Chapter Text
The wind danced along the tree branches and sang an ominous tune in the chilled air. Jesse McCree pulled his duster closer to himself as he made his way through the thick forest. Branches snapped under his feet and the moon hung in the inky sky like a bright eye. Tonight was one of those classic creepy nights right out of a horror novel; dark, cold, and unknown noises coming out of every dark corner. The kind of night that promised a bountiful hunt for monster hunters like Jesse.
Though tonight wasn't the typical walk around for a werewolf on the loose or hunt for an out-of-control vampire terrorizing the locals. Tonight Jesse was following a lead in hopes of picking up the trail of a monster he'd been hunting for some time now. A witch whose dark magic had left wakes of terror and destruction in its path for years. She's been walking the lands raising the dead and making deals with desperate souls to fight her gruesome battles. No hunters have won against her and few would pursue her for lack of reward and fear of death. But Jesse has a bloody score to settle with her and he's not going to give up any time soon. Besides, nowadays he has a little more help.
The rustling of branches from overhead accompanied by the fall of leaves and twigs sailing down onto Jesse's hat prompted him to look up with a smirk. "We're in a whole forest literally surrounded by trees. Can't you jump around on some of the others instead? You know, rather than dropping junk on my head."
"Sure, I could do that." The dark figure was silhouetted by the moon's weak light, making it a blob among the shadows, "But that is much less fun than getting a reaction from you." The figure swung down from a branch and landed two feet firmly in front of Jesse's path, "Besides, we're almost there, how else am I supposed to get your attention so you don't start wondering in the wrong direction?"
Jesse looked at the demon before him. He was dressed in dark fabrics with red accents that almost glowed in the night. He had two different swords strapped to his back, ones he knew the demon could use well. Covering his face was a mask. It was an all-white, mean-looking thing with two divots at the top to accommodate for the demon’s set of horns. It also had a big mouth layered with fierce-looking teeth and two fake horns at the bottom. But under the mask, Jesse knew what he really looked like, and it was much less unsettling. Mild grey skin with red eyes and black pupils that were surrounded by dark coloring. His mouth also had sharp teeth, but less dramatic than what his mask portrayed. McCree also knew that face was probably wearing a smirk right now as it stared through porcelain waiting for Jesse's reply.
"Coulda just called me by my name you know. Or whistled, or screamed, or sang a little ditty. Plenty of ways if you think about it, Genji." Jesse walked past the waiting demon and continued on, "Personally, I'd pick the ditty. I'd like to see what a singing demon looks like."
"Hah, no you don't."
"Oh?" As the banter went on Jesse could hear Genji catching up to him as they broke the tree line and found their definition. A long-abandoned house that seemed to crouch over itself sat heavy on the edge of a large cliff overlooking a raging sea. "And why wouldn't I want that?"
"Because a singing demon is either called a siren or tone deaf. Either way, both are bad."
Jesse had to chuckle at that. He'd met a few sirens in his day and they were a piece of work. He'd also been in a few bars with drunk patrons who decide to serenade the crowned with a song sung in every wrong note imaginable. So he could agree, both were bad.
As the two ventured closer to the decrepit house, Jesse took in their surroundings. The house was isolated, a large forest blocking the north and east sides with a large cliff to the west and high hills to the south. There was once a road that led to this old house but years of neglect had left it overgrown and unusable. A perfect place for someone to hide without notice.
"Well Genji, do your thing." Jesse stepped back and let Genji take point. Most monster hunters wouldn't have let a demon lead the way into an unknown situation, or turn their back on one, or worked with one. Hell, most would have just killed the demon and never conversed more than the standard "Now you die" with it. But Jesse and Genji have a little deal worked out, and not the "you owe me your soul" kind of deal. It was more like "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" type of deal. The witch ticked more than just humans off, she went and pissed off one hell of a powerful demon too. So when the two ended up crossing paths on their hunt for the witch, a mutual trust was formed to aid each other and agreement that neither of them kills one another.
Normally, Jesse would have avoided the deal altogether considering the deceptive nature of demons. However, something about this one seemed to sit better with him. Something screamed for him to form the partnership, not let the other walk away. One might call that a demon's influence, but Jesse's met plenty of demons to know the difference between external influence and instinct. And he never questioned instinct.
