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MONSTER	By : Radius Category: +A through F > Devil May Cry Views: 10984 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Devil May Cry game series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
A/N: Welcome back to the insane world of Radius! Again, thanks for your patience guys and for being good sports. This story can get out of control sometimes. O_o I hope you guys are still mentally stable after that previous chapter. Here’s the next one, btw. Hooray! I apologize for any editing errors. I’m trying to post as much as I can in case the internet line I’m using gets cut off. We’re only halfway into the story and as you can already tell, the rollercoaster ride has taken a violent turn. But hey, it wouldn’t be a story without twists and turns, right? I think that’s why I loved writing this. ^__^

Just a heads up, there’s some sexual foreplay going on but nothing as drastic or mind blowing like the previous one.

<< | About Last Night… | >>

Sitting at the back of the bus, Dante’s head rested against the window. He watched the morning sun rise, observing its soft rays of light peeking through numerous color-soaked clouds. The bus was crowded with kids eager to enjoy the start of their summer vacation while their restless parents were eager for school to start again. Those working steady jobs, meanwhile, gave horrible faces at all the noise-makers, angry they couldn’t catch a few winks before the bus dropped them off. Dante tried to imagine himself as the agitated mother telling her kid to shut up, the sleepy construction worker sipping his coffee, and the dead-faced bus driver up front today. But he was too tired to play that game. He could only press the side of his face against the window and watch the blood dot in the sky slowly creep up.

Dante closed his eyes only once, imagining Seth sitting beside him instead of the old lady who smelled of baby powder and shit. Dante had to confess, he never knew Seth had it in him. He heard only the stories and couldn’t imagine the actions behind the words. He couldn’t imagine sweet, kind, and gentle Seth who loved Molly Ringwald and Carebears having a lust that was stronger than his own. Envisioning the truth at last, Dante remembered Seth’s ex-lover.

Months, he said. Both men and women, he said. Every day, he said. Dante tried hard not to be jealous of Seth’s ex-lover but he couldn’t help it.

While Dante couldn’t make sense of last night’s grand event, part of him didn’t want to. There was something to be said for simply enjoying the moment than beating it with logic and understanding. Last night certainly was one of those moments. Primarily physical than emotional, Dante was completely fine with how raw his connection with Seth became. He wished there were more chaotic nights like that. After all, it wasn’t everyday he made out at a funhouse, with security ready to storm in.

Dante was surprised at himself. His yell was heard throughout the entire theme park, not just at the funhouse. He also left one hell of a mess behind. Dante almost pitied the clean-up group. They had to deal with the glass, the boy’s shit, and his funky-colored cum. Thankfully, no one knew what the blue goop was all about. On his way out of the amusement park, he overheard a cop say it was probably melted ice cream.

Melted ice cream… Right…

The idea of people curiously touching it was so absurd that Dante had to fight back a naughty grin. God, he’d never forget last night, so long as he lived. And Seth gave him that fond memory.

Seth. Granted, Dante hated how he ditched him after their get-together, but he wasn’t angry. He loved what Seth did to him. If he was frustrated at anything, it was that he wanted more of it. Needless to say, Dante spent the rest of last night trying to reclaim some of it. Checking into a nearby motel after narrowly escaping security, he madly jacked off. Even when he slept, his body woke up in intense heat. It was an odd, new thing that never happened before, but it was absolutely delicious and he giggled manically after he was done with himself, soaked in his own bodily fluids that were both white and blue.

Dante recalled Seth telling him he was working toward self-control. Screw self-control. That type of behavior he displayed yesterday was exactly what he wanted out of the brunette man from the very beginning. Sex and more sex. Nothing gray in the middle. The way the investigator figured, he already spent most of his life being in control. This was his time off now. He needed to free himself from years of restraint and discipline and have a jolly good time.

Seth really was something. He never caused him to climax like that before. His Devil blood always craved for the chaos. It was a mischievous part of himself; one with a wicked personality that enjoyed and feasted on carnage. Any time he engaged in battle and was filled with rage and frustration, his body’s aura leaked outward and manifested itself into a violent creature.

A Devil, that’s what he transformed into. Dante rarely saw it anymore. His Devil Trigger, as he preferred to call it, remained in heavy slumber, unimpressed by the large series of mediocre jobs. Never once, however, did it open its eyes during sexual encounters. Raw sex with humans never satisfied the type of action it wanted. No amount of sexual pain and amount of partners provoked it enough to come out and play. Even sex with demons brought little results. Demoness Nevan was the closest one to tickle it. Other than her, however, the Devil within him slept. But last night with Seth… It opened both eyes.

And it liked what it saw.

Sure, he spoke of losing control to Seth. He would never admit to him that he had his own inner problems to contend with, though. Dante was grateful he didn’t transform last night and hoped he never would in the future. Only the aura of his Devil Trigger leaked out at the funhouse. Thankfully. His Devil Trigger was an unpredictable force that needed to be held back. It’d surely butcher Seth into several pieces before using whatever that was left of him to fuck. Admittedly, though, Dante’s decision to hold back the Devil had more to do with ego than keeping Seth safe.

