Violent Mood Swings ((justprompts activity))
Brief Synopsis: Prequel to "Understand". In the middle of a very important mission, Hei first encounters Vertigo.
Author Notes: Includes strong violence, because this is likely to turn nasty...
Progress: Over halfway done
The lyrics in italics are from "Violent Mood Swings (Reprise)" by Stabbing Westward
You've left me with nothing left but questions
You left me here not knowing who I am
You've left me so much fucking time to hate you
You left me with no choice but to die
Violent mood swings
Your voice whispers nearly all the time now
Reminding me just how worthless I am
Sometimes I just hear you laugh forever
I want you the fuck out of my head
Violent mood swings
From the corner of Hei's sight, he thought he saw a shadow move. For all he could speculate, it could belong to one of them.
Behind the painted sinister looking mask, he held his breath as he quickly moved to a thick trunk of a tree and pressed himself against it. The dark shadows the moonlight could not penetrate through provided him good cover, along with the pitch black heavy coat he wore. As long as he could keep quiet, he could sneak up among the vicious winged beasts and take them out-one by one. This was for the good of the cause in bringing down at least some of the population around here. Less of them meant more peace for everyone else living in this forest, and the town.
There was a crackle of static he could hear coming from his earplug, followed by the dread in Mao's voice. "You're suicidal, you know that?"
Hei smirked a little, to which he knew his partner could not see. "Didn't know you cared so much."
"Don't get cocky. If you're serious in going after these animals, it's for the best that you continue to follow my advice."
Hei peered from around the tree to see nothing there, nothing big and furry with leather wings on their backs--no targets. Not yet, anyway. Still, he made sure to keep his voice low. "How are you holding up?"
Mao's attitude had shifted a little. "How do you think I'm holding up? I can't see much of anything except for what the moon shows me... I should have spent some time trying to find an owl body."
The last form Hei saw him as was a small gray falcon. He could only guess that Mao was still in the same body. From late afternoon until dusk, Mao had used that body to surveillance and detect a location as to where some of the scattered demon wolves were...
Mao’s never complained about not being able to see well in the dark before.
Hei frowned. Something was wrong. "Where's your cat body, Mao? Why haven't you returned to it?" Staying in a foreign body too long would let the real cat wake up on its own and wander off. Hei knew enough about his partner to know all about the spirit jumping and its consequences.
A heavy sigh came from the communicator. "I lost it. By the time I flew back to that area where I hid the cat, it was gone. I've searched far and wide, but could not find it... At least I’m holding the collar in the falcon’s talons. As I well know how dangerous this forest could be, I made sure to do this."
Damn it. We haven't even started and already we have one screw up, Hei scowled to himself. There wasn’t any time to turn back. He was determined to take out a handful of these monsters, before any one of them would take him out, or worse.
There were incidents in which a few escaped from the demon wolves and survived. Through word of mouth from people and a talking squirrel, they’ve said that the humans who’ve managed to flee back to their homes safely had been influenced by some type of dark magic or mind control to lend a hand in breeding more of the damned things.
Hei still felt thoroughly disturbed and sickened from all that was said, and most certainly didn’t want to be forced to become involved in any unnatural intercourse. If there had to be only one significant reason on deciding to sneak around in the woods on this night, that was it.
“At about ten yards up ahead from where you must be, I’m certain there has to be one to three of the targets,” reported Mao. “Hei; it’s not too late to back out of this. Or maybe find someone who could help.”
Hei drew in a slow breath of air as he started to mentally prepare himself. “Go home, Mao. Be careful.”
“It’s been nice knowing you.”
“I’ll come back.”
Just as Hei said his last reply, he thought he heard static-no, more like a soft rustling of vegetation in the background. Shit. “Fly away, Mao. You’re not alone.”
“I can see that! Damn it-“
There was more rustling, followed by a shrill bird call coming from the other end of their communication line. After that, there was dead silence.
