Purgatory

I still hear him now

Author's note:

Trigger warning:

Trigger warnings:
Self harm
disassociation

So... Hi, I've been working on this for a while and I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of the new formatting I've been using or any other thoughts about the chapter, I'd really appreciate constructive criticism!

Also, how are we all?

Anyway, enjoy :)

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"Artemis."

Artemis woke with a start.

"Run." Benny yelled, panic in his voice.

The sounds of fighting drifted from the distance, and he was on his feet, looking around. Benny was facing off three were-wolves in an increasingly desperate fight, already bleeding in several places. His movements were more sluggish than usual – still terrifyingly fast – but slower than usual.

Three hostiles. All equipped with sharp claws and teeth that could grind meat into a paste. Lovely.

Grabbing his dagger from his boot, he descended onto the fray with – well – maybe not grace per say but enthusiasm at the least. He was well acquainted with close quarters combat by now, stabbing, jabbing, brutal movements with a flurry of diversionary blows, all elbows and knees. In this instance biting was very much off the table.

It wasn't elegant, but it was efficient. Butler would have grimaced at such a display – professional as the man was.

Artemis elbowed a blond man in the solar plexus, following up with rapid-fire jabs to the head and neck. Something cracks. He plunged the knife into the chest, then struggled to pull it out. Fuck.

Used to the enhanced strength of a fledgling demon, he had never stabbed someone as a human.

A fist cracked into his head from behind and the world spun, he was up again, vision blurred. A man advanced, a manic look in his eyes–

There was a great yellow flash in the clearing and the fight stopped. Artemis, dazed as he was, watched in confusion as Benny, and the two werewolves came to a standstill and ran in different directions.

Benny grabbed Artemis, "C'mon kid, we got to get out of here."

"Wh-?" started, a probably concussed Artemis.

The light was very close now, "Shit." Benny muttered and pushed Artemis down behind a fallen log.

Artemis watched, as Opal Koboi shot past, levitated above a destructive stream of golden energy, laughing manically all the while. She passed.

"Ah." He stared straight ahead, eyes wide "Oh, that is not good." Although... "It does make sense. I was probably pulled into Purgatory with her, she wasn't really a fairy at the end, she was... something else."

"You know her?"

Artemis blinked slowly, "Yes, she was... I think I'll say, my nemesis."

Benny rolled his eyes, "People don't have nemesis's. Not in real life."

"I do. I have plenty of enemies, but they weren't nemesia. Opal was different."

"I can see that, Chere. I've seen her a few times in the last month, she just flies around zapping people and laughing."