Drunk Monsters and Terrible Hunters
There was only one pub in the small town of Hellsgate, which meant afternoons and evenings could get very crowded. It was a local hotspot, a popular place to gather and meet and rest. The warm lighting, comfortable booths, friendly faces, and a wide variety of drinks made it a favourite for the residents of Hellsgate.
But early mornings were practically empty, other than one group, always in the same booth. They met in the pub every single day, spending hours there whenever they weren’t at work. Sometimes they’d drink or order some chips, but mostly they’d just sit there.
Marlene was currently sitting on the table, legs crossed, and glass of intoxicated blood in her hands. She recounted a tale of the time Sirius had fed on a stoned man and had gotten so high that he had climbed a tree and tried to swing upside down from its branches, only to immediately fall and panic that he was no longer a vampire.
Peter sat on the left, nursing a beer as he listened to the story. Dorcas next to him, half listening to their girlfriend whilst they wrote a letter, a bottle of rum in hand. Mary and Lily sat together on the right, laughing along to the story as Mary helped Lily with a small potion. A glass of wine sat in front of Mary and a beer in front of Lily.
The door to the pub swung open, footsteps walking over. But the group carried on their conversation, ignoring the newcomer.
A sword swung down, piercing into the wooden table.
Marlene glanced at it, “Are you just going to leave that there?”
The newcomer, dressed in scruffy, but practical clothing with long, black hair, smacked a photo down, James and Remus’ faces smiling from the still.
Lily picked the photograph up, eyes widening on seeing a pheonix pin on the newcomer's jacket, “Did you mean to put the photo down first and then the sword through it?”
The newcomer glared back, “I’m looking for these people. Tell me what you know?”
Peter snorted, “Everything we know about anything? That’s quite a lot.”
Marlene laughed, “Not for you.”
“About the people in the photo!” The newcomer groaned, agitated.
Lily shook her head, “I’m afraid I’ve never seen either of them before.”
Lily passed the photo to Mary, who shook her own head, “Not a clue”, before turning to Lily, “One on the right looks like you’re type though.”
Lily snorted, bumping her arm against Mary’s.
Mary passed the photo to Marlene, who stared at the photo as if in thought.
She then looked up, “I know them. Saw both just outside at the back of this place a few minutes ago. Probably still there.”
The newcomer smiled, “Thank you for your time”, she nodded to the group, pulling her sword out of the table, before heading back out the pub door.
Dorcas snorted, glancing to Lily, “Your boyfriend’s popular.”
“I don’t think we should do anything to her”, Lily murmured, a glance to the door, as Marlene set down her glass and jumped off the table.
“Then she shouldn't have come here.”
Lily grabbed Mary’s hand, following after Marlene. Dorcas and Peter rose from the other side of the table.
Outside, the newcomer stood, frowning as she looked around the empty alleyway. She turned, hearing footsteps.
“I think they must have left.”
Marlene smiled, a fang popping out, “What a shame.”
The newcomer’s eyes widened, “You’re a-”
Marlene ran towards her, pushing her against the pub wall, and biting into her neck. The newcomer tensed, turning her neck slightly to the side.
Dorcas pushed past their friends, grabbing Marlene’s arm, “Marls, she’s armed!”
Her fangs left the newcomer’s neck, and she stared at the two, slightly dazed.
Marlene’s lip quirked up, staring at the sword in the newcomer’s hand, “Why didn’t you use your sword? I was going to kill you.”
The newcomer shrugged slightly, “It was kinda hot.”
“You’re a shit hunter”, Dorcas huffed.
“Fuck off. I know they’re here now.”
Lily swore, “Marlene! Kill her.”
Marlene tilted her head, looking at the newcomer with a smirk, “I don’t think I want to.”
“That’s a shock”, Peter laughed.
Dorcas grabbed a small dagger from their pocket, spitting onto the knife point, and took a step towards the newcomer.
“Does no one else think we’re all a little too drunk to be making decisions about someone’s life?” Mary asked, worriedly glancing at the dagger Dorcas now had pointed to the newcomer’s throat.
"We've only had like one drink, Mary." Lily commented.
"And it’s a hunter’s life”, Dorcas spat.
“Is that not still a life? Jesus, are you all insane?”
Marlene snorted, blood still dripping from her lips, “Mary, are you really asking us that?”
Peter shoved his hands in his pockets, “I think we should just kill her. She’s, y'know… dangerous.”
Lily nodded, “Take a life to save the lives of many. Dorcas, do it.”
“Cas, don’t”, Marlene hummed, “I think she’s interesting.”
Dorcas whirled around, dropping their hold on the newcomer, “Can you lot just make a decision! I vote we kill her.”
“Thank you, Dorcas”, Lily nodded, “We kill her. She’s after James and Remus, which means she’s going to mess with our plans and hunt every monster she can find.”
Mary scoffed, “With that logic, you should’ve killed Remus. But just because you made friends with him, he gets a pass for wanting to murder us all? If we kill every hunter who comes here, are we not just as bad as them?”
“Remus isn’t actually dangerous. He’s sweet, he won’t hurt a fly. But she has an anger in her, a deep dependency on hunting, on fighting… Pete? Your vote?”
Peter glanced between Mary and Lily, “I vote we kill her.”
Mary let out a breath, “God, Pete.”
Lily turned to Marlene, “I know you want her to live because she’s interesting to you, but can you understand what a danger allowing her to live is to all of us? And aren’t you hungry? You tasted her blood, don’t you want more?”
Marlene paused, tongue licking across her lip, she caught Mary’s pleading eyes, “Sorry, Mary.”
Dorcas turned to where the newcomer had been and paused, “Guys… she’s gone.”
They all turned to the empty wall, blood splattered on the concrete and bricks, and a shiny sword left behind.
Lily grabbed it, turning to the group, “We go after her. Kill on sight.”
Marlene grinned, cracking her neck to the side and turning into a small black bat, she flew off in search. Dorcas kept their dagger in hand, and unleashed their axe that was tied to their leg, once in hand they ran off in the same direction as their girlfriend had flown.
Lily walked over to Peter, “I want you to have this. You can do this, Peter. You’re braver than you realise.” She smiled.
Peter smiled back, nervously taking the sword, feeling its weight in his hands, he headed off in search.
“This isn’t right, Lils.”
Lily turned to Mary, a frown replacing the smile, “A war is erupting, I’m trying to do what is best for all of us. I supported Sirius’ idea to bring in a hunter to help, but there are too many coming, it’ll become dangerous for us. You know me, Mary; of course I don’t want anyone to die, but to save the people I care about, that is what has to happen.”
“They might help us, you don’t know her. You’re not even giving her a chance! You believe in people, Lils, that is what you do. So why can’t you believe in her?”
Lily turned away from Mary, “She had a badge on her jacket, the phoenix. Severus had the same.”
Mary grabbed Lily’s hand, “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It does. You know it does. Whoever Severus started working for, that hunter works for the same person. Which means she can’t be trusted, it means she has to be annihilated.”
"Annihilated? What does that even mean, Lily? Jesus, she hasn't even done anything yet!"
"Yet."
Lily walked over to the bloody wall, collecting it into a small vial in order to aid the search.
Mary stared at her, “I’m going to find her first. I’m going to talk to her, like a normal fucking person. And then we’ll decide what to do.”
Lily turned her head, a small smile on her face, “Good luck, Mary.”