Fight or Flight

Lucia's fingers traced the intricate design on the Soul Blade's hilt as she stood at the crossroads, the city's neon lights reflecting off the dark metal.

She had finally grasped the Death Marksman's power, her desire for a hoody from a nearby boutique manifesting the garment on her body. The soft fabric enveloped her like a shroud, concealing her face from prying eyes.

As she crossed the road, a police car screeched to a halt beside her, the window rolling down with a soft whir.The cop who was one of Ahab's demons gazed at her moving figure.

"Hey Lady,pull down your hoody," he growled, his gun gleaming in the faint light.The demon got out of the car as Lucia's heart raced.She weighed her options: flee or fight.

Her hand tightened around the Soul Blade's hilt, its power coursing through her veins like liquid fire. With a deep breath, she turned to face the demon, her eyes locked onto his.

As Lucia stood her ground, the demon cop's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze burning with an unholy intensity. He reached for his police radio, his hand closing around it like a vice. "This is Unit 314," he barked into the device. "I have visual confirmation of the target. Lucia is in my sights."

His voice was cold and detached, devoid of any humanity. Lucia's heart raced as she realized the gravity of her situation. She was soon going to be surrounded by demons, and they would stop at nothing to capture her.

The radio crackled to life, a disembodied voice responding to the demon cop's call. "Unit 314, this is Dispatch. Confirm location and status."

The demon cop's eyes never left Lucia's face as he replied, his voice dripping with malice. "I'm at the corner of 5th and Main. The target is armed and dangerous. Requesting backup."

Lucia knew she had to act fast. She couldn't let the other demons get to her.The demon who found her knew she would try something funny as his finger tightened on the trigger.

Lucia vanished in a flash of movement, reappearing behind him with the Soul Blade pressed against his throat. "Don't move," she warned, her voice low and even.

But the demon broke free, shoving her to the ground with a snarl. As he raised his gun to fire, the Soul Blade transformed into a shotgun, its barrel glowing with an ethereal light.

Lucia's finger moved on its own accord, squeezing the trigger. The bullet struck the demon with precision, engulfing him in a sudden burst of flames as he stumbled back, his screams echoing through the night.

The air reeked of smoke and brimstone as Lucia rose to her feet, the Soul Blade still humming with power. She knew this was only the beginning – the hunt was far from over.

Lucia's heart raced as she slid into the cop car's passenger seat, the leather creaking beneath her. She grasped the door handle, her knuckles white with tension, as the vehicle lurched forward. The city streets blurred together in a kaleidoscope of lights and sounds, but her mind was elsewhere.

A nagging sense of unease gnawed at her gut. She had expected some sign, some indication that Mark's plan had succeeded. But there was nothing. No sensation, no vision, no whisper in her mind. It was as if Mark's fate remained shrouded in uncertainty.

Panic set in, her breath coming in short gasps. Had the demons outsmarted them? Were they keeping Mark alive, prolonging his suffering to avoid the curse? The thought sent a chill down her spine.

Just then, the police radio crackled to life, Absalom's voice dripping with malice. "Lucia, dear Lucia. You're on the wrong side. We mean you no harm." His words were laced with deceit, but Lucia's heart skipped a beat.

Absalom's voice continued, each word a carefully crafted manipulation. "I know you won't believe me, but I'll prove it to you. Mark is...here with us. And he'll remain our...guest until you return to the motel."

Lucia's grip on the door handle tightened, her knuckles white with rage. Torture. They would torture Mark, break him, until she surrendered. The thought sent a wave of fury through her veins. She would not be intimidated. She would fight back.

Ahab paced the cramped motel room, his boots echoing off the walls as he eyed Mark's limp form. "You really think this will work, Absalom?" he sneered, his voice laced with disbelief. "You think Lucia will just blindly rush in here, like a lamb to the slaughter?"

Back in the motel, Absalom leaned against the wall, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Patience, Ahab. Patience. Lucia's loyalty to Mark is her weakness. She'll come for him, no matter the cost."

Ahab snorted, his eyes rolling in disgust. "And what if she doesn't? What if she's smarter than we think?"

Absalom's smile never wavered. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I assure you, Lucia will come. And when she does, we'll be ready."

With a flick of his wrist, Absalom summoned the demon cops.He ordered them to

converge at the motel.

Mark's unconscious form hung limp and still, a pawn in their game of cat and mouse. Ahab's eyes gleamed with malice as he gazed at Mark, his mind working overtime to conjure up the most brutal tortures.

The stage was set, the players in position. All they needed now was Lucia, the final piece in their twisted game. And Absalom was certain she would come, drawn by her loyalty to Mark like a moth to a flame.

The demons converged on the motel, their dark forms clustering like a malignant storm cloud.The air was heavy with anticipation, the only sound the soft hum of police radios and the creaks and groans of the old motel.

Then, a cop car burst onto the scene, its tires screeching as it hurtled towards the demons at breakneck speed.

The car showed no signs of slowing, plowing into the demons with a sickening crunch. The impact sent bodies flying, the sound of shattering glass and crumpling metal filling the air. The car careened out of control, slamming into the motel building with a deafening crash.

In the chaos that followed, Lucia was nowhere to be seen. The remaining demons surrounded the wreckage, their eyes scanning the empty interior. The motel's lights flickered once, twice, before plunging into darkness. Absalom's laughter echoed through the night, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Lucia thinks she can scare us?" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "She thinks a little chaos will save her?"

He turned to the demons, his voice cold and calculating. "Find her. Bring her to me."

As the demons dispersed, Absalom's phone crackled to life. Ahab's voice was laced with concern. "What's going on, Absalom? I heard a crash..."

Absalom's smile was audible. "Lucia's arrived, Ahab. But don't worry, I'll handle her. You just keep an eye on Mark."

Ahab's hesitation was palpable, but Absalom's confidence was unwavering. "I've got this, Ahab."

The line went dead, and Absalom's eyes scanned the darkness, his senses on high alert. Lucia was out there, hiding in the shadows. But he would find her. Oh, yes. He would find her.