little when her brother came out to chat, so this might be a good ruse, used at the right times and not overdone.

Her words startled the demon into stillness for a brief second of time. Was she actually saying what he thought she was?

"If I let your brother Eric walk away then you promise to give me whatever I want?" Vetis' voice was quiet, but very succinct.

"It sounds like a fair deal to me to let him walk in exchange for your promise of complete and total cooperation. More than fair actually."

He stood directly in front of the prostrate woman, his boots a mere inch from her face and more than ready for further violent action. Why was she giving in so easily? It had to be some kind of trap! She was raised around Hunters and he didn't trust these little humans--they were like roaches crawling around in short, pointless lives with a brain only intended to survive no matter the cost. Idiots really.

Granted it had been hundreds of years since he'd felt any emotion and personally, his connection to humanity was less than zero. One thing the demon -did- share with humanity was overconfidence in abundance. Someday it would be his downfall, but it was a flaw that remained unknown to its owner. Should an enterprising Hunter recognize and utilize it, then it would be Vetis' ultimate downfall.

He gestured arrogantly to the bindings on her wrists and they loosened accordingly.

"You should make yourself more comfortable while we talk Elsa."

 

[The Unusual Panda]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

She knew he was lying. All demons did was lie. Of course she was the only one. If there were others, she wouldn't have encountered as many demons as she did. No, no. She was the only one with this curse, and she knew she had some power in this situation. Not a lot, but enough to make him actually heed what she might have to say. Although, her acts of bravado clearly got a bit out of hand, seeing as he sent her onto the floor swiftly. Her head had slammed off the floor, breaking the skin in a stinging, searing pain that made her know instantly that there would be blood soon enough. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was getting him to listen to her. ANd sure enough, she got his attention. SHe knew it would; It had to. What demon would pass up an easy job like this? None. The bindings loosened and she sighed slightly in relief, shrugging them off before rubbing the back of her head. Her fingers came back blood stained, the girl wiping it on her already dirt covered white shirt as she nodded.

"You think I'm stupid? Even if I manage to send you back to Hell, there'll be others. I'm not safe no matter what choice I make."
She said softly, getting to her feet slowly before stretching lightly. Elsa reached into her waist band, grabbing the pocket knife while staring the demon dead in the face. She tossed it on the table, wanting to make sure he knew that she wasn't up to anything. No trap could catch this thing. No elaborate plan. Hell, even the Winchester boys probably would have gotten their asses handed to them. Not only was it a strong demon, but it had a cause. It wanted power, and she knew that. That all the others had wanted too. She was like a coveted crown that would make any demon instant leader material. Hell, if Crowley could be King of Hell, why couldn't the rest of them climb the corporate ladder, so to speak. In her book, nothing was more terrifying than a demon with a mission, because they stopped at nothing. If you exorcised them, they'd just climb right back out of the pit somehow. So making him angry was not something she wante dto do.

"I'm dead in the water. I have no future. The second I got what God gave me, I knew it was over for me. But it isn't for Eric. Or Jeremy. Or my parents. They can still live and be safe. So, I figure...."
Elsa started to pace the room, acting like she had complete control of the situation. Now, of course, she wasn't really that stupid. She knew that she was at his mercy. But if she played it cool and calm and confident, maybe he'd buy into it and Eric could leave with his life. Sure, knowing that his sister was going to be tortured like nothing in the world, but he'd be okay. They'd all be okay, and if they were okay, then she'd take thousands of years in Hell with a smile on her pretty little face. Well, until it got torn apart. She came to a desk and ran her fingers over the edge of it, stopping halfway through it before turning back to him.
"The way I figure is that I can at least get something out of this. And all I want is for my family to be okay, and for no demon to go after them. And that's in exchange for everything I've got. My full cooperation. Hell, you leave his body, let him leave, and come back in some other person, I'll be sitting right here waiting."