Hei believed he felt his heart stop. “Mao!” They’re onto us. It’s a trap.
He hoped Mao flew away in time, before large clawed paws or sharp teeth could damage his bird body...
Stop it. He got away. He must have... Let’s get this over with already. Focus!
Hei stepped away from the safety of darkness the tree provided. As he did, a chorus of wolf howls in various tones were heard all around him. Some were louder and closer, while others were faint and distant. In his head, he counted two demon wolves waiting for him some feet away from beside and behind him. Hei couldn’t see them, but he knew and felt this sensation that they were watching him. With that came a glimmer of terror. He’s never had to taken down anything like them before, and he wasn’t all that certain if he could kill and get out of this alive.
Mao, please be okay-
He groped for the wires and knives that were concealed in his trench coat. He clipped one of the ends to the gray belt strapped around his waist. The other end, he tossed to the highest branch possible. Hei pressed a button in the middle of his belt and up he went.
Seeking protection of the forest canopy while taking any of the beasts out was probably the best way to get them. He’s seen them in action a few times, and could tell that one of the two targets was about to take flight. Fwap, fwap went its wings. The large wolf from behind was working to lift itself. The sound of scratching down below caused Hei’s eyes to widen.
They were coming for this lone Contractor as a pair, a coordinated attack. Hei heavily relied on his sharp hearing to decide which one was closer. The climbing target was the one he felt he had to terminate first.
Hei fished out one of his knives and started to quickly wrap the end of a second wire around the hilt. He could only see the silhouette of the animal coming.
“If you try to attack me human, you’ll only make this worse on yourself,” it-no, she-said. There was something to that tone of voice that made Hei’s jaw tighten. He forced himself to not think about what she wanted to do to him as he flung the wire, holding tightly to the knife. The metal was to be used as a conductor as he reached inside for the one power of Bai’s he used the most.
The blue glow coming from his body helped him see the female wolf more clearly as his eyes gleamed a crimson color. Her coarse layered fur was white, her darker wings tucked in behind her back. Electricity surged down the wire that wrapped around her neck. A clawed, furry five-fingered hand was about to remove it, but to no avail. The she-wolf growled ferociously as Hei electrocuted his mark, causing that slim yet bulky body to convulse and spasm. After what felt like a long minute, Hei released the wire, watching her fall into the dirt. She didn’t get up.
A blur of another furry and muscular arm swiped at Hei. The blow knocked the air from his lungs as he could feel himself tilt backwards. Branches and twigs whipped at the back of his heavy coat as he fell. Luckily, he wasn’t too high from the ground. Not much pain was felt upon the hard landing, next to the dead wolf.
As his body collided onto the forest floor, Hei barrel rolled away from the corpse that wafted an odor of singed fur. Getting to his feet, he felt a breeze and saw another blur of a dark muscular arm. He leaped back. The sound of claws scratching at the soil just where he had fallen made Hei act fast. A glimmer of human fear was seeping in from under his rational thinking.
A very loud and angry roar coming from the beast still standing were making the tree branches tremble by the sheer force and volume of the sound. The message came very clear to him. The female he had murdered was possibly someone very close to this one--her mate?
Hei veered to his right, evading and weaving past a few thick trees to avoid coming into contact with those claws. Instead of ripping through the bullet resistant fabric of his coat, or ripping his head off, the monster scraped off tree bark. Through the small eye holes of his mask, Hei estimated a guess that this creature had to be one or two feet taller than him in the very least.
Instinct and logical calculations present; the best option to kill the demon wolf and live was to stay in the trees. These beasts flew more than they climbed, Hei supposed from watching them outside of town. This would give him an advantage to stay ahead in pursuit. Remaining in the forest canopy would also have those large leathery wings get caught in the various twigs and branches--a nature providing trap. Either way, if the assumed male wolf came close enough to swipe at him, it would lead to his certain death.