Besides, there were major perks to having a demon on the team. Things like increased speed, strength, and killer charisma had proved extremely handy on their adventures. Demons also have an amazing sense and can pick up on supernatural activity like a divining rod to a well, making him perfect to take point.
Genji slowly opened the door and the air that fell out felt about as stale as the house looked. Jesse kept an eye out around the surroundings to make sure nothing snuck up their rear as Genji poked his head in.
"Well," Jesse tilted his head a little to peek around his companion, "you got anything?"
"There's something here, I just don't know what. It either feels too weak to be anything big, or it's something strong enough to cover its tracks."
"So either the leftovers from her magic or a really big fucking problem."
"Or both. If it is her."
Jesse slowly walked up to Genji at the door after giving the area one more sweep. "It's gotta be her. She’s been heading in this direction a while now and the village said they've had people go missing over the last few months. Besides, this place," Jesse gave the sad building a little wave to emphasize his point, "might as well call this her favorite vacation spot. Isolated, hard to find, and creepy as hell."
"Only one way to find out." With that Genji took his first steps into the old house.
The inside was as rough as the outside. Splintered wood covered by rags that were once nice rugs and drapes. Old furniture left as food for the bugs and rodents. Crumbling walls and ceiling. A once beautiful manner left in time’s destructive hands.
The wood screamed under Genji and Jesse's weight as the rafters stare down at them. Shadows draped the entry like a thick quilt and Jesse couldn't see an inch in front of him. He put his left arm out and whispered a small phrase. His arms begin to glow a fiery red, bathing the surrounding in a soft glow. His arm was a gift from an alchemist friend when he lost his real one in a fight long ago. His replacement was a masterpiece of alchemy and magic charms. Functioned just like a real one and lit up like a torch when a few enchanted words were spoken. Meanwhile, Genji ventured ahead with no hesitation or difficulty, perks of seeing in the dark.
After a few more steps in, Genji lowered his head and spoke just loud enough to be heard, "She was here but she’s gone now."
Jesse knew when to take a hint. A quiet statement meant a quiet response, "So what is here?"
"Something powerful."
Jesse swallowed hard, rough words passed his lips, "The Reaper?"
"No."
The reply almost came as some relief. The Reaper, a servant of the witch, was a foe Jesse faced off with many times before, and it never got easier.
Genji continued slowly down a long corridor with Jesse on his heels. No words were exchanged as they continued their search. Cautious turns down unfamiliar halls and Jesse doubling back to check their flank made up their timid exploration. Only the sounds of squeaking wood from Jesse's boots and his breathing could be heard among the corridors.
Their steady pace was abruptly interrupted by Genji making a quick stop in front of an unmarked door.
"Well darling, what'd you think?" Jesse peeked around Genji's shoulder to look at the door they were now facing.
Genji raised a hand to the front of the door. The minute his skin made contact he pulled it away with a small curse under his breath, "I think you should probably open that door because it's got a demon ward on it. And we should head down there, it's where her essence is strongest." Genji looked over his shoulder to give, what Jesse could only assume, a small smirk. With the mask still firmly in place, Jesse had to use his imagination.
Jesse scooched past the demon and laid his right hand on the handle and gave it a little test turn. When nothing happened he turned it the full way and pulled it open. Genji took a few steps back as the demon ward carved on the back of the door was revealed. Once the witch learned of her new demon foe, she started leaving him little presents like these. Jesse grabbed his hunting knife stashed in his boot, and cut a line through the door to break the ward.
This was one of the benefits of an all-powerful demon teaming up with a human. A demon Genji's level could break weak wards meant to keep out small demons and spirits in no time at all. Unfortunately, the ones they encounter weren't made by amateur priests or hunters. Chances were Genji's could still, eventually, break the ward, but that would take time and lots of energy. Two things you don't want to waste when tracking and fighting. Easier to just get some human to break it, easy as cutting a piece of rope for them.
Behind the door lay a steep set of rickety stairs that plunged into a black basement. With a nod to Genji, Jesse took lead to watch for any more wards ahead. Each step was taken with caution as they went further down. Jesse could feel the air grow heavy. It seemed to have a charge to it and the darkness seemed to cling to the walls. Jesse knew the witch had to have been here, only she could leave a place feeling so dreadful.
