Demon Cole Arc~ Chapter 7: Eye for an Eye

Chapter 7: Eye for an Eye


the ice-cream place SeaStar, Premunte

The woman who could pass as her twin was waiting alone at a table holding a big wrapping.

”You’re late!” ”I had school and club activities and… I have this fair to plan, for this month—” the reincarnated scientist started nonchalantly. ”Raul, Ragnor, Maetel and Savia have been attacked since we talked to you!! And you were busy playing student council president?!!”

“Wow, you have a lot of friends… And surely I’m glad not to be one of them.”

“This will work?” Fallon asked and unwrapped the sword. It looked just like before.

”When have my experiments failed? …Yes, Maria Marin, it will work. It will kill the demon along with the human host – well, maybe not exactly kill, but he will need at least a thousand years to recover after this. …I studied the Lightbulb’s books.” she felt necessary to add her bibliographical references.

“I guess a than—”

“Don’t thank me, I want to hear feedback after you do the deed. Also, you owe me if it works.”

***

Somewhere in Premunte

Left. Right. Up. Leap. Land. Roll. Grab the bar. Swing. The figure leaped, and moved across the town slipping through the strangest and difficult obstacles. He was out... outside at night. But did he fear it? No, golden eyes smirk, glinting in the moonlight as he slips from one shadow to the next. He was raised in these shadows, he was one with them. But why was he out and not cuddling with his girlfriend? Simple... he was.... shopping. Yes, shopping. Fanged grin growing as he felt the two objects in his pocket. Oh, yes... dear Red was feeling down so the whip-mage decided that... she needed a little pick me up. Something to show her, that they were in this thing together- forever as long as they lived. Taking a moment to pull them out, he inspected their design. "Ah, yes... these will do nicely. The shaper did good work...." Kuristophe looked at the night sky and the moon that watched over him. He really should get back to Red before she wakes. He chuckled, she was grumpy when he wasn't there for her to clutch to.

"Taking time to admire the moon, are you? Well, much more convenient to find you out here then going to Red's apartment to get you..." A voice said from behind Kuris. "I mean, sure it would be fun to see her face when she wakes up and sees your dead body next to her... But in there I wouldn't be able to take my time with killing you."

The whip mage snerked at the voice. "Sure, killing me... oh, you are just so preciousssss~  But to answer your question; yes I'm admiring the moon... or was that not obvious, you blonde blunder?"

Collier stood behind him, smirking as usual. "Oh, I was just saying that as a conversation starter. You CAN see color with those freak eyes of yours, correct? Because I'm not blond." He indicated to his raven black hair.

Crossing his arms, Kuristophe continued to smirk lopsidedly, still totally at ease despite the pest flying about in the shadows around him. "So... how've you been?" he commented in a light tone yet the sarcasm evident. "How’s alone time now without your hand?"

Collier just continued to smirk back. He was not going let this guy get to him... He wasn't going to lose it like that ginger did at the wedding... "Oh, my hand? I don't even miss it." He waved his shadowy hand in the air. "I actually prefer this hand now. Do you wanna see why? "

Kuris covered his mouth, struggling to hold back a cackle, "Oh, wait, don’t tell me... you like it cold, not warm? You're one of them... corpse lovers, aren't you?" The whip mage cackled, "Oh, it make sso much sense now... the way you talk to your 'victims' and how you mainly go after women..." Another loud laugh, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, I'm flattered you consider me as well... but I'm afraid I'm taken. And I can’t be mistaken for a female, since I cut my hair, so there’s that excuse out of the way..."

A dark look crossed Cole’s face. He couldn't explain it, but this... idiot in front of him was making him lose his patience much quicker then the others... Don't let him get to you, Collier commanded himself and the cold smirk returned. "I'm afraid you are very mistaken. I am not choosing my victims based on attraction to them, definitely not. It's because of Red, haven't you noticed that by now? Her brother, her niece, her friends and teammate, and so on..." He cocked an eyebrow. "Do you even have a brain in there? I honestly doubt it from what you thought I meant when I said I liked my new hand. I only like it because it's much more efficient."

