Seven Devils

Ainsley had never felt this tired in her life.

She might still be young, might've never seen anything like this, but from seeing the panic around her, she was sure she wasn't the only one. Gathering people in the Town Hall was the standard it seemed, those who didn't feel safe, or who needed somewhere to stay. She'd seen more than a few supernatural beings slink in, nursing wounds, unsure if they could stay. Ainsley directed the ones she knew would be better away from the general public towards other areas of the building, letting them corner away as wounds healed at rates normal people might not understand.

She knew that both covens in the town were making sure that as much protection was afforded to the Town Hall as they could, but there was no guarantee that something wouldn't get in.

Ainsley wasn't a fighter, she couldn't really battle these things. Couldn't attack like wolves, she wasn't really brave enough to test her strength either. But she could protect people if she focused.

There was a billboard down the street, just at the start of the block, Ainsley focused on her stores of light and pushed them at that, lighting it up like a beacon. Across from that was a store, she was pretty sure that was the wallpaper and blinds store, the window panes lit up like neon when she pushed into there.

Behind the Town Hall, she lit up the storage containers, effectively creating something of a perimeter to keep those shadow beasts away. The light seemed to send them hissing away. Made sense, they were made of darkness, she could feel that much.

It meant, so long as she stayed alert, she could keep the Town Hall safe. Could keep things away.

She didn't think she'd be doing it for three days though. Didn't think she had much left to give. Her lightforce stores were starting to run out by the fourth day, or night, or whatever. She could sense the items she lit up fading, could feel her own energy lagging somewhat; her hair was duller, her skin turning sallow, eyes losing brightness. She needed walls to keep her upright, needed to keep jolting herself to attention.

The shadows were aware too. Circling the area, sapping up more of the surrounding energy.

She didn't think they'd come for her. No, they seemed more interested in the dark witches, in the vampires, in the creatures more opposite to her. Not that it mattered. Ainsley wasn't going to let the light fall until she passed out. Even if it took every last shred of her power to do it.

Fuck this.

The entire town had plunged into darkness a day ago, the panic and freaking out had been expected and Lucifer had retreated to her home to wait out this fuckery. Which would've been fine, until the little demonic shits started running around the town. And it took a little while, Lucifer ignoring them as best she could, because she didn't bother with those little plebs.

Until two broke into her house. And tried to attack her. Her. Were they off their fucking rockers?

It was after she incinerated them that she realised what this was, what they were. Czernabog.

The creature hadn't risen in centuries, millennia really, and now it was trying to break out? Well, Seven Devils was about to get a hell of a lot more interesting. And Lucifer was weighing the option on getting involved. Naturally, it meant consuming most of the alcohol in her bar first, weighing each pro and con. Aware that as she stood right now, a celestial being that just happened to be dark in nature, it would be a risk in even stepping food near the Czernabog. But her light, well, that would be too much for the creature to swallow at all.

Three bottles of whisky later and Lucifer was ready to just say fuck it. She was a little sloppy, sure, but that would wear off in about ten minutes, and she'd go kick this thing in the dick. She didn't have time for this bullshit.

What she wouldn't give for her Angel blade right then, but fuck that, the Lightbringing would be enough, shove it down Czernabog's throat, remind that piece of shit where it stood, and then she'd go find more alcohol. But first, pants. She wasn't fighting a darkness demon without pants.

---

She'd stayed inside for most of the day, texted a few friends, mostly glad that the power hadn't gone out along with the sun. But there was only so much she could do while she was at home, and if she had books or the like with her, maybe she'd be able to figure out, or help figure out, what was going on. As it was, stuck where she was, there wasn't anything that Gigi could really contribute.

Sitting around, spinning her wheels, that wasn't Genesis' thing.

Sure, the prospect of going out, in the dark, was terrifying. But sitting alone at home was just as bad. What if something came in? What if someone used the opportunity to try and rob her or worse? No, she was a sitting duck here, and that wasn't going to fly. Packing a bag up quickly, with some of the books at her home, her laptop and a change of clothes, Gigi pulled her hair up, changed into leggings and sneakers, grabbed a silver knife she could hide in her belt loosely around her waist and a flash light.

This was totally a montage moment.

Actually stepping outside was only majorly scary if she were honest. It was eery how quiet things were, the darkness making it all seem like some wild horror movie. But that was why she had her knife, after all. She might be more mean girl than final girl, but the hell if she was ending up some horror flick body count tally either. Clicking on her flashlight, her phone in her pocket as a backup if she needed it, Genesis started towards the campus. She doubted the bus service was running, and getting an uber would be impossible in this chaos. So walking it was.

After a while, she almost forgot how creepy it was, feeling like maybe it was just the middle of winter and things were dark and a little foreboding, but nothing was going to happen. Obviously, the moment she thought it, something skittered nearby. Twisting around, looking for the source of the noise, Genesis kept going, a little slower at first before she picked up her pace.

Something clattered behind her, and Genesis didn't even bother to look, breaking into a run to put some distance between her and whatever was back there. She just had to get to the campus, she was in decent shape, she worked out, she just needed to get to the campus and into the building and she'd be fine.

The problem with running, in the dark, with just a flashlight was undoubtedly that you couldn't see shit. She almost hit two walls, narrowly avoided running down an alley and had to weave through trees going through a small courtyard towards the main street. But she could hear what was following her, something that grunted and growled as it scratched along the sidewalk after her. She was almost out of the courtyard when it launched at her legs, tripping her up and sending both her and the creature tumbling to the ground.

She heard her flashlight clatter along the sidewalk before the light went out, batteries probably popping out. Some little hand grabbed at her, Genesis opting to flail in it's general direction than let it get too good a grip on her. Clamboring back to her feet, Gigi hardly bothered to try and get her bearings just running from whatever was chasing her, whatever direction was 'away' was where she was going to run.

It resulted in a collision with a lamp post, ending up in an entry way, and finally stumbling down a path she couldn't recognise in the dark. She let out a shriek when one of the creatures leapt onto her back, grabbing at her wildly, until Gigi slammed into a wall with her side, shaking it loose a little before she slipped one arm out of her backpack strap and swung it, sending the creature tumbling.

Unfortunately it left Gigi open for another one to leap at her, the momentum pushing her to the ground with the harsh crack of her head into the floor, stunning her long enough for the other little creature to skitter over again.

Going out had been a terrible idea.