Gangland [1x1 with Psychosis]

[Psychosis]

"Alright."


He nodded before all but jumping on the bed, not bothering to even change his clothes. With a slight sigh, he let his eyes close and his body to fall into slumber. However, his sleep was nothing easy. His body was heated up and the blood pressure was absolutely insane. Moreover, his mind was tormented by several nightmares, depicting a place burning and people running, screaming, catching fire helplessly as they tried to escape the ordeal. He couldn't understand this nightmare nor could he defend from it, because he was it. What has happened?


Finally waking up with a gasp, he opened his eyes. His body was covered in sweat, and so were the sheets. His breath was shallow. He looked out on the window and it all seemed dark. His eyes were still burning, as if a fire was residing within them. His body was numb with pain and his head heavy.


I don't like this...

 

[Luxii]

As soon as Vincent got into bed, Ari left and shut the door behind her. She tried laying on the couch for awhile but her mind was racing. Time crawled by, marked by a clock that hung on the wall.


After three hours, Ari stood and stretched. This was going to be a long night...


Her curiosity got the better of her and she peeked into the bedroom. It looked like Vincent was having a nightmare. He had the sheets clenched in his fists, sweat beaded on his brow. She didn't know if she should wake him or let him sleep, and after watching him for a moment more she decided on the latter.


She opened the window was wasn't cracked and lit up a cigarette, drawing the sweet smoke into her lungs. After the fourth one, she was finally pleasantly relaxed enough that as soon as she laid on the couch she was asleep.

 

[Psychosis]

For the rest of the night, Vincent thought time again about everything that has been happening and still was. What chances of actually defeating whatever was awakening they had? It seemed everything was worse and worse and now, eversince he's killed Liam, which was just hours ago... it seemed as if the entity possesing the shell switched its home into him. He couldn't stop foreseeing death and demise and it quite scared him, to say the least. As the morning arose, he finally stood up, with the intention of heading to the kitchen. The next night they were going for the heist that Trevor has planned.


As he entered the kitchen, Vince all but rushed to prepare the coffee, and, after doing so, he simply opened the window and sat at the counter, lighting himself a cigarette and serving his coffee as he turned on the TV to watch the latest news. Was Ari still sleeping?

 

[Luxii]

The smell of coffee and the sound of the TV woke Ari. She was curled up on the couch, knees tucked into her chest like a child. She sat up slowly, trying to work out the kink in her shoulder by rotating the joint as she came to a seated position. What she wouldn't give to sleep in a bed again...


Vincent was already awake, smoking his first cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee. He looked tired still, dark circles under his eyes.


She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face. She cringed when she looked in the mirror - her hair was a curly, matted mess. She was able to tame it somewhat and plaited it into a braid.


Then she made her way back into the kitchen, grabbed a mug from the counter, and poured herself some coffee. The steam from the hot liquid smelled delicious.


She took a seat next to Vincent and laid her head on his shoulder. "Rough night?"

 

[Psychosis]

As she appeared in the kitchen, Vincent's mind was taken aback from the row of thoughts that ran through it. He all but watched her stroll to him and eventually lay her head on his shoulder, making his heart feel light and blissful all the sudden. It was as if her very presence pushed away the demons that fought within him to control his being. With a free hand he gently caressed her hair, laying his cheek on her head as he sighed softly.


"Yeah, my sleep was nothing near great. I hope i won't be tired tonight. We need to get those money."

 

[Luxii]

Vincent couldn't see her smile. This was normal, this was how things should be. His cheek was warm on the top of her head, and she almost didn't hear his sigh of contentment.


Gently she straightened, losing contact with him for now. She lit her own first cigarette of the day. Maybe it would help get rid of the kink in her shoulder.


"We can always take a nap before," she said innocently. "But I'll be damned if I sleep on that couch again, Hound."

