CALAMITY (#1) - The Lamb

Chapter Nine - Wake Up

"A SIN HAS BROKEN INTO THE COMPOUND!"

The words rang through Casey's ears over and over as she dashed through the halls. Her vision was blurry, her breathing labored. She was panicking, badly. How did they find us, she thought to herself as she turned the corner. She stopped at Mia's room.

She's the only one unaccounted for...

Casey looked under the bed, overturned pillows, barged into the closets...

Mia was gone. The only upper-hand she had against Diablo was gone.

. . .

Wrath walked down the halls with Gluttony, who was carrying the kid over his shoulder. "This is the one, eh? He was right, she does look like a weakling." He chuckled deeply, poking at the sleeping kid.

"Yeah, that's Half-Cowl's thing, I guess. It always takes hold of the weak." He narrowed his eyes, a cruel grin stretching across his face. "I'm getting hungry." Wrath let out a small laugh, inspecting the kid. "She's not big enough. Besides, the boss wants her alive."

"Yeah, but he never said he wanted her in one piece~"

. . .

Muffled speech. Mia couldn't make it out. It was dark all around her. She was numb. All she could hear was the soothing whispers of the shadowy figure, lulling her to sleep as she was consumed...

. . .

Casey growled as she came to a stop in the halls. Directly in front of her was a large, blue and grey wolf with a maw in his tail. Wrath. Just beside him was...

"Heya, kitten~"

Klein. He turned to her with a relaxed smile, holding Mia over his shoulder. "Looking for her?" Casey narrowed her eyes. "Put her down, Klein. Now." She unsheathed her claws. "Unless you want to lose the rest of your face."

Klein instinctively rubbed the large scar on his face. His feathers couldn't grow back in that spot, meaning the blemish was incapable of going away. His grin widened. "Turn the other cheek, Greene. You're in no position to bargain."

Casey growled, lunging at Klein. Wrath caught her leg with his tail, quickly tying her up and holding her upside down over Wrath's maw. "This should take care of the hunger...~"

He opened his maw wide and dropped Casey.

. . .

"CASEY!!! CASEY, WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Tears streamed down Maxwell's face as he ran through the halls. His legs hurt from running. His heart was pounding.

A horrible scream, cut off. Casey's scream.

Maxwell ran into someone's back, yelping loudly. He stepped back and looked up, immediately freezing.

Klein looked down at him, carrying Mia. Beside him was someone he didn't recognize...

He smelled Casey's scent on him.

Klein stepped forward, placing his hand on Maxwell's shoulder. He leaned down, whispering in his ear.

"Hello again, babe... Finally having second thoughts~?"

. . .

More talking. It didn't really matter. Whatever was going on outside didn't matter. Mia was finally safe. The shadow promised her safety. Mia feels happy.

So why did she focus so much on what they were saying?

"Put her down... This should satisfy the hunger..."

Hunger. That was the strange feeling she was having. She didn't realize until now. She didn't eat today. Why did that matter?

...

Maybe it was because of that pleasant smell. A smell that made her hungry. It was close... Maybe she could...

. . .

Klein pinned Maxwell to the wall, grinning widely. "What's this shameless display, Maxine? Who are you trying to fool? You thought I wouldn't recognize my own lover~?"

Maxwell whimpered softly, unable to overpower Klein. "Y-You don't... know me...." Maxwell gasped for air.

"Oh? Well, I know one thing about you." He leaned in, his white eyes piercing into Maxwell's spirit. "I know you'll never be a real man."

......

Silence. Klein's grip softened. He dropped Maxwell. Blood oozed from his shoulder.

He threw Mia off of him, roaring with pain and rage. Blood leaked from her mouth. Blood leaked from Klein's shoulder.

Mia's eyes widened, and she spat Klein's flesh out.

. . .

Mia shakily stood up in the cold hallway, wiping the large demon's blood off her face. Her vision was clear. She could hear the shadow screaming at her to stop.

"You taste like shit."

Mia helped Maxwell up. She wiped the tears from his face, unintentionally replacing it with Klein's blood. "I... I heard what he said... And I think you should kick his ass."

Maxwell's expression lifted slightly.

"I know I don't have the strength to stop two demons like this... But I know you can. I know you have some kind of history with these pricks... and we both know how much you wanna kick their stupid faces in. Whaddaya say? Wanna help a kid out?"

Maxwell smiled.

"Also, I'm pretty sure the blue one ate Casey."

Maxwell lunged at Wrath, digging his clawed hand into his belly and tearing with all of his might.

. . .

Casey flopped onto the floor in a mess of blood and various other vaguely-gross substances. She scrambled into Maxwell's arms as she glared back at Wrath and...

Gluttony already ran away. Coward.

Wrath growled in pain, his eyes glowing a hostile red as the sound of bones cracking filled the room. Mia, Casey, and Maxwell slowly backed up as Wrath's ribs stabbed through his skin. He was getting larger, his body cracking and breaking to form something sinister.

Maxwell lifted Mia up in his arms. "Now would be a good time to run."