Grayson Jekyll: Monster Hunter

Shot in the Dark

I walked into the local pub. I was on a hunt for a creature the locals were describing as half man and half bat. I noticed people staring at me as I walked in and cleared out of my way. I was in my black duster, my black cargo pants with my engineer boots, my leather v shaper and a grey shirt. My weapons were on my waist and on my back. The bar tender walked over and looked at me up and down.

"I'm guessing you're the one the Church sent?" He said.

"Depends. Is this the town that's plagued by a demonic bat?" I said. "Also a shot of schnapps would be nice."

"Of course." He poured my glass and continued talking. "People around here are getting worried. This demon is responsible for over ten deaths and the marshals tried once but... Well it made the death toll go from six to ten. The creature was last seen flying over the woods towards a cave outside of town."

"When was this sighting?"

"Last night. It was carrying a young boy. God only knows what's happened to him."

"Show me the direction the creature went in and I'll take care of it." He led me outside and pointed to the cliff overlooking the woods and town. I could see the cave he was talking about, about halfway up the cliff. "I'll be off. Tell everyone to take shelter in the bar and wait until I get back."

With that I began on my way to the cave. Once I reached the cliff I took off my duster and hat. I rolled up my sleeves and began climbing the three hundred feet up to the cave. Once I reached the entrance I looked out at the sun setting. From what I heard the creature only comes out at night so I had to hurry. I heard crying from the cave and put on my goggles. The church made them night vision by some advanced means of technology. I began my way into the cave and eventually reaches a open area.

The area was littered with bones of animals and people. I noticed a little boy crying in the corner of it. I ran over to him and checked for any bites or claw marks. Nothing. He wasn't infected by anything or hurt.

"Shh it's gonna be ok." I said as I picked him up. "The Church sent me to stop the monster that did this to you. Where did it go?"

"Look up." He whispered and I did. Hanging from the ceiling as a giant bat, human hybrid. It had the face, clawed feet and wings of a bat but the body of a man. It twitched in it's sleep and the boy flinched.

"Ok we need to leave now." I said and grabbed his hand. I lead him to the front of the cave and looked down. I was gonna have to carry him all the way down. Than I noticed the moon begin to rise and a demonic scream from the cave.

"It's awake!" The boy screamed and almost fell off the cliff. I looked down and back towards the cave. I could see the creature's eyes glow in the darkness of the cave as it made its way towards us.

"Grab on and trust me!" I said as I grabbed my grappling gun off my side. The boy grabbed on to my waist as I jumped off the cliff and fired my grappling gun at a tree growing off the cliff side. I swung us down by the tree I had put my stuff. "Start running for the town now and I'll be right behind you!"

The boy began running towards the town. I grabbed my stuff just as the creature flew out of the cave. It began flying towards the town and I ran after it. Once we reached the town, I reached into my duster and grabbed my revolver. I lined up my shot and fired the bullet into the creatures shoulder. The creature fell down through the roof of the bar.

"Bollocks." I said and rammed down the barricaded bar door. I aimed my revolver at the creature and fired another rounds into it's chest as everybody ran outside screaming.

The creature slashed at me and I jumped back. I went to aim my revolver again but it knocked it out of my hand and across the bar. It ran out the door and tried to take off. I jumped and grabbed it's ankle as it flew off. It launched itself three hundred feet into the sky and than kicked me off. I reached into my duster and fired my grappling gun at it.

The grappling hook shot through the creatures chest. The monster screamed before heading in a nose dive down for the village dragging me behind it on the line. It pulled up right before it hit a roof to a building sending me through it. I got up and pulled the line towards me. The creature crashed through the roof. I wrapped it up using the line and threw it across the house we were in.

"Now if you can talk you are gonna tell me everything I want to know." It tried to bite my face as I jumped back. I pulled it up to it's feet and slammed a chair over it's jaw. I pulled out my knife and stabbed it into the beast's leg. "Last chance mate!"

"He's going to kill you Jekyll." The creature hissed in a raspy voice. "He's going to kill you just like your father! The time is almost here for him to overthrow the humans that hunt us!"

"Where is he?!" I yelled and lifted the beast to it's feet. "Where is the Impaler?"

"In a small village in the Carpathian Mountains overlooked by his castle. You'll never be able to stop him in this weak form. Why don't you let Hyde come out and play? I'm sure he'd love it. Surrounded by all those frail, innocent people."

"Rot in hell." I threw the demon through the wall outside. The little boy I saved handed me my revolver as I walked over and put the last round in the creatures skull. I than pulled my knife out and cut off it's head. I walked into the church that everyone ran inside and threw the creature's head in. "You're all safe now."

"Bloody hell." The bartender said as he walked over to me. "I guess I owe you another drink don't I mate?"

"I appreciate the offer but I have to get going back to London." I said as I started to leave. The little boy ran over and hugged me as I tried to walk out.

"Please take me with you sir!" He cried. "My mother and father were killed by the creature and I have no where else to go."

"It's not safe staying with me." I said as I tried to walk past him.

"Please I have nowhere else to go!" He said as he got back in front of me. "Train me to be a hunter like you!"

"Absolutely not. This is too dangerous for a child."

"How would you feel if you watched your parents die in front of you by some horrible monster?" He yelled as I started walking away again. I stopped in my tracks. I saw flashbacks of the night my family died. "I have no where to go and no family."

"You have ten minutes to get your stuff ready or I'm leaving." I said. He ran over to me thanking me. "Hurry up. It's a long walk back to London.... What's your name?"

"Julius sir. Julius Aaron."
"Alright Julius. Hurry up and let's get back to London. I have a feeling we are in for a royal cluster fuck when we get there."