By the time they finished their slow descent, Jesse had cut two more wards. They both stood side by side looking into the darkness, with only the light of Jesse's arms for him to see.
Genji shifted uncomfortably next to him moving a little closer to the hunter. The demon faced Jesse's ear, "I should be able to see the room but I can’t. This kind of darkness is made by a hex. I’d bet if we’d tried to light a candle, it’d go out immediately."
Jesse considered the soft words of his companion, "Sounds like she really wants to keep us in the dark."
"I agree, but why? This isn’t an easy hex to cast for a long period of time. It seems like a lot of work but to accomplish what?"
"She hiding something."
"Maybe it's a surprise party with cake and beer."
"I like your wishful thinking but chances are if she did leave us cake and beer, it'd be poisoned."
"True, so what's the plan?"
“What are our options?”
"Well, I could just break the hex causing the darkness to vanish."
"It's that easy, huh?"
"No. If she put a trap down it's probably waiting to get triggered. That trigger is probably a powerful spell meant to break a powerful hex."
"So, if you break the hex letting us see, you can set off a maybe trap. Don't break the hex and...?"
"Our investigation will take twice as long navigating this darkness, giving her more time to move. Also, there might still be something there that doesn't need a magic trigger. Maybe a trap door, tripwire, or a well placed rake. Not everything needs to be fancy magic to work."
Another big sigh came from Jesse's lips, nothing was ever simple. Reaching down to his holster, Jesse retrieved trusty Peacekeeper. A six-cylinder, old fashion pistol made with enchanted wood and well-forged steel. This thing was older than him but it still looked brand new. It fit perfectly in his hand and the sound of the chamber opening was one that brought a strange sense of comfort. He began to fill the empty slots with a few different types of ammo. Two silver, two iron, and two enchanted tips meant for varying purposes. He didn't know what the witch left behind, better to be prepared.
When all bullets found their temporary home in Peacekeeper's chamber, Jesse pulled out a cigar. It’d had been a long journey out here and he could use a nice smoke before they face an unknown threat. He looked at Genji's lifeless mask sending a little plea. Genji tilted his head a mear degree and smoke began to rise from the cigar’s end. With a wink to Genji, Jesse pulled back Peacekeeper's hammer and raised the pistol to the darkness, "Ready when you are, darling."
"Such a drama queen, I think that's why you and I get along." And with that Genji took a few steps into the abnormal darkness and disappeared from sight. Jesse waited patiently as the noises of chanting rose from the darkness. Heat began to envelop the room. The air became dense and the chanting seemed to spread all around him. Mysterious whispers and the sensation of snakes crawling under his skin signified to Jesse the magic Genji was working. He'd become accustomed to these weird effects caused by being a little too close to powerful magic. Though the hair still stood on his skin every time.
And just as it appeared, it stopped. A silent pressure was released from the room and it felt like someone took a heavy blanket off Jesse's shoulders. He looked forward and saw Genji standing in the middle of the room with two hands together finishing his spell, still as a statue. Suddenly, candles along the walls of the cellar came to life. They cast red and yellow hues around the room. Jesse didn't flinch, by now he knew that was Genji's doing.
With the thick darkness gone, Jesse gave the room a quick glance. The basement was big; a large rectangular cellar with a cracked stone floor covered in various metals, tools, and dirt. Along all the walls in various places, the old candlesticks burned. To their right were broken display cases with old, battered weapons and a rusted armor set scattered along the floor. An old banner resembling a house flag clung to the wall above the displays. To their left were stained tables with broken glass and what looked to be some kind of rotting meat covered in mold. In the very back, the walls were lined with large shelves filled with bottles of varying sizes and books in differing conditions. In front of all the books and bottles laid a large black cauldron sitting atop a pile of cold ahs.
While the scene was interesting to take in, Jesse did notice it lacked one thing, a threat. He looked to Genji and noticed he was now slightly crouched with one hand on the hilt of his sword, surveying the room. After a couple of tense moments with no sound, Jesse spoke up, "What do ya think?"
