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Description
Pepper pulled into her driveway after her shift. It was late and the sleet obscured what little light there was. She killed the engine and headlights, her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. She spotted something at the top of her steps. She placed her hand over her side arm and cautiously got out of her car. The windblown ice stung her face as she approached slowly. A few steps closer and she could recognize the person huddled by her door.

"Gerry?" She asked taking her hand off of her weapon.

He looked up at her , his hair partially frozen to his face. Kit poked his head out of Gerry's collar and gave a little yip.

"How long have you been here?!" She pulled him up to his feet and his clothes crunched under her grip.

"Since three."

"Gerry, it's three a.m. now-" Her jaw dropped. "Don't tell me you've been in this weather for twelve hours!"

He diverted his eyes.

"Oh my God!" She gasped hurriedly unlocking the door and ushering him inside. "Get in here."

The moment he was inside the door she pulled him toward the fire place and stripped off his wet clothes. She lit a fire. Kit curled up on the hearth and watched on.

"You're not shivering." She said holding her palms to his cheeks. "Jesus, you are like ice. I don't think that's a good thing."

"I'm fine, the cold doesn't really bother me. I'm just tired."

She took his hands and checked his fingers. "Well, you don't have frostbite. That doesn't exempt you from hypothermia though."

"I'm fine, really."

Pepper sighed. "Mind telling me why you were out there?"

"I...I needed to know if your offer to live here still stood."

"Did she kick you out?"

He shook his head. "No, but I can't stay there anymore..."

She settle down and tugged him closer. "Tell me about it?"

"Tell me, how is my brother?" The demon asked sliding his way down toward her.

Al stepped back. "Ah, you know, just kickin' it."

He crouched at the end of the pedestal and stared her down. "Is he now."

"Yes, now about my bargain-"

He grinned. "Oh, no, no, no. We're not bargaining."

"But, that's your job. That's what I summoned you for-"

He gripped the edge tightly. "Now, let's be honest. That is not what you summoned me for. You hoped you'd find another as foolish as my older brother and spirit them away as well."

"You make me sound like the boogieman." She muttered.

"You've come to gain that sort of reputation, yes."

Al crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're accusing me of, but all I did was give him what he wanted."

The demon threw his head back with laughter. "My aren't you precocious! You beat him at his own game! So clever!" He hopped down and was instantly less than an inch from her face, one hand wrapped around her throat and the other pressing razor sharp claws into her belly. "I should eviscerate you where you stand."

She swallowed hard under the pressure on her windpipe. "But you won't." She smiled. "You want something."

"Careful, mortal." He warned. "I need you alive to return my brother. However, you needn't be unharmed." He dug his claws into her flesh inciting a cry of pain as blood soaked through her shirt. "Ssshhhh." He hissed squeezing tighter on her neck. "Here's the only deal you'll be getting from me, your life for the safe return of my brother. You may think yourself safe once you leave here, but know this, in your expended lifetime someone will summon me. I don't care what they wish for my price will be to get my hands on you and I will make you suffer as no one has ever suffered before."
He loosened his grip on her ever so slightly and pricked at her skin with his claws. He smiled as he saw a tear of pain run down her cheek. "It's been ten of your years, by this time Dark and his host will be assimilating. Two souls cannot co-exist for very long. The stronger will always devour the other. A demonic soul is stronger than a human soul, but I happen to know you wished for abilities that could severely tilt the odds out of my brother's favor. I believe you enslaved him in order to steal his powers, place them in a body you could easily control. Am I warm?"

Al sucked air in-between her teeth. "That's a drastic oversimplification." She panted.

He smirked with a little hum in his throat. "Regardless, you have until I escape this place or he dies to return him. Should you fail-" He wriggled his nails under her skin and she clenched her teeth to keep from screaming, "I think you understand what will happen. Now get out of my realm." He shoved her hard.

Al's back slammed into the frozen earth knocking the breath from her lungs. She gasped curling up and pressing her hands into her torn abdomen. The sleet had slowed to a soft snow and the sun had long set. She struggled to slow her breathing and began to chant, she felt the magic building, but a sob broke the spell. She licked her lips and tried again. On her third attempt she finished the incantation and relief flooded her body. She relaxed into the recesses of her coat and ran her hand under her shirt. Her skin was still sticky with blood, but the wounds were gone.

She sat up slowly and zipped her coat to cover the blood stains. She reached for her staff and hugged it to her chest. "My deadline just closed in and I can't risk summoning again to find a replacement." She gazed up at the starry night sky. "What do I do?" She chuckled then rubbing her cheek on the cool wood. "An earth-bound demon isn't as good, but Gerry and I can't be the only creepy-crawlies in this city."

