Topic: Evening the Score

Rhys Bristol

Date: 2011-03-06 11:49 EST
(Continued from "Playing with Fire".)

An empty warehouse on the WestEnd, about three weeks ago...

Once Abaddon was gone, Rhys sank into a chair, picking up the parchment and reading it over again, almost as if to see if there was anything he'd missed, any way out of the bargain, some small clause or loophole.

"Yeah, I'm real funny," he said regarding the fallen angel's parting remark. "Gonna laugh my way straight to hell." Somehow, he knew after what he'd just done, heaven more than likely wouldn't want him.

"Jesus Christ, Rhys, what did you just get yourself into?" he asked himself with a sigh as he yanked his cellphone from his jeans and dialed Luke's number.

"This is Luke." That's how he answered the phone.

"It's going down tonight. I need you here asap so quit screwing around with your pretty brunette and get your ass to the warehouse, pronto. And pick up some burgers on the way. I'm starving."

"Damn, okay. Be there in a few."

Rhys hung up the phone and looked over the parchment again while he waited for Luke. He felt uneasy about the whole thing, especially the deal, but he didn't think he'd had much choice. He was just finishing up the rest of the Devil's Trap when Luke came in.

As promised he was there in a few minutes, burgers, fries and even a couple of beers. He pulled the door open, stepping over the salt line, and pulled the door closed. "Hey, Rhys." Bags rustling and wrinkling as he walked on over there toward him. "Burgers, Fries, Beer." Said as he put the stuff on the table and then looked at the circle of stuff. "What is that?"

Rhys put the finishing touches on the symbol and set the paint can on the table, grabbing a bag and reaching inside to snag a few fries. For some reason, it felt like his last meal, but it always felt like that before a hunt. "Devil's Trap. That's where we're going to summon her." He shoved the fries in his mouth and popped open a can of beer.

"What's it do?" He cracked the top on a beer, looking at what to him, looked like graffiti.

"Just what it says it does. Traps a demon." Rhys took a swig of the beer and dropped into a chair, swinging his feet up onto the table and looking over at Luke. "You sure you're up for this?"

He nodded as he looked at the burgers, and passed Rhys one. "I am ready, and mine has jalapeno."

"Do you even know what you're ready for?" Rhys continued. They'd been over it a hundred times, but once more wouldn't hurt.

"Whatever comes through the door you open, nothing of which can possibly be worse than my ex Mother In Law."

Rhys grabbed the burger and started unwrapping it from the foil. "That's real funny, Luke. I hope you're still laughing when this is all over with."

"Come on, Man. Just trying to lighten the mood." He took a big bite of his spicy burger then.

Rhys looked over at the man who'd become about his only friend in Rhydin. Not exactly a replacement for John or Adam, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and Luke had his own charm. The two had become as close as Rhys would allow. "You should go. I've got this."

"Bullshit," He took another bite. "I signed up, I'm gonna help."

"I'm not so sure I want you to."

"Too bad, I'm here. We are eating burgers and drinking beers to seal the deal."

Rhys winced without really realizing he was wincing, reminded of the deal he'd only just made with Abaddon.

He looked at the man when he winced. "What's up" Cracked tooth?"

"Look, I..." Rhys set the burger down and sighed. "I can handle this. Seriously. You should go. You've got a pretty brunette to live for." He almost wished he hadn't gotten him involved.

"Yeah, and I've got a friend that I told I'd help. Don't make me have to kick your ass," he was grinning as he shoved some fries into his mouth.

Rhys smiled. "You can try." He reached for the beer and held it aloft in a toast. "To friendship."

He lifted his beer in salute. "Friendship!"

"And women," Rhys added before taking a gulp.

"Women!" he too took a couple of long swallows.

Rhys ate most of what he considered his last meal in companionable silence, a little lost in his own thoughts.

"Cold as a witch's tit in an iron bra out there," Luke said. He wasn't one big on silence. "This deep freeze ever warm up?"

"Eventually," Rhys muttered, not big on words at the moment, though there was something he needed to say.

He nodded, and finished his fries.

"Not much different from back home. It'll be spring soon," Rhys remarked, seeming a little distracted.