She walked over to him, coming closer until she was about a foot away before speaking softly to him.
"Make a deal with me, and you'll have followers for miles."
Elsa stared at him, unfaltering as she sighed. SHe was making the one deal no hunter would make. Giving in to them and giving them power just to save their loved ones. But she wasn't the average hunter, and she'd do anything for her family.

 

[Dogged]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

He continued to let her talk and roam, taking advantage of the time she gave him to see into every corner of Eric's mind. Was she or wasn't she? His mind continued to dominate the meat suit for the imperative information before he could proceed.

Not just anyone could suddenly 'hear' Angels like that out of no where. She might actually be a fallen angel and Vetis couldn't risk reminding her of that status. The only other reason was that Elsa had been an Angel's vessel and was later discarded. It was a unique and untenable position but either way, Vetis needed to confirm -why- she could do what she did.

An unexplained absence from her family could be the clue toward discovering if Elsa was a discarded Angel meat suit. Eric fought back harder than expected at the mental intrusion, but compassion wasn't exactly on Vetis' list of high priorities. Crowley obviously wanted the girl for evident reasons but no one had stopped to think about -how- Elsa became what she was; except for him. And that was exactly what made the biggest difference between an upper level demon like himself and the lesser demons. They'd likely hurry to fetch Elsa (under the assumption that they would get a reward) and deliver her to Crowley like obedient dogs--and then they'd be quickly killed for knowing too much.

"Just a moment little Elsa, I need to consult with someone."

Vetis summoned a lesser demon to scout out if Elsa was indeed a fallen angel. In mere seconds a form shimmered into existence between the woman and himself. He seemed like a nondescript man of average height, olive skin and of course black eyes...

"We can split it fifty/fifty if you can find -anything- within the hour. You're dismissed." He said swiftly and turned back to Elsa.

"Why would a knowledgeable girl like you sacrifice herself for her Hunter family? No Hunter worth their salt would make such a bargain. Are you trying to trick me here?" Commented Vetis, stalling for time until he could assess the value of his 'prize.' It would be foolish to jump in and make a mistake with what could possibly be a fallen Angel. If her memory was restored, then her tricks would be as well and he just wasn't the type to take foolish chances.

He stared her down, still 'wearing' his Eric suit.

"You're a ballsy little mortal now aren't you?" Vetis' amusement colored his tone strongly and he smiled with her beloved brother's smile.

(OOC: If the post is sub par, I'm sorry. I'll polish it up some more tomorrow when it's not so late.)

 

[The Unusual Panda]

RE: Devil's Trap (Dogged and Panda)

Elsa knew it sounded sketchy, and she could only imagine the freak out session her brother was having, hearing that she was going to give herself up without a fight. Hell, it sounded strange to her, even. But what other choice was there? If she ran, Eric would be dead in a heart beat, and soon enough, the rest of her family would be slaughtered too. And even if all that happened, there would still be demons on her tail, trying to track her down and drag her back to hell. Resistance really was futile, and she didn't want to get more people than necessary hurt. The males words made her look up at him, wondering what freaky demon tricks he was up to. She didn't trust him, and odds are, she never would, but right now, what other choice did she have?

Glaring at the newer demon, she grit her teeth, listening intently to what he said. Find something? Find what? Obviously, something about her, but what? There wasn't anything to find out. For whatever reason, she could suddenly hear voices, and rather than being able to treat it with medication like normal crazy people, hers never went away. It was a constant curse, and she was becoming very bitter about it. Finally, he spoke to her, and she laughed audibly at him before sitting down and crossing her long legs.
"What do you think? I'm a vessel waiting for my angel to come back and kill you? Fat chance. Whatever freaky Sam Winchester gift I was given by 'God', I don't want it. But was I given a choice? No. All the sudden I get to feel like.... Have you ever felt the sharp, stabbing pain of needles burrowing their way into your brain? Cause thats what it feels like every time those feathery little bastards talk. There's no peace. There's no quiet."
She sighed softly, running her fingers back through her hair all the way back to wear it was stained red from the blood. She didn't even get a say. A vessel got a say. They had to say yes. They got to permit the angel to wear them out on the town. What did she get for Angel Radio 92.9? A thank you? A 'hey, nice job'? No. She got nothing. Nothing but pain and heartache and grief. And the more she thought about it, the more she could feel her morals slipping.