Kuristophe 'hmmed' out loud, striking a thinking pose. "So... looks don’t matter to you. You just go for whatever..." Golden eyes turned and stared directly at Cole's location within the shadows. "You can get a disease doing it like that, you know... or at least sprain yourself... oh, wait, that’s what the shadow hand is for. So you don't tire your own wrist out... hmm. Odd choice, but I guess it works..." The whip mage shrugged, still looking amused. "Now... We both know... well now you know... that hiding in the shadows isn’t going to affect me or disturb me. Snakes use thermal vision to find their prey after all, ne? So why not come out into the moonlight? It's rather pretty tonight after all..."

Cole began to glare at him. "You really are an idiot. Talking to you is just a waste of time I see..." Within the shadows a scythe formed in his hand. "I'll just listen to the sounds of you screaming instead."

"...I'm an idiot? How could you say such horrible things?" the whip mage cried silent tears and wiped them away a moment later, a smirk on his face. "Maa~ You'll have to settle for your imagination Colly-flower... ’cause I'm not gonna scream for you... You don’t do it for me...." Another laugh. "I mean come on, pale skin and black hair playing about in the shadows? I know I'm awesome and your hero slash idol but you shouldn't imitate me... it doesn't work for you."

Suddenly the scythe blade came out, pressing against his neck. "... I... Am really tired of listening to you..."

"Oh? Tired already? ...Did you blow your load already? Man... you should work on your stamina or something...." The serpent chuckled, the scythe pressed against him not bothering him in the slightest. "You're probably wondering right now.... well, excluding why you hate me so much right now... wait, no that’s included... Di~gressing.... You're probably wondering why I'm not going all Snap-Crackle and Popping you into pieces, dipping you into chocolate icing and serving you to my little sister as a present..... I have the ability, I have the power, I have the determination.... but I won’t lay a finger on you. Kukukuku~"

Collier seemed confused by this. His grip tightened on the rod pushing the blade against his neck until a red line of blood appeared. "And why is that? "

Another dark chuckle, "Simple... really. One could say I'm using myself as bait... or one could say I just don’t see the point in your little tantrums... but mostly because I want to see you squirm... writhe... shriek... scream... and despair!" A smile on his face, snarling. "But not from me, no. It would be a given... it would be anti-climatic..." Slit eyes smiling at Cole, a shard of the former cold-blooded Orochi making an appearance. "We both like a good show though, don’t we? The actors have been cast... the stage is set... I will be the catalyst to your bad ending... And funnily enough, Red will be the one to break you... She is the finale." Another laugh. "You will pay for your sins, dumbass.... this is just karma to me. I'll allow it to happen. For Maggie.... For Ragnor.... For Maetel.... For Savia.... For Red.... you will suffer as I will soon enough. But... kukukuku~" A chuckle. "You won’t derive any pleasure from this. I won’t do as you want." Kuris's body twisted and slithered... for lack of a better word out of Cole's hold to stand just a few steps from him, arms held wide open, facing Cole and staring at him head on. A mad smile on his visage. "Come at me, bro~"

A cold twisted grin appeared on the other man’s face. "I wouldn't be so cocky, you bastard..." he growled. "After all I'm pretty good at this. I've made men a lot big and tougher then you cry like an infant. And I'll do the same to you..." he slowly pulled his weapon back and held it by this side. "Your plan is the one that's going to fail. Red isn't going to hurt me... She cares about Cole too much... She'll feel too guilty if he died in the process of trying to kill me..."

"Kukukuku~ I've been trained to resist worse than your little love wounds, Perhaps Red would feel bad if Cole died... but you forget, I am the catalyst.... I am the bait. Hurt me all you want.... it’s just going to backfire on you... hmmm." Tilting his head in thought Kuris snerked, "What would Wara say... hm... 'Shadows and Light forever at war / Wanting the light to itself it consumes but can’t closed is that heart's door / A song of childish jealousy raged and rang, pain being its chord / Only to fall to nonexistence... by its love imbued with a sword.' ...How was that? Catchy, eh? Oh, Wara would be proud..."

"... If you're so certain that that's going to happen... then I guess you won't be needing you voice anymore. How about first I slit your throat open and rip those vocalcords out." The weapon shifted again, into a large sword like the one he used on Sara. He lunged forward and slashed at Kuris's chest.