Genji stood a little higher relaxing, "I don't detect any other wards or hexes and no bindings. That strong feeling from before has lessened. Would it be too good to think she really did just leave us some cake?"
Jesse lowered Peacekeeper and started a careful walk towards the table with the putrid meat, "Well if she did, I’d say we were a bit late to the party and it's all gone rotten now." Jesse stepped up to the table and observed its context. Genji stepped up next to him and looked down.
It was nothing they haven't seen from the witch before. Hacked up corpses of people, probably the ones missing from the village nearby, were spread along the tables. Chunks of an unknown body part, fingers, and hair all matted down with mold and maggots eating away at it. Shackles hanging from the tables show the places the victims were pinned down. Behind and around the tables more bodies sat carved to bits. The witch was merciless to her victims.
Jesse gave a scowl at the sight before him. This was what happened when you were too late. The lucky ones died quick, the less lucky got it slow, and the really unlucky became a servant to her command, forever under her monstrous control. It made Jesse sick and one of the many reasons he'd been after her so long.
He saw Genji lift his mask, letting it rest atop his head. The mild grey skin shined slightly red in the torchlight as the demon scrunched his nose up. It reeked. Genji looked to Jesse with a leveled stair, "There's a lot here, more than what the village reported missing."
"How many?"
Genji gave his nose a little twitch, "It's really rotten and their essences are weak, but I'd say at least eleven."
Jesse thought for a moment and considered the surrounding area, "There's an old trading road not far from here. Used to cut through the northern mountains. Not used that much anymore but I'd bet my top dollar there were enough for the witch to make use of." Jesse moved his left hand closer to the meat pile and illuminated the thick maggots crawling around.
"Ugh, gross", Genji backed his head up and scrunched his nose a little more.
"Come on let's go check out the cauldron and see…" Jesse was promptly interrupted by a feeling only years of hunting the supernatural can hone. He could tell Genji felt it too as he saw the demon smack his mask back down and they both did a 180 to look towards the far wall. Something was here and it wasn't a party or a well-placed rake.
Among the pile of old armor and broken weapons against the wall, a dark smoke began to congregate. The smoke swam around the armor weaving in and out like a serpent. Suddenly, a blue fire ignited on the rusted metals. As the fire grew, the smoke covered the ceiling of the cellar burning Jesse's eyes. The fire raged hotter and flakes of rust began to fall away to reveal polished armor of iron and gold. Soon the armor prices began to float up into the air, coming together. The vague shape of a person began to form.
Jesse's eyes burned and he started to cough as the smoke continued to fill the room. He looked over to Genji to see the demon making strange hand signs and chanting quietly. Then Genji pushed his hands outward and a large gust of wind broke out through the cellar clearing all the smoke. Jesse looked back up to see the armor was now fully restored to its former glory. It was standing tall with a long shining sword, a helmet on top, and light blue flames licking at the edges. It had everything but a person between the metal plates. It was also marching towards Genji and Jesse in an impressive fighting stance, sword drawn.
"Well shit, I guess we figured out what trap she laid for us?" Jesse took one last long drag of his cigar and threw it to the ground, stomping it out.
"Yep."
“And I bet your spell triggered it, as you predicted?”
“Yep.”
"And I bet that's one hell of an enchantment at work?"
"Yep."
With one last glance at each other, the two broke off in two different directions. Jesse holstered his weapon and went towards the back wall while Genji pulled out his own sword and attacked head-on.
The sound of metal on metal clanked behind Jesse as he worked towards the back of the room. Jesse wasn't going to be of much use with his pistol, something he hated to admit. However, Jesse knew a thing or two about enchanted items. First, the best way to break an enchantment was on an enchantment table using some alchemy stuff he didn't know all the details too. They didn't have an enchantment table. So unless this thing was willing to sit nicely while they found one, that wasn't going to work. Second, big enchantments like this meant lots of magic is needed. Small enchantments like resistance to damage or lightning gear can be placed on items themselves and just need to be recharged every few years. Bigger enchantments needed rune stones to channel and hold magic, like elemental stuff on weapons. But the really big ones need a good power source. Sorcerers often use valuable gems to hold the magic to keep the enchantment working, like a magic battery. Find the gem and destroy it, and you destroy its source of energy. It's not destroying the enchantment, just shutting it down. The only other problem, the gem didn't necessarily need to be on the enchanted armor. It could be stored away somewhere else, it just meant the enchanted couldn't leave the stones range.