"Down in Nawlin's we'd be in storm watches," he added, as the last bite of the burger was had.

Rhys closed his eyes, visualizing the Northeast in spring time, the gray of winter fading, the grass turning green, trees in full bloom. "It'll be baseball season soon," he remarked idly. "My dad loved baseball."

He watched the man, wondering what he was thinking, but decided he wasn't going to ask, but there was baseball. "Yeah' I enjoy going to the games. It's a relaxing sport."

"Took me to a few games when I was a kid." Rhys' eyes were still closed and there was a small reminiscent smile on his face.

"My old man didn't want to do anything that didn't involve making money," he watched Rhys as he was in thought then. "Sounds like good times."

"Yeah, good times," Rhys echoed, the moment lost, the memory fading. He opened his eyes finally and took a swallow of his beer. "Sorry about your old man. Sounds like a dick."

He nodded, "A rich one."

"Well, at least you had that."

"That's what everyone says," he chuckled at that.

"Money doesn't buy happiness, huh' I bet it sure as hell makes life easier though."

"Oh it buys happiness, just not for yours truly." Another laugh at that. "He wanted me to go to school, make the grades, make him proud..."

Rhys checked his watch. There was still a little time left, but he didn't want to tarry too long. "What did you want?"

"What every kid wants, what you had."

Rhys arched a brow. "What did I have?"

"Some kind of decent memory with the old coot, but all I can remember from him is sighs and stink eyes. You got the good memory of a baseball game, Man."

"Yeah, baseball," Rhys repeated sourly. He didn't mention the memory of his father strangling his mother or the bullets he'd lost count of that he'd pumped into his father's body. "It's an awesome memory." Rhys took another swig of his beer and swung his feet off the table. "Funny thing is, I'd rather have him still alive, even if all I ever got was sighs and stink eyes."

"Oh, didn't know your dad was gone. I'm sorry, man."

There was a lot Luke didn't know about Rhys and vice versa. Rhys got to his feet and started sorting through the array of ingredients he'd gathered up for the summoning. "Yeah, well....it was a long time ago."

Luke carried his beer as he stood, walking over to look at the stuff. "Still, you have a decent few memories."

Rhys struck a match and started lighting a few candles. "Yeah, I have a few."

He watched him lighting the candles, still trying to lighten the mood. "This isn't the part that you tell me you love me, right?"

Rhys chuckled. "Sorry, dude, you're not my type."

"Thank you, Jesus!"

Rhys' eyes slid to Luke, turning serious a moment. "Would you do something for me?"

He looked at Rhys then. "Sure, man, anything."

Rhys turned back to the table, grabbing a chalice, and adding various ingredients, some of which looked highly questionable. "If this goes bad....if anything happens to me..."

He listened, no more jokes.

"If you ever go back....home, I mean..." Rhys frowned, shaking his head. "Never mind, it's probably better this way."

"Finish it, man."

Rhys hesitated, unsure if he should say anything more. He wasn't sure why his thoughts had been straying to Kellie lately, especially now that Riley was married. That ship had sailed, gone forever. He just wanted to know that he'd be remembered and missed by someone. "Kellie Duncan, she's got a place in Chicago....Just tell her..." Rhys sighed. "Hell, I dunno. Tell her I'm sorry."

"Tell her ya care?"

"Yeah, whatever. Doesn't matter, does it?"

"Dude, come on."

"Poofed on her, left her with a dead body and no explanation. That's not gonna go over well."

He watched Rhys, seeing him like that was a little odd. "Same goes for me. Tell Vic, don't be afraid to take chances."

Rhys' head shot up and over at Luke. "You're not dying, man, so forget it."

"Well, I don't plan on it....but you know, I'll take your message, you can take mine."

"You're back up, that's all. You stay out of sight and shoot to kill if and when necessary. This bitch doesn't mess around, and she's not gonna take lightly to us calling her here. I have no idea what we're in for."

"Brought a 30.06, and my Colt."

Rhys nodded, lifting both brows at him. "You ready to get this show on the road?"

"I am as ready as I'm going to get, Rhys."