 

[Psychosis]

"As if I put you to sleep there." He teased. "You could always come and sleep with me, but no one can guarantee for your safety. I'm known for eating women, sometimes." He chuckled at his own words before placing a soft kiss at the top of her head. Killing the remnants of his own cigarette, he took a sip from the still hot coffee as he shifted his attention to the news. Nothing actually surprising was being casted, only more murders, corruption, and what not. The corpse of the lawyer has been found, and also, it seemed that the police was finally catching a hint of something far darker going on in the town. However, Vince didn't want to think of anything today. Nothing else but the person at his side, Ari. She was much more important.


"So, what do you say if we spend some time together today? We can do anything."

 

[Luxii]

Ari tried to pay attention to the TV but Vincent was very distracting. His little tease-y comments made her stomach do small flips in her belly. It would almost be worth the risk of being eaten, she thought.


Her coffee and cigarette were almost gone. She reached for the coffee pot and poured herself some more as she took the last drag of the cigarette. One of her feet kicked absentmindedly against the counter.


She swallowed back a smile when Vincent's next question came.


"That almost sounds like you're asking me on a date," she said playfully. "I'll have to check my schedule and get back to you."

 

[Psychosis]

"Maybe I am. I'm sorry, Princess, i forgot to bring flowers for you, but we can always arrange something." He teased further as he turned, leaning in dangerously close to her and yet again catching her face in his hands, just like the last evening, but this time, taking it all to the end by placing a gentle kiss upon her lips. It tasted like heaven, and he felt more revigorated than ever as he did that. She was indeed the cure for his pains.


"Damn you for making me behave like such a teen."

 

[Luxii]

She pulled back from him and laughed. It did feel like they were a couple of teenagers.


"You don't seem like the type of guy to give flowers," she said with a smirk.


It was nearing noon now, so they had about ten hours before they had to get ready for the heist. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she was.

 

[Psychosis]

"Ow, i don't? You hurt my feelings, princess." He teased as he gazed down into her eyes, giving her a genuine smile before getting off his seat and heading to the fridge. "What would her majesty like to eat, hm?"


The thought of the incoming heist was sending shivers down his spine, there was a constant flow of adrenaline coursing through him, making him ever so nervous about it all.

 

[Luxii]

"I'm not hungry... Not yet at least. Don't seem to have an appetite lately."


Ever since all this demon business, Ari barely ate. Perhaps her body was more stressed out than she realized. It had been bad enough last year when she joined the Saints, but it was much worse in the last week than it had ever been. She ran on coffee and cigarettes for the most part; it kept her balanced between strung out and mellow.


The news played softly in the background. It seemed the police had found Liam's body in the bunker. The newscasters rambled on about a possible serial killer in the city. Residents were encouraged to be in their homes by dark until the matter was settled. If only they knew... Maybe it would make the heist easier tonight, though. So there was that.


Ari stretched in her seat, her tank top rode up her stomach slightly. That damn kink in her shoulder needed to work itself out before tonight. She was getting too old to be sleeping on couches.


"I have to go replace my phone," she said. She stood and took her empty coffee mug to the sink, rinsing it out thoroughly. "But other than that I don't think there's much to do today until tonight."

 

[Psychosis]

What a surprise she wasn't hungry. Neither was Vince, even though he was still searching the fridge. Indeed, he felt quite thrilled about the move they were about to pull tonight, and even if he didn't seem to, he payed much attention to his phone, listening if it would ring. However, stressing on about it would do no good, and so he decided to pull out a box of chocolate candy, and bring it to the counter, retaking his joking, relaxed attitude before Ari.


"Well, look what i found. I hope you like chocolate, don't you?"

 

[Luxii]

Chocolates were much better than flowers, anyway, especially if dark chocolate was involved. Ari's eyes lit up as she picked through the box to find any of the dark chocolate pieces. Her nose crinkled in disgust at the white chocolate pieces - she hated those. Luckily, there was an assortment still in the box, and more than enough dark ones. She popped a morsel into her mouth, eyes sliding shut as the bitter-sweetness melted over her tongue.


