The Devil Inside

by Chelis

Masquerade

"Oh lord! Your father is doing something stupid again!" Hazel hollered.

Sunset, Hazel Cinnamon, and Hazel's mother were sitting and watching the drama unfold on the television.

An hour earlier, a bank robbery occurred, and a guard was shot. The would-be robbers were shooting at the armada of cop cars in front of the building. On top of the marble steps, and behind a marble column, a police office was tending to the wounds of the shot security guard, using his shirt to stop the bleeding on her thigh.

The live television feed showed Thunder, in full tactical gear leading a group of twenty to thirty SWAT officers moving up the battle, moving from car to car with bullets causing sparks on the hoods above them. Even under heavy fire, they still moved.

"I hope he gets shot," Hazel's mother said nonchalantly.

"Mother!"

"Your father would be turning in his grave at the fact you married a military man."

"Don't put words in my mouth, Barb! And I'm not dead for the thousandth time!" Hazel's father shouted from the other room.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't watch any more," A teary-eyed Sunset said as she got up and started her way to her room.

"Nice crocodile tears," GLADIS reported.

"Oh shut up, GLADIS," she whispered. "Get ready, we’re going to help him,"

* * *

The television only showed so much. They didn't show the chaos in the command post, the officers who were scared, but ready to go in the war zone to stop the shootout.

Thunder Breeze was one of a few in the firefight who were ex-military and still remembered their training. Get covering fire and move up. Each SWAT member also carried a small first aid bag for shooting victims, for the guard who was still bleeding out against the marble column.

The shootout was going on to an hour, and the guard was still crying, yelling, the pain of getting shot still there and only getting worse with the hot sun directly striking her black and white striped skin.

The officer that was stuck in the column with her had his shotgun out, ready to take down the first robber to come out of the doors to spray bullets down to the barrage below.

Under the most fire out of everyone advancing, Thunder made it to the bullet-ridden police car in front of the blockade, the sound of the ricochets all around him. Right next to him, Solar Sword threw himself against the patrol car, dodging bullets as well. His rifle replaced with a military grade ballistic shield.

"Well, ain't this fun!" He shouted with a smile.

"Yea! It takes me back to Luang Prabang!" Thunder shouted back. "Where are the other shields!"

"Right behind us!"

Thunder turned back to see that behind the cars were other tactically clad officers, some carrying shields, others with rifles.

"Perfect! Alright, listen up! Our target is to get those two out of the line of fire. I could care less who is in there, even if it’s "Masquerade". We get them out of there, and we will find a way to get the hostages out! Ready! Let's go!"

Solar raised his hand and threw out a three before getting up with the others holding the shields. Thunder got behind him and began to advance under a hail of bullets along side with the others. They closed the gaps as they advanced, creating a moving wall of steel. When they reached the two stuck officers, Thunder and Solar ran down the wall with their bodies below the wall to the injured woman. They picked her up and began to slowly retreat, making sure they were shielded, the wall also backed out with them, taking shot after shot but not breaking down the wall.

As they slowly retreated down the steps, a misstep sent the three tumbling down the steps, away from the protection of the wall of shields, and out in the open, save Solar’s shield that was on his back. It wasn't much protection for the three of them, but it was better than being caught in the open under automatic fire.

The wall broke down, and Baltimare's finest scrambled to the line of fire to protect their chief. It was then when the she-demon dropped out of the sky, skirting above the trapped thee and landing on top of the marble steps, her shield blocking bullets.

The armed robbers retreated, with she-demon calmly walking into the bank. It wasn't the grunts she wanted, she wanted Masquerade.

With the sound of an old time horn, an antique twenties era Ford sped off from the side of the building and down the blocked streets, narrowly missing the officers that were guarding the blockade. She-demon ran out of the bank, expanded her wings, and flew off after them.

Sunset had the advantage of her agility for the tight maneuvers and a street that was clogged with traffic. But it didn't mean the armed men were not going to fight back. In fact, their leader called out the window, while the car was speeding down the streets, and stood on the roof. Masquerade was no doubt obsessed with the roaring twenties and the prohibition era. His all white suit and the car screamed his interest in that era, as well as his gun.

He fired his Tommy in rapid bursts, trying to take down she demon. Every bullet bounced off her opal shield and landed harmlessly on the ground below. Once his drum ran out, he unbuckled one of the many drums that were hanging off his belt. It became more fruitless, and Sunset decided to go in for the kill.

Masquerade saw her attempt coming. He pulled out what looked like a black cylinder with a red button at one of the ends of it.

"Sunset, you father, and his men have just entered the building, and it looks like he might have rigged the place to blow," GLADIS reported.

Oh shit.

The She-demon stopped her attack by disappearing in a ball of opal.

At the same time, Thunder and his men stormed the bank with their weapons drawn, looking for suspects to arrest and hostages to free. The hostages were in one corner, huddled behind a knocked over office desk.

The She-demon appeared in the center of the room, making everyone jump back in surprise. With her magic, she levitated everyone next to her and made a shield that encompassed everyone. Less than a second later the entire building went up in an explosion and subsequent flame. They all watched in horror as the roof and walls gave way and fell on top of them. They heard the roof land on the bubble but didn't crush them. They also began to rise, outside of the smoldering ruin and to the command post. That day, and that gun battle, no one else was hurt, and the shot guard was to survive her wound and make a full recovery.

"Thank you she-demon. Though I kinda wish you left me to die in that fire, at least it will be painless compared to the hell I'm going to go through with my wife and daughter for that," Thunder said.

Comments

[HeartfireFirebrand]

"Thank you she-demon. Though I kinda wish you left me to die in that fire, at least it will be painless compared to the hell I'm going to go through with my wife and daughter for that," Thunder said.

Your daughter can't say anything about that considering she does more dangerous shit.