Description
Pepper pulled into her driveway after her shift. It was late and the sleet obscured what little light there was. She killed the engine and headlights, her eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. She spotted something at the top of her steps. She placed her hand over her side arm and cautiously got out of her car. The windblown ice stung her face as she approached slowly. A few steps closer and she could recognize the person huddled by her door.

"Gerry?" She asked taking her hand off of her weapon.

He looked up at her , his hair partially frozen to his face. Kit poked his head out of Gerry's collar and gave a little yip.

"How long have you been here?!" She pulled him up to his feet and his clothes crunched under her grip.

"Since three."

"Gerry, it's three a.m. now-" Her jaw dropped. "Don't tell me you've been in this weather for twelve hours!"

He diverted his eyes.

"Oh my God!" She gasped hurriedly unlocking the door and ushering him inside. "Get in here."

The moment he was inside the door she pulled him toward the fire place and stripped off his wet clothes. She lit a fire. Kit curled up on the hearth and watched on.

"You're not shivering." She said holding her palms to his cheeks. "Jesus, you are like ice. I don't think that's a good thing."

"I'm fine, the cold doesn't really bother me. I'm just tired."

She took his hands and checked his fingers. "Well, you don't have frostbite. That doesn't exempt you from hypothermia though."

"I'm fine, really."

Pepper sighed. "Mind telling me why you were out there?"

"I...I needed to know if your offer to live here still stood."

"Did she kick you out?"

He shook his head. "No, but I can't stay there anymore..."

She settle down and tugged him closer. "Tell me about it?"

"Tell me, how is my brother?" The demon asked sliding his way down toward her.

Al stepped back. "Ah, you know, just kickin' it."

He crouched at the end of the pedestal and stared her down. "Is he now."

"Yes, now about my bargain-"

He grinned. "Oh, no, no, no. We're not bargaining."

"But, that's your job. That's what I summoned you for-"

He gripped the edge tightly. "Now, let's be honest. That is not what you summoned me for. You hoped you'd find another as foolish as my older brother and spirit them away as well."

"You make me sound like the boogieman." She muttered.

"You've come to gain that sort of reputation, yes."

Al crossed her arms. "I don't know what you're accusing me of, but all I did was give him what he wanted."

The demon threw his head back with laughter. "My aren't you precocious! You beat him at his own game! So clever!" He hopped down and was instantly less than an inch from her face, one hand wrapped around her throat and the other pressing razor sharp claws into her belly. "I should eviscerate you where you stand."

She swallowed hard under the pressure on her windpipe. "But you won't." She smiled. "You want something."

"Careful, mortal." He warned. "I need you alive to return my brother. However, you needn't be unharmed." He dug his claws into her flesh inciting a cry of pain as blood soaked through her shirt. "Ssshhhh." He hissed squeezing tighter on her neck. "Here's the only deal you'll be getting from me, your life for the safe return of my brother. You may think yourself safe once you leave here, but know this, in your expended lifetime someone will summon me. I don't care what they wish for my price will be to get my hands on you and I will make you suffer as no one has ever suffered before."
He loosened his grip on her ever so slightly and pricked at her skin with his claws. He smiled as he saw a tear of pain run down her cheek. "It's been ten of your years, by this time Dark and his host will be assimilating. Two souls cannot co-exist for very long. The stronger will always devour the other. A demonic soul is stronger than a human soul, but I happen to know you wished for abilities that could severely tilt the odds out of my brother's favor. I believe you enslaved him in order to steal his powers, place them in a body you could easily control. Am I warm?"

Al sucked air in-between her teeth. "That's a drastic oversimplification." She panted.

He smirked with a little hum in his throat. "Regardless, you have until I escape this place or he dies to return him. Should you fail-" He wriggled his nails under her skin and she clenched her teeth to keep from screaming, "I think you understand what will happen. Now get out of my realm." He shoved her hard.

Al's back slammed into the frozen earth knocking the breath from her lungs. She gasped curling up and pressing her hands into her torn abdomen. The sleet had slowed to a soft snow and the sun had long set. She struggled to slow her breathing and began to chant, she felt the magic building, but a sob broke the spell. She licked her lips and tried again. On her third attempt she finished the incantation and relief flooded her body. She relaxed into the recesses of her coat and ran her hand under her shirt. Her skin was still sticky with blood, but the wounds were gone.

She sat up slowly and zipped her coat to cover the blood stains. She reached for her staff and hugged it to her chest. "My deadline just closed in and I can't risk summoning again to find a replacement." She gazed up at the starry night sky. "What do I do?" She chuckled then rubbing her cheek on the cool wood. "An earth-bound demon isn't as good, but Gerry and I can't be the only creepy-crawlies in this city."