It was infuriating. They were supposed to be God's gifts! They were supposed to be loved more than anything in creation. So why was she to be subjected to this torture over and over? She hadn't done anything wrong. Ever. Hell, if anything, she was helping them. She had exorcised more demons than she could count, all because they were evil and had to be stopped. But now she wasn't sure how good the guys upstairs were. He called her ballsy, and she once again laughed and leaned her head back against the couch.
"I'm not ballsy. I'm practical. I know what my fate is. I know what He burdened me with, and I know I can't ever escape it. And now, I have to abandon my family and be alone if I want any hope of them being alright. And I know someone very popular down there wants me more than they can describe, and they aren't giving up. You demons never do. Hell, you switch bodies right now and let him go, I'll give you everything you want and then some. Because the only allegiance I have is to the boy your wearing, and the rest of my family. And if you guys want me so bad, you can have me, just let them be safe."

As if a way to prove to him she wasn't trying to trick him, she unzipped her pants and pulled them down a few inches, showing him there was nothing left in her belt. Right now, she was utterly defenseless, and as she zipped her pants back up, she sighed and shook her head. Her hand moved to her stomach as she messed with her t-shirt slowly, her eyes shutting as she relaxed into the couch yet again.
"There is no plan b for me. There is no way out. It's me against all of Hell, and that ain't a battle I'm fighting. So give me the one thing I want, which is the guarantee that my family is safe from all demons forever, and I give you all the power I have. Whatever you want. Like a perfect little soldier. Just let them go."

 

[Dogged]

Vetis pondered Elsa's words and actions, scrutinizing her delicate little face. A part of his mind worked frantically at Eric's defenses, breaking down the walls and leeching all information from it like a starving parasite on a fresh new host.

Her only loyalty was to her family? She had no friends to speak of? No lover? The demon smiled at Elsa, slow and calculating. He licked his lips in anticipation of what he was thinking and getting from her brother. According to Eric, she was a family burden they'd picked up when she was a child. Something bright had fallen from the sky and crashed into their garage one night. They'd thought it was a meteor strike but they'd instead found a young girl of an unearthly, exceptional beauty.

The entire family had the opposite coloring of Elsa and she still hadn't yet figured out that she wasn't one of them. In a family of hunters, according to her 'brother' she was not a real part of them in the least. The family of assertive, confident and aggressive hunters had found themselves with a gentle, passive, kind hearted young woman. She had been an anomaly all her life with her so called family and always a little on the outside. They all worked full time to protect the strange but lovely young woman in their midst.

Excellent! Eric's memories gave Vetis everything he needed to formulate a plot. In conjunction with Elsa's proclamation, he believed he could better manage the situation to its fullest potential now. She swore her trusting and naive vow to allow a complete carte blanche to Vetis' whims! He chuckled now that he was able to take full advantage of the situation. Eric's mind had been a library chock full of how her family saw Elsa. A gentle little deer to be protected by the family of wolf like hunters, never an authentic part of the family.

The old adage of divide and conquer would be best.

"Well Elsa, now that sounds like a mutually beneficial proposition that will help both of us. I -should- let Eric go." 'run to the rest of the family to blab so they can hunt you down when I turn your ass to willingly join my side!' his thought finished the sentence with silent glee.

"That's a reasonable and very smart decision." he answered with a smile, using Eric's trustworthy, well known family face, ultimately positive that it would lend further credence to the words that Vetis would never be able to feel.

