Devil Cadejo IV

"Focus fire on the intruders! " Rush screamed as he ran off towards the bounty hunter in the poncho his two subordinates understood immediately and they both changed targets from the old bounty hunter to star cover fire against the arriving enemies.

"So that's how it is, fine I'll take on you both, befitting way to earn my wings!" Xiomara ran towards Rush without hesitation and jumped into the air with her claws, he stopped swinging his shield towards her. He blocked her and she jumped back using his shield for impulse with a kick, the bounty hunter had an inhuman fitness and Collins knew just keeping up with her would be hard. As she landed gunfire rang out, she quickly sidestepped still moving on all fours, and jumped back into cover. The old bounty hunter came out of hiding and quickly shot up six shots one after the other but the Xiomara was fast enough to evade them not as a human as she moved by jumping in four limbs.

"Hey everyone gives me some support would you!" Xiomara jumped into a pillar and attached to it with her hands as she crawled on its surface, a barrage of gunshots could be heard as the rest of her men opened fire, Rush sat down on one knee ducking behind his shield as the bullets bounced on it but he was completely pinned down. His shield screamed as its face twisted with anger.

"Give the boss an opening, we are about to get rich so don't screw up!" One of the bounty hunters saw him hunker down and slowly walked to his side, that was just a shield all he had to do was to gun him down from the back, with that in mind he quickly ran with his rifle from the side. As he walked a black shadow jumped in front of him and he stopped as he was stared down by a pair of red eyes. He tried to aim his rifle toward the hound but his hands were shaking too much, the more he stared into the red eyes the more a primal uncontrollable fear began to drown, the black dog with no skin on its head opened its fangs and jumped the man shot a single bullet from his rifle towards the ceiling as the beast threw him to the ground bitting hard upon his neck.

O'Connell could tell his boss was in danger, maybe those bullets wouldn't kill him but he was a sitting duck for the predator that was now slowly climbing up to the ceiling.

"Im getting too old for this, hold on Boss I'm coming." The vice-captain of the guard came out of cover and ran to another pillar, he kept his head low as he kept hearing the sound of gunfire all being aimed at the captain of the guard.

"It never changes Mr.Rush always takes the worst for himself." He muttered as he ducked behind a crate and took a long breath, he raised again pointing with his rifle, there were still three more gunmen all trying to get a good shot at the captain, and he had to make one shot of his count. He took aim at one of the bounty hunters, he had a good shot on his right side, and with care, he pulled the trigger landing a hit on his right side, the man screamed as he fell down, but it was not a lethal shot and he looked back at him aiming as well, O'Connell ducked again but the gun shoot reached right shoulder and make him spin down to the ground.

The bounty hunter saw him fall down and rushed towards him throwing his rifle that was too heavy for one arm and taking out a knife instead, he threw the crate out of the way looking at O'Connel death in the eyes. Rush saw that happen and quickly stood up even underfire his instinct telling him to not mind the bullets if it was for a friend. But before he could even come close to reaching him Xiomara fell from the ceiling and grabbed him by his shoulders attaching herself to his back, her long nails grabbed into his kind, but it was the gaping mouths in both of her palms that bit hard into his flesh, more than the pain it was knowing that he couldn't reach his friend what really hurt him as he fell to his knees.

The bounty hunter was enraged as he kicked O'Connell in the face and raised his knife, he looked down with bitter anger from the pain of the gunshot he took., but his hand was grabbed. Daisy jumped atop of the crate and grabbed his arm, he looked at her, her expression unreadable as she kicked him in the face and then broke his wrist. The man fell down and she quickly jumped on top of him raising the back of her rifle as she slammed it down on his head over and over again, her expression entirely devoid of any emotion, she did the with a terrifying quietness. O'Connel did his best to lie against the crate, the bounty hunter was already dead but the young woman kept hitting him on the head over and over.

"That is enough Daisy, is enough." He said weekly, as he was starting to pass out from the blood loss, as soon as she realized it she got off the man and rushed towards him with concern and quickly reached for her first aid kid.

"Hold on Vice-captain don't go towards the light!" She grabbed him and forced him back against the crate.

"I totally will if you kept being so brought girl, geez try to be gentle." She disregarded his whining to try to take a look at his shoulder, they were still in the middle gunfight there was little time for thinking. It was no different for Rush who had the enemy strapped like spikes to his back, he tried to force her away, but he couldn't reach her, Xiomara's tail was rising like the stinger of a scorpion with its many mouths opening ready to bit down.

"Sorry, you have only yourself to blame for being way over your head, the only one taking down the desperado will be the new queen and that is I, Xiomara! Have you not heard my name I will be a legend!" She raised her tale but before she could reach his neck a shadow jumped through the air, the black hound bit down her tail stopping her from being able to raise it. The gunslinger followed her companion and immediately opened fire shooting at the bounty hunter on her arm multiple times till she was forced to let go of him.