Another wire Hei tossed wrapped around a nearby tree branch. Aside from the metal utility belt that was secure around his waist, there were little devices under the coat sleeves. He flicked his wrist up so that the concealed hook would catch the one wire end, then retract. Hei sailed up at an angle as he saw the monster come close to grabbing at his coat tail.
"Get back here! COWARD," the male demon wolf bellowed.
The penetrating moonlight lit the way as Hei ran a step and then jumped to the next branch just ahead of him. Immediately, he spread his arms out catch his balance. Another advantage point in this circumstance was the factor that his pursuer happened to make a lot of noise--not with just the roaring and hollering for Hei's blood. The way those claws scrabbled at bark at a speeding pace told him all he needed to know about his opponent.
Hei as a Contractor had been holding back a lot of his emotions for over a few years. To lash out and give chase in such an uncontrollable rage was something he avoided often in his profession, depending on the circumstances. Even if it did come to a point in which Hei grew very angry or frustrated while attacking, say, another Contractor--he'd use the anger as fuel to help him take out his target.
All the noise coming from this strong, powerful beast had Hei believe that his current target was bound to be somewhat hindered in that blind rage.
This didn't necessarily mean that Hei wasn't scared--only a little. Again, he's never attempted to kill anyone like this before, but whatever fear had been provoked to break out onto the surface of his cold, rational actions were transformed into anger. Feeling an adrenaline rush as cold as ice, that was as close to actual human fear as it got.
A branch that Hei wasn't moving around on emitted a dry snap from behind. He held his breath and continue to use the moon as his guide to pick the right direction to evade to, so he wouldn't fall to the ground.
This night wasn't particularly windy as he felt a strong breeze he knew had to move away from. Whumph! What must have hit the tree trunk where Hei had perched was a flying branch--most likely solid and thick enough to knock him back to the ground.
Instinct told Hei to jump to the next branch shown to him by the moonlight. It was located slightly lower from the one he was still on. As he moved, he counted the number of wires he had left. He fearlessly grasped for another to toss it and have it wrap around a higher branch. Off Hei leaped to swing to a third tree, hearing the wolf growl before pulling off another branch to throw at him.
He knew he couldn't keep on fleeing forever. He just had to act swiftly and use what this forest had. Move around, he commanded himself. Get him from behind.
To keep running straight would surely deplete Hei of his limited supplies to take the damn animal out. Mao was still out there somewhere, in danger.
Hei didn't feel another breeze coming toward him as he used yet another wire to swing and have his feet touch a branch solid enough to support his body's weight. Somewhere off to his left came another sound of a branch projectile, slapping at his previous perch.
He only stopped for mere seconds to see the next tree he saw, before running, leaping, and swinging around--to see the wolf lunging toward him. Shit--
That very large thick coated body built like a tank slammed into Hei's as they dropped to the forest floor. The wire he was swinging from had snapped. In his hand was a broken length of it.
The front and back of him hurt, his chest the most. Hei struggled to gasp what air had left him as he couldn't see the moonlight right now. All he could see was darkness as he could feel the large humanoid canine's hot breath on his face. The smell Hei found greatly unpleasant.
Hei silently snarled at the other from behind the mask, who gripped fiercely at his coat collar with one massive hand. The male wolf's face was just inches away from his, glaring at the Contractor.
"That life you took belonged to my sister," he growled.
Hei felt his face taking on a matching glare as he refused to let himself be intimidated. He started to move an arm down to retrieve a knife from a coat pocket. Stars exploded in his vision as another sharp pain was felt in his back.
"Now, I shall take yours..."
The strength Hei witnessed, and the sound of that voice once more brought on a cold adrenaline rush. Fear again. A just as cold remark came out, as he found himself unable to swallow or repress the urge. "The both of you are nothing but wild animals. I don't see any reason why your kind should exist."
He silently cursed himself--Mao had been right. Hei should have requested the Winchesters to come along (despite Dean, who called him an "ex-puppet freak" in knowing of his background and what he was), or someone else to help take out at least some of these god damned vermin.
