Chapter Text
No...
No, not now.
Not again, not here!
Damn it, why does it have to be like this?!
A heavy hand brought the woman out of her trance, causing her to gasp, snake tail rattling in response.
She quickly scanned surroundings, blinking as if to shake off the last remnants of her oppressive thoughts. Eyes lingered on the imposing figure beside, and her vision quickly cleared.
– Are you okay? - The man's voice was harsh and gruff, but there was genuine concern behind it.
– I'm jusst... Yess. Yess, Banny, I'm fine. - Scythe sighed before forcing a smile. She felt the weight on her hands.
She was completely lost in thoughts. Once again.
Since Inpherno has been plunged into an apocalypse due to an unknown virus, and after a certain incident, many things were no longer the same.
The world was literally plunged into a dystopia.
But how ridiculous it was to watch the inphernals trying to survive and even find joy in living in this fucking time!
Even the most brutal killers were now praying for their lives, clinging to those they had once killed. But despite the inphernals' best efforts to live as they had before the apocalypse, the tension remained. The mere thought of sharing a shelter with these terrifying demons made their hearts race and their skin prickle with sweat. How safe are they among their own inphernals?
But on the other hand.
What's the point of killing in such a situation?
Scythe shook her whole body, rattling the tip of her tail again. Ban Hammer stood next to her, watching, before moving away and continuing the expedition. Snake-inphernal looked down at the thing she was holding in hands. She sighed, releasing steam into the cold air, clutching the thing in her fists. With a soft growl, Scythe turned to Ban Hammer, following him.
– You know, I think we should slowly return to the bunker - idol adjusted the bag on his shoulder, turning to look at his friend. Scythe stopped under his gaze, her ears twitching.
– We haven't found anything usseful - she hissed with an accent. Ban Hammer rolled his eyes. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up a bit in mittens.
– You're going to freeze to death out here - Ban grumbled, looking back at Scythe's clothes. The two of them were warmly dressed, but that wouldn't keep them warm forever, especially when one of them was literally dependent on warmth.
The Guardian didn't wait for an answer and continued walking. Lost'templens followed him with displeasure. The petrified parts of whatever it was crunched under their boots. A blizzard howled outside, spreading dust and snow throughout the area. Idol grumbled something under his breath, which Scythe couldn't hear due to her voluminous hood. They passed by collapsed buildings and pillars. The previously breathtaking temples were now mundane, down-to-earth, and ruined, blending into the grayness of the fossils.
How... Sadly. The inphernals had been waiting for spring, a warm and loving month. But instead of blooming primroses, they were greeted with an oppressive atmosphere.
...
Shuriken scurried around the hall, rummaging through drawers and closets filled with clothes. He pulled out a fur-lined jacket before twitching his ears at the sound of the front door opening and scurrying away. A tall, red-horned inphernal entered the room, holding someone wrapped in a blanket in his arms.
– Vine! - Shuriken shouted, summoning his sister to examine the newcomers.
Sword removed the demon and turned his face. The ninja watched them from a distance, not daring to approach. The knight had returned from his expedition a day earlier, and he was clearly pleased with his success. Vine Staff finally appeared in the hall, her mouse tail twitching as she looked at the snow-covered guys.
– Sword! - she walked closer before stopping, looking at the pale face of the inphernal in the blanket. – Rocket... - she said quietly, through gritted teeth, but eventually rushed over to the blue-horned one.
She removed her rubber gloves to slide her hand under the blanket and feel for Rocket's neck. Staff checked his pulse, as it was difficult to tell from his appearance that he was still alive. After confirming the faint presence of a pulse, she turned to Sword, inspecting him for abrasions.
– Go to the basement, - she approved. Hawk picked his friend back up in his arms, heading towards the door that led to the heated lower levels of the building. Support put her gloves back on, brushing off her medical gown. The siblings' eyes met. Staff clenched her fist, bringing it to her chest in a smooth motion, and then used it to draw a triangle from her chest to her shoulders. Shuriken flattened his ears in response, and then abruptly thrust his palm against his chest. The sister sighed wearily, folding her arms before leaving.
The ninja remained standing in the hall for a few moments longer. He took a deep breath, now cold due to the recent arrival of the infernals from the street. With a slight frown, he let the air out. He shouldn't get too excited or irritated. It would only exhaust him further. Shuriken glanced at the schedule near the door before picking up a pen and crossing out the Sword's expedition, signing the end date. If only he could write the date of death. Shuriken twitched as the thought brought back a memory of an incident that had exacerbated the tense situation in the bunker. He shook his head, setting down the pen.
Grabbing the fur coat he had retrieved earlier, he quickly left the hall.
As he walked through the main hall of the hideout, he focused on the interior rather than depressing thoughts. He examined the staircases with their wooden, slightly gilded railings. The snow-white walls were adorned with golden ornaments. This building used to be... Special. The Lost Temple was renowned for its beauty and grandeur. He wondered what the royal palace looked like. Shuriken stumbled over the steps, crashing to the ground. Thank SFoTH that he only took the first one. He stood up, brushing himself off. It was really easy to get killed on these stairs, but for him it was only that he hurt hand.
The building was three stories high, built in an oval shape. From any floor, you could see the bottom, thanks to the railing. The ninja's room was on the second floor, almost at the end of the left side.
Shuriken's ears twitched as he heard Sword exit the hall, having changed into a different outfit. He still held Rocket in his arms, with Medkit walking next to them. Shuriken snorted at the sight of the third inphernal.
...
– You sstupid!
– Hey! - Ban Hammer frowned, looking back at Scythe over his shoulder. She hissed through her mask, staring at Idol. The guardian grimaced, – Don't start acting like a spoiled child. We're in this together, - he grumbled, watching as she thrashed her tail in frustration and paced around in a circle, within Ban Hammer's line of sight. He could swear that this inphernal would drive him crazy one day.
As Scythe continued to thrash about like a trapped snake, the guardian focused on identifying the area. Yes, they were a little lost. Again.
Ban Hammer finally noticed the familiar path. This huge rock, which appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the road, immediately guided him. He headed towards the path, sighing in relief. Scythe turned around to look at the guard. Her tail rumbled as she took a step after him, before coming to a sudden stop.
What the hell was she doing?
Her sharp gaze shifted to the object she was holding in her hand. Why was she returning to a place where she was not welcome? Why was she following someone who had been trying to catch her for decades? Why was she enduring those stares in the bunker again? It was as if she were the murderer.
Ban Hammer stopped when he realized that he couldn't hear Scythe's footsteps. He looked at her, noticing how she was standing stiffly.
– Scythe? - The guard said in a surprisingly uncertain voice. Her oddities... were stressful. Although he knew she had been odd since childhood, since her birth. But they were different from the ones before.
Snake-inphernal looked at him before relaxing her shoulders and awkwardly looking away from his piercing gaze. With a slight wobble, she followed him.