Who: Gretel gretel & Hansel hans When: May 5, shortly after this Where: Hope Springs and then onward What: Hunting! Rating: Mature Audiences Warnings: Language, blood, gore, killing things, you know shit witch hunters are good at. Status: Completed/GDoc
It’d been too long since Gretel had felt the weight of her crossbow in her hands, and she honestly could admit that she’d missed it. The cartridge was loaded, and the blessed extra bolts she had were tucked away in the event that witches decided to invade the land. The dagger she carried was tucked into her waistband, along with her dual pistols, and she had a few other odds and ends that would surely make hunting these things down easier.
Gretel did wish that she had a bigger knife considering the only way to kill these things was to completely destroy them. She would make due with what she had, they’d done more with less before, but she did want to win that bet something fierce.
Checking herself one last time to make sure she didn’t forget anything, Gretel took in a deep breath and stepped outside, crossbow raised. Quickly her eyes scanned over the area, before she took a couple of steps forward. Reaching back behind her she shut the door, not looking back once.
Gretel moved forward slowly, keeping a close eye out for anything strange. One of the things was closing in on the sign, which if someone was pulled to Test City now it would be rather unfortunate for them. Without any hesitation, Gretel began firing, the quick succession of bolts taking out the creature’s left leg. She went to the right leg, then an arm before she was upon the beast.
She slammed her foot down on it’s head, crushing its skull beneath her boot until it stopped moving. “Hm, that seems to work.” With another quick scan of the area, she determined there were no others around so she set about retrieving her bolts and kicking the body out of the way so that she could dismantle it further.
Gretel turned her head only to see her brother headed her way. “One down. You get any while you were on your way here?” She went back to work cutting up the corpse, keeping the parts away from the sign just so no one would trip on them in the event that they came this way or if someone arrived.
When she was satisfied with how many pieces the creature was in, she wiped the blade off against the grass and stood. “Stomping them also seems to work, but I wanted to be thorough.”
~*~
Hansel had armed himself thoroughly before leaving his housing. He'd ensured his blades were both in easy reach and his shotguns were holstered across his body. Nothing was clanking around with how tight he'd pulled all his straps. That was good. No noise was always good when approaching an enemy. They had learned the value of stealth the hard way.
It took him a while to get out of the building because he kept seeing the damned things in the distance. They were swarming around the cemetery from what he could eyeball and there were others around the most heavily populated areas. He wished he could get a better view of the streets. It wasn't possible from his vantage point though so they'd have to run in blind.
Not like they hadn't done it before.
"I didn't hit any on the way here, no, but I did catch sight of some swarms. Around the cemetery and then down town at the shops. It's bad from what I can tell. They take someone down that one is coming up as one of them pretty quick. They don't seem to have a long transition rate."
Gretel was taking out some kind of aggression on the corpse. Hansel was amused with her antics while he waited on her to finish to her satisfaction. She had a great look to her when she was happy with herself. It was one of his favorite expressions his sister had and Gretel had a very expressive face. They both did. He wasn't sure which of their parents they'd inherited it from, but he was glad they had.
At least they weren't boring.
"Is that what you're calling it? Thorough? Fine. Let's go be thorough downtown. We might save some civs. We're never getting to Heaven if we don't earn those wings, right?"
Their mother had said that, he thought. He wasn't sure. They'd heard it all their lives in some form or fashion. Hansel liked the sound of it: earning their wings. If anyone deserved to rest in Heaven, it should be the pair of them. They'd spent their whole lives defending others, sacrificing blood, sweat and tears so other people could have the things they couldn't like families, husbands and wives, homes.
~*~
“I don’t want them crawling after me, do you?” Gretel replied with a laugh and shake of her head. She shifted her crossbow to her back, and undid the strap that held her pistols in place for easy access since they’d be better with swarms. “Absolutely, I’m all about trying to earn my wings today.”
They had saved a lot of people, but they’d also lost their fair share. Sometimes things didn’t work out the way one planned it, but that was the way life was. Gretel had shed tears over the children they’d not managed to save in the early years, but as time went on, her heart had grown a little harder and she accepted the fact that sometimes they were going to be a little late.
“Let’s head on. We’ll take down as many as we can, just watch for friendly fire. Lots of people have been talking about getting out here.” It was good that they were as armed as they were with the people that had been brought to the city. Gretel hoped a day would never come when they were missing their weapons. Then? They’d be royally fucked.
Gretel began walking, jaw set and determined. “Do you think there’s a way to take down that --” she paused for a few seconds as she tried to think of the word that she’d seen someone use for it, “Marker?” It had to be the cause of all of this. Everything had been fine and dandy until that fucking thing had just dropped in the middle of the city.
“If it’s the cause of all of this, if someone was to take it out it might stop this shit from spreading.” That was the only way she could think to describe what was going on, since she wasn’t sure it was an infection, mutation or something else entirely.
Hell, there were a lot of things in this world that Gretel didn’t understand or know about, but she was learning and making due.