Granted, Dante was concerned about Seth’s well being, but he also didn’t want to frighten him with a monstrous face either. Seth was a beautiful man full of youthful energy. That made Dante uncomfortable and embarrassed of his abnormalities. He’d rather have Seth see him only as a handsome man than a terrifying, unattractive hell spawn.

Dante glanced up at the sun again. He didn’t want to think of the Devil inside him anymore. Instead, he caught some sleep. Whenever he transferred to another bus, he sat at the back, trying to sit at the same spot he occupied with Seth. Even if it wasn’t the same bus they rode on, he was desperate in reclaiming a piece of last night’s event, moving backwards in time.

Around ten, the last bus he took finally arrived at his neighborhood. For a moment, he considered continuing eastbound and seeing if Seth was back at his apartment. Yet, the phone remained disconnected each time he called from his cell phone. After stepping off the bus and heading to his office building, he received two surprises.

In jeans and wearing a pink shirt with Souxie’s face imprinted on it, Seth sat at his office’s doorsteps smoking a cigarette. With his free hand, he scratched and tickled a scrawny, hairy dog who came too early for his daily appointment. Only a second passed before Seth paused and looked up. His expression changed to a reserved one, his full red lips struggling to smile. Nearby, the dog whimpered, feeling neglected. Swallowing and lowering his gaze slightly, Seth stood up and killed his cigarette with his boot. He walked and met Dante halfway up the sidewalk.

“Hey,” he said weakly.

Dante paused, a bit confused. While his body still yearned for him, now more than ever, Seth didn’t emit the same behavior of yesterday. His scent was modest, free of any hunger aside for the one in his stomach. His words were calm too, his gaze a soft one. It was approachable Seth. It was sentimental Seth, with his love for the eighties shown in all of its bright pink glory.

“Seth…” Dante started slowly, “You’re… here.”

“Yeah.” The other man nodded. “I’m sorry. I know you told me to never come here, only in case of an emergency.” Seth took a deep breath and stared at the dog. “I came because I have something really important to say. It’s… about…”

“About last night?” Dante finished for him.

Seth looked up at him, sucking his lower lip. Then he slowly nodded his head. “…Yes.”

Dante sighed, a bit disappointed at Seth. He didn’t think it was necessary for him to come here and explain anything. In fact, he felt annoyed by it. What happened last night had happened. He didn’t want to bring any context into it. No emotional reasons or logical explanations. He wanted to retain the animal quality it possessed. Now Seth was here, acting like he committed the worse crime ever and spoiling it.

With his office’s keys in hand, Dante walked passed Seth to open the door. A click and turn of both doorknobs later, the double doors swung wide open. He turned to face Seth again, allowing him to go in first. Seth’s attentions were shifted elsewhere. Dante noticed Seth’s frown while he looked down at his leg. Dante had to laugh.

His illegitimate, dirty dog…

“Sorry, but he’s already taken. Find your own bitch,” Dante told the dog humping on Seth’s leg. He stood next to Seth and waved a hand at the mutt, trying to get him off his boyfriend’s leg.

It was until Dante carried the dog away that Seth was free. He propped the hairy beast down on the sidewalk and told him to come back later. The lustful dog howled loudly, instead, and came after Seth again. While Dante had to chuckle, his partner wasn’t amused at all and actually ran inside the building, closing the doors behind him. Dante clapped his hands to scare the horny dog away. The animal ignored him and desperately scratched at the door, whimpering now. Exhaling loudly, Dante placed a foot underneath the dog’s stomach and raised his leg high, swinging the furry mutt to the side before placing him back down. He finally had enough room to open the door and go through it. As he closed it, he heard the dog pawing at it from the other side again.

“Summer heat,” muttered Dante to himself, irritated. He stared at Seth who stood close by with his back pressed against the two-set doors, chest rising high each time he breathed.

His partner was silent and his face shined with sweat.

“Got a thing against dogs?” Dante grinned.

“Not all the time,” Seth answered quietly. “It’s only when they do that, I do.”

“They do that to everyone. You can’t walk the streets during the summer without getting raped by a damn dog. Besides…” Dante reached out to Seth, tenderly touching his cheek, something he wanted to do since last night. “Can you blame him?”

Seth winced a bit, as if his touch was made of fire. His voice trembling, he said, “I… I need something to drink.”

Dante waited, hoping the other man from last night emerged right before his very eyes and they could continue where they left off.

He never came.

Dante slowly nodded. His nose picked up a peculiar scent and he looked at Seth with his head tilted sideways. Aside from the nicotine, the fresh mint gum before it, the Chinese noodles, and a can of Big Red soda, there was now the odor of Seth’s seed.

“Could you give me a glass of water or something?” Seth requested again and looked away, still pressed to the door and trying to breath.

“Sure.”

After Dante fetched some drinks from the kitchen beyond the main room, he returned to find Seth more relaxed. He sat on the dirty, dusty red couch, his eyes moving around and taking everything in. Once in a while Seth smiled. He was amazed by the various items in Dante’s place, from the jukebox to the old-fashioned telephone. His hand touched and studied the texture of the antiqued couch he sat on while his nose squeezed a little at the worn clothes piled around him. Seth’s expression was rather grim each time he observed the heads on the walls.

