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“October 6th, 10:22 AM,” A tape recorder sits in front of you, gears spinning as you go over standard testing protocol, listing off variables and controls. “Commencing Empusa Trial Thirteen”. Your grip on your lab coat is tight, but loosens as you take note of a couple of stains surrounding its buttons. These demons still manage to freak you out, even after months of experimenting on them. It’s hard to get a good look at the one you’re testing on today- the one-way window protecting you from it is a bit smudged and the fluorescent lights in the room are reflecting off of it in a way that requires you to sit close. Too close for your liking.
You suddenly wish you’d taken Dr. Carter’s offer of a full team, but of course you’d had to insist on a solo trial. Risking your life would definitely be worth that promotion in the long run , you think to yourself with a sigh. So stupid . With little motivation, you snap out of your trance and finally face the demon, continuing to recite notes for the recording.
“Upon basic observation, the Empusa is not ready to lay eggs, rendering it an optimal test subject as a result of reduced hostility,” Your voice is firm. Almost bored, even. The complete opposite of how you’re feeling face to face with the creature. There’s no time for you to focus on your shaky hands, however- you want to get the trials over with fast so you can call it a day, and get as far away from the lab as possible. “Beginning first test: stress response to confinement.”
As expected, the Empusa only begins to lash out more violently, screeching and turning its head when the motion controlled wall closes in and stops about three feet from its disgusting, beady eyes. You note that in the recording, return the wall to its original position, and continue with the experiment. “Moving on to the second test: oral introduction of a sedative through blood samples.” It’s all pretty straight forward. A small slot in the wall opens up just enough for you to safely pour in the blood-sedative concoction without endangering your fingers, after which the Empusa is supposed to drink it and your job is to determine whether or not the sedative takes any effect. Of course, the slot wasn’t built keeping shakes due to nerves in mind, and while pulling your hand away, you manage to drip some of the blood on the floor, on your side of the wall.
Before you can even let out a prayer for the Empusa not to notice, it picks up on the scent and lunges itself against the wall. With how long it's been starved, it’s no wonder an amount so miniscule would be enough to render it even more feral than normal, and you question whether or not the only barrier protecting you from that thing will crumble with just a few more hits. You resign yourself to look up at the ceiling, accepting your fate with little hope of the sedative kicking in any time soon.
And then, you hear it. And so does the Empusa, because both your heads snap towards the entrance of the demon’s makeshift prison. At first, it’s a couple of clashes. Metal on metal. Then, you start to make out those characteristic violent screeches much like the ones your test subject had let out just minutes ago. Fuck , how had they gotten this close to base? You wonder who’s on watch, but you quickly reason they’re probably dead by now: of all the noises coming from outside, only one of them is human, and it doesn’t sound like anyone you know. You aren’t free to think things through for that long, however, before something slams against the metal double-doors leading into the Empusa’s examination room and a long, dark claw punctures through them and disintegrates soon after.
You’re so engrossed in the sounds of struggle coming from outside you almost don’t notice when they turn into a single man’s voice.
“It smells awful here.. I just hope Morrison was right about this place.” The man sounds too cocky for someone who just went face to face with a number of demons, and you’d be lying if the idea of him finding you doesn’t set you on edge. He seems strong, and if your intuition says anything, it seems he’s been sent here on some mission: one you don’t want to be involved in.
Your attention suddenly returns to the Empusa who was about to reach you just moments ago, which resumed banging itself against the wall after a few seconds of deciding which one of you to target. That, however, seems to have gathered the attention of the man outside. A moment later, a large, heavy-looking sword is cutting through the doors, and a white haired man donning a slightly scuffed up maroon coat rushes in, attacking your test subject. Not that you could care less about that thing.
He kills it swiftly, and it seems easy enough for him that you’re quick to reach for the first sharp object you can find, which happens to be a pair of scissors, and hide under your desk. You’re afraid opening the door would make too much noise for you to leave undetected, so your best bet is to wait until he leaves. Which, if your streak of bad luck today hasn’t been any warning so far, he does not. Instead, it’s as if he’s got some sixth sense, maybe x-ray vision? Either way, the explanation doesn’t matter because he’s already talking.
“Hey, person behind that glass?” He sounds annoyed, even more so when you don’t respond. “Listen, I know you’re there. Wouldn’t have a demon trying to get there if that wasn’t the case. So why don’t you just make this easy for both of us and come out already?” And now that cockiness is back.
You mentally scoff. As if . You simply roll your eyes and stay put. At least, you try to stay put, that is until that same sword from before smashes the window separating you from the man. When he pushes himself over the ledge, you wait for his legs to appear in front of you, crunching the broken glass, before you muster up as much force as possible and puncture his calf with the blades. Although, his reaction surprises you. No flinching and no yelling as he bends down and looks at you under the desk through his legs. Somehow, there’s a smirk on his face.
“Oh, there you are! Glad you made it easy for me, babe.” In the time it takes for you to register the nickname and the wink he sends you, he manages to stand up and grab you by the back of your neck, lifting you in the air with ease. Your kicking and flailing proves futile as he continues speaking. He must like the sound of his own voice . “You know, I don’t exactly appreciate you stabbing me after I just saved your life, but I’ll let it go if you give me some information.” That permanent smile on his face does more to piss you off than scare you any further.