"Ugh... it stings. Got a band aid? No? Ah, well..." Chuckle. Says he’s going to slash my vocal chords, yet just hits my chest... come on, you blonde blunder. If you're in there....

"Shut up..!" He slashed at him again... and again... and again... not really paying attention to where he was hitting the snake eyed man, just wanting to cause him pain... like the pain Cole had felt those weeks ago. "You... why did she pick you? What's so great about you?!"

"Ow... my wit?... ow... my charm?.... ow.... my roguishly good looks? ow... my intelligence? ow... the way I use my ton--OW... double ow... Kukuku~ owies..."

Collier kept slashing furiously. "You're not! You're nothing!"

Kuris continued to laugh, mocking the former blonde, even when his throaty chuckles erupt in crimson liquid. The blood spilling out of his mouth and trailing down his pale skin. "If... I'mmmhuf... nothing-" He coughed and hacked, "Then... if I was picked over..." Heavy breath, "You.... then... what does that make.... huff..... you? Scum.... trash? Take your pick." He hacked up more blood, as his head spun, the loss of blood getting to him... "Oooo.... sugar rush.... wait.... no, just dizzy...." Another slash to his torso. "Ow...hehe....I think you hit my funnybone.." More hacking of blood...

***

Fallon’s apartment, Premunte

She woke up to an empty, cold bed and sat up. ”Kuris?...”

Cruce the shadow kitty was sitting on the bed in Kuris's spot, as if waiting for Fallon to wake up. ”...Have you seen him?” Cruce nodded in response and jumped off the bed. ”Where's he?” She sat up quickly and reequipped into her street clothes, ready to follow Cruce to Kuris's location.

”Nya~” Cruce dashed to the door, pausing for Fallon to catch up and then continuing to dash out of the apartment and out to the street. Pausing every once in a while to make sure she's following, Cruce eventually led her to the roof top of a building, and padded over to Kuris, sitting next to his head... the rest of him laying in a giant pool of red.

Fallon was wondering why's Kuris on a rooftop... when she saw him and screamed, her first thought being that he was dead. Cruce watched her calmly for a moment and then looked at Kuris. The swordswoman ran over to Kuris and knelt by his side, looking at his wounds and the blood that had dripped down his chin and neck... he was such a bloody mess, she couldn't tell if it was worse or just as bad as Sara's wounds when they had found her on the side of the road. She was trying to calculate which wound to apply pressure to to stop the bleeding (creating a bandage should have be no problem with her magic), but she was panicking too hard to think straight...  she might lose the love of her life. She was too scared to even cry.

The kitty studied Kuris's face for a moment, remembering Collier's orders for her. Her claws came out and in a flash gouged out his eye.

”*gasp* CRUCE! Pu... put it--back...” Is this a nightmare? If it was, she had to wake up soon... it was too much for her to handle.

The animal sent her an indifferent glance and then bit into his eye.

Finally angered into motion, Fallon screamed, ”NO!!” and shot a ball of fire in the kitty’s direction, but careful not to harm Kuris further. Her intent was to get Cruce away from Kuris that instant, even if it was a dream and Kuris would soon laugh at it in the morning and kiss her.

The shadow kitty leaped away, hissing at the fire. Her natural enemy. Fallon kept firing at Cruce, until it dissipated in the flames, then put a circle of high flames around the unconscious Kuris for protection and went to get Dinei.

***

Dragon Heart infirmary, Premunte

He had been too bloody for her to see at first, and she in fact had forgotten about the quotes altogether when she saw him lay there in that pool of blood and when Cruce ATE his eye, she lost it… ‘LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION; I CAN FIND THE WAY MYSELF.’ How fitting.

She curled up next to him, half hovering over him on the narrow cot. She rested her forehead against his cold cheek –on the half of his face that was not bandaged– and finally let out the tears. “Kuris…” He might live after this, but, even so, Sara promised his right eye would not heal. It was impossible for him to grow a new eye ever.

A barely audible sound of footsteps distracted her from his weak heartbeat, but she didn't flinch. It was too early to be Collier, and if it was anyone else she did not care. She was never going to allow herself to care again—

"I think it would be more polite if you were to talk to me standing up darling. Wouldn't you agree? Ne?" a soft wispy voice uttered as a form stepped out of the shadows of the room, the only thing to get the woman’s attention was to force her steps to make sound. Red pupiless eyes glowed in the ambient darkness, staring down at the distraught woman, a sharp glint in them shining.