“You’re a paranormal investigator,” he said. It was meant to be a question reconfirming his occupation. Instead, it sounded like a sentence he needed to repeat to himself.

“Among other things,” answered Dante and approached. He tossed a few shirts off the couch and sat next to Seth, giving him his glass of water. He popped open a can of beer for himself.

“Damsel said you’re the best in this field.” Seth was too busy drinking from his glass to notice the face Dante made.

“Yeah, I am. As for Damsel and the rest of her crew, just so you know, they’re a bunch of village idiots. They think it’s all fun and games now. They don’t know the dangers behind this business. One of these days they’re going to get hurt.”

Seth appeared worried and that only made the knot in Dante’s stomach tightened.

“You’re right. There’s a bunch of scary shit out there,” Seth said very low. He looked at Dante. “Aren’t you afraid of… getting hurt yourself?”

“Nope. I’m good. It’ll take a lot to bring me down.” Dante gazed around his office, at the trophies. “Many have already tried.”

“Those are real. Aren’t they?”

Dante turned his attentions back to Seth, surprised a little. He put an arm around the couch’s back seat and offered Seth a devilish smile. “What do you think?”

Seth remained silent and studied the coffee table in front of him, littered with various magazines ranging from the innocent to the obscure.

“I’m not a monster, you know,” Dante felt inclined to say, “I only hunt down the ones who are a menace to society.”

Seth’s hands gripped the glass he held tighter. “What kind of monsters do you hunt?”

“Any. All. If they take human lives, then I take theirs.”

“What if they’re monsters but… can’t help it? Or what if they’re monsters and are loved by someone very much?”

“It doesn’t matter if they’re loved by anyone. Love isn’t enough to excuse their actions. I’ve hunted many demons that were loved by someone. I call that type of love an illusion. Those people refuse to accept the harsh truth. I’m doing everyone a favor by getting rid of them.”

“How so?”

“Sooner or later, those people get hurt or, worse, killed. Monsters are monsters. The disillusioned people who love them always pay a heavy price in the end.” Dante noticed how uncomfortable Seth appeared. He smiled. “Hey, I said I only hunt down monsters that hurt people. I don’t mean the whole lot. I try to be as merciful as I can be.”

“But what if that monster can’t help it?” Seth’s voice slightly rose. “What if they don’t have enough self-control to stop? What if…?”

“I’m merciful, but not that merciful. I have a strict policy. It’s called third strike and you’re out.”

Seth gazed through a window and then at the trophy heads. In a weak voice, he said, “I think I’m going to be sick. I… I need to go home.”

He stood.

“Hey…” Dante stood in front of him. “Hey… what’s wrong? Don’t go. I… I want you to stay. Stay, Seth. Please. You told me you wanted to say something to me so stay.”

“No. I’ve… I’ve gotta go. It was wrong of me to come. I’m sorry.”

Seth tried to walk around Dante but he blocked his path. When Seth tried to push his way through, Dante embraced him with both arms and held him still. Dante felt Seth trembling. It wasn’t from sexual excitement.

It was from fear.

It took awhile for Dante to remember Seth’s unique scent, the one that made him an Other. He nearly forgotten about it; accustomed to its odor that it practically smelled normal. He imagined Seth felt the same way about his own signature. Whatever Seth was, there was something in his blood that made him different. Like him. Jesus. No wonder Seth was freaking out. He came to the lion’s den and realized, with absolute terror, his partner annihilated Others like him.

“I need to go.” Seth’s voice was shaky and muffled by Dante’s neck.

Dante pulled back a bit and saw Seth’s eyes glassy. He was on the verge of crying,

Dante had to fight the urge to laugh in his face. Christ. Seth was such a wuss sometimes, a big baby who needed to grow up. Dante couldn’t commit to the action, though. Seth wasn’t in a merry mood to appreciate the humor. And besides, Dante wanted to get one thing very straight…

“I won’t ever hurt you, Seth,” Dante told him. “You’re very spe…” He paused, not wanting to go there. “I won’t hurt you.”

Seth swallowed hard. “I don’t ever want to hurt you either, Dante. You’re special to me too. But maybe… maybe we should make a clean break for it, while we still have a chance.”

Dante hesitated. “What?”

“I’m…” Seth started. He stopped to clear his throat and looked embarrassed as he wiped away a tear. “I’m going through… a difficult time right now. I know what happened last night. But last night… that wasn’t me.”

“I know.” Dante chuckled. He let go of Seth and ran a hand through his silver hair. “You were really something last night. You were… really loose. You surprised me, but I’m not as disturbed as you might think I am.”

He wanted to push the conversation forward, to keep it lively. He wanted Seth to forget what he’d just suggested a second ago. Just the notion of leaving it like this… No. They couldn’t. They invested too much together. They weren’t in a relationship but… well… No.

Dante understood what Seth was going through. More than anyone in the world, he understood what it was like to have a darker side, to have another personality within. It was okay Seth was the same as him. In fact, it made things even better. They were identical now, split right down to the core. Dante didn’t feel so alone anymore.

There was so much to know, so much Dante wanted to learn about Seth. He wanted to know everything about this man. It didn’t matter Seth wasn’t human. It didn’t matter how fucked up he was. He was fucked up too, a total mess. One thing was for certain, though, Seth belonged to him and while he’d never admit to it, he belonged to Seth too.