"I don't know you and I don't care!" Rush raised his arm and the spikes of steel shoot from his shoulder one of them hitting her on the head and throwing her off his back, he immediately fell to his knees feeling his body heavy due to the severe blood loss. But at his side the desperado rushed with her gun and shot the bounty hunter again, she backed away, bleeding with green blood, and she had aimed exactly at her knee to make her collapse.

"That is enough I'll rip off your head with my teeth, your legend is done all lady, I will become the queen of all bounty hunters here and now!" Rigoberta took a step back with her gun at her hip. She stood in position with a cold expression.

"Sorry but is the city that will name one a legend, whether you want it or not? All you spitting is nothing but hot air, don't celebrate till the hunt is done, rookie." Xiomara jumped towards her and as she did, from below her duster her shadow took the form of the demon dog and it jumped as well crashing against her and throwing her back. Xiomara landed on her feet and grabbed the head of the dog with her arm forcing the demon off her right arm, but she was shot again.

"Pointless I barely feel a thing, Im indestructible!" The dog ripped off one of her fingers, but it was quickly growing back into shape, her wounds were healing just as fast. She jumped again opening her gapping mouth and was shot in the chest, but she kept her balance. Her skin healed back, even for a demon whose speed was unreal.

"Too bad, but this is no duel, is an all-out brawl." As she shot again Xiomara covered herself with her tail stopping the bullet from reaching her, but as soon as she moved the tail out of the way she saw Rush running towards her, he was tackling her with the massive shield in front of him, Xiomara only barely got to see the red eyes of the living shield as he swings it hitting her on the chin with such force he threw her into the air and she crashed straight into a crate breaking it into splinters. She had crashed just to the side of one of the remaining bounty hunters, who saw her unmoving.

"No way the boss passed out, she was knocked out. ¡Hey, you help me carry her we are retreating!" He screamed to the only remaining bounty hunter who lowered his gun and understood immediately, that they had no chance against a demon on their own. Rush saw that they were going to carry her out, but he had no interest in pursuing her. Just getting her out of the way was enough, besides his true enemy was just behind him.

He turned back but he was immediately shot, he took another bullet in his right knee but managed to cover himself from the next shot with his shield, but he once more collapsed over his own weight. He looked at the woman in the black duster but the red eyes of the dog in front of her stopped him from trying to stand up again, as he stared into those eyes his entire body became impossibly heavy and he could barely breathe.

"Thanks for the help, but I think it's time we end our own duel." She aimed at his head looking at the white of eyes and pulled the trigger, but there was no gunshot, she quickly opened her duster and searched inside it without taking her eyes off him.

"You got the devil's luck, it seems I'm all out of bullets." She began to walk back slowly as the dog followed her steps without taking its eyes off him

"I can't risk fighting ya with no bullets, I'll retreat deeper inside, my people are about to come for me after all, cut your losses and walk away cowboy if you come after me next time I'll shoot ya death." She tipped her hat and ran off along with her hound as soon as the black dog disappeared Rush was finally able to breathe and punched the floor with his metal arm out of frustration.

"Sir, sorry the Vice-captain is wounded, and those two bounty hunters run off with the demon." Daisy came close to him carrying O'Connel over her shoulder, he looked worse for wear but still hanging in there.

"Forget her I managed to knock that lizard woman, but im sure she is fine no way that will kill her, and is not my job, you two get out of here I'll pursue the target she is likely stuck underground now. Rush looked at the windows seeing the light disappear the sun was almost gone, he was almost all out of time or maybe this hunt was already a failure, but if there was someone kidnapped down there...he just had to stand up, he simply had to.

"Sabnock, I need your help here."

"Really, is not every day you are willing to give me a feast." The shield on his arm smiled.

"Is ghoulish but I need to keep fighting." Sabnock opened its mouth and the long cable needs flew off in every direction, like snakes they headed to inject themselves into the fallen corpses of the bounty hunters and they turned red as needles began to suck the blood from their bodies, Rush stood up slowly as the red string pumped life back into him.

He cracked his neck as his posture recovered, he was standing perfectly straight again.

"Take O'Brian back to the gate, Im not letting either of you die here. You two did enough."

"You sure about this captain, it will be two-on-one if you follow her."

"No, Sabnock is here with me, we will simply see who comes out on top. I'll rescue the kid they kidnapped and we will all go back home I swear."

"You better get us a good drink later captain, you better." O'Connel smiled weakly as Daisy nodded and walked away with him, Rush walked forward deeper into the abandoned factory as the long needles untangled and returned back to the shield.

He closed his iron fist as he ran forward, the dim orange light of the sun finally extinguishing, letting the cold night crawl through.