“Why are you so cheery, asshole?” Hopefully an insult will be enough to distract him while you figure out a way to get out of his grasp. Lifting your arms to his hands, you begin to pull back his fingers in an attempt to pull them back enough to hurt him. He picks up on it immediately, but not without letting you go, first. You fall with a grunt, and he sighs in response, as if you’re some tedious thing blocking his way.
“You know,” he starts, scrunching his eyebrows and frowning slightly. Have you offended him? “Maybe I just like acting like this. Why are you so grumpy ?” As he approaches you, you see the opportunity to dive behind him and through the shattered window, possibly giving you enough time to run to the safety exit. That would work, if it weren’t for him elbowing you in the back and pinning you against the floor, face down. You’re about to hit him with another insult, this time for the blow to your back, but he shuts you up by leaning in close and whispering in a gruff voice. “Now, why don’t you calm down, babe? And then you can take me to your boss, or whoever the fuck is running this place and I’ll be right out of your way.” You hope he doesn’t notice the way his voice sends shivers down your spine.
“And why would I do that?” You shift your gaze to look back at him, quickly taking in his features, slowing down to appreciate his slight stubble. Definitely attractive, but most definitely an ass.
“Alright then, hard way it is. Guess I’ll have to drag you along going room by room, looking for some tight-ass doctor.” He finally stands up, and your neck feels cold with the lack of his hot breath against it. With a grunt, he stretches and keeps talking. “Hey, you don’t mind if we pass by any higher-level demons on the way, right?” It’s as if he’s read your mind: your eyes widen thinking of the classified experiments locked behind promotions, and he notices immediately, smirk back on his face. “Thought so.”
“Fine,” you relent, flipping yourself over and raising your arm towards him. “Help me up?”
–
You take him to Carter. He’s not at the top, but he’s sure to figure out what to do with the new guy. But when you get to his office, the last thing you expect is his reaction. Mouth agape and desperately searching for words, he has nothing to say to the guy in the coat. So the jerk just starts talking.
“I’m guessing you know who I am already, but for the pretty girl standing next to me: name’s Dante.” His gaze shifts to your chest, and for a second you feel offended, but instead he reads your name tag out loud. “I’m guessing that’s yours?” He looks so smug you almost forget he’s the Dante, but when it clicks, it clicks. Fuck . Carter speaks up before you can say anything.
“Dante, yes. To what do we owe the pleasure?” He sounds shy, almost. Nothing like you’ve ever seen him. Of course, Dante walks all over him.
“Let’s make this quick, shall we? I need to find a Dr. Hansley. Last he was heard of, this little research facility was working with him. He still here?”
Carter’s expression shifts to one of disgust. “Definitely not. Last I saw him was when we cast him out. The guy was a total nutjob, hellbent on demon creation. Not someone we keep around here.”
“That much I gathered. You know a way to find him?” Dante seems pretty much ready to leave on the spot.
“Don’t get carried away. I know a guy who could get you there-”
“Perfect! So we’ll leave now?” How impatient , you think to yourself. Carter doesn’t comment on the interruption.
“Tomorrow. He could get you there tomorrow,” again, Dante interrupts Carter, this time with a groan and an eye roll as he crosses his arms, “the guy doesn’t mess around, Dante. Tomorrow or nothing.” The eye contact between them is tense, but surprisingly (and thankfully), Dante relents.
“Alright, tomorrow, then.” He turns, ready to leave, when something hits him. “Uh, didn’t think I’d need to ask this, but, you got a place I can crash for the night?”
Carter looks at you, almost apologetically. “Rookie here can take you to a room.”
“What-” your protests are cut off by Dante, once again demonstrating his habit of interrupting anything and everything.
“Alright, thanks, uh..?”
“Carter.”
“Right. Thanks, Carter.” He does a little salute, and you can’t help but scoff as you begin to lead the way to a spare room.
–
The walk to his room can’t be described as anything but awkward. You’re slightly hobbling thanks to Dante’s elbow to your back earlier, and you can feel him staring.
“You going to apologize any time soon?” You’re stopped a few feet away from his door, your eyes locked with his. He smiles as if what you just said is funny.
“Apologize for what? Getting payback for my leg?” You’re suddenly reminded of that, but looking down to assess the damage you made you remember his stupid regenerating abilities. All that’s left is a rip in his blood-stained pants.
“You count a nearly broken back the equivalent of a 15 dollar pair of pants?” Dante’s smile just gets cockier.
“10 bucks, actually. Got ‘em on sale.” Oh, he must feel so fucking smart.
“Well, now that I’ve ‘paid you back’ I guess you can throw out those demon-stained abominations.” He picks up on the double meaning of your words before you can even think over what you’ve just said.
“Desperate to get me out of my pants, are you?” he’s leaning in closer, one arm pinning you against the wall. You don’t miss how his voice gets slightly deeper. You struggle to look away from him, but manage to roll your eyes.
“More like desperate to get you back for that hit.”