“I don’t want to end this, Seth,” Dante said gently, his eyes penetrating his. “I know you’re freaked out and feel guilty over something you shouldn’t feel guilty about. But don’t be so rash. You’re emotional right now so you can’t think straight. I don’t think you can walk out and firmly think it’s over. I don’t think you can invite me for lunch again, with the intentions of moving on and have no regrets.”

Seth shook his head. “I don’t want to, Dante, but I will. If it means not hurting you, I’ll do it. You mean… everything to me. As corny as that sounds, it’s absolutely true. I can’t take any chances and…”

“Fuck the consequences.”

Seth looked at him, confused. “What?”

“That was on your shirt, remember?” explained Dante. “On the first day we met, your shirt said, fuck the consequences.”

“Dante… I…”

“Fuck the consequences, Seth. Let’s take our chances and see how far we can ride this out.”

The other man tried to talk but Dante interrupted him with a kiss. He tasted the mouth he couldn’t have yesterday. Nicotine and peppermint, with some spice from Chinese leftovers this morning. Those full lips… They were so soft and smooth, thick enough to push against and feel. Luscious. Those lips he saw reflected on the mirrors.

One of Dante’s hands wandered underneath Seth’s shirt, absorbing the warm and organic surface. Yes… Yes, this was the beautiful, creamy chest he saw too, the same one shining and peeking through from a black blouse. Free of hair and perfectly toned. Those rose-colored nipples, as pale as the rest of Seth but just as delectable. Then there was his thickness. Yes, he had a good one last night. It was so hard and very milky.

The more Dante recalled the events of yesterday, the hungrier he became. His heart pacing fast, Dante pressed his hard-on against Seth, his mouth sucking the life of him. Seth moaned underneath him when his arms nearly crushed him. He had to use all of his strength to push Dante back a bit.

“I’m not like that at all,” Seth murmured. “That wasn’t me. That was the animal.”

“Don’t feel ashamed for what you did to me last night,” Dante replied and tasted his neck with his tongue. “I don’t want you to feel ashamed.”

He put both hands on Seth’s hips and urged him to sit back on the couch. Dante leaned forward and lay on top of him. Feeling eager, with their lips pressed together, he lifted up Seth’s shirt. His mouth moved to claim one of Seth’s nipples, sucking on them with all the velocity of a starving man. God, how wonderful they felt. Trapped between his tongue and teeth, the perked flesh was a texture he could never get tired of.

He felt Seth’s chest heave up and down and enjoyed the rich sounds of his sighs. Dante longed for the other man to return. His sentimental Seth was too passive and he needed someone aggressive right now, to take him to unexplored territory like last night. Hard and fast. But this face… This was the face, the face he saw in the mirror’s reflection. This was the body that exposed itself to him.

Recalling details from yesterday, Dante reached to undo Seth’s pants, eager to unleash the animal he knew was somewhere inside. His counterpart caught his wrist before he had the chance.

“You’re aroused…” Seth said when he met his eyes.

“So what if I am?” Dante grinned and claimed his lips again.

“I don’t want you to be. You can’t…” Seth pushed him back. He stared at Dante with a grave look on his face. “It’s very important you don’t see me when… that animal is around. No matter how tempting he is, no matter how his voice calls out to you, you can’t see him.”

Dante freed his hand from Seth’s grasp and took a hold of his erection. “Your voice isn’t the only thing that calls out to me.” He stroked Seth once. “I can smell you, Seth. I can literally smell how much you want this.”

Seth hissed when Dante massaged his tip with his thumb. It was true. Seth’s odor reeked of sexual hunger. It wasn’t like yesterday’s, however. It was calmer.

Dante lowered himself and agitated the sensitive spot with his tongue, grazing it back and forth until Seth moaned and produced a glob of semen for him. Dante suckled him for a while, hoping for more of a reaction.

“That man you saw yesterday is an animal,” Seth whispered intensely, groaning louder when Dante’s head rolled left to right in a faster tempo. “He’s someone I can’t control. It’s not love that drives him, but pure, unfiltered instinct.”

“Pure, unfiltered instinct…” Dante licked his tip one last time before moving up to face Seth again. He smiled after wiping his mouth. “I can relate to that on so many levels.”

Seth slightly frowned.

Dante ignored the face and lowered Seth’s pants, just enough to separate his legs and bend them upward. Then he slipped his member deep inside. He wasn’t gentle, nor did he hold back. He pricked Seth fast and rough enough to force the other man to grit his teeth. The more Seth’s moans escalated, the more powerful and hurried his thrusts became. Dante imagined doing this since yesterday, trying to complete the game they didn’t get the chance to finish.

“You’re making it hurt…” Seth grunted below.

Dante ignored him, ramming even harder. In his mind, he kept recalling Seth in the funhouse. The lustful sight of him was almost too painful to remember.

“Ah!” yelled Seth, “Shit, Dante… it’s too much… Ease the hell down…”

Dante panted, his hips driving him in and out faster and faster and faster. “I like this. You do too, I know you do.”

