slayers_desire | kidnapped by Demons: the rescue

Perhaps the only saving grace about her unconscious state is the fact that April can't feel any pain right now. The one drawback is that she also can not respond to Clark's question.

She feels like a ragdoll in his arms. Limp and almost lifeless. But she is hanging on. In her heart, she knew he would come for her.

He shrugs out of his jacket, wrapping it around her - to preserve her dignity, to keep her warm, to slow any bleeding, whatever the reason it feels like the right thing to do - and hefts her in his arms, holding her close to his chest. "I'm going to get you out of here," he says, and even though she isn't responding, he hopes that somehow she can still hear him. That she knows he's come for her.

He looks down at the unconscious torturer, feeling the burning rage that he would dare do this to her. But he doesn't have to kill him, and he doesn't have to let him go free either. Shifting her weight mostly onto one strong arm, he frees his other hand for the gesture required in the banishing spell.

The warmth of his jacket seems to have some effect, April's sluggish breathing deepens slightly. And even deep in the darkness of her mind, she can hear him. And knows she is safe now.

The light of the banishing spell envelops the torturer, then with a flash he is gone, sent to the demon dimension. A moment later Clark hears sounds of soldiers coming down the stairs.

The voice of the general is distinct. "All is not lost, if my princess will not give herself to me, I will take her."

They appear at the bottom of the stairs that lead into the torture chamber and stop cold when they see Clark. The Scourge general frowns. "Who are you?"

Clark stands tall, April held safe and secure in his arms, and knows that this is the moment he's been waiting for. He feels no fear, no anxiety, just cold burning anger and determination. His eyes flare bright gold with the promise of fire, barely restrained. And he doesn't even think about what he says next. "I'm Kal-El, the last son of Krypton. I'm taking her with me. Your time is over."

The general laughs. In that way that all self-confident men do. "No one will take my princess from me. Not will I still wish to play with her."

He signals for his men to attack. And from behind him they come, there is six who coming charging with their swords.

Clark's in motion before he consciously realizes what he's hearing, turning in a steady arc as his eyes unleash the vicious fire of his heat vision, sweeping it over them in a wide beam meant to blast them back more than burn. All his senses seem sharpened, heightened beyond most anything he's felt before, listening to the attackers and the general and his soldiers all at once, attuned to every noise they make, and beneath it, the gentle thrum of April's vital signs.

They were not expecting the blast. And they jump back and he can see their fear visible. There is enough hestitation that Clark can act before they will listen to the insane babbling of the general. "Attack him! Kill him!"

April's vital signs are slowly getting better. But she will need to be healed before she completely can come out of her comatose state.

Mindful of the fragility of the girl in his arms, Clark blurs into superspeed again, launching his one free fist into exposed stomachs and throats, focusing on working his way through those being commanded first, knocking away swords and planting solid blows into vulnerable spots, and to his eyes they all move as slowly as if they're trying to fight in molasses.

In one moment The Scourge general is commanding his soldiers, and then in the next all six are unconscious on the floor. And he is face-to-face with the hero who had claimed April.

"Impossible..." He backs away. The flight instinct strong in the one who orders, and never acts for himself.

Clark steps forward, keeping the space between them the same even as he retreats, those furious eyes glowing gold once more as they stare into the general's. "I gave you fair warning. You're done. For good."

"For good. The only way you could manage that is to kill me." The Scourge general laughed. He was taunting Clark. Trying to get him to act. Using his instincts to pull away the humanity in this one too.

"Guess again."

He unleashes a focused blast of heat vision, directed straight at the general's chest, hot enough to burn but not kill, powerful enough to knock him back off his feet.

The blast forced the general to the wall, where he fell to the ground from the strength of the attack. The demon sensed another tactic, another way to strip a layer of humanity from this person.

"Please... it doesn't matter what you do to me," It wasn't begging. It was cold and hard cruelty. "Princess will always remember how I touched her."

"Maybe not," he agrees, but it isn't at all friendly or despairing. His rage has become less of a fire and more of a sharp blade, ready to spill blood for blood. "I can't undo what you've done. But you don't get to walk away."