So all Jesse had to do was locate the stone and destroy it. The stone had to be a pretty decent size considering the strength of the enchantment but still a daunting task among the unfamiliar surroundings.
Jesse ran up to one of the bookshelves and starts pulling the contents off. Glass shattered on the ground as Jesse threw bottle after bottle to the floor seeing if it was hidden in one of the unknown liquids. Books and paper went flying as he cleared away each shelf. The clangs of Genji and the armor fighting raged in the background.
"McCree, look out!"
Jesse looked back to see some of the old weapons that were once laying on the floor were now wrapped in a blue flame and flying towards him. The ones not in the air were fiddling on the ground laced in black smoke trying to take flight. As the first metal projectile made its way towards the unsuspecting hunter, Jesse grabbed the closest thing at hand and blocked the oncoming blade. Unfortunately, that thing was an old book and the blade went through it. Fortunately, it didn't go all the way through and between luck and instinct, Jesse got away with only a small cut on his cheek.
Throwing the destroyed novel to the ground, Jesse only had a mere moment to find a suitable replacement. Lady Luck was on his side because knocked to the ground was a pile of fire pit tools probably used for the fire under the cauldron. Jesse grabbed the fire poker and readied for the next onslaught of metal weapons.
In the background, he could see Genji fending off the armor's attacks. Blow after blow deflected and parried. It seemed like Genji danced with the armor to a tune of clanking metal. The newly refurbished armor was now sporting nicks and fresh scratches as Genji landed useless blow after blow. It would have been amazing to watch if that thing wasn't trying to kill them, and if Jesse didn't have to focus on the metal weapons flying towards his head.
As the next onslaught of metal came, Jesse was prepared for it. He took a swing at a longsword going right for his chest and heard the loud clang of a successful hit. The victory was short-lived as he looked down and saw his long fire poker was now broken in two from just one hit. With no time to think, several medium daggers and knives came flying towards him at full speed. With all the dexterity and agility Jesse could muster, he used the short poker and his left arm to knock away the incoming attack. Though every other blade seemed to pass his defenses and nick him somewhere new. Wrist, knuckles, leg, one even got a chunk of his hair which he was particularly mad about.
Jesse was so focussed on the knives he didn't even notice the large Warhammer hurtling towards him from the other direction. By the time he could react, all Jesse could do was put up his left arm to try and cover the blow from knocking into his head.
The impact was intense and hard. The force pushed Jesse to the ground causing him to smack his head against the stone floor and bite the edge of his lip. For a moment the whole room was turned around and he was seeing double. Images danced in front of his vision and his ears were ringing. Vaguely he could hear what sounded like his name being called out in between loud clashes. His head pounded and he could taste blood. But this wasn't the first time Jesse had been knocked down.
Slowly, he pushed himself up a little. He needed to take a minute to breathe and ground himself. The room slowly came back into focus. He gave one more big breath in and looked back up.
That's when something interesting caught his eye. A stone in the back wall at about knee level next to one of the bookshelves. It wasn't fastened as well as the others and it was missing dust along the edges.
"JESSE! Jesse, are you alright!?"
Jesse snapped out of his daze for a moment to look over to his companion. Genji was trying to get over to Jesse's spot but the armor was doing a good job of holding him back. Each step Genji took toward him, the armor pushed him two steps back. Jesse put his attention back onto the wall and heaved himself to his knees. Ignoring the pounding behind his eyes, he started crawling towards it, "Oh, don't you worry darling, Lady Luck is on my side today."
"I just saw you get hit in the head with a hammer!"
"Nah, it was just the arm."
"Jesse, look!"
Jesse looked up to see five more daggers flying towards him. Three were immediately knocked out of the air by red shurikens coming in the opposite direction, but the other two continued their warpath. Jesse reached down and pulled Peacekeeper and fired two rapid shots. The daggers flung from the air away from him. He hated to waste bullets but he's done trying to play batter.
Jesse got up to the loose stone and pulled out his boot dagger. He began to pry it out. As he did that, he could see the first sword stuck in the book begin to smoke and wiggle once more. The clanging and ragged breaths from Genji became more apparent as well.