"Those are bold words, coming from a stupid little man hiding behind a mask."
Author Notes: Includes strong violence, because this is likely to turn nasty...
Progress: Over halfway done
The lyrics in italics are from "Violent Mood Swings (Reprise)" by Stabbing Westward
You've left me with nothing left but questions
You left me here not knowing who I am
You've left me so much fucking time to hate you
You left me with no choice but to die
Violent mood swings
Your voice whispers nearly all the time now
Reminding me just how worthless I am
Sometimes I just hear you laugh forever
I want you the fuck out of my head
Violent mood swings
From the corner of Hei's sight, he thought he saw a shadow move. For all he could speculate, it could belong to one of them.
Behind the painted sinister looking mask, he held his breath as he quickly moved to a thick trunk of a tree and pressed himself against it. The dark shadows the moonlight could not penetrate through provided him good cover, along with the pitch black heavy coat he wore. As long as he could keep quiet, he could sneak up among the vicious winged beasts and take them out-one by one. This was for the good of the cause in bringing down at least some of the population around here. Less of them meant more peace for everyone else living in this forest, and the town.
There was a crackle of static he could hear coming from his earplug, followed by the dread in Mao's voice. "You're suicidal, you know that?"
Hei smirked a little, to which he knew his partner could not see. "Didn't know you cared so much."
"Don't get cocky. If you're serious in going after these animals, it's for the best that you continue to follow my advice."
Hei peered from around the tree to see nothing there, nothing big and furry with leather wings on their backs--no targets. Not yet, anyway. Still, he made sure to keep his voice low. "How are you holding up?"
Mao's attitude had shifted a little. "How do you think I'm holding up? I can't see much of anything except for what the moon shows me... I should have spent some time trying to find an owl body."
The last form Hei saw him as was a small gray falcon. He could only guess that Mao was still in the same body. From late afternoon until dusk, Mao had used that body to surveillance and detect a location as to where some of the scattered demon wolves were...
Mao’s never complained about not being able to see well in the dark before.
Hei frowned. Something was wrong. "Where's your cat body, Mao? Why haven't you returned to it?" Staying in a foreign body too long would let the real cat wake up on its own and wander off. Hei knew enough about his partner to know all about the spirit jumping and its consequences.
A heavy sigh came from the communicator. "I lost it. By the time I flew back to that area where I hid the cat, it was gone. I've searched far and wide, but could not find it... At least I’m holding the collar in the falcon’s talons. As I well know how dangerous this forest could be, I made sure to do this."
Damn it. We haven't even started and already we have one screw up, Hei scowled to himself. There wasn’t any time to turn back. He was determined to take out a handful of these monsters, before any one of them would take him out, or worse.
There were incidents in which a few escaped from the demon wolves and survived. Through word of mouth from people and a talking squirrel, they’ve said that the humans who’ve managed to flee back to their homes safely had been influenced by some type of dark magic or mind control to lend a hand in breeding more of the damned things.
Hei still felt thoroughly disturbed and sickened from all that was said, and most certainly didn’t want to be forced to become involved in any unnatural intercourse. If there had to be only one significant reason on deciding to sneak around in the woods on this night, that was it.
“At about ten yards up ahead from where you must be, I’m certain there has to be one to three of the targets,” reported Mao. “Hei; it’s not too late to back out of this. Or maybe find someone who could help.”
Hei drew in a slow breath of air as he started to mentally prepare himself. “Go home, Mao. Be careful.”
“It’s been nice knowing you.”
“I’ll come back.”
Just as Hei said his last reply, he thought he heard static-no, more like a soft rustling of vegetation in the background. Shit. “Fly away, Mao. You’re not alone.”
“I can see that! Damn it-“
There was more rustling, followed by a shrill bird call coming from the other end of their communication line. After that, there was dead silence.
Hei believed he felt his heart stop. “Mao!” They’re onto us. It’s a trap.