Rhys Bristol

Date: 2011-03-06 15:16 EST
The candlelight flickered off them both, making the place seem eerie and surreal. "You better go hide while you still have the chance," Rhys warned and drew the cup closer, setting it in the center of the diagram on the table. He took up a few herbs and crushed them with his fingers into the cup, muttering a few words of Latin under his breath, following that with what looked like fur or hair of some poor dead beast, a few bones and some other questionable ingredients.

Luke nodded and made his way over to a pile of what used to be some kind of engine. Valuable parts were gone; all that was left was heavy steel that couldn't be moved by anything less than a fork truck. The wind started to pick up outside, and Luke was already taking aim for the circle. The candles began to flicker and pop, before there was a swirl of air inside the warehouse, picking up trash and dirt, lifting it into the air.

Rhys continued to chant in quiet tones, adding this ingredient and that, tossing a match into the cup and igniting the whole thing, which sent a disgusting odor into the air, like that of burning flesh. He took the cup and carried it over to the circle, setting it down on the very spot Abaddon had marked.

Luke started cussing the dirt blowing into his face, feeling like the one and only time he'd been to Oklahoma right before a super cell formed. "This normal?" he was asking, but unsure Rhys could answer.

Rhys" lips moved, the words barely audible, though they were spoken slowly and clearly, his expression grim, focused. Whatever fear he might be feeling was buried deep, determination taking the forefront. He pulled a knife from inside his jacket and holding his hand over the cup, ran the blade over his palm, letting the blood drip into the cup. That was one sure fire way of announcing your whereabouts to the demon world. All he had to do now was pray Lilith appeared where she was supposed to and that Abaddon was right about the sword.

Luke tied a bandanna from his pocket around his face, keeping away the stink and the dust. He watched Rhys' hand slice with a wince, knowing that was going to hurt.

With the addition of blood, the building shook violently, almost like an earthquake mixed with a hurricane. The winds assaulted the steel structure, and one by one, the windows started to shatter inward, sending slivers and jagged razors every where. "Who summons me?" The voice was faintly female, but something a little more terrifying and sounded angry.

Rhys flinched, tossing up an arm to shield himself from shattered glass, dropping back a pace from the circle. He hadn't expected quite this level of chaos from the summoning of one demon, and he wondered if Abaddon had tricked him.

The doors they used to walk in and out of the building blew open, breaking the salt lines. Luke was shielding his eyes from the glass with one arm. There was a hollow laughter that filled the warehouse, and as Abaddon promised, she was starting to form in the center of his trap, but the broken salt lines and open doors invited her friends to the party, as well.

Rhys tried to focus his mind on summoning the sword, but he had nothing to go on and wasn't sure what to do. He muttered a curse, shielding his eyes from the dust and debris to look up into the hideous face that had appeared before him. He'd never seen anything quite like her before, except in his worst nightmares, and he couldn't help but shudder. His first instinct was to reach for his gun, the sword failing him. He fired off a warning shot in her general direction, knowing it would most likely have no effect.

Lilith appeared fully to their view, skin tightly draped across her frame, black soulless eyes, slits where her nose should have been, and onyx horns, sweeping back from her skull. He wanted a demon, he got one. Unable to find a meat suit, she appeared in natural form, and the bullet hit in one eye socket, but it blinked anyway. "A gunfight' You brought me here for this?"

She was trapped, but it didn't mean her friends were, and one appeared behind Luke, whose eyes were glued on Lilith, and didn't even notice. "What the fuck?" He cracked off a shot with the rifle, and it had the same effect as Rhys' pistol. It was by stupid luck he saw the one closing from behind. "Shit! She's got friends!" he shouted over the noise.

Rhys didn't get much of a chance to answer either Lilith or Luke, as he suddenly found the gun knocked from his hand and he was being bodily tossed across the warehouse to collide with a stack of empty barrels. The barrels were also home to one of her other friends. A dog-looking fellow with four legs, a tail, and a human face that was sneering at Rhys.

Okay, so she had friends, Rhys thought, which meant they had to fight the lackeys off first and then finish Lilith. Dazed as he was, he was on his feet in a hurry and reaching for his backup piece to fire a few silver shots at the dog-like demon. He'd learned that while silver didn't kill them, it sure as hell slowed them down.

