The Scumbags Guide to Enslaving Demon's

Seven left no shadow.

The former enforcer’ silence hung heavy as it marched between fractured canyon walls of the lower business district. Violet illumination clung to its bone-armor, leaving wisps of thick smoke to drift lazily behind. Dark sigil of ownership few scavengers were foolish enough to fight. Lesser parasites snarled and darted away at its heels.

Austin followed behind it silently, hands loose in the pockets of his jacket. He didn’t look like a scavenger anymore. Firm angles of new muscle beneath worn fabric, pallid corded circle of his shadow contract and the predator’s clarity of his ice-blue eyes gave him something feral to look at.

"How far to the central plaza?" Austin shouted over the low thrumming of demon tech in the distance.

"Three kilometers." Seven responded, voice raspy and dry. " Malrec’s hunters are combing through the sector. Know a tether was severed. Don’t know who or why." Austin simply nodded in response.

Good.

He ran a quick diagnostic on the interface embedded into his skull. Text confirming the jagged borders were cleared this time.

DEVOURER

Species: Unknown

Humanity: 96.8%

Demonic Assimilation: 3.2%

Evolution: 0.1%

Abilities: Devour/Adaptation/Predator’s Sense/Minor Vitality Surge/ Accelerated Response/Kinetic Strength/Lesser Command/Bone-Plating.

The additional half percent shaved his humanity clean. Further; he could feel it in his reflexes. Thoughts trimming themselves away like parasites of sentimentality. Tactical, instead of emotional.

He would have screamed if someone told him this one week ago. Walking down city streets covered in demon tech with a fucking monster chained to his hip sounded like a one-way ticket to panicked hysterics.

He felt...calm now.

Predators were never afraid.

Steel and bone marched through streets lined with shattered concrete buildings and vacant storefronts. Corruption and vegetation clawed hungrily at crumbling asphalt and roadkill.

Trees burst through empty gaps of pavement, reaching hungrily toward lamp posts like skeletal hands. Shadowthrash vines smothered streetlamps with fluttering, black hands. Thick drool oozed from pulsating veins beneath tapered branches. Window displays showcased chunks of rotting meat and broken glass bodies.

[Ethereal Scan: Flesh-Eater Vines.]

[Species: Parasitic Flora.]

[Threat level: Low.]

[Notable Consumable Properties: Reactive Armor/ Plant-Base Synthesis.]

The pair rounded the corner onto an avenue littered with smashed glass storefronts and boutique hotels. Vacant plazas were host to sculptures made from corroded metal and dead fountain heads coughed up dark murky water.

Nature and the Abyss had come together to make their own twisted garden.

Branches thicker than Austin’s thigh weaved in between sidewalks and streetlights. Their branches pulsed with wet rhythm of demon heart. Bright red pods burst against rusted balconies, whispering lightly with black steam as they popped.

[Ethereal Scan: Flesh- Eater Vines.]

[Ethereal Scan: Carnivorous Growth Pods.]

[Elevation. The pair had reached the wrought-iron gates of what once was called the Grand Meridian Hotel. Ivy enveloped the glass exterior, though steel-reinforced skeleton of its concrete base still towered proudly against the cloudy sky.]

Cleanable.]

"Fuck who lives here?" Austin grumbled.

It was defensible. Plenty of high ground, choke points, and structural integrity to work with.

Fuck. A palace from scraping of the old world together.

"We’re taking this."

Seven remained silent. Someone had rustled behind them near the circular glass doors of the lobby. Curled piece of rusted iron pipe peeked around the corner from two shadowy figures before pale skin smashed itself against the doorframe.

"Stay back!" One of the two yelled. "We saw what you did to those hunters down the block. We aren’t LOOKING for trouble!"

Austin didn’t raise his hands. Predator’s sense kicked in and he simply stared down at the kid. Skinny and frail with wild hair and tattered clothes. Homemade cardboard piece of shit wrapped around his shoulders with duct tape. Brandishing two fucked up knives where Texans used to keep pistols holstered.

"You’re squatting," Austin stated coolly.

"We LIVE here." The kid spat back, though his eyes refused to meet Austin’s gaze. Fluttering around nervously to Seven instead; broad and opaque against the gray ambient light of the street. "Fuck you motherfuckers just leave!"

"There is no elseWHERE."

Twenty thieves, junkies, weirdoes and prostitutes stared back at them through the doors; anxiety flashing behind their eyes as Austin stepped passed their pile of human refuse.

"You’re dyin’ today." Austin simply stated. His fingers twitched at his side. Mind itching to wrap around another warm living pulse. "But we don’t have time."

"I swear to God...if you touch him!" The kid yelled gripping his pipe tighter, voice threatening to crack as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Seven took a step forward.

It wasn’t aggression. No need. Seven’s advance alone was enough to send shudders of primal fear down the kid’s spine. Violet light flashed across bone-mask, consuming him entirely. Austin felt himself sink down into the earth by some invisible force. Pulled inward by the tidal wave that was Seven’s enforcer presence. Kid screamed and stumbled backwards onto the pavement whimpering as demon enforcer passed him like Christ.

"You’re feeling weak." Seven growled low in his throat. " Shall I purge the nest?"

"No."

We negotiate first. If they’ re worth it; they stay. If they’re just dead weight. We let the fucking vines do their job.