"You know the way to a girl's heart," she said after her second piece.


There was a little smudge of chocolate in the corner of her mouth that she licked away. Damn, she always made a mess when she ate.

 

[Psychosis]

"Yeah, the fastest is through the ribcage" He completed jokingly, before, as he saw the mess she made in the corner of her mouth, he wanted to lick it away. However, she did so before he could approach, so, with a smile, he picked up one of the white chocolate pieces that she so eagerly avoided, and smiled as he ate it.

 

[Luxii]

Her nose crinkled in disgust.


"Ugh, I don't know if we can be friends anymore," she teased as she grabbed another dark chocolate piece from the box and popped it into her mouth.


Here they could have been any normal man and woman, flirting back and both. It was a welcome thought for Ari and allowed her to forget - even if it was just for this moment - about the demons, about the heist, about her sick mother, about everything.

 

[Psychosis]

Vincent all but smiled at her crinkling her nose, not being able to find her anything than adorable. How could he ever hate her?


Checking his phone, he nodded. It was already afternoon. How quick time passed when he spent it with her. He almost felt sad that was going so quick, but hell, he couldn't hold it back. Returning his attention to Ari, he smiled genuinely as he questioned.


"So, what do you say, after all this shit is finished, we could afford a nice vacation somewhere far away with my share of the money. We're gonna need a lot of time to forget about demons and crap like that."

 

[Luxii]

Ari blinked. The question had definitely caught her off guard. She hadn't really thought about "after" at all, but certainly there had to be one.


"I--"


What should she say? Granted, the Hound could use his share of the money however he pleased, but it still seemed too generous of an offer. Not that Ari didn't want to take advantage of the opportunity: somewhere with white sand and blue water sounded heavenly right now. But she would feel guilty if she did.


"I couldn't let you do that," she replied. For some reason she had to look away from him as she spoke. "I'm sure there are other things you could use your share for..."

 

[Psychosis]

"Other things? Like? " He questioned with no little curiosity. Moving behind the counter, he approached her from behind and gently embraced her, placing her back against him. "My parents are gone and all the rest of my family pretty much hates me for who i am. Yes, i will stay with the Hounds, but aside that, nothing that needs to be done. I think we'd both deserve this spoil after all the hell is over."


Moving his hands a bit lower, he managed to catch her own and gently play with her fingers as he contemplated the thought.

 

[Luxii]

It was hard to think straight when the Hound did things like this, and he seemed to be making a frequent habit of it. His hands engulfed her own, his chest warm against her back.


She spun around to face him, though there was no space to step back: the counter blocked her way.


"That--that's just it," she said. "You're still a Hellhound, and I'm still a Saint." The tilt of her head exposed her still healing gang tattoo, the darkness of the swirling script a stark contrast on her porcelain skin. "We're supposed to hate each other, Vincent."


Again, her eyes wouldn't meet his. She knew that if she looked at him, she wouldn't be able to keep any thoughts in her head.


"What will you tell the rest of the Hounds? We can't hide forever... The Saints will come looking for me eventually. And if the Hellhounds find out..."


She knew they would kill her and not think twice about it, far worse would probably happen to Vincent, but she let that thought hang in the air between them.

 

[Psychosis]

"And there you go, off into overthinking. Fuck's sake." He sighed in frustration as he felt quite the anger, considering she has ruined a perfect moment with this. However, he wasn't stupid. She was right. They shouldn't even be approaching each other in such a way, let alone do other things like planning vacations together. That was just something he tried to do to take his mind off the heavy thought process about everything that was to come for now. However, his phone ringing was what eventually took him fully away from the subject at hand.


"What's happening, Rick?" Vincent answered quickly, curious as to what would be the reason of the Hound to call him. He winked to Ari to let her know what was happening.


Ey, listen, you won't fucking believe what i've seen. Zeke, man, i've seen Zeke wandering the centre zone. Is this what you are working on?





So, now, newly, the demons came out without any fear of being spotted? It meant their plan was going forth pretty damn good.