Luke turned to fire the pistol, only to find himself lifted and tossed through the air like a rag doll.

The dog-faced demon howled in pain but kicked at Rhys, trying to bring him down to his level. Rhys backed up from the dog-like demon and tripped over a fallen barrel, going down hard and cracking his head on the floor.

"Feast on them, my friends!" Lilith cried from the circle.

Luke bounced off a support pole, and dropped his rifle. The demon that flung him was scurrying toward the trap, intent on breaking it. He was dazed, but not out, and he reached for the demon's leg, trying to stop it, "C'mere, ya little prick." The demon stopped and turned to face Luke again, tearing at him with sharpened claws.

Rhys was dazed for a moment, shaking the pain from his head. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask filled with holy water, unscrewing the top, and dousing the demon in the face as it came at him.

The holy water was enough to make the dog-face howl out again, an eerie sound and it began scratching blindly at Rhys.

Rhys scurried backwards, stumbling to his feet, the thing grabbing hold of his jeans and tearing into them, a wince when he felt claws dig into flesh. He pulled out his knife and stabbed at the thing's paw or whatever it was that was clawing at his leg. He darted a glance at Luke. "Holy water!" he shouted. The dog-face's paw was not unlike a hand, but when the blade hit it, again it cried out and retreated.

Rhys Bristol

Date: 2011-03-06 15:21 EST
Luke reached for his own flask, and as he claimed it, the lackey knocked it from his hands. "Shit!" he was diving for it, with the other on his heels.

"Kill them!" Lilith commanded.

Rhys took a brief moment to examine his leg, but he had no time to waste, and had to scramble to his feet again, backing off and brandishing the knife in one hand, the backup piece in the other. He fired another shot at the thing. The dog-face was retreating, shot, stabbed, blind and bleeding a thick, ink black, foul smelling liquid.

Luke claimed the flask, splashed his assailant, and watched as its flesh began to boil and burn. He was ready to celebrate, only to be backhanded into all of that steel he had been hiding behind. The thing advanced, its flesh melting away into bone, and kicked him in the chest, breaking a rib, maybe two.

Rhys noticed the dog-like demon was retreating and turned to find Luke, sending a few rounds into the demon that was attacking him.

Lilith cried out in anger, seeing the dog backing away.

The demon on Luke turned to look at Rhys, and its lips curled back, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. He turned to Luke again, the bullets really not bothering him as much as the holy water had, but he grabbed the man by the head, and slammed him into the steel pile, hard, before turning back to Rhys, and running at him full speed. He leaped up toward the poles, and began to use them, swinging this way and that, in case of hot lead, Holy Water, or whatever the hunter had up his sleeve.

Rhys' initial reaction was to run, but instead, he stood his ground, staring the beast down. He waited until the thing got closer, almost close enough to pounce on him and then he doused it with what was left of the holy water, tossing the flask away and shoving the blade into its throat.

The beast hated the Holy Water. Since a lot of the flesh was gone, it was starting to work on dissolving blackened bones. It was about to cry out in pain, but the knife cut through and effectively cut any sound except for a wet, thick gurgle.

Rhys dropped the body or what was left of it on the floor and looked around for Luke, finding him lying lifeless on the floor, before remembering Lilith. He still had no means of killing her and that was a problem, though she was, for the most part, trapped. So long as she was alive, however, she was able to summon lesser demons and that was another problem, especially since he no longer had any backup. "Call off your dogs and we'll talk," he warned her.

"Bravo, Rhys." Lilith clapped her long, bony hands sarcastically. "You and your boyfriend took some of my soldiers and spent your resources."

"The hell I have." He bluffed. "Would you like to try me again?"

"Would you like to meet a Lieutenant?" Her lips curled upward then.

He adjusted his hold on the knife, fingers wrapped around the handle firmly, an almost mad-looking grin upon his face. "Is he as good looking as you are?" he taunted.

"Oh, baby, you know I like it when you play rough," She whispered as he threatened her with the knife.

He still had the gun in his other hand, but had lost count of how many bullets he had left. There was no way he was getting anywhere close to that circle without the means of killing her. "Anyone ever tell you you're an ugly bitch' Course, I'm being kind."