“It’s just a theory, might be worth something to see if we could manage it or someone else for that matter. If this shit goes on much longer we’ll lose a lot of the city and who’s to say they won’t mutate into worse things?”
~*~
Nodding along to Gretel's suggestions, Hansel realized they would have the rare treat of fighting around other people for a change. They tended to be left in situations where it was only the pair of them and a pissed off witch to be killed. It was nice to think there'd be some more people around to take some of the hits. He did get tired of counting his scars after a while no matter how often Gretel told him women thought they were attractive.
It wasn't as if he had time for a woman. What could he do with her while he was on a hunt? A rough tumble between attempts to sleep before going back out to hunt? He didn't have a home to offer up. Money was always in short supply since they were never paid what their work was worth. If she landed with child, they'd only leave her behind with the babe and a reputation as a town slut if she didn't have one already.
Women were a risk not worth taking.
"I took a look at it. The thing's solid. Whatever it's made of? I don't think our weapons will touch it. Wouldn't hurt to get a good look at it though. I figure the worst of the action will be there. Close to it. If that's the source? Stands to reason it'll be where the most of them are and we're going for numbers, right?"
He would have her count his scars again after this trip out.
It was almost a tradition for them: patching each other up. They didn't have anyone else. No one had been there for them after their parents had tried to save them from the mob. It'd only been him and her and their fighting. Gretel touched him more than anyone else, but neither of them were handsy except when they were sparring. They had to keep on guard, had to keep focused, had to keep good in a fight.
Sparring was their way of working out the madness.
Hansel took off toward The Marker with Gretel along with him. She'd match him or outstrip him at her will. It wouldn't matter. They could guard each other from any angle. It was easy to learn how to watch out for someone when they were a person's only one. He shot at a pair and took out a limb from each before switching to blades as they slid into them. Hansel took the limbs off handily before plunging a blade through each creature's skull.
"Two. Looks like I'm one up on you."
They'd gotten closer than he realized. It was only when he looked up to see how close they were to the barricade Hansel saw how many of the creatures were around it, coming for them, prowling almost. He forced a grin on his face. No way was he going out frowning. The fight was his life. He loved his life. This place wouldn't take that from him even if it did kill him.
"Seems you'll be able to make up the numbers fast. Get in it and stay close!"
He swapped back to a gun in one hand with the blade in the other as he started firing, slashing, hacking at anything which came at him.
~*~
“Fucking sounds like a plan to me.” Gretel agreed with a nod, falling into step easily beside Hansel. It was easy enough to keep up with him, they’d been keeping pace with one another for so long that it was second nature. Off in the distance she heard rapid gunfire. It was far enough away for her not to be too concerned with it right now. The only reason she’d become worried was if she heard it coming in their direction.
Even then they were all fighting for the same cause, but still, Gretel was wary of other fighters. She knew what Hansel was capable of, she could read his moves, although there had been more than one occasion where she’d landed on top of him. Gretel wouldn’t say all of those times had been her fault, but sometimes she fought with a little too much gusto.
Blame it on her need to get the job done, or get the most kills in, either way Gretel could admit to her mistakes.
Here though their lives were literally on the line. Witch hunting was hard work, there were plenty of times when they could’ve died, but Gretel always kept in the back of her mind that their magic couldn’t touch them. They both bore the scars of their past encounters, and Gretel counted them lucky to still be alive.
She wouldn’t think that being a witch hunter would grant them longevity.
“Good job.” She made a sound of amusement at Hansel, stepping over the bodies of the creatures that he’d put down. Two to one, she could work with that.
Gretel’s eyes swept up the Marker, and a feeling of dread knotted her stomach. She didn’t have any words to describe it other than pure evil. That’s exactly what it felt like, and she saw the creatures starting to advance on them.
She tossed a grin Hansel’s way before she pulled one of her pistols free. Pulling back the hammer, she turned her back to Hansel’s. “Coming up from the back.” She spoke loud enough for him to hear right before she opened fire on one that had closed in on them rather quickly.
Leg, leg, arm and she stepped forward, knife in hand to slash upwards through its body. Once it fell, Gretel stomped its head in with her boot and then started after another. “Two more.” She called, eyes darting around. She stuck close to Hansel though, shooting three more down that had come out of an alleyway.
“That’s six. What’s your count?”
~*~
Counting was the farthest thing from Hansel's mind as he literally gave up shooting in favor of grasping and slicing limbs off as fast as they came at him. The demonic beings were similar in feeling to giant spiders which he fucking hated. It was easy for him to hack off their limbs in whatever fashion he could manage with his blade. They inspired no sense of empathy in him with the feeling of pure evil radiating off them.
They had barbs, he thought as one shot something his direction. Giant Goddamn bees? It wasn't likely since they were wingless. He couldn't think of them as snakes though. Too many fucking limbs. These things were just nasty was all Hansel could count them as when it was all said and done. His only gratitude in the moment was they didn't bleed much which meant his blade was still firmly in his grip, not too slick to keep working.
His shoulders burned, his arms, Gretel was going to owe him a massage when this was all over with he decided.
