When the Monster Comes Ⅱ

Gritting his teeth, Ian dropped the empty magazine and put the gun away. The first round of bullets was completely useless, and there was no point wasting extra ammo. Instead, he drew his baton and charged, swinging hard at the man’s knee.

As the metal connected, a faint purple glow flared along the baton, and heavy force blasted into the joint. Once the light died, Ian felt suddenly tired and his vision wavered. Why the hell did a blast come… what the fuck is going on!

The monster actually grunted in pain, and his leg buckled under the supernatural impact. The horned creature stumbled forward, his leg buckling but his grip on Paul never loosened. The man’s head snapped toward Ian with genuine annoyance. His free hand lashed out ‌in a backhand that caught Ian across the jaw.

The blow lifted Ian off his feet and sent him crashing into a stack of crates. Splintered wood rained down around him. He spat blood and forced himself up — gripping the weapon tightly. Darting forward, he swung at the man’s wrist.

The man ignored the strike and grabbed Ian by the throat with his free hand and lifted him off the ground. With a mighty roar, the man slammed his face into the concrete. The impact cracked the cement and sent a massive pain through his skull. The man let go of his neck.

Ian tried to crawl away, but the man grabbed his ankle and dragged him back. The horned creature held him upside down and sighed. “All you had to do was walk away, Ian, but you just had to be a hero, huh?”

Ian’s left eye was swelling shut, but with his other eye he glared at the monster and spat blood onto his face. “Go to hell.”

The man smirked. He wound up and threw Ian across the room.m, The detective’s back hit a giant metal shelf twenty-five feet away. The impact dented the steel and knocked the breath out of his lungs. A fresh wave of agony shot through his body.

Ian slumped to the floor, and his whole body burned. A wet rattle could be heard every time he breathed. He heard heavy footsteps coming closer through his blurry vision. The man’s shape and red-and-black cloak stood out.

He moved Paul to his other hand, grabbing the back of the neck so the older man could see. The horned creature tightened his grip, making Paul cry out. “Do you see what you do to others? Look at him! That state he’s in is because of your sins.”

Paul slowly dug through his jacket. “I don’t use me as an excuse for wickedness. I never told you to fight him; that was all on you.”

The man cocked his head, a heavy frown on his face. “Ian may die because of you! Everyone around has their lives ruined because of you! Or did you forget about your partner!?” He squeezed Paul’s head again, eliciting another scream. Something the monster reveled in.

Hearing the screams, Ian pushed himself up to one knee, not wanting to give up. The room spun violently, but he fought through, reaching out a shaky hand toward the monster and the collapsed. He tried to move again, but his body refused to move.

I just got to lie here… I need to help! Ian’s finger twitched, but overall he was hopeless.

Black spots appeared in his vision, and he struggled to keep his eyes open. A soft voice called to him; the words were hard to make out, but one phrase he understood.

“Don’t forget who you are,” the soft voice repeated.

Paul roared and struggled in the man’s grip. “Dammit, kid! Stand Up!” He tried to pry the man’s fingers off his skull, but they held tight. “If he dies, I’ll kill you myself! Do you hear me, demon? I’ll end you!”

The detective’s face was red, and he pulled the pin of a small metal ring. Ian had trouble seeing it through his swollen eye, but he assumed it was a grenade.

The demon shook his head at the foolishness, and a cruel smile spread across his face. “ I’m Luis, the Siren! Do you think you can even get close to killing someone with my strength?” Luis taunted. He pulled Paul closer and dragged his tongue across Paul’s cheek. “The taste of your fear is sweet, almost like milk chocolate!”

Paul shivered as the man’s tongue ran across his neck. Taking a deep breath, he threw his arm backward quickly and released a round object at Luis’s face.

Luis looked at the round object in amusement. He opened his mouth at the same time the object went! A cloud of mist covered him; a burning sensation filled the air. Letting go of Paul, he tried swatting at the air as his eyes turned red. Tears ran down his face.

Paul opened his other hand and threw another round object at Luis. “Taste that, you creepy fuck!” he yelled over his shoulder while running toward Ian.

Suddenly, a big explosion shook the factory and pushed Paul forward.

“My Face!” Luis screamed in pain. “What did you do to my face? It burns!” The explosion made Luis’s red cloak melt to his skin. The grenade mixed with pepper spray sent fumes through the air.

Paul ignored the shrapnel in his back and wiped the tears from his face. He got to his feet, rushing toward Ian.

“Jesus, kid,” Ian heard Paul muttering as he felt a touch on the side of his neck. Okay, his pulse is weak, but he’s still breathing; that’s good. “It’s okay, I got you, kid; just stay calm.”

Ian felt himself rising to his feet, and he knew that it was Paul helping him up, yet another voice kept overlapping. He tried to stay focused and keep darkness away, but the world kept flickering.

“My son, never forget who you truly are,” the voice said gently. “Don’t ever forget I love you!” The voice flooded him with a deep warmth, and ‌for a second the pain disappeared. Then it returned even worse than before. Ian’s mind focused on holding himself together. He bit his tongue, causing blood to fall from his mouth, and his body was covered in cuts and bruises.

After a while, the world finally went dark, and he.

The last thing heard was Luis screaming as it faded in the background along with the sound of things crashing to the ground.

“When I find you, Paul! I’ll—” Everything ended.