There was a sound from one of the doors, foot steps could be heard, but nothing could be seen, yet. "Oops." She made a sound like a sick giggle. "You really should learn to treat me nicer, you know."

He edged his way toward the table, where he had a plentiful supply of holy water and bullets, visibly limping. "You should learn not to pick on women and children," he countered, grimly, meaning Riley and Patrick.

There was a long, low growl, one of those raise the hair on the back of your neck feelings.

"You say the sweetest things," she sighed then. "I can't believe you still blame me for that."

Rhys rounded the table, eyes and ears alert, trying to determine where exactly the unseen thing was in relation to where he was. "Who else should I blame" You set the whole thing up. You're the one responsible."

There was a brush of the back of Rhys' head then, like a flick of fingertips through hair.

"Me?" she tried to sound innocent, but it wouldn't work even in a meat suit.

The hair on the back of his head stood on end at that faint touch, and he had to suppress a shudder.

"Who said that I had anything to do with it?" She smiled, but it was hideous in her true form.

There was a nudge at his back this time, something not easily ignored.

"Don't play innocent with me. I know better. You forget who I am, Lilith. I'm even older than you." He wasn't sure where the words were coming from, bravado or memory, but he ran with it. "I know who I am now, Lilith. Do you know what that means?" He turned slowly to face whatever it was that was behind him, still with only a knife and a gun at his defense.

"You remembered" How quaint!"

"I'm the angel who's going to kill you, Lilith."

There was a shimmer of something, looking back at Rhys when he turned. It was a good foot and a half taller, and wider than the man.

Rhys Bristol

Date: 2011-03-06 15:22 EST
"Worry about him first, Killer."

Rhys gauged the size of the thing, thinking to himself that the bigger they are, the harder they fall, though he really wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one. He did the first thing any good hunter would do and squeezed off a shot into whatever was in front of him. He then took a swipe at it with his knife, but it was like trying to fight the invisible man.

It popped into view, and looked like a hairless Minotaur, glowing red eyes, and long, black, blood stained horns. The bullet did little more than shake some dirt free, and make it laugh. A big hand meaning to catch Rhys by the throat shot out, while the knife made new scars.

Rhys' eyes widened a little. He'd never fought anything like it before. If it wasn't for the rush of adrenaline, he'd have been a goner, but he ducked out of the way just in time, squeezing off another shot and finding he was out of bullets. "Shit."

"Run, little man, while you can." A big fist slammed the ground where he was. The voice from the beast sounded like it echoed from the pit of hell.

The building shook, kicking up dust and debris and knocking Rhys off balance. He dropped the gun, which was useless anyway, spied a crowbar propped against a pole, and scrambled to grab it. He shoved the knife away and stumbled to his feet, brandishing the crowbar like a two-handed sword. "Come on, Ugly. Let's see what you've got."

The demon blinked red eyes, and started to laugh, at the man with the crowbar. "Lilith, I thought you said he was dangerous." He dropped his head like a bull and charged Rhys. Those horns were pointed his way and ready to gore.

Like a bull fighter, Rhys stepped out of the thing's way and let him charge past, taking a swing with the crowbar as he passed by.

Lilith had fallen silent, she was trying to figure out a way from the trap. Something about Rhys was different, and it worried her.

The crowbar bounced on the thing's head, and caused him to slide to a stop, shaking his head, looking at Rhys.

"Bet that gave you a bit of a headache. Wanna try again?" Rhys held the crowbar over one shoulder, like a baseball bat.

"My turn." It faded from view again, only to pop up right next to Rhys and backhand him into the same barrels, toying with him.

Taken off guard, Rhys was thrown back into the barrels he'd collided with earlier, this time, a sickening crunch at his side, followed by excruciating pain. He grit his teeth against the pain and laid there dazed for a moment, trying to catch his breath, hugging his side, the crowbar held loosely in his right hand.

It started laughing again, deep, rumbling sound like rolling thunder. "Only human." It stalked toward him slowly.

Running out of strength and running on adrenaline and will power alone, Rhys took a firmer grip on the crowbar, pushing himself painfully to his feet, face pale and strained with pain.

"C'mere, little man, I will make it quick."