“God… you’re making it hurt…”

“I told you yesterday, this is what I wanted all along.”

Seth looked up at him, still wincing in pain. “You don’t mean that, do you?”

“Yes. I do,” Dante answered and heaved.

The expression on Seth’s face was grim. “I’m leaving. Please, ugh… get off of me.”

“Seth…” Dante sounded frustrated, still pumping his thick cock inside. “I don’t know what the problem is. I’ve always told you… ah… what I’ve wanted in the very beginning.” He took a moment to divulge in the orgasm building inside his body. “I don’t know when you’re going to get it through your… ugh… thick skull that this isn’t a relationship. It’s always been an association with benefits.”

“You creep. Is sex always on your mind? Or could it be you’re fucking scared?”

“Scared?” Dante abruptly stopped. His climax was cut off.

“You heard me.”

Dante slipped his slimy member out with a hard look on his face.

Seth swallowed hard, trying to readjust himself as he pulled up his pants. It was difficult since his body was a mixture of sexual and frustrated feelings. Worse, Dante remained on top, appearing severely pissed enough to break something in half. Underneath him, Seth felt vulnerable.

“You’re a scared chicken shit, Dante,” Seth continued. “It’s why you can’t commit. You’re afraid of giving yourself to someone, afraid of losing that person when you do or being rejected. I don’t know. I don’t know because you never tell me anything about you. You keep all personal matters bottled up.”

“If I’m so reclusive, then why are you still with me?” Dante argued back, “You accuse me of being afraid, but look at you. You’re in denial. Your whole life is a fake. You deny your past, the truth of our association, even the world around us. You live in that piss-pink room of yours, filled with crappy eighties’ music, and think everything is grand when it really isn’t. Now you deny last night. I suppose it’s easy for you to call it the animal than admit you can get hard-up and sadistic sometimes. You can sleep better at night that way, right?”

Seth lower lip trembled. He sucked on it. “Fuck you, asshole…”

“Hey, at least I’m honest. I’ve never pretended to be someone I’m not. You, on the other hand, live in la-la land, this idealistic world that doesn’t exist, only in those stupid movies you watch.” Dante paused, wiping sweat from his brow. He continued gazing down at Seth. “Don’t you get it? None of it is real. There’s no such thing as true love. No happily-ever-after ending, only reality. It’s cold, brutal, and you just need to accept it and move on.”

“Spoken like a true pessimist, Dante. Denounce everything and make fun of people who see the good in this world. Anything, if it gives you an excuse to avoid living life to the fullest, of loving. And so what if I’m a dreamer? I’d rather be a dreamer than be a broken man who’s afraid to live it up.” Seth later scoffed. “Denial? I just want to move on. I want to let go of my history so I can move forward. I’m trying to be better man. I’m trying to be something better than what I was before.”

“Hah! Just listen to yourself! You’re full of shit. No matter how you slice it, you’re still in denial, Seth. Up until yesterday, you’ve been denying the lust within you. Now that you’ve unleashed it, you’re covering your tracks. Even now, you’re trying to convince me it was the animal, not you. But I’m not falling for it. I accept last night at face value. You should too.”

Anger boiled within Seth and his body trembled underneath Dante.

“Aw, what’s the matter? You gonna cry now, Seth? Don’t you know? Big boys don’t cry. Be a man and suck it up like the rest of us. There’s nothing to shield you away from the truth. Not your music or your damn movies.”

Seth’s lip quivered again. “How can you be so… cold?”

                “You’re the one who started this, Seth. And now I’m finishing it.”

                “God, Dante.” His voice shook and he shut his eyes tightly to keep from crying. “You’ll do anything to avoid the pain. Won’t you? You’ll push me away, far away, just so you won’t ever get hurt. You’ll only treat me as an object. Objects are easier to keep. They don’t convey emotion and once you’re done, you can throw them out. No regrets. Right?”

                Dante looked like he wanted to punch him.

“Don’t you see, Dante? If you keep pushing people away, they might not ever come back. I don’t…” Seth opened his eyes, staring into his. “I don’t ever want you to feel that type of loss.”

For a second, Dante’s eyes slightly twitched.

                “I wonder what it was that made you this way,” Seth continued softly, his hand reaching up to the other man’s face. Dante flinched a little at the gentle gesture. “Did… you lose someone very important to you, Dante? Someone you really loved? Tell me and I’ll tell you about me, everything you want to know. About my past, about the situation I’m in now, about the Animal. Everything…”

Dante didn’t answer Seth’s question. Instead, he got off him.

“You can leave now.”

Seth looked at Dante once, his black eyes shiny. There was nothing animal about them. No lust. No hunger. They were the eyes of a passionate and broken man.

A long moment passed before Seth finally nodded in understanding, his expression very sedate. Wiping his face and putting on his shirt, Seth stood and headed out the door. He turned to see Dante one more time before crossing it. Then he walked through the door and didn’t look back.

The dog must’ve sensed something wrong because he moved aside when Seth stepped into the city’s streets again. It whimpered and barked. Seth tried to smile back but couldn’t. Instead, he headed left.

Dante joined the mixed breed, standing silently by his office’s doorsteps.