Fallon didn't flinch, but tried to control her sniffling. ”Widow.” "Oh, stop your sniveling, darling... at least wait until our business is finished... ne?" ”'Our'...?” Fallon lifted her head enough to look at the older woman with a still upset face.

"Yes, 'OUR' business darling...." Moonlight reflected on her pale hands as she points to a comatose Kuristophe. "Which reminds me...." In a blur, Fallon was smacked across the face even as she laid there still. She touched her burning cheek instinctively and glared at Widow. “What the hell??!”

A sneer marred her normally gentle face, "Exactly my thoughts.... consider it punishment darling. But seems that it’s waking you up at least, ne?"

“Punish--….? You think I haven’t suffered enough? Am I not suffering enough?!?!” she raised her voice at the caretaker, who was getting on her nerves again like the first time they had met, and she got off the cot, standing close enough though.

A ‘Hmph' was clearly heard from the Orochi caretaker, those pupiless red eyes unwavering, an unimpressed look on her face. "At the moment I care not for your suffering darling, only the suffering you brought upon Kuristophe with your childish, naive, idiotic promise you had him say. This 'Collier' fellow should have been put down ages ago.... Whatever controlling him is only getting stronger and more vicious. It should not have come to this in the first place... So no.... I don’t think you've suffered enough. I gave you the info long ago to solve this issue and nip it in the bud did I not? Ne? And yet here now lies my... someone I would tear the weave of the world down for... on a hospital cot... in a coma... missing an eye." Widow snarled the last part. "I'm supposed to trust in his judgement and see you only do good for him... but you're no good to him like this... moping and refusing to deal with the situation." Pupiless eyes narrowed, from the telltale sign of her brows furrowing as she stared at the Marin. "I know Kuristophe... he didn't fight back on purpose.... he let it happen... in his own style of course because he promised.... so tell me darling, why I should feel bad for you?"

Fallon frowned back, clearly not enjoying being scolded by someone who had not had all her friends damaged physically and who knows to what degree mentally too. But Widow had a valid point…. Weeping around was not going to help. Neena even went as far as giving her the Light sword… And of course Fallon regretted Kuris missing an eye now, what was that woman implying?? “I don’t need your sympathy…! But I will listen to the ‘business’ you said you have with me.”

Her face regained its gentle, sly demeanor almost instantly. "Ah, yes, darling, let's get straight to it shall we? Slipping a hand into her cloak, she pulled out an enclosed object in some strange case, giving off a strange feeling... "You feel these vibes, darling? Now... Here's my proposition... you give Kuristophe one of your eyes... and I'll replace yours with this." Her thumb trailed over a switch on the case, pressing it and the case seemingly peeled off. Revealing a slit eye that glowed like an inferno... lava dancing in its pupils. A burning intensity radiating from it as it floated about in the strange liquid container. "Captivating is it not? This will grant you... an ability, darling. All I ask is that you put it to good use... and kill the one who harmed my darling, ne?"

“My eye…?!.... Even if it works and I can see with it, even if the eye is compatible with me or whatever, will it have time to… heal in 1 day? And who will do the operation anyway?” Was Neena involved in this? There was also the fact that she was afraid of the pain, but she believed it was best not to appear even more of a wimp than she already did to Widow.

She giggled, waving a hand at Fallon like some regular civilian teenage girl, "Oh you silly thing. I'll be doing it of course, who else do you think--" Her eyes widened as a... rather creepy... no, downright terrifying smile played on her face, "created this?" Her normal gentle visage replaced the... whatever the hell that was. So that was where Wara got it... "You'll be able to see shortly after I perform this action... I've dabbled in healing arts, you could say." Another giggle.

"Um, it's not that I don't trust you, but I... really, really need to SEE Collier when I fight him..."