"Now would be a good time," he muttered to anyone who might be listening and likely to help. "How comforting. I'll think I'll just stay here, thanks. You can come to me."

He charged full speed again; head down and aiming to kill him so he and Lilith could be gone from this place again.

Lilith watched with those black eyes, waiting to see if Rhys would wind up dead, as she hoped he would. What fun she could have with him in Hell.

Rhys gathered his courage and what was left of his strength, whispering an almost forgotten prayer on his lips and raising the crowbar for what he deemed would most likely be his last conscious act, but when his arm went to strike the blow, there was suddenly a blinding light and a blade appeared in his hand, long and sharp and shining like gold. The blade struck the demon down, as if he was made of butter. Though he wasn't aware of it, there was a bright light emanating suddenly from either the blade, Rhys, or both.

The beast's face twisted from a charge to confusion, as it cried out in pain, collapsing on the floor and melting away to leave nothing but a greasy black smudge.

Lilith was even louder, "No!"

Luke stirred a bit, and opened his eyes painfully, staring at the scene in disbelief.

Rhys watched while the thing fell away and died, almost in amazement, and then he turned his head toward Lilith.

It was then, there was another flash of light, something moved behind Lilith and dropped to the floor, the sound of retching could be heard, but Lilith's eyes were on Rhys. She backed into the edge of the trap. "This can't be! You are the key! You were supposed to help me free him!"

"Free who' Lucifer?" As wounded as he was, Rhys seemed to have gained some inner strength, and he closed the distance between him and Lilith. "What were you going to give me for doing that' An eternity of torment in hell" You took the one thing that meant more to me than anything else," he said through clenched teeth. Patrick.

There was another movement, and a blond moved away from the circle. "What the hell!" It was more of a statement than a question.

Lilith nodded at Rhys. "Lucifer to take his rightful place as ruler." She didn't answer his question about a reward.

There were tears glittering in his Rhys" eyes as he thought about Patrick, but he set his jaw, determined to finish what he'd started and have his revenge. He didn't notice the blond, too intent on his business with Lilith. "You're going to your rightful place, bitch.? He stepped into the circle, lifting the blade for the killing blow, green eyes flashing with rage. "This is for Riley and for Patrick."

Rhys Bristol

Date: 2011-03-06 15:23 EST
Lilith tried to defend against the sword as best she could. Unable to effectively fight back, she started a demonic chant, faster and faster, trying in vain to summon another.

Rhys had no place in his heart for mercy, not for her. She might have been human once, but no more. Demonic, twisted, evil, ugly, and full of hate. There would be no torture, no exorcism, and no lingering death, just a swift end to whatever was left of her twisted and hideous soul. Rhys thrust the blade into her chest, right where, if she were human, her heart would have been.

Her face froze mid-chant as the blade struck home, and her body slumped, but did not fall. Her face shifted again into a smile this time.

Rhys stumbled back away and out of the circle, dropping his sword arm, and falling to his knees.

"Others will take my place, Rhys." The name of her enemy was the last thing she said, her voice echoing through the warehouse, the building shaking, a rumble of thunder in the distance, as her body melted away, leaving nothing but a pile of sickly black ash where the demon had once stood.

Rhys collapsed on the floor, spent, the sword falling from his hand and becoming just an ordinary crowbar again. He was close to losing consciousness, just barely hanging on. He cradled an arm against his side, pain like fire making it hard to breathe.

Luke looked less than pleased, as he stood, fighting for breath. He picked up his rifle, making his way toward Rhys. "What the hell was that?"

The blond went to move again. "Okay, someone explain to me what the hell is going on!" She started for Rhys only to find herself staring down the barrel of a rifle. "Dude, back off. I don't know what?s going on here, but he's looking like hell," she said to Luke, as she bent down to look Rhys in the face. "You in there?"

Rhys thought he heard a familiar voice, but it couldn't possibly be who he thought it was, could it' He blinked up at her, barely hanging onto consciousness, the edges of his vision starting to fade. "K-Kel?"

"Yeah, it's me....I'm here, wherever the hell we are."

Rhys tried to stay with her, to form words, but it was no use. He lost the fight, and everything went black.