It was a private matter and that was all there was to it, Dante concluded to himself. The kind of information Seth was asking for wasn’t any of his business. He survived this long by keeping crucial details like that to himself. No one, not Seth, or anyone else, had a right to ask such private questions.

Dante watched Seth walk away and his heart pounded. It was going to be the last time they’d see each other again, he kept telling himself over and over again. It was strange since, just moments ago, they were just talking about ignoring the consequences of their relationship. Funny, how fast time changed everything. Now, it was over. Whatever they had, it was over. Seth wasn’t coming back and he wasn’t going to see him anymore. Everything they’d done together would be placed in the forgotten file. Everything that reminded him of Seth would be ignored. It was finally over between them.

While it should’ve calm Dante every time he said it to himself, something hard tugged at him. The further the figure drifted away, the more he couldn’t stand watching Seth’s back anymore.

***

                If there was ever a time when Spook felt like a God, that moment was definitely now. Surrounded by over sixty people who screamed, danced, drank, ate, and engaged in other activities he was afraid to know about, Spook felt like the luckiest bastard on the planet. Okay, so maybe a third of the people who attended Paranormal Five’s grand party were people he never knew, coming only for the free food and beer. And yeah, his parents would kill him if they came back from their boat cruise and saw their home in complete ruins. But hey, that didn’t matter. This was now, this was the moment to live and kiss caution goodbye. This was the instant to have a jolly good time.

From the mansion’s second floor patio, Spook watched a large crowd of party goers below. Most were by the outdoor pool, either swimming or conversing. Once in awhile, a fight broke out but it never got too serious. And there were a couple of butt-naked guys running across the fifty acres of grass, stopping only to dangle their pee-pee anytime they crossed paths with a girl. No, Spook wasn’t worried. In fact, he only winced whenever someone made a big mess or crashed into something they weren’t supposed to crash into. Other than that, he didn’t care. He was too caught up in being the center of the universe, imagining these people praising him and his team.

They were going to be fucking famous.

Yesterday, Paranormal Five accomplished the task of distributing surveys to the last parts of the city. It was a true mark of achievement, a first in fact. They actually finished something they started. It’d been weeks since they decided to go on this mission, sending out surveys at both popular hangout spots and dangerous neighborhoods. No corner in the city was left unturned.

The number of hits in their website was also a huge success story, added by the recent butcher story regarding a bunch of college students. It was in the thousands now, with many more people checking it and filling out the online survey. There were the usual off-topic answers, of course. A vampire on forty-forth street stealing blood from the blood bank. A huge cover-up story at a department store involving dead demons. A pack of dogs acting strangely. A frightening scream coming from the funhouse at Happy Land’s Amusement Park last night, with another report regarding a funny smell at the Haunted Mansion. And yet another sighting of the elusive beautiful woman with long gold hair and black leather, shooting electricity from her hands. Spook ignored these reports for the most part. He was only interested in sightings of their target. He had Agent Scully even cook up a web page designed specifically for the black beast roaming their city streets. Already, people were contributing to the page.

There was another added plus to the increase number of page views. What originally started out as a measly seven registered members on the online forums, which included Paranormal Five themselves, jumped to fifty. Some were outsiders and didn’t live in the city, coming only to hear eerie stories. Others were lured by Radar’s blog, which covered the evidence they lost to the police last week. Spook was certainly glad to see many forum members checking into Paranormal Five’s progress as well. Even if his own town saw Paranormal Five as green, the people in cyberspace viewed them as a promising bunch and actually rooted for them.

Yes, Paranormal Five was headed somewhere big. Yesterday, they were exhausted when they returned to home base with the last surveys on hand. Nonetheless, they were proud of themselves. It only made sense for the leader of Paranormal Five to reward his team with an all-out party. Tomorrow, they’d go over the last surveys and form a plan of action based on the information they gathered. Today, however, they were going to relax and pat themselves on the back.

Spook stepped away from the patio and entered the main hallway. It was filled with people of various shapes, sizes, and color. As Spook maneuvered around them, he bobbed his head to the beat of heavy metal playing downstairs. It was a good song and he hollered loudly when someone pushed up the volume. Taking the first flight of stairs he came across, Spook descended to the first floor and was nearly overwhelmed by the crowd. It was past ten in the evening and people were still pouring in. He giggled as he made his way to the kitchen where the smells of alcohol and pizza were most prominent.

“Dudes! I’m not kidding, that’s what happened!” Spook overheard Agent Scully’s voice echo within the kitchen.

Spook found him by the impressively large and spotless fridge. The team’s skeptic was talking to three leather-clad Goth women. Radar was next to him, looking embarrassed.

“Ain’t that right, dude?” Agent Scully asked the psychic, nudging him on the waist while smoking a skunk. “You were crying and singing Hail Mary’s throughout the entire time we were in there?”

“Fuck you,” muttered the other man. His eyes grew large and wide when he took a hit from Agent Scully’s joint.

The three women laughed. They shook their heads in pity and walked away.

“What’s up, assholes?” Spook approached his two teammates.

“Dude, I was wondering where ya went.” Agent Scully nodded back.

Radar briefly waved ‘hi’ before passing the baton to Spook.

