The radio buzzed more than usual. As always, it was never a good sign. There more she glanced at his face from the back seats of the car, the more her hopes died. His scowl could not possibly intensify, yet she was sure it did.

There were very few chances that she would see him before dusk today, but she still dared entertain the idea. She eventually asked, keeping her meek gaze on the passing streets.

“D-dad?” Her father did not look back at her, but she did notice how his hands softened their fierce hold on the steering wheel. “Will you… Will we be able to go to the park today?”

That question was very similar to the ones she made in the past, but it was carefully worded. Every time she asked to go somewhere, she was acknowledged, but not how she hoped. He never found much time to roam with her, and when he replied she knew that today it would be no different.

“Ah, I would love to, sweetheart, but-“ He almost flinched when the radio buzzed again. The words he heard almost made him turn on the lights of his car, a shooting reported. “I don’t know if I can today; however, Fina could surely arrange a walk with all the others and-“

He stopped while looking at the rear mirror. His daughter had sulked visibly, in a manner that did not hint any anger, just simple sorrow. It was not because she disliked spending time with his old friend, at all.

There were a million words he wanted to say. Sadly, he had said them too many times. Excuses were draining and depressing. It was much sadder to know that she understood the reasons, even if young.

“It’s fine.” He did not scold her when she pulled up her feet on the seat to hug herself tamely. “I can watch TV with Wendy until you come back. She said she wanted to see a new show.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it, thinking twice about saying he would take her to the park in the weekend. One should not make promises meant to be broken. There had been an odd surge in crime in the area.

The next minutes were awfully silent between each other, another clear hint of their troubled bond. To say things had been awkward was an understatement. She let out a sigh when they finally parked at their destination, something that prompted him to try to cheer her up with a tired smile.

“I’ll come back as soon as possible, Addy.”

She smiled at him too, lovingly. It honestly broke his heart, a terrible reminder of what they lost.

“Don’t worry, dad.” She stepped out of the car and glanced at the now familiar stony stairs, seeing Fina there, eyeing the two with a sympathetic expression. “I’ll be fine.”

She closed the door and moved away, walking past the woman with a simple wave of hand. Another young girl greeted her inside of the orphanage, her enthusiasm for her arrival seeming to lift her spirits somewhat.

Both adults stayed quiet until the children walked into the room that had the TV, out of sight. Then, she spoke, in a manner that was slightly scolding.

“I know you try, but I think you focus too much on one side of it.”

He snarled, any warmth in his expression gone with his daughter.

“I have to, Fina.”

His obsessive determination was pitiful. She did not doubt to criticize him, having known him and his quirks for years.

“Right, Bernie… There are no other cops in the department to deal with it.”

That comment made him turn on the engine again. He glared at her and began to pull away, ready to head to the place where the shooting had occurred.

“Maybe there are others. But accidents happen, and they aren’t always there when they spark.”

With that, Bernard left the orphanage, like every morning. He was immensely grateful that Fina let Adelaide come over while he worked, he was… But he could not help being angry. It was not his fault that his daughter could find herself alone at home.

As Bernard drove away, Fina simply shook her head, disapproving but understanding. She turned to head back in, a constant overseer of the children. Having to take care of one more was no problem, it just saddened her that it was due to the overzealousness of a grief-stricken father.

————-

“Damn bastard…”

He crouched more in the shadows, to then sink his own claws into his flesh. After fidgeting for some seconds, he finally felt the bullet. He pierced it with a nail, to then yank it out with an angry hiss.

Samuel sighed and threw the bullet to the ground of the secluded alley. He cracked his neck as he glared down at it, very resentfully. Even if he had attained heaps of money, his morning was ruined.

“They do say to never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

Problem was, he did not know that guy had a gun when he began to stalk him. It was supposed to be the fifth easy mugging of the day. Well, it was still simple, just very annoying.

He shrugged the matter off, having felt much worse in life and death. That bullet was only a sting when compared to the loads of lead that did him in, and nothing like the cold pains of hell.

A simple shot would not send him back. His body would need to be torn to shreds to be recalled. It was a matter of energy, endurance.

Samuel looked down at the gun he acquired by headbutting the bastard with his antlers. There were no witnesses, and no one would believe the ramblings of someone who claimed to have seen a devil.

“Hmm, bigger chamber.” He examined the gun carefully, having been quite fond of the ones he wielded as a criminal. “Fashion has gone to shit, but these are nice improvements.”

He stood tall and hid the gun in his jacket, to then begin to stride out of the alley. There was a hole in his shirt and a little bit of dried blood, but the wound was now a fading scar. It had been fresh minutes ago, yet it had closed already.

While making sure to hide the blood, he walked past the crowds. All were awfully unaware of his recent doings in this nicer neighborhood, far too preoccupied with their simple life.

Like sheep to the slaughter.