"Hmm how to show you...." Placing her finger to her chin in thought, Widow hummed a lullaby before striking a pose "Aha! I've got just the thing darling!" With the twisted THING of a smile on her face, pale fingers reached into one of her own eye sockets and plucked the eye out without a whimper or a flinch. Only a trickle of blood ran down her pale cheekbones. Waving the eye about, she giggled. "Step One." and with a flourish tucked it back into its socket, finger prodding at her eye whilst it was coated in a vibrant green energy. Finally getting it to a proper position she flared it once more. Blinking a few times to get it functioning before waving her arms about in a show, "Ta-daaaa!" she giggled, her freaky smile disappearing instantly as her pupiless eyes focused on the Marin. "Does that help you? Ne? "

A straight faced Fallon watched, torn between horrified and amazed. "...Only if we have the exact same eye anatomy... I don't know, I'm not good with biology..." she mumbled and looked around. Widow loved Kuris, that much was sure. So she could be trusted... But if she let her perform the operation, they would have to do it here, in the infirmary? Fallon was not even sure where the tools for a general anesthesia were... This was all too sudden, way, way too sudden... But she could do it. For Kuris. And for everyone else who suffered because of Collier and... Cole.

Another giggle, "Did I not mention, darling, that I created this eye? I like to think I'm capable in the field..." A sly smirk crossed her lips. "It will work, although your eye in Kuris might turn into a more hazel color, but that’s genetics for you... as for your replacement eye... let's just say it's a universal match. Now..." Widow’s hand glowed green, a scalpel appearing in her other hand, twirling about on her fingers. "...What’s your answer, Marin?"

Fallon had one last question: Why her? But she twirled it in her mind before speaking her mind, like she always did. Why her eye... After a second of hesitation, she nodded. "Let's do this." She saw why. Being robbed of an eye was her punishment. Receiving the new one was... she was not sure what to think of it yet. But she knew she would rather have her own eye in Kuris than some other man's or woman's.

Taking a few steps in front of the swordswoman, Widows hands glowed as her fingers casually..... reached up and snatched Fallon's eye clean out of its socket in an instant. Widow ignored the frightened expression on the girl’s face as she rolled the orb around between her fingers. "Fragile things, aren’t they, darling?" she commented before going over to Kuris, peeling off his bandages before going back to Fallon. "Actually, let's do you first... that way I'll have time to concentrate on Kuristophe." And with that the blazing eye was tucked into Fallon’s socket. "Oh... by the way, darling... if you hear a voice... do be polite, ne?" she instructed and turned her back to return to operate on Kuristophe.

It was over… Falllon stepped backwards and plopped down onto a chair, Widow and Kuris in sight. Her vision was okay… “Voice?! That’s what you said, if I hear a voice…?” Was the nightmare still going on?

Widow tried to hide a grin, "Oh? Did I not mention that it gave you an ability, darling? And that it was sentient?" Widow gave Fallon her best innocent looking face as he magic worked its... well, magic, on the whip mage's damaged sockets, till it was safe to replace the eye.

Fallon’s hands balled into fists on her knees, but she dared not yell, not while Kuris’s operation was not completed. The fact that she had been tricked remained though!! And by that spider like woman of all people! “…I don’t need to go schizophrenic when I face Collier…”

Widow pretended not to hear her, her concentration needing to focus on the whip-mage. Fallon’s new eye twitched by itself in her own socket, her sight in that eye moving of its own accord. "Where..... am... I...... new.... host?/ it rang inside her head like a hot iron. "Another... for power?...."

The swordswoman didn’t mind being ignored, she was distracted by the voice that made its presence known in her head. Err… He-hello…? _{This is weird, but it has to be the voice… Hope I’m not crazy… But these things that happen to me keep getting crazier and crazier…}

The eye squirmed again, its fiery retinas angrily swirling about. 'Oh joy... conversation.... with the new host... I'm thrilled.... Stop the pleasantries! Just tell me what you want and be done with it, woman.'

Hey! You’re in MY head… show some respect, will you, Fallon thought, biting her lip. And stop moving around! You know it’s uncomfortable for me!

If an eye could scowl... well, it would look weird but the blazing orb in Fallon’s head tried. 'Respect? I'll show you "RESPECT" ' Proceeding to spin its entirety inside the socket, 'I don’t want to be here! The sooner you do your whatever atrocity you are going to commit. The sooner I can leave....'

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!!" The woman crouched on her chair, bringing her face to her knees and her hands on her head. The pain... "What are you talking about, wha... why do you say you're leaving?"