“Hm.. Well, I guess it looks like I’ll be free from about.. now until tomorrow morning. How does that work for you?” His other arm is reaching for your face as his fingers tip your chin to face him.
Giving up on holding back your attraction, you grab his face and bring him closer to you. “I suppose I could squeeze you into my schedule.” With one look at your lips, he’s leaning forward and kissing you, the cold wall slightly soothing the pain in your back as he presses you against it. Moments later, you’re pulling away and reeling yourself back in, kissing his neck. He leans into you even further, barely managing to ask you where his room’s supposed to be. You pull away quickly, rushing to get to a bed. “Here, just follow me,” you whisper, dragging him behind you until you reach his door. Once it’s closed behind you, he pins you against it, yet again in control of the situation.
He breaks away for a moment, unbuttoning your lab coat with ease and helping you shrug it off your shoulders. When he sees you wince at the effort, he slides his hand under your shirt, rubbing soothing circles around the place where he hit you.
“Sorry about your back,” he moans in between kisses.
“Oh, you will be.” you retort, pulling away to grab his hand, dragging it around to your stomach and down across your navel until his fingertips brush against your pant buttons. He gets the hint. He’s quick to pull off your pants, along with your shoes and socks, but once he’s on his knees in front of you, he decides to leave the underwear. His gaze is locked on yours as his fingers brush against the fabric, circling ever so close to your clit. Despite how little you want to, you grab his wrist to stop him. “Hey, this is a little unfair, don’t you think?”
The response is immediate. “Alright, let’s make it fair, then.” He stands up, throwing off his jacket, followed by his pants and shirt nearly instantly. When he looks at your hand, you get what he means by ‘fair’. You reach for the bulge under his boxers, palming him against the fabric, eliciting a weak moan from him. You can tell he’s already hard, and you debate teasing him about it before you realize just how impatient you are, opting to take off your shirt for him instead. He mirrors you with his own shirt, leaning forward and pressing his lips to your neck while his hands drift to your bra clasp. He fumbles with it for a moment before it unhooks, falling to the floor. His lips move slightly lower until they reach your nipple and he starts kissing it in between moans.
“If I’d known this was how to shut you up, I’d have flashed you a lot sooner.”
That seems to pull him out of his lust-induced trance. “I almost forgot how annoying you can be. How about I shut you up for a change?”
You’re already on your knees before you can ask what he means by that, and without needing to be told to, you’re pulling down his boxers, exposing his hard dick. With one lick across him, ending at the tip, you have him spewing a stream of incoherent moans, his forehead resting against the door as his hand reaches for the back of your head, holding it ever so gently. When you finally take him in your mouth, his impatience gets the better of him as he tugs on your hair, pulling you towards him. You nearly gag, but keep going, fully intending to stop before he can finish. The moans keep flowing even as you pull your mouth away, nearly turning into whines as he doesn’t understand why you didn’t let him finish.
“What did I say, Dante? Payback.” Standing up and pulling his head down towards you so you can face him at eye-level, you kiss him, tugging him towards the bed and turning the both of you around so the backs of his knees hit the edge of the mattress. He lets himself fall, breaking the kiss.
“So, what do you have planned for me? Not a beating, I hope-” he stops talking as you pull down your underwear, finally naked as well. He observes you, unsure of what you’re doing, until you’re pushing his back against the mattress and propping yourself above his face.
“You think you can do this for me, babe ?” You mock the nickname he gave you in the lab that day, and he nods meekly up at you. “Good.”
When you finally sit on his face, he licks you feverishly, as if desperate to taste as much of you as possible. He makes sure to focus on your clit, bringing his hands up to help. You let him, and the rough feeling of his callouses against you deepens the friction, bringing you close to your orgasm. You should have picked up on how that was a distraction. In seconds, he has you pushed off his face and pinned below you.
“ Hey, this is a little unfair, don’t you think? ” He’s mocking you, much like you did to him, and your cheeks heat up slightly.
“Just.. make it fair , alright?”
“Alright, alright. No need to worry.” With a signature smirk, he brings his hands back down to your cunt, fingering you with his middle and ring fingers while his thumb rubs circles against your clit. While his hands are busy, you bring your lips to his neck, kisses turning a little aggressive as you litter it with small bites, motivated by the sounds you get out of Dante. When you get close, you gain some sort of feral instinct, actually biting down and eliciting a strangled moan from him.
“Fuck, okay, what the fuck was that?” The words are harsh, but the tone is light. Looking up at his face, his slight blush gives him away: he’s too embarrassed to admit he liked it. So, you get a little bold.
“I’ll do it again if you fuck me.” You whisper into his ear.
He doesn’t need to be told twice. He thrusts inside of you in one go, rough and fast, and it’s what both of you are desperate for at this point. And so, you fulfill your end of the deal. Once he’s thrusted enough to pull your orgasm out of you, he pulls out, jerking himself off above you. Your teeth closing in on his neck are what send him over the edge, a rough moan escaping his lips as he spills himself on your stomach, leaving the both of you panting for air, sweaty and tired.
Before falling asleep next to you, Dante whispers something in your ear. “This makes the mission so worth the shit I’ll have to deal with tomorrow.”