Artemis turned around, her expression hardening as she knew what she must do next. She stocked down the hall, her turning more animalistic. Her nail lengthened into sharp claws, and her eyes narrowed into wolf-like slits. The flapping of wings drew her attention, and she turned to the side. The winged goddess stood to the side, wearing a red leather jacket. She had short, curly black hair.
"Nemesis," Artemis said, her tone light, "Wanna have some fun."
A vicious grin spread across Nemesis's face, and said, "I knew there would be something fun happening here. So, who needs vengeance."
Artemis sighed, and said, "One of my new hunter's had asked to be taken away from this place because they were r*ped by their stepfather."
Nemesis nodded, and said, her expression darkening dangerously, "I see…So, he wanted feel pleasure at the expense of harming a child…" her eyes lit up, and she continued, "I have the perfect idea!"
Nemesis opened the door, and they were immediately hit with the rotting stench of human filth. It smelt as though someone had died in there. It was a good thing they were gods. Artemis and Nemesis covered their noses by shifting layers of skin over them like a veil. Nemesis grabbed the man in her clutches, not even actually touching the vial man. She slashed at the air with her talons, a tear appearing in the folds of the mist. The tear widened to revealed a pitch black void on the other side. Nemesis threw the man through the hole, not caring how he landed. She stepped through gracefully, and turned around, waiting for Artemis.
Artemis stepped forward slightly before hesitantly stepping back. She inspected the portal closely, watching the way it rippled around the folds in the mist. It was almost mesmerizing, and she would have been trapped observing it if she hadn't paying close attention.
Artemis asked, her voice sounding weak, "Are you sure she will allow me in there."
Nemesis smiled, sharply, "As long as you stick with me, mother won't mind too much. She lets me come and go as I please."
Artemis slowly stepped through the portal, saying, "That's because you're her favorite child."
Nemesis snorted, and said, almost bitterly, "Mother doesn't have a 'favorite child'. She simply isn't interested in us. We are too small to truly pose any threat towards her."
Artemis looked around the hall of shadows wearily, noticing how they shifted as if alive, which they most definitely were. The shadows swirled around them, and settled in the approximate shape of a entrance hall of a manor.
Nemesis walk away, saying, "Try to keep up. The shadows have a mind of their own. If you get lost, you will never make it out on your own."
A shadow carried the unconscious body of the vial pig of a man, and even they seemed disgusted by the presence. Artemis ran up behind her, falling behind due to Nemesis's long stride.
Artemis asked, "But you will be able to find me, if I got lost, that is."
Nemesis hummed, and said, "Perhaps…"
They walked in silence for a few moments, the shadows separating to let them pass through. Nemesis stopped at a large door, and Artemis could hear the faint murmur behind it. Nemesis spun around around, and outstretched her arms. She spoke, a confident smile on her face, "Welcome to the Hall of Retribution!"
The doors swung open, and the murmurs loudened into a constant stream of screams. Nemesis walked in, a spring in her step. She was in her element. Artemis followed behind. She looked around the hall, but she couldn't actually tell where the screaming was coming from. The shadows blocked any sight of the torment going on. Nemesis stopped about twenty feet in, and the shadows separated. The vial man was thrown back onto the ground. The shadows that had carried him shuddered, as if repulsed, and wrapped itself tightly around Nemesis. Nemesis pet the shadow, and it purred contently.
The shadow left the hall, disappearing into the wall. Artemis turned to the man to Nemesis, "So, what is his punishment?"
Nemesis responded, her eyebrow twitching slightly, "We will have to see what is decided once he wakes up, but I think I know what it will be."
Nemesis stepped forward, and spelled him awake before covering her and Artemis with the mist. A vicious smile spread across her face as the man started to shift uncomfortably.
"This will be good~"
{ ~ >^^< ~ }
Gabe woke up slowly, his entire body feeling weird. He sat up, and looked around. The small room in the Manhattan apartment came into view. He got up, and left the room, stepping over bottles. He really needed to make Sally clean those up later. He walked to the kitchen, and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
A feeling of sudden dizziness overtook him, and he dropped the beer bottle. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, fragments chiming melodiously as they rushed towards the floor. Gabe walked out of the room, his headache worsening from his drinking session last night…
He went into Sally's room, but she wasn't there. Damnnit, she must have gone to work already. He couldn't just leave the glass on the floor until she came home to pick it up. He had a great idea. He would make the brat clean it up. He went into the room, and it was also empty. He wasn't here… The brat was probably hiding. Gabe had punished the brat the night before, and now the kid was being so dramatic. He could have done so much worse, but he had been feeling…generous. The brat should have honestly been thanking him. It wasn't like anyone else would ever do it with the brat. Honestly, the brat had been asking for it…
Gabe looked around but couldn't find the thing Sally used to clean up messes on the floor. He pulled the trashcan out from beneath the sink, and picked up a piece of the glass with his bare hand. After about the fourth piece of glass, he cut himself on a piece. He cursed, dropping the glass, and it shattered into even smaller fragments.
He looked down at his hand, and saw the flesh actively peeling back. It started with a sensation of tightness, like his skin was being pulled tight against his flesh. Then came the tearing, not sharp, but slow, like paper being pulled apart fiber by fiber. Each strip lifted away reluctantly, clinging before it let go. He looked closer at the surface that felt raw, exposed, and shined slightly under the light. Something was moving under his skin, digging itself up to the surface before burrowing deeper into the flesh of his hand.
Gabe blinked, and his hand was normal again. The skin on his hand was completely healed. He shook his head, and finished cleaning up the glass. He must have imagined it. But as he put the trash can away, he couldn't help but feel a lingering sensation of pain in his hand.