'I was created for power, for glory. But you humans have a strange definition of that, it seems. My power will corrupt you... you will fall soon after you commit atrocities and are overwhelmed... I will be retrieved after you die... the process will repeat...' It swirled again, irritated.

".........." She let those ideas sink in. The process would repeat... Had it belonged to someone else before? To who? And what was HIS 'nonhuman' definition of glory? ...But more importantly, was she really holding a conversation with an EYE?... She wanted to empty her mind, but his moving distracted her again. "Stay still already," she whispered. "I mean, move normally."

It glared, by means of pulling Fallon’s brow down on one side, 'Normally meaning, you in control huh? Not going to work. I will do what I want as long as I'm in here until you convince me you're worth something.'

“Widow…” The woman started, still crouched on the chair. “…Still operating…? How in the world will I fight like this…?”

"Just a bit more, there was alot of infections to get rid of. He was out there a long time." Said woman glanced up, a curious look on her face at Fallon, "Hmm… I expected more pain... Odd. And you'll be fine darling. You can see out of it correct? Just take its ability for your own already and you'll be fine. You are in control, darling, always remember that." With that she went back to healing. 'Bitch.....' the eye growled inside Red's head... 'It won’t be that easy...'

What do I have to do to subdue you...

It swirled angrily, 'IDIOT! Why would I tell you that!? How naive are you?! '

Fallon gave a loud shriek of pain and sunk her teeth into the flesh of her fist, to calm down. She could do this. Widow wouldn't have given the eye to her if she didn't believe she could control it. I need to... ki--... fight this person tomorrow night... What is your power...?

'Hmph... figures it’s something like that. I'll give you a hint... if you can guess correctly afterwards and I like the answer. I'll be more lenient... if not. I'll tell you and do this! It swirled angrily for minutes until stopping, Any time I feel like it... now my hint... look in a mirror and stare at me. What do you see?'

She cringed in pain, on the verge of fainting. He said something about a mirror…. A mirror… Wouldn’t that reflect her face with a weird red eye instead of her usual right eye? What kind of a riddle was that? What were they talking about, again? Ah, the power the new eye was supposed to bring her… Perhaps if she looked in the mirror she could literally see the hint. So she stood up and went to the nearest restroom, leaving Kuris in Widow’s care, and stared into the mirror hung over the sink. Her first thought was it made her look hideous.

Then, gradually adjusting to the stranger staring back, she let herself take in the pupil. If only it stayed still long enough to see it… the white part of the eye was white, like it was supposed to, but its pupil was slit like a snake’s and the iris was red… no, orange? It seemed to glow with ever changing hot shades of fire. “Fire…” she mumbled dumbfound.

A slow amused laugh licked at the back of her mind, 'Well what do you know...? Someone actually got it. Lucky you... I expected my new bearer to be more... you know More.' The eye calmed down inside her socket, yet the intent in its gaze grew fierce as it stared into the reflection of itself and its new...host. 'I am... fire. I am... the light. I destroy.... I incinerate. I guide the lost... With molten fury do I smite my adversaries... I am Ignis, my host.'  Fiery pupils glow ever brighter as they take on an appearance more like molten lava. The intensity of his gaze as he stared at his new bearer’s appearance grew as he 'spoke', flames coming to life around her in a wreath of flames and spreading behind her like trailing wings. .' Use me well while you can, Bearer... The mirror melted from the intense heat right in front of Fallon, it just dropped into a mess of slag at her feet. 'Umm... oops..

Meanwhile, Widow eyes had widened as she backed away from the woman in the room now TOTALLY now completely on fire, backing up even as she finished on Kuristophe. So many infections to deal with... and now this.

"Er...Fallon darling...you're on fire..."

It was beyond anything she could have imagined she would be capable to do with fire. She had melted a piece of glass once, but the process had left her exhausted and drained all her magic for a day. And she had been so focused on training her swordsmanship skills --both magical and non-magical-- for the past decade that that turn of events was unexpected. A river of power flooded her being, so great in intensity that she became the flame and the flame became her. Then Widow's voice brought her back. She was Fallon Marin, ally of justice. And she had been tricked by that creepy eyed woman, but held no more resentment against her. "...I'm fine.... I feel like taking on a demon actually..."