Knock, knock

“You don’t have any weapons, Isaac? No guns, not even a baseball bat?” Jade asked for the third time.

“No, Jade. I live in a very low crime area, and I have a security system. I am not comfortable keeping weapons around.” Isaac threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

Ophelia cut off any further argument by walking away from the window and growling, the sound low and primal. “Fuckhead’s here.”

“Alone?” Isaac asked.

There was a muffled cracking of wood. “Nope,” Ophelia said. Her eyes started to glow and her horns lengthened as she braced her back against the door to the bedroom. “Three of them. Don’t know two, but they’re both using Wraithriders.”

“And that means…?”

“I’ll explain it after we get through this.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Jade, call the cops. Isaac, call Tyler.”

Jade did as she was told, and Isaac lifted his phone, only to receive a call from Tyler first. He put it on speaker instantly.

“Isaac, I know they’re there, I’m on my way with backup,” Tyler said. “Avoid engagement with Grimm as much as you can. Do not go to them. Grimm will kill to get what he wants- if you have to, kill him first.”

Isaac shook his head, about to try and clarify, when Ophelia nodded vigorously.

“Why does he want… us?!” Isaac asked, running a nervous hand through his hair.

“I don’t know,” Tyler said. Isaac heard the sound of a car door slamming.

“I do,” Ophelia said. “And I promise, love, I promise I will explain everything once he is gone.”

Isaac nodded.

Through the door and the walls, Isaac caught someone shouting. “Can’t hide forever, Brimcaste!” The voice said, loud and a bit manic.

“What if, say, they’re about thirty feet away only separated by a door?” Isaac asked in a hushed whisper, taking the phone off speaker.

“Run if you can. Stand and fight if you can’t. Do not start it. It is vitally important that you do not make the first move.” Tyler’s voice was now distorted by a low rumble. “I have to go. I believe in you all.”

The line went dead. Isaac pocketed his phone. “He says run as option one, then fight as a second, but don’t hit first.”

“Probably has some kind of challenge spell up. Nasty stuff,” Ophelia replied in low tones. “If we start the fight, they can hit back twice as hard. If we make them make the first move, they don’t get that chance.”

Wood splintered somewhere downstairs.

“Alright, so, window?” Isaac asked, stepping in its direction. He pulled the curtains slightly apart peering through. The window let out on the front of the building, and through it he could see the car that was ridden up, half on the front lawn and half on the driveway and blocking Isaac’s car in. The new vehicle was a heavy-duty black pickup truck, the bed covered. Isaac could rush for his car if they dropped out the window, but he’d have to get around the pickup and leave before the intruders got out. He could book it on foot, but if they had guns he’d be fucked. Not to mention the window was at least ten feet off the ground, Isaac didn’t really know how to fall.

“You can try it,” Ophelia said, grimacing as footfalls sounded on the stairs. “But I won’t fit. I’m too big.”

She had a point there. “Well, maybe-”

The door was struck hard enough to send Ophelia reeling away from it.

“If you think you can get out of the window, do it,” Ophelia said, catching her footing. She made a fist and black smoke started to billow out from between her fingers. “Otherwise, get behind me.”

Isaac left the window as an option, but elected to leave it as a last-resort, instead doing as he was told and falling behind Ophelia’s broad form with Jade.

The wooden door splintered apart just as a haft of black metal sprung from Ophelia’s fist. A metal, clawed gauntlet, crackling with blue lightning, closed around the end of the metal rod, but was pried off as two broad blades sprung from the haft. It was a brutal thing, a massive black greataxe with wing-shaped blades emerging from the end of the haft, one edge razor-sharp and the other serrated.

Three figures quickly stepped into the room. One was a tall, gangly man, every feature just a bit too long or broad, with a dangerous grin, messy white hair, and sharp yellow eyes. His ears had a hint of a point to them, just enough to look inhuman. The other two were normal people, dressed in all-black body armor with blue light glowing from within their eye protection. The two standard-dress soldiers also each bore one silver-steel gauntlets, fingers tipped with sharp claws. Set into the back of the hand was a glowing blue core of some kind, and it periodically emitted bolts of deep blue lightning across the gauntlet.

“Ophelia,” said the long-limbed man in a voice gritty and damaged. “Good to see you again.”

“Fuck off, Declan,” Ophelia snarled, hefting the axe into a ready position. “If you really wanted to meet on good terms, you wouldn’t have brought two Wraithriders.”

Declan’s hand twitched and the two behind him split up to move deeper into the room, flanking Ophelia. Their gauntlets crackled.

Declan laughed as he spoke. “Ophelia, honey, you can’t think I’m here to kidnap you!” He took a dangerous step forward, his eyes glowing. “Do you really think I would be that callous?”

Ophelia’s grip tightened further on her weapon, but she didn’t strike. “Get talking.”

“I just want to bring you home,” Declan said, reaching out. His gestures were warm, but his expression was stone-cold. “To your family.”

“My family is dead and gone, and good riddance besides.” Isaac could see in her stance that Ophelia wanted so terribly to swing, but she kept her cool.

“Not them. Fuck them.” Declan laughed again. When he laughed it was a coarse, dry, self-indulgent sound. “Your real family.”

At that, Ophelia halted. “...what?”

“Y’know. The other demons.” Declan lazily paced back and forth. “The ones you left to come here.” His tone sharpened, gaining a bitter edge.

“They… they’re safe. They don’t need me.”

“They want you back. They miss you.”