“I had to take a piss.” Spook too a deep inhale. His voice sounded high-pitched when he asked, “Know where the others are?”

“Dude, last I checked, Chewbacca’s somewhere here in the kitchen and Damsel was by the pool.”

“And your officer babe?” Spook looked at Radar. “I haven’t seen her around. You invited her to the party, right?”

Radar looked depressed. “Yeah, but she got called in and had to leave early.”

“That sucks. What happened?”

“She had to check out the amusement park. Something happened there.”

“Dude, Happy Land Amusement Park?” Agent Scully laughed when Radar answered with a nod. “I figured that place’s cockroach problem would land them into trouble one day.”

“I thought she was off duty,” wondered Spook.

Radar shrugged his shoulder, taking back the joint. He coughed. “Lorraine was, but she told me even off-duty cops can get called back in case of emergencies, especially officers close to the scene. Since Happy Land isn’t far from here, I guess that’s why they called her in.”

“Dude, I hope some mentally unstable escape convict isn’t holding Happy Land’s Sunflower mascot hostage. Though, if it’s to lower ticket prices and offer better food then I’m all for it.”

All three chuckled and agreed.

“Naw, I got a feeling it’s not that serious,” reassured Radar. “She’ll be back soon.”

Spook was about to reply until he heard a familiar voice coming from the center of the room. It was followed by a growl. Looking at the kitchen’s counter, Spook found Chewbacca standing on it, fending off three people from his two boxes of pizza.

“Hrrr… they’re mine!” he yelled, “Mine, ya goddamn vultures!”

Spook, Radar, and Agent Scully shook their heads in dismay. After a few minutes of spectacular evasive moves on Chewbacca’s part, the three ‘vultures’ gave up at last and left. Chewbacca snorted and shoved a large slice of pizza down his throat, smiling in triumph.

“Man, you need to learn some table manners,” Spook said when they reached him.

“Yeah, they’re potential clients,” added Radar. “They’re the people who are going to help spread our name so go easy on them.”

“Whatever,” growled the big, orange man. “It’s our party, made in our honor. Hrrr… fuckin’ creeps oughta know what’s off limits.”

“Basically anything that’s edible, eh, dude?” Agent Scully took a slice from Chewbacca’s box.

“A man’s gotta defend what belongs to him.”

Spook sighed, seeing him as a hopeless cause. He decided to switch the subject. “Have you been recording the party like I told you to do?”

Chewbacca was given the important job of documenting the party. Other than new content for the website, the footage served as bragging rights. It would be their evidence in claiming Paranormal Five a popular gang with lots of friends.

“Well?” Spook asked the technician.

Chewbacca looked at him for a long time. Then a he retrieved a small-sized camera from the back of his belt. “Sorry, man, but I think your cam is broken.”

“Huh?” Spook took his camera, confused.

“It won’t turn on. Tomorrow I’ll open it up and see what’s wrong with it.”

Frowning, Spook inspected his camera. He pushed on the power button. It blinked to life.

“What the…?” Chewbacca started, at awe. “What button did you push?”

“The power button, stupid.” Spook glared at Chewbacca. “What button did you push?”

“The red one.”

“Dude!” laughed Agent Scully, almost choking. “The red button is to record.”

“Hrrr… how the hell should I know? Not everyone knows what a power button looks like.”

“That’s why some genius back at the factory put the words power next to the button,” argued Spook very frustrated, pointing at the words. “So dimwits like you know what to push.” He shook his head. “Unbelievable, Chewbacca. Five hours into the party and all that time I thought you were recording! Ugh!”

Chewbacca only shrugged his shoulders and ate another slice of pizza.

“Whatever,” Spook mumbled, “I’m gonna go check on Damsel.”

Agent Scully grinned. His eyes held a malicious quality in them when he exchanged a look with Radar. “Sweet, dude, we’ll all tag along too.”

Spook paused. “Hey, I’m sure she doesn’t want to see all of our grueling faces.”

“Just yours, dude?”

The leader of Paranormal Five frowned. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’, dude. No need to get jumpy.”

“I’m not jumpy.”

Agent Scully didn’t respond but didn’t look convinced by Spook’s answer either.

“Look, I just want to see how she is,” Spook explained. “See if she’s all right. Y’ know?”

“Then you shouldn’t have a problem with us seeing her too, dude.”

“Whatever,” Spook said. He left without saying another word.

Before the other three followed, Agent Scully took out ten dollars from his back pocket, soon waving it in front of Radar’s face.

“I raise our bet to ten bucks, dude.”

Radar scoffed. “Fine. But I’m telling you, it’s nothing.”

Agent Scully took out another ten. “I raise it to twenty then.”

Radar drank the rest of his beer. After a long time, he took out a twenty dollar bill. Both men gave the money to Chewbacca, the neutral party in their bet. He nodded once in silence. Taking his box of pizzas, he, Agent Scully, and Radar followed Spook’s trail.

The leader of Paranormal Five was somewhat disgruntled by Agent Scully’s implications but tried not to let it show on his face. Still, it was hard. Sometimes, the team’s skeptic was unbearable. How dare he accuse him of having feelings for Damsel. They were team members. Was it wrong to care about a fellow colleague? Of course not. Stupid ass, he had no right to jump into conclusions.

