Shudders: Retribution

Chapter 33 - The Help

Wanted to do a lil quick filler because I forgot to show some drawings I made of Yama in the last chapter😅
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      The carrier came to a halt and the motion of it forced Yama awake.

      He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. He looked down to his side and (Y/N) was still curled up next to him, sound asleep as well.

      He could hear people outside talking but couldn't make out what. So he let his head fall back and closed his eyes to hopefully go back to his slumber. He'd been on the move for days before he showed up. He needed the rest.

      The sound of footsteps approached the two demons before they stopped rather quickly. When Yama opened his eyes again, he met the three black ones of Dog who nervously backed away. The spider demon didn't expect him to be there.

"I uh-" The spider demon stuttered. He saw Yama when he first showed up but didn't get a chance to greet him. He was honestly surprised to even see the doctor.

"Long time no see, huh?" Yama muttered and closed his eyes back. "I see you stuck around."

"(O/N) said I could..." Dog kept his voice low when he saw the female demon was still asleep. "I didn't have anywhere to go."

      The doctor tsked. "I see you're also the revenge type now."

      Dog had to take a second to realize what the doctor said. He was confused. "What do you-"

"You've been putting ideas into her head? That she needs to seek revenge?" Yama made sure the girl was still asleep but still kept his voice down.

      The spider demon was growing anxious. Where was this coming from? But then he thought back to his conversation with (Y/N). Did she tell the doctor about it?

"I thought it was why she was here." He spoke. "She said it wasn't..."

"Well, now she has a death wish because of you." Yama grunted. "What did you tell her?"

"She asked me what it felt like. To get revenge." Dog was being honest. But then he started feeling awkward. He got his revenge against Ki and Akai. And Yama was Akai's brother. "I told her what it felt like for me and that she shouldn't keep it down..."

     Yama grunted and carefully got up while laying (Y/N)'s body down on the couch, careful not to wake her. He saw that the Zone was still stopped so he motioned for Dog to follow him. The spider demon hesitated to do so.

      They went outside and around to where nobody could disturb them.

      When they were far enough, Yama turned to Dog and gave him a glare that reminded the poor demon of Akai. "She wants to go fight them. She thinks because she has Zankoku's abilities that she's capable enough to fight them. She wasn't thinking like this before you two had talked."

"You don't want her to fight?" Dog asked. He didn't want to say it for fear of angering Yama further, but if she wanted to fight, that was her decision. Not his.

"She's not ready." Yama stated. "She'll just get herself killed for nothing. You shouldn't have brought up revenge in the first place!"

      Dog flinched when the doctor raised his voice slightly, but he noticed that Yama didn't exactly answer him.

"Next time you talk to her, don't put any more ideas into her head! Understood?" Yama growled.

       Dog didn't. The doctor may still be intimidating to him after all this time but he didn't agree with what Yama was saying. He was trying to hold her back.

       20 years ago, Dog wouldn't have dared voiced his opinion but after being free and learning to be more assertive, he built up his confidence and shook his head no. "You shouldn't do that to her."

"What?" Yama glared.

      Dog stayed firm. "If I wasn't encouraged to kill Ki and your brother, I would probably be dead by now."

      He saw how Yama's jaw clenched and his body stiffen, but he kept his intense glare.

"I was a slave to them for years. If it wasn't for Zankoku, I could've stood up for myself much sooner..." He was held back by all of the torture and brainwashing done to him to make him submissive. He's still dealing with the effects of that to this day.

"I'm sorry about your brother but I had to do it... And if you hold her back, it'll only get worse." Dog chose his words carefully.

      Yama dragged out a sigh and stepped away from the timid demon. Dog watched him go. He didn't understand why he was being so protective of her. Or that he would be against the idea of revenge. It wasn't the answer to everything, but he couldn't imagine letting what the Elitists did to (Y/N) go so easily if it were him. And he wasn't even the confrontational type.

"I can't change her mind anyway..." Yama muttered to himself that Dog almost missed. He marched back up to him and jabbed a finger at the spider demon that made him jump back. "You got her into thinking this, now you need to make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble over it."

"Wha-"

"She wants me to help her learn to control Zankoku's abilities. And you're helping." Yama cut him off.

"But-"

"You're helping." Yama growled. "Understood?"

      Dog gulped and nodded. Those red eyes of his...

      The Chief had called for everyone to load back onto the vehicles as they were about to leave again. Dog watched Yama walk past him, grumbling about needing a cigarette.

       Approaching the city kept everyone high on their guard. As the tall buildings grew closer, it wouldn't be long until they were deep within its borders.

       (Y/N) was awake and gazing out a window at the huge structures, the dense roads, the old billboards and signs, the dozens of cars and transportation that littered the streets. Nature had taken its time reclaiming everything as plants and vines traveled all around. She couldn't deny how claustrophobic she felt. She's never been to a city before.

"How are you supposed to get around?" She whispered to herself, seeing how pact up the streets were that the Zone had to take their time getting through.

     B was sitting next to her and watching the buildings pass by too. "Guess it was way easier back then."

     Suddenly, the Capturer snickered randomly which made (Y/N) look at her confused.

"Nothing." B dismissed her. Her eyes caught sight of an old guitar store that took her interest. "Ooo wonder if anything still works in there."

"You play?" (Y/N) asked.

"Used to before training. I got this sick electric guitar I used to go crazy with. But then my parents made me stop when the neighbors started complaining." B pouted.

"You have electric guitars?" (Y/N) sounded surprised.

"Oh right, you wouldn't know about them." B gave her an encouraging smile. "I'll show you one day. If I can smuggle my guitar up here without Mr. Killwater getting on my case about it."

      They soon noticed that the carrier was stopping again. B took a glance at the front before pulling out her radio to listen for any instructions.

"We'll be setting up camp underneath an overpass and once we're settled, I want three teams to patrol the area for any hostiles." Came Axel's voice from the front of the line. "We don't want any unexpected guests."

"Yay, we get to sleep under an overpass like homeless people." B sarcastically joked to herself. "As long as it's cool and shady, I don't care. I hate the heat."

"It didn't bother me as much until," (Y/N) gestured to herself. "This. Sometimes I feel like I'm burning alive..."

"Vampire much?" The Capturer giggled before getting up to help with the camp situation.

      It took a second for her to understand. She deadpanned.