Declan rolled his shoulders and the two soldiers stepped closer. There was still space to dart for the window, but it was quickly closing.

“Who? Tell me exactly who.” Ophelia demanded. Every muscle in her back and arms was tensed, ready to swing.

Declan started counting on his fingers. “Torik, Rakta, Eylora, Prethiks… the Unchained.”

Ophelia stayed silent.

“Don’t you want to see them again? You just need to come with me, leave these…” Declan gestured to Isaac and Jade. “These humans.” He said it with disdain, almost disgust.

“These humans are important to me.”

“I guess we can just get rid of them.” Declan flicked his wrist, and the two soldiers marched forward, reaching for Jade and Isaac.

Isaac grabbed Jade’s wrist before she could lash out. When she looked at him incredulously, he shook his head and mouthed, “Don’t hit first.”

When a cold, humming gauntlet landed on Isaac’s skin, some indiscernible presence dissipated, and Ophelia swung.

The greataxe bit into the floor where Declan had been standing a moment before, sending up splinters. Declan grabbed Ophelia’s arms, scars over his hands glowing bright red, but Ophelia didn’t react, instead she swung up, pushing Declan back.

Ophelia pivoted to shove back the soldiers. She looked to Isaac and Jade, her eyes glowing brighter than over. “Go!” She said, that growl under her words now loud and reverberating.

Jade lunged for the window, narrowly avoiding a lunge from one of the soldiers. Isaac followed, but the back of his shirt was caught. He writhed and twisted, grabbing at the hand, scrabbling at the gauntlet. Something flipped and it came loose, letting Isaac flee with the gauntlet in his hand.

“Oh, you dipshit!” Declan growled as Jade pushed up the window and dove through.

Isaac followed her, not sure how to fall in order to minimize harm, but with the gauntlet still in his hand, he squeezed his eyes shut and hoped.

Then he stopped, as if caught in a net. Upon further inspection, he and Jade were caught in a web of glowing blue. It faded shortly after, dropping them the last foot or so to the ground.

“Okay, what now?” Jade asked, picking herself up and brushing herself off.

“We… wait, I guess. Tyler should be here soon.” Isaac looked at the gauntlet, at the glowing blue core set into the back of it, and slipped it on, fastening a few buckles. It was ill-fitting, but he felt the energy within it thrum at his touch.

The wall of the bedroom exploded outward, showering Isaac in debris, as Ophelia went flying. She landed hard, denting the earth, but stood tall, unhurt. Her hair whipped and glowed like flame, and she’d grown, bone spines emerging from her back and large hooves at the end of her feet. Two thick, scaly stubs emerged from her shoulders, looking almost like the bases for wings.

She looked at Isaac. “You need to run,” she said, her voice now deeper, primal.

Declan and the two soldiers followed close behind, landing easily. Declan had a bloody smear across his cheek and a mad grin. “Hey, Ophelia, you got one more shot. Give it up, babe.”

She responded by hurling the axe with **** enough to cleave into one of the soldiers, pinning him to the wall of the house.

“Alright. Get mad. It’s easier that way.” Declan’s hands glowed bright blue, crackling with white lightning. He lunged, but stopped short, looking up. “Oh, fuck me.”

Isaac followed his gaze to see… a bird? Would be a massive bird, but it was a winged silhouette. No, it was humanoid, with massive wings and… a lashing tail.

He didn’t have any more time to process as the figure landed between Ophelia and Declan. It was a man, dressed only in baggy pants, covered in scars and a red hide, with enormous reptilian wings and a lashing scorpion tail. His hooves carved into the dirt, planting him in place. On closer inspection, he had a bloody cut down his side, fresh among a sea of pale scars.

“Torik,” Ophelia gasped.

“Sorry, Ophelia,” Torik said, breathless, as he flashed a crooked smile at her. He ran a hand through the mess of black hair on his head and blinked rapidly. “Had a delay.”

“Two in one place. Just made it easier for me.” Declan’s hands resumed their glow and he snapped them out to his sides, conjuring long chains.

The following blur of movement and flash of light left Isaac reeling, but when his vision cleared, he saw Torik holding Declan by the throat.

“Nice try,” Torik said, “but I’ve gotten better.”

The soldier still standing lunged forward and clamped the gauntlet on Torik’s arm, sending lightning coursing into the winged man. His scorpion tail lashed forward to pierce the soldier’s arm, but he let go of Declan. Declan lashed a chain around Ophelia’s neck, yanking her forward.

“Come on, Ophelia, don’t leave me hanging!” He roared, wrapping the other chain around her leg. “At least give me something!”

Isaac, on instinct, flung out the hand wearing the gauntlet and watched the blue core glow bright. A blast of blue fired from his palm, shattering the chains.

Declan reeled, laughing and shaking his head. “Alright, he can use the Wraithrider!”

“I do not know what that means!” Isaac replied. “We need to go!”

As if summoned by his words, a black SUV squealed to a stop in front of the driveway. “Hey, Isaac!” Shouted Tyler’s voice as the door popped open. “Let’s go!”

“You can’t run forever, Ophelia, and next time it’ll be more than just me and some useless goons!” Declan didn’t move to stop them, instead standing straight and looking with wild eyes.

Isaac turned and, with the rest of them on his heels, rushed to the car and threw himself into the backseat. Jade quickly followed, then Ophelia crammed herself in, but Torik leapt up to the top of the car. The door slammed shut on its own and the car took off.

Isaac watched through the window as Declan stared after them, wild grin on his face, until he was out of view.