Spook paused from his thoughts when he finally spotted the fifth member of Paranormal Five. He was surprised to see her busy reading surveys than enjoying the party. Even with the occasional man hitting on her, she kept her focus. Spook sighed. Damsel had been committing herself to her work lately. He suspected why that was, but chose not to venture into it too much. Instead, he approached the young woman sitting at the very end of the pool, with her bare legs under water.

“Damsel, put those papers down and have some fun,” Spook commanded lightheartedly.

The young woman looked up. “Huh? Oh, Spook. I didn’t see you there.” She glanced at the stacks of paper to her right. “Um, sorry… It’s just… I wanted to busy myself. There’s a lot to do tomorrow and I thought I’d get a head start and all.”

Spook removed his shoes and socks. Then he sat by her side and let his feet splash in the water. Some of the water droplets got on her face and blouse and he quickly stopped.

“You should try to relax,” Spook told her. “There’s a reason why it’s called a ‘party’.”

“I know, I know…” She sighed and put the survey she was currently reading down.

After a long moment of silence, Spook realized how uncomfortable Damsel was. If he didn’t know any better, she didn’t want to be at the party, which was strange since she always loved going out. Then again, that was when her mother was still living at home, not in the loony bin. Spook glanced between the surveys and Damsel. He finally understood.

“So what did you find so far?” he asked with a smile.

Damsel blinked. Then she smiled. “So far, I’m still getting random spots of our elusive dark creature with claws. It’s still occurring at the east part of town but there are people steadily reporting the south side now. There’s something else too but…”

“But what?”

“Well, it might be nothing. Hell, it’s not even unrelated to our case.”

“Tell me anyway.”

Damsel paused. Then she went through the survey she recently read. “So far, over twenty people have talked about their dogs and cats acting funny.”

Spook made a face. “Huh?”

“Yeah, dogs and cats all over the city are acting up.”

“Hrrr… tell me about it,” Chewbacca said from behind.

Spook looked up and saw Agent Scully and Radar with him. He tried not to look disappointed.

“I couldn’t fuckin’ sleep two nights ago,” continued the technician. “My neighbor’s got, like, six dogs. All of them were howling and shit.”

“Dude, my neighbor’s only got one cat,” Agent Scully mentioned, “The whole night, the stupid shit was hissing and meowing at the sky.”

“Wow,” commented Radar. “I thought I was the only one seeing that type of thing.”

“What d’ ya mean, dude?”

“I saw a group of twenty dogs gathered at an alley on my way home one night. They didn’t move or bark. They just… well, they just looked up at the moon.”

“That’s exactly what some of these people have been reporting,” confirmed Damsel. She held up one survey in her hand. “This one saw over thirty cats near Happy Land’s Amusement park late last night, all of them hissing and sounding pissed. They were held off by, get this, a large gang of dogs.”

“Huh, that is weird.” Spook looked at Radar later. “Hey, that’s where Lorraine went, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

Spook gazed down at the water. “Funny. From what I read today, that place has been getting a lot of strange reports, most of them occurring last night.”

Spook noticed Damsel’s grin and shrugged his shoulders in response. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t the only one working on their day off.

“How long ago did you see the dogs in the alleyway?” asked Damsel to Radar.

Radar thought a moment. “It was two nights ago.”

“And you, Chewbacca? You said your neighbor’s pets acted up two nights ago. Right?”

Chewbacca nodded in silence.

“And the cat?” she asked Agent Scully.

“Yeah… Two nights ago…”

“Incredible,” said Damsel and looked at the pile of papers next to her. Scanning through them, she checked the dates. “With the exception of the park, all the people who complained about the dogs and cats stated the same time frame.”

Chewbacca slowly swallowed his pizza.

“Dude, it’s probably nothing,” Agent Scully said. “It’s the effects of global warming. All the animals are acting weird. So what?”

Damsel raised an eyebrow. “It happened on the same night. How do you explain that?”

Agent Scully shrugged. “It was a full moon. Lots of animals get weird.”

“But it’s only happening to dogs and cats,” Damsel clarified.

“It still shouldn’t matter.” Agent Scully looked at everyone. “Dudes, this ain’t our case. I thought we agreed to look into this creature, not to figure out why Fluffy is having hissy fits.”

Damsel exhaled. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I’ve gotta agree with him too,” added Spook. “We really need to stay focused. We’ll deal with that issue once we’re done with our prime objective.”

Damsel reluctantly nodded. Everyone else agreed too.

“Excuse me? Is Spook here?” a male’s voice to the left inquired.

Spook looked up, seeing a young man holding a phone. He smelled of piss and beer.

“I’m him.” Spook wrinkled his nose and grinned. “You want an autograph from Paranormal Five’s leader, right? We’re going to be famous, y’ know.”

“Actually, no.” The young man handed Spook the phone. “It’s your folks.”

Spook turned pale white.

As Spook took the phone, Damsel splashed her feet in the water. Her mind was filled with lots of things. Most it consisted of the odd reports. She wanted to dismiss them. After all, it was galaxies away from their own case. Yet, something was bugging her and over and over again. For some reason, she kept recalling the story of Helene.

Dogs and cats…
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