The stone seemed to want to stay glued in the wall forever, but if Jesse was right, he needed what was behind it. The book sword began to jiggle some more and the deflected daggers began to rise again. The stone popped out right as Jesse heard a pained scream come from Genji. A quick glance showed the demon had a bloody arm and was slowing down.
"Hang in there Genji, I got it!" Jesse reached in and pulled out what he was looking for. Two clear white diamonds with swirls of blue swimming in them. One the size of a walnut, the other a button. Another scream from Genji was followed by Jesse throwing the diamonds into the air. Before any could fall he pulled Peacekeeper, spun the chamber, and waiting for the shot to line up. With one pull of the trigger, both gems shattered to dust.
Loud clatters of weapons and armor hitting the floor were like a symphony to him. He only had one bullet loaded with an enchantment that could break diamond, meaning only one shot to get it right. Good thing he was a good shoot. He took a quiet moment to regather himself from the onslaught and closed his eyes.
"McCree?" Jesse opened his eyes to see Genji crouched next to him with his mask resting on the top of his head. A loud sigh came from him when he saw Jesse open his eyes, "You're alive."
"What? Of course, I'm alive. Come on, who do you think broke the magic source? The god damn mice."
"I wouldn't know, I was too busy taking care of the real threat."
"Real threat, I had sharp metal being thrown at my head, I'd say that's a real threat."
"One you didn't seem to fair well with."
"I don't know, I think I did pretty good." Jesse slowly started to stand up with Genji supporting his right arm, "Found the gems, stopped the crazy armor from killing us, didn't die. I'd say that's pretty good."
"Ya, but you're covered in cuts and blood." Genji reached over and whipped away the blood dripping from Jesse's chin. He brought that finger up to his mouth and licked it with a wicked smile, "But you know, it’s a good look on you, McCree."
Jesse just stared at him, "You gotta not do that, that's just gross."
Genji's smile went from flirtatious to amused, "Sometimes I think you forget I’m a demon."
"Just because you’re a demon, doesn't mean you gotta be a nasty one. Have some class." Jesse saw Genji roll his eyes and slowly let go of his arm.
When Jesse went to take a step an abrupt pain enveloped his head. He winced and closed his eyes for a moment to let the pain subside. Jesse leaned against the wall to support his weight, not trusting his legs. When he opened them again, Genji was in front of him with a real look of concern and one hand on Jesse's arm to stable him.
"Hit my head pretty hard on that fall."
Genji's concern softened a little and he pointed a finder to a spot on Jesse's head, "Ya, I can tell, you're bleeding there too." Genji reached down to Jesse's belt and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a glowing yellow substance. "Here," Genji opened the bottle and placed it into Jesse's hand, "drink this, and hopefully you won't be walking around dizzy for the next week. I'll start looking around."
"Ugh this shit's gross, let's switch roles."
"I'm not the one with a head injury, hunter.”
“You’re arms not looking great and you got a pretty nasty cut on your side. You sure you don’t want it?”
“I’m not some mortal, I’ll be healed by tonight. You, on the other hand, will be brain dead by tonight. So sit tight and heal a little. We still have a lot of work to do."
He couldn't argue with that. Jesse took down the yellow concoction and could immediately feel the aches edge away. He pushed off the wall and took a tentative step forward. When no pain or nausea followed, he gave a little thanks under his breath to his alchemist friend who supplied them with the yellow tonics.
He looked to Genji who was investigating some parchment left on a table surrounded by broken gems and burned down candles. He could also see how Genji was pretending not to watch him out of the corner of his eye. For a demon, Genji rarely acted like one. He was flirtatious, charismatic, cunning, and didn't hesitate to kill things that got in his way, classic demon. But then he'd do little things like show compassion and mercy in places normal demons wouldn't. To Jesse, Genji was a mystery.
"You're thinking too hard, hunter."
Jesse looked up to see said demon giving him a big smirk. Jesse reached down for another smoke and held out the end towards Genji with a smile. Genji replied with a small chuckle and turned back to his investigation while Jesse’s cigar began to smoke. They had a lot of work ahead of them and it was time for Jesse to start moving his feet.