He took out another smoke, judging the people that paraded towards an expensive phone shop to check out a new gadget. They were not attracted to it due to its possible usefulness, just its popularity. His scorn for their materialism was certainly hypocritical, for he had worn expensive watches and suits in his time. He would do it again if he could.

Samuel finally headed away from the neighborhood, knowing that even if the masses were mostly unaware, his assaults were drawing attention. The sound of a couple of police cars reached him, coming from where he robbed his last victim.

A few cops were something he could deal with easily. However, he did not want to. A distraction from his ploys was the last thing he needed, so he had to keep a low profile. That would not be too difficult, he was sure. Devils did not exist, after all.

“Heh, good luck getting them to believe you, asshole.”

A few of his victims had seen his face, but it mattered very little. The alleys in which he cornered them were always filled with an unearthly black smoke, which would conveniently conceal his features while he inched closer with a knife.

That guy managed to shoot him and make him loose focus on his fiery enchantment, causing the fog to dissipate and reveal his figure… but then he allowed his horns and tail to emerge. It was only one second of clarity.

Confident as always, he laughed the matter off. He brushed his black hair pridefully and headed back to his den, ready to take a nice shower and tidy up for his next stop.

There’s prey to chase.

———

A couple of cars were by the alley. The fact that no one stood by them clued him of what was happening not too far off. He pulled up and got out, able to hear the shouts of his colleagues and another man.

“Put the damn handcuffs on him already!”

“I’m trying!”

Bernard entered the back street, not surprised to see the other two cops struggling to keep down the guy flailing on the ground. They dealt with uncooperative suspects daily, but the way in which this one blabbered was more concerning.

“You can’t handcuff me! I was right to shoot him!” That was an admission, a very strange one considering what he said next. “You have to find that monster!”

The two cops flinched when they heard steps behind them. One almost pointed his gun, slightly trigger happy. Luckily, Bernard made sure to cough in the way they were used to hear.

“Is he armed?”

His colleagues were pinning the guy under their weight, in a very aggressive manner. He was not surprised by the fact, and much less that it was not all that justified.

“He’s not. Still, he keeps-!”

He cut it off, once more getting a scowl from them.

“Let him stand, for fucks sake.” He crossed his arms, knowing very well that they had escalated the situation. “He can’t run with us three here. Just hold him.”

Pride could be extremely toxic. His comrades expected to be given respect, never once considering it had to be exchanged and earned. They hated his views but rarely spoke against them, thanks to the fact he outranked most of them.

Bernard sighed when the two finally stopped pinning the man, giving him some room. Relief crossed the suspect’s expression, and he quickly stood, to eye the three in a way that hinted panic. It was not due to the aggressiveness that two of them displayed; he was more afraid of something unseen, in a very uncanny manner.

“Alright, calmly now, who have you shot?” He questioned slowly, not as urgently as the two had done so before his arrival. He noted the nasty bruise on the man’s face, something that had been disregarded by his comrades. “You lost your weapon, so I guess we have a gunman on the loose now.”

The man ignored his question, shaking his head exaggeratedly. He began to yell, considering his attentive stare a beacon of safety.

“That’s no gunman! It took my gun, but it doesn’t need it! It doesn’t need it! Those claws, horns, and tail, they can rip everything to shreds! Its sharp green eyes were feral, evil! It’s soul as black as its hair, inhuman and-!”

“Ok, that’s enough.” One cop groaned, inching closer again to try to find whatever drugs he was sure had been taken. “Where do you keep ‘em, buddy?”

Once more, trouble was bound to arise. Bernard frowned when his colleague tried to pat onto the man’s pockets, only for him to be shoved off. The cuffs were grabbed again, an expletive mouthed.

“Don’t touch me! I haven’t taken anything! The only thing I had in my pocket was my wallet, and that demon took it!”

“Right, right, and the guy who my wife left me for is a gnome.”

“I’m serious!” When he tried to run off to avoid being arrested, he was pinned against a wall, something that Bernard could not object against. “You’ve got to believe me! He looked human at first, but he-!”

“Shut up.” One of the two cops commented, finally handcuffing him. “Let’s take him back, test him, and write the report. This guy has not shot at anyone; probably hurt himself in his high.”

While they whispered, Bernard wandered slightly, unconvinced by their assumptions. His eyes narrowed, fixating on the dusty ground. It was as if ashes had flowed in the air… and there was something red not too far off.

He said nothing while the other two took the man away, knowing he would not be able to argue much against their intentions. Besides, it was a good call to take the man away from the streets and check if drugs were indeed consumed.

All ever slowly, Bernard crouched. He decided right then to interrogate the man later, back at the station. Someone had been shot indeed. He eyed the small drop of blood carefully. It really did look like it came from a shot, and there was no bullet. That bruise was not self-inflicted.

“Green eyes, black hair, huh?”

He took his notebook and wrote that down, just in case. After another intent glance over the crime scene, he walked back. His eyes hinted nothing but irate intent, remembering the multiple muggings that had been reported lately.