Glass doors of the Grand Meridian Hotel swung open as Austin shoved past them; thick lobby carpeted with spilled marble and inches worth of dust coating every surface. Five to seven feet of people crowded around a lifeless fireplace at center lobby; walls barricaded with overturned couches and scavenged luggage.

Gasps and cries of terror echoed throughout empty halls as Austin stalked past startled thieves. Seven’ seven foot tall shadowboxing demons from street behind him.

"Don’ move!"

He twisted his head towards voice of dissent. Elena -Paint stained shirt, dark hair tied back sloppily- towered over lobby from the grand staircase. Half inch of muscle visible beneath ripped tank top as she leveled heavy-duty crossbow at his chest, long steel prod humming with pent energy.

She was solid.

Steady.

Elena’s cover wasn’t either. Word traveled fast in survival communities; if not killing communities. Miller was probably some punk kids with an SMG melted down into pipe swords.

"You asshole, I told you not to provoke outsiders." Elena chastised, though she didn’t drop eye contact with Austin. She scanned him from head-to-toe; ragged jacket, dried blood stains and vacant eyes. She glanced over at Seven when he shifted in place.

Eyes widened but she maintained her posture.

"He wanted to take the building Elena." Miller choked as he stumbled down into the lobby behind Austin. "Look at him! Demons dripping from his fucking fingers!"

Girl descended staircase with purpose. Boots clacked loudly against ruined tile as she continued her intimidation tactics. Her fingers danced across the trigger of her crossbow, settling once she reached ground floor with weapon still aimed at Austin’ chest.

"You don’t smell like scavengers." Elena began, tone clipped with venom. "Nobody just walks through Malrec’ lines without half an army behind them. You’re either running for your life or you own it. One or the other asshole tell me which one."

"A bit of both." Austin shrugged walking closer towards Elena. Thick muscles bunched at base of his shoulders as he refused to break eye-contact. She blinked. Rapidly. Eyes flaring as her pupils struggled to dilate wide enough to adjust to Austin scent.

It wasn’t fear.

Fear meant weakness. Submissive traitors always feared him. Freaks, thieves and murderers would avoid eye-contact when talking to him. Eyes darting to his shoes subconsciously calculating means of taking his head without giving an inch of space.

Elena was staring him down. One could tell by the way her eyes lingered on Seven.

"You smell...different." She rasped as she slid crossbow down easiest notch into her shoulder holster.

"The word you’re looking for is evolved."

Austin stopped dead two feet away from Elena, hovering himself on his toes to meet her eye-contact. Her pupils flickered. Another subconscious micro-expression betraying hidden truths. Raw intelligence lurking beneath sheer exhaustion.

"Lady." Elena spat venom at his feet. "You have perimeter." She paused pointedly, letting axle grease dribble down utensil. "You need us. Come clean."

"We aren’t here to discuss civilities." Austin grinned; amused by how quickly his companion atrophied at first sign of hostility. Blood rushed through his ears making his spot ache. Anticipation was a living thing, and goddamn did it feel alive. "Building has high ground and structural integrity. You cleaned this place out?" He tilted his head at all the miscellaneous crap without skipping a beat. "Good. Look around you. Lobby’s immaculate. Entrances are completely blocked off and you’ ve got your feet on high ground. Your friends." Pointing at the amassed group of scavengers behind Elena. "I’m taking it."

"The hell you are." Elena laughed sarcastically.

"You think I don’t know there’ s over twenty people LIVE here Elena? You think we spent the last month scrubbing this pile of shit while some rich asshole swoops in to steal OUR building?" She yelled as she slammed her back against counter stool she used to perch herself above Austin.

"I’m not kicking anyone out." Austin drawled lazily. Smooth and low; where no blade could reach him. Voice dropping to an abyss where logic became crippled beneath baser primal instinct. "I’m offering you options."

Elena’s eyes fluttered back open. Full of life.

"So.. options?" Elena dead leveled.

"I expand my ranks, you become specialists. Clean this palace up and keep it stocked with food; worry less about Malrec patrols marching closer." He placed a pistol-like finger under her cheek. Stroking her jaw lightly. " Keep your head down and stop worrying about shadow contracts moving into place. You keep up with me and we BOTH live." Austin glanced back at Seven briefly; shadow construct eying them both intently.

"If you pull anything-" Elena started.

"If I don’t attack," Austin cut her off by diving further into Elena’s personal space. Resting hard length of his finger against her jawline.

White noise erupted from behind them.

Sharper. Higher. Calculated mechanical whine of tracking Construct mixed with demon laugh.

[Alert.]

[Hostiles: Malrec Hunter-Killer Type Three.]

[Quantity: 3.]

[Threat level: Critical.]

Women screamed and bodies stumbled out from behind furniture whipping toward whatever weapons they could find. Chairs shattered beneath frantic boots as Elena aimed her crossbow square in Austin’s chest.

"They found us."

Hunter patrol had triangulated Seven’s dead signal.

Fuck.

Austin spun away from panicked woman before Shadow grin stretched across his lips.

"Seven," Austin called out toward lobby, booming his voice off dead stone walls. " Let’s show these parasites how we take a building."

Seven stayed silent as his Master approached. Violet light flickered beneath metal gauntlets, hell of shadows erupting beneath polearm’s blades.

Austin’s eyes drifted back to Elena whose crossbow was shaking violently in her hands.

"You wanna see how we HOLD this place, bitch?"

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