Her comment had him raising his eyebrows to show surprise and dispute the validity. "Now now Elsa that's just not so. It doesn't have to be just little bitty you against all of the legions of Hell. We could help each other out you know." Vetis sent out a mental shout to the lesser minion to hurry the fuck up, now.

'She's a fallen angel who lost her Grace. A hunter family took her in as a child and raised her but never really accepted her as one of their own. The next door neighbors have a son that she has a deep attraction for. I'm using him as a meat suit now and I'm on my way.' it answered swiftly, knowing Vetis had patience only when he felt like it.

'Bring him over here now so I can wear him. Give me a mental shout when you're near the porch.' answered the demon, his tone eager with the idea of ultimate corruption just beginning. He returned his attention to the beautiful young woman, his lust not quite showing in his eyes. Elsa was about to enjoy being bad and he knew just how to go about it. Using Eric's voice, he said coldly,

"Elsa you've never been a real part of our family so you really should just leave us alone already. You've never been a Hunter, you'll never be one, and hells, you don't even -look- like us!" That should give the chit something to chew on while he waited the few extra minutes to change to a better meat suit. Something to seduce her with...

 

[The Unusual Panda]

Vetis' sudden eagerness in her deal caught her off guard, the young woman sitting up straight on the couch as she stared at him. It was such a surreal feeling, seeing her brother walking around in front of her, but knowing it wasn't really him. Not fully, anyways. There was this immediate trusting that had to be fought, because at the end of the day, that was her big brother. The one who had always looked out for her and kept her best interest at heart. Which is why when she heard her brother's tell tale cadence saying all those terrible things to her, it caught her off guard. She stared at him wide eyed, slowly getting up from her seat as she spoke.

"You don't mean that...."
She said softly, voice shaking not from fear, but from pain. Sure, she had always seen the possibilities. She didn't look much like them at all, and she knew that, but she had been raised by them. They had baby pictures with her from the time that she was a newborn, and no adoption agency in a twenty five mile radius had any record of her at all. In fact, no one did. Not even the hospital where her birth certificate said she was born. It had always been weird, but paperwork got lost, right? She had to be theirs. They were supposed to love her....

Anger welled up inside her, the woman grabbing a lamp off a nearby table before whipping it at the wall with a scream. Her entire life was falling apart, and as she fell to her knees half in tears, she knew there'd never be any going back. She was a freak who didn't belong anywhere, and not even the people she was supposed to mean most to would accept her. And of course, with the sudden raise in emotion, the voices came back, bellowing into her head loud enough that she thought it might explode. She knew it wasn't english they were speaking, and she couldn't understand it fully, but something about it sounded familiar. Like a language she had heard before, and maybe even comprehended. At least on some level.

Her hands moved over her ears as she whimpered on the floor, still half conscious of what was going on. She could see her brother's feet standing in front of her, and tried to will herself to her feet, gripping the carpet that was on the floor tightly as she tried to shove her foot under herself. Slowly, she raised herself up, her entire body quivering from all the noise as it suddenly let back up.

Panting softly, she ran her hand back through her hair, sticky with blood and now wet with sweat as she shut her eyes. She knew she should watch the demon in front of her, but it didn't matter. He could reach into her chest and rip her heart out, and she wouldn't have cared at this point. Anything would be better than having to do this fight alone, or with just a demon on her side.

As she tried to sooth herself by running her hands through her hair, she winced a pulled back, noticing fingernail slits in her skin on the palm of her hands. She must have clenched her fists so hard she cause herself injury. She wiped it off on her pants, glancing up at the demon wearing her brother before shutting her eyes and speaking again.
"So, are we making a deal or what?"
Her voice gave off how wounded she was, and how broken down she felt, which must have been a pay day for the demon. On some level, she knew he was going to manipulate her, use her weaknesses against her, but she couldn't find a part of her that cared right now. Whatever he wanted was fine with her, as long as someone would keep her relatively cared for. Even if it was only because he needed her for a bigger reason.