III. First Blood

"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

-Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

Blood Lust

Roxanne's hand went to Atkin's head, and ripped it right off. Her nails were long and sharp, making blood trickle down the decapitated head as her claws dug in.

She went inside the room, head in hand, and smiled sinisterly at the remaining enemy. The guy didn't smile back and just stared expressionlessly at her.

Roxanne shoved the head an inch from the guy's face. But he didn't even flinch and just regarded her with cool icy blue eyes.

She was quite clear-headed inside, but whatever she tried to do, she still couldn't take control of her body. She couldn't even control her mouth!

"I'm sorry your little buddy couldn't make it. Perhaps you want to join him?" her voice was unrecognizable even to herself.

"I have no intention of doing the same thing as my foolish companion, demon. I will not attack you without trying to talk to you. Now, what business do you have here?" he asked, calmly, not once moving from his spot.

Apparently, he couldn't care less if his ally was dead or not.

"You're in my territory, vampire." She snarled, glaring predatorily at the boy, as she threw the decapitated head to the side. "And it doesn't please me to have unnecessary visitors…" she added, as she slowly walked towards the door.

The 'vampire' frowned a bit, "A demon guarding a sweeper's have? That's odd."

Her hand tore a door away from its rightful place and she held onto it with only that hand, as she scoffed. "Guard?" she echoed in distaste. "I do not guard. I live here." After she said that, she carelessly threw the door at the guy, aiming for his neck with much needed force.

But the guy surprisingly caught it easily with one hand, and then continued the conversation as if she hadn't just attempted to kill him. "You live here?" his eyebrows slightly rose. "That's impossible. A demon like you should be known to us if you live amongst humans…unless…" his face turned murderous, and his voice went deathly low. "Murdock sent you…" His fist tightened in anger. "That bastard, even pulling demons into it—"

"I have no knowledge of whatever you're talking about, so stay away from my turf, you filthy vamp—" she was cut off by the deafening sound of a gun shot.

Right after the sound, Roxanne felt a stabbing pain shoot up her arm from her knife hand, and then the next thing she heard was a clatter joining the sound of dripping blood.

Nobody moved for a moment.

She slowly looked at her hand, staring quite dully at the hole in its palm. The knife was on the floor, drenched in her own blood.

The inside Roxy would've hurled, seeing her own hand in such a mangled state, but the thing possessing her has yet to relinquish control.

To her horror, the skin and flesh started growing back—and while the inside Roxy was writhing in excruciating pain, the outside Roxy showed none of it and calmly stared at the unbelievable scene happening right in front of her.

It felt like the remaining skin was being stretched to cover up the hole.

Slowly, but surely, when her hand was looking normal again, whatever that had possessed her was starting to fade…so she slowly turned to look at the one who shot her.

There stood Maxy, with a gun aimed straight at her.

Roxanne Adellaide Adams

I looked straight into Maxy's forest green eyes, and saw the fear swirling in them. She was even shaking.

"Monster…" she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes, as she shook. "What Father said was true…you are a monster. A demon. A blood-thirsty demon…"

Monster…Demon…, her words echoed in my mind.

I never thought something could actually hurt so much without blood being spilled, but here it was. It was ten times more painful than when the wound on my hand started to close…

My sister called me a monster.

I dazedly looked at my hands, and saw that they were still stained with Atkin's blood, and some of my own.

Was I really…a monster?

Tears started forming in my eyes, and I began to stagger towards her. "Maxy, I—"

She cocked the gun and aimed it at me again, in a steadier manner, making me stop. "Don't come near me!" she warned me, in a brave voice.

The coldness bit me. The tears dropped.

I looked at her hopelessly. "But s-sis, I was just—"

"I am not your sister!" she suddenly screamed, as her own tears started pouring.

That did it.

My knees gave away, and I was about to fall if it hadn't been for a pair of strong, pale arms coming from behind and wrapping themselves around me to prevent me from falling down.

A breath, cold as ice, tickled my ear, as the voice of the 'vampire' softly whispered, "Sleep…"

Everything around me blurred, and I blacked out.

A/N:

(Nervous laugh) it's just a short one. Hehehe. Anyway, thanks again for the people who reviewed.

I'm not really that satisfied with this chapter, since I had a little trouble putting to words how Roxy felt, and stuff… Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter out as fast as I can! (smile)

Thanks for reading!!

-Jessi