"Yeah. Did you snap a picture of him?"


Do you think i'm fucking stupid, bro? I just ran off. That shit ain't nothing near natural and i wasn't planning on sticking around to see more of the brain leaking through his fucking face. Whoever popped that cap into his skull did it well, he's fucked up on all levels. Take care, man, call if you need help with this shit.





And the call was over. Now Vincent had yet another thing to think about. Or not. If the night would come faster.

 

[Luxii]

Vincent's comment stung, but Ari tried to not take it personally. One was them had to think realistically, dammit. Luckily his phone rang before anything else could be said. From the sound of it, it was one of his Hound buddies - Rick. She knew well enough to stay quiet and tried to listen for snippets of the conversation.


She heard Zeke's name mentioned and her stomach twisted violently. Hadn't they all ready killed him twice now?


Rick's offer of help crackled through the phone before he ended the conversation. Ari was beginning to wonder if she was being useful in all of this craziness. As if reading her thoughts the pendant - nearly forgotten around her neck - flared hot, sending the familar pain from her chest to the crown of her head. She collapsed against the counter, nearly cracking her skull on the ledge.


It was like watching the present from outside her own body. Ari could see her form splayed out on the ground in a crumbled mess. Vincent was bending over her, shaking her. But it wasn't Vincent - this figure's eyes flared red and flames licked out of his mouth. The stench of sulphur was so overpowering that even as Ari floated above the whole scene she felt the need to wretch.





And then it was over - she was back in her own body. Her eyes fluttered open. It was like her vision and reality were colliding - Vincent still looked like a demon to her, his eyes fiery pits. She choked on a scream in her throat and furiously crawled backwards on her hands away from him.

 

[Psychosis]

He all but watched Ari collapse from her chair, and could clearly sense the odd energy from her pendant. It was actually strong against him, he could feel his body heaten up and as he didn't see, his eyes quicly caught a red flame within just a minute before her awakening. A voice was echoing within him, commanding him a thousand things at a time. He couldn't refuse, but thank the skies the moment dissapeared before he could actually act conformingly to the orders he was getting.


Her scared face and the way she tried to crawl away from him made him panic for a second and look behind, thinking something might be there. But it wasn't. Why in the world was she acting so? Quickly kneeling near her, he all but caught her in his grasp and shook her as to wake her up from this panic she fell into.


"Hey, what's wrong?"

 

[Luxii]

As soon as demon Vincent put his hands on her, the pendant once again flashed impossibly hot, plunging Ari back into another vision.


This time she was falling. Her arms windmilled wildly, trying to catch onto something, anything to slow her descent. The air around her burned, and flames licked at her flesh from all angles. There were red eyes all around her, laughing and taunting. The voices of a thousand demons clawed at the base of her neck and just when she felt her skin begin to blister and peel away--





It was over. And she couldnt hold back the sob in her chest. Vincent was still holding her and she curled into him as she shook. The voices still echoed in her ears, laughing and mocking. With a yank at the chain around her throat, the pendant came free and she threw it across the room.

 

[Psychosis]

Vincent watched the pendant fly across the room and land in a forgotten corner, sparking from the spot as if it was attempting to attract a gaze and attention. That thing was clearly screwing around with both their minds, and Vince could now only hope it won't do even worse. However, the voice in his head returned, like a hushed whisper, calling his name and speaking the word "murder" obsessively. Why was this happening? It hasn't been so before... before I killed Liam. The idea sparked in his mind and he now only saw Liam's eyes, gaze before his, burning with a passionate hatred. Liam...


Embracing Ari as to try and comfort her, he now felt a fear that was making its way through his bones. What if whatever possesed Liam aimed to posses him from the beginning of it all? What if he was slowly becoming what he fought against? Should he tell Ari about it? No, she will panic and run, his inner conscience told him. All he could do for now is try and act as if nothing was going on. But the burning pain in the temples of his head told him otherwise. Nothing was right. Something big and bad was coming.