He hoped Mao flew away in time, before large clawed paws or sharp teeth could damage his bird body...
Stop it. He got away. He must have... Let’s get this over with already. Focus!
Hei stepped away from the safety of darkness the tree provided. As he did, a chorus of wolf howls in various tones were heard all around him. Some were louder and closer, while others were faint and distant. In his head, he counted two demon wolves waiting for him some feet away from beside and behind him. Hei couldn’t see them, but he knew and felt this sensation that they were watching him. With that came a glimmer of terror. He’s never had to taken down anything like them before, and he wasn’t all that certain if he could kill and get out of this alive.
Mao, please be okay-
He groped for the wires and knives that were concealed in his trench coat. He clipped one of the ends to the gray belt strapped around his waist. The other end, he tossed to the highest branch possible. Hei pressed a button in the middle of his belt and up he went.
Seeking protection of the forest canopy while taking any of the beasts out was probably the best way to get them. He’s seen them in action a few times, and could tell that one of the two targets was about to take flight. Fwap, fwap went its wings. The large wolf from behind was working to lift itself. The sound of scratching down below caused Hei’s eyes to widen.
They were coming for this lone Contractor as a pair, a coordinated attack. Hei heavily relied on his sharp hearing to decide which one was closer. The climbing target was the one he felt he had to terminate first.
Hei fished out one of his knives and started to quickly wrap the end of a second wire around the hilt. He could only see the silhouette of the animal coming.
“If you try to attack me human, you’ll only make this worse on yourself,” it-no, she-said. There was something to that tone of voice that made Hei’s jaw tighten. He forced himself to not think about what she wanted to do to him as he flung the wire, holding tightly to the knife. The metal was to be used as a conductor as he reached inside for the one power of Bai’s he used the most.
The blue glow coming from his body helped him see the female wolf more clearly as his eyes gleamed a crimson color. Her coarse layered fur was white, her darker wings tucked in behind her back. Electricity surged down the wire that wrapped around her neck. A clawed, furry five-fingered hand was about to remove it, but to no avail. The she-wolf growled ferociously as Hei electrocuted his mark, causing that slim yet bulky body to convulse and spasm. After what felt like a long minute, Hei released the wire, watching her fall into the dirt. She didn’t get up.
A blur of another furry and muscular arm swiped at Hei. The blow knocked the air from his lungs as he could feel himself tilt backwards. Branches and twigs whipped at the back of his heavy coat as he fell. Luckily, he wasn’t too high from the ground. Not much pain was felt upon the hard landing, next to the dead wolf.
As his body collided onto the forest floor, Hei barrel rolled away from the corpse that wafted an odor of singed fur. Getting to his feet, he felt a breeze and saw another blur of a dark muscular arm. He leaped back. The sound of claws scratching at the soil just where he had fallen made Hei act fast. A glimmer of human fear was seeping in from under his rational thinking.
A very loud and angry roar coming from the beast still standing were making the tree branches tremble by the sheer force and volume of the sound. The message came very clear to him. The female he had murdered was possibly someone very close to this one--her mate?
Hei veered to his right, evading and weaving past a few thick trees to avoid coming into contact with those claws. Instead of ripping through the bullet resistant fabric of his coat, or ripping his head off, the monster scraped off tree bark. Through the small eye holes of his mask, Hei estimated a guess that this creature had to be one or two feet taller than him in the very least.
Instinct and logical calculations present; the best option to kill the demon wolf and live was to stay in the trees. These beasts flew more than they climbed, Hei supposed from watching them outside of town. This would give him an advantage to stay ahead in pursuit. Remaining in the forest canopy would also have those large leathery wings get caught in the various twigs and branches--a nature providing trap. Either way, if the assumed male wolf came close enough to swipe at him, it would lead to his certain death.
Another wire Hei tossed wrapped around a nearby tree branch. Aside from the metal utility belt that was secure around his waist, there were little devices under the coat sleeves. He flicked his wrist up so that the concealed hook would catch the one wire end, then retract. Hei sailed up at an angle as he saw the monster come close to grabbing at his coat tail.