"Too many to count," he snapped, "You're going to owe me a rub down when we get out of this. I think I'll deserve it. I'm too damn old for this shit."
Hansel wasn't much older than her. They were often mistaken for twins though they weren't, not really. He felt his years in a way people who lived easier lives didn't. Witches had taken a lot out of him. They'd given him the sugar sickness which poisoned his blood. They'd sapped his strength with its lasting effects. Hansel was going to die before his sister. No magic in the world would be able to save him from that fate; he wouldn't take it if it existed.
He didn't want to live in a world without Gretel.
"I think I'm at 10."
Counting would help her stay focused. It was a pointless game. Silly and childish. They should have been too old for it, but they weren't. Growing up was something they'd been forced to do. They chose how they lived now. No one could tell them how they should behave. Hansel wouldn't stand for it and Gretel certainly wouldn't. There would be Hell on Earth if someone tried to tell her how to behave in public.
If he could keep her focused on the field, they would make it out. They'd kill the enemy. They'd live to fight another witch, monster, or demon. It wouldn't matter. They'd fight whatever evil came their way. All he had to do was keep them on track.
"Make that 11," he smirked as he stomped in the skull of a limbless demon.
~*~
Gretel cursed as one of the creatures tried to stab her with one of the appendages coming out of its back. She ducked out of the way easily enough, cutting off the limb in the process, before stomping its skull after and taking off another limp to make sure it wouldn’t come back. There’d been more than one occasion where she’d massaged the soreness out of Hansel’s muscles after a hunt. It wouldn’t be an issue now either, “You and I are both getting too old for this.” She could already feel her back starting to tighten up from tension, although it could be worse. “I’ll rub you down if you promise to do the same for me after.”
She was still planning on going to see Thirteen later that evening as she figured she’d be stuck at the hospital for awhile yet. Gretel didn’t think it would take much for them to sneak a little time together.
“10 huh?” Gretel retorted with a snort, as she brought another two down with rapid fire and it wasn’t but a second later that she was on them chopping them up. “Still beating me.” She knew the game they were playing was silly, but it did help.
They would get through it, Gretel wasn’t concerned about that right now. As long as they didn’t get overrun they would be fine, and as it was, these things were slow enough for her not to be concerned with that. Hell, they’d gone through worse in dealing with witches who were very intent upon killing them.
She took down one more, and then another before turning to look at Hansel over her shoulder. “Tied it all up, Hansel.” The alleyway had stopped producing the demon spawn, and so she turned to her right.
Her gun clicked, signaling that it was empty so she pulled the other from it’s holster. “I’ll probably need to reload soon.” She shot the legs out from underneath one, causing it to crawl using only its ‘arms’ toward them. Gretel shot one of them, the thing stilling before she moved close enough to cut it up.
A few more later, Gretel pressed her back against Hansel’s. “I’m reloading. There aren’t any coming this way. I think we might have this area mostly cleared for now.” She dropped the special casings to the ground that held her bullets for the machine gun pistols, and snapped in another clip with each one.
“Want to move somewhere else, or just focus on keeping this area clear?” She holstered one of the guns to save for later, it was easier to have a backup than to have to reload every time she turned around.
~*~
Going hard and fast was something they were used to doing in their line of work. Witches didn't exactly take time to let a man catch his breath. Hansel simply wasn't as young as he'd been when he'd started hunting witches. His muscles burned from being in constant motion. It was as if they were facing a never-ending onslaught until suddenly there were no more monsters to dismember, no more enemies in their midst, and no more of them to count.
Which was good since he'd lost count.
"I think we should sweep it first to make sure we've cleared it if you're up for it?"
Hansel gave her a tired smile, knowing the implication alone would keep Gretel moving. She loved a challenge. Winning was one of the main motivators for her in their fights. No one got the upper hand where Gretel was concerned because it was always her hand on top. There were too many men who dismissed her for her to slow down, back down, or back off without losing what respect she'd cultivated for herself. They had to keep their own legend going strong because they had nothing else to sell.
Reputation was what they had. It was all they had except for each other.
He walked through the bodies to ensure they were all dead. The number of them was impressive. They'd done well. It was almost as if they'd found a nest of the creatures. Hansel had seen plenty of animals what nested together. He thought it'd make sense if something as repulsive as these creatures nested together. Maleficent might know more of them given her life was one based in a world of magic.
These things felt magic. Dark magic. Hansel could feel his skin crawling every time one got close. He'd had to fight back the urge to scream every time one lunged at him or his sister because he had a feeling if one of those limbs got either of them? They'd be meeting one another in a very different light. He didn't want to ever come to that point with Gretel. She was what he had and he wasn't about to lose her. He couldn't lose her.
Cupping her elbow, Hansel steered her out of the worst of the debris and muttered, "Lost count. Forfeit my winnings to you. I figure we'll both come out winners seeing as we're swapping the post-fight rub down. After we bathe off this stench. Let's go be big damn heroes. Find the last of them if there is a last of them. Then we go home. We're too old for more of this shit."