He steps forward, still holding April out of grabbing distance, and directs a decisive kick at the downed demon.

There was a satisfying grunt from the Scourge general as the kick landed securily in his gut. And still he egged Clark on. "Every night as she was chained in her bed, I would go in there and touch her. Again and again."

A door opened at the top of the stairs. There stood the Lister servants, who had been summoned by the noise.

Clark has no idea if what he's saying is true. But in this one moment, he decides it doesn't matter, because he believes that the general would tell any lie for any reason. Especially if it meant Clark losing his temper.

So he doesn't allow himself to believe it. Whether or not it's true is something he'll deal with later, when the demons are taken care of. After April is safe and healing.

"You're the shittiest loser I've ever met." This time, the kick is a lot heavier and directed squarely at the general's head.

Beside severly injuring the general, and receiving a cheer from the Lister demons at the top of the stairs, it also serves to stop the general from speaking any further. And he joins his men in unconsciousness.

"He is a hero." The Lister leader says softly.

With another brief check to make sure he didn't hit him hard enough to kill him, Clark banishes him through the portal. It's not nearly as satisfying as it would be to kick him over and over until his blood runs as freely as April's, but it feels good nonetheless. Knowing that he won't be able to hurt her again.

He moves to the other unconscious soldiers, exiling them too, one at a time. And finally, he looks up at the Lister demons, fierce protective determination still shining in his eyes, shifting April in his arms so she rests more securely. "Are there any more, elsewhere in the castle?"

"There are only the ones on the parade square left. Sir." The Lister demon responds. He and the others start to follow Clark like lost puppies.

"Is the Miss going to be okay?" Asks a small voice, from one of their children.

"I'll have to take them down too," he says, almost to himself, thinking furiously. He can't just leave dozens of the Scourge hanging around like this, and he especially can't leave the Lister demons unprotected with them around. Especially not once they realize what's happened to their leader.

He looks down at the child, the hard edge in his eyes softening just a little. "She will now. In time."

"Miss was so strong. Refused to take my child's blood. Twice." The Lister leader explained softly. His hand protectively on the child that questioned Clark. As other Lister servants join the little gathering, Clark can see that there are many families here.

They make it out to the parade square without incident. Once there, the Lister shield themselves behind Clark and wait. The soliders on the parade stare at him and the freed servants.

Then they start to come at him, one after another.

Clark looks down at her, his heart aching at the thought of what tortures she must have endured, how hard it must have been for her to refuse. How she must still be suffering. He doubts they'd let her feed more humanely. And he silently promises her that it won't be long now.

He stares down the soldiers fearlessly. Though it would be easier to fight without April in his arms, he doesn't want to let her go for a moment. And he doesn't need his hands to fight.

He channels his sun-given power into his eyes, striking the approaching soldiers with heat vision like a sledgehammer, even as he shifts April's weight once more to one side, holding her securely even as he frees one hand for any who manage to get too close. Keeping his body in between her and them.

As Clark makes quick work of The Scourge soldiers, the Lister demons become more and more amazed by him. His heat vision forces several back from the attack. And those who do get too close are slammed back with the force of his punch. It had seemed impossible, to see one man stand against dozens.

But Clark does it. And manages to bring each of the soldiers down without having to release April from his arms.

Clark is thinking of very little except protecting April and eliminating the threat. He isn't thinking about being a hero, or a savior, or impressing the Lister demons, or anything other than just taking care of business. Taking them down, and banishing them forever. And if he were currently draped in a red cape, his chest emblazoned with the famous S-shield, it would not look out of place.

He does a final sweep of the area, listening for any fleeing soldiers, peering through miles of space in and around the castle with his x-ray vision for any stragglers. Finally satisfied that they're all eliminated, and every last one dumped through the portal, he turns back to the servants. "That's all of them."

The Lister can not help themselves. They cheer. They start planning for a future as a race, instead as servants.

The Lister leader and his child step away from the celebrations. "What can we do to help the Miss?"

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