"Get back here! COWARD," the male demon wolf bellowed.
The penetrating moonlight lit the way as Hei ran a step and then jumped to the next branch just ahead of him. Immediately, he spread his arms out catch his balance. Another advantage point in this circumstance was the factor that his pursuer happened to make a lot of noise--not with just the roaring and hollering for Hei's blood. The way those claws scrabbled at bark at a speeding pace told him all he needed to know about his opponent.
Hei as a Contractor had been holding back a lot of his emotions for over a few years. To lash out and give chase in such an uncontrollable rage was something he avoided often in his profession, depending on the circumstances. Even if it did come to a point in which Hei grew very angry or frustrated while attacking, say, another Contractor--he'd use the anger as fuel to help him take out his target.
All the noise coming from this strong, powerful beast had Hei believe that his current target was bound to be somewhat hindered in that blind rage.
This didn't necessarily mean that Hei wasn't scared--only a little. Again, he's never attempted to kill anyone like this before, but whatever fear had been provoked to break out onto the surface of his cold, rational actions were transformed into anger. Feeling an adrenaline rush as cold as ice, that was as close to actual human fear as it got.
A branch that Hei wasn't moving around on emitted a dry snap from behind. He held his breath and continue to use the moon as his guide to pick the right direction to evade to, so he wouldn't fall to the ground.
This night wasn't particularly windy as he felt a strong breeze he knew had to move away from. Whumph! What must have hit the tree trunk where Hei had perched was a flying branch--most likely solid and thick enough to knock him back to the ground.
Instinct told Hei to jump to the next branch shown to him by the moonlight. It was located slightly lower from the one he was still on. As he moved, he counted the number of wires he had left. He fearlessly grasped for another to toss it and have it wrap around a higher branch. Off Hei leaped to swing to a third tree, hearing the wolf growl before pulling off another branch to throw at him.
He knew he couldn't keep on fleeing forever. He just had to act swiftly and use what this forest had. Move around, he commanded himself. Get him from behind.
To keep running straight would surely deplete Hei of his limited supplies to take the damn animal out. Mao was still out there somewhere, in danger.
Hei didn't feel another breeze coming toward him as he used yet another wire to swing and have his feet touch a branch solid enough to support his body's weight. Somewhere off to his left came another sound of a branch projectile, slapping at his previous perch.
He only stopped for mere seconds to see the next tree he saw, before running, leaping, and swinging around--to see the wolf lunging toward him. Shit--
That very large thick coated body built like a tank slammed into Hei's as they dropped to the forest floor. The wire he was swinging from had snapped. In his hand was a broken length of it.
The front and back of him hurt, his chest the most. Hei struggled to gasp what air had left him as he couldn't see the moonlight right now. All he could see was darkness as he could feel the large humanoid canine's hot breath on his face. The smell Hei found greatly unpleasant.
Hei silently snarled at the other from behind the mask, who gripped fiercely at his coat collar with one massive hand. The male wolf's face was just inches away from his, glaring at the Contractor.
"That life you took belonged to my sister," he growled.
Hei felt his face taking on a matching glare as he refused to let himself be intimidated. He started to move an arm down to retrieve a knife from a coat pocket. Stars exploded in his vision as another sharp pain was felt in his back.
"Now, I shall take yours..."
The strength Hei witnessed, and the sound of that voice once more brought on a cold adrenaline rush. Fear again. A just as cold remark came out, as he found himself unable to swallow or repress the urge. "The both of you are nothing but wild animals. I don't see any reason why your kind should exist."
He silently cursed himself--Mao had been right. Hei should have requested the Winchesters to come along (despite Dean, who called him an "ex-puppet freak" in knowing of his background and what he was), or someone else to help take out at least some of these god damned vermin.
"Those are bold words, coming from a stupid little man hiding behind a mask."